World Wide Vegan

So, I decided I wanted to try cooking with a solar oven. I thought, "why am I heating up my kitchen cooking when I could be using free energy from the sun to cook outside? First I spent several hours researching differing styles of solar ovens and then I went to my husband and asked him to make a prototype. Like me, he loves a challenge and so we set out to make our first solar oven. It was great fun.

We decided to make a sloped-top box oven out of cardboard and aluminum foil. We painted the bottom black to retain the heat and fixed a polycarbonate lid to keep in the heat. Although it cooked just fine at an average temperature of about 220 degrees I would like to have an oven that is a little hotter, so we are redoing our initial design - something smaller and double insulated.


Solar ovens are ideal for vegan cuisine. Because there are no animal products in our foods, slow cooking is both healthy and doable. The first day I made some vegan baked beans with veggie bacon, onions and BBQ sauce. They turned out great - hot and steamy.

The following day I decided to make a simple stew with veggie beef strips, potatoes etc. What I loved about the results was the way the potatoes and other vegetables retained their fresh original colors.



This weekend we are going to make our second prototype and I hope to bake cornbread in a can and black beans. My kitchen will remain cool, I will have reduced my carbon footprint by using less electricity and I still get a great meal - vegan style. Can it get any better than that?

Labels: baked beans, solar oven, stew, vegan vegetarian

I know, a simmering bowl of stew isn't generally associated with summer, but yesterday I went out once again to collect the fruits of my garden. If you have a garden you too are probably over run with carrots, tomatoes, green beans and whatever else you planted last spring. So I decided to plop everything into a pot and make a stew.

Unlike a traditional winter stew that is served with warm bread, I wanted to make a light one-dish-meal that was more appealing on a warm summer's evening. I'm not sure but I think it is the cumin and turmeric that made this stew a satisfying summer meal. The turmeric combined with crushed tomatoes also gave the stew a cheery reddish color that delighted my senses.

Tip: TVP, or textured vegetable protein is a soy product that is very high in protein. In granular form it can be used in place of ground meats such as turkey or beef; however it does not have the fat and cholesterol that meat has.

Summer Garden Stew with TVP

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, quartered and sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
3 carrots sliced
2 cups red potatoes, diced
1 cup fresh green beans, topped and cut
1 cup additional garden vegetables, chopped
5-6 fresh tomatoes, pureed with skins
1 1/2 cups textured vegetable protein, dry granules
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (opt.)

Heat oil in skillet on medium high. Saute onions and celery until onion is slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute 1 more minute.

In large soup pot mix all ingredients except salts and bring to near boil. Turn heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes. Add salts. Simmer for another 10 minutes before serving. Adjust seasonings as desired.

Serve with green salad and iced, fresh-mint tea.

Labels: stew, TVP, Vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian