Your Vegan Mom

Cherry Almond Energy Bars: snacks for kids and other outdoor enthusiasts

I would like to posit that the snack needs of your average park-going mother of small children are the same as those of the wilderness guide leading a group into the backcountry.  With either a well-stocked multi-day pack or a well-fed baby strapped to her back, she's looking for nutritionally dense snacks that won't weigh down the pack (or purse) and will keep the troops going, if not all day, then at least until they stop for lunch.

When I received Laurie Ann March's new book, Another Fork in the Trail: Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for the Backcountry, I pored over the sample meal plans and tips on organizing your food and equipment on long hikes.  I read through enticing recipes like Five-spice Pineapple Slaw and Harvest Hummus with Roasted Pepitas.  I studied instructions for dehydrating meals and reconstituting them in camp.  

But for me, right now, this was mostly fantasy reading.  I am not actually doing any of this at the moment.  I don't think I told you about the hike we took on my birthday last spring?  It was beautiful.  The boys cried and/or demanded to be carried the entire return trip.  We're staying indoors for awhile. 

So I mentally set aside the rest of the book for the future when the boys are a bit bigger and dove into the snack chapter, because our snack needs are huge.

Desmond and I made the cherry almond energy bars in all of about 5 minutes, including the time it takes for a 4-year-old to very thoroughly crush two cups of cereal in a ziploc bag.  (It is a pretty fun job.)

 The bars are chewy and crunchy, sweet and tart and even a touch salty.  They’ll be perfect to throw in my purse tomorrow with a water bottle and a sand shovel.  Packed and ready.  

 Desmond’s verdict?  “After this I’m going to have another one.  Are you?”

 I did.  (We cut them much smaller than the recipe calls for.  We netted 20 small bars which I guess is pointless if we’re eating two.)

Next up are the Garam Masala Roasted Chickpeas and the Almond, Carob, Flax Balls, and then, a ways down the road perhaps I'll be dehydrating some Butter Bean and Kale Ragout - before reading this book, this possibility never even occurred to me - that's where those backpacker meals come from!  I like this book.  It's inspiring.  Maybe one day these recipes will even make it farther afield than the wilds of the preschool play yard!  

Cherry and Almond Energy Bars 
From Another Fork in the Trail: Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes for the Backcountry by Laurie Ann March and published by Wilderness Press 
Makes: 10 bars

Author's Note: There is something I find very comforting about the flavor of cherries and almonds together.  This recipe was a happy accident that happened when I thought I was using cranberries.  These bars pair well with a hot cup of chocolate in the evening.  If you have celiac disease, look for a gluten-free cereal with a heavy flake.

• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 2 cups cereal made of strong flakes, crushed
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds

At Home: Heat the agave nectar and brown sugar in a large pot and let simmer for 1 minute.  (Boiling too long will make the bars brittle and sugary.)  Remove the pan from the heat and add the almond butter.  Stir until the almond butter is well incorporated.  Add the crushed cereal, dried cherries, and slivered almonds.  Combine well.

Coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with vegetable oil.  Scoop the mixture into the pan and pack down evenly.  Freeze for 30 minutes.  Transfer the pan contents to a cutting board.  Allow to return to room temperature and then cut into 10 bars.  Wrap the bars in waxed paper and store in ziplock bags.  The bars will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.  

Food for Grown-ups

Tuesday morning after the swarm of locusts that is the four year old and the one year old descended on my kitchen devouring everything in sight - bowls of oatmeal, baskets of strawberries, dozens of tangerines, loaves of cinnamon toast - I paused for a moment to heat up the three bites of leftover pasta from the night before - the pasta that itself had been composed of refrigerator detritus leftover from quality food prepared for my children.  There was some cold penne that they had been snacking on, and a quarter cup of tomato sauce, and some sundried tomato pesto from the farmers market, a few slices of smoky eggplant that I cut in slivers, a handful of spinach for good measure and some dried chili to mark it as grown-up dinner.  Paul and I pushed the books and whatnot off half of the dining table and had a tired dinner date at the end of the day.  We ate most of the pasta, but there were three bites left.  That would hold me for an hour or at least until I found my coffee cup.  

As I stood in the middle of the kitchen, fork in hand, poised to eat bite one of three of my pathetic breakfast, the boys in turn shouted from their shared perch on top of the red step ladder stool:

"What's that?"

"That!  I want that!"

I turned around, ate it really fast, and put the dishes in the sink.

I held out my hands in the universal toddler symbol for all gone and we moved on with our day.  

And then later, after a gaggle of pals came over to play, when the peanut butter and jelly plate was empty and the apple bowl too, when there was just one pal left with his mom, and the boys were off playing quietly, the moms sat down and ate lunch.  A really healthy, satisfying lunch.  We even chatted and managed to carry several threads of conversation through to a satisfied completion.  We peeled tangerines into our empty bowls, and then we ate them.  Ourselves.  

It was nice.  

And I'm sure this sounds incredibly obvious, but it reminded me how essential it is to feed yourself too.  And maybe not always the crusts from peanut butter sandwiches and the half a banana that nobody else wants.  

It doesn't take long to whip up some salad dressing and stick it in the fridge for the week... for you.  I'm finding that the recipes in Isa Chandra Moskowitz's newish Appetite for Reduction are perfect for this sort of nourishing grown-up fare.

As the title suggests, these recipes are low in fat and calories, but packed with flavor, and what I like best, nutritionally dense.

The author worked with a registered dietician on this book, Matthew Ruscigno, and I like the results. The nutritional info is really easy to read.  It's reassuring to see where your iron and calcium and vitamins are coming from.

I've made the baked falafel three times now, and there are currently two varieties of salad dressing in the fridge - the Caeasar Chavez and the Green Goddess Garlic dressing.  They're both creamy and rich from ground nuts or tahini rather than tons of oil.  The flavor is action-packed with fresh herbs and garlic or shallots and capers - so they are in no danger of locust infestation - they're all mine.

They have topped not only a variety of salads but also as the author suggests some simple meal bowls like the ones my friend and I shared for lunch.  That lunch was just brown rice, edamame, and blanched spinach topped with the flavorful dressing, but it was so satisfying.  I like this realistic approach to cooking.  Near the end of the book, after all the recipes, there is a short chapter of simple spins that you might take - suggestions for sandwich fillings and potato toppings and bowl components - instant meals that will leave you feeling nourished.  I love it.

There have been recipes that the boys have liked as well.  Last Sunday we made the low fat creamed corn and pineapple collards to go with Susan's barbecued ribs and everyone was happy.  And I have hopes for some of the hearty vegetable-laden stews that I think might appeal to my kids.  Moroccan Chickpeas and Zucchini over whole wheat couscous and Veggie Pot Pie Stew thickened with yellow split peas might work.  We'll see.  If not, I've got lunch next week.  Maybe I'll have my pals over. 

From the book Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.  Excerpted by arrangement with Da Capo Lifelong, a member of the Perseus Books Group.  Copyright (c) 2010. 

Caesar Salad with Eggplant Bacon 
Serves 4.  Active Time: 20 minutes.  Total Time: 30 minutes
(Can be made gluten free if using tamari in place of soy sauce.) 

Briny Caesar dressing meets smoky eggplant slices in this spin on the classic Caesar.  I love all the texture going on, with the crunchy fresh romaine, creamy dressing, and the eggplant bacon - crisp in some places, chewy in others.  To make this into more of an entree salad, add some basic baked tofu or a handful of chickpeas.

Eggplant Bacon:

• 1/2 pound eggplant
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

Salad:

• 8 cups chopped romain lettuce
• 1 recipe Caesar Chavez Dressing 

Preheat the oven to 425.  Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  

Prep the eggplants while the oven is preheating.  I slice them into half-moons because it's the easiest shape to slice consistently.  Aim for eggplants that are around 4 inches in diameter at their widest.  Cut off the stem and the bottom, then cut the eggplant in half lengthwise.  Lay the eggplant halves cut side down, and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices.  Don't worry if your slices are a bit irregular; that just adds to the texture, which should be varied between tender and chewy to smoky and crisp.  What we're going to do is bake them at a high temperature with just a bit of nonstick cooking spray, then let them cool, then give them smoky salty flavor and reheat.  Place the eggplant strips in a single layer on the parchment paper.  Spray lightly with cooking spray.  Place in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes, keeping a close eye.

Remove the pan from the oven and flip the eggplant slices.  They should be browning already, and if any are slightly burnt, don't worry.  Just transfer them to a plate to let cool.  Return the remaining slices to the oven for about 3 minutes.

Remove from the oven.  The eggplant should be dark brown to burnt in some places, and yellowish white and tender in others.  Transfer to a plate to let cool.

Lower the oven temperature to 350.  When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, mix the soy sauce and liquid smoke together in a bowl.  Dip the eggplant slices into the mixture and return them to the baking sheet.  Bake for about 3 more minutes, until heated through.  Serve within the next few hours.  

Assemble the salad: Pour the dressing into a large mixing bowl.  Add the lettuce in batches,using tongs to coat the lettuce after each addition.  When all the lettuce is coated, transfer to bowls and top with the eggplant.

Caesar Chavez Dressing
Serves 4.  Active Time: 5 minutes.  Total Time: 5 minutes

• 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons cashew pieces
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon miso
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon capers with brine
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Place everything in a food processor (I prefer a blender for wet stuff like this.) and blend for at least 5 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides often, until completely smooth.  It's really important that you blend for the full time, otherwise your dressing may be grainy.  Taste for salt.  Keep refrigerated in a tightly sealed container until ready to use. 

Okonomiyaki [Simple, Delicious, and Vegan]

Cut into wedges, okonomiyaki makes a good snack for a party or a gaggle of 4-year-olds.  

I never told you about the okonomiyaki obsession of late 2010.  Right there in the middle of Christmas hysteria, between baking 10,000 cookies and tracking down mittens and addressing cards, I was seized, simply seized, by a need for okonomiyaki, or a large Japanese pancake.  I know that okonomiyaki is a large Japanese pancake because I had one once.  It was good, even really good, but seriously, where did this sudden obsession come from?

I can't say.  But I for one, heed the call, especially when it comes smack dab in the middle of Christmas hysteria.  (Right.  Respite from Christmas hysteria.  That's where it came from.)

So, I put down the cookie sheet and scoured the internet.  Eggs, eggs, eggs.  Obviously, it's a large pancake - eggs are a traditional binder.  Alternatively, grate some nagaimo to a sticky pulp.  No.  I need okonomiyaki now, and my vegetable crisper is fresh out of Japanese mountain yam.  And then I remembered the most obvious source to turn to - the vegan Japanese cookbook right there on my own shelf.  

And there was just the recipe that I was looking for - composed entirely of ingredients already present in my kitchen, easy to throw together, and producing results that perfectly satisfied my compulsion.  

I was happy, and I rediscovered a great cookbook in the process - Japanese Cooking: Contemporary & Traditional [Simple, Delicious, and Vegan].  (How did this book almost completely leave my consciousness?)  

The author, Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner, has a whole chapter on homey modern day classics - Japanese foods that have joined the lexicon in the last several generations - things like that big pancake and curry rice and katsu that she describes as the American equivalent of pizza and macaroni and cheese - comfort foods.  Included in this chapter are  even dishes not commonly seen outside of Japan, like a creamy sauce served over rice called doria.  

I haven't tried that yet, but we did make a more traditional dish - a hearty winter miso soup variation with potatoes and onions to accompany the okonomiyaki.  It was a perfect January meal - even for a mild Southern California evening - the meal was both hearty and light.  I have at least 6 more recipes dog-eared to try in the coming weeks - fried tofu dumplings and a Japanese pilaf and spinach with sesame sauce.  

How about you?  Have you made anything from this cookbook?  

Okonomiyaki [Simple, Delicious, and Vegan]
from Japanese Cooking: Contemporary & Traditional [Simple, Delicious, and Vegan] by Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner, reprinted with permission of the Book Publishing Company (I added a few of my own notes in parentheses.)

• 2 cups water (or broth - next time I'm going to try it with konbu stock)
• 1/4 pound regular tofu (or about 1/2 cup)
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour (as usual, I went halfsies.)
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 or 5 cups thinly sliced or slivered vegetables: onions, carrot matchsticks, cabbage, broccoli, green beans, mushrooms, etc. (Last night I used 2 shredded carrots, half a minced onion, and 4 large leaves of bok choy, crunchy parts finely chopped, leafy parts shredded)

Puree the water and tofu in a blender until smooth.  Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl, and mix well.  Pour in the liquid mixture, and mix lightly.  Add the vegetables and mix well to combine.

Cook large pancakes on a lightly oiled skillet or griddle over medium-low heat until browned on both sides.  Serve while hot with soy sauce or tonkatsu sauce.

Yield: 4 - 6 servings

Your Vegan Okonomiyaki Sauce
This is totally not traditional, and not at all Ms. Schinner's fault - it's a fairly wild departure from an approximation of what other people put on their okonomiyaki.  It's also wildly delicious.  

• 1/2 cup vegenaise
• 2 tablespoons kecap manis (or 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 1 tablespoon maple syrup in the likely event that you don't keep this Indonesian condiment on hand.)
• 1 - 3 teaspoons sriracha hot sauce (or leave it out if you don't want it hot)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Stir together.  Adjust to your taste.  Serve with hot okonomiyaki.   

Cooking Light: Way to Cook Vegetarian

  This photo is used with permission from the book.  That's cheese there on top.  I obviously skipped that garnish.  Diced avocado would be a nice vegan replacement.  

I was skeptical.  I assumed that most of the recipes in Cooking Light's new vegetarian cookbook would be filled with non-fat milk and light cheese products.  And there are a number of these sorts of recipes, but there is also a ton here to recommend this book to the vegans.  From Malaysian Noodles to Tempeh Fajitas, there are loads of crowd-pleasing healthy recipes for realistic meals.  I've made the Mexican Bean Soup with Corn Dumplings three times now, for five different families, to universal raves.  It's a simple, flavorful, hearty winter meal of a soup, with an ingenious twist in the form of masa harina dumplings.   You essentially make tiny balls of corn tortilla dough and plop them into the simmering soup near the end of cooking.  I just love this idea.  And it turns out as delicious as I had hoped.

The book is also filled with appealing photos and really informative step-by-step photo diagram how-tos that make this a great introductory cook book.  There's one on how to saute tofu and another on how to prepare spaghetti squash.  Yet another teaches you how to properly roll maki which I plan to study before my next sushi making adventure because, man, my rolls are sloppy.  

I have a list of a dozen recipes from this book that I still want to try and leafing through the pages right now I find myself getting excited about it all over again.  I had forgotten about the flaky dinner rolls that look just perfect for a holiday table and oh! the stuffed Moroccan flatbreads.  The baking recipes list ingredients by both weight and volume.  Thank you.  And it's this sort of attention to detail and recipe precision that really sets this book apart.  

Here have a taste -

Mexican Tomato-Bean Soup with Corn Dumplings 

Soup:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 cups organic vegetable broth (I used the cooking broth from the chickpeas.)
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained

Dumplings:

• 1/3 cup masa harina
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons hot water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

Remaining Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1. To prepare soup, heat 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven (or big pot) over medium-high heat.  Add onion; saute 3 minutes or until tender.  Add chili powder and garlic; saute 30 seconds.  Add broth and next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

2. To prepare dumplings, combine masa harina and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl.  Add 3 tablespoons hot water and 1 teaspoon oil; stir until a soft dough forms (dough will be dry).  Divide dough into 24 pieces, shaping each into a ball.  Add dumplings to soup; cook, uncovered, 3 minutes or until dumplings float.  Stir in cilantro and juice.  Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 4 bowls.  

Yield: 4 servings

Vegan Kid Snacks

It's overcast today, and slightly gloomy.  I feel just like the grown-up Southern California equivalent of that kid in The Snowy Day.  Last night in a dream, I saw the weather page from the L.A. Times.  It forecast 200 degree highs for the Valleys until Friday, when it would cool slightly.  But when I woke up this morning it was still gray and cool and I put on long pants and went to Desmond's preschool for a back-to-school meeting. 

School starts next week, and it's time to start thinking about snacks.  I already signed up for three snack days at the preschool this month.  With the toddler set, snack is a meal in its own right.  It comes at 10:00.  Often again around 3:00.  And I'm learning to plan for it at the beginning of the week, just like I do dinner, so that I don't blow this twice daily opportunity to get some good food into that little growing body.  

Here's an awfully incomplete list of snacks we like.  A lot of them are recipes from here, some are things you can just go and buy from the store, and some are indispensable recipes from other sites.  I would love it if you would add to the list in the comments.  I even have a tiny treat to entice you to share.  Remember that new children's book I was just talking about?  The author sent some cute buttons of a couple characters in the story along with my review copy.  I'll send two of you a button and a homemade snack.  (So, let's keep it in the Continental U.S.)  I'll draw two names at random in two weeks from the comments here.  Just leave a note about your favorite kid snack.  (Even if you don't have them!  What did you love to snack on when you were a kid, or what healthy snacks have you been making that you just bet a kid would love?) 

• Oatie Bars
• Cheese Crackers (I've been meaning to order a tiny fish cutter, but in the meantime, I just cut squares in irregular cheese-it style.)
• Pudding Cups
• Dried Mango (And, of course, other dried fruit, but both my boys are just such huge fans of dried mango.  They sell the unsweetened variety in the bulk bins at Whole Foods and also packaged at our Trader Joe's.  Tastes like candy and high in iron.)
• Mini Muffins (This zucchini cake will also make you a million mini muffins to put in the freezer.  This sweet potato muffin is great for small children too because it's not very sweet.)
• Oatmeal Cookies
• Fruit (duh.) (Both my boys are currently watermelon crazy.)
• Whole Wheat Pretzel Sticks with Cashew Cheese Dip
• Crackers and Peanut Butter
• Soy Yogurt (I like Wildwood.)
• Edamame
• Carrot Sticks with tahini dip (Though to be honest, I'm the one that wants the tasty dip - Desmond prefers his carrots bunny-style - uncut, greenery attached.)
• Somewhat healthy milkshakes
• All sorts of smoothies
• Popsicles
• Toasted Tortilla Wedges and Bean Dip
• Toasted Pita Wedges and Hummus 

Update:  Thank you everybody for sharing all of your creative ideas!  I'm sending a little love to Amity (comment #26) and Amy (comment #13).  If you two didn't get my email, send me your mailing address and I'll get your pin and treat in the mail!