Cooking
With Herb
The
Vegetarian Dragon
PAGES
FROM "COOKING WITH HERB"
A Cookbook &
Storybook For Kids
|
A
Few Words From Dragon Chef Herb
"The recipes in this book are mainly for those I like to call LOVE
children: L=lacto
O=Ova
V=veggie
E=eaters.
I feel that this type of vegetarian diet is reasonable, well accepted and
proven to be healthy for kids, and dragons like me. (My human friends
tell me that The American Academy of Pediatrics, The National Academy of
Sciences and The American Medical Association* have all sanctioned the
lacto-ova vegetarian diet and no longer view it as a fad.)
*Also:
The British Medical Association and The British Dietetic Association.
You wanna go all out and go vegan? (sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.)
Well, there are a lot of forks in the vegetarian road - so take the one
that suits you best at the time.
A vegetarian could be described as someone who does not eat meat. Sometimes
people call themselves vegetarians but they eat fish. Hey, different strokes
for different folks, as they say.
My philosophy is: whatever works. I believe that kids who are thinking
about becoming vegetarians don't have to do it overnight. They can
take their time. Get used to it; however long it takes...as long as they're
headed in the right direction.
Life isn't a race or a contest. On the way you may fall off the track
and
even eat a piece of meat. No big deal. That doesn't automatically
make you a carnivore. Eventually you'll get to where you want to
be. And, about your friends who don't want to be vegetarians?
Hey, live and let live. Don't make them feel bad about it (and I hope they
won't give you a hard time about how you want to eat!")
A word about the recipes: some kids will be able to prepare them
by themselves (depending upon their age, of course) while others will require
some assistance from an older helper. Either way I hope that you
kids get involved because cooking can be lots of fun. You get to
eat what you've cooked-up - and wait until the first time you hear someone
say: 'hey, did you really make this? It tastes great!' It'll
make you want to turn the page and try another one of Herb's recipes.
Remember: they're not just for kids. So, lend a hand and see
what happens. And don't forget to let me know how your meal turns
out."
Herb
RECIPES
OF THE MONTH (click on your favorite)
Valentine's
Day Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chili
Con "No" Carne
Easy
Burritos
Chili
Con "No" Carne
Serve it to your
meat-eating friends and I promise, they'll
never know the difference.
Even a dragon-kid can cook it
up in no time.
Here's what you'll
need to hunt-up:
2 cups of textured
vegetable protein (200gms)
2 cups of vegetable
broth (canned is ok) (500ml stock)
1 large onion -
chopped up
2 garlic cloves
- mince 'em
1 small can of tomatoes
- chopped (400gms)
1/2 can of red pinto
beans (drained) (200gms)
2 tablespoons of
cumin powder
1 teaspoon dried
oregano
Chili powder
(careful here
- hot as you like it)
Salt & Pepper
4 Tablespoons canola
oil
Step 1:
In a FRYPAN, on low heat, add
the oil and garlic.
Cook a minute and
add the onions.
Let 'em get golden (don't
burn the stuff).
Step 2: Dump
in the tomatoes. Stir and
let cook for ten
minutes, uncovered.
Then add the cumin,
oregano, salt &
pepper and chili
powder (remember -
you can always add
more later - so don't
get it too hot!)
Step 3:
Mix and cook for five minutes
and throw in the
veggie protein. Mix and
add the beans. Mix
and put a lid on.
Cook for five minutes
and then taste.
More salt? More
chili powder? It's up
to you. You're the
chef!
To Serve:
Dish it up in warm small bowls.
Add some shredded
cheddar cheese and
you've done it.
Great Chili con no carne!
( con means "with"
and carne means "meat"
in dragon-ese. -
also in Spanish!)
Go
To Herb's Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Go
To Easy Burritos Recipe
Go
To Herb's Hot Tips
HERB'S
CHOCOLATE-CHIP COOKIES
(For
Valentine's Day or Any Day)
Here's what you'll
need to hunt up:
NOTE:
Herb makes measuring real easy: just get one of those measuring glasses
and fill it up to the cup or ml line as marked below. No weighing
stuff! Kids' play!
8 tablespoons canola/butter
mix*
1/3 cup (75ml) granulated
white sugar
1/3 cup (75ml) dark
brown sugar
1 1/3 cup (325ml)
all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 teaspoons vanilla
extract
1 tablespoon dark
molasses
1/2 teaspoon baking
soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (225ml) semi-sweet
or milk-chocolate bits
1/3 cup (75ml) broken
pecans (leave 'em out if you hate nuts!)
1/8 cup (50ml) raisins
(if you like 'em - I do!)
*To make Canola/Butter:
in a bowl allow 4 tablespoons of butter to come to room temperature and
add 4 tablespoons of canola oil.
Put in blender and
whiz until combined. Scrape out into a bowl.
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 375°F 190°C (regulo #5)
Get a flat baking
tray ready.
In a large bowl
add:
All of the dry ingredients:
(flour, baking soda, sugars, salt, chocolate bits, broken
pecans.) Mix with a big spoon.
In a small bowl
mix:
All of the wet ingredients:
(egg, vanilla, butter, molasses)
Step 2: Dribble
in the wet stuff onto the dry stuff and mix with a spoon.
You'll know you're
done mixing when you can't see any more white flour in the bowl.
Step 3:
Put heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough mix onto a baking tray (do not
grease the tray no matter what anyone says!)
Leave some space
between each) and pat down lightly with your finger to make them somewhat
round (neatness does not count!)
Step 4:
Slide them into the middle of the oven and bake for around 12
minutes. Take out
and let them cool.
HOT TIP:
Why use canola oil mixed with butter? Because good eating habits
should start when you are young. Most recipes will use twice the
amount of butter - but who needs all that butter when it doesn't add to
the taste? Canola is a mono-unsaturated oil (one of the so-called
good oils.) You
can also use this canola/butter for other things: like sautéing,
and as a spread.
Give it a try.
Go
To Chili Con "No" Carne Recipe
Go
To Easy Burritos Recipe
Go
To Herb's Hot Tips
Herb'sHOT
TIPS
Get a bag of that
textured vegetable protein
stuff, but make
sure it's the tiny grains.
You can
add more than 2
cups of broth (if it looks dry).
Try a spoon of sour
cream and some chopped
coriander (cilantro)
on top! Remember: you
can
always make it hotter
so take it easy with the chili
powder until you
taste.
Go
To Herb's Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Go
To Chili Con "No" Carne Recipe
Go
To Easy Burritos Recipe
Easy
Burritos:
Buy some flour tortillas.
Warm in pan for
a 5 seconds on each
side, fill with chili
mixture, roll and
eat! Put some cheddar
cheese and sour
cream on top, if you like.
Go
To Herb's Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe
Go
To Chili Con "No" Carne Recipe
Go
To Herb's Hot Tips
Look
for the BAREFOOT BOOK starring Herb, The Vegetarian Dragon
at
your local bookstore.
Write
to Herb at:
Barefoot
Books
P.O.
Box 95
Kingswood
Bristol
BS30 5BH
U.K.
or at:
Barefoot
Books
37
West 17th Street
New
York, NY 10011
