Curried Tempeh Burgers

Tempeh is a high nutrient food that is really good for you. A traditional food in Indonesia, it is made using whole, hulled, or cooked soy beans that have been exposed to mould and left to ferment for a brief period of time. Tempeh has a chewy texture and a nut-like flavour that makes it perfect for a range of dishes. These burgers are one great example of using tempeh.

Ingredients

• 1 8oz packet of tempeh
• 1/2 cup low-fat, plain yoghurt (soy derived if vegan)
  
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 tsp coriander, ground
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp curry powder

Steps

1. Cut the tempeh block into two pieces.
2. Mix all of the ingredients together expect for the tempeh. Keep mixing until it is combined well.
3. Add the two pieces of tempeh to the mixture.
4. Cover the mixture and place in the refrigerator. Allow to marinate for a minimum of one hour, longer if desired. It is important to turn the tempeh at least once during the marinating.
5. Preheat a grill to medium heat.
6. Remove the tempeh from the fridge and place on the grill. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side.
7. Remove and serve. This goes well with a hearty salad and some beetroot slices.

Materials

• Mixing bowl
• Knife and cutting board
• Grill
• Cover for bowl when marinating (damp tea towel, lid etc.)

Taken from my post on Ethical Living.

Photo courtesy of Fotoos Van Robin's Flickr Photostream

How to Make Pear Jam

Fancy making some Pear Jam? Circe couldn't imagine anything more pleasant to make on a rainy, chilly Sunday night when the TV proved dull, the weather was threatening and pears sat there asking her questions about their utility.

This pear jam is a great treat. Goes well on toast and is a marvellous accompaniment to cheese dishes for the cheese-hearted. It is also great smeared over crepes (thin pancakes). Come to think of it, it probably goes well over thick pancakes too. It is probably suitable for market stall goodies too - put it in a lovely jar with a neat bow and add the cheese platter suggestion. Give extra jars to friends. They'll appreciate it. Lots.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg/3lb firm pears
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons five spice powder

Steps

1. Wash the peels before beginning.
2. Peel and quarter the pears. Remove the cores. Keep the peel and trimmings.
3. In a heavy-based pan, place the pears. Pour over enough cold water to cover the pears.
4. Bring to the boil, then immediately reduce to simmer. Continue to simmer until the pears become very soft. This will take around half an hour, give or take a bit (keep an eye on it).
5. Using a slotted spoon, lift out the fruit. Leave the pears to one side on a plate.
6. Throw the peel and trimmings in the liquid and boil for 10 minutes.
7. Cut the cooling pears into small pieces. The shapes do not matter.
8. Strain the boiled liquid and remove the peelings. Press out as much juice as possible from the peelings before discarding them.
9. Measure the liquid and make up to 1 cup using cold water.
10. Return the liquid to the pan with the lemon juice and add the sugar and spice. Stir together well over moderate heat. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves.
11. Boil the dissolved mixture rapidly. Test a few drops now and then on a cool plate. When these drops form a jelly, add the pears back in.
12. Boil rapidly until the jam thickens and turns into jelly when tested on a plate. The pears should be golden and transparent.
13. Cool the jam a little in the pan removed from the heat.
14. Pour the jam into clean, sterilised jars; seal and cover once cooled. Store in the refrigerator.

Tips

* It helps to label the jars and date them.
* Wash the pears because you will be using the peel.
* Use a slotted spoon as it allows the liquid to pour back into the pan. Wooden slotted spoons are preferable as the wood does not react with fruit.

Materials

* Peeler
* Knife and chopping board
* Heavy-based pan suitable for making jam
* Cup
* Plate
* Jars for storing jam, sterilised properly

Photo courtesy of CW Buecheler's Flickr Photostream

Ecosourcing

Ecosourcing is about growing native plants using local seeds. When growing locally, the plants produced are much more suited to the narrow local environment and its specific conditions than the same species introduced from elsewhere.

One benefit of ecosourcing is the ability to maintain the widest possible diversity within species, rather than enabling a more generic overlay to take hold within a plant species. Any unique characteristics that belong to local variants of plant life will be maintained when ecosourcing is practised and promoted.

For the garden, there is increased suitability and hardiness of your plants that have been ecosourced. Encourage your local nursery to ecosource by explaining the benefits to your garden and the region you are in. Be aware that even in the same city, areas may vary between hill suburbs, beach suburbs and river flat suburbs, so keep this in mind when ecosourcing your plants.

Projects that concentrate on restoring flora to a region benefit greatly from ecosourcing as a means for bringing a place back to the way it once was.

Taken from my original writing on Ethical Living.

Dealing with Harlequin Bugs

Are Harlequin bugs having their way with your garden? They are a pretty bug but menacing, with damage in store for plants. However, before you reach for those chemical sprays that take no prisoners, think twice...




Steps

1. Avoid chemical sprays. Chemical sprays are indiscriminate and will kill all the predators of this bug. And, you will most likely discover that it survived even though its predators did not.
2. Be proactive. Put on the gardening gloves and start physically removing them. Go out early morning when you can catch them congregating and shake them off the plant onto a sheet of newspaper or plastic below. Pluck of any that hang on and toss them on the pile. Try popping or tipping them into a jar which is partially filled with methylated spirits; this will kill them quickly. Soapy water in a bucket also works well. Beware squashing them - they stink; hence the reason for wearing gloves.
   
3. Be patient. Their predators will eventually succeed but it is a cycle that requires patience. Within about 18 months, the balance should be restored to the garden and the harlequin bugs will be back under control.
4. Keep weeds under control. Healthy plants are more resistant to bug infestations. Give plants a better chance by removing competitors in the form of weeds. And keep all the good plants well watered and fertilised.
   

Tips

• Watch the brassicas. Harlequins like them. They are also partial to radishes and turnips.
• Consider using a garden vacuum as another means for mopping them up.
• Use a garden shovel or funnel to collect the bugs and tip them into the bucket or jar if you are squeamish.
• Soap spray can sometimes work if it contacts the bugs directly on the plant.
  

Materials

• Gardening gloves
• Plastic sheet or newspapers for catching the bugs
  
• Jar partly filled with methylated spirits, or a bucket of soapy water

*Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Quick fix for blender, mincer, processor blades

If you are in a pickle over cleaning sticky dampened blades with pieces of food stuck in hard-to-reach corners of the blades on a kitchen appliance, this old-fashioned remedy might be just the answer you're looking for.

Steps

1. Make sure that the blades are moist - this method is for removing moist particles.
2. Run a piece or two of dried bread through the blades. Stale pieces at the end of the loaf are excellent for this purpose.
3. Dispose of the crumbs into your compost pile. Check the blades - they should be nicely cleaned of any sticking pieces, making washing them a total breeze!

Materials

• Stale or dry bread
• Blades (blender, grinder, processor etc.)

*Photo courtesy of Redjar.

Simple Eggless Cake

Looking for a way to make a great cake without eggs? This is a neat old-fashioned recipe and you will likely have most ingredients in the pantry already.

Ingredients

• 1/4 lb butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup fruit and nuts of choice, chopped finely
• 1 grated lemon or orange rind
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons mixed spice
• 2 cups flour, sifted
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  

Steps

1. Put all ingredients except for flour and baking soda into a saucepan. Boil for 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool right down.
3. Add the sifted flour when the mixture is nearly cold and the baking soda. Mix in well.
4. Pour mixture into a loaf tin/pan for baking.
   
5. Bake in a moderate oven (350ºF/180ºC) for about one hour.
6. Remove from oven and cool cake on a wire cooling rack. Ice if wished when cool.
   

Tips

• Substitute the butter for vegan margarine if you would like a non-dairy version of this cake.
  

Materials

• Saucepan
• Wooden mixing spoon
• Baking pan, loaf shape; line with baking paper/parchment to prevent sticking
• Wire rack for cooling
  

Apple, Banana and Citrus Jam

This is a delicious jam with an interesting combination of fruits that can often be spotted getting a little too old on the kitchen counter. It has a lot of sugar (beware!) which ensures that this keeps well.

Ingredients

• 3 large cooking apples
• 3 bananas
• 2 lemons
• 2 large oranges
• 5 cups water
• 4 cups sugar

Steps

1. Peel the apples and core them. Cut into square pieces approximately 2.5cm/1" diameter.
2. Peel the bananas and slice.
3. After washing the lemons well, slice them very finely (including the peel).
   
4. Cut the flesh of the oranges into small cubes
5. Place all cut ingredients into a large pan suitable for jam making.
6. Add the water and leave to simmer for around 2 hours, checking regularly.
7. Add the sugar and simmer for another hour. The jam is ready on thickening.
   
8. Bottle and seal as usual.

Materials

• Chopping board and knife
• Large cooking pan
• Stirring spoon (wooden)
• Sterilised bottle with seal
  

*Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Vegetarian Sausages

While there are many versions of meatless sausages available on supermarket shelves these days, they can be quite pricey. This recipe is for a basic meatless sausage recipe which you can play around with and adapt to your own tastes over time by adding spices, fresh herbs, veggie pieces etc., once you are used to making the basic version.


Ingredients

• 1 cup soaked and cooked dried peas, beans, lentils or lima beans
• ½ cup dried breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup fat, e.g., olive oil, macadamia nut oil, butter, margarine
• 1 egg (or use egg replacer if preferred)
• ½ teaspoon crushed sea salt
• 1 teaspoon sage, dried
• Flour to roll sauasage in

Steps

1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Take small handfuls and shape into sausages.
3. Roll each sausage in flour.
4. Fry in olive oil.

Tips

• Serve with sauce or chutney to bring out the flavours and to add moisture.

Materials

• Mixing bowl
• Mixing implement
• Floured board or clean workspace
• Bowl for flour
• Frying pan/skillet

Reference
Article sourced from public domain materials: C. Houston Goudiss and Alberta M Goudiss, Foods that Will Win the War and How to Cook Them, 1918; public domain resource - this eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at Gutenberg.

*Photo courtesy of Ewan M.

Banana Marmalade

Banana marmalade is a delightfully different kind of marmalade that your grandmother might have made. This recipe originates from an old New Zealand booklet called "Enquire Within", dating somewhere back in the 40's by the looks of the images and the corsets... Anyway, it's a good recipe, so enjoy the outcome.

Ingredients

• 2 lb bananas, after peeling
• 2 lb sugar
• 2 lemons, juiced and grated (juicing before grating is a much easier experience)

Steps

1. Cut the bananas into thick rounds about 1/2"/1.5cm thick.
2. Put the banana slices, sugar, lemon juice and grated lemon rind into a double boiler. Cook until the sugar dissolves.
3. Put the cooked mixture into a preserving pan. Bring to the boil gradually, stirring constantly. Skim off any scum that froths up.
4. Continue to boil fast, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick and sets.
5. Pour into a suitable glass container for storage. Seal. It is best kept refrigerated after opening and used within three months.
   

Materials

• Knife and chopping board
• Double boiler
• Preserving pan
• Wooden spoon
• Jar for storage, sterilised
  

How to Disguise a Septic Tank Opening

If you have a septic tank opening that is obvious to the world, there is an easy way to fix that while still leaving ample space for pumping and maintenance.

• Planter, fiberglass, terracotta or plastic

• Circular, flat item to serve as a table top - a variety of materials will suffice such as glass, metal, plastic, mosaic etc., provided it is outside weatherproof and durable

1. Look for a suitable planter pot in a garden center or hardware store.

You will need a large planter pot, made from a sturdy material such as plastic, fiberglass or terracotta. In the case of plastic and terracotta, be sure to select thick versions that have strong wall sides to the pot.

2. Turn the planter pot upside down over the opening space of the septic tank cover.

It should be evenly placed around the opening so that it is not slanting or sitting on the opening in any way. You may need to build up one side with earth to make certain that it is steady.

3. Place the circular piece on top of the planter pot.

Use a circular piece of ceramic, mosaic, glass or metal to lay flat on the upended planter pot. Make sure that it is balanced evenly and does not wobble. It must be strong enough to stay in place during a wind and it must not be liable to tip. This will become a "table" surface.

4. Add a decorative element to the table top.

Now that you have a neat little table sitting over the septic tank cover, add an ornament or a pot plant to the table top. All of this will be very easy to remove and put to one side when you wish to pump or maintain the septic tank.

Tips & Warnings

• Another option might be to place a birdbath over the septic tank, provided that the base of the birdbath is wide enough to cover the septic tank opening. Alternatively, add a bird bath bowl to your table top, making sure it is sitting tight and is stable.
• Wear gloves to protect your hands from dirt, septic tank residues and cuts from any of the items you are handling.

I have also posted this on eHow.