Seven Days of Thriving

I've recently read the Thrive Diet by Brandan Brazier, a book about eating pattern of a vegan Ironman triathlete. He promotes highly alkaline and alkaline-forming diet and the concept of net-gain (the energy obtained from food VS the energy expended during digestion process). Even if one is not interested in veganism this book is definitely worth reading. The second half of the book is a 12-week meal plan, in case you actually decide to try it, and specific recipes. Ranging from the instructional material on sprouting beans and quinoa, to making energy bars and smoothies (with sprouted quinoa in them, yes. Well, in some of them) it gives plenty of room for experimentation.

So far I've discovered that...
...ginger in smoothies taste like arse (I love it in all other forms... ginger, not arse. Also no idea how the latter tastes, so will assume like ginger in smoothies), but lettuce blends into them just fine.
...during sprouting things quadruple in volume; a 2-litre jar of sprouts is the evidence.
...sprouted white navy beans can cause indigestion (tested on two people - myself and a co-worker). The word in town is that adzuki beans are the way to go.
...in the face-off between the mix blueberry energy bars and the food processor bit of the immersion blender the bars win (my roommate is going to be mad, it was her blender). Truth to say the blender is fine, but the food processor container is kaput.
...sprouted quinoa is the bomb, just rinse well before eating it.

I'm happily eating yoghurt amidst this whole sprouting madness, since I'm not in a rush to go vegan (been there, done that). However shedding eggs and milk was not a problem, Thrive provides readily available alternatives.

So far I've lost 5lbs, which I'm rather unhappy about - my 5'9" x 145lbs constitution is not exactly where I want to be (I'm a very physically active guy, so building muscle mass is my current quest). However as long as my strength-to-weight ration improves I call it a win. That the Spartan Race on June 10th will show; but that is another story entirely...

Saint Squash

Another imported recipe. By the will of fates I ended up with a bunch of swiss chard and a squash, in need for quick-and-easy. The original recipes are modified according to what was at hand, and thus the report is on the modifications, with links to originals:

Garlicky Baked Butternut Squash

- 1 medium size squash, cut into 1" cubes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 large garlic cloves
- thyme

The works:
- peel and cube squash (by far the hardest step, unless I just haven't nailed the peeling technique yet)
- place in a large bowl, add everything else, toss to coat
- place on a rimmed baking sheet and roast at 400F stirring occasionally, until desired tenderness. The time varies from oven to oven, but something around 20-25 minutes.


Colcannon
Whatever that means, it's tasty.

- 4 cups potatoes cut into 1" cubes
- 4 cups swiss chard
- 3 large garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp almond milk
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 shallots (what are they called, arrows, shoots?)
- thyme, salt, pepper

The works:
- boil potatoes until they can be pierced with a fork, but not falling apart, drain
- heat oil on medium heat in a large pot, add garlic, soy sauce and swiss chard and cook until chard wilts
- add drained potatoes and mash them
- add everything else and mix well

Resulting dish, with an à côté of the above-mentioned roasted squash, canned pinto beans in tomato sauce and sour cream (I'm not vegan, I'm allowed ;p):

Also there was an entrée of roasted asparagus with balsamic vinegar, but I ate it prior to remembering to take pictures, but here's the recipe:

- bunch of asparagus, with stems broken in half (use the upper part)
- olive oil
- balsamic vinegar

The works:
- place asparagus on a rimmed baking sheet
- sprinkle with olive oil to coat more or less evenly
- roast at 400F for about 20 minutes tossing occasionally (the stems should be lightly browned)
- put on a plate and put a dash of balsamic vinegar on it

Where Wild Things Are Cooked

Today's recipe is a share, a result of a little research for something else than hummus to do with chickpeas; the finding is too good and easy to keep to myself, despite being slightly overcooked:

My only addition was the lemon juice sprinkled on the chickpeas right before eating.

I had to improvise with spices, since I didn't have sambar powder and cumin seeds. Therefore my version had
- ground cumin
- chili powder
- cajun spice
- salt and pepper
Ok, it probably tastes nothing like the original, but nonetheless good. Go come up with your own mix!

The other recipe today is an improvised mushroom sauce to top the rice and veggies.

The mushrooms here are honey agaric, hand picked and home dried (disclaimer: if you never picked mushrooms, don't try going to a nearby forest and harvesting - you can get poisoned and die, or get high, or bears will eat you, etc., so stay safe!) This recipe will probably work with any other mushroom just as well, although using dry mushrooms has an indisputable bonus - they need to be pre-soaked, which means you are producing 4 cups of excellent mushroom broth as a by-product. I used 3 cups to cook the rice in, and the remaining cup for the sauce (albeit the sauce could have taken 3 cups at least, the version below).

Wild Mushroom Sauce:
- 2 cups dry mushrooms, rehydrated (soaked for a couple of hours)
- 1 medium onion, sliced into 1/2" pieces
- 3 cups broth or water
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium carrot
- 5-6 cloves, thyme, salt, pepper, khmeli-suneli (good luck finding that mix, but oh so worth it!)
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- preheat olive oil in a large pan on medium heat
- saute onions and mushrooms until the former is soft and translucent
- transfer onions and mushrooms out of the pan, and make a roux: heat another 1 or 2 tbsp of olive oil, add flour until thick paste forms, cook while stirring frequently for a minute or two)
- add broth, by 1/2 cup portions, mixing and making sure there is no clumps of flour
- add mushrooms, onions, carrot, garlic and spices, cook uncovered until the sauce reduced to the desired thickness, about 15 minutes. If it's too thick, add water as needed.

TNT (Timewarp North Toast)

My apartment reminds of a movie set - no two rooms look alike, they belong to different eras and places. As far as food-related spaces are concerned, the kitchen inevitably makes one think of Spain or Italy, of the photos of it in the middle of a Mediterranean cookbook my parents have. Mid-February snowbank in the courtyard undermines that daydream; but when warm wind is shuffling the curtains, some tapas and olive oil make you lose your space-time connection:

- 4 pieces of baguette toast (better yet parisien, it's wider)

- shallots, cut into circles

- 1-2 small tomatoes (Italian tomatoes are fine too), cut in half

- 1 garlic clove, peeled, cut in half

- cheese!

- olive oil (good quality, preferably unfiltered; the more taste - the better)

- FRESH basil leaves, minced

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- toast the bread

- rub the toasts with first garlic, then tomato

- place cheese on top, sprinkle with shallots and basil

- pour a couple of drops of olive oil on top

Ad tuberosum tempore

The beauty of this recipe is timing. It takes about 40 minutes in the oven, thus allowing for other preparations and synchronizing the arrival of all the components of the meal onto the plate.

Potatoes:
- 3 large potatoes, cut into 1/4" half-circles
- 1 1/2 cup water and 1/2 a bullion cube OR 1 1/2 cup broth
- thyme and cumin
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup salsa verde (spicy stuff, adjust amount accordingly)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon)
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- place potatoes into an oven-safe dish
- sprinkle with thyme, be generous - all pieces should have some
- mix broth, garlic, cumin, salsa and lemon juice together in a cup, then pour onto potatoes
- cover the dish with foil
- bake at 375F until potatoes are soft

Easy stuff, eh? I suggest serving it with shallots, sour cream or fresh cheese. Now, if you feel that dinner is not complete without some protein and greenery, here's a quick-and-easy trio:

Broccoli is just steamed, nothing special there. Some soy sauce or balsamic vinegar would have made it more festive, but this time I didn't bother. Tofu and mushrooms are stir-fried, with an Asian twist:

- 1 lbs tofu, cubed into 1/2" pieces
- 1 medium onion, diced also into 1/2"
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ginger, I'd say 1" cubic (it's a guess, just put as much as you want), minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil (strong tasting, use with caution)
===================================
- heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat
- start frying the tofu, occasionally stirring
- when tofu is golden on most sides, add onion and keep stir-frying until they are translucent
- add ginger, garlic and sesame oil, fry stirring often for 2 minutes
- add mushrooms, cover and cook until the desired tenderness is achieved

Judas Mashed Potatoes

Something to betray the commensals for; or at least to impress the shit out of them. For full effect these must be served hot and fresh; the leftovers are nonetheless delicious and by no means should go to waste. Some recipes call for a specific type of potatoes, but since 90 percent of my cooking is low budget the only type of potatoes I use are the discount, or just the cheapest ones. As usual, adjust the quantities according to what you like.

Ingredients:
- 2-3 lbs potatoes, peeled, cubed
- one large red onion, chopped and caramelized (on medium heat, in olive oil, yes)
- 1/2 can of coconut milk
- cardamom, ground
- cloves, ground
- black pepper, FRESHLY GROUND
- Jamaican pepper (aka all-spice), ground
- salt

Making:
- boil potatoes until soft, but not falling apart of their own free will (cubing will speed up the process)
- drain the water and mash the potatoes
- add 1/4 can coconut milk and spices, mix
- add coconut milk as needed

My eastern European background requires any potatoes to be accompanied by sour cream, but that is entirely subjective.

Zen GG Tofu

Oh yes, I just dropped the t-word! You may be slightly offended or feel a bit cliche, but here's something that doesn't make fake meat, something real veg-tasty. The first principle of tofuism states that tofu is akin blank paper, thus takes on the taste of whatever it is marinated in. Zen suggests the balance of the four flavors, and GG stands for...

Garlic and Ginger Tofu

Ingredients:
1 lb x-firm tofu, cut into 1/2" strips
2-3 garlic cloves (depends on size), peeled, minced
2" piece of fresh ginger, peeled, minced
1/3 cup oil (olive/peanut)
1-2 tbsp soy sauce
10 drops liquid smoke
1-2 tbsp mustard
1-2 tsp honey or agave
1/6 cup vinegar (apple cider or rice)
freshly ground pepper
few drops of sesame oil (use with care - overwhelmingly strong taste)
few drops of red chili oil (optional, use with care - very spicy) or chili flakes

Process:
- place tofu, ginger and garlic into an oven-safe dish, mix
- mix the rest of the ingredients together, pour over the tofu
- marinate as little at 30 min to as long as 24h, turning and tossing occasionally
- bake at 425F for about 20 minutes, until tofu is golden

Notes:
- the composition of the marinade is not exact, so adjust to taste
- you can marinate in a ziplock bag instead of a dish; if you squeeze out all the air, there will be no need to turn the tofu
- adding onions during marination is nice as well, just remove them before baking and caramelize on medium heat, or use them for salad