I made a double batch of what this Latino brother makes on his youtube channel called RawFoodMuscle.
Raw Creamy Spicy Mushroom Soup episode #11
Many of his recipes are fast, full of flavor, vegan, and raw. I’m also enjoying this show because it’s a person of color cooking, much in the spirit of Bryant Terry, Nwenna Kai, or Angela Shelf Medearis. In short, if you can’t afford the fancy cookbooks, check out some recipes on youtube or online. You don’t have to be obsessed with vegan cookbooks like me!
Since my fiance is recuperating from bronchitis, I cross-referenced with Gillian McKeith’s “Food Bible” and substituted his ingredient of baby portobello mushrooms with shiitake mushrooms.
Apparently, shiitake mushrooms are good for bronchitis. Other sources say that shiitake mushrooms stimulate the immune system, are anti-viral, prevent platelet aggregation (good to avoid heart attacks, but not for hemophiliacs), and increase resistance to pathogens (such as the flu virus).
In terms of flavor, the shiitake mushrooms complement the miso used in the recipe much better. I would share a pic, but my fiance threw down on the soup before I could snap one. If you prefer warm food, you can heat this soup as well, and the flavor is still there. He mentioned that heating the soup made the elements come together and thicken into a heartier soup. It’s also a satisfying soup for a cold day or when you’re feeling congested.
My take:
INGREDIENTS
2 cups of raw, unsalted cashews
4 cups of water
12-16 shiitake mushrooms (Some are big. Others are smaller.)
A little bit of olive oil
1 whole jalapeño chopped (with seeds)
1/2 cup of cilantro
3 tbsps of white miso (available at an Asian grocery if not a mainstream grocery)
2 tsps chili powder
1 tbsp of onion powder
1 1/2 tsps of garlic powder
2 tsps of sea salt
a little black pepper
a little red pepper
DIRECTIONS
Wash and chop the mushrooms. You can massage the mushrooms gently with some olive oil. You won’t need much oil at all. The original recipe called for a food dehydrator, but it’s not necessary.
Chop the jalapeño and leave in the seeds. If you are sensitive to peppers, wear the cooking gloves so the pepper does not burn your hands.
Put 4 cups of water, then the cashews in your blender.
Add the miso, some of the cilantro, and all the seasonings, then puree.
Add some of the chopped mushrooms and the whole jalapeño to the mix.
The mix should look like a creamy, beigey mustard when it’s completely blended.
Pour servings into bowls, add more chopped mushrooms for texture and a little of the leftover cilantro for garnish. I’d also recommend a good green tea and some rice crackers on the side, but it’s up to you.
I’ll be writing about poetry and children’s books soon and catching up on other long overdue blog topics soon. I’m reading at NYC’s Brecht Forum on Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 7 p.m. for Women On Wednesdays: “K’uychi Ñayñaykuna del/My sisters of the rainbow”. Features include The Mimi Jones Band, curator Latasha N. Diggs, Tonya Foster, dancer/choreographer Paloma McGregor, and “Rhyme Like a Girl” with Toni Blackman.
Over the past month, I’ve managed to cook more at home. In part, because a lot of the food I’d eat on the run was too expensive and not nearly as healthy as anything I could prepare from the grocery store.
I’ve been vegetarian for several years, but I’ve decided to make more vegan meals, raw food dishes, and do more juicing. I just got a new juicer to replace the one that got stolen in one of my many moves and a brand new peeler, and reading new books to help me supplement my new lease on eating. My fiance is a confirmed meat eater, but is open to trying new things. He is also hooked on fresh, frothy orange juice from oranges juiced with the seeds, pith, and pulp. We’ve been taking shifts with the cooking and juicing, and I’m hoping to plot some results here. I’ve also noticed that I feel better over the past two weeks. My stomach is more settled. I’m hoping to share some more changes here.
I also wanted to include some links to books and a recipe that I tried. Please feel free to write and let me know if you’ve tried making this:
Black-Eyed Pea & Collard Green wraps & BBQ sauce
An adapted recipe from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero
BBQ sauce
4 cloves of garlic
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/3 cup of white vinegar
1 28-oz. can of crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup molasses
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. of dijon mustard (“Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?”)
2 tsp. of Liquid Smoke
Brown onions and minced garlic (or fresh from the garlic press) in oil. Saute for about 8 minutes. Then add all other ingredients except mustard and Liquid Smoke. Cook for about 30 minutes-1 hour. Then add mustard and Liquid Smoke. Adjust flavors. Puree is optional for a smoother sauce.
Wrap Ingredients
collard leaves (about two healthy looking bunches)
vegetable oil
4-8 oz. of cremini mushrooms (I used shitake mushrooms.), thick slices
1 15-oz. can of black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed
2 cups of BBQ made above
First, wash the collard greens carefully, then cut off extra stems, including if the stems are thick a couple of inches into the leaf. Pick the biggest, most-together looking greens. You’ll need about 12 of ‘em. Chop up the rest of the greens.
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Carefully put your collards in the water and cover for 6 minutes. Then carefully remove with tongs. You don’t want to tear the collards! Let them cool.
Saute mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add chopped collards, and let it cook for about 7 minutes, then add black-eyed peas. When these veggies have cooked, add 2 cups of BBQ sauce and stir thoroughly. When the veggie mixture is done, put one or two tablespoons of the mixture on the base of a cooled collard leaf, and roll carefully from the bottom up. If filling comes out, take some out and start over. It’s easier to do it with bigger leaves, but it can be done with smaller ones. After making your rolls, dress with the BBQ sauce. They’re not really wraps you can pick up and eat, so use a knife and fork. I’d suggest quinoa as a grain, but they’re pretty filling on their own. SIDENOTE: If you still have BBQ sauce left when you’re done, you can cut some cubes of firm tofu (after you’ve drained it and pressed the water out) and gently stir them into the sauce and let them soak for 30 minutes-1 hour. This is great with broccoli, carrots, and other stir-fry-friendly veggies.
I’d also like to suggest three cookbooks:
Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Vegan Soul Kitchen by Bryant Terry
The Goddess of Raw Foods by Nwenna Kai
