Hobbies

Critters

I have been volunteering at the Greater Chicago Cage Bird Club (GCCBC). This is a marvelous rescue where all sorts of birds (particularly parrots) can stay, and potential adopters can come to visit.

Big Bird (above) is a Monk Parakeet who loves to mumble and laugh.



Food

 Vegan since 2013. Here are some of my favorite recipes!


Savory roasted tempeh
Ingredients:
  • 2 pkgs tempeh
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp mustard
  • 2 tbsp lime juice (or lemon if you don't have lime)
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves minced or crushed garlic (or more!)
Directions:
  • Unwrap and rinse the tempeh and cut into bite size chunks
  • Steam the tempeh pieces for at least 10 mins
  • Mix the rest of the ingredients (marinade) in a bowl
  • Once the tempeh is done steaming, dump it in with the marinade and mix to coat
  • Marinate for at least 30 mins (the longer the better), occasionally stirring to re-coat the tempeh
  • Sometime while the tempeh is marinating, preheat the oven to 375 F
  • Arrange the tempeh on a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins
  • Flip the pieces and bake another 5 mins or until nicely browned

 Vegan caesar dressing
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 2 hours and drained
  • Juice of 2-3 lemons
  • 2 cloves of garlic (or more!)
  • 1/3 cup filtered water
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (or other mustard + a teeny swirl of maple syrup)
  • 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp white miso paste
  • 2 tsp capers
  • 2 T. olive oil
Directions
  • Throw everything in a blender and blend until smooth
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge

 No-knead bread
Ingredients
  • 3 c. all-purpose or bread flour (can also use 1/2 c. whole wheat and 2.5 c. white)
  • 3/4 tsp. yeast
  • 1/2 - 1 tsp. salt
  • 1.5 c. lukewarm water
Instructions
  • Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl until yeast is uniformly distributed
  • Mix in the water until everything is uniform and the dough forms into a clump or ball
  • Cover with a towel and let sit 6 h or longer (overnight is perfect)
  • Preheat oven to 450 F with a dutch oven inside
  • Take out the hot dutch oven and sprinkle a little flour into the bottom (prevents sticking)
  • Scrape the dough ball into the dutch oven
  • Cover and bake 25 min
  • Uncover and bake another 15 min

Carrot "Lox"
Ingredients
  • 8 smallish carrots/4 big carrots
  • 2 tsp. liquid smoke
  • 2 tsp. seaweed seasoning (usually kelp flakes, sesame seeds, and a little salt)
    • Alternative: pulverize some nori sheets or other dried seaweed
  • 2 T. soy sauce
  • 2 T. olive oil
Accessories
  • Bagels/bread
  • Red onions
  • Capers
  • Dill (pref. fresh)
  • Cream cheese
  • Tomato slices
Instructions
  • Preheat oven to 400 F. 
  • Wash the carrots and using a sharp knife, slice lengthwise into as thin strips as possible.
  • Toss the carrot strips in a dutch oven with all the seasonings.
  • Cover and bake until all the carrots are soft (about 20 - 30 min). For best results stir a couple times throughout the baking process.
  • Makes enough for ~8 bagel sandwiches; will last a couple weeks in tupperware in the fridge.