Make Your Own Vanilla Extract

Making your own vanilla extract is both (relatively) inexpensive and easy. Why pay exorbitant prices for low quality extract that tastes as if it were made with rubbing alcohol when you can make your own delicious extract with the ingredients of your chosing?

Here is what you need:

Vodka
Vanilla Beans

About the beans:

A few months ago, I was inspired to make my own ice cream (stay tuned for the recipe) using some raw dairy that I had...ummm...acquired. I conducted an exhaustive search all over town only to find a single, dry, shriveled, pathetic vanilla bean shoved into a spice jar for $8.00. I knew there had to be a better way. My internet search lead me to Amadeus, where I split the Super Vanilla Bean triple pack with a friend. That's 3/4lb of vanilla beans for $40.00! I wrote the company to ask if the beans were fair trade, and although they are not a certified "Fair Trade" company, the president of Amadeus Vanilla Beans responded with a more than sufficient answer. In short, they negotiate prices directly with co-ops of farmers and family owned farms and businesses without paying outrageous "inspection fees" to "Fair Market" organizations that, in turn, exploit the farmers. Amadeus vanilla beans are fair, plump, moist, and delicious!



About the vodka:

My vodka palate is traumatized and useless from swiping one too many bottles of vodka from my parent's rarely used liquor collection in high school. A friend recommended Grey Goose and also confided that the Kirkland (Costco) brand of vodka is very similar and half the price.

The Procedure:

- Add 8 vanilla beans (split down the center with the beans exposed) to 1 quart of Vodka
- Shake well
- Store in a cool, dark place and shake several times a week for 4-6 weeks
- Store at room temp. According to Amadeus, it ages like fine wine;)

I used the entire 1.75L bottle of vodka and scaled up the number of beans. In turn, I should have enough homemade vanilla extract to last me the rest of my life.

This batch of extract is almost 6 weeks old

A Vegan Tempeh Reuben to Die For!

I didn't intend for this to be a blog about yummy eats but it seems that cooking is really all I do in my spare time these days. So here it is. I have been a dedicated vegetarian for WELL over a decade. At times, I have also been vegan, both facultatively and obligately. All the dairy we consume is organic and nearly all raw and semi- local (even the butter!). The Tempeh Reuben is one of my all time favorite meat-free meals and one that I have been trying to perfect for quite some time. While I am not claiming that I have arrived at perfection, I will say that this is a damn good reuben that passes the omnivore test with flying colors.

A trend you will notice in my cooking is that I usually cook to taste. Maybe someday if I write a cook book, I will start to measure things out and take impeccable notes, but for now, I couldn't be bothered. I take impeccable notes at work and just can't be that way in the kitchen right now.

So here it is. The reuben consists of 4 basic parts in our household: the marinated and pan fried tempeh, the magical sauce, the caramelized onions, and some yummy bread. I also LOVE sauerkraut on my reuben but my better half can't stomach the stuff so, for his sake, I do without. This tasty sandwich is also delicious with cheese. I love a good emmental, gruyere, Drunken Goat, or a delectable raw such as the Naked Goat.

Jackalope's "Meaty" Marinade
The goal of this marinade is not to make your veggie fare taste like meat, but to arrive at a savory flavor. This marinade can be scaled up as much as desired. I usually make a few cups worth and marinade a pound or two at a time. You'll also want extra to put in the pan when frying.

1 part H2O to 1 part Soy Sauce/Tamari/Bragg's (i.e., 1C H2O, 1C Tamari)
Nutritional Yeast
Garlic Powder
Molasses
Onion Powder
Thyme
Basil
Oregano
Sea Salt
Spike (optional)

I usually steam tempeh briefly before marinating. I find it takes marinade better steamed. Cover tempeh in marinade in a container for at least one hour or overnight. When the time comes, fry in a few tablespoons of olive oil and add some of the marinade at the end. It will cook down and impart yumminess upon the tempeh.


Caramelized Onions
This could not be easier and they are so delicious. Thinly slice one onion. Saute in olive oil over medium heat until limp and mostly brown. This will probably take about 20min.

Magical Sauce
Veginase (or silken tofu)
Tomato Paste
Apple Cider Vinegar

In our quest to go whole foods and eat a more traditional food diet, we have eliminated essentially all processed foods from this household. I even make the little one's teething biscuits from scratch. Veginase is one thing am am having trouble giving up. It may have to be pried from my cold dead hands. Not sure yet. Oh yeah, and if you are low on Apple Cider Vinegar, you can always sub ketchup for the tomato paste and the ACV. It isn't quite as tangy but it will do.

When the tempeh is done, sop up the rest of the goodness in the pan with the yummy bread of your choice and leave it there to toast for a few. When the bread is toasted, the tempeh is cooked, and the onions are caramelized, the only things left to do is assemble and enjoy!

I managed to snap a picture before this one got gobbled up:)

Tempeh Mushroom Veggie Burger

Have you ever picked up a box of garden or veggie burgers and been dumbfounded by the never-ending list of ingredients? Who would have thought that there could so few veggies in a veggie burger? What's worse are the frankenburgers (think Boca) that try just a little too hard to be meat. Yuck. Well get ready for a Veggie Burger that actually has (GASP !) real vegetables! I have tried lots of "Veggie Burger" recipes over the years and this one takes the cake (no pun intended). The miso adds great flavor, the tempeh and mushroom texture, and the beets give these burgers that near authentic, raw meat look all vegetarians lust for in a veggie burger (OK, maybe not). The following was adapted from a recipe found in the July/August 2007 issue of Vegetarian Times.

Tempeh-Mushroom-Miso Burgers

4 T. light miso paste
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. tempeh, steamed & grated
3 T. olive oil, divided
1/2 c. vital wheat gluten
2 T. arrowroot powder
1 portobello mushroom, stemmed & grated (about 3/4 c.)
1 small beet, grated (about 3/4 c.)
1 small onion,grated (about 1/2 c.)
1 small carrot, grated (about 1/2 c.)
1/2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
1/3 c. red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/3 c. yellow or orange bell pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

Coat baking sheet with oil or cooking spray. Dilute miso in 1/4 cup water in bowl. Stir in tempeh and 1 1/2 T. oil. Stir in flour and arrowroot powder. Mound tempeh mixture on baking sheet, cover with foil and bake 20 minutes or until heated through. Heat remaining 1 1/2 T. oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms, beet, onion, carrot, corn, bell peppers and garlic. Sauté 10 minutes or until veggies are tender. Pulse veggies and tempeh mixture in food processor 6 - 7 times until just blended, but do not over-blend. Shape mixture into patties and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight to blend flavors. To grill burgers, preheat grill to medium, brush burgers and grill rack with oil and grill 8 - 10 minutes on each side. Burgers may be cooked in skillet over medium heat. To bake burgers, brush a metal baking pan with oil, place burgers on pan and bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 15 minutes on each side. After cooking, flash freeze burgers on a metal pan (so they won't stick together later) and store them in a ziplock freezer bag. TIP: Use julienne blade on food processor to grate tempeh and veggies.

Ultimate Green Smoothie

It's time to get this party started and what better way than to post my favorite green smoothie recipe! I have one of these nearly every morning and when I don't, I have one later in the day. my 6 month old LOVES it. Without further ado, here is the recipe with LOTS of wiggle room. Scale up as desired:

One extra large handful of spinach leaves
~1 C H2O
A generous splash of coconut milk (or fresh coconut milk ice cube)
~ 1T flax seed oil
1 frozen banana

The amount of water you add depends on the amount of spinach added and the desired thickness of the resulting smoothie. I prefer mine on the thick side. Sometimes I add some flax seed meal or wheat bran if I'm feeling adventurous. Pineapple and mango also make a lovely addition:)



Directions:

I have a Vitamix so I just throw everything in there together and blend. In my pre-Vitamix life, I blended the spinach together with the liquid ingredients and then added the banana in small chucks and blended.





Enjoy one every day!