Uncover Investigation Revealed Animal Abuse at Conklin Farms Inc.

"Cow Field" from flickr member

I think it goes without saying that anyone who would beat a cow with a crowbar and stab a cow with a pitchfork is one sick fuck.

I forced myself to watch the entire undercover video taken by the non-profit, Chicago-based animal advocacy group, Mercy for Animals. I was so disturbed by the images shown in the video that I actually started gagging while watching it.

Yesterday, an individual was arrested and charged with several counts of animal cruelty in connection with the abuse depicted in the video.

Barbecue Tempeh Sandwich

This past weekend, I was reading the latest issue of Vegetarian Times and came across a recipe for a barbecue seitan sandwich.

It looked delicious, but I really don't like seitan all that much. So, I started searching online for a tempeh barbecue recipe and came across one at naturalhealthmag.com.

I followed the recipe as written, except I decided to use packaged broccoli slaw in lieu of grating my own cabbage and carrots and mincing my own red onion. (I know, that's so Sandra Lee!)

I thought the end result was ok. This is not a dish that I can see myself making again, and I really can't explain why that's the case. Maybe I'm just not a barbecue type of person.

The baked red potatoes, on the other hand, were awesome. I just took some red potatoes, tossed them in some olive oil, dried thyme, dried basil, salt and pepper, and baked them uncovered in a 450 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes. A very simple side dish.

Southwestern Bean Cakes

My partner and I have this routine where he cooks dinners on Saturdays and I cook dinners on Sundays.

The weather was so hot outside last Sunday that I really wanted something light and simple. The solution was found in a cookbook I received two year ago for Christmas from my sister entitled, "A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen," by Jack Bishop.

I grabbed the book and just started flipping through it when I came across a recipe for Southwestern Bean Bakes.

In a nutshell, these were easy to make. They also tasted surprisingly very good, given the minimal number of ingredients required. This is a seriously low-cost meal.

And I liked the fact that these bean cakes made for a fairly low-calorie dish, because I still have about 10 more pounds to lose.

At the author's suggestion, I served these bean cakes alongside a simple baby spinach salad lightly dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and kosher salt.

Southwestern Bean Cakes
Makes approximately 7-8 cakes

• 2 15-oz cans cannelleni beans, rinsed and thoroughly drained
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• Juice from 1 lime
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper (add more for extra heat)
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup (at least) cornmeal or polenta
• Extra virgin olive oil

Add the cannellini beans, vegetable broth, and lime juice in a large bowl. Mash the beans using a potato masher.

Next, stir in the cilantro, pepper, and chili powder. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1/4 cup of cornmeal. Continue stirring in more cornmeal in small amounts until you can form the mixture into 3-inch cakes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the bean cakes and cook until browned, approximately 4 minutes per side. (Add more oil to the pan if necessary.) Serve immediately.