Traditional Thai Curry (With Seitan)

In my old neighborhood, I had a neighbor who made delicious Thai curry and was kind enough to share her recipe with me.  It tastes exactly like the kind we order in the best Thai restaurants.  It can be made with chicken, but I am sharing a "Mock Duck" version for those of you who do not eat meat.  Mock Duck is another name for the ingredient of the week - Seitan.  If you enjoy Thai curry, you will love this recipe:

Mock Duck in Red (or Green) Curry with Bamboo Shoots

1 lb. cubed Seitan
1 T. red or green curry paste
1 can coconut milk, divided (I use Lite Coconut Milk)
1/2 cup sweet basil leaves
5 kaffir lime leaves, halved (these can be found in Oriental markets, usually in the freezer section)
1 sweet red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced zucchini or baby eggplant (I use a half cup of each)
2 T. fish sauce (found in the Oriental section of grocery stores)
1/4 t. salt
1/3 cup water or milk (I use skim or almond milk)
8-oz can bamboo shoots
1 1/2 t. sugar

In a pot, bring half the coconut milk to a slow boil, stirring constantly.  Put in red or green curry paste and seitan, stir well, and cook about 5 minutes.
Add remaining coconut milk, water (or milk), bamboo shoots, veggies, red pepper, kaffir leaves, sugar, and fish sauce and slowly bring to a boil.  Cook until vegetables are desired consistency.  Garnish with basil (I actually add some to the sauce when I add the other ingredients).
Serves 4 to 5.

If you can not find kaffir lime leaves, I have seen recipes that substitute a bit of lime juice.  I hope you enjoy this recipe.  I have been making it (with chicken, then tofu, and now Seitan) for years.

Until next time, happy and healthy eating!


 

Seitan - Nutrition Facts and Recipes

I mentioned in a previous Blog post that Seitan is my favorite non-meat source of protein.  It is a wheat protein that has only 120 calories per 1/3 cup serving and only 2 grams of fat.  This same serving also contains 21 generous grams of protein!  The brand I buy is Westsoy and it can be found in the refrigerated portion of the Organic section of your local supermarket. 

Seitan has a wonderful texture that absorbs flavors beautifully.  I am finding that I can substitute it in any recipe where meat is stewed or served in a sauce.  Examples include beef or lamb stews, Beef Stroganoff, chili, Thai or Indian curries, and even Coq au Vin or Beef Bourguignon.  It does not need to cook as long as stewing meat does.  Usually the flavors soak in perfectly in anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the recipe and the other ingredients you are adding.

A good friend sent me the following recipe for "Better-N-Beef Bourguignon":

4 - 6 Seitan medallions (I used a box and a half of the cubed Westsoy Seitan)
6 medium carrots, sliced
1 big onion, sliced
1 bottle of dry red wine (I used an inexpensive Merlot)
1 cup vegetable broth
1 garlic clove
1-2 bay leaves (I used 2)
1 T. flour or cornstarch (to thicken broth)
salt & pepper to taste
fresh parsley for garnish

Saute Seitan in a small amount of oil for 2-3 minutes on each side.  Remove from pan.  Add garlic, and saute 2 minutes.
Add wine and broth, carrots, onion, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.  Then let simmer for 30 minutes, half covered so broth and wine can evaporate a bit.
Add Seitan to vegetables and simmer with lid on for another 30 minutes.
Mix flour (or cornstarch) with 1 T. water and add to mixture, stirring well over medium heat to thicken broth.
Serve over potatoes, rice, or noodles and sprinkle with parsley.  (I serve it over potatoes mashed with fat free milk and a little Lite Butter, but egg noodles are an excellent choice too). 

This week I plan to make Beef Stroganoff for my carnivores and I will make a small separate batch for myself using Seitan instead of the beef.  Last week I made a Thai curry (using curry mix from the Asian section of the grocery store and substituting the meat it asked for with Seitan) and it was wonderful.   Just pull out your favorite stew or curry recipe and replace the meat with Seitan.  It's that easy.  I have not made a chili with it yet, but I plan to next week. 

I hope that those of you who have been curious about this tasty ingredient will try it soon, transforming an old favorite into something healthy, Vegan, Lenten, and good!

Until next time, happy and healthy eating! 

New Year's Resolutions

It takes me a few days to come up with changes I want to make in any new year.  This year, there are several, only some of them dietary.  In that area, I plan to eat less meat.  I just went to Wegmans and bought two packages of Seitan, which is delicious and can be cooked into any stew, curry, or stir-fry with ease.  My plan is to make myself Seitan versions of some of the dishes my carnivores will eat.  I wish I could say that The China Study was the catalyst for this proposed change in my diet.  But it wasn't.  It was the recent Advent fast that spanned 40 days and ended on Christmas day.  Some health issues that had disappeared for a while re-emerged as soon as I put meat back into my diet.  Any way I spin it, I can not find any other reason for the negative change in certain parts of my digestive tract.   Oh well....

Other resolutions?   To begin to piece together the fragments of the book I started last year.  And to spend more time in prolonged prayer/meditation.  The peace I felt after doing my part of the Psaltery each night during this Advent season was palpable.  Otherwise, I hope to see my baby go to the college of his dreams and my oldest son to find complete contentment with the choices I am so proud that he has made.

What about you?  What does 2013 hold in store for you?   Please share.  In the meantime, happy New Year to you all!! 

Some Thoughts on The China Study

Every 2 years I am required to do 16 hours of continuing education to keep up my accreditation as a Nutritionist.  This year I did my hours on The China Study, by Dr's. Collin and Thomas Campbell.  I read several reviews of the Study first and most of them said that it is impossible to read the Campbells' book and not radically change the way you eat.   In a nutshell, the China Study demonstrates a disturbing link between the consumption of animal products - in particular cow's milk - and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and even multiple sclerosis.  I was impressed with the way the research was conducted and found it difficult to argue with the doctors' conclusions.  

After having gone through chemotherapy for advanced breast cancer, I asked my oncologist if there was anything I could do in terms of my diet to help prevent a recurrence and he said to avoid beef.  I haven't touched it in almost 11 years.  Along with beef, I cut down my consumption of milk fat, drinking only an occasional cup of skim milk and eating primarily low-fat or fat-free cheeses.  Because my heart was damaged by one of the chemo drugs, my cardiologist advised that I follow a low-fat diet, and I have been trying to keep my daily fat intake to around 15% of total calories consumed, an amount significantly lower than the 30% "recommended daily percentage".  I have not had a French fry or any other deep fried food in years, and have avoided all ooey-gooey desserts.  As for meat, on days that I consume it, I try to limit my intake to lean skinless poultry, and an occasional pork tenderloin.  Since I was raised on lamb, I also allow myself a lamb chop or braised lamb shank every now and then.  So...did reading The China Study result in my radically altering my diet?   Yes and no.

Following the diet recommended by The China Study means giving up all animal products - anything with egg, milk, cheese, fish, or meat.  With allergies to many nuts, and sensitivities to foods such as raw tomatoes, peppers, and salad greens that have not been washed multiple times, this would make an already difficult diet even harder to keep.  So I am starting by making small changes.  I will eat meat less often than I was (from 5 to 2 or 3 days a week) and will limit those meats to lean poultry and, very rarely, lamb.   I try to eat the recommended 35+ grams of fiber per day, and keep my grains whole.  I have also replaced skim milk with Almond Milk once again  (an exception being my "skim" chai latte from Starbucks).  Maybe after I am an empty-nester next year, I will more strictly adhere to the diet recommended in The China Study, with meat and dairy being "special treats".   But I'm still not sure. 

If you read the book, you will note that milk fat is the main culprit in inducing the above-noted diseases, and that those cultures that eat no animal products (or very few of them) tend to be healthier overall.  Dr. Campbell makes no distinction between full fat and fat-free dairy and I tend to believe that the unhealthy components of dairy are found in the milk fat.  Doctor Campbell also failed to mention that the Mediterranean diet - one rich in fish, yogurt, goat's cheese and lamb, as well as many fresh fruits and vegetables -  has also been found to be extremely healthy and linked to long life.  I think the emphasis needs to be in eliminating junk and processed foods from our diets, as well as fried foods and foods high in saturated fats.   A diet that does this and includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains will be one that combines the best of both worlds.    

 






 

Avocado Ring and Apple Crunch - More Recipes from 1946

I have heard of Apple Crisps.  In fact, I have made a few in my day.  But Avocado Jello molds?   They seem to have gone the way of the dodo.  And I know why!   On the left is a photo of a slice of Avocado Ring from my 1946 cookbook.  It was the recipe that sounded the best of the no less than five Avocado Molds in the book.  I served it with pear slices (as suggested) and a slice of homemade toast.  With a bite of pear on each bite, the Avocado Ring was palatable.  Without it, it was rather flat and boring and a complete waste of 2 perfectly beautiful avocados.  The lemon jello flavor was subtle, as was the avocado.  Other ingredients included sour cream (I used low fat) and a touch of mayonnaise (also low-fat as I use in all recipes I make).  Note that there was not a single Guacamole recipe in this cookbook compiled by Southern Californian women.   It appears that, once Guacamole hit the scene, avocado jello molds bit the dust.  No surprise here...

 

The Apple Crisp (called "Apple Crunch"), which I made last night, was much better.  A quarter cup of Sherry added complexity.  And the texture was perfect - soft, juicy apples covered with a somewhat crunchy topping.  My husband added a scoop of  Butter Pecan ice cream on his, and said it was excellent.  The recipe is below:

 

I still plan to make the Tuna Casserole I told you about.  Something about chopped eggs, green stuffed olives and no cheese being the "gold standard" for that time period (and region) has completely piqued my curiosity.  After that, I only plan to make the breads, cakes, and pies.  1946 was a year of Pumpkin Chiffon Pies, Chess Pies, and a bevy of fruit-based muffins.  And, of course, I will lighten them up as I do with all full-fat recipes that cross my path.  

 

I am realizing that 1946 was indeed a pivotal year for American cooking.  But not necessarily in a positive way.  People were experiencing a sense of prosperity after years of scarcity with two unfortunate consequences.  Most of the main-dish recipes use inexpensive cuts of meat which, consequently, are often processed, high in fat, and, well, tough.  Also, too many of the recipes use canned and processed foods.  These years of plenty - beginning in the late 40's, and moving into the 50's and 60's, ushered in the Junk Food Mania that remains such a problem in our nation today.  Sigh...  My 1946 cookbook has been a very eye-opening experiment, especially in light of the reading I am currently doing on the "China Study".   More on that in another post.   Until next time, happy and healthy eating!

 

Clam and Bacon Appetizers - 1946

 Tonight I initiated my circa 1946 cookbook with, appropriately, some very easy-to-prepare appetizers.  They were so easy to make, in fact,  that my husband finished one while I worked on the other.   Above is the best - by far - of the two.  "Clam Hors D'oeuvres" is a delightful blast from the past.  I spread the mixture of drained, minced clams, an 8-oz. package of cream cheese, and 1 T. mayonnaise on slices of Melba toast and put them under the broiler for about 2 minutes (even though the recipe said to do so for just "a few seconds").   We all agreed that this would make a nice hors d'oeuvre to serve this coming Thanksgiving.  My husband wished he could taste the clams a bit more, so I may add another half can the next time I make them.  But my son and I were pleased with the warm cheesy texture and the subtlety of the clams.  See photo below for a close-up of this yummy, extremely simple-to-make appetizer:

As for the "Broiled Bacon and Olives", I made them because they reminded me of an old favorite of mine - Rumaki.  Rumaki is chicken liver and a slice of water chestnut wrapped in half a slice of bacon and broiled until done.  I don't know what made me think that stuffed green olives wrapped in bacon would taste anything like Rumaki.  We were able to finish them all, but they were SALTY, with the olive taste dominating the bacon.  Too bad.  They were so easy to make!  See photo below in case you think you may want to try them for yourself or if you suffer from a salt-deficiency:

 

 I broiled them for a total of six minutes, turning them after four.   What I really like about this cookbook is that none of the recipes call for expensive ingredients and most of them are pretty easy to make, as well.  They are truly a reflection of their time and may contain some gems - I hope - for ours.   Stay tuned for the next installment from this delightful and whimsical addition to my culinary repertoire. 



1946 - A Pivotal Year for American Cooking

Until I started researching the year 1946, I did not realize what a "find" the cookbook I bought last weekend was!   Check out the happy housewife on the left.  The year before this cover was made, she was more than likely working because her husband was fighting in WWII.  The war did not end until late 1945.   And women across the country were employed, primarily in the "war effort".   Technically, the Great Depression ended in 1940.   But the effects of it lasted until the end of the war.   This cookbook, then, came out at a time of tremendous flux in our nation - a time, not only of the birth of economic recovery, but also  when our men were returning home from the front and women were returning to the kitchen.    

Before I start preparing and sharing with you recipes from this pivotal year in our country's history, I want to share some facts about 1946 America.  The average household salary was $2,500/year.  Average home prices were less than $10,000.  A gallon of gasoline cost 15 cents a gallon, and you could buy 3 cans of Campbell soup for 25 cents.   Spam, which was invented largely to feed our men overseas, was heavily promoted in late 1945 to 1946 as an inexpensive and versatile meat.  In fact, the back cover of the May 14, 1946 issue of Time magazine featured a Spam Upside Down Pie.  With the introduction of Tupperware in the 1940's jello molds became all the rage.  (The Jell-O Company was established in 1923 but was tremendously expanded in the 1940's through 60's).   Frugality was essential in one's life choices.  Many women were constantly mindful that, just a few years earlier, food was scarce and money, hard to come by.  "The Kitchen Collaborator" - the cookbook I will be introducing you to - is a peek into what middle-class American women were cooking in 1946.

With average gas prices at $4.00 a gallon and 43 million Americans out of work, I see us at a time when a peek back at 1946 cooking could be an eye-opening experience.  I hope you will tune in and enjoy the journey with me!