Smoky Mixed Vegetables with Black Beans & Limey Guacamole

I served this with Limey Guacamole & brown rice.

Smoky Mixed Vegetables with Black Beans
1/2 bag of Quorn grounds
15 oz can black beans
10 oz bag mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots)
3 oz fresh or frozen green beans
15 oz canned, crushed tomatoes
1 garlic clove
1 small onion
salt, to taste
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or more, to taste)
1 packet Simply Organic Southwest Taco seasoning
few shakes cumin
few shakes coriander
3 T olive oil
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley (optional)


Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until soft on medium heat in a small, cast iron skillet (or similar). In a medium-large sized saucepan, mix Quorn grounds, beans, mixed vegetables, green beans, tomatoes, the onion and garlic mixture, and taco seasoning. Cook covered at medium heat for 7 minutes. Add rest of spices (except for parsley). Cook uncovered at medium-low heat for another 15 minutes, until thoroughly warm.
You can grate up some jack cheese to accompany the dish, if desired.

Limey Guacamole

1 small clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
hot sauce of choice (I used 1/2 tsp. Chili Garlic Sauce)
2 T mayonaise (or Nayonaise)
2 T lime juice
3 avocados
salt, to taste
1 tsp. olive oil or olive oil spray

Saute chopped onion and garlic with olive oil in small, cast iron skillet until beginning to brown. Mash avocados in small bowl. Add rest of ingredients and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Loving Food, Not Politics

Pre-1990's there was a group of staunch vegetarians, who were the proud few in America daring to challenge the ideals of an equally staunch multitude of meat-eaters.
Remember life before Garden Burgers? Remember when tofu was only served in Asian restaurants (that's how it was for most of the country). Free-range eggs were nearly unheard of and no one asked where their meat came from. Peta didn't get nearly as much publicity and no one questioned whether milk was good for you or not.
Today I see less strict vegetarians, but more people who eat less meat. I've had quiet a few customers (I waitress) who ask where there meat comes from, if it's organic, if it is free-range, etc. Not only did the meat industry take a hit when Mad Cow Disease scared beef-lovers out of their wits, but the majority of people have adjusted their thinking towards vegetarian-based meals.
Over the years, vegetarians have preached health instead of merely ethics. People have listened to both. I've had many friends, family and acquaintances ask for advice or recipes that would bring healthier meals to their tables. I've taught several vegetarian cooking classes to mostly meat-eaters and everyone loved the meals, regardless of the fact that no meat was present.
What the American public first recognized is that a meal does not nutritionally require meat, and vegetarian-based diets can be healthier. Then, we realized that vegetables actually taste good. I expect the next step to catapult home cooked vegetarian meals into everyday staples is sustainable living. The average family won't have the resources or income to buy meat on a daily basis.
Meat is a luxury. Vegetables are cheaper to produce, require less fossil fuels and less space. Although I'm a strict vegetarian, I approve of what I see coming. Even if fewer people are strict veggies, I applaud those who eat animals conscientiously. I embrace those who are learning how to create a meal around the mighty asparagus without turning up their noses. Instead, I want the world to respect vegetarian food for what it is- delicious and compassionate.

Raw Time of the Year

I'm not sure exactly why this happens (I have a few guesses, however) but every winter, sometime after Christmas, my body tells me to go raw. The other morning I woke up around 4 a.m. craving a smoothie. The next day there were fruit salad cravings. Suddenly I mapped out a whole month of daily menus for the next month, mostly comprised of raw recipes.
Yesterday my family and I took a trip to the Honest Weight Co-op in Albany, NY (which I recommend). Left there with varieties of raw nuts, fresh veggies and fruits, and little "treats" that I felt would make going raw easier. In the past I've done 100% raw, but one of the nut butters I bought yesterday wasn't raw (although it had no other ingredients) and I've been drinking Kombucha juice (which the label says is raw, yet I have my doubts since Kombucha usually contains sugar).
Anyway, why raw this time of year? After a month of consuming heavy foods, a cleanse is the perfect way to come into the new year feeling refreshed. Fresh veggies and fruits also inspire us to look towards the bounties of Spring. Food that is living makes our bodies feel energetic at a time of year when most people would rather hibernate than wake up at 6 a.m. to go to work or school.