HI ARBOR
an e-newsletter for vegetarians
V.3 No.8
August 21, 2003

TOMATO ICE
SALADS:

GRILLING:

COOKBOOK: "Vegan Microwave Cookbook"
WEBSITE: Nutrition consultants

Hello, and welcome back to the Hi Arbor. A reader mentioned smoothies to me. That's a great idea for a hot August day. One recipe is below, plus two recipes for other frozen treats. I also made a simple smoothie by putting canned pineapple (drained) in a blender with enriched rice drink, water and ice and it was very good.
Oleada gave my husband and me okra, tomatoes, green bell peppers and purple hull peas from her and her husband's garden. I made a delicious meal of okra gumbo with the purple hull peas on the side. When I first started the Hi Arbor I included a gumbo recipe my sister gave me in one of the first issues. If you would like a copy of that recipe as we head into gumbo weather, please let me know. If you have information, suggestions or recipes, send them to HiArborNews@aol.com. The next issue of this newsletter will be sent on September 18, 2003. Many thanks to those who provided information or ideas I have used in this 
issue. 
Have a safe and happy Labor day holiday!
Take care.
Roxanne

The following is from the April 2001 issue of "Vegetarian Times" 
magazine. http://vegetariantimes.com/

PEACHY DREAM SMOOTHIE

In a blender combine: 
1 cup peeled and cubed peaches
2 tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate
1 cup peach soy yogurt
1 1/2 cups soy milk 
the juice of half a lime 
2 tablespoons soy protein powder

Blend until creamy. It has 17 grams of soy protein.

The information about Granitas and the recipe come from the food 
section of the July 31, 2003, Atlanta Journal-Constitution www.ajc.com 
-- which got them from "Granita Magic" by Nadia Roden (Artisan, $15) 
[Barnes & Noble Online, $12, www.bn.com ]


WHAT IS A GRANITA?
A granita is a "classic dessert from Italy" and "is a grainy ice with 
intense flavoring that is served as a palate cleanser between courses, a 
complement to a main dish or, most often, as a cooling refreshment."

HOW TO MAKE A GRANITA
(From "Granita Magic" by Nadia Roberts)

Classic method
1. Follow a granita recipe, then pour liquid mixture into a wide, 
shallow container.

2. Cover with a lid, foil or plastic wrap ad freeze for an hour or two 
until it has frozen around the edges.

3. Take out container and scrape ice with a fork, mixing it from the 
edges into the center.

4. Repeat this scraping process every half-hour or so until the entire 
mixture has turned into small ice flakes. (At least three times will be 
necessary.)

5. Serve in attractive glasses or bowls, preferably immediately. You 
may leave granita in the freezer overnight. If you do, let it sit for a 
few minutes to soften, and rake it with a fork to lighten the texture 
just before serving.

Quick method
"Although satisfactory, this will give the granita a finer texture, more 
like a slush; Nadia Roden recommends not using it unless you are 
pressed for time."

1. Pour liquid granita mixture into ice cube trays and freeze until solid.

2. Just before serving, put granita ice cubes in a food processor and 
blend for a few seconds until smooth.

ORANGE GRANITA 
makes 4-6 servings
Preparation time: 4 1/2 hours (3 hours, 50 minutes of the prep time is for 
the freezing of the granita)
Cooking time: 5 minutes

"You can serve this with fresh orange slices. Orange blossom water adds 
a delicate Middle Eastern touch. Alternatively, you may prefer to add a few 
tablespoons of Grand Marnier or tequila. Experiment with different varieties of 
oranges when they are in season - Seville or blood oranges, for example. One 
of my favorites - mineola - is actually a tangelo." - From "Granita Magic"

1 1/2 cups water
1/2 to 3/4 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 2 oranges
Juice of 6 large oranges
Juice of 1 lemon
3 to 4 teaspons orange blossom water (optional)
Put water, sugar and orange zest in a sucepan and gently simmer until the 
sugar dissolves. Remove the saucepan from the heat to cool. Mix in the 
orange and lemon juices and the orange blossom water, if using.
To freeze, follow the "classic method" in the "How to Make Granita" 
instructions above.
Per serving (based on 4 servings): 219 calories 2 grams protein 
54 grams carbohydrates 1 gram fiber 
no fat no cholesterol 5 milligrams sodium

This recipe is from the food section of the August 14, 2003 edition of the 
Atlanta Journal-Constitution www.ajc.com
It offers an interesting way to use up some of those garden fresh tomatoes.

TOMATO ICE 
Makes 6 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes Freezing times: varies by manufacturer

"With the chiles, this is a tingling and cooling first course on a hot night. 
Leave out the chiles and add a dollop of whipped cream, and you'll love it for 
dessert. You can make this without an ice cream maker, too; just freeze the 
mixture in a shallow pan and stir it every 10 minutes or so, so it doesn't turn 
rock hard. Use a scoop to spoon it into a bowl."

3/4 cup plus one tablespoon cool water
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 cups finely strained tomato puree from about 6 medium (2 pounds) flavorful 
tomatoes
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Salt to taste
1 to 3 small dried hot red chilies to taste, including seeds
In a mixing bowl, stir the water and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. 
Blend in the tomato puree, then heighten the flavor with the lemon and orange 
juices and a few grains of salt.
Grind the chilies in a mortar and pestle, stir into the tomato mixture and 
immediately strain through a sieve. Freeze in a ice cream machine according 
to manufacturer's instructions. 
-- From "Kitchen Garden Cookbook" by Sylvia Thomas (Bantam, $27.95) [ 
My note: That price comes from the AJC. I checked Barnes and Noble 
Online and they didn't have Ms. Thomas' book so I checked 
Amazon.com. There is aspparently more than one edition of 
Ms. Thomas' book and maybe there is a brand new edition for 
$27.95. Amazon has the book used for $2.30 and new for 
$2.95.]

Per serving: 118 calories 2 grams protein 29 grams carbohydrates 
2 grams fiber no fat no cholesterol 18 milligrams sodium

This recipe is from the July 27, 2003 issue of Parade Magazine.

TOMATO & GREEN BEAN SALAD
 Serves 8

"Vinegar or another acid, such as lemon juice, may discolor the 
beans, so toss just before serving."

1 1/2 cups red grape or cherry tomtoes, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 cups yellow pear or cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
2 large ripe tomatoes, halved lengthwise and cut into very 
thin wedges
1 cup tender green beans (stem ends snapped), cut into 
1-inch pieces and lightly blanched for 3 to 4 minutes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
Combine the tomatoes and green beans in a bowl. Before serving, 
sprinkle with the pepper, olive oil and vinegar.
Per serving: 60 calories 6 grams carbohydrates
1 gram protein 4 grams fat no cholesterol

Here's one from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution www.ajc.com 
food section, August 14, 2003.

ITALIAN PANZANELLA SALAD 
Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 10 minutes Chilling/standing time: 40 minutes

"This is a great way to use stale bread, which will soak up ...the tomato 
juices. There is no better time to enjoy panzanella than when vine-ripe 
tomatoes are plentiful."

2 cups torn stale bread chunks
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 pound fresh tomatoes, cut in wedges
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 cup basil leaves, torn
Olive oil to drizzle
Salt and pepper to taste
Soak the stale bread chunks in water (about 2 cups) and the red wine 
vinegar. Toss the onion, tomatoes, celery and basil leaves together. Drain the 
bread and squeeze out as much water/vinegar as you can. Toss with the 
other ingredients, cover and chill 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, let 
stand 10 minutes, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Per serving: 114 calories (percent of calories from fat, 21) 3 grams protein 21 grams carbohydrates 2 grams fiber 3 grams fat 
no cholesterol 157 milligrams sodium

Next is a recipe Oleada sent me with a funny name and concept.

"A cousin in Tennessee was listening to a radio 
talk show and the subject was recipes with wild and 
crazy names or something like that. Anyway, he 
heard this one and in spite of the name, it sounded 
good to him so he wrote it down when he got to 
work and shared it with me. We like it for dessert 
even better than salad."

FROG EYE SALAD 
8 servings

1 lb. white seedless grapes
1 lb. red seedless grapes
8 oz. cream cheese (fat free or reduced fat)* 
8 oz. sour cream (fat free)*
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. brown sugar (optional)*
2 T. chopped nuts (optional)*

NOTE: I added the parentheses.

Mix sour cream, cream cheese, powdered sugar, 
and vanilla flavoring together until well blended. 
Wash and place both red and white grapes into a 
large (glass) bowl and spoon mix into the bowl of 
grapes and stir until evenly mixed.

If desired, sprinkle with brown sugar and nuts. (I 
did not think either of these added to the taste. 
Served in a glass bowl, it sure looked like frog 
eyes.)

Chill before serving. 

Here is a recipe for the grill from the August 14, 2003, food section in the 
Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper. www.ajc.com


STUFFED TANDOORI PEPPERS 
Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 45 minutes

"The filling in these grilled peppers, adapted from a recipe in 'The Barbeque 
Bible' by Stephen Raichlen (Workman, $18.95) [Barnes and Noble Online, 
$13.96], is a meal in itself - a soulful stew of onion, potato, cabbage and nuts 
assertively seasoned with spices and cheese."

4 large green, red or yellow bell peppers
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, one coarsely chopped, one minced
1 piece (1/2-inch long) fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/3 small head green cabbage, cored, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon raisins
8 cashews, coarsely chopped
1 large potato, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup grated Gouda or mild cheddar cheese

Cut stem ends from peppers to form caps; set aside. Scrape veins and 
seeds from peppers with a spoon or melon baller; set peppers aside. Combine 
the lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of the oil, the coarsely chopped garlic, ginger 
and the salt in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Brush 
interiors of the peppers and caps with this mixture; set aside.
Prepare the grill for indirect grilling using high heat [see note]. Heat 
remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat on a stovetop. 
Add the minced garlic, onion, cumin seeds, turmeric and red pepper. Cook 
until the onion just begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in cabbage, raisins, 
cashews, potato and tomato. Cook 2 minutes; reduce heat to low. Cover, 
cook the vegetables until soft, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes. (Check 
after 10 minutes; if the vegetables look wet, uncover the pan for the last 5 
minutes to evaporate excess liquid.) Stir in the cilantro; cook 1 minute. Stir in 
cheese; remove from heat.
Spoon the filling into the peppers; top with pepper caps. Place the peppers 
in the center of the hot grate away from the heat source. Cover grill; cook until 
the peppers are nicely browned and tender, 20-30 minutes. Place peppers 
directly over the flames to lightly char skins before removing from heat. Serve 
hot.

NOTE: Indirect grilling in a nutshell [the short, short version]: "Start a fire well 
over to one side of [the] grill...When the coals are well lit and covered 
with gray ash, place the [food] on the side of the grill away from the 
coals, being careful that none of the [food] is directly over the coals."

Per serving: 305 calories (percent ofcalories from fat, 46) 9 grams protein 
35 grams carbohydrates 7 grams fiber 17 grams fat 
16 milligrams cholesterol 430 milligrams sodium

COOKBOOK:
I was given a copy of the "Vegan Microwave Cookbook" by Chef 
Nancy Berkoff, R.D. [Barnes and Noble Online, $15.25] of the Vegetarian 
Resource Group www.vrg.org 
I really like this book because it makes being vegan doable by 
people who might otherwise be scared off at the thought of a diet with 
no animal products. Here are two ideas for leftovers. I tried the corn 
chowder with leftover corn and it was very good and easy to make. 


Tomato Shortcake: "...a savory entree popularized by Executive Chef 
David Turk of Indiana Market and Catering, is made by layering polenta 
or cornbread with salsa, chopped olives and fresh basil, and garnished 
with vegan sour cream. This dish can be microwaved to keep it tender 
and steamy. That's just one of the things you can do with that extra 
pan of cornbread you decided to make. "

Corn Chowder: "combine cooked corn, chopped canned tomatoes, 
diced canned or cooked potatoes, silken tofu, and tomato juice. Mix to 
combine and microwave until bubbly."

WEBSITE:

A reader sent me the web address below and I copied the paragraph from 
the home page at that address if you would like to take a look. I didn't see 
any recipes at this site, but there are interesting bits of information. There is 
an article entitled "Is Caffeine Good For You?" and another entitled "Food and 
Mood...Is There A Connection?" 

"Welcome to the it nutrition Home Page! it nutrition is a Boston-based 
consulting group specializing in corporate wellness programs, nutrition 
counseling, and consumer market research. Whether you're a large company 
or an individual, we provide our clients with customized nutrition services 
tailored to your unique needs." 

http://www.itnutrition.com/

The End