Mushroom Stroganoff, two versions

Mushroom Stroganoff

This is a vegan take on beef strog. It is easy to make, tastes delicious and is quite versatile.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, crushed

half a yellow pepper, diced

250g button mushrooms, sliced

1 tsp dried coriander

1 tsp mixed spice

400ml tin of coconut milk

Method

Gently fry the onion, garlic and yellow pepper in the olive oil for a couple of mins until starting to soften.

Add the mushrooms, turn the heat up and cook until starting to brown.

Add the rest of the ingredients, stir well, season to taste and reduce the heat so that it bubbles gently for 20 to 30 mins, stirring occasionally. (The sauce should reduce and thicken to a lovely creamy consistency.)

That's it!

Notes

This is lovely with a mix of white and brown mushrooms too. Serve with boiled rice, salad tossed in vinaigrette and garlic bread (made with vegan marg or olive oil). Yum!

(from: http://www.veganvillage.co.uk/recipes/stroganoff.htm)

Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff 

This is a fast, easy recipe that can be made for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried tarragon (it's even better with fresh tarragon to taste if you have it)
1 tablespoon paprika, sweet
1 cup vegetable broth (I use low or no salt)
2 tablespoons tahini (I often substitute raw unhulled sesame seeds and blend with the broth)

In a non-stick skillet, water sauté the onion and garlic briefly, then add the sliced mushrooms, and cook until the mushrooms are soft.

Add lemon juice, tarragon, and paprika and mix well.  Warm the broth briefly in the microwave if it's cold, then blend with the tahini in a blender.  If you have a high speed blender like a Vita-mix you can easily substitute 4 TBSP raw sesame seeds and blend with the broth, then add to the skillet with the mushrooms.
Mix together well and bring to a low simmer to blend the flavors.

Makes approx. 4 servings.  Serve with noodles, over a baked potato, on toast, or on steamed greens.  
(from: http://blog.susanscooking.com/2009/10/13/vegan-mushroom-stroganoff.aspx)

CBC's Nature of Things: Smarty Plants

Smarty Plants: Uncovering the secret world of plant behaviour, March 22, 2012.
Link to full epidsode (45m)

A fascinating look at the secret world of plants by CBC's The Nature of Things

Is it possible that plants are smarter than we think?
They are among the world’s oldest and most successful organisms and represent some of the strangest and longest living life forms on the planet. Stunningly diverse, plants have served us in many critical ways, from providing food, shelter and clothing to life-saving medicine. And yet we know very little about them.

A luscious exploration of the natural world, Smarty Plants effortlessly integrates pioneering science with a light hearted look at how plants behave, revealing a world where plants are as busy, responsive and complex as we are.

From the stunning heights of Utah’s Great Basin Desert to the rainforests of Canada’s west coast, Smarty Plants follows lead scientist and ecologist JC Cahill as he treks the green world and discovers that plants are a lot more like animals than we ever imagined. The world he reveals is one where plants eavesdrop on each other, talk to their enemies, call in insect allies to fight those enemies, recognize their relatives and nurture their young. 

Sure, we’ve counted and classified plants. We’ve even unlocked the secrets of their photosynthesizing powers. But overall, it’s been far more interesting to study the animal world because animals move and demonstrate behavior, if not outright intelligence. Plants, on the other hand, just sit there.

Don’t they?

Not according to Cahill, who has been studying plants for more than two decades.

“Twenty years ago just uttering the words behavior and plants in the same sentence would have resulted in scientific excommunication!” Cahill insists. “And that’s because for a long time, I think, we were hung up on the fact that plants are sessile, they don’t move, or at least we don’t see them move. And because of who we are, I think we’ve always equated behavior, even intelligence, with movement.”

Fungal network (CBC/Merit Motion Pictures)

 

Exploding the myth of a passive plant world, this film uncovers the real “secret world” of plants and reveals a landscape pulsing with sex, movement, communication, and social interaction. This is a world where plants talk, forage, wage war and protect their kin; a world where plants behave a lot like us.

Featuring global locations, spectacular time-lapse photography and CGI, and new scientific discoveries, Smarty Plants uncovers a hidden world exposed through the work of Cahill and a team of globetrotting scientists. These experts include: Ian Baldwin (Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology); Consuelo De Moraes (Penn State); Mark Mescher (Penn State); Susan Dudley (McMaster University); Ray Callaway (University of Montana); Suzanne Simard (University of British Columbia).

Produced by Merit Motion Pictures and directed by Erna Buffie in association with the CBC Science and Natural History Documentary Unit.

The Primeval Well of the Human Psyche

Burritos

Black Bean Burritos 
via: vegetarian.about.com

This is a quick and easy basic recipe for a vegetarian and vegan bean burrito. Toss in some extra toppings such as non-dairy sour cream, homemade guacamole, salsa, black olives, or whatever you have on hand.

Ingredients:

2 cups leftover pre-cooked rice
juice from 2 limes
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 15 ounce can black beans
1/2 onion, diced
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp hot sauce, or to taste
4-6 flour tortillas

Preparation:

In a large bowl, toss together the fresh cilantro with the rice and drizzle with lime juice. Heat in the microwave on on the stove just until hot.
In a separate large skillet, sautee the onion and garlic in olive oil for 2 - 3 minutes, or until onion is soft.

Reduce heat to medium low and add black beans and remaining ingredients (except flour tortillas). Stir to combine, and allow to cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Spoon rice and beans onto flour tortillas, and add any additional toppings you want, such as vegan cheese, salsa, avocado slices, black olives or non-dairy sour cream. Wrap your bean and rice burritos and serve hot.


Spicy Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito
(via: vegweb.com)

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

    1 large sweet potato
    1/4 cup chili powder
    1 teaspoon garlic powder
    1 tablespoon cumin
    Dash cayenne
    1 teaspoon oregano
    1/4 cup diced red onion
    1 cup cooked black beans
    1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
    1/2 cup cooked brown rice
    1/4 cup frozen corn kernels  
    3/4 cup tomato sauce
    1/4 cup canned diced green chilies
    3 cups roughly chopped kale
    6 corn tortillas
    1/4 cup diced tomato
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1) Wash sweet potato and peel, if desired. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add sweet potato, cut in large chunks, and boil until tender, about 30 minutes. When easily pierced with a fork, it's done.

2) Meanwhile, combine the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, cayenne, and oregano.

3) Saute the red onion on medium-low heat in a small amount of water until soft and slightly translucent, roughly 5 to 10 minutes. Add half of the mixed spices, black beans, bell pepper, rice, corn, tomato sauce and green chilies. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Lastly, stir in the kale and heat until bright green and just wilted. Remove from heat.

4) When sweet potato is cooked, mash until smooth with the remaining half of spice mixture. Heat corn tortillas between two damp paper towels in microwave for 30 seconds.

5) Spread mashed sweet potato down the center of each tortilla. Top with the black bean and veggie mix. Roll and serve topped with diced tomato and fresh parsley.

Source of recipe: I'm big on sweet potatoes- loaded with health benefits, they're versatile and satisfying. This recipe, born from leftovers, is an easy and fresh way to combine healthy ingredients.

Makes: 6 burritos, Preparation time: 15 minutes, Cooking time: 35 minutes

Broken

I've broke it again, that feeling of when
we were friends, and then more
and you wanted to soar on the vibe
but really inside saw the end

was in sight, try all your might
to be sure that I'm not the one
I'm still on the run, I don't want to be us
not ready for trust, can't bear the pain

of breaking it again.

Burn

Sometimes I still miss you
so much I'd burn through
every bridge just to get to
a place to have you
see me as the one who
but one part of two.

But for me to be she
is not something I'll see
a place I'll never be
where I'll never stand
or hold your hand
So I burn inside instead

Ever notice how your horoscope is more interesting than what actually happens?

My astrologer of choice (the one I have a free email subscription to) is Georgia Nichols. Her predictions sound like they could actually happen and her comments always give me a chuckle. But, wow, my life should be this interesting:

Last week's prediction

All Signs

On the whole this is a mellow week. To be sure, as we approach the Full Moon on Saturday, Dec. 10, there will be a build-up of tension on Thursday and Friday. But hey, we deal with a Full Moon every month. So this is nothing to be too anxious about; we just have to be aware. The Full Moon is in Gemini, which means Gemini, Sagittarius, Pisces and Virgo will feel its impact more than other signs, but everyone will feel it. It's easy to underestimate how the Moon creates constantly changing feelings. Some people show it; some people don't. (I think a lot of this depends on whether you are fear-based or beer-based.)

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Many of you will enjoy tweaking your digs or redecorating because you're entertaining at home and having fun times with family. No question. (You love good conversation in a beautiful room with candles, good food and drink.) However, be careful driving and walking because the Full Moon at the end of the week is an accident-prone situation and this will manifest most strongly on Thursday and Friday. Think twice before you say anything or do anything. (Did you know that the origin of the word scruples means "to hesitate?") You might save yourself some grief by pausing to have a sober second thought.


Last week's actual events
I was supposed to get a Christmas tree on Sunday but didn't, drove all the way out to Rockland from Carelton Heights to pick my daughter up from a sleepover, braved the mall briefly with her (mostly for window shopping and alot of "I can just make that" statements) and ended Sunday with a bit of tidying and finishing up school assignments. During the week I attended every class because it is the last week of review before finals week and I even made peace with the class bully. I got some Christmas decor out of storage and thought about where it could go, but that's as far as I got.

Maybe I followed her advice subconsciously and actually thought twice before speaking or drove more carefully to avoid accidents. I ::did:: renew my car insurance and the week ::was:: pretty quiet. But there was no entertaining and I didn't trip on my own feet (like I usually would).

And This week's prediction

Weekly Horoscope: Sunday, December 11, 2011

All Signs

Last month I talked about the Mars attack we're all experiencing until next autumn. (For clarification, Mars will be in one sign for eight months instead of six-to-seven weeks, which it normally does every two years.) Naturally, this means this energy (and Mars is just energy) focuses on the same place in each of our charts for months. Oy! Kinda like a stuck record or CD. Read on to learn how each sign can best handle this influence because by now you surely can feel there's a disturbance in the Force. (And yes, I know, the Great Lakes died for our sins.)

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
This is a most curious time for you and will continue to be this way for months ahead because deep unconscious urges and ideas are bubbling to the surface now. This stuff surprises even you! Past behaviour patterns, old fears and insecurities and worries might haunt you. (What's with this?) Literally, your unconscious thoughts are surfacing! Now, here is the eye-opener: Why are these thoughts and urges hidden in your subconscious? It must be that you're denying their existence and their validity. In turn, this means you have to face aspects about yourself you would rather deny. But hey, we all do this. We all have these aspects. (I've been keeping mine in a shoebox under my bed for years.)

Ohh, a disturbance in the Force, that can't be good. What will this week actually be like? Will I be haunted by my deep unconscious urges and have to release them after years of pushing them down? Will it be on YouTube? ;)

I have a week of final exams to get through, there won't be much time for mulling over hidden insecurities and I believe I've done a good job about dealing and accepting most of my demons over the past year or two.

But let's see what the future actually brings :) It looks like it'll be interesting!

-Mickie