Seasonal Eating – Urban Earthworm https://www.urbanearthworm.org Thu, 23 Apr 2020 22:37:40 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.15 https://www.urbanearthworm.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/cropped-229133_10102400207157548_602676568_n-32x32.jpg Seasonal Eating – Urban Earthworm https://www.urbanearthworm.org 32 32 The Easiest Way to Peel Beets https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2020/04/23/the-easiest-way-to-peel-beets/ https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2020/04/23/the-easiest-way-to-peel-beets/#respond Thu, 23 Apr 2020 22:34:07 +0000 http://www.urbanearthworm.org/?p=1369 This is by far the easiest way to peel beets in the world. After you prep them in the pressure cooker / Instant Pot, the skin literally just pops right off! And the flavor is amazing, too!

The post The Easiest Way to Peel Beets appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
This is by far the easiest way to peel beets in the world. After you prep them in the pressure cooker / Instant Pot, the skin literally just pops right off! And the flavor is amazing, too!

Best watched with Captions on. https://youtu.be/8duwrAFg1mc

Why Pressure Cook Beets?

In short, they’re tastier, faster, and it’s the easiest way to peel beets!

For the longest time, I hated beets. I loved basically every vegetable I had ever tried, except beets. To me, beets tasted like dirt (literally, they tasted like garden soil smells). Turns out, most beets – especially canned or otherwise pre-prepared (overly redundant? haha) – don’t actually taste like beets. They taste like dirt. Beets are delicious when they’re done right.

I was also wary of beets because I had been told by countless friends and family members that beets were a pain in the rear to peel and prep. Recipes called for hours of baking wrapped in foil or hacking away with a carrot peeler. The I stumbled across a memoir-esque account written by a woman homesteading through a winter similar to those we see in Michigan. The whole article was cozy and inspiring, but the part that really stuck with me was when she pointed out that she could make beans from dried to ready-to-eat in under two hours (!!!) and that pressure cooked beets would pop right out of their skins. She, like me, had been a beet hater before she tried pressure cooking.

I wish I could cite this article. I’d love to read it again, but alas it’s been years and I don’t even remember for certain what periodical it was in. I suspect it was Mother Earth News. The idea of being able to switch from canned beans to dried was enough to get me to try out a pressure cooker, and it was everything I’d hoped. It’s been ten years, and I still use the pressure cooker at least once a week. And not only do I love beets now, so do the kids!

Instructions:

Print

The Easiest Way to Peel Beets

Beets prepared in the pressure cooker / Instant Pot will pop right out of their skins! Plus, you can use the tails on Halloween as Creepy Edible Rat Tails!
Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword Beets, cooking hack, instant pot, pressure cooker, Vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  • Whole beets with roots intact and stems still on but trimmed
  • Enough water to just cover all the beets

Instructions

  • If your beets still have greens attached, trim them down leaving short stems attached. (Beet greens are delicious in salads and sandwiches!)
  • Leave the roots intact.
    Beets with short stems and roots attached
  • Put the beets into the pressure cooker and add enough water to just cover all the beets (a little root or stem peeking out of the water is ok, but make sure the bodies of the beets are covered).
  • Pressure cook on high according to your pressure cooker's instructions.

Pressure Cooker Times (use only if not covered in your pressure cooker's instructions)

  • ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER/INSTANT POT:
    Small beets – 10 minutes
    Medium beets – 15 minutes
    Large beets – 20 minutes
  • STOVETOP PRESSURE COOKER
    Small beets – 8 minutes
    Medium beets – 10 minutes
    Large beets – 15 minutes
  • Carefully release the pressure through the pressure release valve.
  • Drain off the water.
  • Cool beets – by dousing in cold water, ice, or popping in the freezer for a few minutes – until they can be handled safely. REMEMBER: They cool from the outside in, so the layer under the skin will be hotter than the skin, and the middle will be much hotter than that.
  • Once the beets are cool enough to safely handle, trim off the top with stems and the root (there's your Creepy Edible Rat Tail for Halloween!).
  • Then just wrap your hand around the skin and squeeze from the bottom, and your beet will pop right out! Peel off any little bits still sticking. Then cut up and use however you prefer!
    Jewel Salad

Video

Notes

IMPORTANT:  Keep these things in mind when preparing beets this way:
Beets *can* stain your fingers or clothes, so you may want to wear gloves.  I find if my fingers do get a little stained, it washes out in a day, so I don’t worry about it.
The steam that comes out of the pressure cooker will be hot.
The beets need to be cooled before you handle them to take the skin off.
Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your pressure cooker.

Creepy Edible Rat Tails for Halloween

One of my favorite Urban Earthworm classics! Creepy Edible Halloween Rat Tails

Pressure Cooker Times for Everything:

Let me know if you try this out, and comment below with your favorite use for the pressure cooker!

Whenever I try something new in my pressure cooker, I always use the times listed on Hip Pressure Cooking. It’s a very complete chart! Hasn’t steered me wrong a single time.

The post The Easiest Way to Peel Beets appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2020/04/23/the-easiest-way-to-peel-beets/feed/ 0
Snow Ice Cream https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2019/01/28/snow-ice-cream/ https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2019/01/28/snow-ice-cream/#respond Mon, 28 Jan 2019 12:59:20 +0000 http://www.urbanearthworm.org/?p=1291 Vegan snow ice cream, or snow cream as my kids call it, is a tradition in our family.  Growing up Canadian in Michigan, we made snow ice cream every winter,...

The post Snow Ice Cream appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
Vegan snow ice cream, or snow cream as my kids call it, is a tradition in our family.  Growing up Canadian in Michigan, we made snow ice cream every winter, and now I share it with my children every year.  It is a joy – and a quick and easy joy at that!

A few tips to keep in mind:

  • It is best to use “second snow” or “later snow”: snow from after the first couple hours of snowfall.
  • Make sure to collect your snow from a clean surface (above and below) that has not been trodden on or touched.
  • Fluffy, dry snow works best for this recipe.  That’s one of the bonuses.  My kids are always disappointed when the snow is not packing snow, but at least we can make snow cream!
  • Packing snow occurs when the temperature is within a couple degrees above or below freezing.  Fluffy snow comes when the temperature is more than a few degrees below freezing.

Vegan Snow Cream with Sprinkles

Vegan Snow Ice Cream Recipe 

INGREDIENTS
All amounts are approximate and should be adjusted to taste 

  • 4 – 8 cups clean snow
  • 1 cup soy milk* (or other plant milk)*
  • 1/3 cup or maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt

* You can use any flavor of milk that you choose – vanilla, chocolate, sweetened or unsweetened, almond, coconut, hemp, flax, macadamia, cashew, etc.  If you use a flavored and/or sweetened milk, you may desire to adjust the amounts of sugar and vanilla.

DIRECTIONS

  1. Whisk together all the ingredients except the snow in a large bowl.  (Leave the snow in a bowl outside or in the freezer until ready to stir it in.
  2. Place the mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes.  (This step is optional, but snow cream melts very quickly and this step helps it last just a bit longer).
  3. Mix in the snow about 1/2 cup at a time until the snow cream reaches a consistency just thicker than soft serve ice cream.
  4. Serve and enjoy immediately!

As always, if you try this recipe, please let me know in the comments, like, and share this post!

 

Disclaimer:  All food comes with a risk.  I can’t guarantee that eating snow is safe, though I certainly feel comfortable with the snow ice cream we make and enjoy.  I find this article has good information on the comparative safety of consuming snow:  So You Want To Eat Snow. Is It Safe? We Asked Scientists

The post Snow Ice Cream appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2019/01/28/snow-ice-cream/feed/ 0
What to Watch This Thanksgiving https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2018/11/22/what-to-watch-this-thanksgiving/ https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2018/11/22/what-to-watch-this-thanksgiving/#respond Thu, 22 Nov 2018 16:47:26 +0000 http://www.urbanearthworm.org/?p=1270 In the US, Thanksgiving is a food and TV holiday.  Growing up, it was turkey followed by watching the Lions play.  These days, both my food choices and my Thanksgiving...

The post What to Watch This Thanksgiving appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
What to Watch This Thanksgiving
Can you believe this was 6 years ago?

In the US, Thanksgiving is a food and TV holiday.  Growing up, it was turkey followed by watching the Lions play.  These days, both my food choices and my Thanksgiving watch list have improved.  It’s only right that I should share what to watch this Thanksgiving with you!

Thanksgiving Morning 

We start the morning with America’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – the parade through downtown Detroit that is just as old as the Macy’s Parade.  Interestingly, they are both tied for second oldest Thanksgiving Parade in the US behind the Dunkin Doughnuts Parade in Pilly.  No one really watches it, and the kids run around making as much of a mess as they can while I prep the cleaning.

For the Kids

Free Birds Thanksgiving Kids Movie

 

While the Tofurkey is roasting and I’m taking the butcher knife to some Brussels sprouts, the kids start to settle down in front of Free Birds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Thanksgiving Movies 

After dinner, we all collapse in our feast coma in front of my favorite Family Thanksgiving movie of all time:  Addams Family Values.

What to Watch This ThanksgivingWhat to Watch This Thanksgiving

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Thanksgiving play sequence of this movie highlights the hypocrisy of the holiday in a fantastically funny satire:  We celebrate turkeys while brutally killing millions of them, and perpetuate the deeply problematic myth of the “First Thanksgiving” between the “pilgrims and Indians.”

This year, my favorite article covering the truth behind the holiday is this one:  The Thanksgiving Tale We Tell Is a Harmful Lie. As a Native American, I’ve Found a Better Way to Celebrate the Holiday

http://time.com/5457183/thanksgiving-native-american-holiday/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-share-article&utm_content=20181119&fbclid=IwAR0cd0cswnajE82eqSqR5uhtxqxID5Y3tmsoTi6sdveLX5MpP0ihzB5hN2U
Edibles foraged from prairie land around Coteau des Prairies Lodge near Havana, N.D., July 19, 2016. Chef Sean Sherman’s work is part of a slowly gathering movement that he and other cooks are calling “new Native American cuisine,” or “indigenous cuisine.” Clockwise from top left: gooseberries, baby corn, milkweed pods, chokecherries, lead plant flowers, buffalo berries, white sage, bergamot flowers, corn silk and, across the bottom, a juniper branch. (Dan Koeck/The New York Times)

Though, to be honest, I originally clicked on the article because I wanted to know if milkweed pods were edible.  Spoiler alert – the article doesn’t explicitly say, outside of the photo caption.

Winding Down

What to Watch This ThanksgivingAs we tuck into additional plates of biscuits with mushroom gravy (me) and pie (basically everyone else), we transition to a classic with deep ties to past family holidays: All 9 Thanksgiving episodes of Friends.

 

 

 

Nightcap

What to Watch This Thanksgiving

And for the grand finale when the kids are in bed, nothing beats finishing off Thanksgiving laughing until it hurts to the best Thanksgiving movie of all time:  Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.  Seriously, I don’t care what generation you’re from, this movie is SO. GOOD.  This year, it is streaming on Hulu.

What to Watch This Thanksgiving

The post What to Watch This Thanksgiving appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2018/11/22/what-to-watch-this-thanksgiving/feed/ 0
Vegan BBQ Pulled Mushrooms https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2015/07/02/vegan-bbq-pulled-mushrooms/ https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2015/07/02/vegan-bbq-pulled-mushrooms/#respond Thu, 02 Jul 2015 18:57:14 +0000 http://www.urbanearthworm.org/?p=1192     Summer is the time for BBQ, and these Vegan BBQ Pulled Mushroom sandwiches are a major crowd pleaser in addition to being super easy to prep.  I hate to...

The post Vegan BBQ Pulled Mushrooms appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
vegan pulled pork

    Summer is the time for BBQ, and these Vegan BBQ Pulled Mushroom sandwiches are a major crowd pleaser in addition to being super easy to prep.  I hate to even reference meat here, but this really is an amazing vegan pulled pork alternative – and much healthier (though BBQ sauce is still pretty high in sugar – and watch out for brands with high fructose corn syrup).

I’ll lay out the basic recipe with a few alternatives to kick it up a level or two:

Required Ingredients:

  • 1/2 lb Mushrooms (should be about 3 cups when raw and roughly sliced)
    • Best mushrooms for this recipe are, in order:
    • King Oyster
    • Oyster
    • Shiitake
    • Other mushrooms are an option as well, but the best texture is achieved with mushrooms similar in firmness and texture to those listed above.
  • 1 cup BBQ Sauce
  • Buns
  • Oil appropriate for sautéing

Optional Ingredients:

  • 1 large or 2 small Onions
  • 2 tbsp minced Garlic
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper
  • 2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Liquid Aminos
  • 2 tbsp Dry White Wine
  • 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
  • Thick Sourdough Toast
  • Hoagie Rolls

Amounts:

  • This is a very flexible recipe and the amounts of the various ingredients will vary based on the overall amount you want to make.  For the purposes of this recipe, I will include rough amounts that make enough to feed 4-6 people (depending on the size of the buns you use).
  • If you don’t use onions, you will need more mushrooms.  My amounts presume you are using onions.

Easiest Possible Preparation:

  1. Slice Mushrooms into rough, thin strips.
  2. Saute mushrooms over medium high heat until they begin to soften.
  3. Add BBQ sauce.
  4. Mix well and continue to sauté until desired consistency is achieved (mushrooms will get softer and sauce will get thicker as dish cooks).

Preferred Preparation:

  1. Dice onions and place in pan (no heat yet).
  2. Dice red pepper  and place in pan (still no heat).
  3. Slice mushrooms into rough, thin strips.
  4. Saute the onions, garlic, and pepper over medium high heat until the onions just start to become translucent.  If desired, add white wine, liquid aminos, and/0r Worcestershire sauce (I use all 3!).
  5. Add the mushrooms.  Stir.  Saute until the mushrooms start to soften and release their liquid.
  6. Add the BBQ Sauce.  Stir and Saute until the sauce thickens and reaches desired consistency.  Add more Worcestershire or liquid aminos to taste.

Note: Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.  Avoid over-cooking the mushrooms, you want mushrooms not mush!

Scoop some onto a thick slice of sourdough toast with some nutritional yeast (or a hoagie or a regular bun), and enjoy!

The post Vegan BBQ Pulled Mushrooms appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2015/07/02/vegan-bbq-pulled-mushrooms/feed/ 0
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer and Why to Avoid the Starbucks Version https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2014/08/26/pumpkin-spice-coffee-creamer-avoid-starbucks-version/ https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2014/08/26/pumpkin-spice-coffee-creamer-avoid-starbucks-version/#respond Tue, 26 Aug 2014 15:50:11 +0000 http://www.urbanearthworm.org/?p=1125 Firey leaves, cozy sweaters, hot apple cider, and ALL THINGS PUMPKIN.  That time of year is just around the corner.  Normally, I would wait until at least September to post...

The post Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer and Why to Avoid the Starbucks Version appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
homemade starbucks pumpkin spice coffee creamer vegan healthy

Firey leaves, cozy sweaters, hot apple cider, and ALL THINGS PUMPKIN.  That time of year is just around the corner.  Normally, I would wait until at least September to post my recipe for Vegan Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer, but an excellent article published on Food Babe yesterday, combined with a couple other factors, has me breaking out my favorite recipe early this year.

Fall is my very favorite season.  I could wax poetic for pages about the tangible magic I feel in the air throughout the autumn season (but I won’t!  I promise; no need to click away).

I will be the first to admit that I still feel some lingering trauma from the Polar Vortex that turned a glittering Michigan winter into a flesh cracking Jack Frost  Hell dragging its icy talons across the midwest all the way into MAY.  I am still joyously embracing every moment of muggy heat and asphalt fumes this August, and I refuse to openly admit that I enjoy a feeling of anticipation on the intermittent Fall-like days.  I still cringe at every buzzword mention of the Polar Vortex, whilst battling flashbacks to the 90’s and the most overused weather buzzword of all time:

And yet, even while fighting every inkling that there is yet another winter just around the corner, it didn’t take much to push me into Fall mode several weeks early.  And that little push was this incredibly well researched, and fairly disturbing, article on what actually goes into a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte.

Vegan Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer Recipe
This image, from Food Babe, is just the tip of the whipped cream ice burg. Please check out the full article and learn why I am not only giving up this treat forever, but am also now considering ditching Starbucks completely for their glaring lack of transparency.

It is completely unethical for Starbucks, or any other business for that matter, to attempt to cover up their use of unsavory ingredients just to preserve profits.  Either come up with better ingredients, or accept the fact that a lot of us don’t want that garbage in our bodies.  Especially when making something just as delicious and MUCH more nutritious is so easy.

Similar to the Starbucks confection, most grocery store coffee creamers are full of all sorts of yucky stuff: hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and worst of all (in my opinion) factory farmed milk. The way those cows are treated is enough to make me wretch. And I can’t even bear to think about what they do to all those little baby calves.  Not to mention the stomach-turning health detriments caused by dairy.

Any way you slice it, whether it’s health concerns, sugar issues, fat issues, lactose issues, ethical, or humane issues, I just couldn’t continue buying those creamers. Your purchases say something! Not just about you, but about where you stand on various issues. I try very hard to keep my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

So here it is, my most popular recipe, which also happens to be on of my easiest, Vegan Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer:

Special Holiday Note: This creamer makes a wonderful and ethical gift.  Pour it into a clean, reused glass jar, maybe paint or glue some used wrapping paper on the cap, use strips of re-used wrapping paper to create a ribbon or bow, and pop on a gift tag made from old holiday cards or wrapping paper, and Voila!  An affordable, easy holiday gift sure to please!

easy recipe for homemade vegan pumpkin spice coffeemate creamer

Ingredients
Makes about 2 cups of creamer
2 cups Almond Milk*
2 tbsp mashed pumpkin (canned is fine, but make sure it’s just pumpkin and not pumpkin pie)
2 tbsp maple syrup**
1 tsp cinnamon***
¼ – ½ tsp nutmeg***
¼ – ½ tsp ground cloves***
¼ – ½ tsp ground ginger***
½ tsp vanilla extract*

* If you use Vanilla Almond Milk, you may not need to add any additional vanilla. You can also use Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Flax Milk, or Hemp Milk. Do not use animal milk – it will separate, go spoil quickly, and taste off.

** Adjust to taste and desired sweetness. If you use sweetened Almond Milk, you won’t need as much sweetener. Fair Trade/Equal Exchange brown or white sugar or agave nectar can be substituted for the maple syrup. The Maple just Falls up the flavor that much more.

*** Adjust spices to taste. You can also substitute pre-mixed “pumpkin pie spice.”

Directions

1. Whisk all the ingredients, except vanilla if you’re planning to add some, together in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Ensure all pumpkin is completely mixed in.

2. Heat until steaming, but not boiling.

3. Whisk in vanilla.

4. Pour into a jar for storage.

It’s that easy!

How To Make Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer vegan fall

Shake before using, as the spices may settle.

This stuff makes my morning!

In addition to being a great gift, substituting this creamer for milk in any recipe is a great way to fulfill all your pumpkin spice desires:
Cookies,
Cakes,
Cupcakes,
Oatmeal,
Pancakes,
Chia Seed Pudding, …

What flavor would you like to see me try out next?  

What do you put in your coffee?

homemade easy vegan coffee creamer starbucks pumpkin spice

 

And as a final Fall themed bonus, I would like to share the following link in memory of my brother, Boo.  I spend days cracking up every time I read it, and I can see and hear him reading it in my head.  Fair warning, it is heavily peppered with rather “colorful” language:

It’s Decorative Gourd Season Mother******s.

You’re welcome.

The post Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer and Why to Avoid the Starbucks Version appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2014/08/26/pumpkin-spice-coffee-creamer-avoid-starbucks-version/feed/ 0
Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer (Vegan) https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/09/04/pumpkin-spice-coffee-creamer-vegan/ https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/09/04/pumpkin-spice-coffee-creamer-vegan/#comments Wed, 04 Sep 2013 13:28:34 +0000 http://www.urbanearthworm.org/?p=896 This Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer is one of my all-time favorite recipes.  I couldn’t be more excited to roll it out again this year having finally moved back to a...

The post Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer (Vegan) appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
This Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer is one of my all-time favorite recipes.  I couldn’t be more excited to roll it out again this year having finally moved back to a climate with an actual fall!  I can hardly wait for sweaters, colorful leaves, and apple cider.  For now, I’ll be taking a break from tea in the morning to spice my coffee up with some Vegan Pumpkin Spice Creamer.

homemade starbucks pumpkin spice coffee creamer vegan healthy

The Pumpkin Spice Latte is a quintessential flavor of Fall. But if you, like me, live way too far from the nearest Starbucks, or if you just don’t like to dish out $4.25 every time you want that quintessential flavor, perhaps you should try out this simple, but utterly delicious, Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer recipe.

Part of the reason I love Fall so much is because of the flavors. Hot, spicy drinks. Pumpkin, squashes, and other roasted Fall veggies. Cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger! Wonderful. And, thankfully, all things I can use to get my Fall fix even on those odd days when there are no beautiful Fall colors, crisp breezes, or hayrides and when the only sweaters I’m wearing have short sleeves.

Even though I am a complete coffee house addict, I’m still not the type to be spitting up almost $5 a pop on a regular basis for fancy coffee drinks. MacGyver and I hit up coffee houses as a treat. One of our favorite impromptu dates is always to grab coffee down by the waterfront then go for a long walk. Those rare treats don’t even come close to filling my Pumpkin Spice coffee requirements for the season, though.

Enter, Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamers. My absolute thrill at discovering these fancy holiday creamers in the grocery store was short lived. Most grocery store coffee creamers are full of all sorts of yucky stuff: hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and worst of all (in my opinion) factory farmed milk. The way those cows are treated is enough to make me wretch. And I can’t even bear to think about what they do to all those little baby calves.  Not to mention the stomach-turning health detriments caused by dairy.

Any way you slice it, whether it’s health concerns, sugar issues, fat issues, lactose issues, ethical, or humane issues, I just couldn’t continue buying those creamers. Your purchases say something! Not just about you, but about where you stand on various issues. I try very hard to keep my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

So, while I was sitting around pouting about the fact that the nearest coffee house where I could get a soy Pumpkin Spice Latte, was 40 minutes away, it occurred to me that there really isn’t all that much to coffee creamers. I mean, really, it’s just sweetened, flavored milk, right? So why not try to make my very own Urban Earthworm Ethical, Vegan, Healthier Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer? And, that night, that is just what I did.

I kept the recipe simple (mostly because I was trying to do this before making dinner ;-)), and was surprised by what a breeze this was to make. And, like most of my recipes, it’s pretty easily customized based on what you have on hand.

easy recipe for homemade vegan pumpkin spice coffeemate creamer

Ingredients
Makes about 2 cups of creamer
2 cups Almond Milk*
2 tbsp mashed pumpkin (canned is fine, but make sure it’s just pumpkin and not pumpkin pie)
2 tbsp maple syrup**
1 tsp cinnamon***
¼ – ½ tsp nutmeg***
¼ – ½ tsp ground cloves***
¼ – ½ tsp ground ginger***
½ tsp vanilla extract*

* If you use Vanilla Almond Milk, you may not need to add any additional vanilla. You can also use Soy Milk, Rice Milk, Flax Milk, or Hemp Milk. Do not use animal milk – it will separate, go spoil quickly, and taste off.

** Adjust to taste and desired sweetness. If you use sweetened Almond Milk, you won’t need as much sweetener. Fair Trade/Equal Exchange brown or white sugar or agave nectar can be substituted for the maple syrup. The Maple just Falls up the flavor that much more.

*** Adjust spices to taste. You can also substitute pre-mixed “pumpkin pie spice.”

Directions

1. Whisk all the ingredients, except vanilla if you’re planning to add some, together in a sauce pan over medium-high heat.

2. Heat until steaming, but not boiling.

3. Whisk in vanilla.

4. Pour into a jar for storage.

It’s that easy!

How To Make Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer vegan fall

Shake before using, as the spices may settle.

This stuff makes my morning!

What flavor would you like to see me try out next?  My co-workers have requested eggnog.

What do you put in your coffee?

homemade easy vegan coffee creamer starbucks pumpkin spice

The post Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer (Vegan) appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/09/04/pumpkin-spice-coffee-creamer-vegan/feed/ 4
Urban Foraging and Wild Edibles: New Feature https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/07/29/urban-foraging-and-wild-edibles-new-feature/ https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/07/29/urban-foraging-and-wild-edibles-new-feature/#comments Mon, 29 Jul 2013 15:19:45 +0000 http://www.urbanearthworm.org/?p=848        A quick examination of an unused former flower bed at my mom’s house revealed a treasure trove of wild edibles – edible weeds, if you will.  The rest of...

The post Urban Foraging and Wild Edibles: New Feature appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
       A quick examination of an unused former flower bed at my mom’s house revealed a treasure trove of wild edibles – edible weeds, if you will.  The rest of her yard and forest edge provided even more bounty.  If were were stranded here with no food (results of an interesting catastrophe since she lives less than a mile from town), we’d be set for a while.

image
These are only SOME of the edible weeds I found walking from one end of the yard to the crick.

      I’ve been studying wild edibles / edible weeds for some time now, preparing myself for urban foraging in and around Detroit, and the interest others have expressed in my new hobby has been abundant. So:

      Starting in September, I will be launching a new feature here on Urban Earthworm: Urban Foraging, Wild Edibles and Edible Weeds. Shoot me any questions on the Facebook page in the meantime.

The post Urban Foraging and Wild Edibles: New Feature appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/07/29/urban-foraging-and-wild-edibles-new-feature/feed/ 2
Caprese Salad https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/06/24/caprese-salad/ https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/06/24/caprese-salad/#comments Mon, 24 Jun 2013 10:30:00 +0000 http://www.urbanearthworm.org/?p=818       This is a fast and easy go-to dish for all those summer BBQs and pot-lucks.  Four ingredients, this nutritious vegan Caprese Salad looks totally classy but takes almost no...

The post Caprese Salad appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
      This is a fast and easy go-to dish for all those summer BBQs and pot-lucks.  Four ingredients, this nutritious vegan Caprese Salad looks totally classy but takes almost no effort.  Is there anything more quintessentially summer than tomatoes and basil?  (Yes, yes there is; watermelon ;-))

       This is also an incredibly fragrant dish.  It pairs brilliantly with veggie burgers, barbecue vegetables, and anything with grilled mushrooms.

image

Ingredients:
Fresh Tomatoes – for prettiest results use multicolored heirloom tomatoes, especially cherry sized tomatoes.
– Fresh Basil – sweet basil or pineapple basil is best, though any variety will work. Do not use dried basil for this recipe.
– Olive Oil
– Balsamic Vinegar
– Optional: Garlic (powder, roasted, or minced from a jar – fresh might be too strong)

Use 1/4 cup chopped basil for every cup diced tomatoes.
Use 1 tbsp each oil and balsamic vinegar for every cup diced tomatoes.
Add garlic to taste, around 1 tsp for every tbsp oil.

Put the diced tomatoes in a bowl. Add the basil.  Sprinkle with oil and vinegar, adjusting to taste, stir just enough to evenly distribute the ingredients.  Dive in!  For best results, assemble right before serving.

The post Caprese Salad appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/06/24/caprese-salad/feed/ 2
Easy Vegan Chili https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/01/08/easy-vegan-chili/ https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/01/08/easy-vegan-chili/#comments Tue, 08 Jan 2013 11:44:27 +0000 http://www.urbanearthworm.org/?p=717       Fast, easy, nutritious, and cruelty free – you can’t beat this quintessential cold weather comfort food.  Who said cooking from scratch and home cooking had to be a major chore?  This vegan...

The post Easy Vegan Chili appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
      Fast, easy, nutritious, and cruelty free – you can’t beat this quintessential cold weather comfort food.  Who said cooking from scratch and home cooking had to be a major chore?  This vegan chili is a two step, one dish recipe (not counting veggie chopping).  It is a pressure cooker recipe, but you could easily use a slow cooker.  Just slow cook the dried beans overnight and slow cook the rest of the chili for at least an hour (all day is better) before serving.

      This recipe made enough for one dinner for our family of four (with Punky taking three big helpings and a tiny third), with enough leftovers for at least 3 lunches.  Also perfect for canning or freezing to have on hand for a quick meal instead of canned soup or something processed from a box.

Ingredients:
The ingredients for chili are quite flexible, which is one of the beauties of this recipe.  Feel free to experiment!

– 2 cups dried beans (This time I used a mixture of dark kidney beans, black beans, and colored butter beans)
– 2 small onions (or one large) – or more!
– 3 bell peppers of various colors (at least one green)
– 28oz can (big can) organic diced tomatoes (or 2 – 3 cups fresh diced toms!)
– 2 cups diced mushrooms (I used a combo of shiitake, oyster, and button)
– 2 tbsp chili powder
– 1 tbsp cumin
– 2 tsp paprika
– 3 cloves fresh garlic, minced (or the equivalent of garlic powder)
– 2 tsp black pepper
– 1 or 2 bay leaves, whole (remove before serving)
– 1/4 cup organic ketchup (it is important to use organic, no high fructose corn syrup, low sugar ketchup)
– 2 tbsp yellow mustard (use less if using mustard powder)
– minced jalapeno peppers or cayenne powder to taste.

      Throw in any other veggies you have or want!  Zucchini and summer squash are great in chili, along with all kinds of peppers, celery, carrots, even broccoli and cauliflower!  Corn is always a great touch to chili.  Adding greens can really kick up the nutritional value.  For a sweeter chili with a really unique touch, add either mashed or cubed sweet potato, acorn or butternut squash.  I even threw in some leftover spaghetti sauce that we had (chili is a great “dumping ground” for leftovers and odds and ends).

You can also add some vegan crumbles like those from Gardien (MorningStar Farms are NOT cruelty free), but I try to avoid it because the crumbles, while WAY better than animal flesh, are still processed.  And honestly, this chili doesn’t need it. 

Directions:

BEANS
Individual pressure cookers may vary, so check your manual. 

vegan chili using dried kidney beans dried black beans easy fast from scratch home cooking dinner fix it and forget it
1.  Rinse your beans.
2.  Put in pressure cooker with 3X as much water (2 cups of beans and 6 cups of water, roughly) – or whatever your pressure cooker manual calls for.
3.  My pressure cooker recommends adding a tablespoon of oil to prevent over-foaming.  I used a tbsp of chili pepper infused extra virgin olive oil that we made when our pepper plants went NUTS last year.
4.  Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes (or according to your machine’s directions).
5.  Drain your beans, leaving them in or returning them to the pressure cooker, and start throwing in your veggie ingredients:

CHILI
1.  While the beans are cooking, dice your onion and mince your garlic first and set aside to rest.  Allowing these to rest increases their nutrient value.
2.  Chop up the rest of your ingredients.
3.  Once the beans are ready, throw in all the rest of your ingredients, including the juice from the tomatoes.  Don’t add any extra water.

chili recipe from scratch pressure cooker dried beans vegan vegetarian cruelty free plant based kid friendly meals
Before pressure cooking.

4.  Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
5.  Serve and enjoy!

There is an optional thickening step, depending on how you like your chili.  My batch was just a little more watery than I like it, probably because of the leftover spaghetti sauce I added, so I made a roux by mixing 1 – 2 tablespoons of Teff flour with just enough water to make it pourable, like a batter. (you can use any flour or cornstarch; I just love Teff because it is SO much more nutritious than even whole wheat flour – it is also gluten free).  Slowly stir the roux, a little at a time,  into the chili as soon as you’re able to open the pressure cooker.  Mix thoroughly.  The teff did a beautiful job of making my chili the perfect texture I was after.

three bean chili vegetarian fast recipe easy recipes fast dinner ideas vegan dinner easy vegan chili pressure cooker slow cooker

As always, let me know if you try it!  Small steps make a huge difference!

The post Easy Vegan Chili appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2013/01/08/easy-vegan-chili/feed/ 2
Roast Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2012/11/18/roast-brussels-sprouts-with-balsamic-glaze/ https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2012/11/18/roast-brussels-sprouts-with-balsamic-glaze/#comments Sun, 18 Nov 2012 18:54:47 +0000 http://www.urbanearthworm.org/?p=620       Brussels Sprouts have gotten a bad rap, and I think a lot of that is due to do with boring boiled sprouts. This recipe has a great kick and...

The post Roast Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
  Easy potluck brussels spouts vegan potluck side vegan brussels sprouts    Brussels Sprouts have gotten a bad rap, and I think a lot of that is due to do with boring boiled sprouts. This recipe has a great kick and has been known to convert even determined Brussels sprouts haters. Bonus: it has very few ingredients and is incidentally vegan.

      One of the lawyers I work with had the audacity to scoff when I told him I was bringing Brussels sprouts to our work potluck. “No on eats Brussels sprouts,” he claimed.  Ha!  This dish was one of the few that was completely emptied before the end of the event. They were a huge hit.  I’m thinking I’ll bring the same thing to our huge Thanksgiving gathering on Thursday.

      It’s the roasting that gives these sprouts such an amazing, full, earthy  flavor, and the balsamic that cuts any bitterness.  I am a roasted veggie addict.  Seriously, so easy, and brings out so many perfect flavors.

      This recipe is pretty simple any way you do it, but can be simplified even further depending on the level of preparation you want to put into trimming the sprouts.

      For maximum crisp texture and roasty flavor, I trimmed my sprouts then cut them in half.  I misted a cookie sheet with grapeseed oil, and placed the sprouts on the cookie sheet, cut side down.  I then scattered the onions on/around them, misted the whole lot with a touch more grapeseed oil, sprinkled with garlic powder, and roasted according to the directions below.  I mixed them all up once, about 5 minutes before they finished roasting and were already nice and brown on the cut sides.

       For a little quicker prep, one can easily skip the anal-retentive placing the cut side of every single sprout down on the pan, and stir the whole lot half way through roasting. 

      Even quicker yet, it is not necessary to halve the sprouts at all, you just won’t get quite as much crispy parts on your roasted sprouts.

Ingredients:
I recommend doubling the whole recipe for a potluck size portion.
–  2lbs Brussels sprouts
–  1 large onion, cut into chunks similar in size to your sprouts.
–  ~2 tbsp high heat oil such a grapeseed oil
–  ~2 tbsp garlic powder
–  1 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened and preservative free is preferred)
Glaze:
–  1/2 C Balsamic vinegar (beware that balsamic vinegar aged in certain kinds of barrels can contain heavy metals and purchase wisely)
– 1/4 C fair trade sugar

Directions:
1  Chop up the onion and let it rest at room temp while you trim the Brussels sprouts.
2.  Trim the Brussels sprouts according to your preference (see the 3 paragraphs directly preceding the recipe).
3.  Lightly coat the sprouts and onion with the oil.  If you have a mister, that works wonderfully.  If not, throw the onion and sprouts in a big bowl, drizzle with a bit of oil, cover, and shake to evenly cover everything.
4.  Scatter the sprouts and onion cookie sheets in a single layer, and sprinkle with garlic powder.
5.  Roast at 400 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.  Time will vary based on the size of your sprouts and whether you halved them.  They are done when they are starting to get brown and crispy.  For whole sprouts, mix everything around about 1/2 way through cooking with a spatula, scraping the pans.  If they are cut in half once the cut sides down on the pan are brown, mix everything around with a spatula and roast for another 5 minutes.
6.  While the sprouts are roasting, combine the balsamic and the fair trade sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until glaze reaches your desired thickness, probably around 15 minutes.
7.  After the sprouts come out of the oven, top with the cranberries, drizzle with the glaze, toss it all together, and serve immediately.

The post Roast Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze appeared first on Urban Earthworm.

]]>
https://www.urbanearthworm.org/2012/11/18/roast-brussels-sprouts-with-balsamic-glaze/feed/ 1