BLUEPRINTS
for preparing and eating
food as if your life depended on it
BRIAN ROCHE
To
Christiane Deslauriers
For showing me what to eat
and why
What
shall we have for dinner?
How did such a simple question get so
complicated?!
Michael Pollan (The
Omnivore’s Dilemma)
Contents
Introduction
Beans, etc
Soy Milk
Soy Milk Yogurt
Tofu
Coffee Substitute
Chai Tea
Okara Cakes
Black Bean Burgers
Soups, etc.
Vegetable Stock
Mulligatawny Soup
Black Bean Soup
Hot and Sour Soup
Lentil Soup
Peanut Sauce
Breads, etc.
Basic Flat Bread
(Chapattis)
Chinese Noodles
Basic White Bread
(or Pizza Dough)
Hearty Grain Bread
Great Crusty White
Bread
Muesli
Yeast Pancakes
Further
Introduction
Blueprints is a short guide to making at home many of the things that you
buy every day. It is also a guide for people who would like to try a meat-free
diet but who are not sure exactly what to eat as substitutes for meat. It can
also be used to supplement a meat-eating diet.
Though not
designed strictly as a Vegan cookbook, Blueprints
does not call for any animal products, so can easily be used as part of a Vegan
or vegetarian diet.
The recipes below
are for basic staples only: breads, legumes, soups etc. It is assumed
that the reader already knows how to prepare and eat fruits and vegetables
As the title
suggests, Blueprints
contains sketches of recipes that can be modified with substitutions. Recipes
that lend themselves well to substitutions will be followed by, Variation.
Listed at the end
are websites with many more recipes. For example, after you try making some
simple bread, you might want to investigate the world of sourdough. On this
topic there are already many great books and websites.
Please feel free to
go further by experimenting with substitutes I haven’t
thought of. Start with small amounts and the worst you can end up with is some compost! At best you
could discover a food that no one has ever tried before.
As for kitchen
equipment, these recipes do not call for anything more than a blender. I don’t use
bread makers, soy milk makers or yogurt makers. However, if you have any of these, you can modify
the recipes accordingly.
Beans, etc.
Soy Milk
Soak 1 cup dry soy
beans in about 4 cups water overnight
Discard water.
Put 1 cup soaked
soy beans with 2 cups fresh water in a blender.
Blend for about 30
seconds.
Pour mixture into
a jam bag over a large pot.
Carefully gather
the top of the bag and squeeze all of the liquid into the pot.
Save granules in a
separate container.
Continue process
with 1 part soy beans to 2 parts water for each batch.
Bring milk slowly
to a boil, and then boil for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally
Add salt and/ or
sugar to taste.
Use leftover
granules (called Okara in Japanese) for making bread,
soy burgers, Okara Cakes etc. Okara
will last a week in the fridge if not needed immediately. It also freezes well.
Soy milk can be
stored in the fridge for about a week or can be made immediately into yogurt or
tofu.
Variation:
Can be made with raw cashews,
raw almonds or chick peas. Doesn’t seem to work with Navy Beans. Another simple milk can be made by blending 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter (or any
smooth nut butter) in 1 cup water.
NOTE: The soy
milk, before being boiled and the Okara, before being
cooked are inedible!
Soy Milk Yogurt
1 soy milk recipe
(5-6 cups)
2 tbsp yogurt (or
starter)
If milk has just
been made, set aside and allow to cool to room
temperature.
If not, put milk
in a pot and boil 5 minutes. Then allow to cool.
Put yogurt in a
small bowl and allow to warm up to room temperature.
When you are sure
that the milk has cooled right down and the yogurt has warmed up (put them
beside each other), add a tbsp of milk to the yogurt and stir. Add 1 tbsp of
milk at a time to the yogurt until you have about a cup of mixture. Then,
gently add this mixture back into the rest of the soy milk. Stir.
Cover and let rest
in a warm place (above the fridge is good.) for 12 hours. Try to keep away from
drafts and other temperature changes.
Refrigerate. Will
last a few weeks in the fridge
Tofu
5-6 cups Warm Soy
Milk
Nigari (Magnesium Chloride) or
Calcium Sulphate (both available from Health food Stores)
Warm water
If milk has just
been made, allow to cool to 180 deg F (fairly warm)
If not, heat to boiling then allow to cool to 180 deg F. This will
kill any bacteria that might compete with the yogurt.
Prepare coagulant: dissolve either 1 tsp nigari (natural magnesium chloride) or 1 tsp natural
calcium sulfate in 1/2 cup warm water. Less coagulant produces softer tofu, more
produces firmer tofu.
Pour the prepared coagulant solution slowly into the soy milk, stirring gently.
Stop stirring when 3/4 of coagulant solution has been added. Wait 2-3 minutes.
Now, gently stir the forming curds and sprinkle the last 1/4 of the
coagulant solution into any milky areas. If there are no milky areas, you do
not need to add the rest of the solution. If there are still some milky areas after
adding all the solution, mix and add some more. Depending on the water quality,
etc., you may need slightly more or less coagulant.
Once the soymilk has separated into small white curds of tofu and an amber
liquid (whey), transfer curds to a tofu mold (or tofu box) lined with cheesecloth. Any
container that has many small holes to allow residual whey to drain can serve
as a tofu mold. A lid is then placed on the forming container, after which a
small weight of 3 - 5 pounds is placed on the lid of the container and allowed
to sit for 20 minutes or so.
NOTE: A piece of
wood smaller than the box opening makes a good top and a fist-sized rock makes
a good weight.
Empty the
resulting block of tofu into a tub of cold water and allow it to sit for
another hour, then store the tofu in the refrigerator and change the soaking
water daily.
Coffee Substitute
1 cup soy beans
Spread beans on a
baking sheet.
Bake at 400 deg. F
for 20-30 minutes, or until very dark brown. Cool.
Grind in a coffee
grinder and percolate or use in drip coffee-maker.
Add a pinch of
salt to taste.
Chai Tea
2 cups water
1 tbsp ginger,
finely chopped
8 pods cardamom,
broken open
1 star anise
1/2 teaspoon whole
back pepper
2-3 cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 teabag black tea
or 1 tbsp loose tea (any kind, de-caf is fine)
Place all
ingredients except tea in a medium pot. Bring to a boil and boil about 5
minutes. Remove from heat and add tea. Let stand 5 minutes.
Strain. This black tea can be stored in the
fridge for later use.
NOTE: Cinnamon
stick can be used a few times.
Chai: Mix equal parts tea mixture with soy
milk. Bring almost to boil. Sweeten to taste.
Okara Cakes
2 slices whole wheat bread or toast, ground into crumbs
1/2 cup minced celery1
large onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups okara (see soy milk recipe)
1/2 cup oatmeal
Seasoning to taste (Salt, Pepper, Cumin,
Chili powder, herbs etc)
In a non-stick skillet, saute celery, onion, carrot, pepper and parsley
until softened, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine okara, sauteed vegetable mixture, oatmeal, and seasonings. Mix well and set aside to "rest" for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Using about 1/4 cup for each cake, form mixture into about 15-20 patties about
2 inches across and 1/2 inch thick. Coat each side of the patty with bread
crumbs and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Carefully turn cakes over and return to the oven
to bake until second side is toasty and browned, about 15 more minutes.
1/2 onion, diced
1 can black beans or 3 cups cooked black beans
1/2 cup flour
2 slices bread, crumbled
1 clove garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
Saute the onions till soft, about 3-5 minutes.
In a large bowl, mash the beans until
almost smooth (a potato masher works well). Add sauteed onions and the rest of the ingredients, adding the flour a few
tablespoons at a time to combine well.
Form bean mixture into patties,
approximately 1/2 inch thick and fry patties in a small amount of oil until
slightly firm.
Variation: Try with any
cooked beans or lentils or use Okara from soy milk
recipe. You can also add finely ground cashews, almonds and/or mashed
vegetables from stock recipe.
Soups, etc.
Basic
Vegetable Stock
10 cups water
2 potatoes, quartered
2 tomatoes, quartered
1 onion, quartered, (leave
peel on)
2 carrots chopped
2 celery stalks (with leaves)
chopped
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
A few
sprigs fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground
pepper
1 bay leaf
Put all ingredients in a large pot.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Strain, removing all solids. Let cool. Keep in the
refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for long term storage.
Variation: peel all vegetables
and then save remaining solids. Add to your favorite burgers or soups.
This stock can be made with any vegetables,
especially ones that are getting a bit soft.
NOTE: If you want a very clear stock,
skip the tomatoes and potatoes
Mulligatawny
Soup
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 chile
pepper (banana, jalapeno, habanero etc.) finely
chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup lentils
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 cup coconut milk
1-2 cups cooked rice
(basmati)
1/2 cup raw apple, chopped
fine
Garnish: minced cilantro or
parsley.
In a large pot, saute the celery, carrot, onion, and chile
pepper in oil at a low heat until the onion is translucent. Stir in the curry
powder to blend and cook for a minute. Pour in the stock, add the
lentils, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, get the
rice cooked (if it isn't already). Then chop the apples finely. You don't need
to skin the apples.
When the soup is done, season to taste
with the salt and pepper. At this point you can puree some or all of the soup.
Add coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
To serve, spoon rice and a little apple
into each bowl. Ladle the soup on top, then drip
coconut milk into the center and swirl. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro or parsley.
Variation: If you don’t have
cooked rice on hand, try adding 1/4 cup of uncooked rice with the lentils.
Black
Bean Soup
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
pinch cayenne pepper
1 19 oz can black beans (undrained) or 3 cups cooked black beans
2 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp chopped fresh
coriander or parsley
2 tbsp lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup soy
milk yogurt
In large saucepan, heat oil over medium
heat.
Cook onion, garlic, red pepper, cumin
and cayenne, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened.
Add black beans and stock; bring to
boil
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in coriander and lime or lemon
juice.
Dollop soy yogurt on each serving.
Try serving over a bowl of corn chips!
Variation: Try using any
cooked beans, chick peas or a blend instead of black beans.
Hot
and Sour Soup
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
(white is fine)
2 tbsp soy sauce
Asian chili oil (or Tabasco
etc) to taste
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup canned bamboo
shoots, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 lb. tofu,
cut in 1/2-inch cubes
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp sesame oil
In large pan, stir together stock,
vinegar, soy sauce and chili oil. Bring to boil on high heat. Immediately
reduce heat to medium. Simmer 2 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and bamboo shoots.
Cook until heated through, 1 minute.
Stir together water and cornstarch in
small bowl. Slowly pour into soup while stirring. Cook until soup bubbles and
thickens, about 5 minutes.
Stir in tofu. Cook 1 minute. Remove
from heat.
Stir in onions and sesame oil
Lentil
Soup
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 green onions, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 potato, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp curry paste or curry
powder
2-1/2 cups vegetable stock
2-1/2 cups water
1 cup dried red lentils
(green or brown are fine
2 cups packed fresh spinach
In large saucepan, heat oil over medium
heat. Fry chopped green onions, carrots and potato, stirring occasionally,
until onions are softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and curry.
Add stock, water and lentils; bring to
boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes.
Stir in spinach. Bring back to simmer. Serve
Peanut Sauce
3 cloves garlic,
minced
1-inch piece
ginger root, peeled, minced
3/4 cup natural
smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup lemon
juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tbsp tamari or
soy sauce
1 tbsp paprika
1 cup water, more
if needed
Cayenne pepper (or
Tabasco etc.) to taste
1/2 teaspoon brown
sugar to taste
Put all
ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk until smooth.
Cook over medium heat
for 10 minutes, stirring often. Be careful not to burn. If sauce becomes too
thick or separates, whisk in a little more water until it's the right
consistency. Serve hot.
Refrigerate,
covered, up to 1 week.
Variation:
Works with any nut butter, tahini etc.
Breads, etc.
Basic
Flat Bread (Chapattis)
2 cups flour (white or whole wheat) 1 teaspoon salt1 cup water
Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl
Add water, mix well
Let sit for 15 minutes
Pour onto floured surface. Knead for
about 5 minutes
Divide dough into 8 portions.
Roll each portion as flat as possible.
Heat a cast iron pan, with a little
oil, to almost smoking.
Fry each chapatti until bubbles form
(about two minutes) then flip and fry two minutes on the other side.
NOTE: The first amount of oil should do
for all 8 chapattis.
Keep in warm oven until ready to serve.
Chinese
Noodles
2 cups flour
1/2 cup water
Mix flour and water in a bowl.
Knead the dough thoroughly, then allow to
rest for 20 minutes.
On a floured surface, flatten the dough with
a rolling pin and make a sheet about 1mm thick.
Dust with flour to prevent sticking, as
necessary.
Roll the sheet into a log, and cut slices of
the width desired for the noodles.
The noodles may then be air dried by draping
them on plastic coat hangers for several hours, or they may be refrigerated.
They can also be frozen for several weeks.
Cook noodles by boiling in water for about 10
minutes.
Serve with your favorite sauce or in soups
etc.
Basic
White Bread (or Pizza Dough)
(Makes 1 loaf or one large pizza dough)
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon
dry yeast (1 packet)
2-3 cups white flour (or half
white and half whole wheat
1 teaspoon salt
In a large bowl, mix water and sugar. Add
yeast and let stand 10 minutes. Mix thoroughly with whisk.
Add salt and about 1 cup flour and mix
thoroughly with whisk.
Mixing with a wooden spoon, add enough
flour to make a stiff dough but not too dry.
Knead for a full 10 minutes, adding a
little flour if too sticky.
Let dough rise in bowl until doubled in
size (about an hour)
For pizza dough, punch down and roll
out to fit large pizza pan.
NOTE: if pan is oiled, dough can just
be pushed out to sides. Be careful not to break the dough. Add toppings and
bake.
For bread, punch down and place in
bread pan. Rise again until double (about an hour)
Bake at 400 deg. F 20-30 minutes or
until nice and brown.
Hearty
Grain Bread (makes 2 loaves)
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons salt
1 heaping tablespoon malt extract
or molasses
1 cup multi-grain cereal (I
use Red River Cereal)
********
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon dry yeast (one
packet)
1/4 cup gluten flour mixed
with 3/4 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3-4 cups white flour
Mix together 1 cup boiling water, malt
(or molasses) and 2 teaspoons salt. Then add 1 cup cereal and stir. Let
stand until cooled to room temperature.
In a large bowl, mix 1 cup warm water
(not hot) and 1 teaspoon sugar. Then add yeast. Let sit 10 minutes. Mix thoroughly
with whisk.
Add mixture of 3/4 cup white flour and
1/4 cup gluten flour. Mix thoroughly with whisk.
Add whole wheat flour and mix well with
a wooden spoon.
Add enough white flour (3-4 cups) to
make a stiff dough. Knead for a full ten minutes,
adding flour if dough is too sticky.
NOTE: you can knead the dough right in
the bowl. Cover bowl with a towel and let rise until double (about an hour).
Punch down, divide in two and place in
two oiled bread pans. Let rise again until doubled (another hour).
Bake at 400 deg. F for 20 to 30 minutes
or until loaves sound hollow and/or are nicely browned.
Great Crusty White Bread (1 large round
loaf)
(No kneading)
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups
warm water
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons
salt
Mix all of the dry
ingredients in a large bowl. Add water and mix by hand or with a wooden spoon
for 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 12 to 18
hours (overnight) at room temperature (above the fridge is good).
Remove the dough
from the bowl onto a floured surface and fold once or twice. Let the dough rest
15 minutes. Next, shape the dough into a lose ball. Cover the dough with a
cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hours at room temperature, until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to
450 deg
NOTE: This bread
doesn’t seem to work as well with whole wheat flour or other
substitutes.
Muesli
1 cup whole raw
cashews
1 cup whole raw
almonds
1 cup whole raw
hazelnuts
1 cup whole pitted
dates
4 cups large flake
oats
Salt to taste
Place nuts on a
baking sheet and roast at 350 deg F for about 20 minutes or until nuts have a
nice brown colour. Check almonds by cutting one in
half. Should be brown all the way through.
Put nuts aside and
repeat with oats.
When everything
has cooled to room temperature, mix in dates and salt to taste.
Store
in a large glass jar in a cool, dry place.
Serve with soy
milk or soy yogurt.
Variation:
Try any mixture of nuts and
seeds (sunflower, sesame, poppy, millet) and/or other dried fruits
Yeast Pancakes
2 cups mixed
flours
1 1/2 cups warm
water plus some more to adjust consistency
1 tblsp instant dry yeast (1 packet)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Oil to cook
Mix flours and
salt in a large bowl.
In a smaller bowl
place the yeast with 1/2 cup warm water and 1 tsp sugar. Cover and keep aside
for 10 minutes.
Pour this
activated yeast with another cup of warm water in the bowl with dry
ingredients.
Mix well and cover
with a towel for up to 1 hour, till the batter is risen and bubbly.
At this point you
can add any variation of nuts, seeds or fruit.
If you want a
lunch or dinner pancake you can add chopped onions, celery, peppers etc as well
as nuts and seeds herbs etc.
Heat a greased cast
iron skillet over medium flame. Pour a ladle full of batter and let it spread
naturally. Do not spread out thinly with the ladle. Wait for 30 seconds to a
minute until there are holes around the edges. Flip over and cook for another
30 seconds to a minute until the pancake is well cooked and golden brown.
Top with jam, maple syrup, yogurt, nut
butter etc.
NOTE: These pancakes don’t work with Okara as it needs to be
cooked longer.
Further
1. http://www.smallplanet.org/ Food for thought
2. http://www.veganconnection.com/recipes/index.htm Lots of Vegan recipes
3. http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/beanrecipes.htm Bean recipes
4. http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/recipes/peanutrecipes.html 105 peanut recipes
5. http://www.sourdoughhome.com/sfsd1.html Sourdough Bread
6. http://www.vegcooking.com/ Vegetarian and Vegan cooking
7. http://www.earthsave.ca/book/cooking_vegetarian.html Book Review
8. http://allrecipes.com/Recipes/Everyday-Cooking/Vegetarian/Main.aspx Vegetarian recipes
9. http://www.tofu.com/ Tofu recipes
I welcome questions and comments brianroche99@yahoo.com
Enjoy!