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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 2017)
10 in other words september21 2017 An Unusual Culinary Column: Vegan and Delicious By Karen Kain I am really excited to share a few vegan recipes this month that are shockingly deli- cious! I am one of the biggest critics when it comes to vegan food. In the past I have tried a few dishes that have made it hard for me to even consider going vegan. I have also tried some super fabulous meals that seemed too complex to make at home. Times are changing and there are some pretty tasty veg- an recipes being passed around that are easy to make. These shares are all made with raw cashews. I have made the first one twice and happily eaten the leftovers for days. I cannot say enough about this recipe; it is easy to make and filling so you only want a small amount. You can make it gluten free by using gluten free pasta. I think this recipe would be a big hit with both vegans and carnivores. My second share is another surprisingly fabulous dish. I am a huge fan of the que- sadilla. Some might say I have a bit of an addiction to eating entirely too many quesadillas. I have been known to eat one for breakfast, lunch, as a snack, and for dinner. I know the cheese is bad for me, but it is such an easy meal to prepare and very satisfying. Before I attempted to make this recipe I had two big concerns; a bad cheese re- placement being the first, and how will this concoction reheat the next day? I didn’t want to make a batch of fake cheese us- ing cashews only to throw out the leftovers. Cashews, as you probably already know, are a bit pricey. I was actually impressed with the outcome. The cheese sauce has a nice gooey texture, and in my opinion, makes a great cheese replacement. I stored the cheese sauce and chipotle cream separately, in sealed containers, and they both reheated perfectly the next day. I think this may be a gateway for many other food adventures. I also threw in a Ca- shew Mayonnaise recipe for you to try. Changing your diet is hard and finding replacements for some of your favorite foods can be a big help. I suggest baby steps. Altering the way you eat for just a few days of the week is a great way to start. After cooking with ca- shews, and having such great end results, I wanted to learn more about their nutritional val- ue. I know how fattening nuts are and wondered how good eating so many in my diet is? I did a little digging and found some encouraging information. Cashew trees actually grow in Brazil. The trees are tropical evergreens. The nut grows inside a seed that grows inside the pod called cashew apple. Portuguese colonists ex- ported cashews as early as the 1550s. Today cashews have become the new rage in ani- mal protein replacement with a plethora of vegan recipes avail- able. We all know that the nuts are tasty but the shells are also used in many applications. Cashew shells are used to make lubricants, waterproofing, and paints. During World War II, the shells were used in making arms productions. The cashew apple is a yellow fruit. The pulp makes a sweet drink which can also be used to make distilled liquor. Cashews contain 553 calories in a 100-gram serving with 67% of the total daily val- ue of fat. Cashews have 36% in daily value of protein, 13% di- etary fiber and 11% carbs. They are rich in manganese, phos- Marie Krahn Massage Therapy phorus, magnesium, thiamin, vitamin B6 and K. It is impor- tant to know that 5% of people suffer from cashew allergies. Another interesting fact is that cashews have been used to treat diarrhea. My question still re- mains, “With all that fat con- tent how can eating cashews be good for you?” There is much research written which encour- ages eating more nuts in your diet. It has also been said that eating two servings of nuts a day can actually lower your risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. When you replace eating animal fat with nut fat it helps to reduce the bad cholesterol intake. Eating cashews is an excellent way to watch your weight and reduce the fat build up in the heart. Because cashews are mostly monounsaturated and polyun- saturated fats they help with vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant and aid in healthy cell growth. Cashews also con- tain both copper and iron, and they actually work together to utilize red blood cells, keeping the vessels, nerves and immune system functioning. I am certainly not sug- gesting that you eat buckets of cashews but I am very excited to have discovered a delicious cheese replacement that allows me to enjoy some of my favor- ite dishes without the worry of my cholesterol levels. I strongly encourage all of you who are skeptical to give these recipes a try. MIKE PIHL LOGGING CO., INC Delicious Vegan Rigatoni Ingredients: • 1 Cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked overnight • 1 Vegetable broth cube diluted in ½ cup hot water • 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice • Dash of hot pepper flakes • 2 Tablespoons olive oil • 5 Cloves garlic, minced • 4 Cups baby spinach • ¾ Cup sundried tomatoes soaked in oil • 1 / 3 Cup white wine • 1 Box rigatoni • Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Cook the pasta per the pack- age directions. While you are bringing the water to a boil, add the drained cashews, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast and lemon juice to a blender. Blend on high until you get a nice and smooth texture, scraping down the sides as needed. This may take a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Once the water starts to boil, cook the pasta al dente, drain and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet to medium high. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute. Add the spinach and sun dried tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted and the sun dried tomatoes are soft. Add the wine and simmer for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat as needed. Add in the cashew cream sauce and stir until it is fully combined. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Turn the heat off and add the rigatoni to the skillet. Toss the pasta in the sauce and coat completely. Vegan Quesadillas Ingredients: • 8 Medium tortillas Chipotle Cream • ½ Cup soaked cashews • ¾ Cup salsa • ¼ Teaspoon chili powder • ¼ Teaspoon salt Cheese Sauce • ½ Cup raw cashews • ¼ Cup tapioca flour, or tapioca starch • 1 Teaspoon lemon juice • 1¼ Cup water • 1½ Teaspoons nutritional yeast • ¾ Teaspoon sea salt • ½ Teaspoon garlic powder • ½ Teaspoon white pepper Directions: Chipotle - Make the chipotle cream by soaking the cashews in water over night. Drain, and then put all the ingredients into a blend- er and puree. This might take a few minutes; you want a nice creamy texture. For the Cheese - Soak the cashews in water overnight. Drain the water and put the cashews, tapioca flour, lemon juice, 1¼ cup water, nu- tritional yeast, salt, garlic pow- der and pepper into a blender and puree until you get a nice creamy texture, this took me a few minutes. Put the cashew mixture into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. A gooey cheese ball will form. To Make the Quesadillas - Make the quesadillas by us- ing a tortilla maker or a skillet on medium high heat. Putting a layer of cheese sauce on one side of the tortilla and the chi- potle cream on one side of the second tortilla. Put the tortillas together, cook in the skillet for almost a minute on each side. The quesadilla is done when the tortilla is browned on both sides and the middle is heated through. Cut into quarters and serve with salsa Cashew Mayonnaise Ingredients: • ¾ Cup raw cashews, soaked overnight then drained • ¼ Cup avocado oil or flax oil • ¼ Cup water • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice • 2 Teaspoons apple cider vinegar • ½ Teaspoon salt • ½ Teaspoon mustard powder • ½ Fresh garlic clove, minced or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder Directions: Blend in a blender until creamy and serve! Free Estimates Specializing in Private Timber Auto injury recovery/medical billing • Accepting: Medical Benefits Cards • Medical Massage Cupping • Swedish Massage • Reiki • Deep Tissue • Reflexology • doTerra Aroma Touch • Trigger Point Therapy • Myofacial Release 503-429-5180 lic#5495 mariekrahn@frontier.com 503-429-1470 cell 503.789.1268 fax 503.429.0252 Owned and Operated by Don & Kim Wallace mplogging@frontier.com 1984 mist drive, po box 321 vernonia, or 97064 DON WALLACE, PLS Professional Land Surveying 1224 E. Alder St. Vernonia, OR 97064 Phone: 503-429-6115 FAX: 1-866-297-1402 Email: DWallace_KLS@msn.com CORPORATE MEMBER
