TOFUNINJA

New Cafe Gratitude vegan menu in Larchmont Village

Looks delicious & hilarious.

{via: @quarrygirl)

5pm

I LIKE TO BEET OFF!

Beets: TOTAL ninja food. Not-so-secret ingredient in the secret to ever-lasting youthful life. (see Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins.) That said, here’s a beet article. 

{below is from http://laist.com/2011/01/04/seasonal_eats_bringin_mad_beets.php via FATFUX, connoisseurs from a different planet with basically an opposite philosophy as we, Thee TofuNinjas, but friends none-the-less.}

Seasonal Eats: Bringin’ Mad Beets - LAist

I’ve wanted to write about beets for awhile now, because they’re a cool-season crop that’s available fall, winter and spring here in California. They taste great on their own, highlighting or contrasting from their natural sugar content, and they add bright colors to all kinds of foods. Best known are red beets, but a spin through your local farmer’s market will reveal golden beets and the candy-striped Chioggia, an Italian heirloom, as well.

Beets are closely related to swiss chard and spinach, though beets are better known for the roots than the leaves. Beet greens are entirely edible and quite delicious, with a flavor like swiss chard and a more delicate texture. Go ahead and substitute beet greens for the swiss chard recipes we posted previously, just reduce the cooking time. In fact, if you’re at a famer’s market and see a customer request that the greens be twisted off their bunch of beets, ask if you can have them and take home some free food! Or, if you have a little room for container gardening, consider beet microgreens.

As good as beets can be, I’ve heard a fair share of beet disdain by people who were made to eat plain, mushy canned beets as children and thought that was the extent of their potential. This is a very sad narrative, not least of all because beets have little reason to be in a can in the first place. If you were abused in this fashion, my plea is that you forgive the beet itself, buy it fresh, and give it a second chance. Though beets are higher on the glycemic index than some veggies, their load is only 5 and they’re a great source of Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium and a good source of dietary fiber, Folate, Potassium and Manganese.The main preparations for beets are to roast, steam, or simmer if you’re cooking, and mandoline or julienne if you’re not. Roasting brings out a great flavor through the beet sugar, and pairs well with some simple seasoning, like roasted beets with cumin. Add roasted beets to salad with oranges & beet greens. They also make a great side or roasting partner for your main dish—take your pick between these three that use both the root and the greens: roasted Halibut, grilled flank steak or chicken with beets & orange butter.As for comfort foods, beets make a great stuffing for ravioli. Beets also make delicious soups, such as beet and fennel soup, or try out a traditional borscht.If you’re looking for something raw & fresh, try a beet slaw, or a beet & apple salad.Some unique uses for beets I found include this amazing roasted beet & garlic tart or these beet & carrot latkes which may be made with potatoes as well. Bake them in a cake? Certainly: Vegan beet bundt cake or Chocolate beet cupcakes? I dare say, why not?!

Preservation projects: if you’re looking to use beets as a condiment, this beet chutney can be used fresh or canned for later. Try out these ginger pickled beets for something spicy, or roasted pickled beets for something savory. The Amish tradition of pickling beets and adding hard-boiled eggs to stain them could put an exciting twist on your Easter eggs this year!

*Click here for the rest of the article and a recipe for Roasted Winter Vegetable Soup!*

2am

Ready, set, SPINACH!

{via: @zoetica of http://biorequiem.com/}

8am

if you, like me & many others, missed The Veg Edge on TV these past months, here’s an 8min clip of it to get you started. 

Also related Heavy Metal Vegan Cooking Channel on Youtube.

* * *

“The Veg Edge journeys the country unearthing a new breed of vegetarians. From a punk rock vegan in L.A. to vegetable-loving firemen deep in the heart of Texas, to a kick boxing chef who serves up meatless Mondays at his high-end NYC restaurant. Vegetarians 2010: food carts in Portland, a California beauty, East Village hipsters, confessions, recipes, even ribs!…sort of.”

http://cookingchanneltv.com/the-veg-edge/the-veg-edge/index.html

5pm

Veggie & Vegan Beers...In case you need to know...

(Source: veganfeast)

Via Wasabi Peas

3pm

Ninja-Like Food Tips from Native Foods!

via @nativefoodscafe  

see also: NINJA GOAT & NINJA KITTEN

7pm

Healthy Food for Lazy People

sometimes even ninjas get lazy.

5pm

“Food, Inc.” Care to comment?

“Food, Inc.” Care to comment? I’ll go first. It reiterates why I’m semi-vegetarian. I only buy Wild caught seafood, not farm-raised. If we buy local and organic, and read labels than we can feel better physically and force more companies to cater to green and organic. I know that you probably think its too expensive to eat healthy. Actually, it’s cheaper because those “cheap” “preservative” “modified” food prices are dishonest. You are paying for it: environmental costs, sociological costs, and YOUR OWN HEALTH costs. I have studied a lot about this on my own, so please ask me your question if you have one. Everything you buy is a vote.

Via Olivia Bellafontaine

5am

it’s finally happening!! veg cooking show on cooking channel!

http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com/2010/12/09/meatless-mania-tonight-on-the-veg-edge/

1pm