vegan

Food for Life – Tofu Tacos

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“Some are called to what are looked upon as humble duties—it may be, to cook. But the science of cooking is not a small matter. The skillful preparation of food is one of the most essential arts, standing above music teaching or dressmaking. By this I do not mean to discount music teaching or dressmaking, for they are essential. But more important still is the art of preparing food so that it is both healthful and appetizing. This art should be regarded as the most valuable of all the arts, because it is so closely connected with life. It should receive more attention; for in order to make good blood, the system requires good food. The foundation of that which keeps people in health is the medical missionary work of good cooking.

“Often health reform is made health deform by the unpalatable preparation of food. The lack of knowledge regarding healthful cookery must be remedied before health reform is a success.

“Good cooks are few. Many, many mothers need to take lessons in cooking, that they may set before the family well-prepared, neatly served food.

“Before children take lessons on the organ or the piano they should be given lessons in cooking. The work of learning to cook need not exclude music, but to learn music is of less importance than to learn how to prepare food that is wholesome and appetizing.

“Your daughters may love music, and this may be all right; it may add to the happiness of the family; but the knowledge of music without the knowledge of cookery, is not worth much. When your daughters have families of their own, an understanding of music and fancywork will not provide for the table a well-cooked dinner, prepared with nicety, so that they will not blush to place it before their most esteemed friends. Mothers, yours is a sacred work. May God help you to take it up with His glory in view, and work earnestly, patiently, and lovingly, for the present and future good of your children, having an eye single to the glory of God.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 263, 264.

Tofu Tacos

1 pound firm or very firm tofu, cubed

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced

1/3 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos or soy sauce

1/3 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 Tablespoon chicken-like seasoning

olive oil

Cook all together on a Teflon griddle.

Serve with corn tortilla shells, salsa and soy sour cream. You may also add fresh tomatoes, olives, green onions and chopped lettuce.

Food for Life – Olive Spread

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Nuts and nut foods are coming largely into use to take the place of flesh meats. With nuts may be combined grains, fruits, and some roots, to make foods that are healthful and nourishing. Care should be taken, however, not to use too large a proportion of nuts. Those who realize ill effects from the use of nut foods may find the difficulty removed by attending to this precaution. It should be remembered, too, that some nuts are not so wholesome as others. Almonds are preferable to peanuts, but peanuts in limited quantities, used in connection with grains, are nourishing and digestible.

“When properly prepared, olives, like nuts, supply the place of butter and flesh meats. The oil, as eaten in the olive, is far preferable to animal oil or fat. It serves as a laxative. Its use will be found beneficial to consumptives, and it is healing to an inflamed, irritated stomach.” The Ministry of Healing, 298.

Olive Spread

1 cup olives, chopped

1/4 cup sunflower seeds, chopped

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 Tablespoon celery, chopped (optional)

1/4 cup almonds, chopped

1 Tablespoon chicken-style seasoning

Mix all ingredients together. Stir in enough mayonnaise to make a spread.

Tofu Mayonnaise

1 cup tofu

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup water

1 Tablespoon tahini

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. Chill and serve.

Chicken-style Seasoning

1 1/2 cups nutritional yeast flakes

2 teaspoons paprika

3 Tablespoons onion powder

1 teaspoon sage

1 1/2 Tablespoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon rosemary

2 1/2 Tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons fructose

2 1/2 Tablespoons Italian seasoning

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

Blend all ingredients together to a powder. Store in airtight container.

Patricia Evans is a LandMarks reader from Polk City, Florida. She actively shares her enthusiasm for a vegetarian lifestyle through cooking schools and through nutrition presentations given at local public schools. These recipes are selected from her recently published cookbook, Abundant Life. For more information you may contact Pat at jaerrol@aol.com.

Food for Life – Bit-O-Honey

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Favorite Recipes from Staff and Friends of Steps to Life

“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103.

God has given us His Word as a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. Its teachings have a vital bearing on our prosperity in all the relations of life. Even in our temporal affairs it will be a wiser guide than any other counselor. . . .

The appreciation of the Bible grows with its study. Whichever way the student may turn he will find displayed the infinite wisdom and love of God. To him who is truly converted the Word of God is the joy and consolation of the life. The Spirit of God speaks to him, and his heart becomes like a watered garden.

There is nothing more calculated to strengthen the intellect than a study of the Bible. No other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, to give vigor to the faculties, as the broad, ennobling truths of the Bible. If God’s Word were studied as it should be, men would have a breadth of mind, a nobility of character, that is rarely seen in these times.

No knowledge is so firm, so consistent, so far reaching, as that obtained from a study of the Word of God. If there were not another book in the wide world, the Word of God, lived out through the grace of Christ, would make man perfect in this world, with a character fitted for the future, immortal life. Those who study the Word, taking it in faith as the truth and receiving it into the character, will be complete in Him who is all in all. Thank God for the possibilities set before humanity. . . .

The time devoted to a study of God’s Word and to prayer will bring a hundredfold return. In Heavenly Places, 135.

Recipe – Bit-O-Honey

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons soy milk powder

Stir together first 4 ingredients, then add milk powder, mixing well. Flatten the mixture into an 8″ x 8″ dish. Sprinkle top with sesame seeds, pressing them lightly into the dough. Cut into squares. Freeze. Serve slightly thawed.

Submitted by Ann Meeker, a LandMarks reader, who lives near Rago, Kansas, with her husband, Craig.

Food for Life – Cashew Lentil Loaf and Country Style Gravy

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“And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he [was] faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red [pottage]; for I [am] faint: therefore was his name called Edom. And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. And Esau said, Behold, I [am] at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised [his] birthright.” Genesis 25:29–34.

Cashew Lentil Loaf

1 cup lentils

3 cups water

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons egg replacer, mixed with 2 Tablespoons water

2/3 cup carrots, chopped

1/3 cup celery, chopped

2 Tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup raw cashews, chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Cook lentils in water until soft. Cool and set aside. Sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add carrots and celery, and simmer covered 10–15 minutes or until carrots are tender. Allow to cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon into an oiled loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes or until firm. Serve with Country Style Gravy.

Country Style Gravy

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder

2 Tablespoons chicken-style seasoning

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

4 cups additional water

Blend first 7 ingredients together until smooth; add more water if needed. Pour into a double-boiler pan with 3 cups of the additional water. Lightly boil until thickened (approximately 10–15 minutes). The last cup of water may be added if gravy is too thick.

A member of the LandMarks editorial staff, Anna Schultz enjoys cooking and trying new recipes in her home near Sedalia, Colorado. She may be contacted by e-mail at: jschu67410@aol.com.

Food for Life – Honeymoon UnFrench Toast

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Favorite Recipes from Staff and Friends of Steps to Life

“Yesterday we attended the celebration of a wedding conducted in style, worthy of imitation. . . . The hall was decorated in tasteful style, nothing superfluous or silly. . . . There was a long table arranged with food which was placed upon plates and passed around to each one. Then waiters were constantly passing around with a supply if any more was required. Grapes were passed around in abundance. Everything was liberal, yet plain. They did not even on this occasion depart from their principles of diet, which made the thing consistent and admirable. They had extras, graham pudding with dates in it, gems mixed with raisins, custard, apple pie and baked apples, a few other simple things. Nothing like fine flour was seen, even upon this extra occasion.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, 382.

Submitted by Connie Kent

Recipe – Honeymoon UnFrench Toast

12.3 oz. box silken tofu, extra firm

1 cup water

1/4 cup Vitamite or Better Than Milk powder

1/3 cup oil

1/3 cup honey

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/2 teaspoon butter flavor

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon arrow root powder

1 Tablespoon egg replacer powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Dip sliced bread into mix and place on an oiled cookie sheet. Bake 4 to 5 minutes, then turn over. Broil at 450 degrees for 2 to 5 minutes on other side, watching carefully. Sprinkle coriander lightly on second side if desired.

A LandMarks reader, Connie Kent resides with her husband in Archdale, North Carolina. She enjoys developing new recipes and conducts vegan cooking classes in her community. Honeymoon UnFrench Toast is one of her original recipes.

Food For Life – Vegetable Patties

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Favorite Recipes from Staff and Friends of Steps to Life

Those who eat flesh are but eating grains and vegetables at second hand, for the animal receives from these things the nutrition that produces growth. The life that was in the grains and vegetables passes into the eater. We receive it by eating the flesh of the animal. How much better to get it direct, by eating the food that God provided for our use!

“Flesh was never the best food; but its use is now doubly objectionable, since disease in animals is so rapidly increasing. Those who use flesh foods little know what they are eating. Often if they could see the animals when living and know the quality of the meat they eat, they would turn from it with loathing. People are continually eating flesh that is filled with tuberculous and cancerous germs. Tuberculosis, cancer, and other fatal diseases are thus communicated.

“The effects of a flesh diet may not be immediately realized, but this is no evidence that it is not harmful. Few can be made to believe that it is the meat they have eaten which has poisoned their blood and caused their suffering. Many die of diseases wholly due to meat eating, while the real cause is not suspected by themselves or by others.” Child Guidance, 382, 383.

Recipe – Vegetable Patties

1 medium to large unpeeled zucchini

1 large onion

cracker or bread crumbs

whole wheat flour

1/2 cup Frontier beef or chicken flavored seasoning

In a blender, puree the vegetables together. Transfer vegetable mixture to a large bowl. Add seasoning, and stir in enough crushed cracker or bread crumbs along with enough flour to make the consistency of cookie dough. Mix well. Drop by tablespoon onto a Pam-sprayed cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes each side. Patties may also be browned in a lightly oiled skillet. Patties may be frozen for future use.

Other types of squash and/or carrot pulp (left from carrot juicing) may be used to vary this recipe. If used alone, the carrot pulp may turn dark; it is best to mix it with squash. The blended vegetable mixture may be frozen for use later.

Submitted by Myrtle Partridge – A friend of Steps to Life and a frequent volunteer at the ministry, Myrtle Partridge’s Vegetable Patties are a favorite at the staff’s weekly potluck luncheon.

Food for Life – No Dairy Carob Cake, Raspberry Sauce, and Tofu Whipped Cream

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Favorite Recipes from Staff and Friends of Steps to Life

[John the Baptist’s] diet, purely vegetable, of locusts [fruit of the carob tree] and wild honey, was a rebuke to the indulgence of appetite and the gluttony that everywhere prevailed.” Counsels on Health, 72.

Many healthful cooks avoid using baking soda, and they are wise to do so. Vegetarians get their B-vitamins primarily from whole grains and dried beans. Most of the B vitamins (Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Vitamins B6 and B12) are destroyed by an alkaline medium. Baking soda is alkaline. Not only does it destroy vitamins, but it tends to cause digestive disturbance in people with low production of stomach acids.

A baking soda substitute is available from Ener-G Foods (www.ener-g.com). Its only ingredient is calcium carbonate, a mineral often taken as a supplement.

Submitted by Paulette Miller

No Dairy Carob Cake

3 C all purpose flour

1 1/2 C Sucanat or raw sugar

1/2 C carob powder

2 t baking soda substitute

1 T vanilla

1 T salt

2/3 C oil or apple sauce

2 T lemon juice

2 C cold water

Using an electric mixer, mix all ingredients together. Bake in a 9” x 13” pan or a bundt pan, sprayed with a nonstick spray (or oiled and floured), 35 minutes at 350 degrees F. For a real treat, top slices of cake with Raspberry Sauce and Tofu Whipped Cream.

Raspberry Sauce

2 C fresh or frozen raspberries

2 C water

3/4 C honey

3 T cornstarch or arrowroot mixed in 1/4 cup water

Place raspberries, water and honey in a pan and bring to a boil. Slowly add cornstarch or arrowroot mixture, stirring constantly until thickened. May add more honey to taste.

Tofu Whipped Cream

1 C Mori-Nu Tofu, soft

4 T vegetable oil

2 T honey

1/2 t lemon juice

1/8 t salt

1 1/2 t vanilla (use white vanilla for a whiter cream)

Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth and creamy. Chill and serve.

LandMarks reader and friend of Steps to Life, Paulette Miller and her family live near Sedalia, Colorado. This dessert is a treat on special occasions.

Food for Life – Green Pea Soup

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“Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator. These foods, prepared in as simple and natural a manner as possible, are the most healthful and nourishing. They impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigor of intellect, that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet.

“But not all foods, wholesome in themselves, are equally suited to our needs under all circumstances. Care should be taken in the selection of food. Our diet should be suited to the season, to the climate in which we live, and to the occupation we follow. Some foods that are adapted for use at one season or in one climate are not suited to another. So there are different foods best suited for persons in different occupations. Often food that can be used with benefit by those engaged in hard physical labor is unsuitable for persons who follow sedentary pursuits. God has given us an ample variety of healthful foods, and each person should choose from it the things that experience and sound judgment prove to be best suited to his own necessities. . . .

“Persons who have accustomed themselves to a rich, highly stimulating diet, have an unnatural taste, and they can not at once relish food that is plain and simple. It will take time for the taste to become natural, and for the stomach to recover from the abuse it has suffered. But those who persevere in the use of wholesome food will, after a time, find it palatable. Its delicate and delicious flavors will be appreciated, and it will be eaten with greater enjoyment than can be derived from unwholesome dainties. And the stomach, in a healthy condition, neither fevered nor overtaxed, can readily perform its task.” Life and Health, July 1, 1905.

Recipe Green Pea Soup

6 cups boiling water

32 oz package frozen green peas

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons salt (optional)

1 1/2 cups water

3/4 cup raw cashews

Add peas, onion, and seasonings to boiling water. Return to boiling and cook for 2 minutes. Blend cashews in 1 1/2 cups water until very smooth. Blend cooked peas and onion (with water) until creamy. Stir the blended cashews and pea mixture together. Serve immediately.

Happy Cooking!

Submitted by Anna Schultz

A member of the LandMarks editorial staff, Anna Schultz enjoys cooking and trying new recipes in her home near Sedalia, Colorado. She may be contacted by e-mail at: jschu67410@aol.com.

Food for Life – Spinach Quiche

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Favorite Recipes from Staff and Friends of Steps to Life

And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein [there is] life, [I have given] every green herb for meat: and it was so.” Genesis 1:30. “The diet of the animals is vegetables and grains. Must the vegetables be animalized, must they be incorporated into the system of animals, before we get them? Must we obtain our vegetable diet by eating the flesh of dead creatures? God provided fruit in its natural state for our first parents. He gave to Adam charge of the garden, to dress it, and to care for it, saying, ‘To you it shall be for meat.’ One animal was not to destroy another animal for food.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 396.

“Ellen White liked cooked greens every day, and these would vary according to season. From the fields came dandelion and mustard greens, and, of course, there were other more conventional leafy dishes.

“The dish of greens was usually especially for Ellen White. One day as Sara McEnterfer passed the bowl of dandelion greens to Ellen White, she said, ‘Mother, here is your horse feed.’ The latter looked over the table at the other dishes and quietly replied, ‘Well, I don’t know as my horse feed is any worse than your cow’s peas.’ ” Ellen G. White: The Later Elmshaven Years 1905–1915, vol. 6, by Arthur L. White, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Hagerstown, MD, 1982, 395.

Recipe – Spinach Quiche

Partially bake a 10” x 2” deep pie shell at 425 degrees for 7 minutes.

Cook until tender, in a small amount of water:

2 10-ounce packages fresh spinach

1/2 teaspoon salt

When cooked, drain well and chop the spinach.

Blend until creamy:

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup water

Add to the cashews and blend:

2 Tablespoons chicken-style seasoning

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

2 Tablespoons Arrowroot powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 cups tofu, well-drained

Transfer cashew mixture to large mixing bowl. Fold in spinach. Pour mixture into partially baked shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Patricia Evans is a LandMarks reader from Polk City, Florida. She actively shares her enthusiasm for a vegetarian lifestyle through cooking schools and through nutrition presentations given at local public schools. These recipes are selected from her recently published cookbook, Abundant Life. For more information you may contact Pat at: jaerrol@aol.com.

Food for Life – Mushroom Burgers

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One reason why we do not enjoy more of the blessing of the Lord is, we do not heed the light which He has been pleased to give us in regard to the laws of life and health.

“God is as truly the author of physical laws as He is author of the moral law. His law is written with His own finger upon every nerve, every muscle, every faculty, which has been entrusted to man.

“The Creator of man has arranged the living machinery of our bodies. Every function is wonderfully and wisely made. And God pledged Himself to keep this human machinery in healthful action if the human agent will obey His laws and cooperate with God. Every law governing the human machinery is to be considered just as truly divine in origin, in character, and in importance as the word of God. Every careless, inattentive action, any abuse put upon the Lord’s wonderful mechanism, by disregarding His specified laws in the human habitation, is a violation of God’s law. We may behold and admire the work of God in the natural world, but the human habitation is the most wonderful.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 16, 17.

Recipe – Mushroom Burgers

1 pound mushrooms, finely chopped

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 1/2 cups finely ground oatmeal

1 cup cooked lentils

1/2 cup tomato-vegetable juice

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon egg replacer

2 teaspoons Bragg Liquid Aminos

2 teaspoons carob powder

Salt to taste

Grind all ingredients in food processor; adding mushrooms last. Be careful not to puree. Let mixture rest for 20 minutes. Form patties and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, turning once.

Cathy Summers Timmons, a Steps to Life staff member and a member of LandMarks’ editorial staff, writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas. She may be contacted by e-mail at: cathytimmons@stepstolife.org.