Poor Jonny’s Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad

2 oranges

2 peaches (or nectarines)

2 bananas

1 cup strawberries, grapes or any other fruit

¼ cup chopped walnuts

2 Tbs milk (rice milk works great)

few drops of fresh lemon

1 heaping Tbs honey

pinch of cardamom spice

Peel oranges and bananas. Hull strawberries and slice peaches and remove the pits. Cut up the fruit (except grapes) into ¾ inch size pieces and toss into a bowl. Squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon onto the fruit. Mix the fruit together in a bowl and add walnuts. Add the milk, honey and cardamom. Mix and refrigerate.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny’s Cookbook. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Jonnys-Cookbook-Suellen-Ocean/dp/0965114031

eBook or computer download through Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260122

eBook through Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poor-jonnys-cookbook-suellen-ocean/1102338251?ean=2940016618609

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Bread Is Expensive, Make Wholegrain Chapattis Instead

A good loaf of bread in California is four to five dollars. That’s a chunk of cash for what many think of as “the staff of life.” But what surprises me is how many people today don’t know that for pennies you can make delicious quick breads. If you have a good cast iron skillet you can make delicious chapattis out of flour and water. It takes experience to get it right and even pros can burn them but they are delicious and you turn a tight budget into a gourmet opportunity. The key is to use cast iron and to have it warm before you put the flour mixture in it. The flour mixture is just flour, water and a tiny bit of salt and it is made up just like kid’s play dough but it is a bit “dry.” You can roll them out on a floured board or have a little flour in the skillet and pat the dough into it. Be careful that you don’t get burned. Cook it on medium heat, flipping it after a few minutes depending on how hot the skillet is. If you incorporate herbs and seeds into the dough it is very tasty. Sesame seeds, caraway seeds and herbs and spices make these chapattis a treat. Have them with anything from shredded carrots, sprouts, hummus, beans or sour cream and cheese.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny’s Cookbook. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Jonnys-Cookbook-Suellen-Ocean/dp/0965114031

eBook or computer download through Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260122

eBook through Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poor-jonnys-cookbook-suellen-ocean/1102338251?ean=2940016618609

Cooking With Soy Flour: More Protein for Vegetarians

Soy flour is inexpensive and you don’t need very much. It can be found at the natural foods store and will add protein to your breads, sauces and whatever you dream up. I like to mix a tablespoon and a half with two raw eggs and mix it up when I make omelets. In a cast iron skillet, sauté onions in the smallest amount of oil you can get by with then pour the soy egg mixture on top of the onions. Cook the bottom for a few minutes then place the skillet under the broiler for another few minutes to brown it lightly and cook the top. Turn the broiler off and remove the skillet and place sliced tomatoes and avocados on top. Sprinkle with a little soy sauce and you have a tasty omelet with soy protein that might be easier to digest than tofu.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny’s Cookbook. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Jonnys-Cookbook-Suellen-Ocean/dp/0965114031

eBook or computer download through Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260122

eBook through Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poor-jonnys-cookbook-suellen-ocean/1102338251?ean=2940016618609

What Is TVP And How Do You Cook With It?

TVP is texturized vegetable protein and it is made from soy beans. It is a complete protein so I enjoy adding it to my vegetarian diet. It’s easy to throw into homemade vegetarian chili, be careful though because it swells up a bit so you don’t need much, maybe 1/4 cup of the dried TVP per  pot of chili. Another way is to make veggie burgers out of it. I take about a half cup of dried TVP and add warm water, just enough to cover and let it swell. Then I add a raw egg and some whole wheat flour just to thicken it. A squirt of soy sauce and perhaps a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and mix it up and it’s ready to fry or bake. The egg makes it thick and stick together. They are very good, think I’ll go make some for dinner tonight.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny’s Cookbook. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Jonnys-Cookbook-Suellen-Ocean/dp/0965114031

eBook or computer download through Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260122

eBook through Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poor-jonnys-cookbook-suellen-ocean/1102338251?ean=2940016618609

What is “Curry”?

Curry brings to mind the fabulous dishes made in India. Curry spice can be found throughout America and the world, it is a combination of spices blended together and called “curry.” But in India curry is made by purchasing spices and grinding them fresh. Because of this, in India curry spice can vary widely. In America we will probably find most curry powder similar in flavor but in India the curry spice probably has a much different flavor, depending on who’s doing the cooking and what spices they decide to blend together.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny’s Cookbook. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Jonnys-Cookbook-Suellen-Ocean/dp/0965114031

eBook or computer download through Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260122

eBook through Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poor-jonnys-cookbook-suellen-ocean/1102338251?ean=2940016618609

Tofu… How Do You Cook It?

Tofu…  How do you cook it? You can fry it like bacon, break it up and boil it in soups, bake it, microwave it, broil it, steam it or any other way you can imagine. Cooking it in a cast iron skillet that is only lightly oiled, then cooking the tofu over medium heat with a lid on will give it a combination steamed/fried effect. Tofu can be cooked this way, then served with gravy. It can be cooked this way then marinated.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny’s Cookbook. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Jonnys-Cookbook-Suellen-Ocean/dp/0965114031

eBook or computer download through Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260122

eBook through Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poor-jonnys-cookbook-suellen-ocean/1102338251?ean=2940016618609

Use Cast Iron for Fat-Free Cooking

It takes practice but a cast iron skillet is a fabulous way to cook without oil. You can add a tiny bit of water or broth to the skillet. For example, frozen corn and onions on the skillet with a tiny bit of water – cover and simmer a few minutes Before all the water gets cooked out, crack a couple of eggs on top, piercing the yokes. After a brief heating from the stovetop, stick the skillet in the oven and “broil” to cook the top. After removing from the oven, use a firm metal spatula to lift it out. The trick is to not let the food stick to the skillet, which it shouldn’t if you don’t let it get dry. Add some fat-free salsa and voila, a delicious omelet!

Suellen Ocean is the author of the vegetarian cookbook, Poor Jonny’s Cookbook. Available here:

http://www.amazon.com/Poor-Jonnys-Cookbook-Suellen-Ocean/dp/0965114031

eBook or computer download through Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/260122

eBook through Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/poor-jonnys-cookbook-suellen-ocean/1102338251?ean=2940016618609

Bonding With Your Home & Garden

There’s nothing like going out into the garden and picking fresh vegetables and grabbing a few handfuls of fresh strawberries. It helps me bond with my surroundings. I feel uncomfortable when I am too busy to keep my garden to my standards (which aren’t THAT high, I’m a funky gardener). Uncomfortable because a garden sustains me physically and spiritually, it literally feeds me in those two ways. Whether it is one solo tomato plant or an acre of corn, those of us who put a seed into the ground and nurture it, feel a special bond with our surroundings, a grounding so to speak. No pun intended.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Poor Jonny’s Cookbook.

 

Tahini Sauce

Tahini Sauce

This sauce is quite tasty and can be used over mashed potatoes, rice, tofu or vegetables. Tahini is made from ground sesame seeds.

1 & ½ Tbs Tahini

1 & ½ Tbs tamari

1 clove minced garlic

½ cup water

Over medium heat, using a small saucepan, melt the tahini with the other ingredients. Cool and keep refrigerated.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Poor Jonny’s Cookbook.

Lemony Yogurt Dressing

Lemony Yogurt Dressing

Try over baked potatoes or as a salad dressing or dip for a fresh vegetable plate that has zucchini slices, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and crackers.

3 Tbs fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs olive oil

1 clove crushed garlic

½ cup plain non-fat yogurt

salt & pepper

To the yogurt add lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt & pepper, mixing well.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Poor Jonny’s Cookbook.