Einkorn Wheat

Einkorn Wheat

It's the new wheat....errrr.....rather, the old wheat! But it's coming back into "style." It seems our current wheat has been drastically modified from its original version. You can read more about it here. I am currently reading Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis. It's pretty eye-opening. In it, he mentions Eli Rogosa from growseed.org. So I looked over the website and decided to email her. The farm is in Western Massachusetts, so I'm not too far! I will likely visit sometime in the summer (and purchase more Einkorn). I got some of her Einkorn wheat in the mail. Here's what it looks like:

I wasn't sure what I would use it for, but I decided to start with a pizza since that doesn't need to rise a ton. I used it in my pizza recipe. As it turns out, I probably should have done a bit more research. As the machine was kneading the dough, it looked super sticky. I thought that was the end, and I wasn't sure how I'd fix it. I ended up adding maybe another 1/2 cup to 1 cup of the wheat during the kneading process. I think with this wheat, you have to use a lot less liquid, or a lot more wheat. I will adjust properly next time. This is what it first looked like:

At the end it looked much better, but still a bit sticky:

I formed it into the usual two balls for two pizzas. Usually I don't let it rise again, but here I did, because I don't think this kind of wheat rises quite as much as today's wheat (less gluten!):

Before:

After a rise:

I rolled it out, but I couldn't roll it too thinly, as it was just breaking apart. So I made a slightly smaller pizza and put it onto the pan, and then tried to stretch it out more with my hands (directly on the pan). That seemed to work. Though during the baking process, some of it cracked open a bit and sauce fell through and made the dough stick to the pan quite a bit. I don't use oil, but if you spray the pan first, it probably won't stick at all. I may have to, for this particular wheat. But it turned out great...very tasty! With some adjustments, I will definitely make pizza again with it. Next try...a loaf of bread.

Delicious :)  

You can purchase Einkorn and other ancient wheats (bread and pasta too) from Eli at http://growseed.org/einkorn.html. I believe you can also purchase seeds if you'd like to grow your own! I also would love to try her sourdough bread :)

Have you tried Einkorn wheat or any other ancient wheats?

Eat smart,

T.

Restaurant Review: 3 Brothers Pizza

Yes, that's the door of 3 Brothers Pizza!

(you can see their whole vegan menu on their site)

Unfortunately, we had to drive to Long Island last week. Don't get me started about the toll for the George Washington Bridge ($13!!!!). Plus the Throg's Neck...both ways....sheesh.

Anyway, I did some research to see what kind of vegan food was nearby and I found this place in Rockville Centre, NY (near Baldwin). They have a whole vegan menu! Tons of appetizers, entrees, pasta dishes, and pizza. Wow! We got there right when it opened, so they weren't completely ready yet (chairs still on the tables, etc.). It was nice inside and the waitress was very pleasant. I immediately ordered a soy cappuccino. So good!

I was torn because I originally wanted pizza. But.....I make pizza at home and the only difference here was the Daiya cheese. So we all went for non-pizza dishes. But, since I'd probably never be there again and love trying vegan places, we ordered appetizers:

Mozzarella sticks (made with Daiya) I LOVED these:

Oyster Mushroom Calamari (not really my thing, but they liked them):

Buffalo Soy Drumsticks (not my thing either, but they were ok):

Tofu Crab Cakes (SO DELICIOUS!!):

And as if we weren't already stuffed, we ordered....

Penne alla Vodka (pretty darn good):

Marsala They didn't have the spinach (can't remember if it was seitan or tofu...didn't try it):

Tempeh Parmesan (very good, even though you can't really see the tempeh under the Daiya):

Seitan Cacciatore  They were out of polenta (not my thing...capers, ick...S loved it!):

Their desserts hadn't been delivered yet, so they put these things on our table, free of charge (they were hot and delicious!):

These photos were all from my phone, so I'm sorry for the blurriness... 

Overall, I'm really glad we went. We had a good time with friends, spent a couple of hours there....eating, drinking.....p.s. S had some vegan wine (I think it's actually called "The Vegan Wine"). 

If I were in the area (which to be honest, I hope I'm not)...I'll definitely stop in there again! Mozzarella sticks please!! 

For pasta dishes, you have the option of getting whole wheat or gluten free, for a small extra fee. And I believe you can do the same for the pizzas. They have vegan cheese options too: Daiya or Teese!

Thank you, 3 Brothers Pizza, for a great afternoon! (I think it has new owners now....the vegan brother has moved on...hopefully they keep the vegan menu)

You can find them on Facebook too. Do follow them there, as they give out discounts from time to time...we used it to our advantage :)

Eat smart,

T.

Subscription Winners

Thanks to those that entered the Zinio giveaway.....as it turns out, you are ALL winners!

I will be emailing them directly with your full name, email address and the name of the magazine you wish to receive:

Samantha R. (since you did not leave me info, please comment here with your info or email me!)
Noelle
Rob
MaryAnn (please get me your info as well,  I can't find a way to contact you!)
windycityvegan
Manda
Jennai
Bitt

I will contact you to get your information. Please get back to me by Wednesday, January 23rd, so I can email Zinio by the deadline!

Congratulations!

Eat smart,
T.

Sprouted Lentil Hummus

LENTIL SPROUTS!!

I love lentil sprouts. I recently ordered the Peasant Mix from SproutPeople (as well as the Moo Mix and I think the French Garden Mix). I have their small sprouter as well, which I love. But in this green multiple tray sprouter, I went for the mixed lentils this time. They are awesome, however I probably made too much at once. I'm not sure how long they last in the fridge.....anyone? 

I usually just sprout the regular ol' cheap lentils you get in a bag at the grocery store. Those are good too! You should try those first, if you've never done lentil sprouts before. Then you can go fancy :)

I had so many sprouts, I needed to use them in something besides just adding them to my salads. So...I added them into my hummus and it's delicious!

Sprouted Lentil Hummus:

1 can garbanzo beans

1 cup sprouted lentils

1 clove garlic

1 small tomato or roasted red pepper

Juice of 1 lemon

salt to taste

Blend all together in a food processor until the lentils are mostly broken down. Add more lemon juice if you'd like!

 (without sprouts)

(with sprouts)

What other kinds of hummus do you like?

ONE MORE DAY to enter my giveaway for a FREE magazine subscription! TEN WINNERS!

Eat smart,

T.

Avocado dressing

AVOCADO!!! It's a good fat!

Are you bored with your salads? I admit that sometimes I just don't want a salad.....same thing every time. But it doesn't have to be. These days I eat a salad for lunch almost everyday. Here are a few awesome ingredient ideas for your salads:

Replace your lettuce with arugula, kale, spinach, or a nice red leaf lettuce.

Add raw beets or roasted red peppers for sweetness and color.

Add avocado!

Orange/tangerine/grapefruit wedges? (not my thing, but a lot of people like it)

Beans....garbanzo (chickpeas), black beans, lima beans.

Corn, tomatoes, and black beans added make for a nice Mexican style salad!

Sprinkle hemp seeds or raw sunflower seeds on top.

Sprouts....go crazy! Lentil sprouts, broccoli sprouts, clover sprouts...or just plain alfalfa.

and of course.....chopped broccoli, celery, and cucumbers :)

Salad doesn't need to be plain. And to top it off, try a fresh new dressing! Some of my favorites are in the original Forks Over Knives book. My favorite is the OJ Hummus dressing.

Or just top your salad with hummus....or guacamole! Delicious and good for you.

Try this one:

Fresh Avocado Dressing:

1 Hass Avocado

juice of 1/2-1 lemon (depending how lemony you like it)

1 tbsp Creole seasoning (or salt and cayenne pepper)

1/2 cup+  water

optional: handful of basil leaves

Scoop out the avocado and put it in a blender or food processor. Add juice from 1/2 the lemon (to start) and the seasoning. Blend. Add the rest of the lemon juice if you want it more lemony. Add a little water at a time until you get your desired consistency. I like mine on the thick, yet pourable side. 

I've previously posted a slightly different version (but close!). You can find it on the recipes tab.

Coming up: More hummus ideas

                  Vegg reviews (a vegan egg yolk??)

You still have a few days to enter to win a FREE subscription to a magazine of your choice. Spread the word for extra entries (see post).

What are your favorite salad ingredients?

Eat smart,

T.

Super Soft Ginger Cookies

GINGER!!! So good and good for you!

I hadn't baked anything in a while, so I was flipping through some cookbooks looking for something good to make. I adapted this recipe from Dreena Burton's Gingery Cookies (Let Them Eat Vegan).

Super Soft Ginger Cookies (Gluten Free):

(makes about 12 cookies)

1 cup Gluten Free oat flour

1/3 cup almond flour/meal

1/4 cup raw cane sugar (+ extra to coat cookies)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp cinnamon 

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp blackstrap molasses

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

optional: handful of chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix. At this point, mix in the chocolate chips, if using. 

Take spoonfuls of the batter and roll into a ball. Roll it in the sugar then place on parchment paper or silicone mat on a baking sheet. Flatten the cookie a bit with your hands. Repeat until all batter is used. Bake for about 11-12 minutes. Remove and let cool. Transfer to cooling rack.

These cookies are VERY soft! You can try baking them a bit longer to see if they will get crispier...or let them dry on the cooling rack longer. 

OPTION: try using less sugar...these were really sweet.

Next up......really easy avocado dressing for your salads!

Don't forget to enter to win a FREE subscription to a magazine of your choice (including VegNews and Vegetarian Times)!! Giveaway ends soon....

Eat smart,

T.

Free Digital Veg Magazine Giveaway[CLOSED]

Everything's gone digital! Even magazine and newspaper subscriptions. I suppose it's much better for the environment, but I've gotta admit, I really love flipping through actual magazines and newspapers still....is that wrong?

If you could do it.....FREE.....would you? Well here's good news.....Zinio has offered to give 10 of my readers a FREE subscription!!! And guess what? They DO have Vegetarian Times and VegNews. I currently subscribe to both of these in the physical version, so I don't need a digital version as well. Zinio has tons of magazines to choose from, not only the ones I mentioned.

And they also have a current promotion for 50% off many of their magazines:

They also have lots of cookbooks and articles for download too. I have not tried them, although I did create an account with them. Perhaps when my current subscriptions run out, I will indeed try a digital version.

Here's a little more information directly from Zinio:

About Zinio:

• Thousands of top magazines from around the world. You can browse and purchase subscriptions or single issues instantly from your computer or mobile device to read wherever and whenever you like
• Explore section lets you read - even without a subscription - thousands of articles from your favorite magazines and share them with friends
• Use on iPad, iPhone, Android mobile phones and tablets, laptop or desktop
• Can also be used on Kindle Fire and Nook by following these steps: http://form.jotformpro.com/form/23203574664958?__jsonlib_toJSON=function+()%7Breturn+this.valueOf()

HOW TO WIN A FREE SUBSCRIPTION:

Please leave a comment here telling me which free magazine you'd like from Zinio

AND

Either follow me on Facebook, Twitter, OR right here on my blog with Google Friend Connect (upper left side) and leave your ID/name you used in the same comment as above. 

FOR AN EXTRA ENTRY: 

Tweet about this giveaway and make sure to include BOTH @EatingKale and @zinio
Leave a second comment here telling me you did (and your Twitter ID).

You must give me an email address or Twitter account to contact you if you win (if it is not available via your profile). If you win, I will need the following information: First and Last Name, Email Address, and the name of the Magazine you want. If you do not respond to the email or Twitter contact within 3 days of winner notice, you will forfeit your winnings and I will choose another winner.

I will randomly select 10 winners. This giveaway ends January 15th, 2013 at 5 pm EST.
Worldwide entries accepted!

Good luck!

Eat smart,

T.