Change to Vegan

I make this soup almost weekly.  We are having our winter here, in the mountains of Costa Rica.  Soup is a welcome lunch, dinner or breakfast.

This soup is easy.  First I put 2 cups of brown rice in my rice steamer and start cooking it.  Then I chop and saute on package of white button mushrooms and a package of crimini mushrooms.  Crimini mushrooms are baby portobello mushrooms, so you can use those, but chop small pieces.  I saute the mushrooms in a  pan adding no oil.  As the mushrooms start to get soupy, I add chopped shallots or green onions.  I then add spinach leaves, two boxes of mushroom broth (I use Pacific Foods mushroom broth – good and organic), 1/4 cup of Braggs Luquid Amino Acids, 4 garlic cloves chopped, fresh cracked pepper, 3 tablespoons of nutritional yeast.  I let this simmer.  When the rice is cooked, I turn off the heat under the soup and add the brown rice.  I then add a dollop of miso broth and stir to dissolve.  Serve and enjoy.  It is divine!

Food Rules If you have not already read this short, concise, easy to read book, you should.  It is a perfect book of rules for eating.  It is simple and complete.

http://michaelpollan.com/books/food-rules/

Tempeh is a wonderful meal.  Last night we had barbecued tempeh over basamati rice topped with guacamole.  Erich makes a spicy homemade barbecue sauce, to avoid corn syrup which seems to be in everything.  Basamati rice is my favorite… so much better than conventional rice and available in white and brown.  Avocado is a wonderful addition to any meal – nutritious and delicious.  Tempeh is full of nutrients:

Tempeh is a complete protein food that contains all the essential amino acids. The soy protein and isoflavones have many health benefits. Isoflavones strengthen bones, help to ease menopause symptoms, reduce risk of coronary hearth disease and some cancers. Tempeh maintains all the fiber of the beans and gains some digestive benefits from the enzymes created during the fermentation process.  Tempeh is an excellent meat substitute and can be served many ways.

Beet root juice has been found to lower blood pressure.  This is fantastic news, as people currently taking drugs to lower their blood pressure may get off of them if they eat beets or drink beet juice instead.  Having cardiovascular disease myself, I am now eating beets regularly to control my blood pressure.  My favorite way to eat them is to marinate shredded beets in fresh squeezed lime juice (lots), a dash of Braggs Liquid Amino Acids and a splash of raw apple cider vinegar.  I let the marinate for a few hours and then eat a heaping serving with chopped, peeled cucumber.  Yummy and good for me!

One of my favorite dishes to cook these days is Pad Thai Noodles.  These noodles are so versatile and delicious, no matter how I prepare them.  They are also wonderful left over, as they maintain their consistency.

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I just returned from a trip to the US.  One of the things that struck me the most was how wasteful so many of the people are.  I am not saying that people do not waste in Costa Rica, but it is so much less here.  Nothing that has any practical use is every thrown out by Costa Ricans.  Foreigners who live here typically become much more conscious of waste, if they stay any length of time.

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We moved 4 weeks ago, but the house needs major work.  It will be about 6 to 8 weeks before all is ready.  We have two kitchens and lots of space to relax and enjoy the beautiful mountains of Costa Rica, where the air is always cool and fresh.  We will have vegan/vegetarian cooking classes, a B&B for healthy foodies, and we will be producing and selling some vegan food products locally.

We are currently painting, changing tile, re-doing plumbing and electrical, remodeling bathrooms, building a salt water sanitizer pool.  We are cooking up some vegan delights and will post some new recipes here soon.  We did not have internet for the first few weeks here.

Our place is called Casa Metta – house of loving kindness.  It is set on an almost 3 acre sight with amazing views – even an ocean view on really clear days.  It will be a healthy, relaxing retreat with space for up to 4-6 guests, once all is completed.  We are loving our new lives and our new challenges.  We look forward to sharing fantastic vegan foods with others, in our new locale.

I am in the process of selling my lodging establishment in Costa Rica and moving to the mountains of Costa Rica. This has been an overwhelming process. We have located a new home and are moving through this, but it has taken much time and energy.

Once we are settled, in May, I will be offering vegan cooking classes. We will also be creating and selling vegan gourmet food products. And, I hope to make a vegan / vegetarian guide to Costa Rica. Still busy, working towards excellent health, energy and a healthy planet.

I am vegan and gluten free.  And, I live on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica where the products you can find in other countries do not exist.  So, I have no bread or crackers that I can eat available here.  I have to make my own.  I just made a 5 seed fry bread that is tasty, healthy and filling.

I mixed together the ingredients and cooked large spoonfuls on a pan sprayed with non-stick spray, over low to medium head.  10 minutes each side, press down with spatula when you flip, and back over if not quite done.

Vegan Gluten Free Bread

Ingredients

1½ cup ground buckwheat or buckwheat flour/meal

1 cup ground flax seeds or flax meal

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 cups filtered water

⅓ cup sunflower seeds

⅓ cup whole flax seeds

⅓ cup pumpkin seeds

¼ sesame seeds (white, black, or a mix)

1 tbsp poppy seeds

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

This tastes excellent as a sandwich bread, with tofu dogs, as a side with main courses, or even as a garlic bread – toasted with olive oil and crushed garlic.  Yummy and good for you.  No guilt bread!   Buckwheat is actually a seed, so this can be a 6 seed bread.

Or, you can dehydrate for a raw bread – about 4 hours each side.

My son, Elliot, made me some vegan, gluten free crepes today.   He made a bunch of them and I froze some for another day.  I did eat one with soy swiss cheese.  It was yummy.

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