Sheryl vs. the Legume, Curried Lentils

This is the recipe that gave me hope that I could win the war with the lentil!  Adapted from my favorite pressure cooker cookbook, "The Easy Pressure Cooker Cookbook" by Diane Phillips, it freezes well and makes a good 7 Weight Watcher Points Plus lunch.

Don't have a pressure cooker? Here's my blog on how to choose one. Or, I found this recipe online which is similar. 

Curried Lentils
2 tbsp oil
1 medium sweet onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 tsp madras curry powder, plus more if needed
2 cups lentils, rinsed
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup coconut milk
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, carrots and curry powder and saute until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.  Add the lentils, stock and coconut milk.  Lock the lid in place and cook at high pressure for 6 minutes.

Quick release the pressure and remove the lid, tilting the pot away from you to avoid the escaping steam.  Stir the lentils and taste for seasoning.  Add more curry powder, salt and pepper to taste.  Transfer to serving dish and serve hot.   Serves 6.

7 tools for $7 to ease cooking day stress

This past weekend I made some freezer meals - half for me, and half for my kids.  Before I was done, my Sharpie marker gave out.  I also realized I could use a few other tools that would help make cooking day - and serving days - easier.

(What did I make?  Vegetarian Chili to get my vegan daughter through finals.  The slow-cooker version of this Taco Meat, half for us and half for my son so he won't starve while his wife is visiting her sisters.  And several freezer meals from two of my favorite cookbooks, "Once a Month Cooking" by Mary Beth Lagerborg and Mimi Wilson, and its sequel, "Once a Month Cooking Family Favorites" by Ms. Wilson.)

I headed to my local Dollar Tree store and picked up seven things that make it easier to prepare, label and keep track of freezer meals:

Extra measuring cups and spoons:  We still have the aluminum set of serving spoons that we got when we were first married 36 years ago.  Two problems.  If you used it to measure wet ingredients, you'd have to wash and dry it to measure a dry ingredients.  And the whole set was hooked together, so when one was used, they all needed washing.  One Thanksgiving, I bought a plastic set at Dollar Tree, then separated them as soon as I got home.  It worked out so well, I bought a couple more.  Now I can use the 1 tbsp measure for lemon juice, put it in the dishwasher, and get another clean one out for chili powder.

Similar story with measuring cups.  We have two sets from my husband's bachelor apartment, three Tupperware sets and another we bought when we moved to Thailand.  The problem is that some are broken, melted or have the marks of dog teeth; some are missing (especially, for some reason, the 1/2 cup measure); and we can't always find what we want.  A new set for $1 is a good investment in avoiding frustration.

Kitchen scissors.  I have a good set I use for opening packages, cutting chicken skin, snipping parsley and even cutting green onions.  But when you're cooking multiple meals for the freezer - or one large holiday meal - it's nice to have an extra pair (especially when one was used for cutting chicken - that one goes straight to the dishwasher)..

Sharpie and color-coded stars to mark food containers.  I wrapped all the meals in plastic freezer bags - even the ones that were already covered by aluminum.  At a minimum, the bags should be labeled with the name of the dish and the date it went into the freezer.  If you really want to be nice to the person responsible for getting it on the table, you also can write directions for thawing and preparing. 

I also bought some color-coded stars.  I eat gluten-free.  A couple of my kids are vegan.  My husband doesn't eat certain vegetables.  So I can put the star on to indicate the presence (or lack thereof) of animal products, gluten, broccoli and any other allergies, preferences or phobias that develop in my family.

And finally, a weekly calendar and dry-erase markers.  This will require a little more discipline, but since I usually am the last one home from work, someone else will likely be getting dinner on the table.  By taking a few minutes on the weekend, I can let everyone know what's for dinner during the week, how to prepare it, and which cookbook they can search for the recipe.

Help! My kid has gone vegan

Breathe.  Breathe.  It's not that bad.

I raised three boys and two girls.  By the time I got to teenager number four, my third boy, I learned not to sweat the small stuff.  Whenever we got that call, I asked the essential questions: Is anyone dead? Is anyone in the hospital?  in jail? pregnant?  So it's just property damage?  We can deal with that.  (You didn't really want that letterman's jacket, did you?)

Seriously, having a kid (or two or three) who is vegan is no big deal.  In fact, I love a puzzle and I love making foods that all of my family will enjoy - the vegans, mostly vegans, the picky eaters and the carnivores.  I learned from the best, my good friend and mentor Cheryl.  Cheryl was raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and loved putting on family spreads and organizing potlucks.  Then her husband decided to become a vegetarian - actually a pescetarian, because he ate fish.  (Good thing, since they soon moved to the Pacific Northwest.)

Cheryl switched into high gear, designing holiday meals and everyday dinners that made all of her family and guests happy.  Planning menus was her fantasy football.  She just added extra side dish that her husband would enjoy.  Of course, once in awhile she and I would sneak out for lunch and eat meat.  

So when our oldest son told us he was joining his fiance as a vegetarian, it was no big deal.  And I was able to plan a holiday menu without much fuss; I just made sure there was plenty of Potatoes Au Gratin oozing with cheese.  "At least you're not vegan.  I don't know if I could deal with that."

And, of course, that was the next step.  Then one of my daughters became a (somewhat less strict) vegan.  But by then I'd learned a few things.

It's not about me.  Becoming a vegetarian or vegan is not a rejection of the way I raised them; it's merely a food choice.  I've always tried to respect that choice, just like Cheryl.  And accommodate them by adding extra side dishes at family meals.  (Of course, it helped that I miss them so much since they moved to Malaysia.  When they do visit on vacation, the last thing I want to do is fuss at them about meat.)

Respect is a two-way street.  I respect their choices, and they respect mine.  They have never asked that we not serve meat.

They'll live without meat.  Cultures around the world restrict their diets in some way for cultural, religious and health reasons.  Hindus don't eat beef.  Buddhist monks are vegetarians.  Observant Jews don't eat pork or shell fish.  My favorite doctors and the hospital where I delivered my babies were Seventh-day Adventists, U.S. pioneers of vegetarianism - and among the longest-living people in the country.

If they're adults, respect their privacy and choices.  If it's your minor child who wants to explore a vegetarian diet, make sure they understand nutrition.  Our second son announced one day that he was interested in becoming a vegetarian.  As it happened, we were eating at Cheryl's house that day, so he had a long talk with her husband.  He asked good questions and listened thoughtfully.  Then, on the way home, we saw a deer grazing next to the highway.  "When I grow up," he announced, "that's the kind of deer I'm going  to shoot."  Needless to say, his vegetarian experience lasted about 24 hours.  (Good thing, since I don't imagine the Marines have a wide variety of vegan MRE's.)

Tofurky is terrible.  Don't serve it.  Really.  One Thanksgiving our oldest son bought one and we respectfully tried it.  That was the last time we served "pretend meat."  Seriously, if you're going to choose to go without meat, why eat food made to resemble what you're giving up?  Especially when there are so many wonderful vegetable, legume and grain dishes to choose from.

Most of the meat, cheese and egg substitutes are considerably more expensive than the foods they are intended to replace.  Many of them are made of soy, and I am suspicious of a diet that contains too much of it.  Nuts, wild rice, vegetable medleys and mushrooms all are acceptable alternatives, which can be enjoyed even by carnivores.  

Look beyond "American" foods.  Having grown up in Los Angeles and lived in different countries, we appreciate ethnic cuisine.  We don't expect every meal to include a protein, starch and vegetable.  This weekend our daughter and husband were visiting.  For a quick dinner, I made a taco bar.  I tore some cilantro into a can of black beans and heated it in the double boiler.  She put that on her taco in place of meat, and could eat the rest of the fixings.

Let them cook.  I know, this is hard.  As a mom, it's part of our job description to feed our kids - no matter what their age.  But do let them contribute to family meals.  And you might just learn something.

Keep an eye on this blog.  I'll continue to share both vegetarian and carnivore meals.  Watching football?  Serve Vegetarian Chili.   Wild Rice makes a great holiday side.  I promise to share more recipes for all occasions.

And relax.  It's not the end of the world.

Vegetarian Chili

Two of my children and one of their spouses are vegan.  I confess I love the adventure of designing menus that make everyone happy at family dinners.  This is one I first made for my birthday party, which also happened to be the "big game" where the Seahawks beat Denver and became world champions of the 2013-2014 season.

This is another winning recipe from my current favorite pressure cooker cookbook, Diane Phillips' "The Easy Pressure Cooker Cookbook."  If you have a pressure cooker, you need this cookbook!  What I love about this recipe is that it uses four different kinds of beans, making it more interesting, both in taste and visually.  I usually make a batch the day before my daughter visits, then freeze it in individual portions for her to take home.  It gives her a quick meal between work and school.

Note: Although the pressure cooker compresses the cooking time, you still have to start this recipe five hours before you want to serve.  Soaking the beans is critical to soften the beans.  I always add baking soda to the soaking liquid; it cuts down the acids which cause gas.

Here is my version of this recipe.

Bean and Veggie Chili
1 cup pinto beans
1 cup kidney beans
1 cup black beans
1 cup red beans
1 tbsp. baking soda
4 tbsp. oil, divided
2 large sweet onions
1 tsp. chile (ancho suggested)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 green bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and coarsely chopped
1 orange or yellow bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and coarsely chopped
1 (28 oz. can) chopped tomatoes, with juice
7 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups corn kernels, freshly cut from the cob or frozen corn, defrosted
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Soak beans in water and baking soda for four hours.  Drain and rinse well.

Heat 2 tbsp. of the oil in pressure cooker over medium-high heat.  Add onions, garlic powder, cumin and oregano and saute for 2 minutes, or until onions begin to soften.  Add the bell peppers, beans, tomatoes and stock.  Drizzle with remaining oil.  Lock the lid in place and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.

Release the pressure naturally and remove the lid, tilting the pot away from you to avoid the escaping steam.  Stir in corn.  Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.  Serve or freeze immediately.  Serves 8.

Don't have a pressure cooker but interested in buying one?  Here's how we chose ours.
Don't have a pressure cooker and don't plan to get one soon?  Here's a great blog on how to cook beans on the stove.
Don't live in the U.S.?  Here's how to convert the recipe to Commonwealth measurements.

$5 finds: Library book sale

When we moved to the Pacific Northwest, I fell in love with our local library system. Extolling all its virtues would take an entire blog or two, but for now I'll just brag about today's finds.  I happened to be driving by in the late afternoon and saw a sign for the semi-annual book sale.  The car automatically stopped.  And, I discovered, the last two hours of the sale, everything you can fit into a bag is $5.  So I set to shopping.

First stop, the video section.  It was pretty picked over. But I picked up "Jerry McGuire," a documentary on Ronald Reagan and a classic musical in VHS.  Yes, we still have our VCR.  It's worth hanging on to.  You can usually find older movies for $1 each, less than a rental. And once you've watched the movie, you can toss or donate it.  If you don't still have your VCR, consider picking one up at the thrift store.

Moving to the next bin, I found two DVD's, one a favorite of my daughter's, and the other a sequel to one of our favorite holiday movies, "Christmas Vacation."  Sure, it's bound to be bad.  Maybe bad enough to be funny!

Next I visited the craft section and scooped up some booklets for crocheted stuffed animals. My next project after I pause the baby afghans for the summer.  Perhaps some baby shower or birthday presents?

Finally, the cookbook section.  Books sales and thrift stores are always a good place to find Weight Watchers cookbooks.  I found three.

All of the cookbooks were pretty picked over, but I found a few gems: one for the bread machine, if I ever dust it off.  One by the Frugal Gourmet, Jeff Smith, a TV cook before there was Food Network. I couldn't resist "The Lady & Sons," Paula Deen's first cookbook - and the only one I own.  And on the opposite end of the spectrum, a classic vegetarian cookbook from the hippie days (but written by a Seventh-day Adventist couple) which is still a reference for modern vegans.

Will I love every recipe in every cookbook?  Will I get around to making a stuffed animal?  Are the movies losers that will just take up space in the video cabinet?  No, but I'm sure I'll get my money's worth. 

The best part of the $5 finds, is I can always donate the ones who merit getting lost again.

A month of breakfasts for $10

Our office is located somewhat off the beaten path.  The nearest place to find food is about 10 minutes away.  So we've been quite spoiled in recent years by a vendor who set up a cafeteria downstairs that was open from early morning through lunch.  In the morning, my coworkers would line up for lattes, hash browns and breakfast burritos.  At lunch for taco salad or other daily special.

Alas, the vendor has left, and we've yet to find a replacement.  Some of my coworkers are looking quite forlorn - and hungry.

I would occasionally indulge in a salad at lunch.  But I realized for what I spent on one salad, I could make an entire week of soups and freeze them.  So the salads had become an occasional treat, at most.  And I would indulge in a coffee once in awhile.  But I could never understand why people couldn't manage to eat breakfast at home.

I'm an oatmeal person.  I find it holds me through the morning better than anything else I can eat for breakfast.  Most mornings, I put a heaping 1/2 cup of regular oatmeal and a cup of water in a casserole, throw in some dried fruit and a little cinnamon, and microwave for 3 minutes.  (Be very careful to have the ratio of water to oatmeal at slightly less than 2:1.  If the water is more than twice the oatmeal, it's prone to overflow.)

I do like steel-cut oatmeal, but it takes more than 3 minutes to prepare.  So I save time by doing it on the weekend, and then freezing for the week in individual containers.  (My mom also has a great recipe to cook it part way the night before, then finish in the morning.  Will share that recipe another time.)

If you have a 3-quart pan and the corresponding double boiler insert (mine is "vintage" Revere Ware), I find this the easiest way to make it.  By buying the Bob's Red Mill Steel-cut Oats at Big Lots, the raisins and freezer containers at Dollar Tree, I spend about $10 for a month of breakfasts.  That's less than three trips through the drive through, or two at Starbucks.

Steel Cut Oatmeal and Raisins
1 1/2 cup steel-cut oatmeal
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
4 1/2 cups water

Put ingredients in double boiler insert in order listed.  Put larger pan on a burner with 2 inches of water and bring to boil.  Meanwhile, put lid on double-boiler pan and bring to boil over another burner.  Simmer, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.  Carefully transfer double boiler pan (use hot pads) into main pan, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and let cook for 30 minutes.

Let cool a bit, then transfer to containers (mine were form Dollar Tree and hold slightly more than 1 cup each).  Put lid on and let cool before freezing.  Makes 6-7 servings, 4-5 Weight Watchers Points Plus each.

$10 finds: $40 in dishes at the thrift store

One of my vices is a collection of Fiesta dishes by Homer Laughlin.  I have a large cabinet filled with place settings and serving dishes of various colors.

This started in the 1990s, when I realized that both my fine china and stoneware patterns had been discontinued.  I didn't have enough serving dishes for a growing family.  I could buy more, but they wouldn't match.  The fun part of Fiesta is that it doesn't have to match; you can mix pastel colors for Easter, autumn colors for Thanksgiving; red and green for Christmas; and my favorite, blue and green for the Seahawks.  Plus, my kids and husband can buy me a piece at a time (hopefully on sale) for Mother's Day, Christmas and birthdays.

Our family loves shopping at thrift stores, going in the door with a sense of adventure and exploration.  Today I had a half hour to kill between a doctor appointment and picking up my daughter at work, so I stopped by Value Village, a chain of thrift stores where I've made finds such as DVD's, yarn, and dishes to match my vintage 1970's stoneware.  They're a bit more expensive than Goodwill, but there are special sale days for loyalty club members - if you time it right.

Today I found an end display with blue dishes and glasses, including Homer Laughlin Fiesta in Cobalt - two salad dishes and half a dozen dinner plates.  I bought two salad dishes and the two dinner plates in best condition.  I paid $10.61 (including tax),   I checked the price on Replacements; the dinner plates run $12.99 each, and the salad plates $6.99.  A total of $40, not to mention shipping and taxes.

Not a bad $10 find, and I can't wait for Football season! #GoHawks