My Inspiration

Today's blog has nothing to do with cooking vegan food in Grenada but has to do with inspiration and motivation.  Some days when I'm feeling most like a square peg in a round whole kinda world I need to remember the "big picture" and focus on what gets me going. The thing that inspires me most is my vision for creating Cloverleaf Farm, so I thought I would share that with you today.
Cloverleaf Farm goals:

-Raise public awareness, improving access and encouraging the enjoyment of foods that are local, seasonal and sustainably grown

-Promote a compassionate lifestyle through tours, cooking classes, volunteer opportunities, and internships

-Care for the land and protecting biodiversity for today's communities and future generations

-Provide lifelong care for rescued animals, who become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming

-Advocate for farmers and artisans who grow, produce, market, prepare and serve wholesome food

-Help build community, celebrate culture and regional diversity

-Grow and harvest food with methods that have a positive impact on our local ecosystems and promote biodiversity

Needing some greens in your diet?

3 cups callaloo chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 small onion
1 cup fresh pumpkin
salt  (optional)

Steam callaloo until tender.  Sauté onion and garlic together in some olive oil and add pumpkin.  Cook until tender and then toss in the callaloo. Add salt to taste.
I sprinkled nutritional yeast on top and it was delicious!

Banana bread muffins

    1 cup sugar
    1/4 teaspoon baking powder
    1-1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
    1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium-sized bananas)
    1 cup coconut milk
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract


 Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease your muffin pan.

 In a bowl, combine sugar, baking powder, and flour.

 In a separate bowl using a fork, beat banana, coconut milk, and vanilla. Pour over flour mixture. Gently stir to  combine. Do not overmix. Spoon mixture into muffin tin and bake for 25 min.  

*1-1/2 cups self-rising flour = 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder + 3/4 teaspoon salt

Opting Out

We vote every time we hand over our money at the grocery store and we as consumers need to know that we have a choice and we have the power to vote no.
Here are some of the hallmarks of the industrialized food system in the US that aren't sustainable and things we need to say no to:

Centralized production and processing of foods
Mono-speciation and genetic manipulation of plants and animals
Ready-to-eat food with unpronounceable ingredients
No trespassing signs and high tinsel fencing at "farms", slaughterhouses, and processing plants
Long distance transportation of foods
Non therapeutic antibiotics used as growth promotants in food animals
External costs of inexpensive foods
CAFO's (confined animal feeding operations)

We instead need to learn how to cook, buy locally grown food, learn what's in season, and maybe even plant a garden and get to know our farmers.

Chocolate Cake!!!

I got this recipe from a non vegan friend when I was in college.  Her mom called it the "Wacky Cake" recipe because you don't use eggs yet it is moist and delicious.


    1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
    5 Tbs of sifted cocoa
    1 tsp baking soda
    1 cup white or brown sugar
    1/2 tsp salt
    5 Tbs canola oil (can substitute with any veg. oil)
    1 Tbs white vinegar
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    1 cup ice cold water


1. Put your flour into mixing bowl, add cocoa, baking soda, sugar and salt and mix well.

2. Make three deep holes in the dry mixture. Into one, pour the oil, into the next, pour the vinegar into the next, pour the vanilla.

3. Pour the water into the bowl, over all of it.

4. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until there aren't any more lumps and pour into a 9 inch by 9 inch baking pan, two inches deep, it doesn't even have to be greased.

5. Bake at 350F for about half an hour, test with a fork.

Pumpkin in Yellow Thai Curry Sauce

    2 cups of fresh pumpkin cubed
    1 large bunch of broccoli
    1 package firm tofu
    1 small yellow onion
    1 inch of fresh ginger
    2 cloves garlic
    Red chili pepper to taste
    1 tsp fresh lime juice
    8 oz. coconut milk or use fresh
    1 tsp turmeric
    1/2 tsp cumin
    1 tsp coriander
    1 tsp salt
    1 Tbs sugar


While frying the tofu, combine ginger, garlic, onion, and chili pepper with enough water to blend and saute mixture for 10 minutes.

Add spices and continue to saute for 5-8 mins (add water as necessary).

Add pumpkin and saute under med-low heat for 10 mins adding water as necessary. Then add the broccoli and saute for 5 mins or until al dente. Turn down heat to low.

Combine the coconut milk, lime juice, sugar and salt. Add to veggies. Cook for a few minutes and remove from heat.

Toss in the tofu and serve over rice.

Frozen dessert

This is a delicious and easy treat with 2 simple ingredients:

Frozen banana (or any fruit)
coconut milk

Blend to the consistency you like.  I like it thick so I have to use a spoon to eat.  This is great when you notice you won't be able to eat your bananas fast enough. Just slice them and put them in the freezer.  The coconut milk makes it creamy and light with just a hint of caribbean.  I also do this with Guavas if they start to over-ripen, I'll just throw them in a blender, strain out the seeds and freeze the pulp.
If you need a little protein boost just add some protein powder or nuts to the mix.  I throw a handful of raw nuts (almond or cashew) in my coffee grinder until its a fine powder and add.

Enjoy!

What's wrong with America's Food System

Birke Baehr, an 11-year-old kid from Asheville, N.C., recently gave speech at the TEDx Next Generation Asheville Event talking about what's wrong with the food system and the changes and choices people can make to make a difference
Watch him on Youtube and be inspired!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7Id9caYw-Y&feature=player_embedded

Becoming part of the solution

What is our ecological footprint, as humans, as a society, and as individuals? And how do our demands compare to the earth’s resources and its ability to regenerate? One of the easiest ways to reduce your ecological footprint is to change the way you look at, think about and treat the food you eat.

These are some of the questions you can start to ask yourself:

What are all these ingredients and are they healthy for our bodies? Where did this product come from and how far did it have to go to get here? What kind of packaging does it come in and is it biodegradable or recyclable? And then dig a little deeper and question how was this food grown? Was it done in a sustainable way? Did it pollute the groundwater, deplete the soils, cause harm to the humans in contact with it or near it? Ask yourself how are the workers treated who plant the crops, harvest it, and process the product that finally ends up on the shelf. Are they given fare wages? Are they putting themselves at risk handling it? How much energy is used to produce it? How much do we spend on it and if it’s cheap, where are all the hidden costs? Who’s paying for it, the earth, the animals, and/or all the other people behind the curtain?

Then ask yourself is it worth it and what are some alternatives?

Start thinking Globally by eating locally and supporting your local farmers and producers.

Choose to buy fresh foods grown locally and start messing around in the kitchen. You’ll be surprised how delicious it is and how fun it can be.

“We consider ourselves co-producers, not consumers, because by being informed about how our food is produced and actively supporting those who produce it, we become a part of and a partner in the production process.” Taken from the mission of Slow Food International

Sloppy Joes

1 lg onion diced

1/2 cup celery diced

2 T cider vinegar

1 T brown sugar

3-4 T lemon juice

1 cup ketchup

3 T worchestershire

1 t chile powder

1 package of Morning Star crumbles or Soya mince equivalent

Sautee onion in a large pan, then add celery, vinegar, sugar, ketchup, lemon, worchestershire and chili powder. Add water if consistency is too thick.

Lastly add in the crumbles, stir and serve.

DIY energy bars :-)

• 2 cups oats
• 2/3 cups dried fruit
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts and/or almonds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup dried coconut
• 1/2 cup nut butter
• 1/4 cup syrup (in Grenada I use local honey or nutmeg syrup)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, mix oats, dried fruit, nuts, dried coconut, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds.
2. In a small saucepan, combine nut butter and syrup. Cook over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until thoroughly mixed. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over oat mixture and stir until completely coated.
3. Transfer mixture to a lightly oiled pan. Press mixture evenly and firmly into pan. Chill for 30 minutes. Cut with a sharp knife et voila! Homemade energy bars.

Mexican delight

1/2 cup uncooked brown rice or quinoa

1 can or 2 cups black beans

1 can or 2 cups corn

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 tomato diced

1 avocado cubed

minced onion to taste

salt to taste

Cook grain and combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Eat warm or cold, in a wrap or on a bed of lettuce. Its easy, quick and delicious!

Need a little kick? then add hot sauce or some diced jalapeno