Your Vegan Mom

Your Vegan Lunchbox: Onigiri

A few weeks ago, late on one of the hottest afternoons of the summer, with two boys getting into all sorts of trouble, not much in the way of groceries in our kitchen, dinner time rapidly approaching, and me feeling grouchy and uninspired, I sat down on the couch to take a break.  And there, on the side table next to me, I discovered the solution to all of our problems.  

It came from a yellowing old food section that I had set aside for some indeterminate time in my future when I would have a second to sit down and read it. Right there on the first page was a big platter of onigiri.  Sort of the Japanese equivalent of the peanut butter sandwich, these stuffed balls of rice are obvious lunch box filler and a nice change of pace from the usual American Mom staples.  

So that afternoon, while the rice cooker did most of the work, I whipped up a filling for our onigiri.  I found some edamame and peas in the freezer and a couple perfectly decent carrots in the drawer of the fridge.  Quickly cooked, roughly pureed, and seasoned simply with a little onion, soy sauce, and sesame oil, the vegetables were stuffed inside of the sticky brown rice and the savage beasts were tamed. 

It made a fun and unexpected dinner.  We dipped some in sesame seeds, wrapped others in seaweed, grilled a few to get a chewy, charred crust, and then, of course(?), returned to the chosen path of the small set - just plain.  And now that September is here, egad, I imagine these little rice balls will make a fairly regular lunchbox appearance.

But we've used the tasty filling for more than just onigiri.  

Deconstructed, it makes a great lunch for grown-ups (or a really messy one for my children) - pack some brown rice, the filling, and toasted seaweed, use the seaweed to scoop up the rice and flavorful vegetables. It's perfect to eat at room temperature.  Along with a simple salad of shredded lettuce and carrot tossed with seasoned rice vinegar - you have a super satisfying and simple lunch.

And last weekend, for one of our final summer picnics, we packed the filling to eat as a dip with wonton chips.  It was a total hit with the kids and grown-ups alike.

Vegetable Filling for Onigiri
makes: about 3 cups
takes: about 10 minutes (not including stuffing your onigiri, which with practice is pretty quick and easy - here's a good tutorial) 

• 6 ounces frozen edamame (that's half the bag I buy from Trader Joe's)
• 2 cups frozen peas
• 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 small white onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

In a medium pot, bring about a quart of water to a boil.  Add a generous pinch of salt and the frozen edamame.  After 2 minutes (set the timer), add the peas and carrots.  Cook for 3 more minutes and drain.  In a food processor, pulse the vegetables with the onion, tamari, and sesame oil until you have a coarse paste.  

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. 

Hand-Held Salad and Your Basic Dipping Sauce

 

 And now that we have discussed what the Jaconi Bierys are eating for dinner this week (In theory.  I have strayed so far from my plan.  Do you stick to it?), let's talk about lunch.  I go through lunch kicks.  Last month (and by that I do mean approximately thirty consecutive days), I ate a quinoa-lentil bowl with avocado and walnuts and a quick dressing of flax oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, and sriracha.  And last week was hand-held salads: lettuce leaves, slivers of carrot (the crunch is key, though I imagine bell pepper or jicama would work as well), avocado (gotta have that creamy richness), and sticks of extra-firm tofu.  Take a lettuce leaf, place the other stuff on top and roll up into a little burrito.  Dip in sauce.  

 

Basic Dipping Sauce
This is perfect for dipping vegetable dumplings from the freezer section at Trader Joe's or these hand-held mini salads.  I don't generally measure, just throw in a little salty, a little sweet, a little tangy, a little spicy (if the boy's not looking), and a little sesame until it tastes good.  But for you, I measure.

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar 
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil   
minced chili or hot sauce to taste

Stir to combine.  Adjust to your taste.  And dip.  

 

 Look!  There's my kid eating salad.  I love that.  And there in the back is the present wrapped in blue tissue paper that I haven't sent to my new niece yet even though she was born over a month ago(!).  Plus, one of my two raddest nephews turned eight three days ago and we haven't even told him how much we love him.  I have to work on this being a better aunt thing.  Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.  

Salami

On a deli roll with pepperoncini, yellow tomatoes, avocado, vegenaise, and dijon 

No baby yet.  Close your eyes if you can't handle lady news, but as of my doctor's appointment yesterday, I'm five centimeters dilated.  So really, we should have a baby any second.  

I missed the sandwich deadline.  After the nice people at Mezzetta sent me some jarred peppers, I planned to enter a recipe in their recent Make That Sandwich contest, but I neglected to read the noon PST deadline.  I've been a bit absent-minded and self-absorbed of late.  

Fortunately, the performance pressure of coming up with a vegan sandwich to rival all those shoe-in melty cheese numbers resulted in a really good deli slice recipe that I think might come in handy for any lunch packing you have going on this September.  And in other lunch-packing news, I am totally digging Vegan Lunch Box Around the World.  And you?  What's for lunch?    

Roasted Red Pepper Deli Slices or Vegan Salami

wet:
1/3 cup roasted red pepper slices and surrounding juice (or if you have roasted your own pepper, just add a touch more water)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
water to make one cup

dry:
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a blender, puree the wet ingredients.  In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.  Add the wet and stir to combine.  If necessary, knead just to incorporate all ingredients.  Shape into a fat log, about 6 - 7 inches long, and roll pretty tightly in aluminum foil, twisting the ends closed.  Steam for one hour.  Allow to cool before slicing.  

On grilled sourdough with (vegan) cream cheese and pepperoncini

 

Tomato Soup

My boy is two now and has become a toddler cliché.  For the last few months he was incredibly agreeable.  His favorite word was, “yeah,” delivered in this sweet little voice.  Example:

Are you ready for a bath?

Yeah.

89 cents for tofu? What a deal!

Yeah.

Three fish in a tree! How can that be?

Yeah. 

Oh for f@#%'s sake, turn already!

Yeah!

That last one was heard from the back seat while we ran errands during rush hour/ cranky time.  I was rightfully frustrated, but...oops.    

Now it's different.  Sweet little "yeah" has been replaced with big, full-bodied, arching-with-self-delight, screamed-from-the-tippy-toes, "NO!"  He practices.  Apropos of nothing at all, you’ll hear from his bedroom, with varying emphasis and volume, “No.  noooooooo.  NO!  no, no, no.  noooOOO!”

Just about everything receives one of those responses.  All sure-fire kid hits are now pushed away with exaggerated disgust.  No oatmeal.  No mac 'n cheese.  No sandwiches of any kind.  No.  No.  No.

    

So you can imagine my shock and delight when this soup was met with an emphatic yes.  He happily ate three bowls-full, while sitting in his high chair (another marvelously useful habit that I feared was behind us), and then protested when I finally put his bowl in the sink.  Oh, and two insignificant side notes - I like it too, and it's really easy to make.    

Tomato Soup

2 T. olive oil

2 smallish onions, diced

2 smallish carrots, diced

3 red potatoes, peeled and diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

28 oz. can unsalted whole tomatoes with basil

1 bay leaf

1 sprig thyme

3 basil leaves

3 T. red miso

6 c. water

salt and pepper 

1. In a big pot saute the the onions, carrot, and potatoes in the olive oil until the onions are translucent, about 7 minutes.  Add the garlic, stir, and cook for another minute, until fragrant.  Add the can of tomatoes. Smash the big tomatoes with the back of the spoon or a potato masher and add the bay leaf, thyme, and basil.  Let the pot simmer while you prepare the broth.   

 
2. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil and stir in the miso until dissolved.  Add the miso broth to the pot. Stir and let simmer for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are falling-apart tender and the soup is reduced a bit.     
  
3. Remove the herbs from the pot and puree.  Taste for salt and pepper (the miso is salty, so it may not need any additional salt). 
  

4. To serve - top with your favorite tomato soup garnish - croutons or snips of basil or chives or thyme or a swirl of pesto or cashew cream.   

Makes 6 servings.  

P.S. Desmond just woke up from his nap and is now sitting on my lap polishing off the tepid bowl of soup that I put together for that picture.  I guess he was hungry.  The combination of lots of shouting and refusing to eat will do that to a kid.  How long does this last?