In this weekly series we have been discussing the benefits of a vegetarian diet including: better health, animal rights, public health, food safety, frugal living, global food crisis and the staggeringly huge contribution of livestock/meat production to climate change/resource depletion (pdf).
Macca's Meatless Monday/Meatless Advocates is a solution oriented activist group, with solutions for some of the most pressing issues of our time including: climate change, global food/water insecurity and public health. Here we don't just talk about the severity of the crisis. Armed with knowledge about how our actions can contribute, we become part of the solution.
I was inspired to create this series by former Beatle and vegetarian advocate Paul McCartney (Macca) who partnered with the Meatless Monday campaign to promote less consumption of meat. We not only discuss the advantages of a less meat diet, we also do some cooking, share recipes and listen to great Beatle music!
It was five years yesterday, July 28,2008 that I published my first Macca's Meatless Monday on Daily Kos! The first MMM had no photos and only one recipe which was for Falafel Pitas. MMM was the first Meatless Monday blog in U.S. Washington Post started one in October 2008. I'm very proud to be part of this movement which has helped to reduce meat consumption in U.S. by over 12% in 5 years! And all while having lots of fun getting to 'talk' with you and listening to great music. Many thanks to the regulars who have been my motivation: I love you guys!
Now on to the festivities! Oh yeah baby, we're going to have a party with booze, food (all healthy and Earth friendly, of course) and music!
Macca's Meatless Monday music with Macca!
On to the booze; champagne of course. Belly up to the Beach Bar and grab a glass, plenty for everybody!
google images
RASPBERRY CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL
3 tbsp Crème de Cassis
bottle of Champagne , chilled
a few raspberries
Pour the Créme de Cassis into 8 Champagne flutes. Slowly pour a bottle of chilled Champagne between each glass and, just before serving, drop a few raspberries into each drink. Repeat.
Vegan Feast Catering, creative commons, flickr
CREAMY SPINACH STUFFED BELLOS with AVOCADO
A different healthy take on stuffed shooms.
6-8 Baby bellos
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
1 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach (well packed)
1 clove garlic
1 ripe avocado
1/4 cup walnuts (toasted, if you want)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt to taste
handful of sliced almonds (for garnish)
Preheat your oven to 450F degrees
Gently brush your mushrooms, then remove the stems by getting a firm hold of the base of the stem, and pulling straight out.
Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil or your favorite non-stick waterproof liner. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small cup, and use a pastry brush to paint the edges and caps of your mushrooms with a tiny bit of oil.
Place your mushrooms, cap side down, on your baking sheets. Sprinkle the gills with a little salt.
Bake mushrooms at 450 degrees F for about 7 minutes. Pour out any water that accumulates.
For your filling, combine your spinach, garlic, walnuts, and seasonings in a strong blender or food processor. Blend until chunky, but smooth.
Peel and remove your avocado pit, then mash the contents until it is also chunky, but smooth. Pour blender contents over mashed avocado and stir it together. Now, taste it, and add salt to your preference.
Spoon filling into your mushrooms and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
At this point, you can serve your mushrooms with the raw filling if you wish or put your stuffed mushrooms back in the oven at 450 degrees F for another 3-5 minutes. This will dry out your filling just a tiny bit, and make it even more delicious, in my opinion.
This recipe contains raw garlic. If you aren't a fan of raw garlic, just throw your garlic clove in with your mushrooms and let them roast for a few minutes before blending them up with your spinach.
VEGAN CAESAR SALAD
Shawn Campbell, creative commons, flickr
This recipe is a Julia Child adaptation. And it was Julia (not me) who said:
there are no anchovies in Caesar Salad..
2 large crisp heads romaine lettuce
2 large cloves garlic and a garlic press
Salt
¾ cup best-quality olive oil
2 cups best-quality plain unseasoned toasted croutons
1 large lemon
1/4 to 1/2 cup Veganaise (it's yummy)
1/4 vegan parm cheese, grated or use nutritional yeast.
Peppercorns in a grinder
Worcestershire sauce (I use vegan)
The romaine. You want 6 to 8 whole unblemished leaves of romaine, between 3 and 7 inches long, per person. Strip the leaves carefully from the stalks, refrigerate rejects in a plastic bag and reserved for another salad. Wash your Caesar leaves gently, to keep them from breaking, shake dry, and roll loosely in clean towels. Refrigerate until serving time.
The croutons. Purée the garlic into a small heavy bowl, and mash to a smooth paste with a pestle or spoon, adding ¼ teaspoon salt and dribbling in 3 tablespoons of the oil. Strain into a medium-sized frying pan and heat to just warm, add the croutons, toss for about a minute over moderate heat, and turn into a nice serving bowl.
Other preliminaries. Shortly before serving, squeeze the lemon into a pitcher, grate the cheese into a nice little bowl, and arrange all of these on a tray along with the rest of the olive oil, the croutons, pepper grinder, salt, and Worcestershire. Have large dinner plates chilled, arrange the romaine in the largest salad bowl you can find, and you are ready to go.
Mixing the salad. Prepare to use large rather slow and dramatic gestures for everything you do, as though you were Caesar himself. First pour 4 tablespoons of oil over the romaine and give the leaves 2 rolling tosses–hold salad fork in one hand, spoon in the other, and scoop under the leaves at each side of the bowl, bringing the implements around the edge to meet each other opposite you, then scoop them up toward you in a slow roll, bringing the salad leaves over upon themselves like a large wave breaking toward you; this is to prevent them from bruising as you season them. Sprinkle on ¼ teaspoon of salt, 8 grinds of pepper, 2 more spoonfuls of oil, and give another toss. Pour on the lemon juice and 6 drops of Worcestershire . Toss twice, sprinkle on the cheese. Toss once, then sprinkle on the croutons and give two final tosses.
Serving. Arrange the salad rapidly but stylishly leaf by leaf on each large plate, stems facing outward, and a sprinkling of croutons at the side. Guests may eat the salad with their fingers, in the approved and original Caesar manner, or may use knives and forks–which they will need anyway for the croutons.
PS: these are Julia's very dramatic instructions; I would have just said mix well.
stab at sleep, creative commons, flickr
HOMEMADE VEGGIE PIZZA
This is the
piece de resistance tonight; An awesome, homemade veggie pizza!
Easy Pizza Crust
Okay this is easy & fast but it's even easier to buy ready-made dough from your market as I do quite often.
¾ cup + 3 Tablespoons warm water
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
2 cups bread flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Build the dough
1)
In a small bowl, whisk together the warm water and yeast. Let it sit for about 10 minutes so the yeast activates.
2)
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the bread flour, whole wheat flour and salt.
3)
Add the water mixture and olive oil and stir with a large spoon until the dough comes together into a sticky ball.
4)
If Using an Electric Mixer
Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds or until the dough forms into a smooth, sticky ball and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
If Mixing by Hand
Use a large spoon and stir the dough clockwise for about 2 minutes, then reverse stirring directions and stir counter-clockwise for another 2 minutes or until the dough forms into a smooth, sticky ball and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
5)
If doing an overnight rise
Place the dough in a freezer bag, flatten it to a disk, squeeze all the excess air out and let it sit in the refrigerator from 12 hours to 3 days. Storing the dough in the refrigerator for more than 3 days isn't recommended because it can discolor. Feel free to store it in the freezer for up to one month if you need to store it longer.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature, about 3 hours. Due to the small amount of yeast in the dough, it will not rise significantly.
If not doing an overnight rise (the quick method)
Coat the dough with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil, cover the mixing bowl with a plastic bag and let the dough rise for about 1 ½ hours. The dough will not gain a significant of size during this rise.
Degass the dough by pressing out any gas with open palms. Allow the dough to have another rise for about 1 ½ hours. Due to the small amount of yeast in this dough it will not rise considerably.
Pizza Topping
Use your favorite tomato or pesto as base and add any toppings you like before baking with crust. My fave is light tomato sauce, sun-dried tomato, artichokes, red onion, calamata olives, vegan feta and oregano.
Bake at 525F for 10-15 minutes, rotate once while baking.
veganbaking.net, creative commons, flickr
STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER CAKE
Perfect for celebrating strawberry season.
1 cup pureed strawberries (I like to leave some fruit chunks in)
1 medium size, very mature banana
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups non-dairy milk
Pre-heat oven to 350'F. Purée the strawberries (the redder the better) and banana together.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.
Add the strawberry and banana purée, vegetable oil and non-dairy milk to the bowl containing the dry ingredients and mix well with a mixer.
Pour the batter into a greased bundt pan and bake for about 40 minutes. Bake time may vary according to elevation and oven so use a toothpick to check for doneness. If it comes out clean, you're good to go! If it needs more time, add 10 minute increments of baking time, checking for doneness at the end of each one.
veganbaking.net, creative commons, flickr
VEGAN CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES
Two desserts to celebrate special day and because I can. To jazz these up I like adding 2 teaspoons of Kahlua. May also add Chambord, Frangelico etc. Makes about 40.
Warning: addictive
½ cup chocolate soymilk
1 12-oz. pkg. vegan chocolate chips
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
Warm soymilk until hot to the touch. Set aside.
Melt chocolate chips in large metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Stir in warmed soymilk until smooth. Cover, and refrigerate 4 hours, or overnight.
Place cocoa on plate. Shape chilled chocolate mixture into 1-inch balls, and roll in cocoa. Or may roll in coconut, nuts or candy sprinkles.
"Birthday" The Beatles
"Let Me Roll It" Paul McCartney & Wings
What have you all been cooking? Please share your recipes and fave Beatle music here!