Cooking Healthy Lessons Online

Vegan Fusion
Cooking Healthy Lessons
Online Chef Training Manual Mark Reinfeld & Bo Rinaldi
www.veganfusion.com www.cookinghealthylessons.com
Copyright 2010,2011 Vegan Fusion. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Vegan Fusion.
Table of Contents
Lesson 1 ~ Vegan Soups 6
Vegan Fusion Technique: Basic knife cuts Italian Florentine Soup Coconut Vegetable Soup Tom Kah Pak Shiitake Sea Veggie Chowder Vegan Fusion Technique: Sauting Vegan Fusion Technique: Steam sauting Vegan Fusion Technique: Toasting spices, nuts and seeds Potato and Toasted Spice Soup Some common leafy herbs Indian Spice Mix Mexican Spice Mix Moroccan Spice Mix Vegan Fusion Technique: Blended dressings Vegan Ranch Dressing Vegan Fusion Technique: Simple Salads Tortilla Chips Wok-Tossed Cabbage Salad Roasted Root Vegetable Salad Vegan Fusion Technique: Roasting vegetables Rice & Grain Dishes Vegan Fusion Technique: Cooking Grains Grilled Vegetable and Quinoa Salad Simple Marinade Vegan Fusion Technique: Steaming Vegan Fusion Technique: Blanching Legume dishes Two Bean Salad Black Bean Dip Lemon Dijon Marinade Tofu Vegan Fusion Technique: Stir frying Vegan Fusion Technique: Broiling Vegan Fusion Technique: Tofu and Tempeh Cutlets Vegan Fusion Technique: Crusted cutlets Sesame Tofu with Wasabi Cream Sauce Vegan Fusion Technique: working with arrowroot powder Vegan Fusion Technique: Sweating Eggplant Vegan Fusion Technique: Braising
Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual
8 9 10 13 14 14 14 16 17 20 21 22 24 28 30 34 36 37 37 40 41 42 43 46 47 47 49 50 54 54 57 57 59 59 60 61 61 61
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Lesson 2 ~ Dressings and Salads 24
Lesson 3 ~ The World of Grains and Legumes 40
Lesson 4 ~ Tofu, Tempeh, and Seitan Dishes 52
Braised Tempeh with Green Beans in Sesame Sauce Vegan Fusion Technique: Skewering Indonesian Seitan Satay Peanut Sauce Pasta Vegan Fusion Technique: Pasta dishes Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan sauces Roux Onion Gravy Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan cheese creation Vegan Fusion Technique: Working with polenta Black Rice Polenta Casserole Tapenade Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan condiments Vegan Sour Crme Garlic Herb Aioli Vegan Mayonnaise BBQ Grilled Tempeh Sandwich Vegan Fusion Technique: Blackening Cajun Spice Mix Veggie Nori Rolls Asparagus Rolls Vegan Fusion Technique: Egg replacers Substitution is the solution Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan Cobblers Blueberry Cobbler Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan Frostings Carrot Ginger Cake Vegan Pie Crust Vegan Fusion Technique: Working with phyllo dough Barakas Baklava Strawberry Sauce Raw Food Dos and Donts Wasabi Pickled Ginger Pate Mango Chili Sauce Live Chocolate Mousse
62 63 64 65 67 68 69 69 70 73 74 75 80 81 81 82 82 83 84 84 85 86 93 95 96 97 98 100 101 102 103 105 110 116 117 120
Lesson 5 ~ Pasta, Casseroles and Sauces 67
Lesson 6 ~ Wraps , Sandwiches, Spreads, Pizza and Rolls 76
Lesson 7 ~ Vegan Desserts 92
Lesson 8 ~ Raw Cuisine 1: Smoothies, Pts, Pasta & Pudding 109
Lesson 9 ~ Raw Cuisine 2: Elixirs, Soups, Plant Cheeses, Parfaits, Ice Cream 123
Vegan Fusion Technique: Elixirs Jamaican Gingerade Live Hot and Sour Soup
123 124 126

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Live Un-Stir Fry with Cauliower Rice Spicy Cashews Cashew Cheese Live Pine Nut Macadamia Ricotta Veggie Towers Vegan Fusion Technique: Raw Ravioli Crme de la Crme Vegan Fusion Technique: Zesting
127 128 130 132 133 135 137
Lesson 10 ~ Raw Cuisine 3: Nut & Seed Milks, Granola, Pizza, Tacos and Cheesecake 138
Aphrodisiac Elixir Orange Cranberry Almond Granola Rainbow Kale Salad Gomasio Choco Tacos Papaya-Tomato Salsa Ancho Chili Sauce Sour Crme Vegan Fusion Technique: Live Pies Raw Cheesecake Sauerkraut Vegan Fusion Technique: Juicing 141 142 143 144 146 146 147 147 148 149 151 151
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Welcome
Welcome to the Vegan Fusion Cuisine online training program. We have been developing vegan recipes for over 5 years ad aream excited to share our experiences with you. In this course we will go over many of the techniques involved in vegan and raw natural food preparation. Each lesson goes over several critical concepts and includes a variety of recipes in which the techniques are used. By learning these various concepts and techniques, and combining them in unique ways, we create the full range of what Vegan Fusion cuisine is all about. The recipes in this manual come from a variety of sources. There is a selection from my cookbooks: Vegan Fusion World Cuisine, coauthored with Bo Rinaldi, The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw, coauthored with Jennifer Murray and Bo Rinaldi, The 7-Minute Chef e-book, coauthored with Bo Rinaldi, The 30-Minute Vegan and The 30-Minute Vegans Taste of the East, coauthored with Jennifer Murray. There are also some selections from The Blossoming Lotus Restaurant on Kauai and Portland. Through the practice of the techniques, you will feel a renewed condence in your ability to create a wide range of unique and healthy meals on a moment's notice. Our goal is to have you think about food in a dierent way. You will learn about dierent ethnic cuisines and discover the vast array of delicious vegan food. We will also provide important nutritional information that will demonstrate that all of the bodys nutritional needs are met following the Vegan Fusion program. In our program we discuss each recipe, how it can be used (appetizer, side dish, entre, etc.) and its possible variations. We also cover various topics such as nutrition education, ethics/environmental eects/sociological impact of our food choices. We will take you into the kitchen, where we will work together to prepare the days recipes. The Vegan Fusion program is suitable for all people on the path to health as it is dairy free and in many cases gluten-free, low-fat and always loaded with nutrition. Prepare for a wonderful transformative healthy journey! Mark Reinfeld and Bo Rinaldi
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Lesson 1 ~ Vegan Soups

Techniques covered in this lesson:
Basic knife cuts One pot soups Creamy soups Seasoning with herbs and spices Toasting spices, nuts and seeds Sauting Steam sauting Spice blends Soup stock Garnishing
Recipes covered in this lesson:
Italian Florentine Soup Coconut Vegetable Soup - Tom Kah Pak Shiitake Sea Vegetable Chowder Potato and Toasted Spice Soup Italian Spice Mix Indian Spice Mix Mexican Spice Mix Moroccan Spice Mix Vegan Fusion Soup Stock
SEE ALSO: Mango Gazpacho (30MV pg 153); Mahatmas Mung Dahl (VF 149), Red Onion Soup (30MV pg 156)
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Vegan Fusion Technique: One pot soups

The simplest type of soup to create is a one pot soup. It basically involves adding ingredients to a pot with water or vegetable stock, cooking until done, seasoning and enjoying. The length of time to complete the cooking will depend upon the ingredients selected. There are countless varieties of this theme, and even using the same main vegetables, by altering the spices, you can create an innite array of soups. The rst soup is a classic example of a one pot soup. It provides a template for many variations. We have a base, which consists of onion, garlic, celery and water or stock. These ingredients can form the base for any soup you create. Then we add vegetables to create a particular type of soup. Here we use tomatoes and spinach to create a Florentine soup. By altering these main vegetables you dene the soup. If we simply substitute the tomatoes and greens with an equal amount of broccoli, we would have a broccoli soup. Next we add the herbs and spices to create a particular ethnic avor. Here we use Italian herbs and spices. If we changed the herbs from Italian (parsley, basil, oregano) to Indian, the soup would be an Indian soup etc. After this, you can then add even more excitement by adding beans, tofu or grains. Each combination will create a completely dierent soup.
Kitchen Safety 101

Please be aware when working in a kitchen that there are several safety concerns. Sharp knives, hot pans and liquids, potentially slippery surfaces etc. Extra mindfulness is required at all times. Here are a few safety and sanitary tips: Please wear closed toe shoes at all times. Please keep long hair tied back. Please no loose hanging jewelry. Please clean up spills immediately after they occur. Please wash hands thoroughly before handling food. Use food handling gloves for maximum protection. Please communicate with others if you are transporting a hot item. If someone is not aware that you are walking behind them, please let them know as you pass by. Place an oven mitt on top of any hot item when removed from the oven to let folks know that it is still hot. Please be extra careful when carrying a knife. Always keep the blade down and close to your body. To prevent the growth of food borne pathogens, please remember the FAT TOM mnemonic device: F = Food Protein-rich foods are most susceptible to spoilage. (Meat, milk, eggs and sh are most susceptible (Good for us vegans ) A = Acidity Food-borne pathogens require a slightly acidic environment to ourish (4.6- 7.5)
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T = Time Food should be removed from danger zone temperatures within 2 to 4 hours by either cooling or heating T = Temperature Food borne pathogens grow in temperatures from 41-135 F, with the most danger between temperatures of 71 to 120 F. O = Oxygen Most pathogens require oxygen, though some such as botulism, do not. M = Moisture Water is necessary for food borne pathogens to grow. The FDA regulates how much water content canned good may contain. Source: Wikipedia
Vegan Fusion Technique: Basic knife cuts

ince - the nest that can be cut by hand. Used with garlic, ginger, fresh herbs. Dice - slightly larger, 1/4 uniform pieces. Good for carrots, green onion, zucchini, potatoes, peppers, onion. Chop - larger than dice and is usually a 1/2 in diameter. Try with carrots, zucchini, potatoes, beets, peppers, onion, eggplant, tomatoes. Slice - many types are possible, can be thin or thick, half moon shape, rings or diagonal. Works with onion, cabbage, cucumber, zucchini, carrots, eggplant, peppers, beets, tomatoes. Chionade thin ribbon strips of herbs Cube - chopped into uniform squares. Can vary in size. Try carrots, eggplant, zucchini, beets, jicama, potato. Julienne - long and thin strips a la matchsticks about 1/8 of an inch wide. Used with carrots, zucchini, peppers. Try using dierent color bell peppers like red, orange and green. Shred - cut into thin strips, either by hand or by using a grater or food processor. Try carrots, beets, zucchini, jicama, cabbage. Brunoise cube approximately measuring 1/8 inch 1/8 inch 1/8 inch. Julienne, then dice. Carrot and turnip and leeks. Batonnet thicker than Julienne, approximately 1/2 inch 1/2 inch 2-3 inches cut. Carrots, jicama. Alumette Slightly thicker than julienne. Approx 1/4 inch 1/4 inch 2 1/2 inches. Matchstick cut
Some common measurement conversions

1 tablespoon (Tbl) = 3 teaspoons (tsp) 4 Tbl = 1/4 cup
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Italian Florentine Soup

Gluten-free Serves 4-5 1 medium onion, chopped small (1 1/4 cups) 1/2 cup celery, sliced thin 1 Tbl garlic, minced 3 medium tomatoes, chopped small (2 cups) 5 cups ltered water 2 cups tomato juice 2 cups spinach or other green veggie, chopped small 3 Tbl fresh herbs, minced (try basil, parsley or both) 1 Tbl Italian spice mix (see below) or 1 tsp each dried oregano & thyme) 2 tsp sea salt or to taste 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper or to taste 1. Place all ingredients except herbs, spices and salt and pepper in a large pot and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. 2. Stir in remaining ingredients and enjoy.
Variations
~ try adding tamari to taste ~ add 1 Tbl of Fennel seeds, 2 Tbl nutritional yeast and a pinch of crushed red pepper akes. ~ you may replace the green veggies with vegetables of your choosing. ~ replace tomato juice with another veggie juice or soy, nut, rice or coconut milk. In this next soup we are using coconut milk to create a creamy base for our vegetables. Again, by altering the veggies, herbs and spices selected you can create completely dierent Vegan Fusion dishes.
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Courtesy Taste of the East Gluten-free
Coconut Vegetable Soup Tom Kah Pak
If you arent serving all of this soup immediately, you may want to leave the cabbage on the side. Portion out some shredded cabbage to each bowl (remember it will shrink down quite a bit when it gets hot), add the soup and stir. Serves 8 6 cups ltered water or vegetable stock Two 14-ounce cans coconut milk 2-inch piece ginger, peeled 1 stalk lemongrass, 1/2-inch pieces 2 kar lime leaves 4 cups assorted chopped vegetables (carrot, zucchini, broccoli, eggplant, mushrooms) 1 cup yellow onion, quarter moons 2 red or green chiles, seeded and diced 1 lime, juiced 1/4 cup wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro 4 cups Napa cabbage, shredded, lightly packed 1 cup mung bean sprouts, optional garnish 1. Place the water in a large pot over medium heat. Blend about half of the coconut milk with the ginger, lemongrass and lime leaves on high speed for 20 seconds until there are no chunks. Add the remaining coconut milk and blend again for 5 to 10 seconds to incorporate. Pour this mixture into the water and continue cooking over medium heat while you prepare the vegetables. 2. Place each vegetable into the soup pot as you go starting with the hardest, longest cooking veggies. Add the onion and chiles, cover and heat for 10 minutes or until all the veggies are tender. 3. Add the lime juice and tamari and stir. Cook for 2 more minutes and taste. If you think the soup needs more lemongrass, ginger or kar lime, blend more now with 1/2 cup of the broth. Otherwise, add the cilantro and cabbage and serve immediately, garnished with mung bean sprouts, if using.
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Some other terms you want to know

Mis en place - a French term that translates as everything in place. It means to have all of the ingredients prepped and the equipment on hand that are necessary for the creation of the recipe Mirepoix - a combination of onion, celery and carrot that is traditionally used as the base of sauces, soups and stocks. The usual ratio is 2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part carrot. Consomm - Commonly misused to dene any clear broth soup, consomm is actually a type of clear soup made from stock that typically contains egg whites and animal proteins. Crme Fraiche Made from souring heavy cream, crme fraiche is slightly thicker and less sour than sour crme with a high butterfat content. Frequently used as a garnish on soups. You can make a vegan version by blending nuts such as cashews or macadamia nuts with a small amount of water, soy milk, or soy creamer and a splash of lemon juice. A quick and easy version uses vegan mayonnaise (instead of the blended nuts) mixed with lemon juice.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Blended Soups

The second type of soup is a blended soup. There are several ways to make delicious creamy plant based soups. This Vegan Fusion technique involves adding the ingredients that will make the soup creamy and blending. To begin, prepare the soup as you would for a one pot soup. Then add an ingredient to make it creamy and blend some or all of soup. For texture, you can then add chopped veggies, beans or tofu. Adding fresh minced herbs after the soup is blended gives a nice color contrast. Ingredients we use to create creamy texture in soups include: nuts and seeds raw or toasted (see below) nut and seed butters silken tofu starchy vegetables such as potatoes or yams nut milks like almond or macadamia, coconut, soy or rice milk grains such as rice arrowroot, irish moss, kudzu root powder, tapioca our and other thickening agents Try blending in some of the following nuts: Brazils Cashews Chestnuts Hazelnuts (Filberts) Macadamia Pecans Pine Nuts Pistachios Walnuts Almonds (preferably without skins) Peanuts (peanuts are actually legumes) This next soup is a classic example of a creamy soup where a one pot soup is blended with macadamia nuts. We blend some of the soup for the creaminess eect and leave the rest unblended for added texture. We also introduce the saut technique, which adds enhanced avor.
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Shiitake Sea Veggie Chowder

Courtesy The 30-Minute Vegan Gluten Free We like to use a large (4 1/2-quart) skillet for making this soup but any medium pot will also do the trick. Cut the veggies small to speed up the cooking process and keep the ame on low so that you can start the thicker veggies cooking while you're chopping the others, adding them into the skillet as you go. Serves 4 to 6 1/2 cup arame (or hijiki) (see lesson 6) 4 cups water or vegetable stock 1 Tbl olive oil 2 cups diced russet potatoes, unpeeled 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1/2 onion) 1 cup diced carrot (about 1 medium carrot) 1 cup diced celery 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced 4 cups shiitakes, stems removed, chopped small (about 8 ounces) 1/2 cup macadamia nuts 2 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1 Tbl nutritional yeast 1/4 cup minced Italian parsley Soak the arame in 3 cups of water and set aside. 1. Heat the oil, potatoes, salt and pepper over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally while chopping the other veggies. Have 1 cup of water on hand and add small amounts to the pan as needed to prevent the potatoes from sticking and burning. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and shiitakes as you go and keep stirring occasionally until all of the vegetables are soft and tender (about 3 to 5 minutes after the shiitakes are in), and turn down the heat to low. 2. Place the macadamia nuts in a blender and slowly blend while adding in 2 cups of the arame soak water (see Box). Blend on high for as long as necessary to grind the macadamias into a milky liquid. 3. Add 1 1/2 cups of the sauted vegetables to the blender along with the tamari, and nutritional yeast. Blend for another 20 seconds or until creamy. 4. Pour the blended mixture back into the saut pan or pot and add the parsley, arame and remaining arame soak water over medium-low heat, stirring until thoroughly heated. This is a thick soup, heating too long and/or reheating will require you to add a little more water to thin it out.
Tips and Tricks

When making nuts into milks like this one (unstrained), you need to add the water as
Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual page 13
slowly as possible to make sure that the nuts blend up well. This will be dierent for all types of blenders. Too much water will make the nuts (especially macadamia nuts) bounce around in the water and not grind up enough, resulting in chunky milk. Adding the water very slowly in the beginning allows the nuts to form a nut butter consistency, then you can add the remaining water a bit more quickly and you'll have creamy milk.
Variations
~ Although the shiitakes lend a very clam-like consistency to the soup, you may substitute crimini or other mushrooms when necessary. ~ Add a couple strips of diced Fakin Bacon or Tempeh Bacon
Vegan Fusion Technique: Sauting

Sauting involves cooking in a pan at a medium to high temperature, usually with oil added. It is recommended to heat the pan before adding the oil. Recommended high heat oils include saower, sunower, grape seed, and sesame. Some oils such as ax, hemp, or pumpkin seed are not appropriate for sauting. You can use a saut pan or try using a wok. This is the technique used in the famous stir fry - with all its variations. If you do use a wok, remember the sides of the wok are cooler than the bottom. As you add new veggies to your stir fry, move the older ones to the side to allow the newer ones to cook on the hotter surface.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Steam sauting

Steam sauting is an alternative to the saut method just mentioned. It may be used by those wishing to eliminate the use of heated oils in their diets. Water or stock is used instead of oil in the initial cooking stages for dishes that are sauted. Place a small amount of water or stock in a heated pan, add vegetables and follow the recipes as you would if using oil. Add small amounts of water at a time if necessary to prevent sticking. Lemon juice or tamari may also be mixed in with the water for added avor
Vegan Fusion Technique: Toasting spices, nuts and seeds

Toasting spices brings out a depth of avor that enhances dishes. Toasting can be done in a saut pan. 1. Heat saut pan or dry skillet on medium heat. 2. When pan is heated, add spice and stir constantly until a strong aroma is released, approximately 30 seconds. *Try toasting nutritional yeast in the same manner for an enhanced nutty avor* You can also toast spices in oil to impart their rich avor to the oil and the rest of the dish. Use this method when you are cooking other items in the same pan.
1. Heat a small amount of oil in pan on medium heat. 2. When pan is heated, add spice and stir constantly for approximately 15-30 seconds before adding remaining ingredients in the recipe. Toasted spices can be stored in their own jar on your spice rack. You can grind whole spices with a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle Toasted cumin powder is one of our favorites. Try toasting cumin seeds and powder coriander seeds mustard seeds chilies and chili powder black pepper fennel As with toasting spices, toasting nuts and seeds adds depth and enhanced avor. For this, preheat an oven or toaster oven to 375. Place items to be toasted on a dry baking sheet, and leave in oven until golden brown, and being mindful not to burn. Nuts and seeds may also be dry sauted in the same way as spices. Nuts become crunchier after cooling down. You can also try slow roasting nuts, seeds and spices for an even more robust avor. 1. Preheat the oven or a toaster oven to 225. 2. On a dry baking sheet: bake nuts for 30 to 45 minutes or until they are browned; bake seeds for 20 to 30 minutes or until browned; bake spices for 15 to 20 minutes or until aromatic and browned.
This next soup utilizes two techniques. It includes potatoes to create a creamy texture and includes toasted spices for enhanced avor.
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Serves 5-6
Potato and Toasted Spice Soup
1/2 tsp fennel seed 1/2 tsp cumin seed 1/4 tsp pepper corns 6 cups ltered water or stock 2 medium potatoes (3 cups, chopped) 1 cup celery, chopped small 1 medium carrot, sliced thin (1 cup) 1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup) 2 tsp garlic, minced 2 tsp rosemary, dried 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 tsp thyme, dried 1/2 tsp oregano, dried 3 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 1. Place fennel, cumin and peppercorn in a stock pot on medium high heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until aromatic and toasty. Add vegetables, spices, salt and water, cover and cook until vegetables are done, approximately 15 minutes. 2. Add tamari and nutritional yeast, remove from heat, blend in small batches and return to pot. Garnish with fresh minced parsley
Variations
~ this soup is made creamy by the potatoes. Try with butternut squash, yams or sweet potatoes. ~ replace carrots with other veggies. ~ try adding 3 Tbl of fresh minced herbs after blending. Or add 2 Tbl of Italian spice mix or 1 Tbl of either Indian, Mexican or Moroccan spice mixes before blending.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Seasoning with herbs and spices

A main part of seasoning a dish consists of the herbs and spices that are used to give it a unique avor. The same dish can be altered countless ways by varying the herbs and spices - creating completely dierent nal products. There are many time honored blends that are used in traditional ethnic cuisine - Indian food with its curries, Italian with herbs like basil, parsley and oregano, and Mexican with its chilies and cilantro. Once again, the best way to learn the dierent avors and combos is to begin experimenting with dierent herbs and spices. In many cases, herbs are actually some of the most life giving foods you can take include in your daily diet. Take a moment to smell the herb, crushing it beforehand. Try chewing on the leaf to get to know its avor. Review its characteristics and read up on it. Take a bowl of rice or a baked potato and add one herb or spice to the dish. See how it tastes. Try dierent quantities and combos to nd avors you like. Its a trial and error process so have fun with it.
Some common leafy herbs

Herb Comments Popular and avorful herb used fresh or dried. A staple of Italian cuisine. The fresh leaves are used as the base in pesto sauces. There are quite a few varieties to choose from. Thai Basil is a wonderful addition to coconut curries and other Thai dishes. Indian Basil is known as the sacred Tulsi. A pungent herbal bouquet used when simmering foods. Includes thyme, tarragon and oregano. A staple of French cuisine as part of the Fine Herbes blend. Used in light sauces and dressings. Has a fragrance like myrrh. Best to add at end of preparing dish. Great with potatoes and in soups. One of the Fine Herbes of French cuisine. Also try with marjoram, rosemary, mint, and parsley. Both the leaf and the seeds are used in Mexican, Indian and Thai cooking. Has a slight citrus avor. Also referred to as coriander. The root is also used in Thai cuisine. A biblical herb, dill has very aromatic leaves that are used fresh or dry. Use dry sparingly as it imparts a strong avor. Seeds and owers are also used. Common in European and North African cuisine. Try with cucumber, cabbage and with plant based crme sauces.
Basil
Bouquet Garni Chervil Chives
Cilantro
Dill
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Fine Herbes Herbes de Provence Marjoram Mints Oregano Parsley
Used extensively in French cuisine. Includes fresh parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil. May also include marjoram. Another staple of French cuisine that typically contains dried thyme, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, basil, savory, and bay leaf. May also include lavender owers. Thyme usually imparts the dominant avor of the mix. Has a slightly sweet, citrus avor. Used in Italian cuisine and in the French Herbes de Provence mix. Wonderful in soups. Use the young, tender leaves and stems. Commonly used in desserts, teas and in various ethnic cuisines such as Indian. Oregano has a strong avor and its leaf is used in Italian and Greek cuisines. The dry herb often imparts more avor than the fresh. Comes in two forms. Curly leaf is generally used as a garnish. Flat leaf or Italian parsley has a stronger avor and is preferred for culinary purposes. Parsley is also used as a breath freshener. Rosemary has a strong avor and is usually used sparingly. Its fresh thin leaves can be minced or can use the whole stems and remove at end of cooking process. The stem can also be used as a BBQ skewer for grilled veggies. Use fresh leaves whenever possible. Part of the famous parsley, sage rosemary and thyme combination. The owers of garden sage are edible and make a beautiful garnish. Comes in Spanish and French varieties. Has a slightly sweet avor. Its part of common blends such as Fines Herbes, Herbes de Provence, and Bouquet Garni. Its also used to avor herbal white wine vinegar.
Rosemary
Sage
Tarragon
A savory herb with small leaves that impart a strong avor to dishes used in Greek and African cuisine. Frequently used with tarragon and oregano as part of Bouquet Garni. Also used in Herbs de Provence. Note: In general, 1 Tbl fresh herb may be replaced with 1 tsp of dried herb Thyme
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Spice blends

Each type of ethnic cuisine has developed a rich history of avors. The best way to get to know the various spices and herbs is you guessed itto taste them! Sample dierent spices and quantities. Its fun to create your own blends and try them in various dishes. Store your favorite blends in jars and have them on hand to speed up the preparation process. When you are in the neighborhood, visit ethnic markets to discover the less known spices that will give an even more authentic avor to your dishes. We provide the following blends as a starting point.
Makes 6 Tbl 2 Tbl basil, dry 2 Tbl marjoram, dry 1 Tbl oregano, dry 1 tsp thyme, dry 1 tsp garlic powder
Italian Spice Mix
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Store in a glass jar.
Variations
~ You may also add any or all of the following: 1 Tbl sage, 1 tsp ground rosemary, 1 tsp crushed red pepper akes, 1 tsp ground fennel. ~ over fresh tomatoes ~ sprinkled on salad ~ added to oil and vinegar for a quick dressing
Serving Suggestions:
Basil is used extensively in Italian and Mediterranean cooking. With origins in Asia or Africa, and cultivated for over 2000 years, basil has a rich folklore. Also referred to as sweet basil, in the Middle Ages and in some countries today, it symbolizes love. In India it is considered a sacred herb and is referred to as holy basil or Tulsi. Essential oil of basil is shown to have anti-bacterial and anti-inammatory properties.
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Makes 7 Tbl
Indian Spice Mix
2 Tbl curry powder 2 Tbl cumin powder 2 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp ginger powder 1/2 tsp cardamom powder - optional Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Store in a glass jar.
Variations
~ try toasting the cumin and coriander ~ add 2 tsp of brown mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of clove.
Serving Suggestions:
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ over cooked rice or quinoa with chopped cucumbers tomatoes and shredded carrots in quick stir-fries added to toasted sesame oil and brown rice vinegar for Indian salad dressing sprinkled on popcorn.
Cumin has a slightly nutty and peppery avor and is used extensively in Indian, Mexican, and Mid-Eastern cuisine. A medicinal spice with a rich history, it is benecial for the digestive system. Originally from Egypt, its been grown in the Middle East, India, China and Mediterranean countries for millennia. Cumin is mentioned in the Bible and was widely used in Ancient Greece and Rome. In the Middle Ages in Europe, it was a very popular spice and considered a symbol of love and faithfulness.
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Makes 7 Tbl 1/4 cup chili powder 2 Tbl cumin powder 2 tsp oregano, dried 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Mexican Spice Mix
Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Store in a glass jar.
Variation
~ try toasting the cumin and chili powder. Serving Suggestions: sprinkle over fresh cut tomatoes (also add lime juice, garlic, diced red onion and cilantro also known as salsa), over avocado slices (covered with lime juice) or in guacamole, or sprinkled on lightly oiled corn or our tortillas along with sea salt- bake at 350 for 10 to 20 minutes, sprinkle over popcorn, or over fresh cooked rice/quinoa. Oregano is a delicious staple of Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine with ancient healing qualities. Originally cultivated in Northern Europe, oregano was the symbol of joy and happiness for the Ancient Greeks and Romans, who used it ceremoniously in marriage rituals. Much of its lore is attributed to the beauty and aromatic fragrance of the mountains upon which it grows. Oil of oregano has strong antioxidant and antibacterial properties.
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Makes 6 Tbl
Moroccan Spice Mix
2 Tbl cumin, ground 2 Tbl coriander, ground 1 Tbl paprika 1 Tbl turmeric powder 1 tsp ginger powder 1 tsp cinnamon powder 1 tsp allspice powder 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Store in a glass jar. Serving Suggestions: over fresh cooked cous-cous with shredded carrots, raisins and diced red bell peppers, or sprinkled over cucumber or tomato slices. If you are feeling adventurous, create exotic avor combinations utilizing the following fresh or dried ingredients: Moroccan - cinnamon, cumin, ginger, saron, cayenne, paprika, mint, anise seed, black pepper, parsley, saron, mint. Chinese - 5-spice powder (Szechwan peppercorns, star anise, clove, cinnamon, fennel), cumin, garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper. Cajun - cayenne, paprika, garlic, basil, chile powder, thyme, cloves, onion powder, bay leaf, black and white pepper. Jamaican allspice, scotch bonnet peppers, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, ginger, peppercorns, saron, vanilla. Ethiopian cumin, cardamom, allspice, fenugreek, coriander, cloves, black peppercorns, red pepper akes, ginger, turmeric, paprika, cinnamon.
Whats the dierence between white pepper and black pepper?

They both come from the same plant. The black peppercorn is picked early while it is still green and dried in the sun until it is black. The white peppercorn ripens on the vine before being picked. The black pepper has a stronger, more peppery avor. Many opt to use white pepper for aesthetic reasons when making white sauces etc.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Creating soup stock

Soup stock adds depth to dishes and is a great way to use vegetable trimmings from the preparation of other dishes. It is a versatile and wonderful ingredient to have on hand. Use it for sauces, sauting, consomms, and a warm broth or use it in any of the recipes calling for vegetable stock. For a simple soup stock: Save clippings and scraps of vegetables used in preparing other recipes. Place them in a large, thick-bottomed stock pot on low heat with water to cover and simmer until all veggies are completely cooked. Their avor will be imparted to the broth. Experiment with dierent vegetables and herbs until you discover your favorite combinations. Strain well, add salt and pepper to taste. Try using potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, parsley, parsnip, zucchini, leeks, corn cobs and garlic. Many avoid using vegetables that become bitter such as bell peppers, radishes, turnips, broccoli, cauliower and Brussels sprouts. It is not necessary to add dry herbs or spices to a stock as it becomes avorful unto itself. Some would use bouquet garni in mesh and remove. The stock may be frozen and defrosted for future use. You can even pour broth into ice cube trays, freeze and use as needed.
Ingredient Prole: Miso

Before we leave the soup lesson, we want to mention an ingredient that creates the quintessential quick and easy soup miso. High in protein, vitamins and minerals, miso is a cultured soy product with an ancient history of use in Japan. It comes in many varieties including red, white, barley, and even chick pea. Each variety has its own unique avor, ranging from mild to strong, sweet to salty, and many avors in between. Become a master of miso by experimenting with as many types as you can. Generally the lighter varieties are recommended in the warmer months, and darker varieties in the colder months. Try the unpasteurized version for enzyme- rich nutrition. Though the list of what pairs nicely with miso is long, misos already complex avor tends to lend itself to modest combinations of complimentary ingredients such as diced tofu, shiitake mushrooms and green onion; bean thread noodles, shredded carrots and celery; bamboo shoots, leeks and straw mushrooms.
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Lesson 2 ~ Dressings and Salads

Whisked dressings Blended dressings Simple salads Grated salads Warm Salads Roasting vegetables
Mexican Vinaigrette Vegan Ranch Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing Tahini Dressing Italian Tomato Salad Mexican Salad with Carob Mole Dressing Daikon Carrot Salad Wok-tossed Cabbage Salad Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
Vegan Fusion Technique: Blended dressings

The concept for most dressings is to start with an oil base, then add vinegar or lemon, herbs, spices and seasonings. Vinegar or lemon helps in bringing out the avor of the seasonings. Oil-free dressings are also incredible. The oil may be replaced with water, citrus juice, vegetable and fruit juices and blended fruits or veggies. You can also use blended nuts and seeds, roasted vegetables such as squash, and raw fruits and veggies such as cucumber, tomatoes, berries or papaya. The ratio is generally 3 parts oil to approximately 1 part vinegar or lemon, although it can vary depending on the type of dressing. When it comes to the fresh herbs and spices, there are many to choose from. As you progress in your seasoning experience you will know which herbs go well in which dressings.
Other items to add into dressings include:

citrus juices wasabi powder mustard - stone ground or dijon olives capers horseradish toasted nuts and seeds seaweed chile peppers
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ginger or pickled ginger avocado roasted or raw garlic sun-dried tomatoes veggies such as carrot, mushroom or your favorite roasted or grilled red peppers, garlic, mushrooms or other veggies squash, we prefer butternut or acorn silken tofu
Oils we use in dressings:

Olive - ranges in avor from mild to strong. Choose cold pressed. Virgin is from the rst pressing and contains most avor and nutrients. Cold pressed is made without using heat or chemicals. Avoid rened brands. Saower and Sunower - mild avor, does not solidify when refrigerated. Good for dressings. Sesame - for oriental dressings try light (untoasted) or dark (toasted). Dark has stronger avor, use only a small quantity. Hemp - nutty and highly nutritious. One of the best sources of omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids (EFA). It should not be heated. Flax - light nutty avor, source of omega 3, 6 and 9 essential fatty acids (EFA). It should not be heated.
Vinegars
Most vinegar will last for about two years in a cool, dark place. Once opened, vinegar should be used within three to six months. There are many types of vinegars, and most are associated with a particular ethnic cuisine. Here is a sample of some of the more popular varieties: Apple cider vinegar always use the raw and unltered variety. Used in American cooking, apple cider vinegar is highly nutritious, with a lot of folklore surrounding its benets. For a great book on the background of apple cider vinegar, including many healing tips, check out Folk Medicine by Dr. D.C. Jarvis. Balsamic vinegar - used in Italian cuisine, slightly sweet, fruity avor and mild acidity. Champagne vinegar - light and mild vinegar with a delicate avor. Raspberry vinegar - this is a mild and fruity vinegar that makes a terric salad dressing. Red wine vinegar commonly used in European cuisine. Has a tangy avor and is used in vinaigrettes and marinades. Rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar popular in Asian dishes - sweeter, milder, and less acidic than other vinegars. Sherry vinegar - robust and fruity avor used in Spanish cuisine. Umeboshi plum vinegar used in Asian cooking. It has a salty, fruity, and sour avor. Strictly speaking this vinegar is not actually a vinegar. Its the brine from the umeboshi plum pickling process. Lemon juice - there are many kind of lemons, we prefer the Meyer when available. Many people use lemon juice instead of vinegar, especially those on the pH diet.
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Use the following recipe as a template to create a vast number of vinaigrettes. See the variations to discover the ways the dressing may be altered.
Mexican Vinaigrette
Gluten-free Makes 1 cup 3/4 cup saower oil 1/4 cup water 2 Tbl lime juice 2 Tbl apple cider vinegar, raw unltered 2 Tbl pumpkin seeds 1 Tbl agave nectar or maple syrup 1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp) 1 Tbl cilantro, minced 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1/2 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper 1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy.
Variations
~ try replacing cilantro with other fresh herb such as basil, dill or parsley. ~ replace spices with 2 tsp of Mexican, Italian, Indian or Moroccan spice mixes. ~ try adding 2 Tbl pumpkin seeds, with sunower seeds, cashews, macadamia nuts, walnuts or pecans raw or toasted. ~ replace lime juice with lemon juice.
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In the following dressing, the creaminess is created with blended cashews.
Gluten-free Makes 1 3/4 cups
Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing
1/2 cup ltered water 1/2 cup saower oil 1/2 cup cashews, raw 6 Tbl orange juice, fresh squeezed if possible 1 Tbl + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, raw unltered 1 Tbl poppy seeds 1 Tbl agave nectar or maple syrup 1 Tbl miso paste - optional 1 tsp stone ground mustard 1 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce, optional Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste 1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
Variations
~ try adding 1 tsp of minced garlic or ginger. Replace poppy seeds with 3 Tbl of minced herb such as cilantro, basil or parsley. ~ replace cashews with macadamia nuts or sunower seeds. ~ try replacing orange juice with lemon or lime juice.
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Gluten-free Courtesy The 30-Minute Vegan
Vegan Ranch Dressing
We were surprised to learn that ranch dressing originated from a dude ranch in 1950s California, and that its actually one of the most popular dressings in the US . Sometimes you just want to smother your salad in a rich, creamy dressing. This is the one to choose. To turn this into a phenomenal Ranch dip or spread, leave out the soy milk. Makes 1 1/4 cups 3/4 cup Vegenaise (or other vegan mayo) 6 Tbl soy milk or rice milk 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tsp raw apple cider vinegar 1 garlic clove 2 Tbl minced green onion, white part only 1/4 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp black pepper Pinch of cayenne 1 Tbl minced Italian parsley 1. Blend all of the ingredients except the parsley until creamy. Pour into a small bowl. Add the parsley, stir well and enjoy. 2. This dressing will thicken if left in the fridge. Re-blend or whisk in some additional soy milk to return it to a pourable consistency.
Variations
~ replace the parsley with an equal amount of dill. ~ add 2 tsp nutritional yeast for a cheesy avor. ~ for Green Garden Dressing - add another Tbl of minced parsley and include it in the blending step.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Whisked dressings

Many dressings can be created without the use of a blender. Simply place the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk together.
Makes 1 cup
Tahini Dressing
1/2 cup tahini 1/4 cup + 2 Tbl ltered water 1 Tbl + 1 tsp lemon juice, fresh squeezed if possible 1 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1 Tbl green onion, diced 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, raw unltered 1/4 tsp garlic or ginger, minced - optional pinch cayenne pepper 1. Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. (After dressing has been refrigerated, you may need to add more water to achieve desired consistency.)
Variations
~ the texture and brand of the tahini will determine how much water, and tamari is needed for this recipe. Taste and adjust as necessary. ~ try replacing the green onion with fresh minced herbs of your choosing. ~ try replacing tahini with nut butters such as almond, cashew or macadamia.
Tahini created from ground up sesame seeds, tahini is abundantly used in Mid-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. Its a rich source of calcium and is a good source of essential fatty acids (EFA), which are vital for cardiovascular, reproductive, immune and nervous systems. The human body needs EFAs to manufacture and repair cell membranes. Quick and Easy: Balsamic dressing. Combine 3/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp maple syrup, 1 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce in a small bowl and whisk well. Try adding 2 tsp of fresh minced herbs, or 1/4 tsp minced garlic, and/or 1 tsp Dijon mustard. Quick and Easy: Basil Oil. Use to enhance the avor of any dish calling for oil. For 1 cup, blend 1 cup of olive oil with 2 cups of fresh basil that has been rinsed and dried. Blending for a few minutes will warm the mixture and allow more of the basil avor to be released. Strain well into a jar and store in the fridge for up to a week. You may also pour into a plastic squeeze bottle and use to create beautiful green oil garnishes. Quick and Easy: Herbal Vinegar. Add a few sprigs of rinsed and dried fresh herb to 16 ounces glass bottle of white wine vinegar. Place the bottle in a sunny place for 2-3 weeks. The longer it stays in the sun, the more avor it will absorb. Try with tarragon, basil, chives, dill, lavender, rosemary, sage or thyme. Also try with 3 Tbl crushed fresh
garlic. Quick and Easy: Balsamic Reduction. Reducing balsamic vinegar creates a delicious sauce that has the sweetness and rich avor of the balsamic vinegar without the tang. This will keep for months in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Pour into a squeeze bottle and drizzle over salads, vegetables or entrees. The most simple recipe calls for adding 2 cups of a high quality balsamic vinegar to a heavy-bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid o until the liquid is syrupy and reduced to approximately 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally. You can enhance the avor of the reduction by adding any or all of the following ingredients: two tbl of Sucanat or organic brown sugar, a few sprigs of fresh herbs such as rosemary or thyme, a dozen whole peppercorns, 2 whole garlic cloves, and/or 1/4 cup chopped onions. If adding the herbs, peppercorns, garlic or onions, strain the mixture well through a ne sieve after it has had a chance to cool. The mixture will thicken as it cools. Enjoy any time you are looking for highly concentrated intense avor.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Simple Salads

Salads are a vast topic. You can turn a simple lettuce salad into a gourmet experience by adding foods that create many layers of avors. Experiment with including the following that can transform your salad into an addiction. the vast universe of dressings marinated sun-dried tomatoes croutons sauted / breaded mushrooms olive tapenade roasted red pepper fresh baked tortillas, pita, crostini caramelized onions (see note below) fresh or dried fruit sauting or warming the greens tofu feta (lesson 4) sprouts such as sunower and buckwheat beans like garbanzo, kidney and navy nuts and seeds, raw or roasted, such as maple glazed almonds, walnuts, spiced cashews edible owers such as nasturtium, chive, garlic, basil, sage, dill, guava, chrysanthemum, peas, fuchsias, borage, calendula, chamomile, mint, rose, squash blossom, marigold, dandelion. Note: To caramelize onions, slice onion into 1/4 inch slices. Add the onions to a saut pan with oil and an optional tsp of sweetener such as Sucanat and cook over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently. You can add 1/2 tsp of sea salt after about 10 minutes. The onions will take on a caramel color and the natural sweetness of the onions will be intensied. The goal is to have the onions brown but not burned. Add 1 to 2 tsp of balsamic vinegar at the end if you wish.
The next recipe is a simple cold salad where we combine raw ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Many salads, such as this one, benet from marinating a while before serving. Experiment with dierent times for each dish to nd the ideal marinade time.
Gluten-free Serves 2-3
Italian Tomato Salad
4 medium roma tomatoes 1/2 inch chop (2 cups) 2 Tbl fresh basil, minced 2 Tbl olive oil 1 Tbl balsamic vinegar 1 tsp minced garlic Sea salt to taste Ground black pepper to taste Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Serving suggestions
~ serve as an appetizer over toasted whole grain bread or crostini (thinly sliced baguette, coated with olive oil and toasted) and topping with a clove of roasted garlic ~ as a side dish along with a salad. ~ allowing to sit in the fridge for 20 minutes to an hour will enhance the avor.
variations
~ Try adding 1 tsp of Italian spice mix. Add 2 tsp if fresh basil is not available. ~ Replace basil with cilantro, balsamic vinegar with lime juice and add 2 Tbl diced red onion for a great salsa fresca. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an antioxidant that has been linked with good heart health and oers protection against various other diseases. No other food has as much of this important nutrient as the tomato. Centuries ago the French believed that tomatoes had aphrodisiac qualities and named them pommes damour or love-apples.
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The following dish uses lettuce as a base and adds beans, vegetables and a powerful dressing to create a unique salad experience.
Mexican Salad with Carob Mole Dressing

Gluten-free Courtesy The 30-Minute Vegan In the U.S., mole sauce is usually a savory sauce with a chocolate base. In Mexico however, the sauce comes in quite a few varieties. Here we use carob for a softer, more luxurious creaminess. Makes 4 large salads or 6 to 8 side salads One 15-ounce can black beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked 1 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 2 tomatoes, chopped medium 1 cup corn (defrosted frozen corn), optional 1/4 cup minced cilantro 1 cup grated jicama 8 cups salad greens, lightly packed (approximately 3/4-pound)
Carob mole dressing

1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup water 1 Tbl toasted sesame oil 1/4 cup carob powder 1 garlic clove 1/4 cup cilantro 1 Tbl agave nectar 1 Tbl freshly squeezed lime juice 1 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1 tsp ground cumin 1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder (or add 1/2 tsp to the regular chile powder) 1/2 tsp chile powder 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp sea salt 1. Drain and rinse the black beans well. Warm them up in a small saut pan or pot over medium heat with a little bit of water (maybe a 1/4 cup), and the tamari, for about 5 minutes and strain again. Refrigerate to cool. 2. In a mixing bowl, stir together the tomatoes, corn, and cilantro. Set aside or refrigerate until serving time. Toss the jicama in with the salad greens and set aside or refrigerate as well. 3. Blend all of the carob mole dressing ingredients together for 20 to 30 seconds or until smooth. Transfer to a measuring cup or serving cup, and serve on the side. 4. Add the cooled black beans in with the tomato mixture and stir. Arrange the salad
greens on the serving plates. Top with the bean and tomato mixture. Add your desired amount of dressing. Avoid pre-tossing the salad in the dressing for a fresher more vibrant dish.
Variations
~ Replace the black beans with your favorite beans such as pinto or kidney beans. ~ Use thinly sliced chili peppers to enhance the avor of the salad. For milder chiles use poblano, Anaheim or ancho. For some heat try chipotle, jalapeno or even habanero. Blending one or two into the dressing would also spice things up considerably. Optional: Add homemade tortilla chips:
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Tortilla Chips
Courtesy The 30-Minute Vegan 2 Tbl olive oil 6 corn tortillas (usually 1/2 package) 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste 1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Use a pastry brush to spread a thin coating of the olive oil over both sides of each tortilla. Stack the tortillas and cut them in half, then cut two more parallel lines into each half so that each tortilla is cut into 6 strips. 2. Oil a baking tray lightly with the olive oil. Lay the tortilla strips out over the sheet in a single layer and sprinkle with your desired quantity of salt. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes or until the tortillas are hard but not browning. They will get crunchier as they cool.
Go Organic
The Organic Trade Association states that organic farming is based on practices that maintain soil fertility, while assisting natures balance through diversity and recycling of energy and nutrients. This method also strives to avoid or reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers and pest controls. Organic foods are processed, packaged, transported and stored to retain maximum nutritional value, without the use of articial preservatives, coloring or other additives, irradiation or synthetic pesticides. Some non-organic foods should be avoided more than others. The list of foods to avoid when possible includes: Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, nectarines, strawberries, grapes, cherries, carrots, and pears are high on the list of non-organic foods to avoid. Further foods to avoid include spinach, lettuce, potatoes, green beans, hot peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms, cantaloupe, oranges and winter squash. Go to http://www.foodnews.org/ for a more complete list.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Grated Salads

For the following recipe, the base ingredients are grated using either a grater or a food processor with a grating attachment.
Gluten-free Courtesy Taste of the East
Daikon Carrot Salad
Daikon is a Japanese word meaning large root. With origins in Central Asia, it is a relatively large mild radish. If you can nd black sesame seeds, they make for a stunning presentation, but any sesame seed will do. 1 large daikon radish, peeled and grated (2 cups) 3 carrots, peeled and grated (2 cups) 1 Tbl peeled and minced ginger 2 Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 Tbl toasted sesame oil 2 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 2 tsp umeboshi vinegar 2 tsp mirin, optional 1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste 2 Tbl black sesame seeds 1. Combine the daikon and carrot in a large bowl and mix well. 2. Combine the remaining ingredients except the sesame seeds in a small bowl and whisk well. 3. Pour over the daikon and carrots and gently mix well. Top with sesame seeds before serving.
Variations
~ ~ ~ ~
Try toasting the sesame seeds Replace the umeboshi vinegar with rice vinegar or your favorite Replace some of the grated carrot with grated beet Add 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
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Gluten-free Courtesy Taste of the East
Wok-Tossed Cabbage Salad
By stir-frying the dressing in this recipe you unlock a much deeper taste than the average salad. And tossing the cabbage in the wok for a minute or two gives the cabbage a softer, more munchable texture. Serves 6 to 8 1 1/2 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp brown mustard seeds 10 curry leaves, optional Pinch asafoetida 1 to 2 green chilies, seeds removed and thinly sliced 1 1/2 Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste 6 cups nely shredded green cabbage 1 cup shredded carrot (about 1 large carrot) 2 Tbl minced fresh cilantro 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, optional 1. Heat a wok or pot over medium heat. Add the oil and heat it for 1 minute, then add the brown mustard seeds. When they start to crackle add the curry leaves, asafoetida and chilies. Stir for 1 minute. 2. Add the lemon juice and salt and stir. Add the cabbage and carrot and toss quickly for 1 to 2 minutes, just enough to coat the cabbage and soften it slightly. Turn o the heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the cilantro and peanuts, if using, and serve. Asafoetida: Also referred to as hing, asafoetida has a pungent and relatively unpleasant aroma when raw but imparts the taste of garlic and onion when added to cooked food. It is frequently used by those who avoid onion and garlic in their food. It is also used as a digestive aid.
The following salad is based upon roasting root vegetables. It may be served cold or hot. This recipe blurs the distinction between a salad and side dish. Most would not consider it a salad if it were served hot.
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Gluten-free Courtesy Vegan Fusion World Cuisine Serves 2-4
Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
3 Tbl olive oil 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock 6 cups assorted root vegetables, chopped (parsnip, beet, sweet potato, carrot, Jerusalem artichoke, celeriac or other root vegetables) 1/2 cup fennel bulb, chopped 2 Tbl fresh herbs, minced (parsley, dill, &/or basil) 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste 1 tsp black pepper, ground to taste Pinch cayenne pepper 2 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce, or to taste 1 Tbl balsamic vinegar 1. Preheat oven to 375. Rinse vegetables well and chop into 1/2 cubes. Combine all ingredients, except tamari and balsamic vinegar, in a 9 x 13 casserole dish and mix well. 2. Bake until all vegetables are cooked through, approximately 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Remove from the oven, cool for 5 minutes, add tamari and balsamic vinegar, mix well.
Serving Suggestions
~ as an appetizer salad or side dish for tofu or tempeh dishes or portobello mushrooms ~ in a tapas menu ~ over grains ~ as an entre salad over greens with sprouts, and a drizzle of poppyseed, ranch or your favorite sauce or dressing.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Roasting vegetables

Roasting brings out a wonderful rich avor. You will be amazed at how this simple technique enhances the avor of any dish. To roast veggies, follow these simple steps. 1. Preheat oven to 400. 2. Place vegetables in a casserole dish or on a baking sheet. 3. The veggies can be marinated, mixed with olive oil and spices, or simply cooked in water and their own juices. 4. Cook until just soft, stir occasionally to make sure veggies are getting evenly cooked. Good veggies to roast include the root vegetables such as beet, potato, carrot, yam and radish. Zucchini, corn, garlic and bell peppers are also awesome. We particularly like
roasting parsnips and Jerusalem artichokes. You may also experiment with roasting at a lower temperature for longer periods of time to add even more depth to the avor of your dishes.
Roasting garlic
This adds a fantastic avor to pretty much everything. You can peel the garlic and roast the cloves as mentioned above (alternatively, you can roast them in their skins and peel as you use them). Another method involves slicing the top 1/2 portion o the stem of a bulb of garlic and placing it in a very small baking dish, sliced side up, topped with olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper and 1 tsp of minced fresh herbs, baking until a knife can easily pass through the garlic, approximately 35 minutes. Squeeze garlic out of bulb and use as a spread for toast or ax crackers, or to enhance the avor of other spreads, dressings, sauces, stir fries and casseroles.
Roasting bell peppers

Roasted bell peppers are another amazing ingredient to have on hand. Use them to give a great are to salads, soups, dressings and spreads or as a garnish. To roast peppers, preheat an oven or toaster oven to 400. Rinse the peppers and place on a well-oiled baking sheet. Place in the oven and cook until the skin of the peppers is charred and bubbly, approximately 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and place in a covered bowl for 10 minutes. Peel o the skin and remove the seeds. They may also be roasted over an open ame. Its important for all the skin to be bubbly, to make peeling them easier. Soaking them briey in cold water also helps to remove the skins.
Ingredient Spotlight: Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast is one of our favorite condiments. It adds a cheesy and nutty avor to dishes. It's a vegan source of protein, containing essential amino acids. Its rich in B-vitamins (fortied Red Star brand contains vitamin B12) and folic acid, which is necessary for the formation, growth and reproduction of red blood cells.
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Vegan Fusion Myth Busters

It is a complete myth to think that a vegan diet does not provide the necessary nutrients for us to thrive. In 1995 report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services armed that all of the bodys nutritional needs can be met through a well-planned plant-based diet. In 2009, The American Dietetic Association restated their position that well-planned vegan and other types of vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including during pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood and adolescence. It is their ocial opinion as well as that of the Dietitians of Canada that "appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benets in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. They go on to say that the results of an evidence-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Features of a vegetarian diet that may reduce risk of chronic disease include lower intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol and higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy products, ber, and phytochemicals.
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Lesson 3 ~ The World of Grains and Legumes

Cooking Grains Grilling Steaming Blanching Cooking Legumes Recipes covered in this lesson: Grilled Vegetables and Quinoa Salad Multigrain Cereal Coconut Spinach Rice Asparagus Risotto Two Bean Salad Black Bean Dip Kitchari
See also Maple Granola (VF pg. 183), Buttermilk Pancakes (30MV pg. 66) Black Eye Collards (VF pg 144), Split Pea Roasted Parsnip Soup (VF pg 39)
Rice & Grain Dishes

Grains, beans and legumes and other complex carbohydrates are a wonderful addition to the modern day diet. For thousands of years, these staple food items have provided important nutrients. Science is also revealing how benecial these life giving foods are for heart and digestive health. Grains are complex carbohydrate foods that are lled with ber and nutrition. As such, they are the staple food for many of the worlds cultures. They promote energy and are rich in minerals and B-vitamins, and are fun to cook with as well. Whole grains contain an oil that can become rancid and attract insects if not stored correctly. To store grains, it is recommended to keep them in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry location. They can be stored in a refrigerator for up to four weeks and in a freezer for up to six months. Cooked grains may be kept in the refrigerator for up to three days and in the freezer for up to three months. Many grains may also be soaked and sprouted, therefore enjoyed in their live state. These sprouts may also be dehydrated and ground into our for low temperature live food baking. Today we have the benet of being able to enjoy incredible grains such as short grain brown rice, buckwheat, millet, quinoa and barley. Additionally it is easy to create or purchase pastas made with these life-giving grains. We try to eliminate as much processed wheat as possible from our diet, because we feel that gluten is dicult for anyone to digest, etc. More and more people are coming forward with wheat and gluten allergies or intolerances. It is theorized by some that up to 20% of the population has some sort of
reaction to eating gluten. Rice, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, amaranth, te, and several other grains are 100% gluten-free and wonderful options for anyone with a gluten intolerance. Most health-food stores today carry gluten-free ours including rice, tapioca, potato starch, sorghum, and others from Bobs Red Mill brand, making it much easier to enjoy a nutritious diet with a gluten-free approach.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Cooking Grains

Simply follow these instructions and you will always have perfectly cooked grains. 1. Rinse the grain thoroughly and drain the excess water. 2. Bring the measured amount of grain and liquid (either vegetable stock or ltered water) to a boil. You may wish to add a dash of sea salt. 3. Cover with a tight-tting lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for the recommended time. Since the grain is being steamed, do not lift the lid until the grain is nished cooking. Cooking times may vary depending upon altitude and stove cooking temperatures. The grain is generally nished cooking when it is chewy and all of the liquid is absorbed. Check out the attached grain cooking charts or Vegan Fusion World Cuisine or The 30Minute Vegan. The rst dish is a perfect example of a simple grain-based salad. It consists of the Incan Superfood quinoa, and has perfect balance of grilled vegetables, herbs and seasonings.
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Grilled Vegetable and Quinoa Salad
3 1/2 cups ltered water or stock 2 cups quinoa 3/4 tsp sea salt 3 1/2 cups assorted grilled vegetables, chopped (onion, bell peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and or corn) 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced 1/2 cup green onion, sliced 1/4 cup fresh herbs, minced 2 Tbl balsamic vinegar or lemon 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper akes sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste 1. Place quinoa, salt, and water or stock in a 3 quart pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until liquid is absorbed, approximately 10 minutes. (If quinoa is already prepared, use 5 1/2 cups cooked quinoa for this recipe.) Place in a large bowl. 2. Grill vegetables according to method below. Add to bowl with quinoa and remaining ingredients and gently mix well.
Variations
~ try adding 2 Tbl ax oil and 1 Tbl of nutritional yeast. ~ try adding1 Tbl of any of the seasonings in this manual for a specic ethnic are. ~ try altering the fresh herbs and the veggies that are grilled. Or you may use roasted veggies instead of grilled. ~ try with another grain such as rice or couscous. ~ replace Grilled Vegetables with smoked ones (see Lesson 6).
Ingredient Prole: Quinoa

This ancient mother grain of the Incas is another one of our favorite Superfoods. Quinoa has been cultivated in the Andes mountain region for over 5000 years. It contains more protein than any other grain and is particularly rich in the amino acid lysine, which is essential for tissue growth and repair. In addition to protein, quinoa contains a multitude of healthful nutrients including calcium and the B- vitamins. And yes, it is gluten-free.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Grilling

Nothing beats the avor that grilling adds to dishes. You will be amazed how simple this is while contributing a wonderful smoky avor. Consider grilling tempeh and tofu cutlets, as well as many vegetables such as portabella mushrooms, corn on the cob, onions, baby bok choy, peppers, zucchini, eggplant or whatever is in season in your local area. Grilled vegetables are amazing to have on hand for last minute sandwiches and salads too. 1. Preheat grill. 2. Place items to be grilled in a marinade. (See below or check out marinade recipes in Lesson 4) Marinate for a few minutes or even overnight. The longer an item stays in the marinade, the more of the avor it will absorb. Be careful not to over marinate. 3. Place on grill and baste with basting sauce. Brush occasionally and grill until char marks appear and the item is heated thoroughly, ipping periodically. If using a gas grill, avoid placing items over a direct ame.
1/4 cup water 3 Tbl olive oil 1 Tbl soy saucewheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1 Tbl maple syrup 1 Tbl Italian Spice Mix (see lesson 1)
Simple Marinade
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The recipe is a twist on a breakfast favorite. A step above a simple bowl of oatmeal, the quinoa and kasha in the following recipe add a hint of nuttiness and create a grounding way to start the day, especially on cold winter mornings. Experimenting with the dierent grains and add-ons listed below will help you create a new hot cereal each day.
Gluten-free Serves 2 to 4
Multigrain Cereal
1/2 cup quinoa 3 1/4 cups water 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/4 cup kasha (toasted buckwheat) 1 medium banana, sliced Pinch of cinnamon Pinch of cardamom Soy, rice or nut milk to taste Maple syrup or agave nectar to taste 1. Place the quinoa and water in a small pot over medium low heat. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes. 2. Add the kasha and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 3. Add the rolled oats, reduce heat to low, and cook for approximately 7 minutes, or until all grains are cooked through, stirring frequently. Add additional water if necessary. 4. Add the banana, spices, milk of choice, and sweeten to taste.
Variations
~ Try adding 1 Tbl of almond butter or other nut butter after cooking. ~ Add your favorite fruits and dried fruits. ~ You can add the banana in with the oats while cooking for an extra infusion of sweetness. ~ Toast chopped walnuts or other nuts or seeds in a toaster oven for a few minutes at 350F and add before serving. Many variations are possible using dierent grains. See the grain cooking chart for cooking times. Consider rice and polenta as substitutions. Be daring and try a 4 grain combination with your favorites.
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The next dish combines a grain (rice) with vegetables and a bean and Indian spices. It also demonstrates cooking a grain in coconut milk.
Serves 6
Coconut Spinach Rice
1 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp mustard seeds 1 tsp curry powder 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste 1/2 tsp ground black pepper Pinch cayenne 2 cups white basmati rice One 14-ounce can coconut milk, or fresh 1 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock One 10-ounce package frozen spinach (3/4 cup cooked spinach pressed rmly) One 14-ounce can garbanzo beans- optional 1. Toast the cumin and mustard seeds in a medium pot for 1 minute over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Add the curry powder, salt, pepper, cayenne, rice, coconut milk and water and bring to a boil. 2. Cover, reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the liquid is absorbed, approximately 10 minutes. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. 3. Add the spinach and garbanzo beans, if using, and gently toss well.
Variations
~ ~ ~ ~ Add 2 tsp minced garlic and 1/4 cup diced onion along with the spices. For a heartier dish, add another 10-ounce package of spinach. Add 1/2 cup chopped roasted cashews along with the spinach. Replace the basmati with brown basmati or another brown rice.
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This next dish is a risotto, made with Italian Arborio rice. Creating risotto is a culinary art form. It involves cooking the rice over a low temperature, adding liquid and stirring continuously until the rice reaches an al dente stage (where it still maintains rmness, yet is not hard).
Courtesy of Vegan Fusion World Cuisine Serves 3-4
Asparagus Risotto
2 Tbl olive oil 1/4 cups shallots, diced 1 cup arborio rice 2 Tbl lemon juice, fresh squeezed 3 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock 4-6 large asparagus, steamed until just soft, sliced thin, (1 1/2 cups) 3/4 cup coconut, soy or rice milk 3 Tbl nutritional yeast 1 Tbl tahini 1 Tbl mirin 1 Tbl basil, minced 1 Tbl Italian parsley, minced 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1/4 tsp saron strands soaked in 2 Tbl warm water Pinch crushed red pepper akes to taste wheat-free tamari or soy sauce, to taste (optional) 1. Place oil in a large saut pan on medium high heat. Add shallots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium, add lemon juice and stir well. Slowly add water or stock, stirring constantly, cook until all liquid is absorbed, approximately 20 minutes. 2. Add remaining ingredients including steamed and sliced asparagus, gently mix well and enjoy.
Variations
~ For roasted squash risotto, replace asparagus with 1 cup of roasted squash.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Steaming

Steaming involves using a steamer basket, either bamboo or stainless steel. Vegetables are placed in the basket; the basket is placed in a pot of water with a lid. The water boils and the vegetables are cooked by the steam that is generated by the boiling water. A small steamer basket ts well in a 3 quart pot and can provide countless quick and easy steamed veggie medleys.
Place water in a pot with a steamer basket and lid, bring to a boil. Water should not be above the bottom of the basket. When water boils, place veggies in basket and cook until just tender. The time will depend on the type of veggie and the size of the cut. If several vegetables are used, place the rmer vegetables that take longer to cook, like yams, carrots, cauliower, etc. in the steamer rst and steam for a few minutes. Add other vegetables like broccoli, green beans, red bell peppers, mushrooms, purple cabbage, zucchini or snow peas, keeping all veggies vibrant and just cooked until tender. Please do not overcook. Check steam water periodically to make sure you dont run out. Dierent people like their veggies cooked to dierent states of tenderness. Find your preference. In general its best to avoid overcooking, cook until they are just soft and tender for your enjoyment. This preserves as much of the nutritional value as possible. Experiment with dierent timings to discover how long it takes to cook them to perfection.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Blanching

Sometimes we like to precook some of the hardier veggies like the broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliower before using them in a saut. Blanching involves dipping an item in boiling water from several seconds to a few minutes, and then placing immediately into ice water. This helps stop the cooking process and keeps a fresh color to vegetables. This technique is used if you want to precook veggies for reheating later. Its also used to keep vibrant colors on veggies for a cold pasta dish like pasta primavera. Try blanching broccoli, and cauliower to ad to veggie crudits. When the ingredients are left in the water for longer, it is considered parboiled. We like to parboil string beans for a few minutes before adding to our sauts.
Legume dishes
Legumes, including beans, peas and other pulses such as lentils, are a highly nutritious addition to the diet and are a great source of protein. They are a high ber, low calorie, low fat, low sodium and cholesterol-free food. They are also quite high in essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals. As with grains, although it takes longer to cook the beans, the time of preparation and serving is less than 7 minutes. If you are pressed for time, canned beans are a suitable substitution. Make sure you choose organic beans whenever possible. There are many delicious brands to sample.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Cooking Legumes

Before you cook legumes, it is recommended to clean thoroughly, rinse well and soak overnight. This improves digestibility and reduces gas. Other methods for improving digestibility include adding some fennel seeds, a handful of brown rice or a few strips of the sea vegetable kombu to the legumes while cooking. If you forget to soak beans over night, a quick method is to bring beans and four times the amount of water to boil, remove from heat, cover and allow to sit for a few hours. After soaking the legumes or boiling them in this fashion, discard the soak water, add the measured amount of vegetable stock or ltered water to a thick bottomed pot, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook until tender. These times in the following chart are for cooking dry legumes. Please reduce cooking time by 25% when legumes are soaked. Do not add salt to the cooking liquid, it can make the legumes tough. Legumes are done cooking when they are tender, but not mushy. They should retain their original shape. This rst dish uses cooked beans as the base of a salad, which can be enjoyed cold or warm.
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Two Bean Salad
1 1/2 cups cooked kidney beans 1 1/2 cups cooked navy beans 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced 1/4 cup green onion, diced small 2 Tbl saower oil 1 Tbl tarragon, fresh minced 1 Tbl lime juice, fresh squeezed if possible 1 1/2 tsp champagne vinegar, raw apple cider vinegar or lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 1/2 tsp garlic or ginger, minced 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper 3 drops white true oil, optional pinch crushed red pepper akes 1. Cook beans according to instructions above, or use 1 can of each. Combine with remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
Serving suggestions
~ allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. The longer it sits, the more avorful it will become.
Variations
~ try experimenting with dierent beans. Replace tarragon with other fresh minced herbs. Replace red bell pepper and green onion with diced fresh vegetables of your choosing. ~ try adding 1 tsp of Italian, Mexican, Indian or Moroccan spice mixes.
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Gluten-free Makes 4 cups
Black Bean Dip
4 cups cooked blacked beans, drained and rinsed 2 Tbl coconut or saower oil 1 cup diced red bell pepper 1 cup onion, diced 1 Tbl garlic, minced 4 1/2 tsp cumin powder 4 1/2 tsp coriander powder 1 Tbl chili powder 2 Tbl apple cider vinegar, raw unltered, or lemon juice 2 Tbl minced cilantro 1 tsp sea salt 1. Place cooked beans in a large bowl and mash with a fork or potato masher until many of them are mashed. You can also place the beans in a food processor and process until smooth. 2. Place oil in a saut pan on medium high heat. Add onion, pepper, garlic and spices until onions are translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Add apple cider vinegar, remove from heat and add to bowl with beans. Add cilantro and salt, mix well and enjoy your esta.
Serving suggestions
~ serve with chips and salsa, toasted pita bread or cucumber slices. ~ can use as a main lling for tacos, enchiladas or burritos.
Variations
~ try experimenting with dierent beans. ~ you can add 1 cup of assorted veggies, chopped small to saut after the onions are translucent, cook until vegetables are tender. ~ try replacing cilantro with other fresh minced herbs.
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The next recipe is Kitchari, a staple dish in the Indian Ayurvedic healing tradition. During cleanses called pancha karma, royalty would eat this as their only dish for days at a time. Here we are combining a grain and a bean in the same cooking process.
Kitchari
2 Tbl coconut or saower oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp fennel or mustard seeds 1 Tbl ginger, minced 1 cup brown rice 1 cup mung beans, rinsed and drained 7 cups ltered water or stock 2 cups assorted vegetables, chopped small 2 tsp coriander or curry powder 2 tsp sea salt or to taste 2 Tbl minced cilantro, optional pinch asafoetida, optional 1. Place oil in a stock pot on medium high heat. Add seeds and ginger and stir constantly until the seeds pop. Add rice, beans and water, reduce heat to medium and cook for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2. Add veggies and spices and cook for 5 minutes or until veggies, beans and rice are cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.
Serving suggestion
~ Serve warm or cold as a side dish on top of a bed of organic green salad mix.
Variations
~ It is not traditional, but adding a bit less salt and adding 1 Tbl of wheat-free tamari or soy sauce imparts a nice avor to this dish. ~ Have fun with adding dierent types of vegetables. ~ You can experiment with dierent Indian seeds and spices and dierent types of mung beans. There are various varieties of split mung beans available. An Indian grocery will have several dierent varieties to try. You will need less water for the split mung varieties.
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Lesson 4 ~ Tofu, Tempeh, and Seitan Dishes

Marinating Tofu and tempeh cubes Stir-frying Broiling Tofu and tempeh cutlets Working with arrowroot Sweating eEggplant Braising Working with seitan Skewering

Maple Balsamic Marinade Lemon Dijon Marinade Kung Pao Tofu
Sesame Tofu with Wasabi Cream Sauce Braised Tempeh with Sesame Sauce Seitan Satay with Peanut Sauce
See also: Greek Salad (30MV, pg 144), Macadamia Nut Crusted Tofu (30MV, pg 224 ), Tofu Scramble (30MV, pg 62 ) Before discussing tofu and tempeh, lets take a look at marinades. Marinades are important when working with tofu and tempeh, as they can dene much of the avor for the dish.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Marinade creation

Marinade ingredients greatly determine the avors of a dish. Simply by placing something like tofu or a portabella mushroom in dierent marinades creates dramatically dierent taste sensations. Creating marinades is both fun and rewarding. Below are a couple of our favorite marinades. For live dishes, place your prepared vegetables in your marinade for a minimum of one hour before serving. For cooked dishes, place items in marinade for a minimum of 10 minutes. The longer it sits in the marinade, the more of its avors it will acquire. We like to marinate our tofu (as well as vegetables) overnight if possible. These are great marinades that make enough for one pound of tofu or tempeh or two servings of veggies Be bold in your exploration of dierent marinades. Please use the following marinades as a starting point on your own voyage of discovery. Some of our favorite marinade ingredients include: toasted sesame oil, mirin, mustard, minced garlic or ginger, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar and a variety of spices and herbs.
Gluten-free Makes approx 3/4 cup
Maple Balsamic Marinade
1/2 cup ltered water 3 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 2 Tbl olive oil or coconut oil 1 Tbl maple syrup or agave nectar 2 tsp balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar 1 tsp garlic or ginger, minced Pinch cayenne pepper 1. Place all ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk well
Variations
~ try adding 1 Tbl of the Italian spice mix or 1 tsp of the Indian, Mexican or Moroccan for a specic ethnic are. ~ add 1 Tbl of fresh minced herbs.
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Gluten-free Makes approx 3/4 cup
Lemon Dijon Marinade
1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed if possible 1/4 cup ltered water 2 Tbl fresh herbs, minced (try thyme, oregano and parsley) 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard (can use stone ground) 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper - optional 1. Place all ingredients in a medium size bowl and whisk well.
Variations
~ try adding 1 Tbl of the Italian spice mix or 1 tsp of the Indian, Mexican or Moroccan ~ replace salt with 1 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce. ~ add 1 Tbl of olive oil.
Tofu
An ancient Asian delicacy made popular today, here you will learn everything you need to know about tofu and tempeh. You will be truly amazed at the delicious ways you can prepare these versatile Superfoods. Tofu, which is processed soy bean curd, has its origins in Ancient China. It is commercially sold in a number of dierent forms including extra rm, soft and silken. Each dierent form lends itself to a particular type of food preparation. The recipes will describe which form of tofu is required for the dish. The silken style may be blended and used to replace dairy products in puddings, frostings, dressings, creamy soups and sauces. The soft type may be used cubed in soups or pured in sauces, spreads or dips. The rm style may be scrambled, grated in casseroles or cubed in stir fries. The extra rm style may be grilled or baked as cutlets, or it may be cubed and roasted. It may also be steamed and used in steamed veggie dishes. Firm and extra rm tofu may be frozen for up to 2 months. The defrosted tofu has a spongy texture that absorbs marinades more than tofu that has not been frozen. Always make sure your tofu is as fresh as possible. For best storage, tofu should be rinsed and covered with water in a glass container in the refrigerator. For the freshest tofu, change water daily and use within 4 days.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Tofu and tempeh cubes

Tofu and tempeh cubes can also be marinated and then roasted. As with the sauted version, they can be stored for a few days to be used in salads, stir fries or on their own as a snack. Heres how: 1. Preheat oven to 400. Cut tofu or tempeh into cubes. Cubes can be cut into dierent sizes, depending upon the dish, from 1/4 to 1. In addition to the cubes, you can also cut the tofu or tempeh into small cutlets. 2. Place in a marinade of your choosing. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes, before placing on a well-oiled baking sheet or casserole dish. Remember, by altering the marinade, you will alter the avor of your cubes. 3. Roast until golden brown, stirring occasionally to ensure even cooking. If making cutlets, ip midway through the process. Try a convection oven or using a broil setting for a crispier crust. For small quantities of up to one pound of tofu or tempeh, try using the toaster oven for this.
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The following recipe makes use of extra rm tofu, roasted and cubed.
Lao Tses Kung Pao Tofu
Tofu 1/4 cup ltered water 2 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1 lb tofu, extra rm, 1/2 cubes 1 Tbl sesame oil
Vegetable medley
1 Tbl sesame oil 1 cup onion, sliced 1 Tbl ginger, peeled & minced 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper akes 1/4 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced 1 small bok choy, sliced 1/4 cup water or vegetable stock 1 cup purple cabbage, julienne, 2 strips 1/2 cup snow peas 1/4 cup cashews, whole 2 Tbl Italian parsley, chopped 1 tsp hot sauce Soy sauceWheat-Free Tamari Or Soy Sauce to taste Sea salt, to taste Black pepper, ground to taste
Basmati Rice
2 cups white basmati rice 3 cups vegetable stock or water 3/4 tsp sea salt 1. Preheat the oven to 375. Combine all tofu ingredients in a bowl and let sit for at least 20 minutes. Place on a well oiled baking sheet or casserole dish and bake until golden brown, approximately 20 minutes (convection ovens work great for this purpose). Place in a large mixing bowl. 2. Prepare rice according to instructions in Lesson #3. Place in the mixing bowl along with the tofu. 3. Place oil in a large saut pan on medium high heat. Add onion, pepper, mushroom and ginger and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bok choy and water or stock and cook for 5 minutes,
4. stirring occasionally. Add cabbage, snow peas and cashews, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 5. Add parsley, soy saucetamari, hot sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, and mix well. 6. Place the vegetables in mixing bowl with tofu cubes and rice, gently mix well.
Variations
~ Countless variations are possible. Tempeh or seitan may be used instead of tofu. Dierent marinades and sauces may be used for tofu. Rice may be replaced with other grains. Dierent vegetables of your liking may be used.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Stir frying

Stir frying is a popular cooking technique in Chinese and other Asian cuisine that involves sauting ingredients at a very high temperature, often in a wok. There are many tips for a successful stir-fry including having all of your ingredients prepped before hand and having them be of a relatively equal size. Also, be sure to add the most dense ingredients rst, moving them up the sides of the wok as you add more vegetables to the bottom. A wok is a large pan with a rounded bottom that is used throughout South and South East Asia and may trace its origins back to China. While most well known for high temperature cooking, woks are also used for braising, deep frying, boiling, steaming (with a steamer basket) and even smoking (with a rack). Use with a long handled ladle and spatula to prevent burning. Woks are traditionally cleaned using a bamboo brush rather than submerged in soapy water. This way they stay seasoned with that black well worn look. For regular cleaning of your wok, simply brush o any food, wipe with a clean towel and rinse. Then set over a low ame on your stovetop to dry o the water. You never want to leave a wok to air dry, this causes rust. If the wok starts to look dull, brush lightly with oil (traditionally peanut or sesame oil) after heating
Vegan Fusion Technique: Broiling

Broiling involves cooking with heat from above. For most folks, broiling can be done in the oven, using the broil setting. Tofu or tempeh cubes can be broiled to create a crispier surface to the cubes. Broil for approximately 7 minutes or until crispy.
Vegan Fusion Myth Busters The Protein Myth

So where do you get your protein?" This is probably the most frequently asked question regarding a vegan diet.
Protein is an important component of your body that is necessary for organ function, muscle growth, enzyme production, cell signaling, and hormone production. Amino acids combine in various ways to produce a number of structural building units known as proteins, which then combine to create cell components, structural bers, tissues, tissue systems, organs, and organ systems. Essential amino acids are the nine amino acids our bodies are unable to produce and hence are required in our daily diet. With all that said, let's get to work dispelling two protein myths. The rst is that we need large amounts of protein, and the second is that eating vegan makes it challenging to meet these needs.
How Much Is Enough?

According to the World Health Organization, people need to consume 5 percent of their calories from protein. (Many experts recommend 10 percent of calories from protein to add a margin of safety.) This means that only 1 out of every 10 calories we eat needs to come from protein. Current recommendations are for 0.8 g dietary protein for every kilogram body weight (2.2 pounds of weight) for sedentary individuals. However, protein needs change under dierent circumstances (i.e. level of physical activity, pregnancy, stress and grief, etc.) For vegetarians getting protein from plant sources, the recommended amounts are 1.01.2 grams of dietary protein per day per kilogram body weight (1 kg = 2.2 pound) and potentially more if they are highly physically active. There is debate nowadays about whether the concern is not that we as a country are not getting enough protein, but that we might be consuming too much. Get your protein the vegan way by enjoying delicious grains, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, and sprouts. Eat a wide array and ample amounts of plant based foods to easily meet your protein needs. In fact, every living cell contains proteins. Check out this list for some fantastic foods to include in your diet: Nuts and nut butters such as almonds, Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, coconut, cashews, and walnuts Seeds such as pumpkin, sesame, ax, hemp and sunower Vegetables such as dark leafy greens including spinach and kale, broccoli, potatoes, peppers, shiitake mushrooms, garlic, and sea vegetables Legumes and beans Soy products such as tofu and tempeh (we recommend that you stay away from soy protein powders) Fruits such as apricots, peaches, currants, prunes, raisins, gs, dates, and avocados Grains and ours made from rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, spelt, oats
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Tempeh
Tempeh is originally from Indonesia. It consists of soy beans fermented in a rice culture, then cooked. Many dierent varieties are created by mixing the soy bean with grains such as millet, wheat or rice together with sea vegetables and seasonings. Tempeh has a heavier, courser texture than tofu. It usually has a mild, slightly fermented avor. Its color is usually tan with a few dark gray spots. As with tofu, it may replace the animal product in traditional meat based dishes. It needs to be thoroughly cooked either through steaming, sauting, baking, grilling etc. For storage, tempeh may be frozen or refrigerated. You can tell if the tempeh is spoiled if it has a strong ammonia smell.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Tofu and Tempeh Cutlets

To make Tofu Cutlets:
Slice a one-pound block of extra rm tofu into If you wish, you can then cut these cutlets in half to yield 6 cutlets per pound: Cutlets can be marinated and then roasted or grilled.
To Make Tofu Cubes:
To make medium sized cubes, slice the tofu as you would for 3 cutlets. Then make 4 cuts along the length and 3 cuts along the width of the tofu. You can make the cubes larger or smaller by altering the number of cuts.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Crusted cutlets

This next recipe demonstrates a technique where a avorful sesame crust is used on the cutlet. Its a creative way to serve tofu and everyone loves it. You can alter the crust ingredients as mentioned in the variations to create a wide range of avors. The tahini marinade allows the crust ingredients to stick to the cutlets.
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Gluten-free
Sesame Tofu with Wasabi Cream Sauce
Courtesy Taste of the East
Tofu Marinade
One 14-ounce package extra rm tofu 2 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1 Tbl toasted sesame oil 1 Tbl rice vinegar 2 Tbl water
Tahini Spread
3 Tbl creamy tahini 1 Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice 3 Tbl water 1 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce
Sesame Coating
1/2 cup sesame seeds, black, white or a combination Pinch crushed red pepper akes 1/8 tsp sea salt 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Wasabi Cream Sauce

2 cups soy milk 2 Tbl wasabi powder 2 tsp mirin, optional 1 tsp agave nectar, organic sugar or sweetener of choice, or to taste 1 1/2 Tbl arrowroot powder dissolved in 1/2 cup cold water 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce, or to taste 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste 1/8 tsp ground black pepper 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Slice the tofu in half to form two blocks. Slice each block into 4 small cutlets. (You can also slice the tofu on the diagonal to form two triangles and slice these triangles into 4 small triangle shaped cutlets.) Add the remaining marinade ingredients to a small casserole dish, stir well and add the tofu. Flip the tofu to ensure even coating. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. 2. While the tofu is cooking, prepare the tahini spread by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisking well. 3. Prepare the sesame coating by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl and mixing well. When the tofu is done cooking, spread a thin layer of the tahini spread on the top of each cutlet, coat well with the sesame seeds and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes.
4. Place the soy milk in a sauce pan over medium low heat. Add the wasabi powder and whisk well. Add the mirin, if using, and agave and whisk well. When the sauce is hot (be careful not to boil) add the arrowroot mixture. Whisk well until the sauce thickens, about 4 minutes. Add the lemon, tamari, salt and pepper and whisk well. 5. Place the cutlets on a plate or platter and drizzle with the sauce before serving.
Variations
~ Try replacing the tofu with tempeh or veggies such as portobello mushrooms or eggplant ~ You can alter the coating in many ways: ~ Replace the sesame seeds with an equal amount of your favorite nut or seed. ~ Process in a food processor until coarsely ground. ~ Add minced herbs, spices, or toasted coconut to form many innovative crusts.
Vegan Fusion Technique: working with arrowroot powder

Reputably cultivated for over 7000 years, arrowroot is the powdered root of a tropical plant that can be used to replace cornstarch as a thickening agent in recipes. Arrowroot has a more neutral avor. It works at a lower temperature and with virtually any ingredient. In general, 1 Tbl thickens 1 cup of liquid. You can use 1 Tbl of arrowroot to replace 2 tsp of cornstarch in any given recipe. Before adding to the liquid to be thickened, place arrowroot powder in a small cup or bowl with a small amount of cold water and stir until smooth. Slowly add to liquid being thickened. Stir constantly, bring to a boil, and then simmer for a few minutes until sauce thickens. For a soy free version of the above dish, replace tofu cutlets with eggplant.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Sweating Eggplant

While not the most appetizing culinary term, sweating eggplant is a technique used to remove the bitterness from the vegetable. To sweat eggplant, slice into cutlets and lay on a clean baking sheet or casserole dish. Liberally sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for 20-30 minutes. After a while, little water beads will begin to form. After the allotted time, rinse the eggplant well and use in recipes.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Braising

Braising is a cooking technique in which you saut food at a high temperature to brown the outside, then simmer in liquid to cook the food through. The simmering can take place in a pan in the oven or on the stovetop.
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Gluten-free
Braised Tempeh with Green Beans in Sesame Sauce
Courtesy Taste of the East Serves 2 to 4 2 1/4 cups water 2 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 2 Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 Tbl mirin 8 ounces tempeh, sliced into 4 cutlets 2 Tbl toasted sesame oil 3/4 pound green beans, ends trimmed o 1/4 cup + 2 Tbl tahini 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste 1/4 cup sliced green onion Sesame seeds 1. Place 1/4 cup of water, 1 Tbl of tamari, 1 Tbl of lemon juice, and the mirin in a shallow dish and whisk well. Add the tempeh and allow to sit for 5 minutes, ipping occasionally. 2. Place the sesame oil in a large saut pan over medium high heat. Add the tempeh and the contents of the shallow dish, and cook for 5 minutes, gently turn with spatula ip occasionally. Add the green beans and 1 cup of water, and cook until almost all of the water is dissolved and the green beans are a vibrant green, approximately 7 minutes, gently stirring frequently. 3. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining 1 cup of water, 1 Tbl of tamari, and 1 Tbl of lemon juice and gently stir well. Add the tahini, stir well and cook for 5 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. Add a little more water if necessary and adjust the salt to taste. Garnish with the green onion and sesame seeds before serving.
Variations
~ Replace the tempeh with tofu, seitan, or portobello mushrooms. ~ Replace the green beans with a vegetable of your choosing such as broccoli, zucchini or carrots.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: working with seitan

Originating in Ancient China, Seitan is sometimes referred to as meat of wheat. It is wheat gluten dough that has been cooked in a broth with dierent types of seasonings. Seitan can be used as an animal product replacement in virtually any dish. There are several brands available on the market. Experiment with them all to nd your favorite. If you are ambitious and wish to make your own, go to www.about.com and enter making seitan which gives step by step instructions. A reminder note, seitan is pure wheat gluten its denitely not the ingredient for the gluten intolerant!
Vegan Fusion Technique: Skewering

Skewering involves placing foods on a bamboo or metal skewer. Foods can be marinated and then grilled on the skewer. You can also prepare foods (raw, sauted, roasted or grilled) and then placed on skewers for presentation or for hors d'uvres.
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Courtesy Taste of the East
Indonesian Seitan Satay
Originating in Indonesia and making its way across South East Asia, satay is a popular dish across all borders. Typically served on skewers with a spicy dipping sauce, our version replaces the meat with marinated seitan. Turmeric is traditionally used to impart a yellow color to the dish. Makes 4 appetizer portions 8-ounce package seitan 1 Tbl sesame or peanut oil 1 cup sliced onion 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 1/8 tsp turmeric powder 2 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 2 tsp rice vinegar 1 cup or more Peanut Sauce 4 bamboo or other skewers 1. Slice the seitan into approximately 16 equal sized pieces. 2. Heat the oil in a saut pan over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the seitan and turmeric, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tamari and vinegar, stir well and reduce the heat to low. 3. Prepare the peanut sauce by following the recipe below. Pour into a small bowl. 4. Place 4 pieces of seitan on each skewer and serve with the sauce. You can serve the onions along side the skewers or place some on top of each skewer.
Variations
~ Try grilling the seitan and the onion. ~ For a gluten free version, replace the seitan with marinated and roasted tempeh or tofu. ~ You can add 1 inch slices of red, green, and yellow bell pepper, as well as mushrooms and create the kebab of your dreams!
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Gluten-free Makes 2 1/2 cups sauce
Peanut Sauce
1/2 Tbl sesame or peanut oil 1 1/2 Tbl minced shallot or onion 1 cloves garlic, pressed or minced 1 tsp peeled and minced ginger 1/2 tsp seeded and diced jalapeo or other hot pepper 1/2 cup coconut milk 1/4 cup + 2 Tbl water 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter 1/2 Tbl maple syrup, organic brown sugar or sweetener of choice 2 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce, or to taste 3/4 tsp tamarind paste or 1 Tbl freshly squeezed lime juice 1/4 tsp sea salt Crushed red pepper akes to taste 1. Place the oil in a pot with the sesame oil over medium heat. 2. Add the shallot, garlic, ginger and jalapeo and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. 3. Reduce the heat to low, add the remaining ingredients, stirring occasionally. 4. Pour the sauce into a bowl.
Variation:
Replace the peanut butter with almond butter.
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Ingredient Prole: Soy Sauces

Soy sauce, originating from China thousands of years ago, is used throughout Asia and beyond. Soy Sauce - Made by fermenting soy beans with a culture, many products sold as soy sauce may contain preservatives, sugar and other unwelcome ingredients. Check the label. Shoyu Since the 1600s the Japanese have produced a soy sauce called shoyu. Reputed to be of very high quality, shoyu is brewed with wheat as well as soy beans, and has more of an alcohol avor than tamari. Tamari - A by-product of the miso making process. Please purchase the wheat-free variety. It is thicker, darker and has a stronger avor than other soy sauces. Nama Shoyu Literally translating as raw soy sauce, this unpasteurized version is also made with wheat.
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Lesson 5 ~ Pasta, Casseroles and Sauces

Vegan pasta dishes Vegan sauces Creating a roux Casserole creation Grating tofu Tofu cheese Working with polenta
Brown Rice Penne with Roasted Vegetable Sauce Onion Gravy Pesto Lasagna Black Rice Polenta Casserole
See also: Enchilada Casserole (VFWC pg 136), Shepherds Pie (VFWC pg 137), Spanikopita (VFWC pg 138), Chile Sauce (VFWC pg 197) Tomato Sauce (30MV pg 101), Mushroom Onion Gravy (30MV pg. 55)
Pasta
Available in an innite shapes and sizes and made from several dierent types of grains, pasta is a staple in many of the Worlds cuisines. Most dried pasta is made from semolina (type of texture) wheat our. Durham wheat is hard wheat that creates the most rm pasta when cooked. Whole wheat our is also used, 100 percent whole wheat has a slightly nutty avor. Nowadays, since many people have allergies to the gluten in wheat, there are several alternatives to wheat pastas on the market. Here is a list of some pasta made with alternative grains. Look on the label to see if the pasta is made from 100 percent of the ingredient or if its mixed with wheat. Brown Rice - delicious wheat alternative, comes in many shapes and sizes. Has a slightly sweet, buttery avor. Spelt a rich avored pasta made with ancient variety of wheat that is more tolerated by those with wheat allergies. Quinoa - an ancient grain used by the Incas and usually partnered with corn, makes a light, delicately avored pasta. Corn a nice corn avor pasta with a slightly grainier texture than wheat pasta. Jerusalem artichoke non starchy with a mild avor. Soba and Udon Asian in origin, a wonderful pasta that is made from buckwheat our and often mixed with other ours. They have a slightly nutty avor. Udon is a thicker noodle than soba. Asian noodles can be made from wheat, rice, buckwheat, mung bean or sweet potato. The rice noodles and the mung bean threads cook very quickly compared to other pastas.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Pasta dishes

There are many varieties of pasta, each in dierent shapes and sizes. The general technique involves placing the pasta in boiling water, with an optional pinch of salt, and cooking until pasta is al dente, or just soft with rmness.
Brown Rice Penne with Roasted Vegetable Sauce

Gluten-free Serves 6 12 oz brown rice penne pasta 4 cups roasted veggie sauce (below) 1/4 cup fresh herbs, minced 3 cups assorted vegetables, steamed, sauted or grilled and chopped
Roasted Vegetable Sauce

Gluten-free 2-3 medium tomatoes, quartered (3 cups) 1 large onion, chopped (2 cups) 1 medium zucchini, chopped (1 1/2 cups) 6 largegarlic cloves 3 Tbl olive oil 2 tsp sea salt or to taste 3/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper, or to taste 4 tsp balsamic vinegar 2 Tbl basil, minced 2 Tbl Italian parley, minced 2 Tbl nutritional yeast 3/4 tsp oregano, dried 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper akes (optional) 1 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce (optional) 1. Preheat oven to 400. Place tomatoes, onion, zucchini, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, on a baking sheet, coat veggies with oil and roast for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Place in a blender with remaining sauce ingredients and blend well. 2. While vegetables are roasting, bring 2 quarts water to a boil in medium size pot. Add penne pasta and cook according to package instructions. Strain and add to large mixing bowl with sauce and remaining ingredients. Mix well and enjoy.
Variations
~ try varying the veggies with your favorites. ~ replace penne with pasta of your choosing.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan sauces Roux

A common method of thickening sauces and gravies involves creating a roux. A roux is a mixture of our and oil, usually in a one to one ratio. One Tbl of roux will generally thicken about 1 1/2 2 cups of liquid. To make a small batch of roux, heat 1/4 cup of oil in a small saut pan on medium heat. Begin to stir in our (a wooden spoon is best for this) until the mixture thickens to a paste. Add more oil or our if necessary to create a paste like texture. The our will brown as it cooks. Cook until just darker than golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside. You can also refrigerate the roux for up to a week and use as needed. To thicken sauces, cook the liquid until it is very hot. Reduce heat to simmer and whisk in the roux until the paste dissolves. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Try making a roux with spelt our, barley our or rice our or combinations of the three. You can also create the roux mixture without heating it before adding to the sauce, as in the following recipe. The next recipe is an example of a sauce that is thickened with a roux.
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Gluten-free Makes 4 cups
Onion Gravy
1/4 cup brown rice our 1/4 cup + 1 Tbl saower oil 1 1/2 cups onion, half moon slices 4 tsp garlic, minced 2 1/2 cups water or veggie stock 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 1/4 cup wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1 Tbl dried or fresh sage, minced 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper sea salt- to taste 1. Create a roux by combining brown rice our and 1/4 cup oil in a small bowl and whisking well. 2. Place remaining Tbl of oil in a sauce pan on medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onions are translucent, approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add water, nutritional yeast, tamari, sage and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to simmer, add roux and stir constantly until sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serving suggestions
~ serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, tofu or tempeh cutlets and many more dishes.
Variations
~ try replacing sage with other fresh minced herbs like parsley, dill or basil. ~ you can also create the roux by cooking the our and oil over high heat for a few minutes until the our browns this will impart a rich avor and darker color to your gravy.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Casserole creation

Casseroles are a vast topic. The amount and variety is as extensive as the human minds creativity. A few questions to consider when creating your casserole: 1. Consistency How rm would you like the casserole to be when you serve it? Sometimes, as in gardeners pie, we serve the casserole whole, straight out of the oven, letting folks help themselves with a spoon. In this instance, there is not such a concern for how the individual portions will stand on their own. Other times, you want it to be solid enough that you can cut into individual portions without spilling the contents, like a lasagna. Sometimes you need to chill the casserole or allow it to sit for an hour to overnight before you can slice it to serve. The individual portions are then reheated as necessary. There are ingredients that help casseroles maintain their form such as cooked grains like rice, millet, or polenta, or vegetables such as cooked potatoes or squash. 2. Moisture - can the casserole be served on its own, or does it need a sauce? 3. Layers will the casserole have separate layers, such as a lasagna with a pasta layer, a lling layer, a vegan cheese layer, or will it be a mixture of vegetables and grains that lls the casserole dish and binds together in baking. Some good ingredients for creating layers in casseroles are tortillas (corn and our), phyllo dough, lasagna noodles, thinly sliced vegetables such as zucchini, eggplant or breadfruit. Good llings for casseroles include vegan cheeses (cashew cheese, pine nut ricotta, etc. ) grains or grain and bean combinations, roasted or grilled chopped vegetable medleys. For dessert casseroles, llings such as fruits (raw, roasted or grilled) and fruit and nut combinations are great. With them you can use simple syrups, dessert sauces and many spices, extracts and other avor essences.
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This lasagna makes use of a tofu cheese (see below) and uses a pesto sauce instead of marinara.
Gluten-free
Presto Manifesto Lasagna
Courtesy of Vegan Fusion World Cuisine Makes one 9 x 13 casserole 20 oz rice, spelt or other whole-grain lasagna noodles
Filling
2 Tbl olive oil 1 1/2 cup onion, diced 5 tsp garlic, minced 2 14-ounce packages Tofu, extra rm, crumbled 5 cups grilled vegetables (zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, portobello mushrooms or your favorites) 6 Tbl tahini, roasted 1/4 cup wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 2 Tbl basil, fresh, minced 2 Tbl Italian parsley, minced 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 1 tsp salt, or to taste 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground to taste 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper akes Garnish 3-4 tomatoes, medium, 1/2 slice 2 Tbl black sesame seeds
Pesto
2 1/2 cups basil, tightly packed 3/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup macadamia or pine nuts 3 Tbl lemon juice, fresh squeezed 1 Tbl garlic, minced 2 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce, or to taste 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste 1/2 tsp black pepper, ground to taste Pinch cayenne pepper 1. Preheat oven to 350. Boil water in a large pot. Add a drop of olive oil and lasagna noodles. Reduce heat to medium high and cook until pasta is al dente (just soft with a hint of rmness), approximately 8 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. Rinse noodles in colander, place on a plate to dry with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking. 2. Grill vegetables, slice thin and set aside.
3. For Filling, place 1 Tbl of oil in a large saut pan on medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium, add tofu, cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place in a large mixing bowl with remaining lling ingredients and mix well. 4. For Pesto, place ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. 5. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Place a layer of noodles on bottom. Cover with 13 of pesto mixture. Top this with 1/2 of the tofu mixture and then 1/2 of the grilled veggies. Repeat with a layer of pasta, 13 of the pesto mixture, the last half of the tofu mixture and then the last half of the grilled veggies. Finish with another layer of pasta, topped with the last 13 of pesto. Garnish with sliced tomatoes and black sesame seeds. Bake until lasagna is thoroughly heated, approximately 30 minutes. As with all casseroles, allow to cool for a minimum of 10-15 minutes.
Variations
~ If no grill is available, slice veggies into small pieces and add to saut pan after onions have cooked for 5 minutes and before tofu is added. Cook veggies, stirring frequently and adding additional water if necessary to prevent sticking. Many varieties of lasagna can be made. ~ Replace pesto with Roasted Vegetable Sauce (above) or Marinara Sauce. Add a layer of Cashew or Macadamia Cheese for an even cheesier lasagna.
Ingredient Prole: Tahini

Tahini is made from grinding sesame seeds into a paste. Used in Mid-Eastern dishes such as hummus and falafel. Tahini adds a creaminess to dishes, when combined with nutritional yeast, it creates a cheesy avor and texture. If it is necessary that the tahini (or any nut or seed butter) be raw, be sure that the manufacturer is dedicated to creating legitimately raw products. Since there is no legal denition of raw, if a label declares that it is raw, it simply refers to the fact that the seeds themselves were not roasted. The grinding process creates heat well over the temperature that would be considered raw.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan cheese creation

This uses crumbled or grated tofu, nutritional yeast and tahini as a base. Add this mixture to dishes that typically contain cheese such as Enchiladas or Spanikopita.
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Vegan Fusion Myth Buster

Calcium is an important mineral involved in building and maintaining healthy bones and teeth. For optimal absorption, people need to be consuming adequate amounts of vitamin D and magnesium. Many wonderful raw food sources provide calcium. Our favorite is soaked sesame seeds that have been blended into milk. A two-cup portion of our Sesame Milk provides 70 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for calcium. Other plant foods that are good sources of calcium, which is absorbable by the body, are the following: Vegetables such as kale , dandelion greens, garlic, arugula, collard greens, parsley, and watercress Nuts and seeds such as ax seeds, Brazil nuts, sunower seeds, pistachios, macadamia nuts, and pumpkin seeds Fruits such as oranges, dates, limes, gs, and persimmons, and berries, including raspberries, strawberries (particularly the green tops) Carrots and carrot juice are also a rich daily source of calcium and other vital nutrients.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Working with polenta

Polenta is a course cornmeal used in Italian cuisine. When cooked, it has a creamy, almost buttery avor. Its a fun ingredient to work with, especially after it cools, when it can be cut into many creative forms. We choose to include this technique in the casserole chapter because of how well polenta works in casseroles. Polenta is generally cooked in a one to three ratio with liquid. Some times we like to add a bit more water than this. Bring water or vegetable stock and a small amount of salt to a boil, reduce the heat to low and slowly whisk in polenta. Whisk continuously for a few minutes. Cook over low heat for 15 more minutes, whisking frequently. Polenta will bubble up. Be careful not to burn. You can add olive oil, or soy milk, fresh herbs as the polenta cooks. Create a more avorful polenta by adding ingredients such as sun-dried tomatoes, sauted mushrooms, onions, olives, etc. Once the polenta is done cooking, you can place it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer until completely rm. Now is the time to break out all of the unused cookie cutters for a creative display. Cut into triangles or desired shapes and grill or saut before serving. You can also place it on a baking tray and reheat in a 350F oven for 10 minutes.
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Gluten-free Courtesy of Vegan Fusion World Cuisine Makes one 9 x 13 casserole
Black Rice Polenta Casserole
5 cups water or vegetable stock 1 1/2 cups forbidden black rice or sweet black rice 1 tsp sea salt, or to taste 6 cups ltered water or vegetable stock 2 cups polenta 2 Tbl coconut milk, optional 1 Tbl coconut oil, optional 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked until soft, drained & chopped 2 Tbl basil, minced 2 Tbl Italian parsley, minced 1 tsp fresh oregano, minced 1 tsp fresh thyme, minced 1 tsp fresh sage, minced 1 tsp rosemary, minced 2 tsp sea salt, or to taste Wheat-Free Tamari Or Soy Sauce to taste (optional) Crushed red pepper akes to taste Black pepper, ground to taste 1. Bring 5 cups of water to a boil in a 3 qt pot, add black rice and 1 tsp of salt, cover and simmer on low heat until liquid is absorbed, approximately 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2. While rice is cooking, bring 6 cups of water or stock to a boil in another 3 qt pot. Reduce heat to simmer and whisk in polenta, being careful that it does not boil over. Add coconut milk and whisk until liquid is absorbed and polenta is smooth. Add remaining ingredients to polenta and stir well. 3. Preheat oven to 350. When black rice is done cooking, pour into a well oiled 9 x 13 casserole dish. Allow rice to cool slightly and then pour polenta mixture on top of it. Bake in oven until top is golden brown, approximately 10 minutes.
Variations
~ Experiment with adding assorted sauted vegetables, such as 1/2 cup onion nely chopped, 1/4 cup fennel bulb nely chopped, 1/4 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped small and 1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced. Mix in with polenta and follow above instructions. ~ Try adding 2 Tbl minced Kalamata olives and/or chopped artichoke hearts. See also Polenta Triangles (30MV pg. 190)
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Lesson 6 ~ Wraps , Sandwiches, Spreads, Pizza and Rolls

Vegan Wraps Smoking Vegan Spreads Vegan Sandwiches Blackening Vegan Pizza Rolling Nori

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Tapenade DLT Vegan Sour Cream Garlic Aioli Vegan Mayonnaise BBQ Tempeh Sandwich Blackened Tempeh Cajun Spice Mix Veggie Nori Rolls Thai Summer Rolls Vegan Focaccia
See Also: Pesto (Lesson 5), Nori Rolls ( 30MV pg 206), Crunchy Salad Wrap ( 30MV pg 106)
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Wraps

For the uninitiated, there are two or three components to every wrap. The rst component is the lling, or that which is wrapped. The second is that which wraps that which is wrapped, or the wrapper. The third and optional component is the sauce in which the wrap may be dipped, or which may be poured or spread in the wrap itself. These are but a few suggestions. Let your imagination run wild as you design your own innovative and delectable wraps. Of course in many instances, you can use this same method to create a sandwich instead of a wrap, using slices of bread or a bun.
Wraps Demystied
Column A: Wrap Flour Tortillas* Nori Sheet Lettuce Chard Cabbage Column B: That which is wrapped Mixed Vegetables- raw or cooked Mixed Salad Greens Tofu Scramble Taco Filling Grilled tofu or tempeh Live Pate Seed or Nut Cheeze Rice and/or Beans Toasted seeds Column C: Sauce/Spread Pesto Hummus BBQ Sauce Peanut Sauce Balsamic Dressing Salad Dressings Aioli Spread Salsa Guacamole Tapenade Vegan Sour Cream Vegan Mayonnaise *There are many varieties of whole-grain our tortillas available in all shapes and sizes, we like to use the largest ones possible. Try some of the avored tortillas that are now on the market such as sun-dried tomato, spinach, and garlic.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Smoking

Smoking involves exposing food to smoke and heat in a controlled environment. We use burning wood chips in a special metal container that ts on the stove top. There are many types of wood chips available, and each one has its own unique avor. Try smoking with wood from tress such as maple, hickory, mesquite, oak, alder, cherry or apple. You can also try smoking with green tea leaves.
Simple Smoked Vegetables

1 large portobello mushroom 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1 large onion, sliced 1. Place 1 Tbl of wood chips in the center of the smoker. Place the drip tray on top of the wood chips. 2. Place the wire rack on top of the drip tray (lining the drip tray and/or the wire rack with aluminum foil saves cleaning time). Turn on the heat to medium. 3. Close the lid and leave a small opening. After a minute, smoke will come out. Add the vegetables, close the lid, and cook for approximately 20 minutes. 4. Add to wraps, salads, sauts, and pasta or grain dishes. *You can also use a wok for smoking. Place wood chips on the bottom of the wok, place the vegetables on a wire rack inside the wok, and cover.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan Spreads

Spreads can be made from pureed vegetables such as squash or eggplant or from fresh herbs as in pestos. They can also be made from pureed legumes such as chickpeas for hummus or black beans. There are also traditional spreads such as mayonnaise.
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
2 red bell peppers (1 cup roasted) 3 cups cooked and drained well garbanzo beans 3/4 cup tahini, roasted (creamy) 1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed 3 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1 Tbl olive oil 2 tsp cumin powder, toasted 1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced 3/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste 3/4 tsp black pepper, ground to taste 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1. Preheat oven to 400. Roast bell pepper according to the method in Lesson 2. 2. Place pepper in food processor with lemon juice, soy sauce, tamari and olive oil and process until well blended. 3. Add garbanzo beans and remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
Variations
Replace red pepper with one of the following: ~ Garlic Lovers - 1 1/2 cups roasted garlic, 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic. ~ Sun-dried Tomato Basil - 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, soaked & drained, 2 Tbl basil, minced. ~ Calamata Rosemary - 1 1/2 Tbl fresh rosemary, minced, 3/4 cup Calamata olives, chopped.
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Gluten-free
Tapenade
1 cup diced olives 2 Tbl olive oil 1 clove minced garlic 1 Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 1/4 tsp thyme 1 tsp minced rosemary 1 Tbl minced basil 1 tsp capers, optional Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse chop until smooth. Be careful not to over-process.
Variations
~ Add a few cloves of roasted garlic ~ Add 1/4 cup sauted and diced shiitake mushrooms.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan Sandwiches

This vegan version of a BLT uses toasted dulse to replace the B.
Serves 2
D.L.T.
1/2 cup dulse strips, lightly toasted 4 slices whole grain spelt bread 2 slice tomato, sliced 2 slice red onion, sliced thin 1/2 avocado, sliced 4 slices cucumber 2 leaf Lettuce Condiment of your choosing, such as aioli, Thousand Island Dressing, Vegan Mayonnaise or stone ground mustard 1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350. Place dulse strips on a well-oiled baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes, or until crisp. (Be careful not to burn, dulse will turn to dust quickly when it is over-toasted.) 2. Place the remaining ingredients on toasted whole grain bread and slice diagonally.
Variation
For another vegan version of the BLT, try using the meat of a fresh coconut. Place the meat on a small baking tray with a splash of soy sauce tamari and maple syrup, and roast in a 350F oven or toaster oven until golden brown. You can also add a splash of toasted sesame oil or a couple of drops of liquid smoke.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan condiments Vegan Sour Crme
Gluten-free 1 cup vegan mayonnaise Juice of 1 lemon Pinch dill, optional
Place all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. May be stored for up to 5 days in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator. Traditional aioli (pronounced A-o-lee) is an emulsion of garlic and olive oil, sometimes employing eggs for their bonding properties. This simple recipe uses vegan mayonnaise as a base. Feel free to play with other ingredients. Serve aioli as a spread on sandwiches and wraps.
Gluten-free Makes 1 cup
Garlic Herb Aioli
1 cup Vegenaise, other non-dairy mayo or Vegan Mayonnaise 1 to 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced 1 Tbl minced Italian parsley 3/4 tsp minced rosemary 1/2 tsp fresh thyme Stir together all of the ingredients and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Variation
For Chipotle Aioli, add 1 to 2 chipotle chiles, soaked until soft, seeded and minced. Add 2 tsp dehydrated onions and 1/2 tsp onion powder for a French Onion Dip. Try roasting the garlic cloves and then blending them together with the Vegenaise in a mini-food processor. You can use pre-made vegan mayo (like Vegenaise) or you can make your own. Use this homemade mayo in all recipes that call for mayonnaise in the book. For best results, store in a glass container in the refrigerator and use within a week.
Gluten-free Makes 2 1/4 cups
Vegan Mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups saower oil 3/4 cup soy milk 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp agave nectar, optional 3/4 tsp sea salt, or to taste 1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1. Combine all of the ingredients except the lemon juice in a blender and blend until smooth. 2. Slowly add the lemon juice through the top while blending until the mixture thickens.
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Serves 2
BBQ Grilled Tempeh Sandwich
1 8 oz. package tempeh, cut into 2 cutlets 2 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 2 Tbl ltered water 1 Tbl olive oilsaower oil for basting 1 cup BBQ sauce - see below 2 whole grain buns, lettuce, tomato, onion & xins
BBQ Sauce
Gluten-free Makes 2 cups One 6-oz. cantomato paste 1/2 cup ltered water 1/2 cup molasses (or 1/2 cup barley malt syrup plus 1 Tbl maple syrup) 2 Tbl apple cider vinegar, raw unltered 1 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 tsp sea salt 1 tsp soy saucewheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper 1/4 tsp liquid smoke 1/8 tsp clove powder 1. Preheat a grill. Prepare the BBQ sauce by combining all ingredients in a large bowl and whisking well. 2. Mix tamari and water in a small bowl. Dip the tempeh in this mixture for a few minutes. Place the tempeh on the grill and grill until char marks appear and tempeh is cooked through, approximately 10 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill. Baste frequently with saower oil and the BBQ sauce.
Variations
~ Try adding grilled or smoked veggies such as onion, peppers or zucchini. ~ Try replacing the tempeh with tofu or portobello mushrooms. ~ Replace the tamari and water mixture with one of the marinades in this manual.
Variation: Blackened Tempeh Cutlets

Instead of grilling the tempeh, heat a cast iron pan on very high heat until it is exceedingly hot. Meanwhile, place seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. Place the cutlet in the marinade, coat well with seasoning and cook for a few minutes on each side until the coating is blackened.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Blackening

Blackening involves coating a food with a typically Cajun spice mix and cooking over very high heat in a cast iron pan or over a grill. The food is cooked until the spices are blackened, usually a few minutes on each side. It is important to keep the cutlet less than 1/2 inch so that it can cook through quickly. Try it with marinated tempeh, tofu or vegetables like portobello mushrooms or sliced zucchini.
Gluten-free Makes approximately 1 cup
Cajun Spice Mix
1 1/2 Tbl paprika 1 1/2 Tbl chili powder 1 Tbl salt - course grind or kosher 1/2 Tbl ground black pepper 1/2 Tbl onion powder 1/2 Tbl garlic powder 1/2 Tbl thyme 1/2 Tbl ground coriander 1/2 Tbl basil 1/2 Tbl oregano 1/2 tsp cayenne
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Veggie Nori Rolls

Courtesy of The 30-Minute Vegan Makes 4 Nori Rolls
Rice:
2 cups brown rice (or sushi rice) 4 1/4 cups water or vegetable stock 1 Tbl brown rice vinegar, optional 2 Tbl cup mirin, optional 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, optional 1. Bring the rice and water to a boil, cover and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes or until the rice is soft and most of the water is absorbed. A little excess water is okay and will make the rice stickier as it cools. 2. If using, add the brown rice vinegar, mirin, and sesame seeds, and stir together. 3. Allow to cool either on the countertop, or, if pressed for time, in the refrigerator. You can still roll with warm rice but you will have to work faster as the heat softens the nori which will tear while rolling if you wait too long.
California Roll
1/2 large avocado, cut in long strips 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, cut in long strips 4 stalks green onion, green part only 1 medium carrot, peeled into strips Cut all of the veggies in long strips. For the carrots you can use the vegetable peeler to make thin, easy-to-bite-through strips.
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8 to 12 asparagus spears, bottoms snapped o 1 tsp olive oil 1/4 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/2 red bell pepper, long thin strips 1/2 large avocado, long thin strips 4 stalks green onion, green part only
Asparagus Rolls
1. Boil the asparagus in a saut pan with 1/3 cup water for 3 minutes to soften. Add the olive oil, salt, and garlic powder and saut for 3 to 4 more minutes and remove from heat. 2. Meanwhile, prepare the red bell pepper, avocado, and green onion.
Tips and Tricks

The thickness of the asparagus will determine whether you want 2 or 3 per roll. You don't want the rolls to have too much lling. It makes them dicult to roll and they fall apart easier when cutting and eating. Asparagus is tough and brous at the stem end. It will naturally snap o at the desired place if you just break it with your hands, this ensures you dont get any of the tough part.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Rolling nori

Rolling Instructions:
4 nori sheets 1/4 cup pickled ginger, or to taste Wasabi to taste Wheat-free tamari or soy sauce to taste
1. Fill a small bowl of water. Lay out all four nori sheets on a clean countertop with the long side running parallel to the counter's edge (this gives you longer rolls). 2. Scoop 3/4 - 1 cup of the rice mixture onto each sheet. Use your hands, a spoon or a rice paddle, to spread the rice over each sheet leaving only a 1-inch strip along the top edge. Dipping your hands in the water will prevent the rice from sticking to you. 3. Clean your hands o and add your preferred lling, lining everything up about 1 1/2 inches from the near edge of the sheet. You can let some of the veggies stick out the ends for an artistic presentation. 4. Grab the near edge and roll it up using a good amount of pressure to keep the roll as tight as possible. Work quickly so that it doesn't have time to wobble around. Dip your ngers in the water, wet the exposed 1-inch strip of nori, and keep rolling until that edge is on the bottom. Press rmly, and leave it with the seam side down while you move on to the other rolls. 5. When all four are rolled, start with the rst roll and transfer to a cutting board. Cut a diagonal line through the middle with a serrated knife, then cut straight lines halfway through each half. Set on plates and garnish with pickled ginger, wasabi, and tamari.
Tips and Tricks
If the nori does tear, keep rolling, and then wrap it in another nori sheet. You may want to dab a little water across the second sheet to get it to stick to the rst one. Exotic nori spreads and llings: Vegenaise, miso aioli or spicy aioli, chopped macadamia or other nuts, green papaya maki, papaya, mango, wakame salad, pickled ginger wasabi spread (Lesson 9)
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Rice Paper Rolls
Gluten-free Makes 8 rolls
Thai Summer Rolls
Half 14-ounce package extra-rm tofu 1 Tbl wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 2 ounces bean thread noodles 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded 2 cups shredded lettuce 1 large carrot, shredded 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips 1 cup mung sprouts, optional 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro 16 leaves basil or Thai basil 16-24 mint leaves 16 rice paper wrappers Wheat-Free Tamari Or Soy Sauce for dipping 1. Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 350F. Slice the tofu into 6 rectangles about 4 to 5 inches long. Place in a baking dish, pour the tamari over the top and roll them around a bit to coat them in the tamari. Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool. 2. Boil water in a pot or tea kettle. Place the noodles in a bowl, cover with the boiling water and stir them occasionally for 5 minutes while you prepare the other veggies. Strain and allow to cool. 3. After all of the lling ingredients are prepared, ll a large bowl or casserole dish large enough to t the rice paper wraps in, with warm water. One by one, run the rice paper wraps through the water and lay on a clean work surface. (papers need to be moistenednot thoroughly soaked). Lay another wrap above the rst one overlapping by a couple of inches into an 8 formation. Lay a small amount of each of the lling ingredients on the rst rice paper. 4. Roll them up by rst folding up the end closest to you, then folding in the sides. Continue to roll and tuck in the sides until the whole thing is sealed together in a happy little roll. Serve immediately or cover in a damp cloth in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Chef's Tips and Tricks
If you have enough counter or table space, roll all of your wraps at the same time. This is the most time ecient way to go. And by the time you are done laying out all of the llings, the rice paper is the perfect rolling consistency, damp and sticky. Again, the toaster oven is your friend and makes baking up some simple tofu strips a whole lot easier! Alternatively, you could saut the tofu in a little bit of toasted sesame oil.
Myth Busters Iron

Iron is an important mineral in the blood that is incorporated in hemoglobin, the protein responsible for transporting oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our body. Iron is essential in the structural binding site for oxygen. If blood iron levels are low, fatigue normally results due to lowered oxygen transport. Plant based foods are iron rich. While plant-based foods contain a form of iron (aka non-heme) which the body is less able to absorb when compared to heme iron found in animal proteins, the incidence of iron deciency in vegetarians is the same as non vegetarians. A wide range of raw foods contain iron. Check out these iron-rich foods: Dried fruits such as apricots, raisins, dates, prunes, and peaches Vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, lettuce, Jerusalem artichokes, Swiss chard, asparagus, and green bell peppers Nuts such as peanuts, pecans, walnuts, and pistachios Fruits such as lemons, limes, and persimmons Seeds such as sunower, sesame, and pumpkin Soybeans and soy milk, (best sources), tempeh, tofu, veggie meats (fortied) Blackstrap molasses See http://eatright.org/ada/les/vegnp.pdf for more ideas. Iron absorption is enhanced by consuming foods/drinks high in vitamin C (i.e. fruit juices, citrus fruits) at the same meal. This bodes well for those vegetarians because fresh fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamin C.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan Pizzas

Create designer pizzas with various sauces and toppings sprinkled throughout the manual.
Makes 1 pizza dough
Vegan Pizza Dough
2 Tbl fresh herbs, minced (try sage, parsley, basil & thyme) 1 Tbl Garlic, minced (optional) 3 Tbl olive oil 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp black pepper, ground to taste Pinch crushed red pepper akes 1 1/2 tsp Sucanat 1 cup water, warm to the touch 2 1/2 cups spelt our, sifted well 1 1/2 tsp dry active yeast 1. Preheat oven to 375. Place herbs, and garlic, if using, in a small mixing bowl with olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed pepper, mix well and allow to sit for 20 minutes or longer. 2. Place Sucanat and warm water in a large bowl, whisk until Sucanat dissolves and add yeast. 3. When yeast starts to bubble, add the oil herb mixture and whisk well. Slowly add our and knead into a ball. Cover bowl with towel. When ball doubles in size, thump down, gently knead into a ball, re-cover with towel and let rise again to twice its size.
Variations
~ For Pizza, roll onto a well oiled baking sheet or pizza pan. Bake until top is golden brown, approximately 15 minutes, top with desired topping and bake until topping is cooked. ~ For Homemade Spelt Rolls divide dough into 6-8 equal parts, place on well oiled or parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, approximately 15 minutes. ~ For Breadsticks divide dough into 12 equal portions, roll on a cornmeal dusted surface to form pencil-shaped rolls. Baste with Basting Sauce and minced garlic. Bake until golden brown, approx. 10 minutes.
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Ingredient Prole: Sea Vegetables

Sea Vegetables have been consumed in Japan and around the world since ancient times. They are the most mineral rich of all foods and are rich in iodine, essential for proper thyroid function. Also good sources of folic acid and magnesium, vital for heart health. As always, look for the organic varieties, without added coloring, at your local health food store. With many varieties to choose from, sea vegetables, or vegetables of the sea (sea weeds) are a rich source of minerals and impart a salty, avor of the sea to dishes. Varieties to explore include: wakame, kombu, nori, kelp, dulse, alaria, laver, Irish moss, and sea lettuce. Arame - a species of kelp high in calcium, protein, iron, iodine, and other vitamins and minerals. Dulse - an iron-rich sea vegetable that is a good source of vitamin B6, uoride, and potassium. Use the akes as a salt replacement, sprinkled on salads, soups or steamed veggies. The whole pieces make for a nutritious snack. Kelp - brown algae that grows in large, dense, underwater forests, some three stories high, in cold, clear waters. Growing as much as two feet per day, kelp is high in B vitamins, protein, iron, magnesium, and zinc and is a source of iodine. Kombu a wide and at seaweed, kombu is a good source of calcium, folate and magnesium. We add it to beans while cooking to bring out the avor of the bean and increase digestibility. Nori - a highly nutritious red algae thats shredded, dried, and pressed like paper, providing calcium, iron, and other vitamins and minerals Wakame - part of the kelp family, this green seaweed is popular in Asia and is used in soups, salads, and noodle dishes. Its high in calcium, niacin, thiamin and B vitamins.
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Lesson 7 ~ Vegan Desserts

Techniques covered in this lesson
Vegan Cookies Vegan Cobblers Vegan Cakes Vegan Frostings
Vegan Pies Working with phyllo dough Vegan Cheese Cake Dessert Sauces
Recipes covered in this lesson
Mint Chocolate Chip cookies Blueberry Cobbler Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Carrot Cake with Warm Ginger Caramel Sauce and Candied Walnuts Barak's Baklava Chocolate Ganache Pie Strawberry Sauce
See also Fudge Brownies (VFWC pg 156) This is the lesson where vegan dessert mysteries are solved. How can you make uy cakes, rich and decadent brownies, even cheese cakes that are free from all dairy and egg products.
Baking tips 101

Read recipes carefully before you start. Baking requires more precise measurement than other cooking methods. Dont over-mix batter and dough, it weakens the gluten which will cause it not to rise in the baking process and yield a tougher consistency. Preheat the oven and prepare your pans rst. Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined the leavening process begins. Transfer the batter to the prepared pans and bake immediately. Dark pans bake faster, check earlier than the recipe calls for. When testing for doneness on a cake, make sure it is baked in the center. It is generally done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean and the sides are pulling away from the pan.
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Fill mun and cupcakes 3/4 full of batter because they rise (or 1/2 full if you like at cupcakes). Leavening such as baking soda and powder will last about 6 months or so. Baking relies on fat, moisture and leavening. Replace butter in recipes with an equal amount of Earth Balance or other vegan butter Replace milk in recipes with plant based milks such as soy, rice, almond, cashew, hazelnut, walnut, macadamia nut or coconut milk. For vegan buttermilk, use 1 cup vegan milk plus 1 Tbl lemon or lime juice (or apple cider vinegar). Let stand for 10 minutes before using. For sweetened condensed milk, add 50-60% sugar, thicken slightly by blending with silken tofu. Replace milk powder with soy milk powder or rice powder.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Egg replacers

Eggs are traditionally used for binding, leavening, imparting richness as well as liquid. You can replace each egg a recipe calls for with any of the following. The heavier the substitute the heavier the dish will be. Replace one egg with: 1 tsp baking soda (w/ dry ingredients) and 1 Tbl apple cider vinegar (w/ wet ingredients). The baking soda releases C02, which causes the rising 1 Tbl ground ax in 3 Tbl of water gives a nutty avor. Use with pancakes, waes. 1/4 cup pureed banana. Banana is binding. Use in bread, muns, pancakes. 1/4 cup applesauce 1/4 cup pureed prunes 1/4 cup pured silken tofu. Rich and dense, use in brownies, bars. 2 Tbl water + 1 Tbl oil + 2 tsp baking powder Egg Replacer from Ener-G foods made with potato starch and tapioca our. Follow directions on package. (1 Tbl Egg Replacer + 2 Tbl water) Eggs as thickener- replace with kudzu, agar, arrowroot, our, nut butters, squash, coconut meat, tapioca. Eggs as glaze - use oil or the ground ax seed and water combination. A note on Gluten-free baking: Gluten is a protein found in wheat (including durum and bulgar), oats, rye, barley, millet, kamut and spelt . It is responsible for the elasticity and structure of baked goods. There is an increasing interest in gluten-free cooking as many
have gluten intolerances. Those with Celiac disease must eliminate all gluten from their diet. For more information, please contact www.celiac.com. Gluten-free ours include: amaranth, arrowroot, barley, brown rice, buckwheat (not actually wheat), chickpea, corn, millet, potato, quinoa, sorghum, soy, tapioca, and te. The following information is from allrecipes.com
Potato Starch Flour

This is a gluten-free thickening agent that is perfect for cream-based soups and sauces. Mix a little with water rst, then substitute potato starch our for our in your recipe, but cut the amount in half.
Tapioca Flour
This is a light, white, very smooth our that comes from the cassava root. It makes baked goods impart a nice chewy taste. Use it in recipes where a chewy texture would be desirable. It would work nicely in bread recipes such as white bread or French bread. It is also easily combined with cornstarch and soy our.
Soy Flour
This nutty tasting our has a high protein and fat content. It is best when used in combination with other ours and for baking brownies, or any baked goods with nuts or fruit. It can be purchased in a health food store.
Cornstarch
This is a rened starch that comes from corn. It is mostly used as a clear thickening agent for puddings, fruit sauces and Asian cooking. It is also used in combination with other ours for baking. It can be purchased in a health food store.
Corn Flour
This our is milled from corn and can be blended with cornmeal to make cornbread or muns. It is excellent for waes or pancakes. It can be purchased in a health food store.
Cornmeal
This is ground corn that comes from either yellow or white meal. This is often combined with ours for baking. It imparts a strong corn avor that is delicious in pancakes, waes, or simple white cakes. It can be purchased in a health food store.
White Rice Flour

This is an excellent basic our for gluten-free baking. It is milled from polished white rice. Because it has such a bland avor, it is perfect for baking, as it doesn't impart any avors. It works well with other ours. White rice our is available in most health food stores, but also in Asian markets. At the Asian markets it is sold in dierent textures. The one that works the best is called ne textured white rice our.
Brown Rice Flour

This our comes from unpolished brown rice. It has more food value because it contains bran. Use it in breads, muns, and cookies. It can be purchased in a health
food store.
Substituting Gluten
Wheat our contains gluten, which keeps cookies, cakes and pies from getting crumbly and falling apart. It is what makes baked goods have a good texture because it traps pockets of air. This creates a lovely airy quality that most baked goods possess when baked with traditional wheat our. In order to help retain this structure when using non-wheat ours, gluten substitutes must be added to a gluten-free our mixture. For each cup of gluten-free our mix, add at least 1 tsp of gluten substitute. Here are three very good substitutes for gluten.
Xanthum Gum
This comes from the dried cell coat of a microorganism called Zanthomonas campestris. It is formulated in a laboratory setting. This works well as a gluten substitution in yeast breads along with other baked goods. You can purchase it in health food stores.
Guar Gum
This is a powder that comes from the seed of the plant Cyamopsis tetragonolobus. It is an excellent gluten substitute and it is available in health food stores.
Substitution is the solution

If you are ready to try some recipes, start with recipes that use relatively small amounts of wheat our like brownies or pancakes. These turn out lovely and the dierence in taste is minimal. Here are two gluten-free our mixtures that are suitable for substituting wheat our cup for cup.
Gluten-Free Flour Mixture I

1/4 cup soy our 1/4 cup tapioca our 1/2 cup brown rice our
Gluten-Free Flour Mixture II

6 cups white rice our 2 cups potato starch 1 cup tapioca our The above mixtures can be doubled or tripled. Another option is to purchase a glutenfree our mixture at a health food store to avoid the guesswork involved in substitutions. This our mixture can usually substitute wheat our cup for cup, but read the package directions to be sure. Keep these our mixtures stored in containers at room temperature and keep them on hand to simplify your baking routine. SOURCE: http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Using-Alternative-Flours/Detail.aspx
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan Cookies
Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Courtesy of Vegan Fusion World Cuisine Makes 8 large cookies
Dry Ingredients
2 cups spelt our 1 cup vegan chocolate chips 1 cup walnuts chopped 3/4 cup rolled oats 1/2 tsp sea salt 3/4 tsp baking soda 1/8 tsp cinnamon 1 pinch nutmeg 2/3 cup maple syrup 2/3 cup saower oil 2 Tbl ltered water 1 tsp peppermint extract
Wet
1. Preheat oven to 350. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Combine wet ingredients in another large bowl. Add wet to dry and mix well. 2. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. Place 8 scoops on a well oiled baking sheet and atten slightly with hand. Space evenly so cookies have room to spread. 3. Bake until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes. Allow to cool before enjoying.
Variations
~ For gluten-free, replace the spelt our with 1 3/4 cups rice our, 1/4 cup sorghum, 3/4 tsp xanthan gum. Add an additional 2 Tbl of maple syrup. ~ Replace the walnuts with toasted pecans or macadamia nuts. ~ Replace the chocolate chips with carob chips or dried fruits. ~ Add 2 TBL of cocoa or carob powder to above. ~ Try adding 1 TBL spirulina.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan Cobblers

The bottom portion of the crumble is made with oats and our. The top portion is thickened by the addition of dates to the blueberries.
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Gluten-free Courtesy of Vegan Fusion World Cuisine Makes one 9 x 13 cobbler
Blueberry Cobbler
Filling
2 1/4 cups dates, pitted & chopped 2 cups apple juice, fresh 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder 18 tsp cardamom powder
Dry
3 1/4 cup rolled oats 2 cups brown rice our or gluten-free our mix 3/4 cup Sucanat 1/2 cup pecans, nely chopped 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder 18 tsp nutmeg
Wet
1/2 cup saower oil 1/2 cup water 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, alcohol free 1. Preheat oven to 350. Place Filling ingredients in a medium sized pot and cook over medium low heat until juice is absorbed and dates are softened, approximately 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Be careful not to burn. Remove from heat. 2. Place 2 1/4 cups of rolled oats, 1/2 cup Sucanat and remaining Dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Place Wet ingredients in another bowl and whisk well. 3. Add wet to dry, mix well. Place 23 of this mixture in a well oiled 9 x 13 casserole dish and press down rmly. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and pour lling mixture on top of this. 4. Add 1/2 cup of rolled oats and 1/4 cup Sucanat to remaining our and oat mixture and mix well. Process slightly in a food processor and crumble on top of lling. Bake in oven until golden brown, approximately 25 minutes.
Variations
~ Many variations are possible. Experiment with dierent nuts or berries. ~ Substitute raisins with other chopped dry fruit, or fresh pear or apple. ~ Substitute dierent avored fruit juices for apple juice.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan Cakes

This cake uses baking soda and apple cider vinegar to create a uy texture.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan Frostings

This frosting is a vegan version of the traditional buttercream frosting found on just about every wedding cake, store-bought cake and simulated in packaged pre-made frostings (along with preservatives).
Chocolate Cake
Courtesy of Vegan Fusion World Cuisine Makes one 9 x 13 cake
Dry
2 1/2 cups spelt our 2 cups Sucanat 3/4 cup cocoa Powder 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder 6 Tbl saower oil 2 1/4 cups water 2 Tbl apple cider vinegar, raw 1 tsp vanilla extract, alcohol free 1 cup softened Earth Balance or other vegan butter 1 cup palm oil shortening 1 1/2 pound sifted powdered sugar 1/4 to 1/2 cup cocoa powder 2 tsp vanilla
Wet
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1. Cake: Preheat oven to 350. Place dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl. Add wet to dry and mix well. Pour into a parchment paper lined 9 x 13 baking pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 35-40 minutes. Let the cake sit for 5 to 10 minutes before ipping onto a wire rack to cool. 2. Frosting: In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream together the Earth Balance and the palm oil on medium to high speed until completely combined. Turn the speed down to low and slowly add
in the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, allowing it to blend in thoroughly before adding more. Add in the vanilla and continue to blend until the mixture looks creamy. 3. Cool the cake thoroughly before frosting.
Variations
~ Replace the chocolate chips and cocoa powder with carob chips and carob powder.
Cake Garnishing Suggestions

Toasted coconut akes, strawberries, bananas, toasted pecans or other toasted and chopped nuts, chocolate chips, chocolate shavings, candy, edible owers, and dusted spices. Alternatively, you can get really creative using small toys, decorations or anything that ts the theme of your cake (as long as everyone knows not to try to eat them!).
Bakers Tips and Tricks

Applying a crumb coat to cakes is an old technique for keeping crumbs out of your frosting. This is particularly important when frosting dark cakes with light or white frostings. When the cake is completely cooled, apply a very thin layer of frosting and refrigerate until the frosting hardens. Then you can spread the remaining frosting without fear of stray crumbs. This next cake uses a unique warm sauce in place of frosting, which doubles as an elegant presentation. We also use walnuts, frequently found inside carrot cakes, as garnish, which adds another element of pleasure, texture and visual appeal.
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Carrot Ginger Cake

Makes one 10-inch round cake
Dry
3 1/4 cups spelt our 2 cups Sucanat 1 Tbl baking soda 1/4 tsp sea salt 3/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground allspice
Wet
1 3/4 cups carrot juice 6 Tbl saower oil 2 Tbl raw apple cider vinegar 1 tsp vanilla 1/3 cup ginger juice 1 1/2 cups carrot du (the carrot pulp from juicing) 1/2 cup raisins 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Assemble a 9 to 10-inch springform pan with a piece of parchment covering the bottom. Juice enough carrots to get the 1 3/4 cups juice needed. Capture the du while juicing and set these aside. 2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the Sucanat and mix well with a wire whisk. In a small mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients and mix well with a wire whisk. Add the wet to the dry and mix well with a rubber spatula. Fold in the carrot du and raisins. 3. Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake at 350F for 40 minutes and without opening the oven door, turn the heat up to 400F and bake for an additional 40 minutes. Remove from the oven when a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan Pies

Silken tofu blended with chocolate chips, gives this pie lling a decadent rich avor.
Chocolate Ganache Pie

Courtesy of The 30-Minute Vegan Serves 8 1 1/2 cups grain-sweetened dark chocolate chips (see Note) 1/2 cup maple syrup One 12.3 oz. package Mori-nu silken rm tofu 1 Tbl vanilla 1/8 tsp sea salt 1 pre-made pie shell or see recipe below 1. Melt the chocolate chips by heating them in a double boiler over medium heat (see Tips and Tricks below) until the consistency is smooth, lump-free, and creamy, stirring only once or twice. 2. Meanwhile pure the maple syrup, tofu, vanilla, and sea salt in a food processor until smooth. When the chocolate is thoroughly melted (about 20 minutes), add it to the food processor and blend well. 3. Pour the mixture into the pie shell and chill until rm all the way through, about 1 hour.
Tips and Tricks
This dish will come out sweeter if you use the more common semi-sweet chocolate chips which use cane sugar. Sunspire sells a variety that we prefer which is grainsweetened. Also, when melting chocolate in a double boiler (which can also be any glass or steel bowl set on top of a pot with 1 to 2 inches of boiling water in it), be absolutely sure that both the bowl and anything you use to stir the chocolate with are completely bone dry. A good way to make sure the melting pot or bowl is dry is to start heating it before you put the chips in, this will dry out any moisture. The slightest droplet of water will "break" the chocolate, leaving it lumpy and imperfect looking. It might still taste good, but remember to keep all moisture away from the melted chocolate.
Vegan Pie Crust

Dry
2 cups spelt our or rice our 1/8 tsp sea salt 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
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Wet
1/2 cup Earth Balance or vegan shortening 4-7 Tbl cold water or cold unsweetened soy milk 1. Preheat oven to 350. Place dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl and whisk well. Add Earth Balance and mix well. Slowly add water and mix well. Form into a ball. Dough should be moist, but not wet, and akey but not dry. 2. Roll out with a baking pin on a clean dry surface or place between two sheets of parchment paper to roll out. 3. Press into the bottom of a 10 spring form pan or pie pan. Prick the bottom several times with a fork to allow air to come through and prevent the crust from buckling. Bake for 10 minutes.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Working with phyllo dough

Working with phyllo dough is denitely an art form. Phyllo must be defrosted completely before using. If you try to unroll it too soon, it will break. It also dries out quickly so you need to keep it completely covered at all times with a slightly damp towel. Replace the towel as soon as you are done peeling o the sheets you need for the recipe. Brushing each sheet with oil or vegan butter imparts a creamy and akey quality to the dish. The following recipe is an example of a dessert casserole that has a sweetened and spiced nut lling and that uses phyllo dough for its layers.
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Courtesy of Vegan Fusion World Cuisine Makes one 8 x 8 pan
Barakas Baklava
1 1/2 cups walnuts 1 1/2 cups macadamia nuts or pistachio nuts, toasted 1/2 cup agave nectar 1/4 cup brown rice syrup (or more agave nectar) 2 Tbl rose water 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground cardamom 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg 1/4 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp clove 16 Phyllo sheets, whole wheat or spelt 1/2 cup or more corn oil, coconut oil or melted vegan butter 1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Chop nuts until ne, combine with agave nectar and remaining ingredients except the phyllo dough and corn oil in a large mixing bowl and mix well. 2. In an 8 x 8 baking pan, layer 6 full sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with oil. Fold sheets to t the pan. Place 1/2 of the nut mixture over the phyllo then layer with 4 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with oil. Add the second 1/2 of the nut mixture and then a third layer of 6 sheets of phyllo brushed with oil. 3. Bake for 25 minutes and enjoy.
Variation:
For a gluten-free version, place 2 Tbl of lling in the center of a lightly moistened rice paper wrapper and roll according to method discussed in Lesson 6.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Vegan Dessert Sauces
Warm Ginger Caramel Sauce

Gluten-free 1 cup water 2 1/2 cups Sucanat 1/4 cup ginger juice 1 tsp vanilla 3/4 cup maple syrup 1/2 tsp lemon zest Whisk together all of the ingredients and transfer the mixture to a large pot with high sides (so that it doesnt overow while boiling). Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low slowly, allowing it to continuously boil for 10 to 15 minutes, whisking occasionally, and remove from heat.
Gluten-free
Candied Ginger Walnuts
2 cups chopped walnuts 1/4 cup Warm Caramel Ginger Sauce 1. Toast the walnuts in a 350F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until they are browning and aromatic. Transfer them to a mixing bowl, add the ginger sauce, and stir well. Spread them on a well oiled baking sheet and bake again for about 10 minutes, or until they are slightly dried. 2. While the nuts cool, stir them several times to make sure they dont glue together. Once thoroughly cooled, toss them with a spoon and break them apart with your hands if necessary. They can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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2-3 servings
Strawberry Sauce
6 medium strawberries, chopped (1 C) 1/2 cup water 1 Tbl agave nectar, maple syrup, brown rice syrup or Sucanat 1 tsp mirin 1/2 tsp mint, minced Pinch cardamom powder Pinch cinnamon powder 1 tsp arrowroot powder dissolved in 2 Tbl cold water 1. Place strawberries and water in a small saut pan and heat over low heat until strawberries start to break apart, approximately 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2. Add remaining ingredients except the arrowroot mixture and stir well. 3. Add the arrowroot mixture and stir until the sauce thickens, approximately 3 minutes.
Ingredient Prole: Natural Sweeteners

Many people believe that eating foods with rened white sugar can lead to certain health problems, including emotional disorders, obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. It is believed that since rened sugars are missing the nutrients that are contained in naturally sweet whole foods, the body is drained of its own store of minerals and nutrients in its eorts to metabolize the sugar. Vegan natural food preparation makes use of various naturally occurring and minimally processed sweeteners. These sweeteners are superior to white sugar but it is still believed that most of them need to be used in moderation. The following chart indicates how much of a sweetener is needed to replace one cup of white, rened sugar. The chart indicates how much liquid to delete from the recipe to maintain its consistency if the sweetener is a liquid.
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Sweeteners
Sweetener Replace one Reduce cup of rened liquids by sugar with 3/4 C 1/3 Comments
Agave Nectar
A natural extract from this famous Mexican cactus with a low glycemic index. Roughly half as sweet as honey or sugar. Made from sprouted barley and has a nutty, caramel avor. A relatively neutral avored sweetener that is roughly half as sweet as sugar or honey. Its made from fermented brown rice. This syrup is a liquid by-product of the sugar rening process. It contains many of the nutrients of the sugar cane plant. Has a strong, distinct avor. A granulated sugar produced from drying fresh dates. The preferred method of sweetening involves soaking then blending raisins and dates with ltered water to create a sweet syrup. Try 1/2 cup raisins with 1 cup water and experiment to nd desired sweetness. Forty gallons of sap from the maple tree are needed to create one gallon of maple syrup. It is mineral rich and graded according to color and avor. Grade A is the mildest and lightest, Grade C is the darkest and richest. Good for baking. Abbreviation for Sugar Cane Natural. It is a granular sweetener that consists of evaporated sugar cane juice. It has approximately the same sweetness as sugar. It retains most of the vitamins and minerals of the sugar cane.
Barley Malt Syrup Brown Rice Syrup
3/4 C
01/04/10
1C
01/04/10
Blackstrap Molasses
1/2 C
01/04/10
Date Sugar Fruit Syrup
2/3 C 1C
0 01/04/10
Maple Syrup
3/4 C
01/03/10
Sucanat
1C
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Sweetener
Replace one Reduce cup of rened liquids by sugar with 1 tsp 0
Comments
stevia (powdered)
Stevia is a plant that originates in the Brazilian rainforest. The powdered form is between 200 and 400 percent sweeter than white sugar. It is noncaloric, does not promote tooth decay and is said to be an acceptable form of sugar for diabetics and those with blood sugar imbalances. For baking conversions, please visit http://www.ehow.com/ how_2268348_substitute-stevia-sugarbaking.html. A naturally occurring sugar substitute found in the bers of fruits and vegetables such as berries, corn husks, oats, plums, and mushrooms. Originally extracted from Birch trees in Finland in the 19th century. Said to promote dental health and to be a safe sweetener for diabetics because of its low glycemic index. This tuber is a distant relative of the sunower. From the Andean region of South America, mineral rich yacon syrup has a dark brown color and is used as a low-calorie sweetener.
Xylitol
1C
Yacon
03/04/10
1/3
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Notes on Stevia: From ehow.com

Stevia has been said to have many health benets, such as: weight control (it controls cravings), can be used during pregnancy, it is known to be benecial to the pancreas, does not contribute to tooth decay, can reduce high blood pressure, assists digestion, and so on. Unlike most articial sweeteners, stevia does not break down and can withstand high temperatures while cooking and cold temperatures when frozen. It is also compatible with salt and organic acids and natural sweeteners such as barley malt, honey, fructose and sorbitol. Stevia can be used safely and eectively as a substitute for sugar in all recipes where sugar and low calorie sweeteners would be normally used. Stevia can be purchased in either powder or liquid form and can be found in avors. Liquid is easier to use for baking because it can be measured easier. When baking, follow the conversion chart below along with one other adjustment. In order to make up for the volume lost through replacing a cup of sugar with only 1/4 tsp of stevia concentrated powder, you need to add unsweetened apple ber. Here is a stevia conversion chart: 1 tsp stevia (powered) 1 tsp stevia (liquid) 6 Drops liquid stevia A pinch of stevia 2 drops liquid stevia 1 Cup sugar 1 Cup sugar 1 Tbs sugar 1 tsp sugar 1 tsp sugar
The bulk or consistency that sugar normally would add can be replaced with applesauce, fruit puree, canned pumpkin, fruit juice, yogurt, or any ingredient that will taste right with your recipe and add moisture. For every one cup of sugar that is replaced by stevia 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of the bulk should be added. Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2268348_substitute-stevia-sugar-baking.html
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Lesson 8 ~ Raw Cuisine 1: Smoothies, Pts, Pasta & Pudding

Smoothies Raw Pts Stung Vegetables Raw Nori Rolls Raw Dipping Sauce Raw Pasta Raw Puddings Sprouting
Green Smoothie Cilantro Pesto Stued Mushrooms Wasabi Ginger Pate Raw Nori Rolls Mango Ginger Sauce Pasta Puttanesca Chocolate Mousse
What Are Raw Foods?
Raw foods are foods that have not been cooked. They are the fresh fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs we have all come to know and love in their whole, natural state. Once raw food is heated above a certain temperature, the food is considered to be cooked. Many dene this point as the temperature where the particular foods enzymes are destroyed. Enzymes are the catalysts of life, and all foods contain varying proportions of these naturally occurring enzymes. At around 118 F many enzymes start to lose their potency. Most raw foodists consider 118 to be the maximum threshold for enzyme potential, but modern science has yet to validate many of these theories. Raw foods are loaded with enzymes and all of the vital nutrients our bodies need to ourish. Raw foods also have a high water content compared to cooked foods. The water found in fresh foods is in many ways superior to drinking water because of its inherent vitamins and minerals. Raw foods abound with phytonutrients. These are the important vitamins, minerals and other nutrients found in plants that are known and still being discovered by science that are necessary for life to thrive. Eating raw means you are getting the highest concentration of phytonutrients emanating from the plant kingdom. There is a growing interest in preparing foods that have not been cooked. It is coming to be a specialized area within plant based food preparation. Instead of cooking the food,
Live Food preparation involves soaking, sprouting and dehydrating to create the avors desired. People on a Live Food diet report feeling healthier and more vibrant than ever before.
Raw vs. Living

Many times you will hear the word live foods or living foods used to describe a raw food diet. Is there a dierence? For many, the words are used interchangeably. For those in the know, there is an important dierence. Raw foods consist of foods in their natural, unheated state. Live foods can even contain greater amounts of vital nutrients and enzyme activity created through soaking, sprouting, blending and culturing. Culturing allows us to create specialty dishes and drinks such as sauerkraut, plant cheeses, yogurts and kombucha.
Raw Food Dos and Donts

Here is our take on the dos and donts of eating raw: Do: eat fresh local and organic foods whenever possible listen to your body sleep when tired eat when hungry drink and bathe in clean water prepare as much of your own food as possible get moderate exercise enjoy the sunshine as it produces vitamin D for your body supplement your raw food diet with vitamin B12 rinse all produce well, especially non organic produce read food labels very carefully spend time in the produce aisle and at farmers markets locating new produce to experiment with check out the information in our resource guide to educate yourself further on healthy eating enjoy the local community scene or create one Dont: get frustrated if you are not living up to your expectations buy food with additives or preservatives judge others by what they eat or dont eat wait until tomorrow to make the healthy choices allow the well intentioned advice of friends and family deter you from making changes you wish to make You will begin to discover your own dos and donts as you introduce more raw foods into your life. Let your body and your intuition be your guide as you continually learn from others.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Smoothies

Smoothies are a wonderful way to enjoy a good supply of fresh fruits, vegetables and Superfoods.
Gluten-free Makes 2 (16-ounce) smoothies
Green Smoothie
1/2 pineapple, peeled, core removed, and cubed 2 bananas 1 large papaya 4 stalks of kale, stems removed 1 Tbl freshly squeezed lime juice, freshly squeezed, optional 1 tsp vanilla extract, preferably alcohol-free, optional 1. Place pineapple, bananas, kale, papaya, and lime juice in a blender, and blend on high speed for 25- 30 seconds or until the pineapple and kale have blended up smoothly and electrifyingly green. 2. Serve straight up or chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. For best results enjoy within 1 or 2 hours of preparation. Choose your greens. Each dierent green such as dandelion, kale, or chard will provides its own unique avor and nutrient prole. Pineapple is a great-tasting fruit that is high in vitamins C and B1, manganese, and bromelain, a compound reported to act as an anti-inammatory agent. The nice thing about this smoothie is that pineapples are so juicy you wont need to add any other liquid, as long as the pineapple isnt frozen. To remove the core, simply make four slices around the circle in the middle from the top to the bottom, then proceed with cutting the esh. For a refreshing beverage, place organic pineapple rinds in a jar with water and allow to sit for several hours.
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Superfoods
Superfoods are loaded with nutrition. They promote optimal health and are high in phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Our favorite Superfoods include dark leafy greens, berries, cacao, goji, spirulina, maca. On some level though, all fresh fruits and vegetables are Superfoods. Recent studies are indicating that berries are some of the most benecial fruits and highest in antioxidants of any food. They are rich in vitamins, and nutrients such as lutein which is important for healthy vision. Try including in smoothies, fruit salads, and in dessert sauces. Add to cereals and granola. Be sure to choose organically grown whenever possible. Adding Superfoods to smoothies is one of the best way to insure optimal nutrition. Here is a sample of Superfoods that can be added to smoothies to turn an ordinary smoothy into a powerhouse of nutrients. Experiment with adding small amounts of each and varying the combinations. Spirulina: microscopic blue-green algae that is a source of protein containing all essential amino acids. Spirulina contains essential fatty acids and is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Maca: Superfood of the andes, powdered maca root increases energy and endurance, regulate hormonal imbalances and improve circulatory system among many other benets. Cacao: This nutrient rich food for the gods (Theobroma) is very high in antioxidants, is a rich source of magnesium, its feel good quality may be attributed to its levels of serotonin and dopamine. Try the powder and the nibs. Chia seeds: an antioxidant source of omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, protein and ber. Goji Berries: a sweet antioxidant rich red berry from Asia that is high in protein, essential minerals and amino acids Hemp seeds: These antioxidant rich and non psychoactive seeds of the cannabis plant are a great source of protein, rich in omega 3 and 6 essential fatty acids, all essential amino acids. Lucuma powder: From the lucuma fruit that grows in Peru, this maple like tasting powder is a a great source of vitamins and minerals including beta carotene, niacin and iron. Mesquite powder: From the mesquite plant that grows in South American and the southwest, helps to balance blood sugar levels. The powder is ground from the entire pod, including the seed, its high in protein, dietary ber and rich in minerals, calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and zinc. Aai Berries: the dark purple fruit of a South and Central American palm tree. High in antioxidants and nutrients such as Vitamin-C, generally available in frozen form. Wonderful as an addition to smoothies and granolas. Quick and Easy: Chia Pudding. Place 1/4 cup chia seeds with 3/4 cup water in a small bowl. Allow to sit for 10 minutes or until all of the liquid is absorbed. Add dried fruits, almond milk and sweetener of choice and enjoy!
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Pts

Pts are an essential of raw food cuisine. Typically made up of ground nuts, seeds and or vegetables, pates add a heaviness that can turn an ordinary salad into a meal. Pates are wonderful on their own, stued in vegetables, or as a spread for nori rolls or wraps.
Cilantro Pesto Stued Mushrooms

Courtesy of The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw Makes 16 mushrooms You'll want to use crimini mushrooms for this recipe if you like the earthy avor of mushrooms and can nd them in a large size. If you prefer a milder mushroom or cannot nd large criminis, get button mushrooms. Small mushrooms work great too, just remember you'll need twice as many. 16 large crimini or button mushrooms 1/4 cup nama shoyu 1 1/2 cups broccoli orets 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 2 Tbl olive oil 2 Tbl nutritional yeast 1/2 cup walnuts 3 Tbl pine nuts 1/4 cup red onion, peeled and chopped 1/8 tsp salt (or to taste) 3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/8 tsp cayenne (optional) 1/2 cup celery, cut into 1/8-inch cubes 1. Remove stems from mushroom caps and set aside. 2. Pour shoyu into a bowl and roll mushroom caps around in it to coat. Arrange caps on a plate and either set aside or, if dehydrating, put plate in a dehydrator at 105F for 20 minutes. 3. Pour remaining shoyu into the bowl of a food processor with mushroom stems, broccoli, cilantro, olive oil, nutritional yeast, walnuts, pine nuts, onion, salt, pepper, and cayenne, (if using). Process on high speed for 40 - 60 seconds or until a uniform pate forms. (Some chunks are okay). Transfer mixture to a bowl. 4. Add celery to pate and stir well. 5. Scoop pate into mushroom caps, forming a rounded top. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a glass or plastic container with a tightly closed lid. Mushrooms will keep in the fridge refrigerator for 1 or 2 days.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Stung vegetables

There are countless ways to stu a vegetable. Mushrooms, celery sticks, tomatoes and zucchini are perfect to stu with raw pates. Other cooked vegetables to stu include squash and pumpkins. These vegetables can also be stued and roasted. The lling can consist of a variety of dishes from rice, tofu, tempeh, etc.
Ingredient Prole: Mushrooms

Mushrooms are an ancient and mysterious food grown wild since prehistoric times and used medicinally in China for thousands of years. Nutritionally, they have immune building qualities, contain antioxidants and are a great source of selenium, an element that has been shown to reduce the risk of prostate cancer in humans. They are also good sources of potassium, an element important in the regulation of blood pressure.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Live Nori Rolls
Live Nori Roll with Mango Chile Sauce

Courtesy of The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw Makes 4 rolls 4 sheets nori 1 recipe Wasabi Pickled Ginger Pate (recipe below) 1 cucumber, peeled, long sticks 1/2 avocado, thin strips 1/2 cup carrot, shredded 1/4 cup ltered water 1/2 recipe Mango Chile Sauce 1. Lay nori sheet on a cutting board or bamboo rolling mat. Spread about 1/2 cup pate onto the nori leaving 1 1/2 inches at the top of the sheet. 2. In the middle of the pate, lay cucumber stick, avocado and carrot shreds. With the water ready, roll up the nori as tightly as you can without tearing the sheet. Dip your ngers in the water and coat the 1 1/2 inch edge. Finish the roll and let sit on sealed side for a few minutes. 3. Make a diagonal slice in the center and then cut those two pieces in half with a straight line cut. Spread some Mango Chile Sauce on your serving plates and arrange the pieces of roll on top.
Tasteful Tip
Natural food stores typically carry sugar-free pickled ginger. The color is usually more earthy looking than the hot pink that is served at Japanese restaurants. Wasabi is a Japanese horseradish, typically available in a powdered form. You can also nd it at your local Asian food market.
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Wasabi Pickled Ginger Pate

Courtesy of The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw Makes 2 1/2 cups 1 1/2 cups sunower seeds, soaked 1/2 cup carrot, roughly chopped 2 Tbl olive oil 1 Tbl freshly squeezed lime juice 1 1/2 tsp agave nectar 1 Tbl wasabi powder 2 Tbl pickled ginger 1 Tbl pickled ginger brine 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbl nama shoyu 1 Tbl nutritional yeast 1/8 tsp salt or to taste 1. Rinse sunower seeds and drain well. Put in food processor with carrot, olive oil, lime juice, agave nectar, wasabi, pickled ginger, brine, black pepper, nama shoyu, nutritional yeast and salt. Process with S-blade on high speed for 30 seconds or until pate is smooth. Small chunks of sunower seeds are okay, larger chunks will break a nori sheet. 2. Before serving, allow pate to sit for 20 minutes in the fridge so the avors come alive. After 20 minutes, if you wish the pate to be hotter, stir in 1/41/2 tsp cayenne. Wasabi and cayenne take time to set in so dont judge the heat of this recipe from how it tastes in the food processor. Always wait 15-20 minutes before adding more heat bearing spices. Adding wasabi will change the avor of the dish so only add cayenne if you want more heat. 3. You can further enhance your pate experience by soaking 1/2 cup arame in warm water to cover for 30 minutes. Add to pate ingredients.
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Mango Chili Sauce

Gluten-free Courtesy of The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw Makes 2 cups 2 cups mango, chopped 2 Tbl freshly squeezed lime juice 1/8 tsp salt 1 tsp red Serrano pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced 2 Tbl agave nectar if necessary 1. Blend mango, lime juice, salt and chile pepper on high speed for 30 seconds or until smooth and saucy. Depending on the sweetness of your mango, you may want to add agave nectar. 2. If this consistency is too thick for your application, add small amounts of water until you reach desired consistency.
Variations
~ If you cannot nd fresh Serrano peppers, substitute 1/2 tsp crushed red chili akes. ~ Try adding 1/4 tsp cardamom or coriander for a slight Indian twist.
Tasteful Tip
There are many delicious chilies to sample ranging from mild to inferno. The heat of the peppers is determined by the amount of capsaicin they contain. They are rated using Scoville units, a method developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912. The scale is from 0 being the mildest to 10 having the highest heat. Try them all and see how hot you can take it. To avoid burning your ngers while chopping, wear rubber gloves!
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Raw Pasta Creation/Spiralizing

Use zucchini to create a gluten free and live pasta. You do not need to peel the zucchini before noodling them, but choose the attest side to start on. If you do not have access to a mandoline or a spiralizer, you can also use a vegetable peeler. If the zucchini is thick you may need to slice it in half before it will t through your vegetable peeler. Peel o as many layers as possible, then slice those layers into 1/8-inch noodles using a knife. The pile of noodles won't look quite as large if you use the peeler method, so you may wish to account for that with more zucchini or smaller (looking) servings.
Raw Pasta Puttanesca

Gluten-free Courtesy The 30-Minute Vegan While some people might be skeptical of the concept of raw pasta, this is the sort of living foods entree that appeals to almost everyone. The abundance of avor and the heartiness of the dish will distract even the most critical and apprehensive diner. The zucchini noodles will astound you. They are a fantastic gluten-free substitute in any pasta dish. The olives add immense character to this dish so be sure to purchase a good quality brand. We recommend Santa Cruz Olive Companys sun-dried olives! Serves 4 4 medium zucchini (8 cups noodles) (see Note) 1 Tbl olive oil 2/3 cup pitted olives, diced 2 large tomatoes, chopped (2 cups) 1/2 cup minced Italian parsley 1/2 cup chionade basil 2 tsp fresh thyme 4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced 2 tsp capers (optional) 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste Black pepper to taste 2 Tbl pine nuts 1. Prepare the zucchini noodles with the mandoline set to the 1/8-inch julienne setting and set aside or in the refrigerator (see Note). 2. Add all of the remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl, stir well, and allow to sit for 3 to 5 minutes. 3. To serve, divide the noodles amongst four plates, and top with your desired amount of vegetables, making sure to distribute all of the juices too. Alternatively, toss the noodles and vegetables together and allow people to serve themselves.
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Tips and Tricks

We recommend combining all ingredients right for dining to create the freshest dish.
Variations
~ For a more transitional dish, prepare the vegetables as instructed but replace the zucchini noodles with spaghetti noodles or pasta of your choice. ~ Add some heat to this dish with 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers or 1 tsp diced chile pepper of choice. ~ If you have more time, try tossing the zucchini noodles in Pesto Sauce before topping with the vegetables. ~ Olive lovers can feel free to double 'em up. ~ Mix pasta noodles with pesto sauce before topping with puttanesca toppings
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Live Chocolate Mousse

Gluten-free Courtesy of The 30-Minute Vegan This is a live version of the "pudding in a cup" we grew up with as a kid. Tis so much healthier and just as satisfying. The secret ingredient? Avocado. yes, we were skeptical at rst too. The key is to use avocados that are neither under-ripe nor overly ripe, both of which have a super strong avocado avor. The perfect avocado creates a smooth, creamy texture. You can also use this as a lling for a Live Parfait (lesson 10) or a layer in a Live Pie (lesson 9). Serves 4 3 avocados (2 cups mashed) 1/4 cup + 3 Tbl agave nectar, or to taste 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 cup + 2 Tbl raw cacao powder 3 Tbl almond butter Pinch of cinnamon Pinch of nutmeg or cardamom 1/2 tsp any avor extract, optional (try mint, cherry, orange, almond, hazelnut, or coee) 1. Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor or strong blender and process until smooth. 2. If you are using a blender, you may need to add liquid to get the mousse consistency. To keep it live, you can add almond milk.
Variations
~ For orange mousse, add zest from 1 orange and 3 Tbl of orange juice ~ Replace the agave nectar with maple syrup or 4 to 6 soaked dates
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Sprouting

Here is a checklist to get you going for the simple jar method of sprouting: Organic seeds, nuts, grains and legumes One quart or larger wide mouthed mason jars. Mesh top for jar. This is to allow water and air to circulate. You can use any mesh bag or screen, xed with a rubber band. There are also pre-tted lids that have a screen and are made specically for sprouting. Dish rack or other set up that will allow jars to be placed on an angle to allow for drainage.
Miracle of Sprouting
Its a wonder to behold dormant seeds sprouting into vibrant foods that nourish and sustain us. Before beginning, select a good location to set up your indoor garden. Space in a dish rack with no direct sunlight is an ideal location to start. Once you get used to this method, you can time each cycle for a continuous supply. Some start a new batch while harvesting the rst one. Here we describe each stage of the journey.
Germination
The rst step in the sprouting process is to select and measure out the seed, nut, grain or bean. Sift through to remove any dirt, pieces of stone or any other foreign matter. Rinse well and soak in a sprouting jar almost lled with water. This soaking process releases enzyme inhibitors, the compounds that keep seeds in their dormant state. Many of these compounds are not useful for us as humans, such as the tannins that are released and removed from soaking many nuts like walnuts or almonds. A typical technique among raw foodists is to do a minimum 1 hour soak and rinse process before preparing or dehydrating any nut, seed, grain or bean. Seeds in nature remain dormant until the temperature and conditions are favorable to begin the growing process. When we soak them in water we are initializing this process. The two priorities for a successful sprout are the quality of the seed and the purity of the water. Be sure to use organic seeds that are as fresh as possible and pure ltered water. For maximum nutrition, store seeds in a cool dark place in glass jars until ready for use. Seeds can last for a few years, even longer if refrigerated or frozen.
Seed to Sprout
Once the food is soaked for its allotted time, it is ready for the next stage in its continuing evolution. As your seeds begin to germinate, rinse with fresh water 2-4 times a day and allow to drain thoroughly. The number of rinses depends on the sprout and the climate. Proper drainage is essential or the sprouts will begin to rot. If you are able to save the drained water, its great to reuse in your garden or on house plants. Within a couple of days, the seed will expand and a tiny sprout will form. Witness the miracle of life as it continues to grow until ready for harvest. Allow sprouts to grow at room temperature for 2-7 days, depending on the sprout.
Keep out of direct sunlight to avoid cooking the sprouts. Place in full sun for around 15 minutes before harvesting. Sunlight activates the chlorophyll in the plant. When the sprouts just begin to turn green, this means the chlorophyll is just becoming present and the sprout is ready to be harvested.
Harvesting and Beyond

The harvest times listed in sprouting charts indicate the peak enzyme activity of the sprout. This is when the highest amounts of nutrients are available to us. Once harvested, sprouts are best stored in the refrigerator. Store well drained sprouts in a glass container with a moist towel inside of it. Depending on the sprout, rinse daily to preserve freshness. Many sprouts will last for up to a week if stored properly. Smaller seeds like alfalfa and clover have tiny husks and ungerminated seeds mixed in with the sprouts. The best method to harvest the healthy sprouts is to soak them in a large bowl of water. Break up the sprouts. Gently skim o the husks oating on the top and remove the sprouts without touching the ungerminated seeds at the bottom. Be sure to drain well before refrigerating.
What to Sprout
Some of our favorites include seeds such as alfalfa, broccoli, clover, sunower, radish, mustard and fenugreek; legumes like mung, lentils and garbanzo; grains like wheat, spelt, kamut and rye; our favorite nut is almond, sprouted just until a tiny sprout appears, sometimes in just 2 days. Some seeds and nuts are soaked and rinsed, but not sprouted. We soak walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts at room temperature from 4 hours to overnight. Seeds such as sesame, pumpkin and hulled sunower should be soaked for at least one hour and rinsed thoroughly before using. In warmer climates, if you soak nuts or seeds for more than 6 hours to overnight you may want to do so in the fridge.
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Lesson 9 ~ Raw Cuisine 2: Elixirs, Soups, Plant Cheeses, Parfaits, Ice Cream
Elixirs Raw soups Raw crackers Plant cheeses Raw parfaits Raw Ice cream Zesting
Gingerade Elixir Thai Coconut Soup Flax Crackers Cashew Cheese Un-stir Fry with Cauliower Rice Pine nut Macadamia Cheese Veggie Towers Raw Parfait Key lime Ice Cream with raspberry sauce
See also: Sun teas (CIG pg 171)
Vegan Fusion Technique: Elixirs

Elixirs are beverages that have specic healing or general tonic qualities. They contain Superfood ingredients for a strong dose of high quality nutrients. This recipe is another great example of how food is your medicine. Ginger is one of the most time honored ingredients for strengthening the immune system. Enjoy this as a refreshing cold beverage, or heat until warm to the touch on those cold winter nights.
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Jamaican Gingerade
gluten-free Makes approx. 1 gallon 1 cup ginger, peeled and sliced 2 vanilla beans or 1 Tbl alcohol-free vanilla 12 cups ltered water 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 tsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp nutmeg 1/4 tsp allspice 1/4 tsp clove 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 cup agave nectar 3 Tbl ginger pulp 2 ginger, 1/2 chunks 1. Blend ginger, vanilla beans (if using vanilla extract you add it in step two) and 2 cups ltered water on high speed for 20 seconds. Pour through a ne mesh strainer and return water to the blender. Reserve 3 Tbl ginger pulp. 2. Add lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove, black pepper, agave nectar and vanilla extract, if using. Blend on high speed for 15-20 seconds more. Funnel this mixture into a glass jar. 3. Add the remaining 10 cups water, reserved ginger pulp and ginger chunks to the jar and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This will allow all of the avors to set in. Serve chilled.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Raw crackers

Dehydrating involves heating foods at low temperatures to reduce the water content. This yields many advantages, creating foods that are crispy, seem baked, and are easy to store. Dehydrated foods are wonderful for the variety of dishes that can be created,, including everything from snacks to main courses and our specialty divine desserts. Dehydrated foods retain most, if not all, of the nutrients in the original fresh foods. They still contain all the valuable enzymes, vitamins, and essential fatty acids (EFAs) as the fresh versions do. They are also an incredible source of ber. Plus, dehydrated foods are easy to pack and carry when you travel. Many people like to make large batches of dehydrated foods to save for a rainy day as these are the perfect survival foods.
Makes 48 crackers
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme Flax Crackers

2 cups ax seeds 2 1/2 cups ltered water 1 cup red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, chopped 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 tsp fresh sage, minced 2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced 1 tsp fresh thyme 2 Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 Tbl nama shoyu
1. Soak ax seeds in a large mixing bowl with water and allow seeds to soak until all liquid is absorbed and seeds are gelatinous, at least 1 hour. 2. In a food processor with the S-blade, process red bell pepper, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, lemon juice, and shoyu on high speed for 30 seconds or until smooth. Add to ax seeds and mix well. 3. Spread thinly and evenly on Teex or parchment paper lined dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 115 for 6 hours. Flip and remove Teex and continue dehydrating for at least another 6 hours. Remove and cut each tray 6 x 4. Crackers stay good in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks.
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Live Hot and Sour Soup

Courtesy The 30-Minute Vegan This recipe puts a modern and refreshing twist on the standard Chinese restaurant version of this soup. You may heat it until it is warm to the touch and it will still be considered live. We prefer using fresh apricots, though dried will do. Figs make a most suitable replacement as well. If you do have more time, the avor of the soup will improve if you let it marinate for a while, up to a few hours. Serves 4 to 6 2 large shiitake mushrooms, nely diced 3 Tbl nama shoyu to taste 3 cups water 3 fresh apricots (or substitute 5 dried apricots soaked in 1/2 cup water) 1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes, try Roma 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion 1 Tbl peeled and minced ginger 2 Tbl raw apple cider vinegar 1 jalapeno or other hot pepper, seeded and diced 1 Tbl agave nectar 2 Tbl freshly squeezed lime juice 2 Tbl minced cilantro 1/2 cup diced cucumber or zucchini Kernels from 1 ear of corn, optional 1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste 1. Dice the shiitake mushrooms and place in a small bowl with 3 Tbl of nama shoyu. 2. Place the water, apricots, tomatoes, green onion, ginger, and apple cider vinegar in a blender and blend until creamy. 3. Add to a large bowl with the mushrooms, nama shoyu, and the remaining ingredients, and stir well before serving.
Variations
~ Replace the water with a vegetable juice of your choosing such as carrot or carrot, beet and parsley. ~ Replace the cilantro with herbs such as Italian parsley or dill. ~ Replace the zucchini with cabbage, bell pepper, carrots or your favorite raw veggie.
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Live Un-Stir Fry with Cauliower Rice

Courtesy The 30-Minute Vegan We recently sponsored the Most Remarkable Vegan Recipe Contest in History. We received innovative recipes from all over the country and the world. This is a simplied variation of the winning recipe created by Felix Schoener of Marteld, Germany. Serves 4 to 6
Vegetable Medley
2 cups chopped Napa cabbage 1/2 cup chopped red cabbage 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots 1 red bell pepper, julienned 1/2 cup julienned snow peas, optional 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms 2 Tbl chopped cilantro 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion
Spicy Vegetable Dressing

Makes 1 1/2 cups 1/2 cup sesame oil 3 Tbl agave nectar or maple syrup 2 Tbl umeboshi plum vinegar or raw apple cider vinegar 3 Tbl nama shoyu 1 small kar lime leaf or zest of 1 lime 1/2-inch peeled ginger 1 garlic clove 1 Tbl dehydrated onion akes 1 tsp seeded and diced Thai chile or jalapeo 1 stalk lemon grass, nely chopped (only the bottom part), optional 1 Tbl tamarind paste, optional 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, optional leave out for the completely raw version
Cauliower Rice
4 cups cauliower orets 1/2 cup macadamia or pine nuts 1/2 tsp sea salt 1 Tbl dehydrated onion akes 1/2 tsp garlic powder 1. Combine all of the vegetable medley ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Place all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy. Add to the vegetable medley and toss well. 2. Prepare the cauliower rice by placing all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse chopping until a smooth but textured consistency is reached. Do not over process or it will get too mushy.
3. Serve the vegetable medley on a bed of cauliower rice. If you have more time and want to get fancy, you can press the cauliower into a ring mold for an elegant style of presentation.
Variations
~ Add 1 1/2 cups sliced young coconut or your favorite veggies such as zucchini, cucumbers, bean sprouts or lightly steamed broccoli to the vegetable medley. ~ Add 1 1/2 cups raw or lightly steamed broccoli to the vegetable medley. ~ You can serve the vegetable medley over quinoa or rice for those that are not 100% raw. To create a warming eect...If you have a dehydrator, you can create more of a sauted vegetable eect by dehydrating the vegetables in the dressing for 30 minutes at 130 F or until warm to the touch. On a bright, sunny day you can also try to place the bowl of veggies in the sunshine, stirring occasionally for 30 to 45 minutes to soften them up quite a bit. You can also replace the cashews in the vegetable medley with...
Spicy Cashews
Gluten-free Simply combine the following in a small bowl and mix well: 3/4 cup chopped cashews (or macadamia nuts or almonds) 1/2 tsp sesame oil 1/2 tsp chile powder or chipotle chile powder 1/2 tsp onion powder 1/2 tsp sea salt Pinch of cayenne
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Plant Cheeses

Culturing gives a tangy and sharp avor to foods. We use this technique to create plant cheeses and yogurts as well as raw sauerkraut and kimchi. The process of culturing involves the use of lactobacillus bacteria to produce yogurt, cheese, beer, wine, kombucha and other fermented foods. This bacteria, comprised of over 100 species, helps establish and maintain a healthy quantity of bacteria in the intestine. It's important to note that antibiotics destroy these benecial bacteria, and eating cultured foods can help restore the intestinal microora. Cultured foods are considered live because of the increase in benecial bacteria , which promotes the production of bacteria in the colon. The food being cultured may not even be raw, such as the soybeans used to make miso. Plant cheeses and yogurts made from seeds and nuts will astound you with their avor and variety. When cultured, they have all the benets of live foods, nutritionally potent and completely satisfying. One method to create plant cheese is to blend nuts or seeds with water or rejuvelac (see below) in a 1 to 2 ratio until creamy. Pour into a wide-mouthed Mason jar, cover with plastic wrap, and cover with a cloth or place in a dark location at room temperature. After six hours or even as long as overnight, the culturing process will occur and you'll have delicious plant cheese. Try this technique with nuts such as cashews, macadamias, and pine nuts and seeds such as sunower, pumpkin, or hemp - in any and all combinations.
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Cashew Cheese
Makes 2 1/2 cups 2 cups cashews 1 cup ltered water 1/3 cup red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced 2 1/2 Tbl green onion, diced 2 Tbl fresh cilantro, minced 1 tsp garlic, minced, optional 1 tsp nama shoyu or to taste 1/4 tsp sea salt or to taste Pinch crushed red pepper akes 1. Blend cashews with water on high speed for 40-60 seconds until very smooth. 2. Place in a quart sized open-mouthed glass jar. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band. Cover with a towel and allow to sit in a warm place overnight. 3. Transfer cashew mixture into a large mixing bowl. Stir in red bell pepper, green onion, cilantro, garlic, if using, shoyu, salt and crushed red pepper. 4. Serve immediately or store in an airtight glass container in the fridge for 3-4 days. This recipe provides a great base for a variety of dips.
Variations
~ Substitute macadamia nuts or pine nuts for the cashews and use other fresh herbs in place of the cilantro. ~ Blend cashew mixture with red bell pepper before stirring in the other ingredients.
Tasteful Tip
The culturing process brings this cashew cheese to life. The tanginess is enhanced by using rejuvelac instead of ltered water.
Healing Foods
Preventive medicine is a progressive approach towards healing, that attempts to eliminate the cause of disease while also treating symptoms when they arise. Please see The China Study for a great scientic explanation. (INSERT LINK) Food plays a vital role in this way of looking at medicine. Eating more raw, organic foods is the wave of the future. Even members of the medical community are realizing that diet and lifestyle changes such as these can help heal and prevent disease.
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Rejuvelac
Brought to popularity by Dr. Ann Wigmore and Viktoras Kulvinskas, Rejuvelac is a fermented drink made from the soak water of wheat berries or other grains such as spelt, rye and kamut. Rejuvelac adds an awesome tang and is used as a starter to plant cheeses and yogurts. Dr. Wigmore used Rejuvelac in the same way as water on her successful cleanses that also include quantities of fresh wheatgrass juice. To make Rejuvelac, begin with a 2 quart mason jar and 2 cups of soft wheat berries or other grain such as rye. Use ltered water in all of the stages of the process. 1. Pour grain into a large bowl. Rinse well and remove any foreign matter. Soak for 12 hours. Drain water 2. Sprout grain until a small tail forms, usually in 1-2 days, longer in cooler climates. Rinse and drain a few times a day. Keep the grain moist but not wet. 3. Place sprouted grain in the mason jar with water. Cover with mesh topping. Allow to sit for 2-3 days at room temperature. 4. Strain out grain and the remaining liquid is Rejuvelac. Use in recipes or take a small amount on its own as a tonic. It will last for a few days in the refrigerator when stored in a sealed glass jar. It should have a cloudy, slightly yellow appearance with a tart lemony avor. You can tell when its beginning to turn when the avor gets extremely sour. The grain may be used for a second batch. It wont be as strong but its still good. Simply rell jar with water and soak for one day. The grains can then be used in manna breads, crackers or as part of a raw cereal.
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Live Pine Nut Macadamia Ricotta Veggie Towers

Serves 4 1 recipe Live Shoyu Marinade (see below) 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced rounds 1 recipe Macadamia Ricotta (see below) 2 large tomatoes, 1/2-inch slices (at least 8 slices) (large beefsteak tomatoes work wonderfully) Black and white sesame seeds, optional Diced red bell pepper, optional
Live Shoyu Marinade

1 Tbl nama shoyu 1 tsp agave nectar 1 Tbl water 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 Tbl fresh minced herbs
Pine Nut Macadamia Ricotta

1 cup pine nuts, soaked 2+ hours 2 cups macadamia nuts, soaked 2+ hours 1 Tbl fresh rosemary, minced 4 tsp fresh parsley, minced 4 tsp fresh thyme, minced 2 Tbl nutritional yeast 1 tsp salt 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbl apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup rejuvelac (or water), as needed Diced colorful bell peppers 1. Prepare the live marinade by placing all of the ingredients in a shallow dish and whisking well. Add the sliced zucchini and allow to marinate while preparing the remainder of the dish. 2. Prepare the Pine Nut Macadamia Ricotta by rinsing pine nuts and macadamia nuts and drain well for at least 10 minutes. Add to a food processor with the S-blade, blend on high speed for 10 seconds. Add rosemary, parsley, thyme, nutritional yeast, salt, black pepper, and apple cider vinegar. Blend on high speed for about 20 seconds while adding rejuvelac (or water) through the top until a smooth cheesy consistency is reached. 3. To create the towers, place a slice of tomato on each plate. Spread 1 to 2 Tbl of the macadamia ricotta over the tomato. Top with 2 slices of zucchini. Follow with another slice of tomato. Top with another 1 to 2 Tbl of the macadamia ricotta and another layer of zucchini. Garnish with a sprinkle of black and white sesame seeds and some diced red bell pepper.
Variations
~ Replace the ricotta with cashew cheese ~ Replace the zucchini with turnips or cucumbers. Another way you can present this dish is to reuse an 8-ounce plastic container as a mold to form individual lasagnas. For this, slice tomatoes as thin as possible. Create a tomato layer, top with cheese, then a zucchini layer, and repeat. When ready to eat, place a plate on top of container and ip. Gently remove the container and you will have a beautifully presented dish.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Raw Ravioli

Ravioli is created by using a mandolin to slice turnips, beets or zucchini in thin slices. Fill with raw plant cheese and top with sauce. Use a vegetable peeler or a mandolin to cut turnips into 32 very thin slices. Coat in olive oil and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour. If desired, dehydrate at 110 for 30-45 minutes to soften noodles. Scoop 1 Tbl cheese onto each turnip slice and fold in half. Serve 8 raviolis per plate and coat with your sauce of choice.
Variations
~ Alternatives for the turnip in these raviolis are many. Try watermelon radishes, beets or zucchini.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Raw Parfaits

Blending fresh fruit with soaked nuts and seeds and sweetening to taste creates a delicious lling for parfaits. Top with granola or the lling below. And nish o with fresh fruit.
Live Fruit Parfait

Gluten-free Courtesy The 30-Minute Vegan Serves 4 1 recipe Crme de la Crme (see below) 1 recipe parfait topping (see below) 3 cups assorted berries or your favorite fruit, chopped small (try with bananas, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, pineapple, mango or papaya) Parfait topping 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans 3 large pitted dates 2 Tbl shredded coconut Pinch of cinnamon Pinch of cardamom, nutmeg, or allspice 1. Prepare Crme de la Crme. 2. Prepare the parfait topping by combining all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse chopping until evenly mixed. 3. Slice or chop the fruit if necessary. (No need to chop those berries) 4. To serve, place 2 Tbl of the fruit at the bottom of each of 4 decorative glasses (such as parfait glasses, wine glasses, or brandy glasses). Top with approximately 2 Tbl of the crme and 1 Tbl of parfait topping. Add another layer of fruit, crme and nish o with another sprinkle of parfait topping.
Variations
~ Add 1/4 cup raw cacao to the Crme de la Crme for chocolate crme. ~ Replace the walnuts with pecans, macadamia nuts, almonds or pistachio nuts. Replace the dates with dried apricots or other dried fruit, chopped. ~ Replace the parfait topping with your favorite granola.
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Crme de la Crme
Makes 2 1/4 cups 1 cup macadamia nuts 3 Tbl agave nectar, or to taste 1/2 to 1 cup water 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, optional Make Crme de la Crme by combining all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blending until creamy. You will need to adjust the water depending upon the strength of your blender.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Raw ice cream

This is an avocado based dessert. The fat content of the avocado prevents full freezing. The result is a creamy, ice cream like consistency.
Key Lime Ice Crme with Raspberry Sauce

Gluten-free Courtesy The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw Makes 2 cups
Lime Ice Crme:
2 cups avocado, mashed 5 Tbl freshly squeezed lime juice 1/2 tsp lime zest 1/2 cup agave nectar 1/2 tsp vanilla Pinch salt
1. In a food processor with the S-blade, blend avocado, lime juice, lime zest, agave, vanilla and salt on high speed for 40-60 seconds stopping to scrape down the sides. 2. Freeze in an airtight container for at least 3-4 hours to overnight. Depending on the coldness of your freezer you may need to let ice crme thaw before serving.
Raspberry Sauce: (prepare tomorrow)

1/4 lb. fresh or frozen raspberries 1/4 cup agave nectar 3/4 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice Pinch cardamom
1. Blend raspberries, agave, lime juice and cardamom on high speed for 25 seconds. 2. Strain through a ne mesh strainer to remove seeds. Refrigerate to chill at least 30 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and top with 1/2 cup scoop of lime ice crme. Enjoy the avors as well as the colors!
Tasteful Tip
The best time to use an avocado for this purpose is at that perfect stage of ripeness. Just a little before or after this point and you may need to adjust the avors slightly as the avor of the avocado is stronger. More agave nectar may be desired but go slowly when adding lime juice or zest. A good way to check for ripeness is to remove the stem end and stick a toothpick into the avocado. If it goes in easily, it is ready. If there is a stronger than desired avocado avor, the delicious raspberry sauce covers it wonderfully. The avocado is actually a fruit that provides more than 25 essential nutrients, including ber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins, and folic acid. Avocados are considered an
ancient Superfood. An archeological dig in Peru discovered avocado seeds buried with a mummy and dated back to the 8th century.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Zesting

Zesting involves scraping o the top layer of the citrus rind. The zest contains intense avor and the essential oils of the citrus used, be it orange, grapefruit, lemon or lime. Make sure not to use the white pith, just under the rind as it is quite bitter. Use a Microplane zester for best results. You can also use the ne grater part of a cheese grater.
Ingredient Prole: Flax seeds

Flax seeds have a fascinating history that traces back to Ancient Egypt and Greece. Flax is one of the original foods recommended by Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine. Called linseeds in Europe (where it's widely cultivated), ax is used in breads and other baked goods. The oil is great in dressings and has gained tremendous popularity recently for its EFAs and omega-3s. We love to grind the seeds onto our salads and breakfast cereals, but best of all, they make amazing crackers.
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Lesson 10 ~ Raw Cuisine 3: Nut & Seed Milks, Granola, Pizza, Tacos and Cheesecake
Seed and Nut Milks Raw Granola Raw Tacos Raw Pizza Raw Cheesecake

Nut milk Aphrodisiac Elixir Almond Cranberry Granola Raw Pizza Sesame Kale Salad Gomasio Papaya Salsa Raw Chile Sauce Raw Sour Crme Raw Cheesecake
See also: Luscious Live Pie (30MV pg 264)
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Seed and nut milks

Blending seeds and or nuts with water, creates a delicious and creamy, healthful milk. Enjoy on their own as a beverage, pour over granola or use as a base for raw smoothies and soups.
Basic Nut Milk

Gluten-free Courtesy The 30-Minute Vegan Makes 1 quart 1 cup nut or seeds 4 cups water 1. Rinse the nuts or seeds well and drain. If you have more time and for best results, see the chart at the end of the recipe for recommended soak times. 2. Place them in a blender with the water and blend on high speed for 30 seconds or until creamy. 3. Strain the milk through a ne mesh strainer, cheese cloth or mesh bag. If using a ne mesh strainer, use a spoon or rubber spatula to swirl the nut or seed meal around which allows the milk to drain faster. 4. If desired, sweeten with agave nectar or maple syrup to taste.
Variation
This recipe also works for rice milk. Just follow the ratios using uncooked brown rice and water. Its a convenient way to save on packaging; its fresh and tastes better! Nut, seed and rice milks will last for 3 to 4 days when stored in a glass jar in the refrigerator.
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Soaking Chart
For increased nutritional value and to enhance digestion, rinse nuts or seeds well and place them in a bowl or jar with water in a 1 part nut or seed to 3 or 4 part water ratio. Allow them to sit for the recommended time, covered at room temperature, before draining, rinsing, and using in recipes. Nut/Seed Almonds Brazil nuts Cashews Filberts (Hazel nuts) Macadamia nuts Pecans Pine nuts Pumpkin seeds Sesame seeds Sunower seeds Walnuts Soak Time in hours 4 to 6 4 to 6 1 to 2 4 to 6 1 to 2 4 to 6 1 to 2 1 to 4 1 to 4 1 to 4 4 to 6
Almonds or lberts are particularly recommended as one of the most healthful nuts. They are very nutritious, providing protein, vitamins, minerals, and ber. One ounce of almonds contains 12 percent of the recommended daily allowance of protein, 35 percent of your daily allowance of vitamin E, and as much calcium as 1/4 cup of milk.
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Aphrodisiac Elixir
Gluten-free Every ingredient in this beverage is an aphrodisiac designed by nature to enhance your senses. This elixir is a marriage of avor with none overpowering the others. Makes 4 cups 1 cup almonds or lberts 2 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks 1/4 tsp. whole cloves 6 green cardamom pods 1 Tbl ginger, chopped small 4 cups water 4 dried gs, soaked in 1 cup ltered water 2 Tbl raw cacao powder 1 Tbl vanilla extract 1 Tbl rosewater Pinch of salt 1. Place almonds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, ginger, and 2 cups water in a blender, and blend, for 20 seconds gradually going from low speed to high speed, for 20 seconds. Pour mixture through a ne mesh strainer. Rinse the blender well, and return spiced water to the blender. 2. Add gs, and g soak water, cacao powder, vanilla extract, rosewater, salt, and remaining 2 cups water. Blend on low speed for 20-30 more seconds or until gs are well blended.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Raw granolas

These granolas take three days but really less than an hour of eort between the soaking, making and dehydrating, but dont let that intimidate you. The prep time is very short and the results are not only worth it but they will last for weeks as well. As time goes on you grow accustomed to thinking ahead to prepare for the dehydrating of foods. Experience makes projects like these more rewarding. The granolas are buckwheat based. Said to originate in ancient China, buckwheat is another one of our favorite Superfoods. A delicious staple in eastern European cuisine, buckwheat is actually a fruit, closely related to rhubarb. High in magnesium and rutin, its good for the cardiovascular system and helps control blood sugar levels. Buckwheat is nutty, used in many ethnic dishes and tolerated by most anyone with food sensitivities. Used extensively in Russian and East European cooking, it is a good source of protein, contains all essential amino acids, and is rich in B-vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium. One cup of buckwheat kernels provides over 20% of the daily allowance of dietary ber.
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Orange Cranberry Almond Granola

Gluten-free Courtesy The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw Makes 6 cups 2 cups buckwheat groats, soaked overnight 1 cup dates, soaked overnight in orange juice 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 Tbl orange zest 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla 1/4 cup agave nectar 1/4 cup almonds, soaked and chopped small 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1. Drain buckwheat groats, rinse well and allow time to drain again. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. 2. In a food processor tted with the s-blade, blend dates with orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla and agave on low speed until a watery paste forms. Add to bowl of buckwheat groats and mix well. 3. Divide batter between two Teex-lined dehydrator trays. Dehydrate at 110 for 24 hours, ip over and remove Teex. Put back in for another 24 hours. 4. Remove from dehydrator and crumble into a mixing bowl using your hands to separate as much as desired. Add almonds and cranberries and stir well. Serve with Live Nut Milk and fresh fruit. Stored in an airtight container or plastic bag this cereal will keep for a couple weeks.
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Rainbow Kale Salad

Gluten-free Courtesy The 30-Minute Vegan Raw kale is an amazingly awesome ingredient and you will be astounded at how delightful it is. If you allow time for the dressing to soak in and soften the leaves it becomes even more delightful (see below). Serves 4 6 cups lightly packed kale, stems removed 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper 1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper 1/2 cup grated carrot 1/2 cup thinly sliced purple cabbage Dressing 2 Tbl olive oil 1 Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 garlic clove, pressed or minced 1 tsp maple syrup 1 tsp wheat-free tamari or soy sauce 1/4 tsp cayenne 1. Chop the kale and toss in a mixing bowl with the red and yellow bell peppers, carrot, and cabbage. 2. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over the salad. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale, making sure that it is evenly distributed. 3. Either serve immediately or chill for 10 minutes or more to allow the kale to soften.
Tips and Tricks

Rubbing oil into the kale and allowing it time to soak in softens the leaves making them increasingly more delicious with time. Another technique is to rinse the kale under hot water to soften.
Variations
~ Though eating a rainbow is recommended for health, dont over-concern yourself with sticking to this precise list of vegetables. Use what you have or what you love. ~ Try adding other avors to the dressing ingredients such as 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp stone ground mustard, or 1/2 tsp red or green curry paste.
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Gluten-free Makes 1 cup
Gomasio
The ubiquitous Japanese condiment is made from two ingredients sesame seeds and salt. Use as a topping on salads, stir-fries, inside nori rolls or other wraps, and any time you wish to add a little salty pizzazz to a dish. 1 cup sesame seeds 2 Tbl sea salt Place sesame seeds and salt in a bowl and mix well. Place half of the mixture in a spice grinder or strong blender and pulse process until the seeds are just ground up. Return to the bowl and mix well. Store in a shaker bottle for all your culinary needs.
Variations
~ You can vary the amount of salt, adding less or more depending upon your preference. Some like it hot add 2 tsp wasabi powder or to taste. Create a designer gomasio by adding dulse akes or grated nori.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Raw Pizzas

Buckwheat is once again the featured ingredient in these raw crusts.
Buckwheat Sunower Seed Pizza Crust

Courtesy The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw Makes 8 4-inch circle crusts 1 cup buckwheat groats, soaked 1 cup sunower seeds, soaked 3 Tbl ax seeds, ground 2 1/2 Tbl fresh herbs 1 Tbl freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper akes 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbl nama shoyu 1. Drain buckwheat, rinse thoroughly and drain again. Blend in a food processor with sunower seeds, ground ax, fresh herbs, lemon juice, crushed red pepper akes, salt, black pepper and shoyu on high speed for 20-30 seconds until a chunky but unied batter forms. 2. Scoop batter onto 2 Teex-lined dehydrator trays in 8 equal portions. Flatten with your hands or use the bottom of a slightly oiled glass or plastic container to form circles. Alternatively you can form the dough into 2 larger pizza crusts. Dehydrate at 110 for 15-18 hours ipping midway and removing Teex. Serve with any of our great sauces, cheeses, spice blends, and toppings from this course. Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, crusts will keep for at least a week.
Tasteful Tip
Be resourceful. Crumble any broken pieces of your crust into salads as croutons.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Raw taco
Choco Tacos
A subtle hint of chocolate adds a great Mexican air to our ax taco shells. Serve with Papaya- Tomato Salsa, Perfect Guacamole, and Cashew Cheese or xings of choice. Recipe courtesy The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Raw Makes 8 taco shells
Taco Shells:
2 cups corn, o the cob 1 cup tomato, chopped into small pieces 1/2 cup ax seeds soaked in 1/2 cup water 2 Tbl freshly squeezed lime juice 2 Tbl cacao powder 1 Tbl nama shoyu 1/2 tsp. garlic, minced 1/4 tsp. sea salt 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 2 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. chili powder 1/4 tsp. cayenne 1/2 cup Cashew Cheese 1/2 head romaine lettuce, sliced thinly 1/2 red onion, diced 1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, and diced
1. Place corn, tomato, ax seeds, lime juice, cacao powder, nama shoyu, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne in a food processor tted with an Sshaped blade. Process on high speed for 25- to 30 seconds or until mixture is a smooth consistency with as few chunks as possible. (Chunks won't spread out well on the dehydrator sheet.) 2. Spread the mixture batter across 2 Teex- lined dehydrator sheets, sealing as many holes as possible. The batter should spread to about 1" inch from all the edges. 3. Dehydrate at 110F for 6 hours. Flip over, remove Teex sheets, and continue dehydrating for 1-2 hours. You want the taco shells to be exible; over dehydrating will causes them to dry out and crack when bent. In this case it is time to make taco salad or you can also lightly steam the shells to restore exibility to the shells. 4. Remove from the dehydrator and cut each sheet into 4 equal squares. With a pair of clean scissors or a knife, cut the corners into rounded edges to form circles. Now you have perfectly exible, round taco shells to load up with your goodies. Enjoy with all of the xings!
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Gluten-free Courtesy of The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw Makes 1 1/2 cups 3/4 cup tomato, chopped small 1 cup papaya, any variety, cubed 4 tsp. lime juice, freshly squeezed 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. ground cumin 1/4 tsp. cayenne 1/4 tsp. salt or to taste 1 Tbl fresh cilantro, minced
Papaya-Tomato Salsa
Place tomato, papaya, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and cilantro in a medium mixing bowl; stir well.
Ancho Chili Sauce

Courtesy of The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw Makes 2 cups 3/4 cup tomato, chopped 1/3 cup ancho chile, soaked, and seeds removed 2/3 cup red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, and chopped 3/4 cup cashews, soaked at least 2 hours 1 date 4 tsp. nama shoyu 1 Tbl freshly squeezed lime juice, freshly squeezed 1/4 tsp. ground cumin 1 Tbl fresh cilantro, minced 1/4 tsp. cayenne or to taste 1 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. salt Place tomato, ancho chile, red bell pepper, cashews, date, nama shoyu, lime juice, cumin, cilantro, cayenne, paprika, and salt in a blender and blend on high speed for 30 40 seconds or until smooth.
Variation
Try substituting chipotle peppers for half of the ancho chilies. This will make the sauce smoky and robust.
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Gluten-free Courtesy of The Complete Idiots Guide to Eating Raw Makes 1 1/4 cups
Sour Crme
1 cup cashew or hemp cheese 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, freshly squeezed 1/4 to 1/2 cup water, as necessary Pinch salt 1. Place Cashew or Hemp Cheese, olive oil, and lemon juice in a blender, and blend on high speed for 20 seconds. 2. Add water slowly while blending on medium speed for about 30 more seconds or until creamy and smooth. 3. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Live Pies

Fruit sweetened, these treats are high on the list of healthful desserts with outrageous avor. You might nd yourself having the most fun while decorating these pies with all of the colorful fruits available. The trick to the art of the live pie is to get the lling rm enough so it can slice. For the standard 9-inch pie, this takes refrigerating or freezing to allow the lling to set. You can also create individual pies by reusing ramekins or plastic 8-ounce containers either as a mold to create the crust or as a serving dish. The amount of thickener that is required will depend on the types of fruit used and their water content. Its very much a process of trial and error. Fruit llings can be thickened with ground ax seed or psyllium seed. Another method involves using ingredients that are solid when refrigerated such as coconut oil or coconut butter. Also used is cocoa butter which is solid at room temperature. Another method involves using soaked Irish Moss (soaked for 24 hours in the refrigerator and then blended with water). You can also use fruits such as banana, dates and avocados. Creating a live pie, as with everything, becomes easier with experience. Please experiment for your perfect lling avor and consistency.
The following live pie is rich and decadent and even a small slice is quite satisfying. would recommend enjoying in small portions due to the fat content.
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Raw Cheesecake
Gluten-free Makes one 9-inch pie
Pie crust
1 1/4 cups pitted Medjool dates 1 1/4 cups almonds or lberts 2 Tbl shredded coconut 1/4 tsp cinnamon Pinch of cardamom, nutmeg or allspice
Raw Cheese Filling

3 cups macadamia nuts or cashews - soaked for a minimum of 1hour 1/2 cup of lemon juice 1/2 tsp lemon zest 3/4 cup agave nectar 1/2 cup coconut oil or coconut butter 3 Tbl nutritional yeast 1 tsp vanilla 1. Prepare the crust. Place the almonds or lberts in a food processor and process until just ground. Add dates, cinnamon, and cardamom and process until the dates are broken up and the mixture begins to run up the sides of the processor. You may need to add more dates if you are using a variety that is not as moist as the Medjool. 2. Use your hands to press the crust into a 9-inch pie pan. The crust should be approximately 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. 3. Prepare the lling by processing all of the ingredients in a food processor until just smooth. Pour into the pie crust and place in the freezer until the lling solidies, approximately 3 hours. Transfer to the refrigerator for an hour before slicing. Top with fresh berries, sliced fruit designs, raspberry coulis, edible owers, and or shredded coconut.
Variation
Top with a layer of chocolate mousse!
Ingredient Prole: Kale

Kale is one of our favorite dark leafy greens and is one of the top Superfoods in terms of nutrient content and disease ghting abilities, as it is especially high in chlorophyll. High in vitamins C, A, and K, it is also loaded with antioxidants which are known to destroy damaging free radicals.
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Vegan Fusion Technique: Cultured vegetables

Super Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut is a delicious addition to the live food repertoire. It involves fermenting cabbage, a technique said to originate in China and used since ancient times. Before refrigeration, fermenting vegetables was a way to store staple foods for longer periods of time. The word sauerkraut comes from Austrian words sauer (sour) and kraut (greens or plants). These tangy Superfoods stimulate digestive juices and are high in vitamin C and benecial bacteria. Please remember that store bought varieties are pasteurized and sometimes not even cultured, but pickled in white vinegar which is hazardous to your digestion. Therefore they do not dont contain the benets of live versions. Check out the following recipe for sauerkraut. You may alter the type of cabbage used as well as adding shredded vegetables like carrots, celery, daikon radish, burdock root or beets. Some even add small amounts of soaked sea vegetables like arame or dulse. Try replacing dill with your favorite fresh herbs or spices. Replace ginger with fresh minced garlic. Consider purchasing a fermenting pot to make the sauerkraut creation process simple.
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Sauerkraut
Makes 4 cups 5 cups green cabbage, shredded (1 large) 1/2 cup water 2 tsp fresh minced ginger 1 tsp fresh minced dill 1/2 tsp Sea salt 1. Peel o outer layers of cabbage and set aside. Coarsely grate or nely chop cabbage and place in a large bowl. Remove 3/4 cup of cabbage and place in a blender or food processor with water. Blend for a minute or so and return to the bowl. Mix well. Place in a 1 gallon glass jar. Cover with outer layer cabbage leaves and press down rmly. You can place a smaller glass jar lled with water on top of the cabbage to weigh contents down. Cover with a cloth or lid. 2. Allow this mixture to sit for approximately two to three days in a warm place. Check every day and press the outer layers down rmly. It should have a slightly fermented taste but should not be gray or moldy. When ready, place in a glass container with salt, dill and ginger. Will last for several weeks if well stored in the refrigerator. Note: Fermentation will be faster if a small amount of sauerkraut is added to fresh shredded cabbage as a starter. Also the cabbage should be moist so add a small amount of water if it is dry. Cabbage and other brassica vegetables like broccoli and cauliower are highly esteemed in their ability to prevent illness and are considered a Superfood by many. High in sulphur, they have antibiotic and antiviral properties. Some say that raw sauerkraut and other fermented foods can increase the bodys ability to absorb and produce vitamin B12.
Vegan Fusion Technique: Juicing

Fresh juices are an essential part of a raw food lifestyle. Juices can be enjoyed on their own or form the base of smoothies, live soups, sauces and dressings. The benets of juicing are many. Juicing is an amazing tool for weight loss, healing, and rejuvenation. Nutrients are released immediately into the cells and bloodstream in a form that is the easiest to assimilate. Juices made at home have an alkalizing eect on your pH and are a great way to get the ve to nine recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
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Congratulations on completing the Vegan Fusion Cooking Healthy Lessons Online Training Course. If you have any further questions, please email info@veganfusion.com.
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Vegan Fusion

Cooking Healthy Lessons

Online Chef Training Manual Mark Reinfeld & Bo Rinaldi

Lesson 2 ~ Dressings and Salads 24

Lesson 3 ~ The World of Grains and Legumes 40

Lesson 4 ~ Tofu, Tempeh, and Seitan Dishes 52

62 63 64 65 67 68 69 69 70 73 74 75 80 81 81 82 82 83 84 84 85 86 93 95 96 97 98 100 101 102 103 105 110 116 117 120

Lesson 5 ~ Pasta, Casseroles and Sauces 67

Lesson 6 ~ Wraps , Sandwiches, Spreads, Pizza and Rolls 76

Lesson 7 ~ Vegan Desserts 92

Lesson 8 ~ Raw Cuisine 1: Smoothies, Pts, Pasta & Pudding 109

123 124 126

127 128 130 132 133 135 137

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Lesson 1 ~ Vegan Soups

Recipes covered in this lesson:

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Vegan Fusion Technique: One pot soups

Kitchen Safety 101

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Vegan Fusion Technique: Basic knife cuts

Some common measurement conversions

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Italian Florentine Soup

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Courtesy Taste of the East Gluten-free

Coconut Vegetable Soup Tom Kah Pak

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Some other terms you want to know

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Vegan Fusion Technique: Blended Soups

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Shiitake Sea Veggie Chowder

Tips and Tricks

Vegan Fusion Technique: Sauting

Vegan Fusion Technique: Steam sauting

Vegan Fusion Technique: Toasting spices, nuts and seeds

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Potato and Toasted Spice Soup

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Vegan Fusion Technique: Seasoning with herbs and spices

Some common leafy herbs

Bouquet Garni Chervil Chives

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Fine Herbes Herbes de Provence Marjoram Mints Oregano Parsley

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Vegan Fusion Technique: Spice blends

Italian Spice Mix

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Indian Spice Mix

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Mexican Spice Mix

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Moroccan Spice Mix

Whats the dierence between white pepper and black pepper?

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Vegan Fusion Technique: Creating soup stock

Ingredient Prole: Miso

Vegan Fusion Chef Training Manual

Lesson 2 ~ Dressings and Salads

Recipes covered in this lesson:

Vegan Fusion Technique: Blended dressings

Other items to add into dressings include: