Photo by Peace Pies

Today was so worth a stroll around the sunny Little Italy Farmer’s Market in San Diego. One of the first stops was the Peace Pies table, full of healthy raw, vegan, gluten-free and organic (what more could you want?) treats. They are still  fixing up their Ocean Beach location which had a fire, and are celebrating the recent opening of their second location in Encinitas at 133 Daphne Street, where the Greenery used to be. It’s open Tues.-Sat. from 11 am – 4 pm.

I couldn’t miss the Majestic Garlic table for some nutritious spread (made in many flavors) for sandwiches, dipping crackers,  and various other culinary uses. Today I crammed the basil flavor into my bag with an avocado, fresh chard, and oranges. Next I was called to sample a dip called Bitchin’ Sauce, which is fortunately vegan, gluten-free, and almond-based.  The vendor constantly used the “B” word, which was a bit amusing, and the product was tasty.

Blissful Bites Book!

The final and favorite stop was to see my friend Christy Morgan, aka the Blissful Chef, who was giving a cooking demo with samples such as Mac N’ Kale Salad, a cheesy kale salad using nutritional yeast. Morgan was also selling her new book, Blissful Bites.

Helping her out was Eduardo Longoria, who will soon be opening a Casa de Luz restaurant in San Diego’s North Park, stemming from the Austin macrobiotic center of the same name. Casa de Luz San Diego will be collaborating with doctors from the University of California Center for Integrative Medicine, offering cooking classes. Stay tuned for an article on Casa de Luz, set to open by November. Longoria is also the leader of the San Diego Whole Food Plant Based Diet, Macrobiotic Cooking meetup group which looks like much fun for folks who love to prepare healthy foods. Also helping Morgan was Longoria’s amigo Efrem Nicolau, a macrobiotic cook from France/Spain, who is spending a few months in San Diego to help get Casa de Luz off the ground.

I thought I was just buying vegetables, but I came home full of inspiration!

Christy Morgan, also known as The Blissful Chef and versed in macrobiotic cuisine, is in Thailand working on a Southeast Asian vegan cookbook. To keep up with her journey, subscribe to The Blissful Chef blog and become a fan on Facebook.  Let’s also travel vicariously through Morgan. Check out this post reprinted from her blog, which includes a sweet Indonesian recipe!

Recipe development is underway here in Thailand. The last couple of days I’ve been experimenting with Indonesian cooking. Since I haven’t been there yet I had to do a lot of research, reading Wikipedia to find out what the cuisine is like, what spices, vegetables, etc are commonly used. I looked through recipes online and found that Semur is a common technique served at home for your family. Semur means a rich stew or gravy made with sweet soy sauce, which is usually cooked for hours. But who has time for that! This rich stew is usually made with chicken, veal tongue or beef (Gross!). I made a healthier, simple quick version with tofu with a touch of coconut milk for added richness.

Even after a few days of testing I’ve realized that SEA food is pretty rich and uses a lot of oil (hope I don’t gain a ton of weight!). If you want to cut down the oil in this recipe then do not fry the tofu first. Make sure you get extra firm tofu that isn’t soaking in water. Trader Joe’s or the brand Wildwood are best for stir-fry and stews. If you make the stew without oil be sure to saute the onion, garlic and ginger with 1/4 cup water and add the tofu in after that.

Tofu in Sweet Soy Gravy (Semur Tahu)
Makes 3 servings

2 tablespoons oil
1 (14 ounce) package extra firm tofu, cut in 1 inch cubes
1 cup onion, half moon
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 cup tomato, sliced into thin wedges
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut palm sugar (or any granulated sugar)

Heat oil in wok over medium flame and brown tofu pieces; set aside. In same wok sauté onion, garlic and ginger until brown. Add water as needed to deglaze the pan if it sticks. Add in nutmeg, pepper and tomatoes with 1/3 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the tofu and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove lid and simmer until the liquid is reduced and thickens, stirring occasionally. Serve with rice.

Christy Morgan

In almost 20 years of being vegan I have not heard much about the diet being combined with macrobiotics, so perhaps Los Angeles’ lovely Christy Morgan — aka The Blissful Chef — has created a niche for herself. With seven years of experience being vegan plus training in vegan and vegetarian cooking she received at The Natural Epicurean Academy of Culinary Arts, Morgan helps people create a holistic approach that combines the body, spirit and mind while focusing on vegan nutrition.

In her highly informative and friendly style, Morgan outlines her 10 favorite macrobiotic websites on her blog.

Her new eCookbook, “Cooking with the Seasons – Spring Edition:  A Blissful Selection of Seasonal Recipes to Nourish You Throughout Spring” gives details on the 5 Element theory and has a beautiful chart that explains which foods and cooking methods are best for this time of year.

Morgan says that to work toward a balanced life, we need to clean our bodies by giving up “sugar, coffee, simple carbs, alcohol, animal foods and other nasty stuff for a good amount of time.”

So why not do an inner spring cleaning and substitute those toxic things with the healthy and tantalizing 19 recipes in Morgan’s eCookbook?  I cannot wait to try Soba Noodles with Basil Pecan Pesto – yum, or salsa that includes Granny Smith apples.  Not to mention a Green Spring Casserole recipe that adds in crimini mushrooms, almond milk and other ingredients that may inspire longtime vegans to find new ways to consume the leafy greens much-touted for their nutritional value. Morgan’s knowledge of vegan nutrition shines through; interested folks should definitely get a copy of this enlightening eCookbook.