Using Pantry Staples to Make an Easy, Delicious Dish

I’m back on the canned diced tomatoes. Last week, I printed a recipe that only works with the Del Monte non-organic diced tomatoes. It’s a marinara sauce that tastes just like I’m back in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn.

If I make that same recipe with their organic diced tomatoes, it doesn’t work. It’s a respectable sauce either way but for some reason the organic diced makes it very sweet, and it doesn't do justice to Brooklyn. See, in cans, diced tomatoes are always more fresh tasting than crushed or stewed tomatoes, so they don’t need to be sweetened up, in my view. It works against all the basil, too. The reason basil is so good with tomatoes, is because the tomatoes are bitter.

That said, when I’m just looking for a cup or so of chopped tomatoes, and I don’t have a French chef standing over me to make sure I know how to do it properly (it’s called “tomatoes concasse”--you steam off the skins, then remove the seeds and chop what’s left up in little dice), I use the Del Monte organic diced tomatoes, or Kirkland organic diced tomatoes. Like I wrote before, I just buy them by the box at Costco.

Here is a wonderful recipe that basically uses staples I have around anyway – canned organic diced tomatoes, canned artichoke hearts, red lentils, onions and lemon – some of which happen to be good for cleansing the system, especially the liver. 

This dish aids the body’s production of nitric oxide too, which is essential for cardiovascular health and an overall feeling of well-being. And you might be interested to know that, according to acupuncture theory, tomatoes and red lentils make people feel happy and joyous. (Probably because of the nitric oxide but I don't think they knew about that when they developed the Five Element Theory a couple thousand years ago.)

There is ZERO ADDED FAT, too!

Can you stand it, all the great qualities you can get from ONE tasty dish???

And once you start eating it, you realize that in addition to all these wonderful benefits, it’s vegan. Yep, some delicious bean and vegetable dishes just happen to be vegan, by default.

I found it on one of those recipe cards at Whole Foods and was SO glad I tried it. It was taken from the creator of Compassionatecook.com, a great resource for healthy and delicious vegan food.

Before I tried the recipe, I was a little suspicious because she tells you to sauté the onions in a little water, not oil, and considered doing it in oil anyway. But experience has taught me to give a recipe a chance, at least the first time around. I am so glad I did.

It has a great Tex-Mex flavor, but not too spicy.

It can be eaten cold or warm alone, on polenta, or with plain tortilla chips. We heat up the leftovers and then pour the broken tortilla chips from the bottom of the bag on top! (You can have it with any whole grain to make it a complete protein, but we’ve so far only eaten it with corn.)

You could even melt some cheese on top when you heat it up in the microwave.

It’s something we love to keep around the house. I’m always glad when there’s a little left if I’m looking around for a tasty guilt-free snack.

Red Lentil Artichoke Stew

Adapted From The Vegan Table by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Serves 4

1 ½ cups water, plus 1 tablespoon for sautéing

1 large white onion

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 cup dry red lentils, rinsed

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 14.5-oz cans of organic diced tomatoes with juice

1 15-oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon water in a soup pot over medium heat. When hot, sauté onions until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, cumin and coriander, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add more water if necessary. Add remaining 1½ cups water, lentils, bay leaf, lemon juice, tomatoes with juice, artichoke hearts and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until lentils are tender. Add more water if too much liquid evaporates or stew becomes too thick. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf, and season with salt and black pepper.

  

Saute onions in 1 tablespoon water

Add spices and garlic

Cook for 2 minutes

Add everything else

Voila!

Neurotic About Tomatoes

I am someone who keeps corn kernels, corn grits, and two different brands of corn meal/flour on hand depending on what I’m going to make. Arrowhead Mills corn meal is best for pancakes and corn bread. But Bob’s Red Mill corn flour is best for buttermilk spoon bread. Then I have medium ground corn meal (Bob’s Red Mill) to sprinkle into greased baking pans and to combine with grits to give them a smoother texture (I use one cup minus 2-3 tablespoons of Bob's Red Mill grits, and complete the cup with 2-3 tablespoons of medium grind corn meal).  And then I have Arrowhead Mills organic popping corn which we use for popcorn, or grind in the Vita-Mix to make grits and flour if I run out.

So it shouldn’t surprise you that I use three brands of diced tomatoes – Del Monte diced tomatoes, Del Monte organic diced tomatoes, and Muir Glen fire-roasted tomatoes – depending on the recipe. 

See, the reason I use Del Monte regular AND organic is because ever since I lived in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, I’ve gotten used to a particular taste of plain marinara sauce, that I could never recreate at home, until I started using Del Monte's regular diced tomatoes. (The recipe is below.) This recipe does not taste right to me if I use any other type of canned tomato. But when I make other dishes that just call for a can of diced tomatoes or just chopped tomatoes, I use Del Monte organic tomatoes. 

Why Del Monte? Just, I shop at Costco and buy them by the box. I have to thank Costco, because this is how I discovered I could duplicate that sauce, FINALLY!

As for Muir Glen, well, they are just the best canned tomatoes around and their fire-roasted tomatoes make rice and chicken and bean soups taste amazing, so of course I have to use them, too.

Btw, to make your own roasted tomatoes that taste like really good Italian canned tomatoes, just preheat the oven to 325F and slice compari tomatoes in half, and place in (greased or nonstick) roasting pan, cut side down. Roast for 45 minutes and the skins come right off, and the tomatoes taste delicious in everything.

Plain Marinara Sauce

From a recipe found in Cook’s Illustrated

3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, preferable Del Monte regular, NOT organic

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 generous tablespoon)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves chopped

Table salt and ground black pepper

Process 2 cans diced tomatoes in food processor until almost smooth, about 5 seconds. Heat olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and garlic is light golden, about 2-3 minutes; stir in processed and remaining can of diced tomatoes. Bring sauce to boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes. Stir in basil and if needed, season to taste with salt and pepper. (I never add salt or pepper to this recipe, it is perfect as-is, to me.)

Home Decongestant Remedy

I had a fantastic doctor when I lived in New York City, Scott Gerson, M.D. While going to him I was healthier than I had ever been, mainly because he focused on prevention of disease rather than just treating it. His prescriptions led to a change in eating and exercise habits, and he recommended seasonal cleanses, which he prescribed and oversaw.

Dr. Gerson didn't give everyone the same prescription, either. There was no easy "eat less, exercise more" bull coming from his office. From what I saw, whatever was causing the health or weight problems a person had, Dr. Gerson had a solution. He was on to the different causes of being overweight before I ever heard about it in the media. So, people really DID lose weight and keep it off. People really did get over what was upsetting their stomachs or other issues, once and for all.

Still, I used to come down with bronchitis each winter like clockwork. I’d be unable to leave the house for several days and when the fevers were over would be coughing continually until I’d gotten an appointment to see my acupuncturist.

One year I could see and feel the symptoms coming and was hoping to head it off at the pass. I called Dr. Gerson’s office for an appointment. But he didn’t take the appointment. He called me back, telling me to save my money (he was out-of-network) and try a home remedy first. He simply told me to go to the grocery store and buy some basil and thyme, then simmer a handful of each with a few peppercorns and a pinch of cayenne pepper for 20 minutes, and drink it.

Within a few hours of drinking that tea, everything congesting my bronchial passages was coming up and being expelled. At some point the next day, it was all gone. ALL GONE!

I have given that remedy to friends for years since and everyone is amazed at how effective it is.

The reason I am bringing him up now, is many people around me either have had this awful virus going around or seem to be coming down with it. I just came through it, myself. Alternating teas made with Sunrider herbs and Whole Foods Mom's Chicken Soup (when I could eat), with Tylenol sinus at night, I made it through 48 hours of feverish hell. Then I went to acupuncture and felt 100 times better, immediately. Except my sinuses were still congested, so full that even after taking the Tylenol, my eyes hurt from the pressure and I couldn’t sleep on my back, because in that position it felt like I was drowning.

Enter Dr. Gerson’s simple tea that cleans that stuff out, and quickly. I knew it worked for bronchial stuff but didn’t know if it would be able to clean out the sinuses as well. It does. My voice, my whole demeanor changed within a couple of hours of drinking it and I haven’t taken any Tylenol since.

This tea is not a cure all but it is an easy and inexpensive decongestant that can be added safely to whatever medicines and herbs you’re taking (that is, if your label doesn’t say “do not take with pasta sauce”). It helps me and I hope it helps you, too.

Dr. Gerson’s Decongestion Remedy

Ingredients:

Handful of basil (stems are ok)

Handful of thyme

A few peppercorns (maybe 5 or 6)

A pinch of cayenne pepper

1 clove of garlic, peeled (optional)

About 16 ounces of filtered water

Preparation:

Gently simmer all ingredients in small saucepan for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour tea through a strainer into mug.

A Chocolate Cream Pie That's Gluten-Free AND Vegan

At a holiday party last month, I met a woman who told me of learning she had celiac. I had brought these fantastic gluten-free red velvet cupcakes, made from a recipe found at Gluten Free Cooking School. But when she found out they contained brown rice flour, she wouldn’t eat them. All she could say was "Gritty! When I’ve eaten gluten-free cakes with brown rice flour in them, they’ve been gritty and tasted terrible!”

(BTW, these cupcakes are moist and delicious, and dare I say – better than wheat flour cupcakes!)

I’m the last person to recommend people eat gluten-free cakes. They have less nutritional value than ones made with wheat flour (or than flourless chocolate cakes, for that matter). But it really gets to me that people who have not done their homework just put any old brown rice flour into any recipe and feed it to unsuspecting celiacs, giving gluten-free baking a bad name.

I can’t deny that what happened to her has happened to us. We’ve driven out of our way to try baked goods at places recommended on gluten-free blogs, only to find they were dry, pasty and flavorless. And, early on in my gluten-free baking days, Saveur.com provided a link to a blog post that they claimed had delicious gluten-free recipes for the holidays. The blogger was a photographer and her cakes were indeed beautiful. But I had to throw the results into the garbage and brush the grit out of my teeth. I am not exaggerating. (To Saveur’s credit they did not feature her recipes in the magazine, but I am still shocked that a magazine which is so reliable would post a link to recipes they hadn’t tried or tested.)

It’s incidents like these that give gluten-free baked goods a bad name. Especially considering that in reality, gluten-free starches are a long-time secret to light Italian and Sicilian cookies and cakes. Some things even have a much better texture and crumb when gluten-free, like scones and pancakes—both light and whole grain.

But there is a caveat—if you want gluten-free cakes to work out right and not end up pasty or gritty, it’s better not to go vegan. If you insist on gluten-free AND vegan baked goods, you will have to stick to fruit crisps, tofu or nut creams, and limited number of bread and cookie recipes. The vast majority of the rest require butter, eggs and/or other dairy such as milk or yogurt, buttermilk and sour cream for optimum deliciousness.

Here is a tried-and-true recipe that is both gluten-free AND vegan. It is an old chestnut from the health-food world, originally from the Sunspire Chocolate Chips package, combined with a favorite cookie-crust recipe of mine. It is an elegant Chocolate Tofu-Cream Pie. You can make it in a normal sized 9” pie plate or in a fluted 10” or 11” tart pan.

It really is “easy as pie”—all you have to do is bake a cookie crust with oats and nuts, and then fill with the tofu cream. With this crust, it’s also a complete protein so you could theoretically eat a slice for a snack or breakfast. The type of chocolate chips you use will determine the type of sweetener and how much. Sunspire and Rapunzel make organic chocolate sweetened with healthier sweeteners, if you want to go that route. Personally, I prefer Guittard chocolate chips, but they truly are decadent.

Chocolate Tofu-Cream Pie

Adapted from Sunspire

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup oat flour

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup walnut halves, ground in food processor fitted with metal blade

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

¼ cup + 1 tablespoon safflower or other no-taste oil

¼ cup + 1 tablespoon grade B maple syrup

2 tablespoons water

Tofu Cream:

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 lb. silken tofu

1 tsp. vanilla

Chocolate shavings for serving (optional)

Place rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 375F. Mix together dry ingredients well. Whisk wet ingredients and add to dry, combining completely. Cover a one-cup measuring cup with saran wrap and use to press crust dough into bottom and up sides of a greased 9” pie plate or 10 1/2” tart pan with removable bottom.

Bake for 18-20 minutes on middle rack of oven, until lightly browned. While crust bakes, wash food processor bowl, blade and top. Place silken tofu and vanilla into clean food processor bowl fitted with metal blade.

While crust is cooling, melt chocolate in microwave or on top of a double boiler until just melted. When melting the chocolate chips: it’s a good idea to heat until two-thirds or so are melted, and then remove from heat and mix together with a spatula or spoon until all are melted, only placing over heat briefly to get the last pieces. This way you aren’t likely to burn the chocolate accidentally. 

Once melted, quickly pour chocolate over tofu and vanilla in food processor bowl, and process until smooth. Pour filling into crust, spreading quickly. It is important to work quickly because the minute the chocolate hits the cold tofu, it begins to harden. Also, it is important to spread into the pie plate quickly to achieve a smooth, shiny top.

Refrigerate for at least one hour, until cold and stiff enough to be sliced. When ready to serve, garnish with shaved chocolate if desired.

A note about tasting this pie before it’s ready: The great thing about soy oil and tofu is, they absorb other flavors easily so that you can’t taste the soy after they become completely infused. (This is why garlic bread is even more garlicky if it’s made with soy margarine instead of butter or olive oil.) Until the filling is completely cooled, however, it might have a slight tofu-ey flavor. This is because it takes a little while for the tofu to be infused with the chocolate oils and lose this. So, just follow the directions and don’t serve it until ready, and it will be perfectly chocolatey!