Cooking with Chef David

When going out to eat as a vegetarian, there’s nothing more that I dread then someone telling me not to worry because “you can always get the salad.”

Yes, technically true, but oh so far away from being something to get excited about.

If you’re at a “normal” restaurant—you know, the kind that sells burgers, fried foods, chicken wings, steaks, and other carnivore culinary delights, then chances are the salads are going to be at best, an afterthought, and at worst, not even a thought at all. Iceberg lettuce, ranch dressing, and croutons just don’t cut it when it’s your main meal.

Salads can be really, really good though. You just have to make them good. I eat salads almost every day but they resemble nothing of the salads you get at most American-style restaurants.

You should opt out of iceberg lettuce entirely, for one thing. Not only is it basically tasteless, but it has no nutritional value anyway. I give it a C for its crunchiness factor, but in all other respects, it is a failure. Instead, try using baby spinach, my personal favorite, as well as romaine lettuce, green lettuce, or even raw kale.

The dressing is an important part of most salads but to you the truth, I think that’s only because most salads don’t contain a lot of flavor without it. I rarely use commercial dressing. Most of the time I simply add a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. My favorite dressings are ones made from raw nuts in a food processor, spiced with dill, basil, and lemon.

Here are some toppings I like to use in salads:

• Clementines
• Strawberries
• Raw almonds
• Raw sunflower seeds
• Raw pepito seeds
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Beets
• Goat cheese
• Basil
• Dill
• Occasionally mock meats.

And as mentioned, a simple light dressing can be made from olive oil and salt.

If only restaurants would make salads like these, I’d get a lot more excited about dining out for American food.

Visit Dreaming Life for a guide to finding the best carrot juicer and for more vegan, vegetarian, and raw food focused culinary blogging.

Blueberries are considered one of the “superfoods.” They are among the highest value anti-oxident fruits, while being packed full of other vitamins and minerals, and are low in calories. They are also delicious. What’s not to love? Unfortunately, they are only in season for a short time each year. They also don’t travel very well. Blueberries picked fresh from your backyard are far more tasty than those found in your local supermarket, which have usually been picked unripe in order to make it to your store without going bad.

If you grow your own blueberry bushes in your backyard you will be guaranteed the best, freshest blueberries available for the period they are in season. But how can you have delicious blueberries year round? The best option is to freeze your own. Whether you grow them yourself or pick them from a “pick your own” farm, if you freeze berries you have hand picked you will know they are ripe and ready to eat.

What Not to Do

Don’t pile your blueberries into a container and stick them in the freezer, expecting to be able to defrost perfect berries later. They will clump together and not only will you have to defrost them all together, but they will most likely be bruised and even somewhat mashed.

Also, don’t freeze unwashed blueberries thinking you can wash them later. Defrosted blueberries are delicate and won’t stand up to rinsing.

So how do you freeze blueberries?

• First, unless they are organic berries, wash them very gently, then just as gently dry them on some paper towels. You must do this very gently to avoid brusing: laying them on paper towels and gently patting them with more paper towels over the top is the best way.
• Second, the best way to freeze them is laid out in a single, uncrowded layer on a baking sheet. Once they are frozen you can pack them in appropriate containers.

When using frozen blueberries, you can either add them still frozen to your recipe, such as blueberry crumble or blueberry muffins, or allow them to defrost in the fridge before stiring them through your yogurt or using them on your breakfast cereal. You can eat them still frozen (this is my five-year-old’s preference), or, you can try my favorite way of eating frozen blueberries: add them still frozen to your hot oatmeal, defrosting them, while quickly cooling your oatmeal enough to eat.

Kirsten McCulloch is an Australian freelance writer with a passion for living sustainably, from growing her own fruit trees (blueberries are on the agenda for next year), to making her own yogurt. She is also the editor of online magazine, Sustainable Suburbia.

Anyone who knows how to make pancakes can prepare this easy banana cake recipe and surprise the family with a tasty treat. The recipe calls for just a handful of ingredients and most are readily available in any household. Even beginning bakers will have no trouble making this delicious dessert.

Assemble the following ingredients:

2-4 ripe bananas
2 cups of self-rising flour
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of butter
1 egg

Directions:

1. Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl and mix together well.

2. Add flour and egg to the sugar mixture and blend.

3. Mash the bananas in a separate bowl or cut them into very thin slices. Blend the prepared bananas into the flour, egg and sugar mixture.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 180 degrees Centigrade.

5. Pour cake batter into any shape baking pan. Put the pan into the oven and set the timer for 45 minutes. Take a skewer or toothpick and stick into the middle of the cake. The cake is completely baked when the skewer comes out of the cake with no batter stuck to it.

The cake will last several days if stored properly. The best way to store a cake is in a plastic container with an airtight lid. Do not store the cake while it is still hot or warm because it will become soggy. When the cake is completely cool, place it in the container and keep it in a cool, dry place in the kitchen. Anytime you want a piece, simply pop the top and cut off a piece.

The cake may be frozen and consumed at a later date. It will be unpalatable straight from the freezer. Allow ample time for the cake to thaw out and it will be better. Another way to prepare this cake is to heat it up in the microwave and serve it warm.