What I Did with a Rutabaga

Have you cooked one of these?  With its beaten-up, thickly waxed peel, it was a bit daunting.  The thing was the size of a small pumpkin.  As I was pronouncing it out loud in the supermarket, the produce department employee chimed in, "They are very popular!"  Hmmm -- wish I'd asked him to elaborate.

I decided to put it in a lovely stew.  Based loosely on a recipe I found in a Martha Stewart cookbook, I added my own spin based on what I had on hand.  Utilizing spices common in Morroccan cooking, I researched "harissa" and invented one of my own, using dried chipotle chiles instead of the sharper, hotter varieties.  I also mashed garlic, cumin, coriander, caraway and dried mint.  I didn't have the saffron the recipe called for, so I subbed a little smoked paprika.  Carrots, a parsnip, and lots of sauteed shallots rounded out the vegetables, and I decided to add a couple of bay leaves and also a couple of star anise pods because I knew they would complement the warm spices.  Finally, I decided to use a little cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.  The recipe suggested serving the stew over the larger Israeli couscous, but I couldn't find it so orzo worked just fine.  Fresh cilantro on top was perfect.  Delicious!

Something Warm

It's that time of year, in the Northern Hemisphere anyway, to add this healthy staple to the arsenal.  As we continue to craft our lifestyles, a pot of this in the fridge beats a bag of chips for those hungry-without-a-plan moments.

My green soup varies according to what is on hand, but always starts with a chopped onion and a couple of cloves of garlic, simmered slowly over low heat until transluscent.  Then broth or water (not too much -- the greens will cook down), roughly chopped greens (I try to use two or three types) and half a cup or so of cooked rice round out the ingredients.  I also love to add full-fat coconut milk and plenty of nutmeg.  The rice and the coconut milk make this a creamy, dairy-free soup after blending.  I love to garnish the top with a drizzle of truffle oil or artisanal olive oil.  The consistency above is from a submersion blender.  Those wand blenders are very convenient but don't yield as smooth a result as a Vitamix.  I enjoy the soup both ways.

Pho Fixin's

Have you enjoyed a fresh, steamy bowl of pho? This Thai soup has become a favorite of ours recently as we tend to enjoy "pajama days" on Sundays, or in this case, Labor Day Monday. Delivery meals are perfect for pajama days, but pizza doesn't cross our threshold very much anymore, and Asian restaurants tend to come and go around here for some reason. We have been enjoying a particular local restaurant's pho because the flyer boasts, "We deliver!" Well, as it turns out, not so much. I think the delivery guys don't show up on a regular basis. After a few weekends spent in the car driving to pick up our meal instead of in pajamas, I began to realize I always have some version of the ingredients for this treat here anyway, at least during garden season. Indeed, even the restaurant varies the ingredients based upon what's on hand.  Yes, there's a little prep work, but when you consider the time it takes to shower, dress and drive to and from the restaurant, I believe my pajama-version is more expedient, not to mention more economical and fresh!

In the pantry, I already had rice noodles and organic broth, which I brightened with some fresh lemon and a little tamari. From the crisper I pulled more lemons, spring and white onions and garlic (I toasted the garlic in a little coconut oil). From the garden I got my herbs (no shame in gardening in p.j.'s): purple basil, Italian Parsley and dill. I also found a nice jalapeno pepper in my garden today! Homegrown jalapano bonus: while just as flavorful and spicy as storebought, my homegrowns are slightly milder and are less painful and blinding when I inevitably put my finger in my eye sometime after prepping them. I'm always surprised at how the capzacin of the peppers lasts through several hand-washings. Still -- the homegrown is better!

We each choose our toppings/ingredients. I like a little of everything, topped with a squirt of sriracha. I always have plenty of leftovers which I store separately to retain freshness, but they don't last long.

Since my homegrown vegetables were sunk costs long ago, I'm not even going to count their cost, this late in the season. The rest of my cost today to feed 3 of us breaks down as follows, to the best of my recollection:

• Noodles: $2.50
• Organic Broth: $3.00
• Organic Lemons: $1.50 (I buy them in bulk)
• White onion: $.20 (I only used half an onion)
• Spring onions $.50
• Garlic: $.20

-- for a roughly out-of-pocket $8.00 cost vs. $30.00 at the restaurant. We all enjoyed the homegrown takeout!

Cozy and Green + A Winter Wonderland

We have been shut-ins for a few days now. It is currently a "State of Emergency" in our area since an inch or two of snow and ice fell recently and road treatment programs here in the deep South are limited. I understand there are folks who have suffered with our recent storm -- I know of one house under a downed tree and people have lost power, but the declaration of a "State of Emergency" is mostly about diverting funds.

I enjoy being inside looking at the winter wonderland. Our normally perfectly camouflaged wildlife don't seem to notice that we can easily see them against the contrasting white. Yesterday morning 5 whitetail deer took their time sauntering down the middle of our street, completely unconcerned for their own safety. While I was on the phone with a friend yesterday, through the back window I witnessed a lone coyote meandering across the back edge of our yard and slipping under the fence of the adjacent property on his way to the retention pond where he likely finds his dinner on an ordinary evening. These last few nights there have indeed been more horribly bone-chilling coyote pack killings as their similarly unconcerned prey are spotlighted against the snowy expanse under the light of a full moon. It's an eerie sound. So, with the equilibrium of the circle-of-life temporarily tweaked, I'm happy to be cozily indoors, and also glad to have my own pups out of the spooky fray just beyond our walls. Here's something warm and delicious that I came up with during my shut-in days:

Kale Bisque
2 medium yellow onions roughly chopped-- I used Vidalia
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 bunch of kale, without stems, torn into large pieces
1 cup cooked rice or grain of your choice
2 Tbsp. shoyu
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
purified water as needed
salt and pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste

In a tall stockpot, saute the onions and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the onions and garlic become fragrant, lower heat to low and cook slowly until translucent and slightly caramelized. It's important to take your time with this part of the preparation, since you want a soft, unburned consistency. 

Add the kale and wilt, turning heat up to medium and stirring frequently until the volume of greens has visibly decreased. Add more oil if needed to avoid burning. Stir in the rice and only enough water to just cover the ingredients. I have ruined this soup by adding too much water at this stage, so it's important that the volume of the greens is lower before determining how much water is required. The shoyu, salt, pepper and nutmeg can be added as the pot simmers a few minutes more, softening the kale and grains further. While the kale is soft, but still bright in color, add the almond milk and blend the soup. 

I use an immersion blender in the tall pot since I am not crazy about pouring scalding hot liquids back and forth, but you could also use a standard blender. A Vitamix would yield a smoother result than what my immersion blender produced here, but I liked the immersion blender's results just fine. More water can be added, sparingly, if needed during blending.

Warm the bisque through and adjust seasonings to your liking. A little cooking sherry might be a nice accompaniment, traditional in other bisque recipes as it is, but I opted for a drizzle of high-quality virgin olive oil for my cozy bowlful.

Serves 4

I normally err on the side of under-seasoning, since too much salt ruins most flavors for me, but if you do find you've added too much salt, adding a little more rice and water will fix it.

We did venture out yesterday morning in the jeep, and were even able to help a nice family who were stuck in a ditch. My husband was happy to utilize the winch to pull the car out of the mire. It worked like a charm! Here are a few shots of our adventure:

  I had to laugh at myself as I was viewing my photos later -- as I snapped away, I hadn't even noticed the rear-view mirror!

It's hard to understand what you are seeing here, but I really liked the way this photo came out. The camera was on auto-focus as we were moving on down the road, and it obviously focused on the water droplets upon the plastic jeep window instead of the subject matter beyond. I think it's a serendipitously cool effect!

I hope you enjoy the bisque, and your own cozy, wintry adventures!

Pulp Non-Fiction

My first pulp-waste-not-want-not experiment was a fail -- no, a hazardous debacle. I didn't take a photo (I was disappointed in the result, so -- grouchy), but the jungle photo of Curacao, above, looks pretty much like the bean soup I created yesterday from a couple of day's worth of juicing pulp, a whole box of veggie broth, an onion, some garlic and a can of beans. The soup tasted like a bland granny smith apple, and the texture was awful. But I am getting ahead of myself . . .

My idea was to transform the pulp into a smooth, creamy consistency, so I dug out my HealthMaster blender by Montel Williams that I received two years ago. This machine, able to turn a cinderblock to dust in the infomercial, has provided me with many satisfying soups, dips and smoothies, and I was sure it was up to the task of transforming pulp into soup. I knew I'd need to add plenty of liquid so as not to overtax the motor, so I did. I used the lowest setting for about four minutes as I sauteed the onion and garlic to add later. I began smelling smoke, so I went over to the stove, thinking I was burning the onion, but then realized the HealthMaster WAS ON FIRE! I ran back across the kitchen and pulled the plug as smoke billowed forth, filling my kitchen. My brave husband quickly picked up the smoking machinery and placed it in the middle of our driveway, away from anything flammable.

Defeated, I pulled out my old-as-the-hills food processor (it's at least 25 years old, and missing most of its parts) and attempted to improve the texture of the above mess. My ancient food processor did not burst into flames, so my mood improved a little. I put a bit of the mixture aside in a tupperware for future experimentation and put the rest of it in a pot on the stove. I added some shoyu. I added some liquid smoke. I added some salt. It still tasted exactly like a grainy apple. Finally I gave up on my initial idea and decided to turn it into chili. I added a McCormick's chili packet. It still tasted like a granny smith apple, but worse.  Sorry -- "waste not want not" didn't work this time. The soup went down the drain, to nourish the enzymes in our septic tank. The bit in the tupperware I will attempt to utilize in a tomato spaghetti sauce, but if that is no good I'm going to quit losing good food after bad, and go straight to plan C -- the compost heap.

Truthfully, the only flavorful part of the pulp was the apple. The kale, romaine, celery, even the carrot had lost every bit of flavor with the absence of juices, and likely most of the vitamins and minerals as well. So I don't feel I am wasting after all as much as I initially did.

Heed my cautionary tale, pulp aficionados, lest your HealthMaster also burst into flame.

Strep Throat!

My daughter, Wynne, has a very high tolerance for pain, and for discomfort and discontent in general. As such, when she woke in time for school yesterday telling me, in a gravelly voice, that she had a sore throat, I took her seriously. Rather than sending her to school, or rushing her to the 8:30 a.m. walk-in deadline at our GP's office, I told her to go back to sleep and hoped I could get her an appointment later in the day.

Luckily I was able to get her in right after lunch, which worked out beautifully with her sick-sleep schedule. By the time Wynne got to see the doctor, she was running a fever and was very lethargic. When he inspected her throat, he recoiled in alarm, and then summoned me to see for myself. It was indeed shocking. The tonsils had totally eclipsed the opening and were covered in white sores. Sorry, hope you weren't eating as you read that. Noone was surprised that the strep test came back positive. Two shots were quickly administered -- steroids for the swelling and a big dose of antibiotics to give her a head start. A full 10 day course of antibiotics was also prescribed, albeit in liquid form so it could slide past the gauntlet of her tonsils.

Amazed that our health crisis was so expeditiously addressed (I'm not accustomed to a swift and efficient solution to our health problems because of the year-long migraine battle with my son) I walked Wynne back out to the car to settle her in at home with some soup or ice cream or otherwise inoffensive sustenance. As I fastened my seat belt, I noticed a little tickle in the back of my throat.

"It's psychosomatic," I said to only myself as I remembered my daughter's horrific tonsils. I shook it off with a physical shake of my head and then focused upon my little one for the rest of the evening. Yes, I was more tired than usual. Yes, I went to bed at 8:30 p.m. and slept through to 6:45 a.m. Yes, when I woke I knew that I, too, was sick.

"But it's not strep," I thought to myself.

Nevertheless, feeling a bit alarmist and apologetic for "jumping the gun" I walked in to the GP's office this morning. I explained I was not nearly as sick as Wynne had been yesterday, but was nervous about everyone coming down with the contagious virus, yada, yada, yada. Throat swab -- positive.

So now I am on my back, listening to what my body wants. It is so specific in its cravings during illness. Today it was whole grains and miso. I dissolved a teaspoon of miso in warm, filtered water, then added leftover brown and wild rice, and topped the whole thing off with some arugula and sprouted peas, aduki beans and lentils. Perfect.

I'm pretty positive this combo would not have occurred to me otherwise, but I have recently been reading about macrobiotics, so that influence must have lodged in my sub-conscious until needed.

That's enough for today. Time to go back to my soup-eating, lysol-spraying existence.

Odds-n-Ends, Early Autumn

It's an odd season right now, with temperatures swinging drastically from 80 degrees to the 40's and back again.  This is still in my garden:

Yes, my wonderful gardenia bush that was on its last leg last year is back to robust health, thanks to my tender loving care (it needed an acidic food -- the pH was off). This wonderful plant began blooming in the spring and is still producing these amazing blossoms. The heady, intoxicating fragrance is like nothing else and it always effectively transports me back to Greece in my mind.

So, we have summertime in the yard even amidst drastic cold snaps when I need this:

Mmmm . . . homemade split pea soup! I made a huge vat of it in the slow cooker and put half of it in the freezer for future enjoyment. I used the recipe on the back of the pea bag, except instead of the pound of ham, I used a teaspoon of liquid smoke. It did the trick. I also added my favorite bonus: kale torn into little pieces. All major vegan food groups are represented here, kids. A bowlful is so nourishing and filling, and addictive in flavor. I usually want another bowlful a couple of hours after I have it, and there's no guilt! Yippee! This goes wonderfully with a pair of fuzzy slippers and a blankie.

So, now that you know about the dramatic temperature fluctuations in the deep south this time of the year, in my typically random fashion for "odds-n-ends", I'll share this:

This is just a pile of the peelings from the veggies I ate tonight. As I was cleaning up and chopping the vegetables, I was struck by how pretty vegan garbage is, so I had to take a picture of it.

And here's the finished product! These veggies got a vote of approval from the meat-eater! These really were especially delectable. As per usual, I didn't measure, but I don't really think it matters too much with food like this. It's just a large couple of handfuls of collard greens without their stems, a large handful of sliced cabbage, about half a cup of purple onion, slivered, and half a leek, carefully washed and cut into pieces. I cooked them all quickly on medium high heat in olive oil and a little bit of earth balance, onions and leeks on the bottom of the pan with the greens on top for a minute or so, then I stirred and tossed the veggies like crazy for another minute, then took the whole thing off the heat and set it aside, covered, while I prepped the other food. It was perfectly cooked -- tender but still bright and fresh.

The other food, in this case, was chicken for the man, and vegan mashed potatoes for all of us. I just boiled and drained four peeled potatoes, and mashed them with vegan butter, sour cream and cream cheese, about a tablespoon of each. Diet food, this ain't. I loved this dinner. I got my protein at lunch with the pea soup. Happy early autumn to you! 

To Me, This is Beautiful

Not many of my non-virtual friends are vegan. As such, I know a few readers will judge this plateful to be unappealing. But they don't know what we know, vegans, do they?

Here's what I know:

Wild and brown rice is nutty, creamy and filling. It doesn't leave one feeling overfed, and it doesn't hang around the system. It leaves me feeling light and nourished. I make it in large quantities and use it many different ways over the course of a couple of days.

Kale, steamed or raw, is what I crave every hour of the day. With my unaddled (sugar-free) tastebuds, I can actually taste the iron and the vitamins. This concept may sound disgusting to a non-vegan, but the flavors of nutrients are delectable to me. Kale clears my head and calms my nerves, at least for a little while. I try to eat some before I have anything else each day. Those days are the best. I wish kale was sold in larger bunches. I'm noticing lately the supply of kale is slim, even in the better stores. I can usually only choose from two old, wilted bunches. My belief is that folks, vegans and omnivores alike, are learning the benefits of kale, and the buyers at the stores haven't yet caught on to the trend. The supply should pick up soon, I hope. Kale is a cool-weather crop.

Dahl, an Indian lentil concoction, seems like meditation. I swear I'm always feeling slightly holy and enlightened when I treat myself to this delicious dish. I associate the subtle curry flavor and texture with recharging, with becoming centered and grounded. It is easy to visualize the turmeric and other warming spices neutralizing any oxidized cells that could otherwise morph into cancers. I found a great way to enjoy dahl lazily, so I can have it more often. I buy Amy's canned lentil dahl soup, and jazz it up with more turmeric and a little filtered water. This way I can get two meals from one can, especially when I eat it along with other yummy accoutrements like this rice and kale.

I'm cognizant of the fact that most of these are acquired tastes, but I'm so happy I've acquired them! Once one understands the nutritional processes of a food, the way it makes you feel is as big a contributor to its deliciousness as the flavor. That being said, the flavors, alone, in this bowl are enough to keep it in my list of favorites. I think it's beautiful!

Odds-n-Ends, Food I've Been Eating

In my typically random "odds-n-ends" fashion, here's a bit of what I've been enjoying. Above is carrot, daikon and winter squash (I know, it's out of season!) from Christina Pirello's This Crazy Vegan Life. This stew is actually very bright in flavor, like sunshine. It is finished with fresh lemon juice and Italian parsley. It's light, yet sustaining, good hot or cold.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, before . . .

 . . . and after. Olive oil, salt, pepper and a tangle of fresh thyme and oregano from my herb patch (Buster hasn't yet figured how to climb into that pot, which is up off the ground, so the herbs are living the good life, unmolested!) I loved the crunchy brown parts on these sprouts. The bowl is one of the few surviving pieces I have left from my grandma Eula's everyday collection. The blue-and-white inspired me to fill in with more of the same color scheme for my own everyday. I also have her full set of fine china, but we rarely use it since we are such a rough and tumble bunch.

Collard greens sauteed with a bit of red onion, chick peas and GOBS of garlic (at least 10 cloves!) I encourage all you vegans out there to try going overboard with garlic. You'll love it! This was a full meal on its own, and I munched it for days.

Here's a shot of the above two featured dishes, along with a baked sweet potato. We've recently added a roof to our patio, which allowed me to move some furniture around and unclutter the screened porch. I've set up a small dining table out there. This was our first alfresco meal. My eyes were bigger than my stomach. I had to save a lot of this plateful, but none of it got wasted.

Homemade miso soup with daikon, onion, cabbage and tofu. This was a big batch, and I enjoyed the leftovers for several breakfasts. Having miso soup in the morning sets the tone for the day. The soup imparts a grounded, centered energy. If you ever find yourself with leftover miso soup, remember not to bring it to a boil when reheating it. Boiling kills the beneficial enzymes.

Here's a plateful of polenta with broccoli rabe, roasted peppers, onion and garlic. I LOVE broccoli rabe, also known as broccoli rape (!) and rapini. The checkout clerk tried to charge me for broccolini, another veggie which is actually a genetically modified hybrid. Broccoli rabe is more bitter than broccolini. Personally, I prefer the bitter note of this delicious vegetable. It tastes as if I've gleaned it from a meadow in Tuscany. Not only is broccolini of a less pure origin than broccoli rabe, it is also more expensive! I enjoyed the polenta for the corn that it is, but the omnivores found it to be bland to their sugar-addled taste buds.

This says summer to me -- just a homegrown tomato, veganaise, salt and pepper on good, crusty bread. This will likely be the last tomato sandwich from my garden this year. Buster easily climbs the thick stems of the heirloom vines now, and he takes the tomatoes before they have a chance to ripen. At least I still get all the grape tomatoes I want. those stems are too flimsy to hold buster's weight. I'll be buying the occasional heirloom tomato at $4.99/lb. so that I can continue to savor this late summer treat.

Stay tuned for a feature on Buster's least favorite vegetable -- the aubergine (eggplant). Aubergine is a lot more fun to say than eggplant, porridge is better than oatmeal, and polenta is better than cornmeal mush. Do you have a favorite gastronomical delight that can be elevated with loftier nomenclature? If you do, play along and share. I love expanding my vocabulary!

Scraping the Bottom of the Barrel

You all know me -- I believe that, as a vegan, I should never find myself in a state of want. In other words, I believe the lifestyle is a gift to myself and never want or expect to feel deprived. Nevertheless, a busy life sometimes does not afford the planning and organization needed to be fully stocked.

Though our family is just about out of the woods with my son's health crisis, we are still not back to a normal routine, spending a lot of time even now in doctors' offices. So I'm not shopping very often. I have availed myself of vegan frozen convenience foods on several occasions recently, and, while I am grateful for the wholesomeness and convenience, I crave my own basic creations.

Today I opened one more box of convenience, a vegan soup by Pacific: Thai Sweet Potato, but also created my own wrap from what I could manage to glean from my larder.

These two turned out to be an odd combination. I was not expecting much from my multigrain wrap of hummus, arugula, brown rice, sesame seeds and pickles, but is was surprisingly delicious, and rendered the little soup bland and flavorless. Thai soup, bland and flavorless? Yes, unfortunately, when compared to the rockin' flavor of the Wickles Pickles I piled into the wrap. I'm not convinced Wickles are vegan, but the ingredients list looks okay. They are very sweet and VERY spicy -- an addictive combo. I guess they would make anything taste good.

I finished the lackluster soup for its nutritional benefits, and savored the remainder of my odd pickle-loaded wrap. I promise I will be more creative tomorrow!

Backwards Barley, Pea and Lentil Soup

We're in the thick of the Christmas planning season here, kids, and there doesn't seem to be much time to come up for air. Because we have been beset with illness this month, we got a late start, but truthfully I never really feel prepared or organized anyway this time of year and something invariably falls through the cracks, but when all is said and done, every year we have fond memories of the season and whatever fell through gets forgotten. This is the perspective of a mid-lifer. I understand that, while I may have lofty aspirations, none of it matters as much as good health and peace of mind.

I was craving homemade soup yesterday, and I wanted to try several protein sources in the same soup. Christmas shopping ran late for me, and by the time I made it back home everyone was hungry. So I made the soup "backwards" putting the longest-cooking parts in first, and then prepping the veggies while the barley and legumes were getting a headstart. Here's the recipe:

Backwards Barley, Pea and Lentil Soup
7 c. broth or water with bouillon cubes
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. yellow split peas
1/2 c. pearl barley
1/2 c. green lentils
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 c. chopped fresh spinach
1/4 c. sherry


Bring broth, peas, barley and olive oil to a boil, then reduce heat to a rapid simmer and cover. Cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prep other ingredients (and clean up the kitchen from breakfast and lunch if you are me during this time of year -- put in a load of laundry too!) After 10 minutes, add lentils and vegetables except spinach, stir and turn heat back up to high to bring it back to a rapid simmer. Once the simmer is re-achieved, lower heat, cover and cook an additional 30 minutes. Finish soup by stirring in spinach and sherry. Add salt and pepper to taste.


Last night I found the soup to be a little salty for my taste, since I am very sensitive to salt these days, but my husband said it was perfect. I may add one less bouillon cube next time. I had used 3 bouillon cubes for 7 cups of water. But today for lunch, once the broth had been fully absorbed by the barley, the salt level was just right for me. I really loved my bowlful on this grey day, with crusty eziekiel "buttered" toast torn into pieces and dunked into the healthy soup. Mmmm!

I'm now fortified to deck my halls with boughs of holly, and prep our downstairs pub for a Christmas party tomorrow. Stay tuned for photos from the event!

Amazing Parsnip Soup!

Have you ever eaten parsnips? I guess vegans are more likely to have tried them than most others. I had tried them before I was vegan, at one of our favorite restaurants. I was surprised at how creamy, sweet and buttery they were, so I figured the chef must have just used a lot of cream and butter. So imagine my delight when, fixing them myself, I found this to not necessarily be true. The parsnips are just as creamy and buttery without any cream or butter at all -- not even vegan butter! The lowly parsnip's bleached-out-carrot appearance belies the luxurious flavor and texture within.

I found a very delicious, easy recipe for Parsnip and Almond Soup on a blog/website I enjoy reading called "Of the Kitten Kind" (http://www.ofthekittenkind.com). The recipe is in author Sally's archives under the title, "Days Like These . . . Parsnip and Almond Soup".  I find all of Sally's recipes to be simple and inventive and I love her photos. Plus, I really enjoy stretching my cultural boundaries and knowledge. Sally lives in Australia and uses words like "beetroot" and "capsicum". I get a little thrill when I make the effort to do a tad of research to solve mysteries such as these.

Back to the parsnips:  This soup is seriously amazing -- you must try it! Subtly sweet, savoury and buttery, the texture is positively silky, thick and rich. Sally describes it best with one word -- "lush". I had to close my eyes and let each mouthful linger, not wanting the luxurious experience to end. I know I sound a bit over the top here. Try the soup yourself and then judge. You'll get it.  Thanks Sally!

Healing My "Little" Boy

I believe this is the best miso soup I have ever made. Necessity being the mother of invention, I invented this soup out of necessity this morning. Miso soup is just about the only healthy food my 16 year old son eats (more on that later) and it seems to be the only calming, soothing thing for him when he suffers from migraines,  which has unfortunately turned out to be far too often lately. Hans missed school on Thursday due to a migraine and began suffering from his next one on Sunday morning. He has not recovered from Sunday's headache even now, two days later! I am doing everything I can for him, another primary care appointment, meds adjusted, neurologist referral, e-mails to teachers, a nice quiet, dark room for him to sleep around the clock for days on end. Clearly, as you can see, being a stay-at-home mom this late in the game has its advantages.

Hans' favorite brand of instant miso soup was not available the last time I shopped, so I bought another brand which he did not care for (yes, he prefers instant -- the simpler the better -- he's that kind of kid) so this morning when I optimistically woke him for school to find that he was still in misery, I had to scramble to come up with a reasonable facsimile for the soup he loves.  I did all this in a major hurry, as I was also readying my daughter to meet her bus, so I didn't measure, but here's what the soup contained:

Healing Miso Soup
a couple of cups of organic veggie broth
silken firm tofu, about an inch sliced off the end, then diced small
nori, snipped with kitchen shears, about a tsp.
1 scallion, sliced thin
a small handful of fresh baby spinach, stems removed and sliced into slivers
mild light miso paste, about a Tbsp.


I warmed the broth, tofu, and nori over medium heat for a few minutes. When the broth was almost hot, I removed a small amount to a pyrex bowl, where I mixed the miso in thoroughly. I then added the miso mixture back in, along with the scallion and spinach and let warm for a minute or two. Then I took the soup off the heat, so as not to kill the beneficial enzymes.


Hans had not much of an appetite, but managed to finish a bowlful, which instantly imparted a calm sleepiness instead of the phrenetic misery he had been enduring. He is upstairs sleeping now.

Hans with two of his aunts, Liana and Sabrina, on our summer visit to see them in Miami Beach

 Look at the sweet boy with my wonderful sisters-in-law -- all great kids, they are more like cousins than aunts and nephew. As a mom, I am here to tell you that worrying about the kids is a life sentence. They are so dear to me and if something is not quite right with them I can think of nothing else. I am working on three hours of sleep currently.

Now for the guilt part :  I was a very immature 28 year old when Hans was born, and besides a year of breastmilk, was not too careful about what I fed him. He was a very picky eater, for good reason, with multiple food allergies, and I was frankly happy to get any food into him at all. I still am, to a point.  Towering 4 inches over me, he only weighs the same as his little ole' vegan mom! But now that I am more aware of nutrition, I can guess that the sugar, white flour and dairy that make up most of Hans' diet are not doing him any favors when combined with a genetic predisposition for migraines.

So now my next challenge as a mom is becoming more clear -- I need to create close vegan replicas for most of Hans' favorite foods!  I have already managed this with the miso soup, but what will I do about the Frosted Flakes? Any suggestions any of you have would be most appreciated. The simpler, the better.  The kid doesn't even like breadcrumbs on his mac and cheese!

Thanks for indulging me today. Putting it all down in blog form does help.

"It tastes European"

Still trying to establish a new normal routine now that the kids are home full-time, I am obviously blogging (temporarily) less frequently. My point-and-shoot camera has gone on more than one sleepover since I last used it, "But Mom, it's the only camera I know how to share photos from on Facebook!" So I have missed a few beautiful photos of delicious meals we have eaten.

I would like to make note of one soup I made which was a big hit with the meat-eater:  Tomato and Vegetable Soup with Sweet Pearl Barley, from Little House of Veggies (http://littlehouseofveggies.blogspot.com).  Morgan, the chef, has a lovely photo, along with the recipe for her creation.  Check it out.

As I tend to do, I followed the recipe according to what I had on hand.  I knew I didn't need to make an enormous pot of soup, since I didn't think I would have any other takers.  So the smaller can of tomatoes I had seemed fine as long as I used enough liquid to plump the barley.  Also I didn't have asparagus or zucchini, and I was out of garbanzos, so used cannelini beans instead.

The kids were having pasta with red sauce and a salad, and my husband was having a slab of barbeque chicken (eww!) I have tried serving him soups for dinner before, and he has some funky idea that soup is for lunch, and meat is for dinner, so I didn't bother sharing with him what I was doing for myself.  Imagine my surprise when he noticed, and said, "I wouldn't mind having a cup of that soup,"

From the first spoonful, my husband deemed the veggie soup delicious, and added, "It tastes European -- like something from my childhood in Germany,"

This is a high endorsement, as my husband takes great pride in his rich heritage:  long story, but he was born in Nicaragua to a Nicaraguan father and East German mother, ("not a combination either of them would recommend," he jokes).  He has warm memories from both countries and cultures, and this soup was reminiscent of his time in the Eastern block.

The flavor of the soup is at once fresh, bright, mild and comforting.  The texture of the barley is lovely.  As the soup sits in the refrigerator, it changes to more of a side-dish of grains in sauce, studded with veggie gems.  The barley continues to absorb the liquid, so that each grain is infused with the delicious flavor.  It's like this one recipe makes two different dishes.  If you want it to remain a soup, you could add more water or broth on the second day, of course, but I decided to just go with the dish's natural evolution.  This recipe's a keeper!

I regret sending this post out without an illustration, but didn't want to miss endorsing Morgan's soup.  Once my daughter wakes up I'll get the camera -- mom's turn!