About Baking Soda

Baking soda is greatly under appreciated ingredients in too many kitchens.  Most chefs know it only as something you add to cakes and quick breads, and maybe a box you leave open in the refrig to absorb smells.  To learn more about baking soda, we need to get back to a little basic chemistry.  Sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda, is a good buffer that keeps the pH around 8, mildly alkaline.

Depending on where you live, the pH of tap water may vary considerably, and the ingredients we add to foods may also modify the pH.  For example, canned tomatoes often have citric acid added to keep the tomatoes flavor fresh.  The problem is that the way many foods cook depends strongly on the pH.  For example, beans just won’t soften no matter how long you cook them in an acidic solution.  Adding 1/2 tsp of baking soda per quart of water when you cook beans speeds up the process and makes it much more reproducible.  Similarly, adding a similar amount of baking soda to the water when you blanch vegetables greens them up and speeds the process.

Whole Wheat Cranberry Walnut Bread

This is a nutritious and tasty bread.  Modified from Gourmet to increase the protein and substitute healthier oils.  Still a bit high in fat, but the walnuts are worth it.  Great bread for breakfast.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup soy flour
2 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup molasses
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp yeast (1 package)

1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Extra flour as needed for kneading

Cooking oil spray

Preparation

Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Combine the liquids in a small bowl or 2 cup measuring cup.  Microwave about 30 seconds to warm the mix and stir in the yeast.  Wait about 10 minutes for the yeast to begin fermenting.

Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and mix well to form a mass of dough.  Knead in the walnuts and cranberries.  Continue kneading by hand about 5 minutes.  I use a nylon chopping sheet as the surface for kneading because it is non-stick and easy to clean.  Flour your hands lightly as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

Place the dough in a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise in a warm location until the dough has doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours).

Punch the dough down and divide in half.  Form each half into an oblong mass and place them on a parchment paper covered baking sheet.  Spray the dough with cooking oil spray and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow to rise another 1 hour in a warm location.

Bake 425°F for 20 minutes.  Depending on how even the heat is in your oven, you may need to rotate the sheet mid way through baking.

Transfer to a rack to cool.

After the bread is cool, you can store it in a sealed zip lock bag in the refrigerator for a week.

Nutrition

20 servings, 67 g per serving

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 67 g
Amount Per Serving

Calories

183

Calories from Fat

63
% Daily Value*

Total Fat

7.0g
11%

Saturated Fat

0.7g
3%

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg
0%

Sodium

239mg
10%

Total Carbohydrates

25.8g
9%

Dietary Fiber

1.7g
7%

Sugars

3.2g

Protein

5.1g
Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 2% • Iron 10%
Nutrition Grade B
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Peasant Cabbage Soup

A quick, nutritious and low fat soup.  Not high in protein, but low in fat.  Hits the spot on a chilly day and adds that extra dish that rounds out a meal.

Ingredients

1 large onion
1/2 head cabbage
1 tbsp olive oil

5 roma tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth
(1 russet potato, peeled and chopped up, optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp brown sugar

Preparation

Chop the onion and begin sauteing with the olive oil in a large pot over moderate heat.  Stir frequently.

Chop the cabbage and add it as you are chopping to the onion.

Dice the tomatoes.

When the cabbage and onion have softened (about 10 min. cooking time), add the tomato, vegetable broth and remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 min.

You can add a peeled and chopped up russet potato with the tomatoes and broth if you want to add substance to this soup.

Nutrition

12 servings (with a potato included)

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 230 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories

69
Calories from Fat

18
% Daily Value*
Total Fat

2.0g
3%
Cholesterol

0mg
0%
Sodium

488mg
20%
Total Carbohydrates

9.8g
3%
Dietary Fiber

1.7g
7%
Sugars

5.4g
Protein

3.6g
Vitamin A 9% • Vitamin C 37%
Calcium 3% • Iron 6%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Stir Fry Squid

Squid is versatile, high protein and high in vitamin B12.  On a vegan diet, getting enough B12 can be an issue so dishes with mollusks help to balance out the pescovegan diet. Squid with vegetables is a well-known Chinese stir fry, easy to prepare and tasty.  This version is quite low in fat, only about 6 grams per serving.

Ingredients

1 lb squid
1 tbsp fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp canola oil

2 carrots, sliced diagonally
3 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
2 shitake mushrooms
1 scallion, chopped

1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp water

Preparation

Clean and rinse the squid.  Cut each tube in half and score the inner surface in a crosshatch pattern.  Cut into ~ 1 1/2 inch chunks.  Salt and pepper lightly and set aside.

Prepare the vegetables and mushrooms.

Combine the cornstarch, salt, sesame oil and water in a small bowl.

In a wok or large nonstick pan, heat the oil, ginger, garlic and scallion until fragrant, but don’t brown the garlic.

Add the squid and stir fry for about 2 minutes over moderate heat.  You should see the crosshatched pieces curl into little round cylinders.

Remove the squid and add the vegetables to the pan.  Stir fry for 8 to 10 minutes so that the carrots begin to soften and the mushrooms cook.

Add the squid back to the pan, and add the cornstarch mix.

Stir fry for 2 minutes and serve with steamed rice.