Homemade Vegetable Broth

For many years I purchased organic vegetable broths. These broths can run over $4 for about a quart of liquid. Many are high in sodium and even the ones labeled as "low sodium" have more sodium than I prefer to consume. I could have switched to a cheaper brand, but I would forgo the organic vegetables and gain filler ingredients. I'm not going to say which brand, but this is an ingredient list from a very popular vegetable broth label:

Vegetable Broth (Made from Water and Concentrated Juices of Celery, Celeriac, Onion, and Cabbage), Carrot Juice Contains Less than 2% of: Salt, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Flavoring, Vegetables (Carrots, Onions, Celery), Dextrose, Monosodium Glutamate, Yeast Extract, Sugar, Potato Flour, Citric Acid, Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Soy Lecithin, Celery Extract (Soy Lecithin), Dehydrated Carrots.

I am not interested in the high fructose corn syrup, MSG, sugar, disodium guanylate, or disodium isonate. Last I heard vegetable broth just contained vegetables. I was also confused as to why the broth was made from juices rather than cooking down the vegetables. No, this is certainly not an option for me!

Then it dawned on me that I could make vegetable broth for FREE (well, besides the cost of the water). We have been composting for years and so it is no more work to set aside our vegetable tops, bottoms, and skins. I just save them in the fridge until I gather enough for a large pot. I keep out vegetables that I think will overpower the broth, such as beets. I love adding adding ginger root skins and lemon peel for added flavor! I do not add any salt to the broth.

Many of my friends have asked me to explain how I make my virtually free vegetable broth. Here it is!

Homemade Vegetable Broth

• Tops, bottoms, and skins (enough to fill a large soup pot)
• Water
  
• Fresh or dried herbs (optional)
  
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves

Place the tops/bottoms/skins in a large soup pot and fill with water just to cover the top of the vegetables. Place in herbs and bay leaves. Heat over medium high and bring to a boil. When the contents boil, turn down to a low simmer, and cover with a vented lid. If you don't have a vented lid, tilt the lid so that some of the steam can escape. Let the broth simmer for about 45 minutes. When 45 minutes is up, you will have a rich dark broth. Remove from heat and let the mixture cool. When cooled, strain and store. The broth will last about two weeks in the fridge. For a longer life, place in the freezer and defrost when needed. Don't forget to compost the strained vegetables!

And there you have it- virtually free and healthy vegetable broth! The broth will last about two weeks in the refrigerator or for several months in the freezer.

Letters for Violet

As I have mentioned in previous posts, this is the year of babies for many of our friends. Two weeks after co-hosting the shower Craig and Rebecca, I co-hosted a shower/potluck for Jessie and Tim. I plan to blog about the shower later, but I need to get my hands on pictures first. In the meantime, this blog is about part of the baby gift.

Jessie and Tim are expecting a baby girl at the end of September and I wanted to make something special. Since meeting this lovely couple, we have become extremely close. Jessie is the long-lost friend that I had been searching for, but never knew I was missing. When I met her, I felt an instant connection and it didn't take long for us to get to know each other. I was so ecstatic for the two when they found out that Jessie was pregnant. This was their dream come true and I instantly knew they were having a girl (no one believed me)! :-)

Well, as luck would have it the tests showed that Jessie was in fact carrying a little girl and her name is Violet. As part of the gift, I thought that letters would be fitting. Jessie is like me and isn't a fan of pink, so I wanted to keep these letters relatively pink-free (I'm pretty sure Tim isn't a fan of pink either)! When I thought about the letters, I considered that the two like the outdoors and animals. So, I decided to create letters with a cartoon outdoor theme including friendly looking bugs and birds.

In hindsight there are some aspects of the letters that I would have changed, but overall I'm pleased with how they turned out. Jessie and Tim seem to really enjoy the letters and that makes me happy! Someday little Violet will learn to spell her beautiful name and she can use my letters as a guide.

Congratulations Jessie and Tim!

Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto

I have posted about risotto before and felt that it was worthy enough for another post. To me, risotto is comfort food. When I think of it, I think of a cold winter night and a steaming hot bowl of vegetable risotto to warm me up. Why would I have a post about this now? Well, it also works as a summer dish as so many vegetables are in abundance during this time of the year.

One of my recent creations was a mushroom and asparagus risotto. Risotto sounds complicated, but is simple to make. It just takes a little bit of time, but once you have the method down it is easy to do. I got out the homemade veggie broth (a post about that to come in the near future) and got to work.

Asparagus and Mushroom Risotto

• 2 Tbs olive oil
  
• 4 shallots, chopped
  
• 1 bunch of asparagus
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
• 2 c of crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tbs chopped parsley
• 1 Tbs of basil (fresh or dried is ok)
• 1 Tsp chopped rosemary (dried)
  
• 4 c of homemade vegetable stock
• 1 c of Arborio rice
• 1/4 c white wine
  
• 1/4 c pine nuts
• Ground black pepper
  

Place the oil in a large saucepan and heat over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until slightly soft, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the asparagus and saute for another 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, and herbs and saute about 3-4 minutes, enough for the mushrooms to get soft. Remove from the pot and set aside.

In the meantime, heat the vegetable stock in a separate pan. Make sure not to boil the broth, but get it hot. Using the pan that you used for the vegetables, place the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat to medium-high. When heated, add the rice and stir until it begins to brown lightly. Begin to add the stock one ladle at a time (about a half a cup). Allow the rice to absorb the broth completely before adding another ladle of broth. Make sure to stir frequently so that the rice does not stick. Before adding the second ladle, add the wine and continue the process. It should take about 35 minutes until the broth is fully absorbed and the rice is creamy.

While cooking the rice, heat a small pan on over medium heat and add the pine nuts to the dry pan. Make sure to stir the nuts constantly so that they brown evenly. It should take about 3 minutes. When the pine nuts smell fragrant and they are toasted, remove them from the heat.

Now that the rice is finished, add in the vegetables and stir. Sprinkle in the toasted pine nuts and ground pepper and stir. Serve with a little fresh parsley on top.

Shower Celebration for Craig and Rebecca

2011 has been the year of babies, especially among my friends. Five of my friends and my sister-in-law are due/have given birth this year. So many babies and with that comes baby showers. You might be surprised to know that I actually like baby showers. I tend to prefer showers that include both the Mom and Dad-to-be and have coed guests. I find it fun to have the male perspective at these things, it adds a bit of excitement!

Two of my cute pregnant friends- Jessie and Rebecca

Two weekends ago, I had the honor of co-hosting a shower for two close friends- Craig and Rebecca. We met them years ago at a walk for climate change. We were attracted to them through their adorable boxer mix, Rosie. Once we pet Ms. Rosie, we were hooked and spent the rest of the day with Craig, Rebecca, and Rosie. Through the years, we have fostered a close friendship and I was so happy for the two when they announced that they were pregnant. They are caring and sweet people and I wanted to celebrate them!

On the day of the shower, they were blessed to have about 40-some friends and family to help welcome their bun in the oven. It was a lovely, hot day! Thankfully, we decided to have the shower indoors. I'm not sure that 105 would have been bearable. Also, my cupcakes would have melted!

Rebecca and Craig opening presents

I worked with Rebecca's sister to make this day special for the parents-to-be. We had food, games, decorations, and presents. I was in charge of all of the food and the cupcakes. Per Rebecca's request, the event was all vegan. This worked out well for me, since I'm vegan. :-) The food was a hit and I was glad to be able to show folks that vegan food can be delicious and filling. I was especially proud of my gluten free/vegan cupcakes. Guests could hardly believe that they were sans animal products and gluten.

My gluten free, vegan cupcakes were a hit!

It is about a month away until they will welcome their new little boy and I couldn't be happier for the two of them. They deserve all of the joy that their new little boy will bring them. Congratulations Craig and Rebecca!

This weekend I'm co-hosting another shower (potluck style) for Jessie and Tim. Blog post to come soon.

Fresh Tomato, Garlic, and Basil Pasta

It is summer and the farmers markets are filled with sun-ripened, organic tomatoes. It is hard to pass up the beautiful tomatoes each week. Even at $3 a pound, we still indulge. There really is nothing like a fresh grown tomato from the garden or the farmers market. When I come across someone who claims to dislike tomatoes, I usually ask them if they have tasted a tomato straight from a garden. The answer almost always a no. The flavor is just so different than a tomato from the grocery store. There really is no comparison.

Each week, we buy a bunch of tomatoes and savor each bite. Recently, we decided that we would make an old Italian favorite of ours. We love this dish it for the simplicity and freshness. It involves only a few ingredients and I probably change the proportions and ingredients each time I make it. There really is no wrong way to make this dish. We usually enjoy this pasta dish with a fresh spinach salad including seeds and various nuts.


Fresh Tomato, Garlic, and Basil Pasta

• 8 oz box of gluten free spaghetti
  
• 4 or 5 tomatoes, chopped
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  
• 10-15 basil leaves
• 10 leaves or oregano
• Fresh ground pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions. In the meantime, place the olive oil in a small skillet and let it warm over medium heat. When warm, add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Let the simmer for about 5 minutes. Make sure that the garlic does not burn, so watch carefully. Turn the heat off and let the flavors sit while waiting for the pasta to finish.

Stack the basil and oregano and chiffonade (you could chop here, but I prefer to chiffonade herbs).

When the pasta is finished cooking, drain and place in a bowl. Mix in the chopped tomatoes, olive oil mixture, and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the herbs and serve.

Meet Mr. Ollie!

I mentioned in a previous post that we've been busy the past couple of months. One of the things that has been keeping us busy is our newly adopted furry companion named Ollie. Mr. Ollie was recently featured as the Pet of the Week over on the EtsyVeg blog. I'm also posting the interview below.

Meet Ollie Newman-Mitchell. He is a companion dog to Amanda Newman of Newman Improved.

What is your pet's name, birthday, sex, breed?
His name is Ollie and he is a about six years old. We don't know his birthday as he was rescued. His a male Treeing Walker Coonhound.

Where/how did you come up with their name?
When we got him, his name was Johnny. Unfortunately, my husband’s name is John and while we thought Johnny was a cute name, we thought it would be confusing. We thought a lot about his name and it took us a week after we adopted him to rename him. We wanted a name with an “ie” sound. We asked friends to submit suggestions and finally settled on Ollie. My cousin came up with the name because we were out at dinner and I had olive oil on my food.

How did you meet your pet? Were they Adopted, rescued or other?
We met him through the Independent Animal Rescue of Durham. We donate money to IAR and would often stop by to see the dogs available for adoption. We had been talking about getting a dog for years and one day came across this sweet face.

Ollie’s face was a bit too hard to resist and we had to contact IAR. He was lucky enough to have been found by a Rhonda and Todd who have rescued and adopted out many dogs. Rhonda and Todd gave him a great new start! Before being rescued, Ollie’s past was filled with what I can only imagine is sadness and void of love. He approaches most new situations with fear and hesitation. He has the branding on his ear to show us he was used by a hunter. As two vegans, we thought it would be symbolic of us to rescue a hunting dog and to give him a life of love.

Our furry friend has obviously had much abuse in his life as he is scared of so many things, he doesn’t seem to fit many of the characteristics associated with his breed. Noises tend to scare him more so than the average dog. And when the thunderstorms come, it is likely that he will be incapacitated in a closet for the whole day without any bathroom breaks.

In the beginning, it was a challenge to get him to eat and to come to us. I could tell he loved us by his sniffs and tail wags, but he always had a hesitation about him. He had a hard time making eye contact. With each week, we notice improvement and work with him daily. He has a sweet soul and a gentle spirit. We don’t want to give up on him and have begun work with a trainer to help make his life more enjoyable.

What are your pet’s favorite toys, foods, snacks, activities?
He doesn’t really like toys all that much and I think that part of that is that hunters don’t allow their animals to play with toys so that they don’t want them to play with the catch. We keep trying with toys and hope that he’ll find his playful side. He LOVES vegan wet food (yep, he is a vegan like we are and it is perfectly healthy for a dog). We have been delighted lately to learn that he will take treats when in the mood.

What are some things you enjoy doing with your pet?
I enjoy walking with him, cuddling, rubbing his belly, and hugging him. He seems to like (or at least he pretends) when I cuddle and rub him. :-)

Do you take them to parks or to see people? He is such a good boy and does well with other dogs. He is so afraid of the car, and we are working on that, so we often times ask our friends to bring their dogs to our house. He seems to enjoy other dogs and people. We have ventured out to the dog park on several occasions. He seems to enjoy himself, but doesn’t spend much time running around. He spends a lot of time at my side and others who will pet him. In time, I think he’ll warm up to the dog park.

Do you take your pet on vacations with you?
Yes, we do! If it is within driving distance and no one is allergic, we take him with us.

Does your pet have any special tricks or unique habits?
He is funny in that he never sits. He usually stands or lies down. Every once and a while he will sit and when he does we praise him. I’m assuming he was never taught to sit as a pup.

How does your pet like going to the vet? Do s/he *know* when it's time to see the vet & hide, or do they enjoy the extra attention? He is new to our family and has recently been to the vet, so I’m not sure. He doesn’t like a lot of people or crowed places, so I guess it depends on if there is a lot of activity at the vet. We are going to take him in July.

How do your family members get along with the pet? I don’t think anyone could ever NOT get along with him. He is very calm and chill. He has won the hearts of most everyone who meets him.

Do you spoil your pet?
Sometimes! We feel so guilty about his past and we want to make him happy. We are just so happy to see progress in him.

What's the most important/special thing your pet adds to your life?
He brings me happiness when I see his tail wag or when he gently comes up to me to sniff me. John and I often feel frustrated with some of his behaviors, but we never take it out on him as we know it isn’t his fault. It is slowly teaching me patience and unconditional love.

I'm Still Here!

It has been a busy couple of months complete with my John getting Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, adoption of a dog, and a family vacation. I'm still here and have many things to blog about. We have continued to cook and to create. It is just finding the time to sit down and blog that is the trouble. I promise I'll be back soon.

In the meantime....HAPPY SUMMER!