Unfortunately for me (in this case), I live in Oregon, where we haven’t been able to get effective cold medicine without a prescription since 2005.

In 2005, Governor Ted Kulongoski signed legislation that made Oregon the first state to require prescriptions for cold medicines containing pseudoephedrine, one of the key ingredients used to make methamphetamine.   The state had previously required buyers to show ID and sign a log when buying cold medicine like Sudafed and Claritin D. The intent of the law was to reduce the number of home methamphetamine laboratories.  (Wikipedia – “Controlled substances in Oregon”)

I have been nurtured my whole life in the liberal bosom of Oregon’s green valley; my tie-dye collection is as good as the next girl’s, so I understand that we sometimes have to pass laws to protect the greater good.   But a prescription?  For decongestants?  This is, to quote The Angry Pharmacist, “so f***ing outrageous and stupid it makes my head spin.”

So last night, deep in a thick mucus-fog, I wrote a little venting note on my Facebook status…

Dear Oregon – Do you really think I could make meth with one fricking package of *real* Sudafed? Would it really upset the grand plan of the universe if you let me have some cold medicine that actually worked? This fake stuff just makes my face hurt more because it knows it should feel better, but it doesn’t… because, once again, your fake Sudafed sucks.

Sincerely, Renee (Native Oregonian & cold sufferer)

P.S.  Also, I would not blow my hand off with a fire-cracker, even though you think I would. And Washington thinks I can pump gas just fine.

And a lot of people seemed to agree with me.

But then I started wondering, just how much Sudafed does it take to make meth anyway?  Well, it turns out (if we are to put stock in the meth-making know-how of “Jimmy L” on Yahoo Answers) – not much.  You can make about 12 doses of meth (and no, I have no idea how much that is) with a pack of Sudafed.  Which surprised me.  Enough for one person for about a week (says Jimmy).  And statistics don’t lie – crime definitely goes down when pseudoephedrine is more difficult to obtain.  But a prescription?  Come on!!

Especially when right across the river in Washington, I can get me some bona fide pseudoephedrine in the form of those dependable little red Sudafed pills anytime I want to.  I mean, yeah, I still have to jump through hoops:  go to the shelves, take one of the nifty little Suda-slips, give it to the pharmacist.  Then present my ID and sign the Sudafed Registry before I can pay.  But I can live with that.  I’ll even support that if it takes a bite out of crime.

But a doctor’s prescription?  Really, Oregon?  In a state that is all about providing reasonable and affordable health care for all.  Should it really require roughly the same amount of effort to obtain a freaking cold decongestant as it does to get medical marijuana? Really?  So you want me to go lay down my $30 co-pay (and thank you very much, I do have health insurance or it would be more) so that my doctor can tell me I have a cold and give me a prescription?  Ladies, remember when you used to have to go to the doctor for you-know-what to clear up you-know-where?  Like you didn’t know you had it before the doctor told you.  Are you kidding me?

Oh for Pete’s sakes, you say.  Just get over it and call the doctor – he’ll probably hook you up over the phone, you say.  Hmmm.  Maybe.  But what about people who don’t have a regular primary care physician?  What about people whose primary care physician recently died?  (Me.)  So all of a sudden, the out-of-pocket for what should be an OTC medication is $35 or $40 bucks minimum, plus time spent.  I smell conspiracy.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s time to pull off the gloves, Oregon, and take back a few of our rights.  In the meantime, I’ll just sit here in the gas line with my stuffy nose, waving an unlit sparkler in the rain.

 Forty-one states have laws requiring pharmacies to sell pseudoephedrine “behind the counter” and to collect personal information from purchasers.  Only Oregon and Mississippi require a prescription for the purchase of products containing pseudoephedrine.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

1 medium acorn squash
1 Tbsp Earth Balance butter substitute
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 large sweet onion, finely chopped
2 links vegan sausage (This time I used Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage), chopped fine
2 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup orzo, uncooked
1/3 cup white rice, uncooked
2 cups vegetable stock
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1 small zucchini, shredded

1. Cut squash in half stem to end.  Clean out cavity.  Melt Earth Balance in microwave.  Stir in brown sugar and brush both halves of squash all over with butter & brown sugar.

2. Preheat over to 375 degrees.  Line baking dish or pan with parchment. Put squash cut side down on parchment and bake squash for about 40 minutes, or until very tender.  Prepare filling while squash cooks.

3. Saute onion and sausage in olive oil until onion is soft and beginning to brown.  Add rice and orzo and stir until orzo begins to turn golden.  Add water or stock, cover and bring to a boil.  Cook over medium-low heat until rice is cooked through (about 20 minutes.)  Remove from heat.

4. Stir in grated carrot and zucchini.  Season to taste. (I just throw in whatever sounds good at the time; parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme… whatever.  Maybe even a teaspoon of brown sugar, which my kids know as “the secret ingredient in everything.”)  Let everything set for a few minutes to allow grated vegetables to steam and flavors to mix.

5. Remove squash from oven.  Turn cut side up, and spoon stuffing into cavities.  You will probably have a little extra stuffing – that’s OK.

Servings: 4

Cooking Times
Preparation Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:  Calories 346, Fat 13g, Carbohydrates 41g, Fiber 5g, Protein 17g

Butternut Ravioli
with Sage, Squash & Pine Nut Pasta Sauce

Butternut Ravioli Filling
1 cup roasted butternut squash
2 Tbsp Earth Balance butter substitute
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 cup ground cashews

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.    Slice squash in half horizontally and scrape out all the seeds.   Place one of the halves cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for about an hour, or until very tender.  Scrape flesh away from skin.  You will use the other uncooked half of the squash for the sauce.

Melt Earth Balance over medium heat in a large saucepan.  Add nutmeg, cinnamon, cumin, salt and ground cashews.  Stir in 1 cup of cooked butternut squash.  (Only use 1 cup!  Reserve the remaining part of this half of the squash for the sauce.)  Stir and mash until the mixture is about the consistency of good mashed potatoes.  Turn off heat and set aside.

Sage Pasta Dough
1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
About 3/4 cup water
1 Tbsp olive oil

Sift together flours and salt.  Sprinkle in chopped sage.  Add oil and just enough water to make it all hold together.  Tip the dough on to a work surface and knead about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.  Wrap in plastic wrap and let dough rest for 30 minutes. (Resting is important!)

Turn out dough on a lightly floured surface.  Divide into two portions, and roll the first on into a very thin sheet with a rolling pin or pasta maker.  Put filling onto the sheet by the teaspoonful, leaving enough room between to cut and seal ravioli later – don’t cut this sheet at this time!

Roll the portion of dough into an equally thin sheet, and cut out ravioli pieces with the ravioli cutter or knife.

With your finger, wet the spaces around each dollop of filling, and press and seal the ravioli top onto it the bottom.  Cut out ravioli with knife or ravioli cutter.

Place ravioli on parchment paper to prevent sticking.  At this point, ravioli can be cooked for eating, or frozen for later.  (Right, like that’s going to happen!)

Ravioli Notes:  I have a ravioli cutter/sealer which makes this job much easier; they come in square and round varieties, and are only about $4 at your local specialty kitchen doo-dad store.  (OR you can just click on the picture to the left and buy it at my Amazon store.)  You can also get a ravioli tray, but they are much more expensive, and unless you make ravioli all the time, not necessary.

Also if you can, try to always use freshly grated nutmeg.  A nutmeg grater is uber-inexpensive, and so worth the investment!  While whole nutmegs are available just about anywhere, I buy them very cheaply in bulk at the local Indian grocery – in the nut, they last a very long time, and the contrast between freshly grated nutmeg and the stuff that is sitting in your cupboard is amazing.  Once you go fresh, you’ll never go back.

If you are cooking the ravioli the same night you make them, let them rest while you bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Gently drop ravioli into boiling water and cook about 3-4 minutes.  Remove and carefully drain.  Serve with something awesome… like this:

Butternut, Sage & Pine Nut Pasta Sauce
½ medium butternut squash
½ large sweet onion, sliced thin from end to end
One head garlic
Olive oil
Kosher salt
1/3 cup fresh sage leaves
¼ cup Chardonnay (or any slightly sweet white wine, or white grape juice)
2/3 cup light coconut milk
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Heat the oven to 375°.  Peel the remaining half of the squash and cut into ¾ inch cubes.  Toss with sliced onion and chopped sage.  Slice 2 cloves of garlic very thin and toss in, drizzle on a little olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.   Cut about 1/2″ off of the top off the rest of the head of garlic to expose the tops of the remaining cloves and put cut side up in a corner of a roasting pan or large baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.   Spread the cut-up squash mixture in a thin layer on the same roasting pan and roast everything for about 40 minutes or until the squash is tender.

(Need a little more advice on peeling and cubing that darn hard-as-a-rock butternut squash?  Make Your Own Fun has a few tips that will help make the process just a little easier!)

In a blender or some such device, pour in coconut milk and add cooked butternut squash leftover from the half the was used to make the filling – you only used a cup of it for the filling, right?  Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into the blender and blend until smooth.

Roasted Garlic Notes:  Just hold the whole head at the bottom and squeeze, and the roasted garlic will pop out like toothpaste.  You can add a little at a time if you are afraid of that much garlic, but roasting dramatically subdues the garlicky bite, and enhances the sweet qualities.  If you have never cooked with roasted garlic, you are in for a treat.  Also, if the garlic doesn’t squeeze out easily, it needs to roast longer.

Heat a heavy skillet on medium and briefly sauté roasted veggies in a little olive oil.  Add wine or juice and reduce, and then stir in the blended squash mixture.  Heat through.

Toast the pine nuts in a small dry pan over medium heat, shaking every couple of minutes until they are browned to your taste.  Remove from heat and add most of them to the pasta sauce.  (Use the reserve for garnish.)

Plate ravioli and dress with sauce, sprinkle with pine nuts and a little chopped sage, and VIOLA!
~ You’ll be a freaking vegan genius, just like us!!!

Roasted Fall Vegetables

This recipe reflects my current preferred mix, but you can change up the veggies to suit your tastes.  (A word of advice: don’t leave out the sweet potatoes.)   Once roasted, these veggies can be served as a side dish or a main entry, or used as an ingredient in a multitude of other dishes, from soups to pan-fries to my all-time favorite – veggie pot pie!!

** All veggies except onions & garlic should be peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

2 medium russet potatoes
1 very large or 2 medium sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups pie pumpkin  (1/4 of a 4 lb pumpkin)
1 large sweet onion, cut in half & sliced lengthwise
4 medium carrots
5 cloves garlic, sliced very thin
1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup vegetable stock or broth

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.  Spray a 17 x 11-inch pan with the cooking spray.  (I use a large glass roasting pan.)

2. Toss all ingredients with oil in the prepared pan. Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes. Pour the soup stock or broth over the vegetables and stir.

3. Roast for 30 minutes more or until the vegetables are fork-tender.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:  Calories 100, Fat 4g, Carbohydrates 14g, Fiber 2g, Protein 2.5g

YAMCAKES!

10 oz. yam (about 1 medium yam)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp Ener-G Egg replacer
2 Tbsp plain or vanilla soy yogurt
1 1/2 cups Almond milk (I use vanilla)

Bake yam in skin at 400 for 1 hour or until very soft.  Cool, peel, and mash.* (Skip the mashing if using a blender.)

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and dry egg replacer. Mix mashed yams, yogurt, and almond milk in a separate medium bowl.  Blend yam mixture into the flour mixture to make a batter.  OR – Put baked yam and almond milk into blender and puree.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Preheat a lightly greased skillet or griddle over medium heat. Drop batter onto griddle by 1/4 cup, and cook until golden brown, turning once with a spatula when the surface begins to bubble.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts Per Serving (Yamcakes Only): Calories 178, Fat 2g, Carbs 33g, Protein 6g

Note:  Yamcakes seem to cook just a bit more slowly than traditional pancakes, so be sure to cook all the way through – the result will be a very soft, very moist yamcake.  Great with all kinds of toppings, but a drizzle of praline syrup on a short stack will simply make you swoon.

PRALINE SYRUP

1 cup dark corn syrup
3 Tbsp dark brown sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine syrup, sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and vanilla.

Carrot & Eggplant Salad

2 medium eggplant, roasted**
4 cups grated carrots (about 1 lb.)
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Tofutti Sour Supreme (or your favorite non-dairy sour cream)
About 3/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

Chop up the roasted eggplant, and mix together all of the ingredients, using only enough sour cream to moisten the mixture. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to allow flavors to blend.

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:  Calories 139,  Fat 9g,  Carbohydrates 15g, Fiber 6g, Protein 3g

** HOW TO ROAST EGGPLANT: Wipe the eggplant clean and slice them in half lengthwise. With the tip of a knife, score the flesh deeply in a diamond cross-hatch pattern by making two or three long cuts, cutting at a steep angle, and then rotating the eggplant to make another set of similar cuts. Press on the edges of the halves to open the cuts and sprinkle salt (1 to 1-1/2 tsp. total for all the halves) over the surface and into the cuts. Set aside, cut side up, for 30 min.

Over the sink, gently squeeze the eggplant to extract the salty juice and wipe them dry with a paper towel. Brush each half thoroughly with olive oil (about 1 tsp. per half for Italian eggplant, 2 tsp. per half for globe) and sprinkle lightly with salt or other seasoning.  (I always use Cavender’s Greek Seasoning).  Arrange each half, cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast for 1 hour at 400°F. The eggplant will collapse and the bottoms will be a very deep caramel color.  Let cool considerably before handling, at least 20 min.  Gently turn the cut side up, and with a spoon separate the flesh from the skin.

Today for lunch I decided on leftover homemade pita with leftover Curried Pumpkin Lentils and leftover Indian Eggplant, topped with Awesome Sauce.  Soooo good.  This “just a bit more than slightly” sweet sauce takes less than 5 minutes to make, and is great on just about anything savory.  Amazing on falafel, couscous, sandwiches, stir-fry veggies… the list of possibilities is practically endless.

Curried Yogurt Sauce

1 cup plain or vanilla soy yogurt
1/2 tsp curry powder
2-3 Tbsp sugar (omit if using vanilla yogurt!)
1/2  tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg, freshly ground if possible
dash black pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  Let sit for at least 10 minutes, and preferably an hour, before serving.

Servings: 8. Nutrition Facts per serving: Calories 20, Fat <1g, Carbohydrates 3g, Protein <1g

Want more great Vegan Sauces?  Hop on over to Tofu & Sprouts, where the MoFo theme this year is GRAVY!  Today’s “gravy” is Bourbon Cream Sauce, which I am so absolutely going to make and serve over “something orange” this month.

Pumpkin Fritters

2 cups coarsely grated raw pumpkin
1/4 medium sweet onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer plus 2 tbsp water (OR, for the non-vegans in our crowd, just use an egg. Duh.)
2-3 Tbsp soy or almond milk (plain)
2 Tbsp oil

1. Mix Ener-G and water in bowl.  Add flour, baking powder, and salt and mix well.  Stir in enough soy milk (2-3 Tbsp) so that the mixture has the consistency of Elmer’s School glue.

2. In a separate bowl, combine grated pumpkin, onion, and cilantro. Add wet mixture to vegetables and combine evenly.

3. Heat the oil in a pan. Spoon the pumpkin mixture into the pan, flatten slightly, and cook over medium heat until patties are golden brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.

Variations:

• Instead of pumpkin, use grated butternut squash or sweet potato.
• Instead of onion, substitute a little orange zest and fresh grated ginger.
• Instead of cilantro, use basil, or any other fresh herb that sounds good.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Makes 6 servings.  Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories 104, Fat 5g, Carbohydrates 12g, Fiber 1g, Protein 3g

Curried Pumpkin Lentils

1  medium sweet onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 cup raw pumpkin, chopped into 1/4″ cubes
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup small dried lentils
2 cups water
1 can (15 oz) light coconut milk
2-3 tsp GOOD FRESH curry powder,** or more if needed
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped

1. Saute onion and pumpkin in olive oil until pumpkin is tender and onion begins to brown.

2. Rinse lentils and add to sautéed vegetables with water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.  Stir in the sugar, curry powder and coconut milk.  Season with salt to taste.  Return to a simmer, and cook uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until lentils are tender and liquid is reduced to a thick stew-like consistency.

3. Stir in cilantro and serve.

** Because curry powder is a combination of very aromatic spices, already ground, it loses its pungency very quickly – depending on the storage method, in as little as two months.  If you can’t (or don’t want to) grind your own as you need it, always try to use the freshest curry powder possible.  On a recent “field trip” with my sister to a wonderful store in Vancouver, Washington called Chuck’s Produce, I purchased some of the best curry powder I’ve ever found outside of the local Indian Market.

Servings: 6
Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories 215, Fat 18g, Carbohydrates 13g, Fiber 3.5g, Protein 5g

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Harvest Chowder

1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 cups orange pepper diced
1/2 cups red pepper diced
1 whole jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups raw pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups Organic Vegetable Broth
1/2 lb cut corn (fresh or frozen)
1/2 tsp chili sauce (I used Chalula)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp Kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup Almond Breeze (Plain) or Soy Dream (Original flavor)
1/3 cup freshly chopped cilantro
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley

1. In a large pot, saute the onion and all of the peppers olive oil 5 minutes.

2. Add the pumpkin and garlic and saute for an additional 5 minutes stirring often.

3. Add the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the pumpkin is just tender.

4. In a food processor (or blender) place 1/2 of the cut corn and 1/2 of the cooked pumpkin mixture and process to form a chunky puree.

5. Add the pureed mixture, the remaining corn, chili sauce, cumin, salt, and pepper to the pot, and simmer the soup 5 minutes.

6. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.

Servings: 8

Cooking Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes

Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving:  Calories 163, Fat 2.3 g, Carbs 33 g, Protein2 g, Fiber 1.5 g