East-Meets-West Chowder

We posted a recipe for wasabi dinner rolls a couple weeks ago. I've been meaning to post the chowder recipe since then, but couldn't find my notes. Fortunately, during the cleaning and reorganizing that went on this weekend, I found them. Phew! I'm always losing things. Seriously, despite how clean the house may look online, it can be quite messy. OK. I can be quite messy. Stephen's nodding his head at that statement . . . right . . . now.

This chowder isn't traditional. What prompted us to create it? Well, what usually is responsible for our crazy flavor combos: We use what we have, when we can, and we don't worry about the end-result.

If that means using shiitake mushrooms instead of white . . . so be it! If that means subbing in sesame oil for vegetable oil . . . alright, then! Low on spices means using green curry paste to give the whole thing flavor. And speaking of green curry paste, if you'd like to make your own, Emily recently posted a wonderful, from-scratch recipe!


EAST-MEETS-WEST CHOWDER

What you'll need . . .

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 cooking onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 cups red-skinned potatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon green curry paste
• 2-1/2 cups almond or soy milk
• 1 can (about 1-1/4 cups) vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, washed and sliced
• 1 can low-sodium corn kernals, drained and rinsed
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method . . .

1. Heat sesame oil in a large stock pot. Add the onion, green pepper, garlic, and potato. Saute over medium heat for approximately 3 minutes. Until onions are glassy.
2. Add in the green curry. Stir to coat everything well.
3. Stir in the flour (make sure it coats everything). Then stir in the almond milk, vegetable broth, and soy sauce.
4. Add the mushrooms, corn kernals, and black beans. Bring everything to a boil (keep stirring it), then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. The green peppers and onions should be tender, but not soggy.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with wasabi dinner rolls.

This recipe is great to make for dinner . . . and then turn around and pack for lunch. Just toss in your dinner roll. It will get soggy -- but not too soggy -- and absolutely delicious. Feel free to add/substitute whatever vegetables, mushrooms, oils, milks, and spices you need/wish to. Just use equal measurements for whatever you exchange. You should be just fine. :)

How have you recently used the ingredients you have on hand? Sometimes it's difficult. But I hate seeing good food go to waste. We'd love to hear you creative recipes! Just leave a comment or email us at neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com.

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DETOX: Day 2 -- Miso Soup

Day 2 of the detox, and we're doing swell. OK. For Stephen our "diet" is pretty much normal eating. For me, it's a bit different. I think we've been over it already, but I eat WAY too much sugar. All the time. Last night I got my first real craving. So, I broke out some cocoa-covered popcorn (this really tasty, "guilt-free," vegan kind made by Lesser Evil) . . . seemed to do the trick.

What exactly HAVE we been eating? Here's the breakdown:

• Breakfast: First, a huge mug of tea with 1/2 lemon squeezed into it. Later, a fruit smoothie (though I may do a few green smoothies, too) . . . and we've been adding some whole grain cereal for energy for running.
• Snack: Fruit or veggies.
• Lunch: SOUP. Today I'm giving the recipe for miso soup. Ours is more of a stew because we throw tons of kale and shiitake mushrooms into the mix. We also add a piece of whole wheat bread with some almond butter and a piece of fruit (blood oranges, anyone? -- they're my favorite!).
• Pre-run snack: raw coconut-carob chip "cookies".
• Dinner: Steamed broccoli and brown rice with a mixture of sesame oil and soy sauce on top. This isn't really filling us up, so tonight we're going to make it a stirfry with some tofu.

That's pretty much it. Now, again, it isn't a detox in the true sense. Our friend Kevin and his brothers came over to visit last night, and we all split a fancy beer. So, basically -- we do what we can. I think any effort to eat better is a good step for me at this point.

Today's recipe is for the miso soup we ate yesterday . . . and likely will eat again today. I recommend using lighter miso -- like a white -- but we used barley miso, so just go with what you like.

MISO SOUP

What you'll need . . .

• Handful shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 4 to 6 scallions, chopped
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 1 large carrot, shaved
• 6 cups water
• 1/4 cup miso paste
  

Method . . .

1. Put water and all veggies/mushrooms into a large stock pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. Drop the heat down to a simmer and set your timer for 10 minutes.
3. Take pot off heat and stir in the miso. This part can be tricky -- you need to make sure it all dilutes.
4. Serve and enjoy (makes about 4-5 servings).

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Vegan Stuffing: It's Not Just for Thanksgiving Anymore

I'll be honest. This stuffing is far from traditional. And if you're not into trying new things, you likely won't enjoy it. Now that we have that out of the way, if you're up for an adventure: try this recipe. Not only does it look impressive (full of color and texture) atop your holiday spread . . . it tastes good, too!

What I like best about stuffing is how easy it is to make. You throw a bunch of stuff in a bowl, bake it, and -- here's the best part -- you can adjust easily to meet your taste. Keep this whole adjusting thing in mind when giving this one a try. If you don't like cranberries, don't add them . . . or add less of them. If ginger doesn't thrill you, consider another spice. Etc.

Be creative. After all, it's your stomach.

What you'll need . . .

• 1 package whole wheat stuffing crumbs (the kind you just buy at the store -- it's easy)
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 celery stalks, chopped
• Fresh ginger, finely chopped (to taste -- a little goes a long way)
• 1/2 to 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped
• 1 to 2 medium apples, skinned and chopped (Granny Smith works best)
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 8 large basil leaves, chopped (I ripped mine and thew them in)
• 1/2 to 1 cup pine nuts
• 2 to 3 (or 4, depending on how soft you like your stuffing) cans vegetable broth
  

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a medium pan over medium heat, saute the onion, celery, and ginger in a bit of vegetable broth until glassy.
3. Add in the mushrooms, apples, and cranberries (also add a bit more vegetable broth, if necessary) and cook until just soft.
4. In a large bowl, toss in your stuffing crumbs. Then add the onion-celery-ginger-apple-mushroom-cranberry mixture. Toss in the pine nuts and basil . . . and mix with your hands.
5. Transfer to-be stuffing to a 9 by 13 inch glass pan.
6. Pour your veggie broth over the mixture one can at a time. You can always add more -- even after you've started baking it -- so do this part with some restraint.
7. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. I checked mine every 15 to 20 minutes or so and adjusted the moisture level to our taste (not too soft, not too stiff).

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