What is Nutritional Yeast

Although I assume that most of the non-vegans who read my blog are familiar with things like tofu and chickpeas, it’s occurred to me that there may be a few questions surrounding some of the lesser-known vegan/health food ingredients. So with that, I’ve added a new section to my blog called What’s That?, and every now and then I’ll write a post about one of these ingredients, and link to it when my recipes call for it.

First up: Nutritional Yeast. Because (lacto-ovo) vegetarians get their cheese-fix from dairy, many of them are not familiar with this ingredient. But because it imparts a “cheesy” taste to food, it is loved by vegans and other people who do not consume dairy. It’s not something that you see used in a lot of commercial food products (to the chagrin of us vegans), so you kind of have to be “in-the-know” to have heard about it. But it’s not that difficult to find and it’s even easier to use, so I really encourage you to try it if you haven’t already.

Facts

• It is a deactivated yeast and a fungus
• It is produced by culturing the yeast with a mixture of sugarcane and beet molasses for a period of 7 days, then harvesting, washing, drying and packaging the yeast
• The flakes are bright yellow in color
• It is a complete protein, meaning it contains an adequate proportion of all nine essential amino acid that we need to function
• It is a good source of protein and B vitamins (If you’re vegan, you should seek-out a brand that is fortified with B-12)
• It is low in fat and sodium and is free of sugar, dairy and gluten
• It has a strong nutty/cheesy flavor that can be added to any dish to impart a cheesy taste

Uses

• Grind it in a food processor with an equal part of blanched almonds to mimic Parmesan – this is great sprinkled on pasta!
• Add a tablespoon or two to risotto, quiches, cannelloni, stuffed mushrooms – anywhere you would normally use Parmesan or other cheese
• Sprinkle it on popcorn
• Blend it with nuts to make vegan cheese sauce, and soft or hard cheese

Tips

• This is a great alternative for vegans and those who are lactose-intolerant or trying to cut-back on dairy and/or fat
• Because of it’s strong smell/taste, some people find Nooch off-putting the first time they eat it (especially if they still eat dairy cheese and/or recently went vegan
• In my experience, the longer you’ve been vegan, the more likely you are to think that this tastes like “real cheese”
• When trying nutritional yeast for the first time, start by sprinkling it on pasta (to mimic Parmesan) or using a tablespoon or two in other savory dishes, such as those mentioned above

What is Tahini

I always keep a jar of tahini on hand, as I use it weekly to make hummus and salad dressings. Once you buy tahini, you’ll never have to (over) pay for store-bought hummus ever again. Also, one of my upcoming recipes will feature tahini, so I thought that I’d offer a bit of background on it now for those of you who may be unfamiliar with it.

Facts

• It is a paste made of ground sesame seeds, and has a nutty and slightly bitter taste
• If the sesame seed husks are removed, it is referred to as “hulled”, otherwise as unhulled
• Some tahini contains lightly roasted sesame seeds, other types use raw sesame seeds
• It originated in ancient Persia (Iran), and has been around since at least the 13th century
• It is used in Middle Eastern foods, as well as Chinese, Korean and Japanese dishes
• It is sold fresh or dehydrated – normally in a glass or plastic jar, and is available at most grocery stores in the Middle Eastern or Kosher sections
• Like any natural nut or seed butter, the natural oils may separate after a certain period of time – simply use a spoon to mix it back together before using

Uses

• It is the main ingredient in many Middle Eastern recipes including:
• Hummus – along with chickpeas, lemon juice, and olive oil (the more tahini, the creamier the hummus)
• Baba ganoush – roasted eggplant dip
• If you’ve ever eaten a falafel or shawarma wrap, then it may have been served with a thin white sauce of watered-down tahini
• It is the main ingredient in halva, a sweet dessert made with tahini and sugar
• It tastes great in salad dressings and makes them thicker/creamier
• Add a tablespoon to smoothies for an extra protein boost
• My jar says to store it in the pantry, but I’ve always stored it in the fridge
• Here’s a list of my tahini recipes

What is Quinoa?

Quinoa! I’ve got a few amazing quinoa recipes on the way, and thought it might be nice to first explain the origins and benefits of this genius little grain.

Chances are that you’ve seen this ingredient pop-up everywhere over the past couple years – from recipes to store-bought breads and cereals. If you’re a seasoned vegan/vegetarian or health foodie, then it’s likely that you already use it all the time. But if you’ve been looking to try it for the first time – or just want to know how to pronounce it… well, hopefully the information below can shed a little light.

First things first: it’s pronounced keen-wah. I still catch myself pronouncing it quee-no-ah from time-to-time but I’m getting better at it and I’ve come-up with a handy trick for remembering how to say it: I’m keen for keen-wah! :)

Facts

- It’s a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds
- It’s closely related to beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds
- The grains range in color from white, to red and black
- The grains are coated with a bitter-tasting saponin coating, which serves as a natural pest deterrent, and which needs to be rinsed-off before using (see below)
- Unlike wheat and rice, it is high in lysine
- It’s also a good source of fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron
- Like oats, it contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, so it’s a complete protein
- In fact, compared to other grains, it has a very high protein content (12-18%)
- It’s gluten-free, so it’s a great option for those with Coeliac disease, and it’s considered to be easily digestible
- Because of all this, NASA has considered quinoa for long-duration manned spaceflights (how cool is that?!)

History

- Quinoa originated in the Andean region of South America, where humans were farming & eating it 3000 to 4000 years ago (though there is archaeological evidence of its pastoral herding some 5200 to 7000 years ago!)
- The Incas felt that the crop was scacred and referred to it as “mother of all grains” (I think most vegans would agree!)
- During the Spanish conquest, the colonists forbade the cultivation of quinoa and forced the Incas to grow wheat instead (how unfortunate!)


Prep & Cooking
- If you’re unsure as to whether your quinoa has been rinsed-free of the bitter saponin coating, then it’s important to rinse it in a strainer or cheesecloth for a few minutes under cold water before using
- To cook it, bring 1 part quinoa and 2 parts water to boil in a saucepan. Reduce to lowest heat setting, COVER, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the germ seperates from the seed.
- You’ll know it’s ready when a tiny curl sticks out from the seed
- For added flavor in savory dishes, you can cook it in vegetable broth instead of plain water

Uses

- Once cooked, quinoa has a mild nutty flavor and fluffy texture, similar to couscous
- It can replace couscous or rice in most recipes – so it’s a great for things like stuffed peppers, stuffed squash or pilafs
- Just like rice or pasta salads, it’s great served cold with veggies/beans and a light dressing
- Breakfast quinoa is great – treat it as you would oatmeal, by stirring-in maple syrup/nuts/fruit
- It is also available in the form of quinoa flakes, which can also be used to make  a quinoa breakfast porridge or to boost the protein content of baked goods
- It can be used to make healthy protein balls/bars (recipes coming soon!)
- Quinoa flour is a great substitute for flour in gluten-free baking

What are Purple Carrots?

I saw these awesome purple carrots at the farmer’s market a couple weeks ago and just knew that they had to come home with me. While I’ve had purple potatoes, I don’t think that I had ever even heard of purple carrots before, let alone tasted them.

When I got home, I decided to do a bit of research on my latest find. A Google image search for purple carrots returns some pretty amazing purple carrot varieties. Aren’t those colors stunning?

Facts
- Purple carrots were actually the world’s first carrot variety, from ancient Persia
- They have been found to lower blood pressure and reverse liver and heart damage caused by high-carb, high-fat diets – even if you maintain that unhealthy diet (unfortunately, some poor lab rats were used for this study)
- Purple carrots contain up to 28 times more anthocyanins (the antioxidant that creates the purple-red pigment in blueberries and raspberries) than in orange carrots

I decided to just roast these babies – but imagine how great these would look julienned in a salad or stir-fry?

I simply tossed them in a bit of olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic, sprinkled them with salt, and roasted them in the oven for about 25 minutes at 400F (200C). They taste pretty much the same as orange carrots, but look at that deep purple color. Stunning!

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Asparagus is in season and really affordable in Sydney right now so I bought a ton of it at the grocery store and farmer’s market last week. But when I was cleaning out my fridge on Saturday, I realized that I had way too much of it to just eat normally…

So what do I do when I have way too much of one vegetable? I make soup!

This fresh Asparagus soup is a beautiful green color, and its flavors are subtle but delicious…

 

Notes

• The freshness of the asparagus takes center stage here, as the soup is only seasoned with onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper. However some fresh garlic and/or dill would be lovely as well.
• Traditional cream soups get their richness from heavy cream, but you can get the same result by using soaked raw cashews. If nuts are an issue for you, then use soy milk instead.
• This soup freezes well. Just let it cool completely before freezing it in an air-tight container. Then slowly reheat it before serving.

Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup

• Prep time: 5 mins
• Cook time: 40 mins
• Total time: 45 mins
• Recipe type: Soup
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 pounds green asparagus
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegan margarine
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in warm water for 1 hour (or ½ cup soy/almond milk)
• ¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Instructions

• Cut asparagus into ½-inch pieces.
• In a large pot, heat margarine over medium-low heat, and cook the onion for a few minutes, until softened.
• Add asparagus pieces and salt and pepper to taste, then cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Add broth and simmer, covered, until asparagus is very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add cashews and purée soup using an immersion blender (or in batches in a blender) until smooth.
• Season with lemon juice, and salt and pepper.

Notes

MAKE-AHEAD: Soup keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. To freeze, let soup cool completely before freezing it in an air-tight container. Slowly reheat soup on stove-top (or microwave) before serving.
This fresh asparagus soup is made creamy and rich with the addition of raw cashews. It's gluten-free and freezer-friendly!

What is Coconut Oil?

The next topic in my What’s That? series is Coconut Oil. You may have been hearing about it a lot lately so I thought that it would be nice to summarize some of the myths and facts surrounding it. I’ve only just discovered it relatively recently myself, but have to say that it is quickly changing the way I cook, and especially the way I bake (more on that later). But before I get too far, I think that a quick refresher on trans fats might be in order:

• Unlike “good fats” such as essential fatty acids, trans fats provide no nutritional value
• In fact, trans fats increase the risk of coronary heart disease by raising levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and lowering levels of “good” HDL cholesterol
• Trans fats occur in small amounts naturally in dairy and meat, but also artificially in a lot of processed foods and some margarines

Everyone pretty much agrees that trans fats are evil – so much so that some jurisdictions have even banned them outright! So what’s the coconut oil connection? Well, coconut oil has been getting  a bad wrap in the past couple decades, for two primary reasons.

Myths

• Early studies on coconut oil used partially hydrogenated coconut oil, which contains trans fats, as opposed to virgin coconut oil which does not
• It is often lumped-in with palm oil, which itself is high in trans-fats

Facts

• Virgin coconut oil is free of trans fat
• While it’s true that coconut oil is 90% saturated fat, saturated fat is not as evil as previously thought (See Dr. Mercola’s website for more info on coconut oil & saturated fat)
• Coconut oil is very heat stable – so it’s the best oil to use when cooking at high temperatures, such as frying
• Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, which:
• is responsible for increasing HDL (“good cholesterol”) – more than any other fatty acid, unsaturated or saturated
• is the same compound found in mothers’ milk
• transforms into monolaurin, which is responsible for helping to strengthen the immune system
• It has been shown to increase metabolism, which can improve thyroid activity and cell regeneration
• It is liquid at room temperature, but turns solid below 25°C/77°F

Coconut oil is a nice alternative to margarine because let’s face it: even non-hydrogenated margarine is not natural, and a bit scary when you really think about it!

Tips

• You can find coconut oil at most health food stores
• When choosing coconut oil, ensure that you are buying virgin coconut oil that has not been altered in any way, including having been heated or bleached
• Look for non-GMO and organic coconut oil
• I split-up my coconut oil so that I have some in the pantry (oil) and some in the fridge (solid)
• If you need to liquefy you coconut oil, simply place your container in a bowl of hot water and stir – you may need to replace the water a few times depending on the size of your container and how much oil you’re trying to melt
• Remember: it’s still a fat, so you don’t want to go overboard with the stuff!

Uses

• We all know that eating raw veggies is best, but when you must fry them, try using coconut oil instead of vegetable, soy, or canola (rapeseed) oil – it has a higher “smoke point” so it doesn’t degrade as much with heat
• Try using solid coconut oil as a replacement for margarine (or butter) in your baked goods – it is especially great in crisps and crumbles (I have a great recipe coming soon!)
• For your body:
• Rub  coconut oil on your skin after a bath or shower to relieve dry skin
• I’ve heard that it’s great for many skin conditions including rosacea, acne and dry scalp
• Use it to shave your legs – no moisturizer needed!
• Use it to deep-condition your hair
• Dap it on a cotton ball and use it as an eye makeup remover (because it’s an oil, it will remove waterproof makeup)

What is Agar?

It’s been a while since I’ve written a piece for my “What’s That?” series and tomorrow’s post will feature this ingredient, so I figured this was a good time to talk about Agar. But before I do that, let’s talk about gelatin. I think PeTA put it best when they said:

“It’s probably no coincidence that gelatin rhymes with skeleton—because that’s exactly what it is—animal bones (along with animal skin, hooves, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage all boiled together into a goo)…“

How disgusting (and sad) is that? I know I’ve never looked at a regular gummy bear the same way since I learned that many years ago…

But that doesn’t mean that vegans can’t have gelling agents… or vegan gummy bears! Mother nature always provides cruelty-free alternatives, and in regards to gelatin, they exist in the form of Carrageen (Irish Moss), some Kosher gelatins, and… Agar!

Some facts on Agar

• It is a flavorless gelling agent
• It is derived from Gracilaria, a bright red sea vegetable (seaweed)
• It’s also known by its Japanese name Kanten or Agar Agar, the Malay term for the seaweed from which it’s produced
• It is available flaked, powdered, or in bars
• The flakes are traditionally produced by cooking and pressing the seaweed and then naturally freeze-drying the residue to form bars which are then powdered or flaked.
• It is rich in iodine and trace minerals, and has mildly laxative properties
• It is used as a growth medium for petri dishes to grow mold and bacteria
• It is used as a gelling agent in food preparation (see below)

Cooking with Agar

• Agar can be used like gelatin, to make jellies, custards and puddings.
• It has stronger gelling properties than gelatin, so it sets in about an hour at room temperature and doesn’t require refrigeration to set
• Unlike gelatin, agar agar can be boiled and can even be re-melted if necessary
• For best results when using it in flake or bar form, grind the agar in a coffee grinder or food processor and then cook it, stirring it regularly until it dissolves
• Due to density variations, flaked and powdered agar agar need to be used in different proportions: 1 tbsp. of agar flakes = 1 tsp. of agar powder
• Substitute powdered agar in equal amounts for recipes calling for unflavored gelatin
• For a firmer gel, add more agar, and for a softer gel, add more liquid
• Highly acidic or alkaline ingredients affect the gelling ability of agar. So recipes calling for citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, etc) and strawberries, may require higher amounts of agar to set. Some ingredients break down the gelling ability of the agar so that it will not set at all, although cooking these fruits beforehand seems to help. These include fresh mangoes, papaya, pineapple, kiwi fruit, fresh figs, paw paws, and peaches.