In this weekly series we have been discussing the benefits of a vegetarian diet including: better health, animal rights, public health, food safety, global food crisis, frugal living and the immense contribution of meat/livestock production to climate change/resource depletion/global hunger
Of today’s (almost) 7 billion people, nearly one billion are chronically hungry. Why? Roughly one third of grain is consumed by domestic animals. More than one sixth of grain goes into industrial products like biofuels and starch, seeds and other uses. Less than half of world cereal production feeds humans. The world chooses to feed its machines and its domestic animals before it feeds its people.
Hunger is economically invisible because poor people exert little or no demand in world grain markets. This is a problem, not solely of demography, but also of economics and of human values. The wasted capacity of children whose brains are malnourished before and after birth is an enormous cost ignored in present economic accounting.
Macca's Meatless Monday/Meatless Advocates is a solution oriented activist group, with solutions for some of the most pressing issues of our time including: climate change, global food/water insecurity and public health. Here we don't just talk about the severity of the crisis. Armed with knowledge about how our actions can contribute we become part of the solution.
I was inspired to create this series by former Beatle and vegetarian advocate Paul McCartney(Macca) who partnered with the Meatless Monday campaign to promote less consumption of meat. We not only discuss the many advantages of a less meat diet, we also do some cooking, share recipes and listen to great Beatle/McCartney music!
Today I'm inviting you all over to my house to join me for a typical company dinner. I love to entertain and have guests over frequently. It's usually a casual indoor and outdoor evening or afternoon..no mornings please! I like to plan an easy to prepare menu and so much the better if it's a one pot meal that has all the essentials and with a dramatic and festive presentation to get the ohhs and ahhs started. A Paella dinner with all the trimmings always works. Yes, it's possible to have an elegant and satisfying dinner party starring a vegetarian or even vegan iconic entree. I never use a recipe when I make Paella so it's different each time but I always start a Paella dinner with one of my favorite drinks.
POMEGRANTE SANGRIA
I usually make a different sangria each time and this one is one of my new faves.
1 bottle fruity red wine or rioja
2 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup Triple Sec
1/4 cup simple syrup (equal amounts sugar and water, heated until sugar dissolves, cooled)
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1 large orange, halved and thinly sliced
1 green apple, cored, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup red grapes, sliced in 1/2
Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours before serving. Serve over ice.
VEGETARIAN PAELLA
As I make my Paella differently each time, I will show you a few recipes that can be used or you can combine the recipes for your own adaptation. And I will let you in on my Paella secret, which will give your paella a distinctive taste.
Serves: 6
1/4 cup (2 fl. oz) of olive oil
5 cloves minced garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon saffron strands
2 teaspoons pimenton (Spanish paprika)
2 cups beer (ok this is my secret, it's fabulous but you can use 4 cups veg. broth instead)
2 cups vegetable broth (organic)
2 cups (16 oz) rice (Spanish short grain or Valencia rice)
4 medium tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips
1 cup (4 oz) green peas
2 cups artichoke hearts, tough outer leaves removed and quartered or use 1 pkg. frozen (defrosted) or 1 can packed in water
Lemon wedges, to garnish
Note: may also use roasted asparagus spears to garnish and may add 1 can drained and rinsed garbanzo beans
Heat the olive oil in a paella pan and saute the onion and garlic until the onion is tender and translucent. At the same time, heat the broth in a separate saucepan until simmering.
Pour the rice into the paella pan and saute for about 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers and tomatoes and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the saffron, pimenton and beer if using and let come to a simmer. Add the simmering vegetable broth and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes or until almost tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in the peas.
Sprinkle the artichoke hearts with a few drops of lemon juice and arrange over the rice in an attractive pattern and add beans if using. Continue cooking until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Add asparagus if using as garnish
Serve the paella straight from the pan, garnished with lemon wedges
TOMATO PAELLA
This is from Mark Bittman and here is article including video which he wrote about it.
3 1/2 cups stock or water
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into thick wedges
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Large pinch saffron threads (optional)
2 teaspoons Spanish pimentón (smoked paprika), or other paprika
2 cups Spanish or other short-grain rice
Minced parsley for garnish.
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Warm stock or water in a saucepan. Put tomatoes in a medium bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Toss to coat.
2. Put remaining oil in a 10- or 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, saffron if you are using it, and paprika and cook for a minute more. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is shiny, another minute or two. Add liquid and stir until just combined.
3. Put tomato wedges on top of rice and drizzle with juices that accumulated in bottom of bowl. Put pan in oven and roast, undisturbed, for 15 minutes. Check to see if rice is dry and just tender. If not, return pan to oven for another 5 minutes. If rice looks too dry but still is not quite done, add a small amount of stock or water (or wine). When rice is ready, turn off oven and let pan sit for 5 to 15 minutes.
4. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with parsley. If you like, put pan over high heat for a few minutes to develop a bit of a bottom crust before serving.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
There are so many variations. You can break some eggs on top before Paella is completely cooked and finish it off in the oven to cook the eggs. Or you can use hard cooked eggs cut in wedges to garnish.
SALAD of ORANGES, AVOCADO, RICOTTA SALATA and PUMPKIN SEEDS
All you need with the Paella is salad and this one provides a great contrast with the sweet acidic oranges. Recipe adapted from O Magazine. Serves 2-4
1/4 cup pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seeds); available at most grocery stores or latin markets
2 1/2 oranges , preferably Cara Cara or Florida navels or juice
1/2 shallot , minced
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 Tbsp. chopped dill or chives (optional)
3 cups chopped Bibb lettuce
3 cups chopped red-leaf lettuce
1 avocado , pitted and thinly sliced
4 ounces ricotta salata, crumbled (optional for vegan)
Note: Cara Cara oranges are a type of navel orange with reddish flesh; if your local market doesn't have them, use regular oranges instead.
Toast pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep them from burning.) Let cool in pan.
Meanwhile, cut peel and pith from 2 oranges; slice thinly and set aside. Juice remaining 1/2 orange. Make a vinaigrette by whisking together orange juice, shallot, mustard, salt, grapeseed oil, and dill or chives (if using) in a medium bowl.
To assemble salad: Mix bibb and red leaf; toss lightly with most of vinaigrette. Add oranges and avocado slices; sprinkle pepitas and cheese if using on top. Serve with remaining vinaigrette on the side.
TOMATO, AVOCADO and RED ONION SALAD
This salad also is good with Paella.
You know what to do just dice tomatoes, avocado, some chopped cilantro and red onion. Add juice of 1 lime, olive oil and salt & pep...like a large chunk salsa.
CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD PUDDING
I happen to know that some of you (you know who you are) think a meal is incomplete if there's no dessert...so this one's for you and it is awesome..a vegan bread pudding!
6 cups 1″ cubed stale bread (about 1 lb)
1 cup chocolate chips
3 ripe bananas, sliced ½” thick
2-2¼ cups rice milk, almond milk or soy
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder or tapioca flour
1/2 cup maple syrup or use 1/4 dark agave
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan with softened margarine. Place cubed bread in a large bowl.
In a small bowl whisk together ½ cup soy milk and the arrowroot powder till no lumps remain. Add 1½ cups soy milk, maple syrup or agave, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and whisk to combine. Pour over cubed bread and stir to coat every piece. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes for liquid to soak into bread. Depending on what kind of bread you use and how stale it is, add more soy milk (¼ cup at a time) and allow more soaking time till every piece of bread is saturated and there’s a little bit of extra liquid. Mixture should look mushy and wet. Fold in chocolate chips and bananas (using hands is the easiest for this), mashing up a little bit of the bananas. Pour mixture into loaf pan, patting down to make an even top.
Bake 28-35 minutes till top is puffed, slightly browned and feels firm. Allow to cool slightly before slicing and serving. Also pudding can be scooped with an ice cream scoop when slightly cooled.
8-10 servings.
"I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" The Beatles
"For No One" The Beatles
What have you all been cooking? Please share your recipes and fave Beatle/McCartney music here!