Lavender Rhubarb Shrub

“Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”

— Martin Luther King Jr.

Have you ever heard of shrub? Have you ever had it before? Do you like vinegar? Are you an old soul? Is your grandmother your idol? Do you have an absurdly and unnecessary amount of fresh fruit? These are all good questions to ask oneself before engaging in this recipe today.

Shrub, if you don't know, is a drinking vinegar. What's that? Okay, let me be more specific. Shrub is generally equal parts fruit, sugar, and vinegar. The fruit is muddled with the sugar and let to rest for a day or two, then the fruit is removed and the vinegar is added. It's bottled and stored in the fridge for at least one week and up to half a year. The concoction is diluted in water or, if you choose, made into a cocktail.

My grandparents always made a raspberry shrub. They had vast rows upon rows of huge, plump raspberries and one way to use the excess berries was to make shrub. It's the taste of my childhood summers, their raspberry shrub. 

I decided to make my shrub with rhubarb and lavender because, well, I have a ton of the stuff and not so much in the way of raspberries. The rhubarb is delightfully tart in this sugary, sour shrub and the lavender lends a summery, floral essence. This shrub has been sitting in my fridge for two weeks in the flip-top bottles, and is just about perfect. As it sits in the fridge, the vinegar mellows and the flavors really meld together. 

My grandmother always said vinegar "cleans out your insides" and would often give us a shot of raw apple cider vinegar with water to choke down. This is much better.   

Lavender Rhubarb Shrub 

Makes 32 oz. 

Notes: As the shrub sits in the fridge, the vinegar will mellow and the flavors really meld together. Any fruit can be used in place of the rhubarb. Don't throw away the leftover sugared fruit! I bag it and freeze it, then use it in smoothies or a pie. Waste not, want not! 

• 3 cups fresh rhubarb, diced 
• 3 large sprigs of lavender
• 3 cups vegan sugar
• 3 cups apple cider vinegar

Combine the rhubarb, lavender, and sugar in a large bowl. Mix together with your hands, crushing the rhubarb between your fingers and really incorporating the sugar until it's a wet mess. This is important. It will take about 5 minutes. There shouldn't be any dry sugar left. 

Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 24-48 hours. After a time, the rhubarb should be surrounded by a watery liquid and bubbles should start to form. 

Now, strain the rhubarb pressing into a mesh sieve to extract all the juices. There'll be a lot of sugar leftover in the bowl. Try to keep as much of it as possible. Add back the rhubarb juice and stir into the sugar. Now, stir in the vinegar. 

Transfer to bottles and store in the fridge for at least one week and up to half a year. Dilute to taste in water, or cocktails. And with ice, always with ice. Crushed if possible. I use about a 1 part shrub to 5 parts water. 

German Word of The Day

Vinegar --> Essig (S-ich)

Good Deed of The Day

Neanderthals were "mainly vegetarian." Surprise! Inform yourself and read the rest of the article, here. So go Paleo! Which would be mainly vegetarian. 

Flatbread Pizza with Asparagus & Baby Potatoes

“Kill one animal - Criminal
Kill many animals - Butcher
One turns a blind eye - Negligence
Society turns a blind eye - Normality
One points out another’s wrong doings - Extremist
Many point out another’s wrong doings - Change
Change is coming. You are the answer.”

— Aishwarrya Prakash

Who says pizza is off limit for vegans?

Certainly not me. Look at that gorgeous beauty! Easy, crunchy, crispy herbed garlic flatbread is layered with creamy, vegan goat cheese and topped with tender baby potatoes, fresh asparagus, and tart cherry tomatoes. 

So dig in! Don't let me stop you. This is one of those recipes that may look super complicated and time consuming. Homemade crust, homemade cheese (or not!), boiling and slicing veggie prep....I know, I know. Believe me when I tell you this was an utter breeze to throw together. I think it's because nothing is really too difficult to prep/assemble/make and it all times up perfectly. 

Flatbread Pizza with Asparagus & Baby Potatoes 

Makes two medium pizzas

Notes: Use whatever vegan cheese you like. I used the recipe below and made it a few days in advance. Feel free to cut the vegan cheese recipe in half if only using for these pizzas. Cheese adapted from Spabettie.

Ingredients: 

Dough

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• small handful fresh herbs, minced (I used parsley, rosemary, and oregano)
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup water (additional as needed)

Toppings

• 2 cups baby potatoes, boiled, halved and sliced
• 1/2 bunch of fresh asparagus (about 2 cups), sliced diagonally
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup vegan cheese of your choice (I used the recipe below)

Vegan Goat Cheese (at least 8 hours)

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 1/2 cup roasted and salted macadamia nuts, soaked
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• pinch of kosher salt
• 2 vegan probiotic capsules

Directions:

Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to boil for the potatoes. Once boiling, add the whole potatoes and boil for about 10 minutes, until fork tender. Drain, cool, then halve and slice. Set aside until ready for use. 

For the dough, whisk all the ingredients together except for the water in a large electric mixing bowl. Then, fix on the dough attachment and while on low speed, slowly add the water. The dough should be moist, but not wet. When combined, remove and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes. 

Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 400 F. Slice up the baby potatoes, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes. Set aside until ready for use. 

Roll out the dough balls on a floured surface into two 14 inch pizzas. Transfer one to the pizza stone and bake for 10 minutes at 400 F. Then, top with vegan cheese and half of the prepped veggies. Place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove, and repeat with second pizza. 

Serve hot, drizzled with olive oil and topped with additional herbs and freshly cracked pepper. 

Making the Cheese:

Soak the nuts for 2-12 hours in fresh water. Drain, rinse, and place in a blender. Add the remaining ingredients, excluding the probiotics. Blend on high until smooth and creamy, a few minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer to a small dish and stir in the contents of two vegan probiotic capsules, discarding the shells. Cover and allow to rest overnight (8-24 hours) in a warm place. Store in the fridge. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. 

German Word of The Day

Crunchy --> knusprig (canoe-sprych)

Good Deed of The Day

Speak up against animal abuse. Sign the petition calling on the Livestock Marketing Association to protect animals and stop workers who were caught on video viciously beating animals, dragging and lifting them by their ears, tails and hair, and denying them food, water, and proper veterinary care. 

Asian Lentil & Mushroom Lettuce Cups

“‘I educated myself on factory farming and cruelty to animals, and realized that what was on my plate were living things, with feelings. And I just couldn’t disconnect myself from it.”

— Ellen Degeneres

Amen Ellen. Amen. Lettuce cups are so fancy. I always feel like I should be at Paris Hilton's baby shower or something whenever I encounter them. Yes, I'm aware she doesn't have a baby (right?)...just go with me on this one. Do you feel that way too or am I total weirdo?

They're pretty darn fabulous. I love how they'll cradle anything at all you desire to stuff them with and lettuce is well, pretty tasteless so really the sky's the limit here with regards to flavor options.

I received a massive bag of mushrooms from a Costco run and I was at a loss of what to do with them. As always, I pondered how I could combine them with legumes. I knew lentils had to somehow be incorporated into my mushroom quandary. And so, these lettuce cups were born.

Delightfully light but still hearty, with a scrumptious Asian twist from soy sauce, fresh ginger and cilantro, as well as sesame oil and rice wine vinegar these are sure to be a hit.

Asian Lentil & Mushroom Lettuce Cups

Serves a crowd

Notes: I used half split red and half whole green lentils. If using split then there's no need to strain the water and you'll need more TVP, but if using whole lentils they'll need to be strained. Start with 1/2 cup and add more TVP as needed to achieve the desired consistency. 

Ingredients:

• Sustenance
• 2 cups lentils, dry
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
• 3 1/2 cup mushrooms, diced 
• 1/2 cup TVP, dry 
• fresh lettuce leaves (I like butter, but romaine would work as well)
• fresh chopped cilantro, as garnish
• sesame seeds, as garnish
• Sauce
• 1/4 cup liquid amino acids (or soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 Tbsp. agave nectar
• 1 Tbsp. sweet chili sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1 tsp. sesame oil

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine the water and lentils. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Then, reduce to low and simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes until the water has either evaporated (split lentils) or they are tender (whole lentils). If using whole lentils, strain and return to pan. 

Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil in a large rimmed frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for at least 10 minutes, until they become fragrant, dark, and all their water has evaporated. Add the cooked lentils to the mushrooms. 

For the sauce, whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Pour over the lentil/mushroom mixture and stir over low heat (reserve a bit to pour over the cups if you like). Add the 1/2 cup of TVP and stir well to combine. Add more as needed to achieve the desired consistency. 

Serve the mixture in the washed lettuce cups and top with additional sauce, fresh cilantro, and sesame seeds.

German Word of The Day

Lettuce --> Kopfsalat (copf-saw-lot)

Good Deed of The Day

Let's put to bed the stereotype of whether or not vegans get enough protein. Finally! Watch the video here, and spread the word yo.