vegilicio.us

Veglicious Turns One

Here's celebrating 365 days and 164 posts. Happy Birthday!

Review: Kashi's Mayan Harvest Bake Frozen Meal

I tend not to eat frozen meals. For work, I generally grab a little container of something I myself have prepared at some previous point in time and frozen, like veggie lasagna, red beans and rice, or a hearty soup. Frozen entrees generally seem a poor value, have a measly vegan selection, and sometimes I doubt the portion is sufficient to keep a small mammal alive.

So I can't say I was all that excited when I heard Kashi had come out with a new vegan frozen meal: Mayan Harvest Bake.

But, I also couldn't help but notice how many people, people whom I had no reason to suspect of having poor judgment, were declaring it the absolute best frozen meal they'd ever eaten. I was intrigued, and as soon as I noticed it on the grocery store shelf, I bought it.

The box describes the meal as "Plantains with roasted sweet potato, black beans and kale. Spicy ancho sauce with pumpkin seed garnish served over Kashi seven whole grain polenta, plus amaranth." Certainly not your typical frozen meal. And, happily, it didn't taste like it either.

 

It's not much to look at, but it was indeed delicious. Just as described, it was a unique combination of sweetness and smoky spiciness. And, it was enough to make me feel like I'd eaten an actual meal, which is not bad considering it comes in at only 340 calories and 9 grams of fat (just 1 of which is saturated.) It also has a whopping 8 grams of fiber, and just 380 mg of sodium, which is less than many frozen products. Of Kashi's 13 frozen entrees, a respectable 5 are vegan.

One negative which I must mention, for those to whom this might matter, is that the cooking instructions are rather complex for a frozen meal. First you microwave for 5 minutes at 50% power, specifically at the outer rim of the microwave's rotating tray. Then, cook an additional 3 minutes at full power. Finally, let the meal sit in the microwave for 3 minutes to complete cooking. Does my office micro even have reduced cooking power capabilities? Yes, turns out it does, but it took me several minutes to figure it out. And, at my workplace at least, good luck trying to leave your food in the microwave for 3 minutes after it's done cooking. You will return to the kitchen to find that your entree has been moved out of someone's way, likely haphazardly set atop the water cooler.

But if you can master the tricky microwaving techniques and don't mind shelling out $4+ for a lunch served in a plastic tray, you won't be disappointed with this one.

May Daring Bakers Challenge: Apple (well, Apricot) Strudel

I was both excited and a little scared at this month's challenge of Apple Strudel. I liked the idea, but I've had woefully little pastry experience in my life. And, have I ever even had strudel? Unclear. I have to keep reminding myself that this is why they call it a "challenge." But, the best part was that I didn't even have to do any goofy tofu substitutions to veganize it. This was one ready to go, right out of the box.

The real test of this one was making the tissue-thin dough. As such, the hostesses allowed lots of flexibility on the filling. As much as I like apples, I truly love apricots. 

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers (Note: For my strudel, I halved these quantities.)

• 1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough

• 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons or so Earth Balance (just for brushing the dough)
• 2 teapsoons breadcrumbs
  

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

3. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.

4. Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

Apricot-Walnut Filling

• 1 1/2 cups chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 pint of apricot jam
• juice from 1 lemon
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  

1. Mix together dried apricots, apricot jam, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat until jam is melted. 
   
2. Add the shredded coconut and walnuts and mix well.  
3. Set aside until cool.
   

1. Try to find a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a round table or a large work surface. Cover your working area with table cloth (I used a cheesecloth); dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.

2. Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

1. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands.
   
2. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. If necessary, cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

1. Lightly spread melted (not too hot) Earth Balance onto the dough, and then sprinkle the dough with a couple teaspoons of breadcrumbs. (This will ensure that air can circulate between the layers of dough.)
   

2. Add the filling along one edge of the dough. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling.
   

1. Lift the cloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself.
   
2. Continue rolling, using the cloth as needed to maneuver it, until all of the dough is used.

1. Transfer the strudel to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (If you do a full batch, you may need to curve it into a horseshoe to fit.)
2. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with just a little melted Earth Balance. (I also added some turbinado sugar to the top.)

1. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
2. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

I must say, I think this was my most successful Daring Bakers challenge to date! It was absolutely wonderful. I served it with a drizzle of dark chocolate and a scoop of coconut sorbet.

The challenge itself wasn't nearly as difficult or time-consuming as I thought it might be, and the dough was way easier to work with than I had feared. I think this would also make a great savory dish, by filling the dough with eggplant, mushrooms, red peppers, onions, etc. Next time!

Our Daring Bakers hostesses have requested the that we include the following message:

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

Web Site Helps You Buy Green

Do you ever stand in a store aisle, overwhelmed by the rows and rows of products, just wishing you had a way to know which products really are safe for you and the environment? Which are the healthiest? Which companies are socially and environmentally responsible?

The Web site GoodGuide.org aims to do just that: arm you with information about the social, environmental, and health impacts of products so that you can make purchasing decisions that reflect your values. Developed by a professor at UC Berkeley, the Web site lets you search among tens of thousands of products (food, personal care, toys, household) and see expert recommendations on the best choices, as well as reviews from other users. You can even create and store your own list of favorite products.

So there are no more excuses. Get out there and stimulate the economy!

Hooray, I made the CSA!

I have wanted to participate in a CSA for a while now. CSA stands for "community-supported agriculture." It's a method of food distribution in which consumers buy food directly from a farm by purchasing a "share" in advance of the harvest season. Localharvest.org, a Web site that lets you search for farmers' markets, family farms, and other sustainable sources of local food by zip code, describes the benefits of the CSA model as follows:

Advantages for farmers:

• Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
• Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow
• Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow

Advantages for consumers:

• Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
• Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
• Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
• Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm – even veggies they've never been known to eat
• Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown

I had done some research a while back and decided that, for a variety of reasons, Even' Star Organic Farm in Maryland was the right choice for me. But, it apparently is the right choice for lots of people, because every year the farm's 320 shares sell out, and therefore I have been patiently sitting on the waitlist.

But I finally got the news that this year I'm finally IN! So I am happily counting the days until the season begins, looking forward to the bounty I can expect to enjoy this summer, including 18 kinds of tomatoes, French heirloom squash, three kinds of basil, okra, four varieties of sweet potatoes, watermelon, three varieties of eggplant, cucumbers, baby turnips, carrots, six kinds of peppers, and MORE! Hurrah! I can hardly wait. So stay tuned--I think this will be a summer of inspired recipes full of delicious, fresh vegetables.