Fruit and Stuff

Category: RECIPES

• 

  mejadra (rice and lentils) recipe

  Posted at 10:21 am by Mary Ann Lesh

  Feb 17th

  This delicious Middle Eastern mix of lentils and rice, simmered with fragrant spices and mixed with caramelized onions, is also nutritious. Varying spellings include mujaddara, mujadarah, mjadra, majadra, mjaddara, mejadra, mudardara, mjaddara, mjaddaret, or megadarra. No matter how you spell it, mejadra is a tasty and hearty vegan dish. This can be made without oil in a non-stick skillet. The no-oil version has a slightly different texture, but it is delicious.

  PREP: 30 min. COOK: 30 min MEDIUM SAUCEPAN, MIXING BOWL, SERVING BOWL SERVES: 4

  INGREDIENTS

  OLIVE OIL, 2 Tbsp ONIONS, 3 medium, thinly sliced LENTILS, 1/2 c green or brown, dried CUMIN, 1/4 tsp RICE, 1/2 c TURMERIC, 1/2 tsp, ground ALLSPICE, 1/2 tsp, ground CINNAMON, 1/2 tsp, ground SUGAR, 1 tsp SALT, to taste BLACK PEPPER, to taste WATER, 1 c

  INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Wash the LENTILS, cover with water, bring to a boil, lower heat and cook for 12-15 minutes until tender but not mushy; set aside

  2. Caramelize the sliced ONION in the OLIVE OIL until transparent and golden brown; drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt

  3. Wash the RICE thoroughly; toast it lightly in the oil from the onions until it is slightly brown

  4. Stir in the CUMIN, ALLSPICE, CINNAMON, SUGAR, and BLACK PEPPER

  5. Add 1 cup of WATER and stir lightly; bring the rice mixture to a boil, add SALT, then lower the heat, cover the pan, leaving air space so it doesn’t boil over.

  6. When the RICE mixture has cooked for 10 minutes, stir in the LENTILS, taste to adjust salt, replace the lid, and continue cooking for 5 more minutes

  7. Remove from heat, cover with a clean dish towel, and replace the lid tightly; let set for 10 minutes

  8. Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl, and add half the ONIONS; mix lightly

  9. Move to serving bowl and top with the remaining ONIONS

  Posted in RECIPES | Tagged India, international cuisine, Israel, lentils, mejadra, Middle Eastern, onion, Persia, rice, spices

• mexican sopa de haba (fava bean soup) recipe

  Posted at 3:46 pm by Mary Ann Lesh

  Feb 1st
  fava bean nutrition

  tomato nutrition

  PREP: 20 min COOK: 1 hour, or until beans are soft COOKING POT SERVES: 4

  INGREDIENTS

  FAVA BEANS, dry, 1 cup WATER, 2-3 cups TOMATOES, 2 medium, finely chopped ONION, 1/2 medium GARLIC, 1 clove, minced CILANTRO, fresh ANCHO CHILE, 1 dried GREEN CHILE, 1 small, finely chopped SALT, to taste

  INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Clean the FAVA BEANS and soak them overnight

  2. Pour off the soaking water, rinse the beans, and add 2-3 cups of water

  3. Cook the beans until tender with 2-3 slices of onion, 1 diced tomato 1 clove of minced garlic, a few sprigs of cilantro, and the ancho chile (remove the seeds); add salt to taste when they finish cooking

  4. In a large pot, saute the other TOMATO, diced, with the rest of the onion, diced, and the GREEN CHILE, finely chopped with the seeds removed

  5. Add the cooked BEAN mixture to the sauteed vegetables, stir well, and heat through; you can mash the beans lightly or serve them whole

  Posted in RECIPES | Tagged fava beans, habas, horse beans, sopa mexicana
• 

  cherry jam recipe

  Posted at 1:14 pm by Mary Ann Lesh

  Jan 19th
  cherry nutrition

  chia nutrition

  PREP: 20 min COOK: 15 min, medium heat SAUCEPAN MAKES 1 cup

  INGREDIENTS

  CHERRIES, 1 cup, pitted HONEY, 1 Tbsp CHIA SEEDS, 1 Tbsp

  INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Combine CHERRIES and HONEY in saucepan over medium heat.

  2. Cook 5 minutes, stirring gently; as they heat, mash the cherries gently with wooden spoon

  3. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes

  4. Remove from heat and stir in CHIA SEEDS; mixture will thicken as it cools

  5. When cool, adjust sweetness to taste; may be stored in refrigerator up to two weeks in airtight container

  Posted in RECIPES | Tagged cherry, cherry jam, chia
• 

  banana oatmeal chia cookie recipe

  Posted at 6:00 pm by Mary Ann Lesh

  Jan 18th
  banana nutrition

  chia nutrition

  chia preparation

  This is a basic cookie recipe. You can add 1/2 cup of any of the following if you want to: chocolate chips, raisins, shredded coconut, cranberries, pecans, or walnuts.

  PREP: 15 min COOK: 10 min @ 350° F (175° C) COOKIE SHEET, PARCHMENT PAPER MAKES 12 COOKIES

  INGREDIENTS

  CHIA, 1 Tbsp soaked in 3 Tbsp water for at least 30 minutes ROLLED OATS, 1 c BROWN SUGAR, 1/2 c FLOUR, 1/3 c BAKING SODA, 1/2 tsp BAKING POWDER, 1/4 tsp SALT, 1/4 tsp GROUND CINNAMON, 1/2 tsp COCONUT OIL, 1.5 Tbsp RIPE BANANA, 1 small

  INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Soak CHIA for at least minutes

  2. Preheat oven to 350° F and line cookie sheet with parchment paper

  3. Combine OATS, BROWN SUGAR, FLOUR, BAKING SODA, BAKING POWDER, SALT, AND CINNAMON

  4. Stir in CHIA MIXTURE, BANANA and COCONUT OIL until dough is evenly mixed

  5. Drop dough by spoonsful onto baking sheet

  Posted in RECIPES | Tagged banana, chia, cookies, oatmeal
• 

  colorful fruit salad recipe

  Posted at 11:20 am by Mary Ann Lesh

  Jan 5th
  banana nutrition

  blackberry nutrition

  A recipe for fruit salad serves as inspiration more than strict guidance. You can add or omit ingredients, and it will be delicious. Fruit salad is full of nutrients, and it is good most anytime of the day or night! It is quick and easy, but if you have the time and the artistic inclination, you can create elaborate fruit arrangements for special occasions.

  PREP 30 min COOK 0 min bowl, cutting board, knife SERVES 4

  INGREDIENTS

  banana, 1 ripe pineapple, diced, 1/2 lb blueberries, 6 oz blackberries, 3 oz strawberries, sliced, 1/2 lb mandarin oranges, peeled and sliced, 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced, 2

  HONEY, 1/4 c LIME JUICE, 1 Tbsp LIME ZEST, 2 tsp

  INSTRUCTIONS

  Combine all the fruit in a bowl and mix lightly

  Whisk together 1/4 c HONEY, 1 T LIME JUICE, 2 t LIME ZEST. Pour over the fruit just before serving

  Posted in RECIPES | Tagged banana, blackberry, blueberry, fruit, honey lime dressing, kiwi, mandarin orange, pineapple, strawberry, vegan, vegetarian

• NATURE’S FAST FOOD

  Posted at 6:00 am by Mary Ann Lesh

  Jan 4th

  

  “We’ve got sunlight on the sand
  We’ve got moonlight on the sea
  We’ve got mangoes and bananas we can pick right off a tree” (Rogers and Hammerstein, “There is Nothing Like a Dame” from the musical South Pacific.

  It’s always nice to sit down to a complete meal, but the truth is that most of us often need something quick and easy. Fortunately, plants provide a wealth of foods that require little or no preparation and are really at their best and most nutritious when eaten fresh from the tree, bush, or vine. Just wash and enjoy. Some, you can eat with the peeling. Some, like bananas and oranges, come in an easy-to-remove biodegradable wrapper. If you have just a bit of time, you can combine them in salads or fabulous dessert plates. It’s a good idea to clean the surfaces carefully to eliminate bacteria that they might have picked up in the process of bringing it from the farm or orchard to your pantry. Here’s a quick guide to getting these natural fast foods ready to eat.

  How to clean them

  1. If you will eat the peeling, it’s a good idea to scrub it with a vegetable brush. 2. If you’re going to peel it, a good rinse, clean hands, and maybe a clean knife are all you need. 3. For porous foods like lettuce or strawberries, soak briefly (3 minutes or less) in a solution of water and vinegar (plain old cheap vinegar will do the trick)–about 1 part of vinegar to 3 parts of water. This Modern Survival Blog gives more details on cleaning fruits and vegetables.

  Just A Few of My Favorites from Nature’s Fast Food Menu

  apple apricot avocado banana berries (strawberry / blackberry / blueberry…) broccoli cantaloupe carrot cauliflower celery coconut cucumber date fig grape

  lettuce (all kinds of leafy greens) mango mushroom nuts (pecan / almond / peanut / cashew / walnut…) orange / tangerine / mandarinpapaya peach pear pineapple plum pomegranate radish tomato watermelon zucchini

  Posted in RECIPES | Tagged cleaning fruits and vegetables, cleaning lettuce, cleaning strawberries, natural fast food, salads
• 

  beet and apple salad recipe

  Posted at 1:21 am by Mary Ann Lesh

  Dec 28th
  beet nutrition

  apple nutrition

  PREP: 20 min. COOK: 0 SALAD BOWL SERVES: 4

  INGREDIENTS

  BEETS, 2 medium, sliced, steamed or raw APPLE, 1 medium, thinly sliced LETTUCE or other salad green PISTACHIOS, 1/2 c, peeled HONEY, 2 Tbsp WHITE WINE VINEGAR, 2 Tbsp DIJON MUSTARD, 2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL, 6 Tbsp

  INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Wash and slice 2 medium BEETS and 1 APPLE; toss together

  2. Wash and prepare SALAD GREENS; tear or chop, as desired

  3. To make DRESSING: whisk together 2 Tbsp HONEY, 2 Tbsp WHITE WINE VINEGAR and 2 Tbsp DIJON MUSTARD; drizzle 6 Tbsp OLIVE OIL slowly into the mixture as you continue to whisk

  3. Serve BEET and APPLE mixture on top of GREENS; add DRESSING; garnish with 1/2 c PISTACHIOS

  Posted in RECIPES | Tagged apples, beets, dijon, pistachio, salad
• 

  carrot ginger soup recipe

  Posted at 4:06 pm by Mary Ann Lesh

  Oct 25th
  carrot nutrition

  PREP: 20 min. COOK: 10-15 min. 1 QT NON-STICK POT SERVES: 4

  INGREDIENTS

  ONION, 1 small, chopped GARLIC, 1 clove, chopped fine CARROTS, 2 cups, chopped FRESH GINGER, 1 1/2 tsp, grated APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, 1 Tbsp VEGETABLE BROTH, 3-4 cups SALT and PEPPER, to taste VEGAN SOUR CREAM and PARSLEY (optional)

  INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Saute 1 small chopped ONION and 1 clove GARLIC in 1 Tbsp OLIVE OIL

  2. Add 2 cups CARROTS and continue cooking about 8 more minutes

  3. Add 1 1/2 tsp grated GINGER and 1 Tbsp APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, and stir lightly

  4. Slowly stir in 3-4 cups VEGETABLE BROTH until you have the consistency you want

  5. Simmer until the carrots are tender, about 30 minutes; add SALT and PEPPER to taste near the end of the cooking time

  6. Cool the mixture and blend until smooth

  7. Garnish with VEGAN SOUR CREAM and PARSLEY (optional)

  Posted in RECIPES | Tagged carrot ginger soup, carrots, soup
• 

  sautéed nopales recipe

  Posted at 11:25 am by Mary Ann Lesh

  Oct 23rd
  nopales and prickly pear nutrition

  PREP: 10 min. COOK: 10-15 min. NON-STICK SKILLET SERVES: 4

  INGREDIENTS

  NOPALES, 2 cups, chopped and rinsed GARLIC, 1 clove, chopped fine TOMATO, 1 whole, chopped OLIVE OIL, 1 Tbsp (optional)

  INSTRUCTIONS

  NOTE: You may substitute 1 Tbsp WATER for the oil.

  1. Heat 1 Tbsp OLIVE OIL or WATER to medium temperature.

  2. Add 1 CLOVE GARLIC, chopped fine, and sautee lightly

  3. Add 1 chopped TOMATO and 2 cups chopped NOPALES and stir lightly

  4. Lower heat and sautee 10-15 minutes until nopales turn dark green

  *If you are starting with fresh uncut nopales, clean and remove spines and nodes. This video shows how to do that.

  Posted in RECIPES | Tagged cactus paddles, nopales, sauteed
• 

  fried cabbage recipe

  Posted at 1:40 pm by Mary Ann Lesh

  Aug 10th
  ^{cabbage nutrition}

  PREP: 10 min. COOK: 10-12 min. NON-STICK SKILLET SERVES: 4

  INGREDIENTS

  2 cups GREEN CABBAGE, thinly sliced 1 Tbsp OLIVE OIL 1 Tbsp APPLE CIDER VINEGAR SALT and PEPPER to taste 1 tsp WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE (optional) THYME, fresh or dried (optional)

  INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Heat 1 Tbsp OLIVE OIL

  2. Add 2 cups thinly sliced GREEN CABBAGE and stir lightly

  3. Lower heat and saute to desired consistency

  4. Add 1 Tbsp APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, SALT and PEPPER to taste, 1 tsp WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, and fresh or dried THYME to taste

  5. Stir gently, cover, remove from heat, and let set for 5 minutes or longer.

  Posted in RECIPES | Tagged apple cider vinegar, cabbage, fried, sauteed

• About Fruit and Stuff

  When I switched to plant-based living after a lifetime of meals planned around a main course of meat, I immediately felt positive effects and found it surprisingly easy, even fun, to change my habits and explore new ways of enjoying food. Fruit and Stuff is a collection of some of the many things I have learned since I started the journey.

  Even if you are not ready to give up meat, you will benefit from adding more plant foods to your daily meals. I hope you’ll find something useful here.

  The most recent articles appear first on the Home page, and the tabs at the top of every page are for locating any article, past or present. The Glossary links to facts about plant-based foods, the Recipe tab will direct you to the recipe index, and the Resources consist of news and opinions about plant-based living.

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