September 10, 2009

Hello Mo Hubbers and welcome to another fantastic year of food and friends!  Classes have started here at Concordia and that means that one week from now (Thursday, September 17) will be our first meal of the 2009 fall semester!

In case you’re new to all of this, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard is a weekly vegan meal prepared at Concordia’s Multi-Faith chaplaincy (2090 Rue Mackay across from the Hall building) and served between 5-7.  Dinners usually take the form of a soup and a grain with some bread and dip, drinks, desert, and lots of company.  We usually serve over 100 people each Thursday, which would never be possible without the help of our diligent volunteers.

In fact, Mother Hubbard is looking for Volunteers this semester!  Drop by and be a part of the action by helping to cook, set up, or clean any Thursday between noon and seven.  You can e-mail mohubbs@alcor.concordia.ca if you’re interested (it would be best if we know how many volunteers we have beforehand).

I hope to see everyone next week for the kick off meal!

Mother Hubbard (Julianne)

The End is Near April 5, 2009

Hello, Everyone.  We’re nearing the end of the Concordia school season, which means that Mother Hubbard’s is coming to a close.  Last week we said good-bye to Father Paul, who worked at the Loyola and Sir George Williams campus chaplaincies for several years.  We’ll miss you,  Paul.

Also, next week, April 9 from 5-7 pm, is our last Mo-Hubbs of the season. It’s gotten pretty busy for the past few weeks so come early to get your meal.

There will also be an end-of-year Concordia Multi-Faith Chaplaincy party on April 16 at the regular Mo-Hubbs time.  There won’t be a meal, but there will be snacks and music and merriment, so come join us.

I’ll post the recipies from the past few weeks after the party.

Enjoy the spring!

Recipe Dump March 27, 2009

I haven’t posted any recipes in awhile, so here are some highlights from the past few weeks. Last week we had a guest chef (one of the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy’s religious coordinators who made chana masala) so I don’t have a recipe for that week, but here are some others:

Minestrone:
Lots of garlic
onions
olive oil
potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, spinach, other veggies you want
beans, either canned or soaked and pre-cooked
T.V.P
nutritional yeast
balsamic vinegar
chili flakes
basil
oregano

Saute onions and garlic in oil for a few minutes. Add veggies and saute.
Either add some water/stock to the mixture or transfer to pot with boiling water.
Add pre soaked T.V.P, beans, and balsamic vinegar.
Simmer until the veggies are cooked- add salt, peper, basil, oregano, and nutritional yeast.

Carrot-ginger soup:
sesame oil
onion
garlic
ginger (grated)
lots of carrots
Lots of sweet potatoes
stock
tumeric
cayenne powder

Saute onions, garlic, ginger, and spices in oil for about 10 minutes.
Boil veggies until cooked, about 15 minutes- combine with sauteed mix.

Corn Bread:
(This will make one pan. To serve 100, x by 7)
3/4 cup corn meal
1 cup flour- white, whole wheat, buckwheat, whatever
1/3 cup sugar (I used brown sugar)
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup soymilk
1/4 cup blended tofu or 1 egg replacement
2 tbs. margarine

Mix dry ingredients well. Add wet ingredients to dry all at once or one at a time. Pour mixture into greased baking pan. Bake at 425 f for about 25 minutes.

Date Squares:
(again, makes about 1 baking pan)
Filling:
1 cup water
2 cups chopped pitted dates
1/2 tsp salt

Crust:
4 cups rolled oats
2 cups flour of any type
1 cup sugar or dry sugar substitute
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup margarine
1/4 cup oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

Boil the filling water and salt in a pot. Add the dates and cook on low heat until the dates are softened- about 7 minutes. Set Aside.
For crust, combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix margarine and vanilla and add, with oil, to dry ingredients. Mix well, adding a bit of water if needed to help the mix stick. Press some of the mixture onto the bottom of a greased baking dish. Spoon the date mixture on top. Sprinkle the remainder of the crust mix on top of the dates. Bake at 350 f for about 40 minutes until firm and browned, but not burned.

Enjoy the new recipes!

Looking Ahead February 4, 2009

The recipe for this week will be- Vegan Chili!

Here’s what you need:

Tomato sauce or Tomato juice

Chunks of canned tomatoes or freshly cooked tomatoes

Red Kidney Beans (canned or uncooked)

Firm tofu, cubed or shredded

TVP (textured vegetable protein)

Onion

Corn

Chili Powder Garlic

Cumin seeds (ground)

You could also add other veggies like zuccini or cauliflower to name two if you wanted.

Cook tomatoes, corn and beans if not already cooked- this could involve puncturing and boiling the tomatoes, boiling the corn and simmering the beans (after letting them soak overnight)

Mix all ingredients together over low heat for about 20 minutes and serve.

Cream of Broccoli Soup February 4, 2009

Broccoli
Shallots
Garlic
Onion
Celery
Carrot
Cayenne Pepper
Herbamare or salt
Dried basil
Almond Milk

Sauté chopped onion, garlic, and celery in a frying pan.
Blanch broccoli and the rest of the veggies until tender: 10-15 minutes
Drain the water (if desired)
Add the onion mix, almond milk, and spices to broccoli and simmer about 5 minutes.
Blend with immersion blender.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can very finely chop or blend your veggies before blanching.

Wrap up of January and into February February 4, 2009

Again, just a warning, there are no exact measurments for these recipes. Cooking shouldn’t be an exact science, so just make it to taste or for specific needs.
Kitchen Extras (for me at least) soup:
Black beans (canned or uncooked)
garlic (I use lots)
Carrots, chopped
Onions, chopped
Celery, chopped
Kombu seaweed (I put it in water to let it hydrate, then cut it up)
Bay leaves
Red pepper
Cayenne pepper
Cumin seeds, ground
Tamari

Cook everything (except the peppers) in a big pot with enough stock to cover. If the beans are already cooked, you can add them after blanching the veggies. Otherwise, let them simmer with the spices and veggies for about half an hour or until tender.
Add the peppers and tamari right before serving.

Back to the action January 16, 2009

Hello everyone!  Mother Hubbard’s is back again for the semester.  I think I’ll be posting recipes here every other week.  Unfortunately, because the portions I make are so big, I don’t have exact measurements to make a normal amount.  I just use common sense as well as test as I go along, but these are pretty simple:

Carrot-Lentil stew:

Red Lentils

garlic

carrots (as many as you can handle)

onion

celery

bay leaves

thyme

cayenne

tahini

dulse

Boil then simmer the lentils and veggies until cooked through (about 15 minutes).  Add spices and tahini to taste when done.  Let sit 5-10 minutes then serve.

Kidney Bean Stew:

Kidney beans (canned or dried)

rutabega or turnip

carrot

onion

kombu seaweed

bay leaf

ginger

miso (I used red)

fresh parsley

The soaking time for uncooked kidney beans is at least 8 hours, but they could also sit overnight.

Boil veggies until desired softness (with soaked kidney beans if uncooked).  Add spices when done (with kidney beans if cooked) and let sit for about 10 minutes to absorb the flavor.

Truffles December 17, 2008

I’ve never actually made this for mo-hubbs before, but it’s a recipe that I recently discovered that I really like.

Truffles:

3/4 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup cold water
2 cups bittersweet chocolate
cocoa powder

Put cashews and cold water in a blender and blend at high speed for 1-2 minutes.

Scrape the sides down and blend again until the mixture is the consistency of heavy cream.

Meanwhile, in a double boiler heat the chocolate until it’s all melted.

Cool the chocolate until it’s comfortable to work with and fold in the cashew cream (making sure not to stir too fast or you’ll create bubbles).

Cool in the fridge for 2 hours (to set).

Take out a small ball, roll in cocoa powder and store in fridge/freezer.

Repeat until done.

Thumbprint Cookies December 17, 2008

Thumbprint Cookies

Makes 25 cookies
1 cup flour
1/2 cup ground hazelnuts (1 cup as whole)
4 oz margarine, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup raspberry jam
1/3 cup apricot jam, or other favorite jam

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Cream margarine with sugar until light and fluffy (5 minutes).
Whisk together flour and ground hazelnuts and add to the creamed butter. Mix until well combined.
Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes (it will be easier to shape).
Take a teaspoonful of dough in your hand, form a small ball, press in the center with your finger to make a hole (not all the way) and arrange on baking trays 2 inches apart. (Don’t be tempted to make them bigger than a teaspoonful).
Bake for 15 minutes, until the edges are slightly colored.
Let the cookies cool and fill the holes with your favorite jams.

Oatmeal cookies December 17, 2008

50g soft margarine, or 2/3 of this in canola oil.
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg replacer (like 1/2 banana or 1/2 cup soy yogurt)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. In a large bowl beat sugar and margarine until well mixed. Add egg replacer and vanilla and beat again just enough to mix well. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Add to egg/sugar mixture and stir well. Add oatmeal and raisins and mix well. Arrange tablespoons of mixture , not too close together, on a baking tray lined with baking paper. You might have to use your (moistened) hands a bit. Bake at 360 for about 15-18 minutes. Let cool on rack for another five minutes.