Tempting Thai Seitan, adapted from Desperation Dinners



1 c. rice, made in rice cooker so ending up with 3 cups or so. We use sushi rice sometimes, but often as not, we use short brown rice. Brown rice takes longer in the rice cooker, but it really is better for you especially if you're diabetic because it takes longer to digest.

10 oz can of seitan or mock duck, you might want to add a second can if you end up liking this recipe
Spicy Peanut Sauce, (recipe follows)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 T. chopped ginger
1-2 bunches of scallions, for 3/4 c. chopped
1 can sliced bamboo shoots, really seems integral to be honest
1/3 c. unsalted peanuts
1 T. tamari or soy sauce
1 T. dry sherry
1 t. sugar
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Make peanut sauce and set aside.

Heat the oil in skillet or wok over high heat. Cut the seitan into small bites. adding them to wok as you cut. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until the seitan is warmed, stirring frequently.

While the seitan warms up, cut the scallions into 1/4-inch slices, using the white and enough of the tender green tops to make 3/4 cup; drain the bamboo shoots, and chop the peanuts. Set each aside.

When the seitan seems warm, add the scallions, bamboo shoots, peanuts, tamari, sherry, and sugar. Stir well, then add the peanut sauce and stir well again. Cook until heated through, 2 minutes. Serve over a bed of the rice. ( Honestly, not sure why you make the sauce and add the rest of the ingredients separately. You can try it either way, see what works for you best.)

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Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 1/2 T creamy peanut butter, (again, more won't hurt anyone. This recipe is super forgiving, tasty all around. Just pay attention to whether you're asked to use a tablespoon or a teaspoon to give yourself a sense of the proportions.)
2 T. vegetable oil
2 T. tamari or soy sauce
2 T. sugar
2 t. rice wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
1/2 t. dark sesame oil
1/8 t. ground cayenne pepper, add more if you'd like it spicier.

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well combined.

Makes about 1/2 cup.

Not so-stinky pits

I make my own deodorant. Super weird in one way, super great in others. First you have to understand that I love making everything that I can. I had all the ingredients on hand, didn't have to go out to buy a thing to make it. Seemed like a no-brainer. I had even saved a roll up container to put it in. That didn't work out so well when it got warmer out, so we just scoop a little from a jar in the bathroom. You could almost eat this stuff, but I wouldn't actually recommend it.

I tried it, and it was amazing, though it started to sting a bit. Went back to the website, and saw there was a sensitive skin recipe. Bingo! I convinced my husband to use it, then our teenage son and after that I think everyone was using it. 

The only problem, I think it stains. So, use it when you wear black or dark grey. It helps your other deodorants work better, I swear. 

Here's my recipe, 

Standard formula:

1/4 c. baking soda

1/4 c. cornstarch

10 drops tea tree oil

2+ T. coconut oil, melted. Can also use shea butter, cocoa butter, etc. 

For sensitive skin: 

2 T. baking soda

6 T. cornstarch ( if you have very sensitive skin, substitute arrowroot powder)

10 drops tea tree oil

2+ T. coconut oil, melted

+ optional 

additional essential oils for fragrance

up to 1 tsp. vitamin E oil, or sweet almond oil

You may have to mess with your own formulation a bit. We switched coconut oil brands, and now I don't need to add vitamin E really. I can, because I have tons left but it isn't necessary.  I've even heard that you can use straight coconut oil as deodorant. Less is more sometimes. 

Do your own pit test, maybe against your storebought deodorant at first. One on the right, the other on the left. Sniff after you wake up in the morning, see what you think. You might be surprised by how good you smell, with your new homemade stock.

Here's where I first heard about making my own deodorant. Her adventure always inspires me, even if it's about stinky pits. 

http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angry_chicken/2008/07/homemade-deodor.html

Taco, Taco, Taco Bell. No, not really.

Vegetarian Tacos with Salsa

12 taco shells
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 lb. fake ground beef OR one cup TVP in one cup boiling water
2 tablespoons ketchup

salsa and other fixings such as cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc.

Turn on oven, put in shells.

Warm TVP, stir in spices. Add ketchup, reduce the heat to medium and cook for five minutes, stir occasionally.

The mixture should vaguely resemble ground beef when it's ready.

Simple Salsa

1 clove garlic
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, loosely packed.
1/2 lime
1 can tomatoes with chilies, drained as best you can

Peel the garlic and drop in food processor. Let it run for a little while, til it's finely chopped. Add the cilantro and pulse to chop fine. Add tomatoes and pulse for 2-3 times for chunky salsa, or longer for smoother. Add lime juice, somewhere in there.

Serve at once, or refrigerate until ready to serve. We use this for everything, recipes that whatever funky salsa you picked up might not work in, like mango salsa or pineapple. Go crazy!

Mead

Mead

Makes six 750-ml bottles

17 cups/4.25 L water

3/4 cup/185 g packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup/185 g granulated sugar, plus 6 teaspoons

Zest and juice of 2 lemons

1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

18 raisins

• In a large stockpot, bring the water to a boil. Stir in the brown sugar, the 3/4 cup granulated sugar, the lemon zest and the lemon juice. Remove from the heat and let cool to warm, 105° to 115°F/40°C to 46°C. Stir in the yeast until dissolved. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for at least 12 hours. (I think you're trying to capture some local yeasts this way. Not sure.) 
• Put 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 3 raisins into each of six wine bottles. ( We have some flip tops bottles that we use, purchased with sodas from World Market inside and sterilized AFTER we drank the sodas.) Strain ladles of the mead through a funnel into the bottles. Cap tightly with corks or bottle stoppers. Place in a cool, dark place for 1 to 2 days, until the raisins have risen to the surface. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. 
  
  

We left ours in the basement for a long while, and they became VERY fizzy. I guess that it ends up mildly alcoholic, but we really didn't notice it. 

Making stuff to eat

Not really wanting a particular direction to go with this blog, I do plan on transcribing particular recipes that my family enjoys. I would love to make a family cookbook, but who knows when that will really happen. For the time being, here is Tillie's favourite crepes recipe.

Crepes
(wish I could figure out how to remember how to do the correct accent on this computer.)

3 eggs

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (opt.)

1 cup milk

pinch salt

1 cup all-purpose flour, or 1/2 c. all-purpose and 1/2 c. whole wheat

2 tablespoons melted buter, cooled

Nutella

Cinnamon-sugar

Jam

Blend the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and milk. Beat in the flour with a whisk, and then beat in the melted butter. The consistency of the batter should be that of heavy cream. 

In a very hot frying pan with a small amount of butter, pour in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter and quickly tilt the pan so the batter spreads evenly over the bottom. As soon as the top is dry, turn the crepe over. 

Top with desired filling and fold. We like these filled with scrambled eggs, etc. 

So fashionable

I want to write another blog, about today's fashions and how I feel about them. The best part of this, is that I am so unfashionable it hurts. I'm constantly wishing I had better clothes, and a funkier haircut. It's hard having such aspirations, when you're over 40, a stay at home mom and have crazy curly hair. All this conspires against me. I need to spend more time on every little thing that I'm interested in. Mostly what I do these days, is chase a baby or try to get the older children to do their chores. Not a fashionable life, though I've seen a few people who can do it. Someone needs to look at me, and do a makeover. I think that's the best plan.

Summer's end

Summer is coming to an end, in Minnesota. You can feel fall in the air, along with the Fair going full swing. School starts the day after Labour Day, the day after the Fair ends. Our oldest is starting high school, and I'm so excited for her. I know it's going to be a big change, and she's going to be worn out, overwhelmed by the work, but it's going to be brilliant! Her classes sound much more interesting than anything that was offered to us when her father and I were in high school. She joined swim team, and even though she's still shy as hell, she's becoming part of it. I will miss the older children, to some degree but I'm ready for them to start school again. They're getting very squirrelly. Hopefully tomorrow we will know what teachers they have, and when the bus is coming, etc. I want to figure out what the baby and I will be doing with ourselves.