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.

Meatless Monday

I love that alliteration, and I love the group energy and consciousness when we are all making the same effort at the same time. Here is our dinner last night, so delicious, so easy, so healthy and so inexpensive both to our pocketbook and to Mother Nature!

Enjoy a read about Madhur Jaffrey, and her approach to food, among dining out! I share her joy in eating food prepared at home!

Moong Dal (From An Invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey)
1 1/2 cups moong dal (can use red lentils)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 slices peeled fresh ginger, 1" by 1/2" approximately
1 t chopped cilantro
1 T ground tumeric
1/4 t cayenne pepper (or less)
1 1/2 t salt
1 1/2 T lemon juice
3 T ghee (I used 2 T)
Pinch of Hing (asafeteda- optional)
1 t whole cumin seeds

Rinse the moong dal under running water. Add it to a pot along with 5 cups of water and bring to the boil. When it comes to the boil, let is simmer for a few minutes and remove the foam at the top. Now add the garlic, ginger cilantro, tumeric and cayenne. Lower the heat for a continuous simmer for about 1 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally.

Up to this stage the meal can be made in a slow cooker. Although removing the foam is not possible, the dal will cook throughout the day and be ready for you to add the remaining ingredients.

Adjust the seasoning in the dal, now adding the salt and the lemon juice. Have the cooked dal in your serving dish before pouring over the ghee with cumin, described below.

Melt the ghee, when hot enough to sizzle the seeds, add the cumin seeds and the ghee. Turn off the heat, swirl the pan. When the heat calms down pour this over the dal.

Serves 4 for dinner

Finishing Touches to the Meal
Add chopped spinach to the hot dal. It will cook quickly and give some color and added nourishment to the dish. Serve with brown basmati rice, and another vegetable. We enjoyed a delicious salad! Not a traditional Indian combination, but one that kept all of us happy, and satisfied!

Cost (approx numbers)
Dal - $3.00 (plant based proteins are cheaper)
Rice - $1.00
Salad - $4.50
Dressing - $.50
 

Soured Milk

Don't throw it out, or pour it down the drain! Sour milk is like a buttermilk, it acts with raising agents (baking soda in particular) to make baked items particularly fluffy. If the smell of the milk is strong, then do not use it. Otherwise, bake away!

I have just made some chocolate cupcakes with outdated buttermilk. Super moist cupcakes, great structure to the cupcake as well.

Just be sure to slip the soured milk deep into the refrigerator so that thirsty teens do not try to drink it!

Peace

What Will Change

Saving the butter wrappers to be used later for baking, putting every possible piece of paper in recycling,  these acts will not change the world at large. But they will change your world. It changes the meaning and interactions that you have, helping you to go to a meaningful and conscious part within.

This IS what will change the world at large. Our awareness of the needs of Mother Earth, and of one another, gives the greatest meaning and opportunity for sharing in the journey.

Care and share!

Wheat Germ Nummie Muffins!

A friend gave me a jar of toasted wheat germ that she was not going to use. The wheat germ came with a muffin recipe. It called for shortening, and that was enough to motivate and inspire me to create a healthy and tasty recipe for the mothering Mother crowd.

The buttermilk that I used in this recipe was extra active. It was past date buttermilk! It reacted so quickly with the baking soda that the batter was starting to rise before the muffins went into the oven. Soured milk is excellent in muffins! Don't toss it out! Any soured milk is fine in place of the buttermilk. Use rice milk and add some vinegar, or lemon juice and let it sit for 5 minutes.

Okay, I must confess, that on the day that I baked the muffins, they were so tasty that I ate 3 of them! The coconut oil and the pumpkin seeds seem to agree with my body, or at least I am telling myself that!

1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oatmeal

The photo does not do it justice! It must be tasted!

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 t salt
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t allspice
1/2 cup sucanat
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1 egg or Egg Replacer - 2 fl oz of combined applesauce and safflower oil
t = teaspoon

Combine the wheat germ, oatmeal, flour, salt baking powder, baking soda, allspice, sucanat, raisins and pumpkin seeds in a mixing bowl. Set aside. Combine the milk, egg replacer and coconut oil and pour over the bowl of dry ingredients. Stir until combined.

Scoop the batter into muffin cups and bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes. Check to see that the center of the muffin is cooked. Let the muffins sit in the pan for 5 minutes before removing carefully with a knife. Cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins.