Cinnamon, the Spice from the East

Cinnamon's popularity dates back thousands of years. In ancient times cinnamon was held in such high regard that it was more precious than gold. The spice was used in the embalming process and to flavor drinks by the Ancient Egyptians and Emperor Nero was said to have burned a years supply of it on his wife's funeral pyre to show his grief at her loss.

The Zeylancium tree from which the cinnamon bark is taken comes from Sri Lanka (Ceylon). Ancient Dutch sailors called the island Zeilan after the Zeylancium tree and Zeilan later became known as Ceylon.

Strips of the parchment thin bark are rolled into quills. The best cinnamon (true cinnamon) is light tan in color and should not be confused with the darker cassia which is often called cinnamon. The quills are difficult to grind so the powder is generally preferred. The powder does not have the long shelf life of the quills so should be purchased in small quantities.

Cinnamon is an excellent source of manganese and is also a good supply of iron and calcium. The essential oils in cinnamon have excellent healing properties. The active components in the oils cause cinnamon to be anti-clotting, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial (excellent against candida) and beneficial in blood sugar control. The powder taken daily is said to reduce cholesterol and arthritis pain.

Apart from the quills and powder cinnamon is now easily available as an essential oil. An excellent breath freshener.

Cinnamon lends itself to sweet dishes and drinks. Who doesn't remember how we enjoyed cinnamon toast as children ?

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Vegan Cinnamon Raisin Rolls
From Vegan Action

In a bowl combine the following:
1/2 cup lukewarm water
1 pkt active dry yeast
In another bowl mix the following-then add above:
3/4 cup water
3 cups flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp oil
(Add a bit more oil and water if dough it too dry)

Clean your counter. Lightly sprinkle flour on it and plop the dough down on it. Knead well for 5-7 minutes. Put dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Let rise for 35 minutes or until dough has doubled in size. After dough has risen, punch it down and let it rise another 30 minutes. Split dough ball in half and put one ball on counter and one back into the bowl.

For rolls you will need: 1 stick marg (we use willow run), raisins, lots of cinnamon, lots of brown sugar.
Roll dough on counter out to 1/4 inch thickness. Melt margarine then brush lots onto the dough. Sprinkle generous gobs of brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins all over the top of the dough. Gently roll the dough up and cut into 1/2 inch sections. Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Let rolls rise some more in a warm place then bake at 375 degrees until golden brown (10-15 minutes).

You can make frosting by mixing a bunch of powdered sugar with a bit of margarine.This is easier then it sounds- just lots of waiting, but the taste is worth it.

Cinnamon Apple Crisp
From Post Punk Kitchen
Submitted by Isa
A perfect, basic apple crisp recipe. Add raisins or cranberries if you like. I use Granny Smith apples but you can use whatever kind you've got.

Two Mixing Bowls, 9 x 13 Baking Dish (glass is best), Aluminum Foil
Filling ingredients:
4 pounds (about 8) apples, peeled, cored, quartered and cut in
1/4 inch slices
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tbsp arrowroot powder (corn or potato starch would be an ok substitution)
2 tsps cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp allspice
tiny pinch cloves (about 1/16 teaspoon)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Topping Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup all purpouse flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tspsalt
2 tbsps canola oil
2 tbsps pure maple syrup
1 tsps vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl squeeze lemon juice over sliced apples. Add the arrow root and spices making sure all apples are coated. Move apple mixture to the baking dish and drizzle the maple syrup over it. Cover with tin foil and bake for 35 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the topping. Sift dry ingredients together, and in a seperate bowl, mix wet ingredients well. Fold wet into dry mixing with a fork as you go along, until well coated and crumbly. When apples are done baking, remove from oven and toss, then flatten them evenly with the back of a spatula or wooden spoon. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the apple mixture and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes, until top feels crispy. Serve warm with vanilla soy ice cream.

Cinnamon Apple Tea
From All-Creatures

1/2 cup apple Juice or cider
1/2 cup Water
1/8 - 1/4 tsp cinnamon, ground (adjust to your own taste)

Place all the ingredients in a "Pyrex" measuring cup and heat in the microwave oven on "high" for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes until the contents just begins to boil. Pour into a coffee to tea cup and serve.

Apple Cinnamon Couscous
From FoodDownUnder

2 cups apple juice
4 tbsps dried apples, diced
4 tbsps raisins
2 tsps cinnamon, or to taste
1 cup couscous

Put apple juice, dried apple, raisins and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork and serve.
NOTES : Other juices and/or dried fruit could be used instead of apples and raisins.

Baked Bananas with Cinnamon
From FoodDownUnder

3 bananas quartered
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp lime zest
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp fresh lime juice
1/4 cup raisins or currants
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375F. Arrange the bananas in a single layer in a shallow baking dish. Combine all the other ingredients and pour over the bananas. Bake,uncovered, for 15 - 20 minutes or until the bananas are lightly browned and bubbling. Put 3 banana pieces in the center of each dessert plate and spoon sauce over
them. NOTES : Great topping for soy frozen yogurt, too.




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A Grass to Eat - Lemongrass

Lemongrass, an aromatic grass from the Tropics, has become extremely popular in the West over the last 30 years both for its wonderfully fresh, uplifting, perfume in health and beauty products but also for it's unique lemony taste in Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and other recipes.

See my Herbs 'n Oils blog for the health and beauty facts about Lemongrass Essential Oil.

It is and excellent source of iron, potassium and manganese and a good source of folic acid, magnesium, zinc and copper.

Lemongrass should be used sparingly in food dishes due to it's strong flavor. The whole stalk can be used, either sliced or minced. It is often used and blends well with other aromatic herbs like chilies, garlic and cilantro.

For how to prepare and cook fresh lemongrass see an excellent, step by step article at About.com

Fresh lemongrass is usually available in most supermarkets but if unavailable can be purchased frozen, bottled or dried. When fresh it can be stored for a couple of weeks in the fridge and also freezes well.

Being a natural antibacterial and digestive aid adds to why it is a wonderful addition to any meal. Plus on those hot Summer evenings keep away those small flying insects with lemongrass essential oil in your burner and enjoy your meal in peace.

Why not plant lemongrass yourself ? If you have a stalk with a decent undamaged bulb, pop in a glass jar, in water, on a sunny windowsill. Once roots start growing put in a pot of sandy soil on the same sunny windowsill. Keep moist. After a while you should have a clump of stalks growing and can pick one to use whenever required.



Veggie Pad Thai
From Happy Cow's Vegetarian Guide

½ firm tofu package, cubed
1 cup mixed raw vegetables, chopped
½ cup bean sprouts
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red chili, crushed
½ onion, sliced
½ carrot, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
2 lemongrass stalks, sliced thin
5 lime leaves, whole
4 tbsps soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsps oil
handful of noodles, glass or rice
sesame seeds
peanuts ground to bits

Place oil in heated wok. Add garlic, chili, onion, carrot, tomato, and tofu. Stir fry. Add mixed vegetables, lemongrass, and lime leaves. Stir fry. Add soy sauce and sugar to taste. Stir fry. Add noodles. Stir fry. Add bean sprouts. Add a little water if needed. Add ground peanuts. Serve on plate, sprinkle with sesame seeds and peanut bits. Serves 2

Thai Red Curry Paste
From IVU-EastAsia
Contributed by: Kate Pugh
I like this better than the ones that come in jars. This recipe is adapted from one in the BBC Vegetarian Good Food magazine.The original recipe used 8 large dried red chillies - I use fresh ones instead. 2 medium chillies gives a medium-hot paste; sometimes I even use more, and I'm not a big fan of over-hot food. Makes 1/2 cup.

2 or more fresh red chillies, deseeded
5 garlic cloves
2 stalks fresh lemongrass
bottom stems from a large bunch of fresh coriander (cilantro) (original recipe used 3 coriander (cilantro) roots)
1 x 1-inch cube fresh ginger or galangal
1 large shallot or equivalent onion
peel of 1 lime (original used 1 tbsp chopped Kaffir lime peel)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp white or black peppercorns

Chop the chillies, garlic, lemongrass, coriander stems, ginger and shallot or onion. Prepare the lime peel by removing as much of the white pith as possible (lay it outside down and slice the pith off with a sharp knife held horizontally) and then chopping. Place all ingredients in the blender and whizz to a fairly smooth paste. The raw ingredients come to about 1 cup, so it's enough to put in most small blenders. Store in a screw-topped jar in the fridge - I've kept it for a week or more.

Chilled Broad Bean and Lemongrass Soup
From Vegan Food posted by Mr Falafel

4 tbsps margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 large leek, roughly chopped
3 stalks lemongrass, inner part chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh chopped root ginger
3 1/2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups broad beans, shelled
2 1/2 cups soy milk
Pinch of sugaralt and freshly ground black pepper
4 mint leaves, finely chopped

Heat the margarine in a saucepan and add the onion and leek. Cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes or until softened. Add the lemongrass and ginger and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the stock and broad beans. Bring to the boil then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Pour the soup into a blender or food processor and whizz until you have a puree. Sieve if you wish. Add the soymilk,
season to taste and add the sugar. Serve well chilled, sprinkled with finely chopped mint.

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PETA Offers to Cook Vegan Dishes for Al Gore

Decided to break my normal format and pop in this news item. Hope Al Gore takes PETA up on the offer :)

Fox News

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Can Al Gore be a meat-eating environmentalist? PETA says no… and is offering to cook the following meal for the former vice president to prove it!

• Fried 'Chicken' (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients: 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. garlic powder, 2 cups unbleached white flour, 4 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional), 3 Tbsp. yellow mustard, 1/2 cup water, 2 Tbsp. baking powder, 1 lb. soy chicken (Morningstar farms chicken strips), 3 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Method: Mix together the salt, onion powder, pepper, garlic powder, flour, and nutritional yeast in a deep bowl.In a separate bowl, dilute the mustard with 1/2 cup water. Add 1/3 cup of the flour mixture to the mustard mixture and stir. Add the baking powder to the dry flour mixture and mix. Dip chunks of the soy chicken into the mustard batter, then drop each chunk into the flour mixture and coat with the desired amount of "crust. "Fry the chunks in hot oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet or deep fryer until crispy and golden brown, turning as needed.

• Slow-Cooked Collard Greens (Makes 8 servings)

Ingredients: 4 bunches collard greens, 4 Tbsp. olive oil, 4 medium onions, 4 cloves garlic minced, 4 carrots minced, 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock, 2 chipotle peppers, Salt to taste

Method: Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions and the garlic cloves. Sauté until the onions are soft.Add the collard greens, carrots, and vegetable stock. Cook until tender.Season with the salt.

• Cornbread (Makes 6 to 8 servings)

Ingredients 6 Tbsp. water, 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 1/4 cup sugar, 4 tsp. baking powder, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1 cup plain soy milk, 1/4 cup canola oil, Walnut halves (optional)

Method: Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish.Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the ground flax seed and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stirring occasionally, simmer for 3 minutes, or until thickened.In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, Florida Crystals, baking powder, and salt.Add the flax seed mixture, soy milk, and canola oil to the flour mixture. Combine just until smooth.Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and place the walnut halves on top. Bake for 20- 25 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

• Creamy Chive Mashed Potatoes (Makes 4 to 5 servings)
Ingredients: 5 large potatoes diced, 1 cup liquid nondairy creamer (try Silk brand), 2 Tbsp. margarine, 1/4 cup fresh chives chopped, Salt and pepper to taste

Method: Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients, and mix until smooth. Serve hot.

• Chicken-less Gravy (Makes 6 to 8 servings)
Ingredients: 2 cups boiling water, 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, 3 Tbsp. nutritional yeast, 1 vegetable bouillon cube, 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms diced, 1/2 cup onion finely chopped, onion salt, to taste, unbleached all-purpose flour.

Method: In a large saucepan, simmer all ingredients except the flour for approximately 5 minutes. Slowly add the flour by tablespoons, whisking after each addition, until the desired thickness is reached. Keep warm.

• All-American Apple Pie (Makes 8 servings)
Ingredients for the Crust: 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 cup cold water, 3/4 cup solid vegetable shortening

Ingredients for the Filling: 1 3/4 lbs. Golden Delicious apples thinly sliced, 1 3/4 lbs. Granny Smith apples thinly sliced, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. unbleached flour, 3 Tbsp. Earth Balance margarine diced, 1 Tbsp. soy milk, 1 Tbsp. Florida Crystals sugar, large pinch of ground cinnamon

Method for the Crust: In a bowl, combine the flour and the salt. Mix the water with 1/3 cup of the flour mixture to make a paste. Set aside.With a pastry cutter or a fork, cut the vegetable shortening into the remaining flour mixture until the texture is "pebbly." Add the paste and mix well. Shape into a ball and divide into 2 parts.Lightly flour a clean countertop and rolling pin. Roll 1 portion of the dough at a time. Roll from the center out, lifting the roller at the end of the dough (rather than rolling back and forth). Roll to a 1/8-inch thickness. Have an 8- or 9-inch pie pan ready. The rolled dough should be at least 2 inches larger than your pie pan. Loosen from the rolling surface, fold in half, and place in the center of the pie pan. Unfold and gently work into the pan, pressing lightly. Trim any excess dough with a knife.
Method for the Filling: Preheat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine the apples, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Let stand for approximately 15 minutes, or until juices form. Add the flour and mix.

To Assemble: Spoon the filling into the bottom crust and dot with margarine.Roll out the second ball of dough to form a 13-inch round circle. Drape over the filling.Seal the top and bottom crust edges together and trim any excess dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold under and crimp decoratively with a greased fork.Brush the pie with the soy milk. Combine the sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl and sprinkle over the pie. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven.Immediately reduce the temperature to 375°F. Bake for approximately 2 hours, or until the crust is golden brown, the apples are tender, and the filling is thick and bubbling. If the edges are browning too quickly, cover with foil.Serve warm or at room temperature.

— For more information, visit www.GoVeg.com

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