Ste Martaen » nutritional-yeast

Oven Baked Risotto

laviyah — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:37:40 +0000

This post is by request. I made risotto per the request (sensing a theme here) of my husband and he was so moved he tweeted about it. There aren’t many things that my husband gets emotional about, but when he tweeted that this risotto, had him curled up in a fetal position from utter bliss, one of our readers/customers requested that I go public with this recipe.

There are no pictures because my camera is acting funny and the cost to have it fixed professionally is more than my rent, literally.

Oven Baked Risotto

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves of garlic crushed

1 1/2 cups of arborio rice

4 cups of water (with 1 heaping tablespoon of Better than Bouillon no chicken base) stirred in

1.5 teaspoon salt

couple turns of fresh ground pepper

2 tablespoon of vegan margarine

1/2 cup of nutritional yeast

bunch of chopped fresh spinach or parsley or herb of your choice

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees
In a dutch oven or oven proof pan, heat oil over medium high heat.
Add the onions and cook until translucent.
Add crushed garlic and rice, stirring to coat all the grains in oil.
Stir in your liquid, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
Cover, transfer to oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven, over low heat, stir in about a 1/2 cup of water, chopped spinach, vegan margarine.
If the consistency of the risotto is not as creamy as you would like, add a bit more water.
Serve hot & immediately.

Creamy Soy Cheese

nahum — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:17:17 +0000

Creamy Vegan Soy Cheese Tutorial

For the vegan soy cheese you will need a good blender. I prefer a Vita-Mix (who doesn’t), but any good blender will do.

Add 2 cups of soy milk

Next, get your ducks in a row:

What we have:

3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon granulated garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 of a lemon
To take the cheese to another taste dimension & you like a little spice in your life like me, add 1 jalapeno

Add these ingredients into the blender with 1/2 tsp of sea salt:

Now, the fun part…pour 1 cup of vegetable oil in a separate cup and keep at the ready. As you blend the milk and ingredients together, you will slowly pour the oil in. Watch, as I demonstrate…

Get Ready!

Start blending milk and ingredients. Start on a low speed and increase to high. Note: For this demonstration, the lid is off the blender. I do not recommend this for you…I’d hate to see all this yummy cheese on your cabinets and your finest kitchen outfit! Most blenders have a two part lid. Start with your complete lid on and then remove the center piece before you add the oil.

Two part blender lid

Center piece removed

You will pour oil through this center opening

I started my blending with the lid on and took off for this demonstration.

Ingredients mixed, all in harmony

Now that the milk, nutritional yeast and others are all happily liquefied, let’s add the 1 cup of vegetable oil. Begin pouring the oil SLOWLY in the center funnel.

Remember, pour the oil slowly, slowly, slowly and watch the magic…

Looking good...keep going

Almost there...keep on target

Center is closing...little bit longer

Yes, victory is ours!

Great job, the center funnel has closed and voilah! You have creamy soy cheese!!

You can use this style of cheese as a dip, mixed w/ noodles for great mac & cheese, or pour on top of your homemade pizza.

Tempeh Salad

nahum — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:36:41 +0000

Mmmmmmmm, Tempeh. It is one of those hit or miss ingredients. I loved it from the first time I tried back in the mid-90′s. But it seems a lot of people just can’t seem to tolerate the taste. Tempeh tends to have a slightly bitter after taste if not prepared correctly. I think I found the secret for the skeptics…just a touch of sweetness and that “bitterness” disappears. So, no matter what side of the fence your on, you’ll really enjoyed this Tempeh preparation.

I am partial to the Lightlife brand of tempeh and in particular the Garden Veggie version. You’ll need two packages for this recipe.

Into a medium to large mixing bowl, crumble the two packages of tempeh and add:
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small pablano pepper, diced
3 green onions, diced

Gets your hands in there and mix well.

To this we are adding:

1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon hot curry powder
1/8 teaspoon coriander powder

Next add:
1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid amino
1/2 tablespoon pure maple syrup

The maple syrup is the key to the whole dish. This little dash of sweetness transforms the entire taste of the Tempeh Salad. If you don’t have maple syrup, don’t bother making the dish…it’s that important.

Next add 2 cups of Vegenaise (the purple label is the best) or homemade simple soy mayonnaise.

Mix it all up and Eureka! Great tasting tempeh!

Serve in a sandwich or on crackers and enjoy.

Bean Curd Soup with Freekeh

nahum — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:58:27 +0000

As the weather has changed to the cold reality of Chicago, I can think of only one resolution…a nice hot bowl of Bean Curd Soup!! You know the kind you cup your hands around and let the steam and aroma warm your face. If you have fond memories of mom serving you a hot bowl of chicken noodle soup as a carnivorous kid as I do, then this is the soup for you. Laviyah introduced this soup to me a few years ago. With the first slurp, I was reminded of mom’s special love when she served us St. Martin rug rats a warm bowl of soup on a cold day. Last year our whole family got the winter sickies and we ate this everyday for a week. And I tell you what, each day was as fresh and delicious as the day before. This truly is the perfect soup to warm you up or make you feel 3000% better when you have the winter blues…or autumn blues if you live in Chicago.

Alright let’s get this party started! The veggie line-up:

2-3 carrots
3 stalks of celery
1 red pepper
1 pablano pepper
1/2 bulb of garlic
1 small red onion
1 habenero pepper (optional…but a must if you are not feeling well)

First, heat 2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a large stock pot on medium high heat.

Rough chop the carrots and celery and add to a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor than small dice all the veggies.

Process the carrots and celery for a few seconds on high to yield rough fine chopped bits of veggie goodness.

Add to your heated stock pot, dash with Kosher Salt and saute while you chop the rest of the veggies.

Rough chop the rest of the veggies and add to the food processor.

Process on high, same as the first round.

Reduce your heat to medium, add another dash of Kosher Salt and saute for 7 minutes.

Gather your herbal flavor mix:
1 cup Nutritional Yeast
1 tablespoon Mexican Oregano
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon granulated garlic

Add the mix to your veggies and combine well, let saute an additional 3 to 4 minutes.

This is the Bean Curd. It generally comes as either dried ‘sheets’ or dried ‘sticks’. I prefer the dried sticks. You can find Bean Curd at your area China Market grocery. If you have troubled finding it, just ask someone to guide you to the dried bean curd (print an image, if you think it may be helpful). The sticks need to be broken into small pieces. Therefore, before opening the bag, wack the bag good with a mallot or a heavier hammer (like I do) to break up the sticks. You don’t need to smash them so hard as to wreck your counter top. I don’t want anyone sending me a bill for damage incurred while following a Ste Martaen recipe.

After you have released a few frustrations on the bean curd, add the 6 ounces of crushed sticks to the pot. Combine the bean curd into the veggie & spice blend and continue to saute for 3 minutes…you will be tempted to add water, but be patient.

OK, now you can add 4 cups of water and 1 teaspoon of Braggs Liquid Aminos. Cover and let this simmer on medium low heat for 30 minutes. Don’t add anymore water. You want the bean curd to rehydrate in less water to maximize the absorption of flavor.

Add water to your pot to almost full. Fill to about one half inch before the rim of your stock pot. Cover again and bring to a boil.

After you soup starts to boil, you’ll need to add a grain or pasta. My favorite is Freekeh. What is Freekeh you ask. It’s a young green wheat (bulgar) grain that is harvested and toasted. It adds a fantastic subtle smoky flavor to the soup. It seems to give it an extra dimension of subconscious warmness that makes me feel all cozy inside…for real, I’m not kidding. I also like barley and my wife loves to add circle pasta…I’m not sure if it has some fancy Italian moniker, but we call it circle pasta.

Add 1 and 1/2 cup of Freekah or grain or 1/2 pound of pasta. Cover and reduce your heat to low. Now the hard part…let your soup slowly cook for at least one and a half hours, only stirring occasionally. I know it’s cold outside and the aroma is filling the whole house, but your patience and will power will be greatly rewarded. At this point, add salt to taste.

Aaaahhhhhhh. A nice, hot, delicious bowl of soup.

Serve with a nice Ste Martaen Vegan Cheese grilled cheese sandwiches and some crackers. It will make you happy and the day will seem to get a little warmer.

The Vegan Pantry (Items We Cannot Live Without)

laviyah — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 04:29:17 +0000

I wish!

Feeding a family of six on an entirely vegan diet is not as difficult as it sounds as long as you keep the pantry stocked with these must have ingredients.

Bragg Liquid Aminos – We use this as a salt substitute in many dishes. If Nahum were stuck on a deserted island, his only requests would be a bottle of Braggs and ESPN
Pasta – We generally have 4 to 6 pounds of pasta on hand throughout the month for a quick and easy meal
Canned Unsalted Whole Tomatoes – We make our own sauce for pasta and pizza.
Nutritional Yeast – I can’t imagine being vegan without Nutritional Yeast. I can’t imagine life without Nutritional Yeast! This stuff certainly does add a cheesy flavor to your meal. We use it on vegetables, in pasta dishes and to make cheese.
Cous Cous – Talk about quick and easy. With a quick soak in the boiling hot water, you’ve got a delicious grain to add to supper.
Vegenaise – This is the vegan version of Hellman’s, it’s just that good. Have you ever met a mayonnaise that will totally transform your sandwich for you?
Sesame Seeds – I make milk from these practically every day. Sesame Seeds are high in calcium and the calcium is far more easily absorbed than that glue (cows milk) you buy from the local grocery store.
Legumes – Beans, Peas, Lentils, we consume it all and we usually cook our Legumes nice and slow in the crock-pot. I have two words for you, “orange lentil.”
Sesame Oil – This oil adds a delicious something, something to your cooking. Of course it is a staple in Asian cooking, so just keep some around. Most self respecting vegans know how to make at least one vegan Asian dish.
Olive Oil – Nothing really needs to be said, except don’t skimp. Get the good stuff. Cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil.
Tofu – There are so many ways to prepare tofu. The opportunities are endless.
Tempeh – I know there are just as many ways to make tempeh however I only request it one way and the consistency is kinda like a chunky tuna salad the way hubby makes it. Sooooo good.
Coconut Milk – Coconut milk adds a new dimension to creamed spinach. Instead of using fatty pus filled cow’s milk try coconut milk. You won’t be disappointed.
Curry – To change the dish above to a Thai inspired dish, try adding some curry to the spice mix. Amazing.
Basmati Rice – Fragrant, flavorful and delightful. This rice is a must have to keep around the house and it cooks quickly too!
Agave Nectar – I use this as a sweetener in smoothies or for tea.
Turbinado Sugar – I use this as a sweetener for baking in place of refined white sugar. For recipes that call for brown sugar I mix up to a tablespoon of molasses per cup of sugar.
Bread Flour – Well this is my list, and we make fresh bread around here often. I am talking about three times per week often. Once you get bitten by the fresh bread bug, there’s no turning back.
Unbleached All Purpose Flour- Gravies, biscuits, baking cookies and cakes. Got to have it.
Peanut Butter – It’s a staple. With three growing boys roaming around the house, it’s just necessary. Quick lunches snacks, even smeared on sliced apples or bananas for breakfast. We do it for the kids.
Dried Fruit – Raisins, Dates, Pineapple, Mangoes Children like to snack and there is no candy to be found in my house. To be truthful I don’t even consider cany a snack. Why would I when dried fruit is nature’s concentrated sweetness.
Fresh Fruit – (Strictly speaking, fresh fruit doesn’t go in the pantry…)Whatever is in season, go and buy it. Your children will eat it. Mine do. They don’t have a choice. They don’t have jobs either. Fruit, it’s what’s for breakfast.
Raw Thick Cut Oatmeal – I am not referring to those quick cooking packets full of sugar. When I refer to oatmeal I am talking about the stuff you get from the bulk section in Whole Foods or any natural foods store. When you buy it this way, the world is your oyster. You can pour hot soy or almond milk over them with cinnamon, agave and raisins for a quick and easy breakfast or use them in baking. The options are endless.
Apple Sauce – The all natural unsweetened kind. Keep a couple jars around. It’s useful in vegan baking and when you’re at a loss for what to do for the kids lunch. It’s also a healthier late night snack than that entire pint of ice cream.
Soy Milk - We make cheese with it, soy butter, we make sauces with it. We pour it on cereal when we run out of Almond milk…
Almond Milk – Just one word, cereal. When I get lazy and don’t make sesame seed milk every day, my toddler will drink this by the cupful.

I started this list on a whim and I am sure I am forgetting something. What food items can’t you live without?

Quite Possibly The Best Snack Ever…Goodness Rice Cakes

nahum — Wed, 27 May 2009 17:15:09 +0000

Goodness Rice Cakes

Simple, quick and amazingly delicious. I have been making these for years and I can’t get enough of them. I often find myself going 3 or 4 weeks without making them; I make a batch; and then I think – Why am I not making these everyday?!

These Goodness Rice Cakes are crunchy, salty and just Darn Good! They go perfect with a sandwich, soup or just by themselves. Put them in little baggies and you have the perfect lunch or road trip snack for the kiddies. We all love the guilty pleasure snacks come from the fryer. Once you start making these, you may not purchase another bag of Ruffles or Frito’s again.

I’m starting to drool thinking about them…so let’s make the Goodness.

You’ll need a bag of rice cakes, of course,…

and an empty plastic grocery bag.

Gently break up the rice cakes into the plastic bag. Hold a couple rice cakes in your hand and press softly in center of cakes with your thumbs. This should break up the cakes into about 3 to 4 pieces each.

Now the stuff of Goodness, the seasoning mix

2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp Modern’s Spike (please do not substitute sea salt, the Spike is a must have for the Goodness)
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Use your fingers and mix the seasonings together. This breaks down the yeast flakes into powder which will spread better on your rice cakes.

The seasoning mix is all mixed. Let’s combine everything together.

Drizzle 1/3 cup of Olive Oil over the broken rice cakes. Make sure to use a good quality Olive Oil, not the cheap stuff. I prefer Middle Eastern (preferably Lebanese) Olive Oil over Italian. It has a more delicate and fresher taste without that briny olive punch I seem to get from the Italian varieties.

Twist bag, sealing top and shake to distribute the olive oil.

Don’t be scarred, shake it good…

Give the cakes a little massage, spread that olivey goodness around…show the cakes you love them.

Now that the love-fest is over, open the bag and sprinkle in the Goodness mix, and…

start another love-fest…shake, mix and massage.

That’s it!

Dump into a bowl for movie night…

or bag up for a school lunch snack.

Ladies and Gentlemen…that’s plain Goodness!!

Now that’s good eatin’!

Nahum St. Martin