Joyful Compassionate Abundance
I like food, plant food, that is — I like to plant, grow and eat it. I like to serve it to others and recycle it to contribute to next year’s harvest. I like working and being outdoors, walking and hiking. I like to study Hebrew Bible, Tanakh, especially the first five books, the Torah. Most of all, I like to think about all these things and what they have to say about the meaning of life. I started my blog when I decided to explore veganism, and it has led not just to recipes and farming but to taking a look at the Hebrew Bible from a different perspective. It also gave me a chance to study the biblical perspective on modern themes like ethics, ecology, evolution, animal rights, and the human place in creation. I explore and refresh my own spirituality through these projects.
I saw a beautiful picture of Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna and thought I would like to make it for our Vegan Thursday entrée along with some roasted green beans, red pepper and cabbage slivers. Butternut Squash is often used in dishes
In an earlier post about Fatoush, made the old-fashioned way, I wrote about “value-added products.” There are some good ones out there, and here’s one I love: a “Salad Kit” from Eat Smart, which I get at Costco. Most of the bag
As the only vegetarian cafe in the area, I have many health-conscious customers. Increasingly they ask for gluten-free products. Most of my food happens to be gluten free naturally, but for those who want some kind of bread with their meal, I
For many, Tabbouleh is an acquired taste. A staffer convinced me at one point that Americans would be more likely to appreciate a less green Tabbouleh, so we added lots more cracked wheat. Now I prefer the more traditional version with lots
Two cuisines have inspired my cooking, first with vegetarianism and now with veganism: Middle Eastern and Indian. I have much more experience with Middle Eastern food since I have not only visited there but have had many Middle Eastern friends who shared
Cauliflower is moving onto the list of “superfoods” these days, but it has always been a favorite part of dishes in the Middle East. I love this spicy chickpea dish with cauliflower. I picked up the recipe on the internet — I
Back: Kefta. Front, L to R: Cauliflower & Zucchini Salad, Spinach Salad, Moroccan Carrot Salad. Center: Harif / Harissa. Red Lentil Kefta is one of my favorite foods! Kefta are typically made with cracked wheat and shaped into ovals. They may contain meat
Harif (Hebrew – means “sharp”) or Harissa (Arabic) is our Red Hot Sauce. Chili Arbol gives it its red color. It is fiery but flavorful. I make my sauce in a VitaMix, which blends it a little more than the traditional methods,
I made and offered two hot sauces when I started in the food business: Z’hug and Harif. For those who like it hot, either of these sauces is a wonderful accompaniment to a meal. Gutturals are difficult for Americans. Staff and customers came
As I have begun to explore a vegan pathway, I am once again thinking about the laws of kashrut. How does this practice relate to my life as a vegetarian and my journey toward a vegan lifestyle? The Torah tells us the purpose of