Meatless Monday - Kidney Bean Dip or Dressing

Despite the best of plans, we were NOT able to have a Meatless Monday last week. We shifted it to Tuesday due to travel plans. Well, what is the deal about going without meat on Monday in particular? Outside of the alliteration (haha), it provides a consistent way to make the effort. It provides a combined energy between you and me and others in the world who are consciously changing habits for a better quality of life.

Meat carries a very large carbon footprint. Michael Pollan has written a wonderful book outlining much of the story of our meat production in the United States in his book 'The Omnivores Dilemma'.
When I first came into 'green awareness' I was shocked to learn that reducing or eliminating meat consumption would be the biggest impact in reducing my carbon footprint! I felt a little defensive at first, and then bought in, little by little. Then when I studied holistic nutrition, Ayurveda and yoga I learned about the negative spiritual effect of eating animals.

This is what Meatless Monday is about! It is giving you the opportunity to buy in, Monday by Monday, and meal by meal. Awareness slowly grows, it is inevitable when you make a conscious decision.

This Kidney Bean Dip comes with a video! Below are notes on how to enjoy it at lunchtime at the office, or anywhere! Eat lighter on the digestive system and lighter on the planet and watch your spirit lift up and out of this world!

Kidney Bean Dip

2 cups cooked kidney beans, drained only (video 'How To Prepare Beans')
1-2 T jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (optional, but gives a great kick!)
1 clove garlic, minced (video 'How To Mince Garlic')
1/4 t cinnamon
3/4 t ground coriander (video 'How To Dry Roast Spices')
3/4 ground cumin
1 cup diced tomatoes, no seeds or juice
3/4 t salt
Juice of 1 lemon

Lay out all of the ingredients. Dry roast and grind the spices of optimum flavor.

I am feeling dizzy looking into the blender! Combine all of the ingredients.

Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender, or food processor. Store in a glass jar.

Use as a dressing to get lots of nutrients and less fats.

The dip is good for several days. It is delicious as a topping on salad, or as a dip for vegetable sticks or bread. If this is your lunch away from home, pack a salad and pack the dip separately. Pour it over the salad as a dressing, and if you need a starch, use the bread, or crackers, to clean up your salad bowl at the end of the meal!

Much Peace & Light to You
Shanthi

Meatless Monday - Chickpeas

Yesterday came close to not being a Meatless Monday in our home. I had just returned from a long weekend away, and came home in time for dinner on Sunday evening. Monday morning I was scrambling to pull together lunch for our son as I was cooking up birthday pancakes for his 14 year old friend, and the friend's mother. In an effort to use up leftover chicken, I was ready to use it for a sandwich. For dinner I told our son that he could have the leftovers from dinner on Sunday evening, which was pasta with chicken and shrimp.

In the heat of all the activity and food I realized that I was straying from the goal. The goal is not to make just one day a week meatless,  but to specifically make Monday Meatless. It is that group effort, that group consciousness, that adds to the impact of not eating flesh food. Wow, it is so easy to stray from the path.

Quickly I put the chicken into the freezer, to be eaten the next day, and made a cream cheese sandwich. After breakfast I soaked the chickpeas for the recipe below. My personal conviction helped to hold all of us down as I was told that evening that "my dinners suck" when our son saw the vegan dish for dinner. Regardless of his words, he ate the entire meal, and he will enjoy the leftover pasta dish tonight.

It is this personal conviction, to commit to something, especially when it is not easy, that held me in place. There will always be times when it is not easy. It is that subtle, continued and consistent effort and activity that reaps rewards. What your rewards will be, I don't know, and I don't know my long term rewards. Today I was rewarded with a wonderful chickpea dish for breakfast. It nourished my body and warmed my heart! That was enough to keep me on the path!

This recipe came from a friend who said that she was looking for dates to cook with chickpeas. The original recipe is an adaptation from Vij's Restaurant in Vancouver. I was intrigued to try the combination and I made my own adaptations, but the idea came from Melissa. I have reduced the spiciness of this dish. See the spice options in brackets if you want to fire this up! The dish that we ate was very mildly spicy, almost just an undercurrent of spice, combined with the sweetness from the dates and onions, and the occasional flavor of the cardamom seeds! Easy, delicious, inexpensive and healthy!

Chickpeas & Dates
4 cups cooked chickpeas (see video on 'How To' soak and cook beans)
1 - 1 1/2 cups chickpea water, or vegetable stock, or water
2 T ghee butter or olive oil

2 cardamom pods, sliced open and seeds removed (see photo below)
2 t ground cumin (see video on 'How To' dry roast and grind spices)
3 cloves garlic, minced (see video on 'How To' mince garlic)
1 star anise, tied in cheese cloth or retrieved following cooking
1/8 t cayenne pepper (for more spice add 1/4 t cayenne, or more!)
1 t salt
1 small Spanish onion, diced (see video on 'How To' chop an onion)
1 tomato, diced (if low in flavor add a spoonful of tomato sauce or tomato paste)
6 dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas

Melt the ghee butter over a medium heat and add the chopped onion. Cook for about 8-10m minutes, stirring the onions every few minutes and watching they do not not brown heavily. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Then add the ground cumin and cayenne pepper. Cook for another minute. Now add the cardamom seeds, the diced tomato and chopped dates. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes, to soften the tomato. Now add the remaining ingredients - the salt, the liquid and chickpeas. Bring to the boil, and simmer very gently for 45 minutes. Or, prepare the dish up to this point, and then put it into a slow cooker. Be certain that the liquid just covers the chickpeas.

Before serving, and when the dish is still hot, stir in the frozen peas. I also grated in some zucchini, which I had on hand. The peas helped to add some color to the dish. It was Monday, and I did not have a full crisper of green vegetables on hand to enhance the nutrition of this dish. If you do, then add them in!

We ate this dish with a slice of bread, leftover from the restaurant where we ate dinner the night before, and a fresh green salad. Below are the ingredients that went into the salad dressing! It was delicious, and I just poured each ingredient directly into the salad! Years ago, I found it very difficult to get off of the bottled salad dressing circuit, until a friend convinced me that it really was easy. I took her words, started experimenting, and have not looked back! No waste from bottles and lids, no questionable ingredients, pure nutrition and flavor!

Serves 4 for dinner.

Dressing
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Pink Himalayan Salt
Black Pepper
Little Maple Syrup
Grainy Mustard, dotted around
Pour, toss well and enjoy!

Cost (approx numbers)
Chickpeas - $1.00 (cooked at home)
Tomato - $.75
Dates - $.50
Peas - $.50
Onion - $.75
Spices, etc - $1.00
Salad - $5.00
Bread, or cook grain -$1.50

Cardamom pods opened with a knife to expose the seeds!

Garlic is so fresh when you mince it yourself. Practice makes perfect!

Cook the chopped onions.

All of the ingredients before adding the liquid and chickpeas.

Everything in the slow cooker. I added more cooking liquid from the beans to this pot. Lightly cover the chickpeas.

Ready to eat! A little green added, a little starch to protein complement, and salad to finish.

Happy Meatless Monday!

Shanthi

Meatless Monday - For the Reluctant Tofu Eater

Not sure how to sink your teeth into this idea of eating dinner without a flesh food? Not sure how you are going to bring others in your home to share in your enthusiasm for meatless? With this recipe tofu never tasted so good! Actually tofu has no flavor, so you are free to season it any way that suits you and your mood. Last night I made this old standby recipe, with several alterations. I simply used the vegetables that we had on hand, since it is the sauce that makes the dish. It is spectacular. Truly, test this on any reluctant tofu eater, even if that person is you!

Stir-Fried Tofu with Vegetables in Curried Almond Butter Sauce (Original Recipe from is from New Vegetarian Basics by Nettie Cronish)

Sauce
1/4 cup almond butter
3 T tamari (natural soy sauce)

2 T mirin (Asian sweetener, can substitute with honey)
2 T toasted sesame oil
2 t curry powder

Stir-Fry
12-16 oz block of firm or extra firm tofu
2 T ghee butter (or olive oil)
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 red or yellow onion, sliced thinly
3 cups of vegetables from your crisper
Extra tamari
Leafy green vegetable, washed, stemmed and lightly chopped

In a bowl mix the ingredients for the sauce together and set aside. The smell is amazing, the taste is sensational, so have a small sample right now! Mmmmmmm!

Rinse the tofu, wrap completely in a kitchen towel. Lay it on the counter and put a plate on top and apply some weight, with something that cannot break! The weight helps to drain the tofu. Drain for about 15 minutes. Then cut the tofu into 1/2" cubes.

Heat a wok or frying pan, add the ghee butter and let it melt and heat up a bit. Add the tofu and cook until it is brown. Remove from the pan and add it to the bowl of sauce. Stir lightly to cover all of the tofu with sauce.

Now cook the garlic and onion for about 3 minutes (pan should be fairly hot), then add the remaining ingredients and toss well. Add 2 T of water to the pan and quickly cover with a lid. Cook for a further 3 minutes (although length of time will depend on the size of your vegetable pieces). Turn off the heat, remove the lid and quickly add the leafy green vegetables. Stir well, cover again with the lid and let the leafies cook! Then add the tofu with the sauce and stir throughout to mix well, and to warm completely.

Top with a chopped herb, if you have it. Cilantro is nice!

We ate this dinner with some cooked barley (rice, quinoa, couscous are all good accompaniments) and had a salad as well.

Serves 4.

Leftovers are wonderful for lunch the next day, or even for breakfast!

Cost (approx numbers)
Tofu - $2.00
Vegetables - $5.00
Sauce - $3.00
Barley - $.25
Salad with dressing -  $5.00

Reusing the Doctor Gown!

Is this taking it too far?! I just went for an annual check up with the physician, and I knew in advance that they would give me a disposable gown to put on. A couple of years ago, when this happened, I kept the gown, and stored it in a drawer in my dresser. Then, before going to the doctors, I bring it out and take it with me!

Will it change the world? I don't know. Does it make me feel better? Yes! Actually I feel enlivened and empowered to continue pairing my intellect with my heart in my care for the Earth. With increasing practice, before I leave the home, I do a scan of the location and work to occur when I go out. This gives me a chance to grab my reusable mug, or cotton bags, or hospital gown!!! Reducing waste is so immediately pleasurable.

I love this dance of intellect and passion, of knowledge and love! Find your dance step!

Shanthi

mothering Mother in Daily Life

Green Living Bites ~ Buying olives in bulk? Buying freshly ground peanut butter? Bring your own container. Before going to the store put a few plastic containers, and maybe even a glass jar with a tight fitting lid, into your cotton tote bags! Remember to  have the glass jar weighed at the store when it is empty! It is that easy! ~Expand your reserve of grains and legumes (beans) each week by purchasing one 'new to you' item. Purchase with the mothering Mother mini bulk bags to keep the purchase small. Try out a new food each week and expand your palate while also nourishing your body with a different spectrum of nutrients. ~Just as a surfactant makes "water wetter" so does a humidifier make "heat hotter". The water that is put into the air from a humidifier spreads the heat in your home and your office more effectively. At the same time it gives some moisture to the skin and nasal passages, which are affected by the dry air from indoor heating. mothering Mother Blog For even more wholesome food for thought, presenting the  mothering Mother®  blog! Check it out!  Join Our List

What does mothering Mother® nurturing Nature mean? It means taking care of Mother Nature through our daily actions. Mother Nature has given us so much and now it is time for us to be aware and active in creating a reciprocal relationship.   Each newsletter seeks to address opportunities in daily life to invite a connection to the Earth. mothering Mother® believes that food is an integral and ongoing way to nurture the Mother Nature relationship. We eat 2-3 times a day. Eating whole foods for a healthy body, and a calm mind, will also nurture the Earth. We are intricately connected with the Mother. Use your cotton mothering Mother® bags as ongoing reminders of this evolving relationship. Less plastic is better for you and the Earth. Eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds are better for you, and the Earth. Allow the mothering of Mother and the nurturing of Nature to be your daily offering of thanks. Namaste Sydney Digesting the Information Sydney MacInnis Last week I took in three different environmental events. Each one left its own unique imprint on me. This past week I went to see the film Chasing Ice. It was visually spectacular, but spiritually sad and despairing. Then I attended a talk on the oceans given by Dr Sylvia Earle. Dr Earle spoke of the beauty of life deep in the water and the state of fish depletion in the high seas. Then I attended a discussion amongst 2 authors of books on food, an owner of a NY City rooftop farm and a local baker. What was interesting in all of this, outside of the information, was for me to watch the personal impact of each event. News of the state of the environment can be disturbing, scary. It can make me feel helpless. Dr Earle left me feeling empowered, and gave me hope as a steward of the Earth. The author of Eat the City  taught me how immigrants in NY City made their own food. The rooftoop farm showed creativity in using the building and spaces that we have to grow food for local communities.  I encourage you to go out and seek the information about our Earth. Knowledge can be power, personalizing it can be a motivator. With a sharp and alert mind, and a compassionate heart, we can do anything! Quote from Dr. Sylvia Earle People ask: Why should I care about the ocean? Because the ocean is the cornerstone of earth's life support system, it shapes climate and weather. It holds most of life on earth. 97% of earth's water is there. It's the blue heart of the planet - we should take care of our heart. It's what makes life possible for us. We still have a really good chance to make things better than they are. They won't get better unless we take the action and inspire others to do the same thing. No one is without power. Everybody has the capacity to do something. It Is This Simple Once you begin to master a few techniques, it is easy to create simple plant-based wholesome and healthy meals. Below is a dinner that I created for our family, with the simplest ingredients on hand. Stocking a kitchen with basic ingredients to support plant-based protein meals allows you to transition to this way of eating with greater ease. Easy and delicious! Cooked Tofu Take a block of tofu and rinse it briefly under running water. To drain some of the liquid from the tofu lay it on a cotton kitchen towel. Fold the towel over the tofu so that it is completely covered with the cotton. Lay a large plate on top of the tofu, and add some weight to the plate, maybe a couple of packages of pasta. Sometimes the plate slips on the tofu and the items on the plate fall off. Choose something non-breakable.  Let the tofu drain for 15-20 minutes. Put the kitchen towel into the laundry and place the tofu on a cutting board. Cut the tofu into large chunks (see image for an idea of size).  Vegetable Stir Fry Look at your vegetables on hand and create a stir fry to accompany the tofu. Chopped onion is a good base. Add jalapeno pepper for a little spice. If possible, choose a selection of vegetables that offer some color to your plate. The more leafy greens the better. Chop and/or slice the vegetables. Keep the onion in a separate bowl since it is cooked first, and cooked on its own. Quinoa If you are unfamiliar with quinoa, cook it according to the instructions given on this 'How To' mothering Mother video. Quinoa offers a different flavor from the traditional rice accompaniment, and different nutrients, including lots of protein for growing bodies! Top with sesame seeds and Tamari (healthy soy sauce)! Enjoy! Finding Ways to Connect  Sydney MacInnis Founder mothering Mother Holistic Nutritionist, Yoga & Meditation Instructor   Cordon Bleu Cook As long as we are eating foods that have been altered and manipulated by human hands, we are stuck in a cycle of dependence on these human manipulations to also solve our problems. The altered foods create their own set of problems by putting foods into the body in forms and concentrations that are undeliverable by nature. Look at sugar alone, no fruit in nature offers sugar in that concentration. Look at what continued exposure to sugar at high concentration rates and quick absorption rates (lack of fiber to slow down the rush to the blood stream) has done to our body chemistry. Diabetes. Then we are really locked into human manipulations to manage ourselves. The confusion of what to eat, of what nutrients are best for us, all comes from a massive confusion that we have with the purpose of eating. The very first and primary reason to eat is to feed the body energy and nutrients that are required to move through each day. The secondary reason for eating is to feed the mental and spiritual aspects of our being. This is accomplished through the consumption of eating food that was lovingly prepared and consumed in a calm and loving atmosphere. Simple food lovingly prepared. Food that is manipulated by human hands (processing, packaging) change the natural nutrient array, usually losing the precious and more volatile nutrients, and then increasing the nutrient density of less precious and more caloric nutrients. The excess concentration of fat, sugar and salt have changed our flavor receptors and satiation indicators. The quality of the fats that we eat will affect all parts of our bodies. Each cell in the body has a membrane - the cell wall - and the ability of that cell to allow fluids and nutrients in and out of it is determined by the quality of the membrane structure. This is why there is talk of good fats and bad fats. The good fats, in the right proportions, will give the cell the needed permeability for optimal functioning. What fats? What proportions? Eat naturally, eat whole foods only, and the balance will work itself out. You will start to hear your body talking to you. Truly, the answers are there in your own connection to the wisdom of your body. The connection is opened up when we are eating Nature's food in its simplest forms. So, no need to rush for fat burning this, and omega-3 that, and and and....we have made it so complicated! Eat simple foods, eat close to Nature, eat as low as possible on the food chain. Look to Nature for your nourishment and look to Nature for your healing. May you be well on your journey. Namaste * Next month we will look at the effects of high sugar concentration on the body.