It seems like Eggplant is always growing in the southern Caribbean but it’s really prevalent right now. I wanted to try a new appetizer and I’ve never made Baba Ghanoush- which seems odd, it’s really easy to make- sort of like hummus but with eggplant instead of garbanzo beans. 

The thing with this recipe is that you have to take responsibility for the correct mixture of the ingredients.  Eggplants that are bought in the markets in the states & other developed countries (I imagine) are usually huge b/c they are grown using
chemicals or they are simply a different variety.  The eggplants here are much smaller, more like the size of a "normal size" zucchini in supermarket. 
 
What you’ll need:
-3 Eggplants (or just 1 if you are using one of the super big ones that resemble a small club)
-3 tbls. tahini
-Juice from 1-2 lemons (to be added gradually)
-3 tbls. Sesame seeds
-2 cloves garlic
-1 ½ tbls. olive oil (to be added gradually)
-salt, pepper, & cayenne to taste

What’s Next:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking sheet with oil
-Place eggplant(s) on baking sheet and poke with a fork in many areas
-Roast in the oven for 25 minutes (or 35-40 if you are using a large eggplant) *for you sailors who are oven-less you can accomplish a similar result by slicing your eggplant in half (long ways) and cooking skin side down in a pan with the lid closed at medium/low heat
-Once done roasting, remove from heat and place eggplant(s) in a large bowl of cool water for a few minutes then peel off the skin.
-Place eggplant(s), tahini, sesame seeds, and garlic in food processor (I also toss in some of the skin).  Pulse to combine and add in lemon juice at intervals (you may need more or less than 1 lemon) - The mixture should be fairly thick but well combined (you still have to add the olive oil…)
-Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in olive oil- again you may need more or less than the prescribed amount- taste and add salt, pepper, & cayenne.  You can always squeeze in more lemon or olive oil.
-Refrigerate for at least a couple hours before serving (it's better that way!)
 
-As you can see in my photo I served this on a fresh baguette with cucumbers, very tasty!

I hope that all makes sense- it’s really not difficult and it would be difficult to totally mess it up but with the different size of eggplants the rest of the ingredients will be different each time.  Comment if you have other suggestions for Baba Ghanoush or let me know how this one works out.

For a period of time, when I ate eggs, egg salad was pretty much my “go to” for lunch.  And I really liked it.  When Marty stoppedeating meat he followed along as an egg salad lover and it’s something he would like to eat on our passages as it was easy to grab and provided some protein.  We’ve had to adapt and now tofu salad is the new egg salad.  
 
*For Cruisers: This will be good in the fridge for several days
(like 5) and I make a batch or two of this before we take off. 
But for long range passages, if I make this underway there is no way I add all these ingredients- b/c we don’t have them and if we did preparing it would exceed my galley limit while underway! JSo don’t fret; you can still make plain tofu salad with mustard, vegan mayo, and spices!

What you’ll need:
-12 oz. Extra Firm Tofu (preferrable organic)
-1/3 cup vegan mayo (I make my own, see recipe at the end)
-2 tbls. mustard (I use spicy brown but any kind you like/have will work)
-1/3 cup carrots, grated
-1/3 cup bok choy steams (substitute celery or something else crunchy)
-3 green onions, chopped
-3 tbls. fresh parsley, chopped
-1/2 tsp. turmeric
-1/2 tsp. cayenne
-1/4 tsp. cumin
-salt & pepper to taste
-1-2 tbls. nutritional yeast (optional)

What’s Next:
-Drain, rinse, and pat dry the tofu
-Add all the ingredients except the tofu into a bowl and mix to incorporate
-Chop or mince the tofu (whatever consistency you like it) and fold it in to the bowl of ingredients.
-We eat it like a sandwich with tomato, lettuce or whatever 
 
*Makes 4 good size Sandwiches*

Vegan Mayo: We can’t buy vegan mayo in these parts but now that I know how to make it I don’t think I’d buy if we could!  Just don’t expect this mayo to be quite as thick as the store bought version

What you’ll need:
-3 tbls. lemon juice
-1/3 cup soy milk
-1/2 tsp. mustard
-1/4 tsp. paprika
-1/4 tsp. salt
-6 tbls. canola or vegetable oil

What’s Next:
-Put all ingredients except oil in a blender and mix on low speed until all blended.
-A bit at a time add the oil- blending between additions.  The mixture should thicken and be smooth.  If it’s not totally thick don’t worry it will thicken up in the fridge.
-Refrigerate or use within the day

A couple years ago I was on a very limited vegan diet for a yoga training I was participating in.  Remarkably I was “allowed” to eat natural dried fruit and found that Whole Foods sells mini coconut date logs in their bulk food section.  Let me say that for the four months I was on this diet eating the occasional coconut date log from Whole Foods seemed like I was cheating. 

There are lots of coconuts here in the islands and the other day the market had some local dates- score! Dates are awesome! So I made my own version.  It was a bit of work but that’s might be because we have a rather small grater!  If you live somewhere where coconuts don’t fall off the trees you can purchase one of those brown coconuts from the store, drink the juice and crack it open for the meat.

What you’ll need:
-1 cup freshly grated coconut meat
-1 cup dates
-agave nectar (optional, for extra sweetness)

What’s Next:
-Put the grated coconut and dates in a food processor and pulse to shred and incorporate
-Transfer mixture to a bowl & stir in a little agave if using (it doesn’t take much)
-Form into balls and eat or refrigerate

*Makes about 12 balls*

We had two other couples over from different
boats for pizza night on Santosha.  Everyone made pizzas- we had a lot and ate a lot!  My contribution was a pesto pizza (this recipe) and tomato vegetable. 

This is really a recipe for the pesto; you can use any pizza crust you like (or try this one from me.)  This time I used a fresh pita that I frequently buy from the bakery but if fresh pitas aren’t an option for you I suggest making a crust or you can always buy crust or pitas….

These ingredients will work for 4, 10” round pizzas
Start preheating the oven at 375

What you’ll need (for the pesto):
-1/3 cup pine nuts
-1/2 cup olive oil
-1/4 cup nutritional yeast
-1 tbls. lemon juice
-1 ½ cups basil leaves (no stems)
-3 cloves of garlic (leave it out if you’re on a more satvic diet)
-salt & pepper to taste

What’s Next (for the pesto):
-Toast the pine nuts in a pan for a couple minutes
-In a food processor mix all the ingredients (including the pine nuts) until well blended
*If it’s too chunky/thick for your taste add a bit more olive oil.  If it’s not thick enough add more basil

What you’ll need (for the toppings)
-Nut Cheese (click for recipe)
-1 cup green pepper (thinly sliced)
-1 cup spinach leaves
-1 cup zucchini (sliced in half moons)
-16 tomato slices (4 for each pizza)
-4 pitas or pizza crusts

What’s Next:
-I always prebake my crust or pitas until spots of light brown start to show before I put on any toppings
-In a pan with a splash of olive oil sauté all the vegetables except the tomatoes- not for long just til the spinach is wilted
-Put plenty of pesto on your pre-baked crusts/pitas
-Use a fork to drag the nut cheese on top (it will get mixed in with the pesto but it’s fine)
-Arrange the vegetable toppings as you desire and put back in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or a bit longer if you’re using a thicker crust

Enjoy pizza night!
*Feeds 4 Martys*

This is sort of a funny story…I have used a few different recipes to make chocolate cake, like the chocolate chip cake on my recipe list.  But one of my yoga students in Grenada urged me to try a vegan recipe she has. 
She is a personal chef and she got this recipe from her vegan friend and
said it is the best chocolate cake she has ever had.  So, she was kind enough to hand write out the recipe and brought it over to my boat.  Before I even looked
at the page I asked her if she knew where the recipe came from (other than from
her friend) she said she didn’t.  But I looked down at the ingredients (the first two being soy milk and
apple cider vinegar) and knew exactly where it came from.  Isa Chandra from “Vegan Cupcakes take over the World”- since I happen to have the book I checked and sure enough it is exactly the same. 
Whenever I see a recipe anywhere with soy milk and apple cider vinegar I can bet it’s hers-something about providing a leavening agent when vinegar is mixed w/soy milk like the effect of buttermilk in non-vegan recipes.  Anyway, I’ve made this in cupcake form too with a Peanut Butter Cream Frosting- awesome! 
 
I used a chocolate Grenache like frosting that I’ve been eating for years.  Does that sound like too much chocolate?  It’s not- really, it’s fabulous.

What you’ll need (for the cake):
-1 cup soy milk
-1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
-3/4 cup granulated sugar (I use the raw cane)
-1/3 cup canola oil
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp. almond extract
-1 cup flour (unbleached, all purpose)
-1/3 cup cocoa powder
-3/4 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. baking powder
-1/4 tsp. salt

What’s Next:
-Preheat the oven to 350
-Whisk together milk and vinegar & set aside for a couple minutes
-In a medium bowl add the sugar, oil, vanilla, and almond extract and stir to combine
-Stir in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Stir to combine well.
-Pour the batter into a greased 8x8 pan, or a 12 cupcake tin w/liners

What you’ll need (for the Grenache):
-1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
-1/4 cup non-dairy milk
-1/2 tsp. vanilla

What’s Next:
-In a small pot heat the milk until it just boils
-Add the chips and vanilla and stir to combine on very low heat (do not let the chocolate burn)
-Once melted remove from heat immediately and set aside until ready to use for your cake or refrigerate
-When you’re ready to add the chocolate sauce to your cake-take big spoonful’s of Grenache and drop them on the cake, then use a fork to lightly drag the sauce in a swivel lines to even distribute.

*Incidentally this chocolate sauce makes a great chocolate fondue for dipping fruit or whatever you like to eat chocolate with

As I write out these recipes it’s becoming obvious that I add
chocolate to a lot of things, hmmm. The reason I made this bread is because we had so much coconut meat and I was determined to find something to do with it.  So, basically you can leave the coconut out or substitute it for some chopped walnuts or pecans.  You could also leave out the chocolate and the dates and just use the base of the recipe and add what you like. 
I only have one vegan cookbook and a cruiser friend found it for me at a book exchange on the island of Culebra- I was very excited.  The book, “Vegan Cooking”published in 1985 in England is written by Eva Batt, an early ambassador of veganism. It’s interesting to read the very simple
recipes of the book and notice how vegan cooking has seemingly evolved, I guess, over the years. Anyway, that book gave me the guideline for this recipe.

What you’ll need:
-1 ½ cups flour
-2 tsp. baking powder
-1/2 tsp. baking soda
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/4 cup granulated sugar
-1 cup non-dairy milk
-1/4 cup vegan butter
-1/4 cup roughly chopped dates (rinsed & dried) (or other dried fruit)
-1/3 cup coconut (shredded) (optional)
-1/4 cup coconut (chopped) (optional, use walnuts or pecans instead)
-1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)

What’s Next:
-Preheat oven to 325
-In a small pot warm the milk and butter together until melted, stir to incorporate. Remove from heat and set aside in a medium/large bowl
-In a medium/large bowl add the flour, baking soda & powder, salt, and sugar and stir
-Add the coconut and dates to the flour mixture and stir to incorporate
-A portion at a time, incorporate the flour mixture into the milk and butter and stir until well combined.  If the mixture seems very thick and sticky you can add a few more splashes of milk. It should be pretty thick but stir-able.  It will really depend on your fruit/nut mixture.  
-Put the batter in well-greased bread tin.  Once its evenly distributed in the tin, sprinkle the chocolate chips (if using) along the top and push them down gently with a rubber spatula or spoon.
-Bake for about 25 minutes or until knife comes clean from the center.

It’s great with tea, I guess this recipe does have English roots!

Before cruising I used to drink beets in fresh juice and it was sooo good; beets just taste like earth. But no more, we don’t have a juicer onboard and we can’t walk down thestreet to a juice café.  Beets were in the market and so they came home with us. 
I had no idea what I would do with these beets.  This creation just kept forming as Marty was attempting to fix our outboard motor.



What you’ll need:
-3 beets (peeled & cut into 4s)
-1/2 cup lentils, cooked
-1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
-1/2 cup black beans, cooked
-4 bok choy leafs, chopped (or some alternative lettuce type leaf)
-1/4 cup fresh parsley leafs
-1/2 cup juice from lemon
-salt & pepper to taste

What’s Next:
-In a food processor grind the beets. Set aside in a medium bowl
-Now grind the bok choy and parsley together in the food processor, add to the bowl with the
beets
-Add the beans, quinoa, and lentils to the bowl w/the beets and stir everything together until it’s well incorporated.
-Stir in the lemon juice, salt & pepper

That’s it! Serve as a side dish or light meal over sautéed spinach

I’m not any sort of expert on making bread.  In fact it was only in the last year (since we started cruising) that I have made our own bread.  I know people who are really good at it and they make some amazing bread.  They all claim “it’s so simple”- sure if you know what you’re doing. This recipe is totally easy for real- even for me, a bread making rookie.  But I think I better get the hang of it quick if I’m gonna continue be a cruising sailor…

You can just make this as a wheat bread for sandwiches (in a pan loaf but a normal/large pan will make it a short loaf- like duh right) or roll it out a little longer and bake it on a pan for a more crusty, flatter dinner
bread- that’s what I usually do.  
 
What you’ll need:
-2 cups flour (preferable unbleached but any baking flour will do- NO self- rising flour)
-1 cup wheat flour
-3 tbls. honey
-2 tbls. maple syrup
-2 tbls. canola oil
-1 cup warm water(like 80 degrees)
-1 package yeast (or 2 ½ tsp.)
-1/2 tsp. salt

Optional:
-1/4 cup walnuts
-1/4 cup pecans

What’s Next:
-Mix the flours, yeast, and salt, and nuts (if using) into a medium/ large bowl and stir to combine
-In a separate bowl add the rest: honey, syrup, oil, and water and
-Add the ingredients of one bowl into another- frankly it doesn’t matter which way
-Combine everything, eventually using your hands to kneed (you can do this right in the bowl)the bread for about 5 minutes (if your hands and/or the surface get sticky coat them with flour or oil)
-Preheat the oven to 375-Keep the kneaded loaf in the bowl covered with a dishtowel in an un-drafty spot until it gets nearly twice the size (in warm places this takes only 20 minutes but it might take an hour in a
cold place)
-Arrange the loaf either in the bread pan or shape it how you like on a cookie sheet- cover with the dishtowel again and let it sit foranother 15-20 minutes
-Bake at 375 for 25 minutes (depending on size of loaf) check by inserting a knife in the center- it’s done when there is no residue on the knife

If any bread veterans are reading this, my instructions may seem a little remedial to you but when I’m learning I prefer details!  So, if you have any tips or recipes you have made, please share!

I'm calling this Thai style curry but it could just as easily be Caribbean.  The cooking in the Caribbean frequently uses curry spices and coconut milk.  But it doesn’t matter what region of the world you want to attach this fine creation to- it’s good all over!  I have made many curries and I’m finally getting around to posting a recipe that we think is very tasty.  Marty said it might be on his “picks” list- I don’t know if he’s made a decision on that yet!   Judging by his previous reactions to my curries I think he is fairly particular when it comes to curry (maybe that’s why I haven’t posted a recipe yet as I haven’t received a favorable enough reaction!) so his suggestion that this would be on “Marty’s picks” is definitely positive.  Marty likes the idea of a meat substitute- for me I would prefer to do without all that stuff.  But I noticed Mori Nu in the supermarket here in Grenada so I bought some.

In my attempt to always give proper credit…I got the idea for this recipe from a post by www.theppk.com and altered to fit the vegetables we can get locally and my suggestion is that you do the same.  I also use local herbs and spices but that’s super easy to do in Grenada since it is the “spice island!” 

What you’ll need (vegetables):
-1 cup carrots (cut in 2 inch longstrips)
-1 cup eggplant (cut in half moon shapes)
-1 cup zucchini (cut in half moon shapes)
-6 Bok Choy leafs (stems & leafs chopped)
-4 Green Onions (chopped)

-12 oz. Tofu (optional)
-3 tbls. Sesame seeds (optional)

What you’ll need (for the curry):
-2 cups vegetable broth (I mix a sodium free bouillon cube with 2 cups water)
-2 tsp. cornstarch
-3/4 cup coconut milk
-2 tsp. curry powder
-2 1/2 tsp. fresh ginger (minced)
-1/4 tsp. cayenne
-1 tbls. Agave nectar (can substitute maple syrup)
-salt & pepper to taste

What’s Next:
-First, the vegetables…In a medium/large skillet heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the carrots with the bok coy stems for about 1-2 minutes.
-Add the eggplant and zucchini, and sauté for another 2 minutes, then add the bok choy leafs and green onion- mix in and sauté about 1 minute.
-Remove vegetable mixture from heat and set aside in a bowl.

-Next, the tofu (if using)…Cut the tofu into 2-3 inch pieces.  Sauté in a small amount of oil until browned on both sides.  Remove from heat and set aside on a plate.

-Finally, the curry…In the same skillet sauté the minced ginger in a splash of olive oil for 2 minutes
-Stir in the veg. broth and corn starch
-Add the curry powder, cayenne, and agave nectar and stir to blend.  Bring mixture to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes.
-Stir in the coconut milk and continue simmering for 1-2 minutes.
-Toss in the vegetables and stir to incorporate, place the tofu in the curry mixture. Turn off the heat, cover and let rest for 1 minute.
-Serve over Basmati Rice with toasted sesame seeds

*Feeds 4 Marty’s* (but probably more like 3 if you don’t use Tofu)

Happy Cooking & Eating!

I was looking for something to make that I could share with my
yoga students after my last class in Grenada.  I thought of making a coffee cake and went in search of recipes. To be honest (don’t you love that expression) I chose based on what ingredients I had on the boat or could get at the market.  Looking at the ingredient list you, like me, might not think
this could turn out to anything all that special but somehow it is totally special.  And it was revered by about 30 non-vegans!


Oh, and Marty found this recipe for me- turns out it is published in Vegan Brunch (check it out at the link below.)

What you’ll need (for the cake):
 -3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I use soy or almond)
 -1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
 -1/3 cup sugar (I use cane sugar)
 -1/2 cup canola oil
 -1 tsp. vanilla
 -1 1/4 cup flour
 -2 tsp. baking powder
 -1/2 tsp. salt

What you’ll need (for the topping):
 -1 cup flour
 -1/3 cup brown sugar
 -1 tsp. cinnamon
 -1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
 -1/4 cup canola oil, plus up to 2 Tbs. more if needed

-confectioners’ sugar, for serving (optional)

What’s Next (for the topping):
-In a medium bowl combine together flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 
-Drizzle in canola oil a bit at a time and stir or use your hands to form chunks.  You want to make large crumbs but it’s ok if there are still some sandy parts.  Set the crumb mixture aside

What’s Next (for the cake)
-Preheat your oven to 375 and lightly coat an 8x8 or 7x9 pan with oil
-In a medium bowl whisk together the milk and vinegar- set aside for a couple minutes
-Add the sugar, oil, and vanilla to the milk mixture
-Gradually stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt
-Pour batter in pan and gently shake to evenly distribute
-Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly on top of the batter and press it down lightly with your fingers
-Bake for 25-30 minutes- check for doneness by inserting a knife in the center
-Let cool before serving -Marty generally can’t wait for that to happen so we tried it out of the oven- it’s better after it has cooled!
-Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and serve!

Happy Eating!