So-yum... ! Tasty soy based options

As a lover of all things red meat, it was a little shocking to find out that it takes anywhere from 24-72 hours to digest red meat; depending on a variety of factors including one's metabolism, health, current medications, food accompaniments, etc. No wonder athletes' eat carb-heavy meals prior to any major game. The sheer energy that goes into digesting that succulent T-Bone steak must be pretty significant!

Having read up on this while weaning my daughter, I decided to minimize the amount of red meat in her diet, and focused on finding tasty protein alternatives. That is how I stumbled on soy(a) mince. Perhaps the first question that comes to mind for most, is "what is soya?". Soya comes from the seed of the soya plant. Each pod of the soya plant can contain 1 to 4 circular soya beans similar to peas but generally larger in size. Soya beans are one of the best sources of protein in the whole plant-kingdom.

To the touch, soya mince feels and looks almost like a cereal of some sort. When cooked right, with enough seasoning, soy(a) offers all the nutrition that red meat does. It is important to note that the actual soy beans can be very tough on the digestive systems of our little ones, so soy(a) mince is a much gentler (and faster to cook) alternative.

Here's a soy(a) based recipe that is great for the whole family. (try keeping it a secret until AFTER diner and see if anyone, especially the guys in the household actually notice the difference! I assure you, there are some who haven't figured it out quite yet! :) )

Vegetarian Louisiana Dirty Rice
Ingredients

1/4kg of soy(a) mince
2 cups of rice
4 cups of water or vegetable broth
1 cup of shallots (spring onions) finely chopped
1 cup of parsley (you can substitute this with cilantro/dhania)
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of red onion
1/2 a cup of green/bell pepper
2 tbsp. of tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp. of sunflower/olive/canola oil (*heart healthy cooking oils)

Brown the soy(a) mince
Add the shallots, celery, red onion, and green/bell pepper
Add the seasoning and tomato paste, and cover to cook for for 5-7 minutes
Add the parsley/cilantro, water or vegetable broth, and the rice
Add the washed rice and cover
Simmer for about 25 minutes or until the water/broth has dried out
Lower the heat and uncover for about 5 minutes

Dirty rice can be served with "Kachumbari" or Salsa Verde, or your choice of leafy green veggies!


*To turn this into a meat-lover's special, simply substitute the soy(a) for regular ground beef and add 4 chicken livers for added taste! As a heart healthy option, use lean beef for your mince, such as top rump steak.

The Bases are LOADED! :)

Dear ZAWADI,

Oh my! It has been a long hiatus! But it was bound to happen, as you came along and took over my world, I met you, loved you even more, and you became my life. I live and breathe you 100% of the time; whether I am with you, or just loving you in spirit.
So now you’re finding your way in the world,crawling,walking, giggling, laughing and causing a merry racus wherever you go! I love every minute of it even more, and more! And guess what? This means I have more time to step back in the kitchen, and do what I love to do the most… COOK!

It’s been a year of working hard, and losing all the baby weight (you were worth it sweetie!), and finally mama has made lots of progress which means… IT IS TIME TO CELEBRATE! And how better to do this, than to cook some decadent, rich, and oh so tasty food!

You sat and watched me this weekend, as we cooked loaded mashed potatoes, soya mince, and a hot and cold salad, on TV. I will keep that dvd for you and show it to you as soon as you can actively figure that mommy was on TV!

So here’s what we cooked this past weekend. And after a long hiatus, I am so
overjoyed at the prospect of being back and hustling and bustling in my kitchen!

Love always,
Mama Zawadi.

***********************************************************

MINCE STEW

Ingredients

2 red onions
Bell peppers (green, red, or yellow)- combine all to your liking if possible
Cilantro (dhania)
½ kg soya mince (vegetarian option) OR regular ground beef/minced meat
3 tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
Extra virgin olive oil (sunflower oil is an excellent substitute)
Salt
Black pepper
4 knorr beef cubes
Red chili pepper
Curry powder
Fresh ground ginger and/or garlic

Cook time: 30 minutes
Cooking Instructions

Heat up some extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan
Sautee onions and peppers
*If you desire the carrots to be thoroughly cooked, then sauté carrots with onions and peppers.
Add soya mince to the pan
Add spices indicated above, to your taste
*Add carrots after soya mince if you prefer firmer carrots
Let the mix simmer for about 10-15 minutes.
Add tomatoes and tomato paste (with a little water)
Check spices and salt level, if not sufficient, add a little salt and spice, and water, and let the mix cook for 5 more minutes.
Reduce the heat and allow simmering.
Add cilantro to the stew and cover.
Uncover after 2-3 minutes and stir.


LOADED MASHED POTATOES

Ingredients

1 kg of potatoes (red, or white)
White wine- medium to dry
Heavy whipping cream
Butter
2 red onions
1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 green pepper
Salt
Pepper
Freshly ground garlic
Freshly ground ginger

Cook time: 30-45 minutes
Cooking instructions
Bring potatoes to boil in a separate saucepan.
Potatoes should be cooked, but firm
In another saucepan, heat butter until melted
It is important not to overheat the butter, as it develops a burnt flavor and can change the taste of the sauce.
Sauté the onions and peppers in the butter.
Add heavy whipping cream
Add salt, pepper, garlic and ginger
Add white wine and stir the sauce continuously
Reduce heat and simmer until it comes to a bubble
Mash the potatoes that were boiled separately
Mix in the sauce with the mashed potatoes until you develop a smooth creamy texture
It is also possible to mash the potatoes to a rough texture, depending on your preference.
Transfer the loaded mashed potatoes to a serving dish.

HOT AND COLD SALAD

Cold ingredients
Red cabbage
White cabbage
Mayonnaise
Vinegar
Lime juice/.fresh limes
Hot ingredients
1 red onion
1 pepper
Raisins
*if cranberries are readily available in your area, use cranberries instead of raisins.
Cook time: 10 minutes
Cooking instructions
Thoroughly shred/chop the red and white cabbage
Mix with mayonnaise, vinegar and lemon juice
Put the salad in the fridge to cool down
Sauté the onions and peppers in extra virgin olive oil
Add the raisins/cranberries to the mix and sauté for another minute
Add salt and pepper to your liking
Combine the hot ingredients with the cold ingredients and allow to cool.
Transfer to a serving dish

• To make the above recipes more child friendly, adjust ingredients such as chili powder, and wine. Good substitutes include white pepper which does not have the same heat effect as chili powder, and non alcoholic cider (or just eliminate the white wine from the loaded mashed potatoes recipe)


WINE PAIRING TIPS

• BALANCE: It is important to pick a wine that balances the natural flavors of the food. A rich, spicy meal should be paired with a spicy, flavorful wine to complement each other. A good example in this case would be a white zinfandel, or a cabarnet sauvignon (red).
• ACIDITY: Acidic dishes also pair well with wine that has a high acid content. For our spicy version of the soya mince stew, consider Chianti. (easily available at all leading supermarkets and wines & spirits)
• Should you chose to eliminate the chili from the above recipe, then consider pairing your meal with milder wines such as a Sauvignon Blanc (white) or a Chardonnay (white).
• Most of these wines will be medium to dry.
• PALATE CLEANSING: Dry wines also have high acidic content, which helps with “palate cleansing” when you have fatty, or rich foods such as our loaded mashed potatoes.