Beet & Potatoes

= Pressing PAUSE =

2007-12-05T03:37:00.000-05:00

Well, I have been meaning to write about all of the fantastic things that I cooked and ate at Thanksgiving . . . but I haven't had time! Come to think of it, I only really made a couple of things over Thanksgiving break, because I didn't have time! And guess what? I won't have any time to write a post in at least the next couple of weeks.

I shall return for a post that I am required to make later this month for my all new daring bakers project, but aside from that, I will be (hopefully in this order):
1-4. completing my coursework
5. selling my house
6. hosting some fabby houseguests
7. packing my house
8. driving to nc
9. flying to brooklyn
10. attending my brother's wedding :)
11. flying back to nc
12. celebrating the holidays
13. driving back to indiana
14. finding a new place to live?
15. finishing my house-packing
16. renting and packing a moving truck
17. celebrating new years?
18. driving a moving truck to nyc
19. unpacking my house
20. starting an internship!

phew! see you when i see you.

Free Food for Free Words

2007-11-13T23:57:00.000-05:00

I'm always looking for ways to improve my vocab skills, and now all of that skill-building pays off in the form of rice donated through the UN to feed the hungry. Yay!

You are given a multiple choice question like this:
free:
mandolin
cook
complimentary
cake

and for each answer you get right, 10 grains of rice get donated, without limit. Some are easy, but there are some definite challenges, too.

On the day the website went up (October 7), 830 grains were donated . . . yesterday, 188,987,290 grains were donated. So, if there are over 29,000 grains of long grain white rice in a pound, that would mean . . . over 6,516 pounds, just yesterday!

Thanks for sharing, Emily!

Apple Cider Mini-Doughnuts

2007-11-08T18:23:00.001-05:00

My new favorite blog to read (in my oodles of spare time) is Aussie-based Milk & Cookies. I knew I liked the blog when she posted a recipe for Apple Cider Doughnuts - right on time as the chilly air moved in to Bloomington (although it's certainly not autumn in her neck of the woods). I have been looking for a good excuse to buy a doughnut pan for a looong time . . . and this was it! So, I promptly went after a mini-doughnut pan I found at Good's for Cooks downtown.

I made the Milk & Cookies recipe just as she wrote it, with a couple of slight changes. I agree that the batter is incredibly light and airy . . . most definitely yeast-like without the use of any yeast. The result was scrumptious, although next time I might make a couple of changes. Following is the recipe, and see my notes after that.

Apple Cider Mini-Doughnuts

adapted from Milk & Cookies

For the Doughnuts:

oil and sugar (or flour) for baking pans

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. grated nutmeg

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 c. applesauce

1/3 c. maple syrup

1/3 c. apple cider

1/3 c. plain yogurt

3 T. oil

For the Icing:

1 c. confectioner's sugar, sifted

1 t. vanilla extract

1-2 T. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously oil each doughnut cavity and sprinkle with sugar or flour; shake out excess. In medium bowl, whisk together flour through nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg through oil. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until just-mixed.

Carefully place batter in a ziploc bag and seal closed, removing excess air. Using scissors, snip a 1/2" opening in a bottom corner of the bag. Pipe a ring of batter into each doughnut cavity, filling each about halfway.

Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until the tops spring back when touched. Loosen edges of each doughnut and turn pan onto cooling rack; position doughnuts on rack and leave to cool completely.

To make icing, combine ingredients and stir until liquid but not drippy. Add more milk or sugar depending on consistency. Dip each cooled doughnut into bowl of icing and turn until top is well-coated. Return to cooling rack for icing to set.

My notes:

in general, the doughnuts were tough to get out of the pan, which is why I have suggested the less-sweet but slightly more practical option of dusting the pans with flour instead of sugar
Milk & Cookies suggested using hazelnut oil - I liked the idea of trying out a new oil but went with toasted walnut instead - but I don't really think it makes a difference.
with one batch, I added finely diced apple to the pan before piping in the batter - this tasted great but proved to be a bad idea, because the moisture level got too high, and the apples stuck to the pan, requiring that some of the doughnuts be surgically removed
my icing looks a lot different than Milk & Cookies does because a.) i made it too thin (but I kind of like it that way because it is like a glaze) b.) my doughnuts were still a bit warm and c.) soymilk makes the glaze a less-attractive beige color, so it is good that I went with more of a glaze and less of a frosting
these would be tasty with a maple-ginger icing made by substituting the vanilla with 1/4 t. ground ginger and adding 1 1/2 T. of maple syrup to the mix
like Milk & Cookies, I HATE to fry things in my house, and avoid doing so at all costs, which is why I love the baked doughnut idea in the first place. however, these were not as crispy on the outside as I would have liked, so next time I will be trying to bake these in a 425 degree oven for less time and see where that gets me . . .

Black & Orange Cauldron Bubble

2007-10-31T20:24:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Today's Splendid Table email newsletter was forwarded to me (shout out to the Moms & MJ), which included Robin Robertson's recipe for Pumpkin and Black Bean Chili. The recipe is excerpted from her book One-Dish Vegetarian Meals (I have had my eye on her Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker for a while), as well as Splendid Table Lynne's tips and ideas for buying, storing, cooking, and eating squash and pumpkins. It was a really nice email - not gimicky at all like most email newsletters - with lots of practical (okay, splendid) ideas. I think I'll subscribe.

The recipe was just right for today - tasty, quick, and festive (more and more, quick and easy is a prerequisite for my cooking, if you haven't noticed). For an ol' boring lady like me with exciting Halloween plans to catch the tail-end of the trick-or-treaters at home after class and hunker down with a big pile of homework . . . it worked great. Plus, I happened to have an excellent husband who had some free time this afternoon to hit up the grocery store and assist with some pumpkin-choppin' prep work. I was really impressed that he went so far as to carve up the pumpkin into chunks . . . back pain and all.

This was a really fantastic, savory chili - packed with flavor from the pumpkin, cider, and kale that we used. Although the added greens were one of Lynne's tips and not included in the original recipe, I highly recommend adding them. It brings a brightness to the chili, as well as a ton of nutrients that you don't come across every day. If you are not big on the flavor, don't add too much, but give it a shot.

Pumpkin & Black Bean Chili
adapted slightly from One-Dish Vegetarian Meals as presented by The Splendid Table

1 2-lb. pie pumpkin or butternut squash (we used a pumpkin & were quite pleased)
2 T. olive oil
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 minced jalapeno chile, or 1-2 minced chipotle chiles in adobo
1 32-oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c. apple cider
4 T. chili powder (or chili powder blend - go light on this and add more if you are not a spice fan)
1 t. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
3 15-oz. cans rinsed and drained black beans
1 head kale or other hearty green, rinsed and chopped (optional)

Suggested toppings: toasted pepitas, soy sour cream, chives or green onion

Cut the pumpkin into 1/2-inch dice and set aside. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat, then add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno or chipotle. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add remaining ingredients except for beans and greens. Stir, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer, and let cook for about 30 minutes or until pumpkin has softened. Add beans and greens, and more water if necessary. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes until flavors have been incorporated. Serve with toppings, a small salad, and a slice of savory bread.

granola!

2007-10-10T09:01:00.001-04:00

I ask you: WHY have I never made granola?

Reasons for asking why:
1. We go through copious amounts of granola/fancy organic no-HFCS cereal in my house.
2. It is expensive to buy boxed granola!
3. All of those boxes add up to a lot of waste, right? (although...all those bags you use to get stuff out of the bulk bins does, too...unless you save them like a good environmentalist would)
4. Making granola is SOOO easy!

A super-duper friend of mine gave me La Dolce Vegan! for my birthday this year, and I have been so happy and excited by all the new recipes at hand. I wanted to make something easy for this week's breakfasts...and then I came across a few tasty-sounding granola recipes. I've always thought about making granola, but I have just never done it..and now I suggest that you quickly whip up a batch. You can collect all the right amounts (or estimates of the right amounts) of the ingredients at the bulk bins - then go home and just dump all that shit into a bowl...and you are almost there! OK - enough with all of this granola praise...on to the recipe.

Cranberry Almond Pecan Granola
(altered from La Dolce Vegan!)

4 c. rolled oats
1 1/3 c. sliced almonds
1 1/3 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/3 c. pecans
1 scant c. unrefined sugar
2 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
2/3 c. cranberry juice
1/4 c. oil
1 1/2 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, combine the oats through the spices, then add the juice and oil, and mix until well combined. Spread granola in a single layer on two large baking pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring and rotating the pans after 10 minutes. Let granola cool, untouched (no stirring! you will get better clusters that way), then add cranberries when cool. Store in an airtight container and enjoy all week long with delectable soy milk.
p.s. don't the pictures look better? (granted, the ones from the last post are cell phone pics) I bought a new camera with my birthday money - yay!

I caught a good one.

2007-09-20T18:32:00.000-04:00

It was my birthday this week, and it turned out to be one of the best ones in a while. Chris and I have been away from each other on my birthday for the past couple of years, and this was extra special just because he was there and being so great to me all day long. He woke me up with a cup of coffee under my nose (not really out of the ordinary) and lured me into the dining room, which was all aglow with this spread:I had been sleeping soundly, and he had been up for an hour in the dark, whipping up whole wheat blueberry pancakes and soysages and coffee and orange juice. This is extra special, you see, because he is not exactly an experienced pancake-maker. I was very proud of him. Also, he really hates wrapping presents - he told me that you can tell that he loves me because he wrapped ALL of those presents. I always kind of considered his family tradition of unwrapping presents in the morning with birthday breakfast (and not after dinner with birthday cake, which is my family tradition) to be cheating, but this whole fabulous experience kind of debunked that theory (especially since I was not even supposed to get presents this year). This bonus gift came at the end:Anyways, I told him after that fantastic breakfast it really didn't matter what happened during the rest of my busy day - he had set the tone right and that was all that mattered. I ended up having a really nice day, especially capped off with dinner and drinks at Malibu with some of our great friends.

Then, he upped the ante even more by cooking dinner for me the next night! He made another of our Giada favorites, Rigatoni with Red Pepper, Almonds, and Breadcrumbs. I don't have a picture, but you can look at the one with the recipe here. To sum it up: Boil a pound of penne or rigatoni. Place a 5 oz. bag of garlic-flavored croutons and 1/4 c. toasted slivered almonds in a food processor until like breadcrumbs. Toss pasta with crouton mix and 3/4 c. olive oil and/or pasta water. Top with a jar of roasted red peppers that have been julienned and a rinsed can of garbanzo beans (that is our own addition - it makes it really good). It's cheap, fast, easy, and really really good - the makings of a perfect weeknight dinner.

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables

2007-09-11T00:53:00.000-04:00

So, this recipe is probably what I would consider my "signature" dish, only because every time I cook it, I get asked for the recipe. Then, those people seem to misplace the recipe (just as I would if I had originally requested it), and then they ask again. Then they pass it on to their loved ones and cook it for other people and get asked for the recipe themselves. It's a good recipe.

I was just asked for it by my friend Chez Megane, and I realized I have never posted it here before. Since it is one of those recipes that gets lost, I figured I would post it now to be used by all. Although I don't have photos of it to share, trust that it is a beautiful and humbly delectable dish.

Moroccan Roasted Vegetables
slightly adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics

note: I generally add a good bit more spice than called for by mounding up the spices in the measuring spoons as I measure them - it makes it better.

1 medium onion, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick semi-circles
1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes or semi-circles
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick cubes or semi-circles
1 large red bell pepper, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch strips
2 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped
15.5 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 large garlic cloves, minced
2 T. olive oil
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T. ground cumin
1 1/2 t. turmeric
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t. paprika
1/4 t. cayenne
2 t. salt

Optional, but HIGHLY recommended for toppings:
chopped toasted almonds
raisins
crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix together ingredients.

Spread vegetables onto parchment-lined baking 11x17-inch baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven and stir well, then bake for another 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.

Serve warm over couscous, topped with suggested toppings.

Yay for Functioning iPhoto...and a trip down Pitchfork Lane...

2007-09-09T02:06:00.000-04:00

For miz-onths my iPhoto has been completely f'ed, making it a super-frustrating and lengthy process to do anything with photos. Yes, I could have brought my computer in to the shop, or bought a new version of iPhoto, to possibly get the problem solved, but that seemed so complicated... There was a much easier solution in the forecast for us, and that was a new computer. :) Now that it is here, I couldn't be more happy - I love laptops, but there is something really nice about sitting down to a desktop - especially one that organizes all of your photos into events (sort of - I think there is a husband that did most of the legwork there)!

As I perused my newly organized photo library this evening, I came across photos from Pitchfork '07, which was a delightful quartet of days filled with great food, beer, music, more food, great friends, more beer, more food, and lots of fun. I immediately looked through the pictures hoping for ones of eating the out-of-this world jerk seiten wrap, or the grilled corn on the cob, or the soy ice cream cones, or the watermelon lemonade, or the tofu pad thai, or the pineapple salsa...but my search came up dry. It turns out that we scarfed down those bad boys all too fast. There is something so great about sitting in the hot hot sun on a nasty, nubby woolen blanket named Baby James, taking runs to the food area every hour or so just because your body needs fuel to ward off the elements. R.I.P. Baby James, R.I.P.The food pics I do have are from our great trip to Orange for brunch, so I will share those here.

First up is my pan-seared steel-cut oatmeal, cooked in apple cider and spices and served up with fruit compote (sooo good! my personal favorite):Next is C's crazy-ass Veggie Sandwich on toasted brioche with jalapeno mayo and spicy garlic yogurt (really good, but damn...that is a lot of veggies in the morning):The flashiest selection was E's pancake flight, with a summertime theme: smore's, watermelon-cucumber(?), one about a pool with basil and blue curacao, and a pork BBQ stack (which was supposedly the best):
Last but not least were A's French Toast Kebobs (really tasty, but poor A wasn't too crazy about the coconut-infusion going on) shown with the cucumber water, orange peel-infused coffee, and our very own freshly squeezed juice selections (I tried a tame and delicious watermelon-cantelope juice):I think we all really enjoyed our experience at Orange - it was fun and tasty, and I would definitely go back. But, if I had to pick, the food at Pitchfork was surprisingly better and less expensive (huge water bottles for $1!). It would be so nice to make a trip back to the midwest next summer for the festival again, just to sink my teeth into one of those jerk seiten wraps one more time.

Summer Faves

2007-08-23T08:40:00.000-04:00

It is so very clear now that the summer days are coming to an end. I of course mean the official season of summer, since the actual feeling of summer is long gone. During the transitional period, I was having panic attacks about it - stressed about balancing school and multiple works and putting my house on the market, and upset about my lack of a summer vacay. But now that I am almost completely crossed over into the new school-year lifestyle, I know everything will be fine. I am actually really looking forward to the fall season...the leaves, the warm food, and the non-unbearable weather. We are already experiencing chilly mornings and a lil' bit of fall color :)

During the summer, I was lucky to reap the benefits of friends with gardens as well as the ever-bountiful WonderLab garden. We've had some really delicious eggplant, tomato, and squash, and I found some new favorite recipes that worked well with the season. Also, I realized I want to try to plant a vegetable garden at my next house. It's a hell of a lot of work, I know, but wouldn't it be so nice?
My #1 summer fave is this amazing broiled eggplant, onion, and hummus sandwich that I made after trying a super-bland eggplant and hummus sandwich at Bloomingfood's a while back. The BFood's sandwich was JUST eggplant and hummus on bread. blah. So, I decided it would be best to toast the bread, spread both sides with a layer of hummus, pile up thinly-sliced eggplant and red onion (both broiled with olive oil, salt & pepper) on one half, mixed greens on the other half, and top it off with black pepper and a touch of salt. Oh my goodness...this thing is da bomb. So it wins the gold prize for summer food love. The picture above was taken on a night when I packed a couple of these up with some Miller Lite tallboys and popcorn to take to the Starlite Drive-In. It was fun. Another summer fave is this summer corn salad that is delicious either warm or cold. This is an adaptation of a recipe from The Red Cat Cookbook, which I received as a gift last Christmas. I am especially fond of the added soybeans, which make it a delicious full meal, all on its own.

Summer Corn Salad

6 small Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut crosswise into bite-size pieces

fresh kernels removed from from 6 ears of corn (don't use frozen)
5-6 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 can soybeans, drained and rinsed
juice and zest from one lemon
approximately 1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. chopped thyme
1 T. chopped fresh basil
1 clamshell package of arugula

Boil potatoes in salted water for about 5 minutes, or until tender when pierced, drain (it is best to fish them out or use a pasta pot so you won't lose the hot water), and add to a very large mixing bowl. Return the water to a boil and add the asparagus, cooking for about 2 minutes or until bright green, but crisp. Remove asparagus from water and add to the large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat 2 T. olive oil in a wide, deep saute-pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the corn and toast until beginning to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes until heated through and beginning to break apart. Add soybeans to the pan and stir together until heated through.

Add corn mixture to the large mixing bowl and top with lemon juice, a sprinkle of lemon zest, and a hefty drizzle of olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper, add thyme and basil, and mix to combine. (Note: if you are not eating all of the salad right away, reserve the basil to top the individual portions. It will turn brown if left overnight.) Serve salad on top of a bed of arugula when warm or refrigerate and serve cool.

Polenta & Phicken with Blackberry-Nectarine Salsa

2007-08-03T08:23:00.000-04:00

I have shaved away all of my cooking magazine subscriptions except for one - Eating Well - which I love. It was a gift from my sister-in-law, and I am so glad that she introduced me to it. I notice that sometimes when I am thumbing through a cooking magazine, I gloss over the meat dishes without thinking about it, and that really eliminates so many tasty options. I have to remind myself sometimes to keep an open mind . . . it usually only takes an easy substitution or two to make things work.

This recipe jumped out on the page at me, and Chris, actually. We had both seen the photograph and had this discussion about how it made us both kinda want to eat it with chicken, which rarely happens. But of course, that was an option I didn't want to consider - I had to make this work, and there was a fantastically easy solution that I had almost forgotten about completely. My favorite veggie brand on the plant, Quorn, makes frozen naked cutlets that you can sub into almost any chicken dish. Unlike the Morningstar Farms pre-seasoned strips (yuck), these actually hold together, have a great firm texture, and are not already covered in weird dehydrated flavorings that don't match with the dish you are making.

The original Eating Well recipe can be found here, but I will let you know about my substitutions.
1. As I don't own a grill, I used my faithful broiler for this one (I know, not as fun - but it works).
2. Obviously, I replaced the chicken with Quorn Naked Cutlets (straight from the freezer).
3. I doubled the amount of spice rub mixture - it was tasty, so why not?!
4. As you can see from my photograph (which I am embarrassed to post alongside a link to the pretty pretty EW picture), the nectarines overcooked to a pulp - and quickly. Based on my experience using the broiler for this one, I would place the Quorn, polenta, and nectarines on one pan and place in the broiler at the same time - then remove the nectarines first - after 3 or 4 minutes, not 6 to 8 like the recipe suggests. Then, keep the polenta in the oven until the Quorn is done, so it gets a nice golden crust.

Let me just end this by saying that I was kind of amazed at how easy this was to throw together, in that you only need to use one pan for cooking, and you can make the salsa in the time it takes the Quorn and polenta to finish cooking...so you are really looking at only 15 or 20 minutes. Beyond that, the flavors and fresh and full and hearty (yum!), while the dish is still really light and good for you. You will probably want to bust into the leftovers, so I suggest eating this with a small salad so that you don't ruin your chances of having an equally scrumptious lunch the next day.

From the Archives::Black Bean Soup

2007-07-28T20:32:00.000-04:00

So, I kind of can't believe that this one has not made it onto the blog yet, because this is probably the dish (aside from plain pasta and sauce) that I have made more than any other. It requires very few ingredients, barely any time, and almost no effort. This is an absolute favorite of ours in the fall and winter months (I know this is totally out of season), served with a simple salad and bread or tortilla chips. Cheap, filling, and delicious!

I originally got the recipe from Everyday Food, but adapted it somewhere along the way - I can't seem to find the original recipe anywhere. Here is my quick and dirty version:

Ingredients:

3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced

2 or 2 1/2 t. cumin

2 or 2 1/2 t. oregano

1 or 2 vegetable bouillon cubes (optional)

juice of 2 limes

handful of cilantro, chopped (if you belong to the "cilantro tastes like soap" club, I am sure Italian parsley would do the trick)

Heat 1-2 T. olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until softened and beginning to brown, then add garlic and jalapeno and cook for about one minute more. Add cumin and oregano (I usually eyeball the spice measurements to taste), season with salt and pepper, stir to combine, and cook for another minute. Add the beans, and pour water into the pan until the beans are covered by 3/4" or so of water. Add the bouillon cubes, stir, cover, and let cook until the flavors have combined and heated through, about 10 minutes. Puree with an immersion blender, transfer to an upright blender, or my favorite - use a potato masher to mash the beans, leaving some in tact for texture. Stir in the lime and cilantro, and season to taste. Serve topped with soy sour cream and cilantro.

From the Archives::Hummingbird Cake

2007-07-26T12:46:00.000-04:00

I came across an old box of undeveloped film and throw-away cameras in my craft room recently, and found some fun discoveries when I developed the film onto photo CDs. One of my favorites were pictures from Chris's 24th birthday, which we celebrated a little over a month after moving to Bloomington. It is so odd to think back to those days, when Indiana was so new and SO midwestern. We were both still very unemployed, spending our days doing projects on the house & becoming increasingly depressed about not having places to go aside from the hardware store.

Every year (except for one maybe?) since Chris turned 20, I have made him a birthday cake - it is one of those traditions that we have established and I really love it (even if I don't necessarily get a birthday cake in return, ahem, brownie mix ;). For this particular birthday, I made Martha Stewart's Hummingbird Cake, which is so beautifully covered in dried fresh pineapple slices. The cake is good - kind of a twist on a carrot cake - but really, my favorite part has to be the frilly frilly pineapple.

You can find the recipe here. Notice that it calls for 3 cups of mashed ripe banana - Lord knows I love my husband when I mash up 3 RIPE bananas for him (erhghgh - *gag reflex*).

For the love of frittata.

2007-06-23T13:02:00.000-04:00

While recently debating about what to serve at a big museum brunch, the topic of frittatas, and just how good they are, came up. I have sort of stayed away from frittatas (and other heavily egg-laden dishes) for some time in my quest to eat a little less egg & dairy. Plus, lots o' egg can make me sick at times. :( But, this delectable conversation about the goodness that is a frittata got me salivating.

My friend and I reminisced about a particular Cooking Light recipe that included corn and smoked mozzarella, and was absolutely to die for. I remembered a delectable Giada receipe from my pre-veggie days that included sausage frittata on slices of buttered baguette. I decided it was time to make a frittata. Now, a frittata is obviously the kind of quick-cooking dinner that is best made without the fuss of measurements. So, I used what I thought looked good - I prefer a high vegetable content (I think you could even get away with less eggs), but you should make it however you think works best.

Summer Frittata with Corn, Asparagus, Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella

In a small bowl, whisk together 3 whole eggs and 2 egg whites (or whatever combination of egg : egg whites you prefer) with a healthy pour of soymilk (or regular milk). Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a nonstick pan, saute 1/2-3/4 lb. chopped asparagus, 20 or so grape tomatoes (cut in half), and a cup or so of fresh or frozen yellow corn until the asparagus begins to turn a vibrant green. Add a medium-sized ball of fresh mozzerella, diced, and a small handful of basil chiffonade. Stir the mixture together and add the egg mixture to the pan. Shake the pan to evenly distribute the eggs and vegetables. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to set from the bottom, and then place in a 400 degree oven until the top sets. If you like the eggs a bit browned, turn the broiler on for a moment.

When the frittata has set, loosen it from the pan, cover with a plate or cutting board, and invert. Slice the frittata into 8 or 9 square-ish slices. Slice a thin baguette lengthwise, butter the inside, and then cut into 8 or 9 pieces. Place a warm wedge of frittata on each piece of buttered baguette and thank me for sending you to heaven.

I roasted the asparagus that I had leftover and served it up with some of the tomatoes on a healthy bed of baby arugala with my new favorite dressing. Yum.

Blueberry-Lemon Muffins with Coconut Crumbs

2007-06-15T14:18:00.000-04:00

I love those glorious mornings when you have the energy (and time) to not just make coffee, but also to whip up a delectable batch of warm muffins (or french toast, or waffles, or other yummy stuff). Sounds cheesy but it's true. I also love a good muffin, and I have to say these are my most favorite muffins that I have made in a really long time - maybe even ever.

I don't know, maybe they just hit the spot today, but there was something about the way that these whole wheat, low fat, fairly low sugar things baked up super moist, light and flavorful (perfect for summer). After I had one, I had another, and then, as I passed by the still-warm muffin pan, I realized that I could seriously eat a half a dozen of them if I wasn't standing guard with a serious dose of self control.

Blueberry-Lemon Muffins with Coconut Crumbs

for the topping:
2 T. flour
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. shredded coconut (I used sweetened)
1/2 t. cinnamon

for the muffins:
1 c. whole wheat pastry flour + 2 heaping T. flour
1 1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 T. butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. soy milk
zest of 1 small lemon (or about 1/2 of a large lemon)
1 c. frozen blueberries, thawed under warm water and drained, or fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place the topping ingredients in a bowl and mix together with your fingers, breaking the butter up into small clumps until the dry ingredients have been incorporated. Set aside.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Mix the sour cream and milk in a liquid measuring cup and set aside.

Cream the butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, then add brown sugar and mix until incorporated. Add egg until well blended, scraping down sides of the bowl as necessary. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, mix to combine, then alternate adding 1/2 of the milk mixture, and continue until dry and wet ingredients are incorporated. Add lemon zest and mix in. Toss the blueberries with the 2 heaping T. flour until coated and fold into the batter.

Divide batter among 12 lined muffin cups (for small muffins), and top with the coconut topping (use it all!). Bake for 21-23 minutes.

Holy Knitballs!

2007-06-13T21:25:00.000-04:00

If you know what is good for you, check out these unbelievable cupcakes at VeganYumYum. I am almost tempted to try them for a Knit-Pic/Pic-Knit, but I know this would never work for me in a million years. Never.

Please forgive me . . . with a slice of rhubarb coffeecake on top.

2007-06-09T13:03:00.000-04:00

Dear loving readers,

Please forgive me for my absence of the past six months. I have no excuse, except for the fact that my life became insanely crazy last semester and I lived off of pb & j, grilled cheese, hummus & vegetables, pasta, trail mix, toast, cereal, pizza, and take out. I have started to cook again, and I feel confident that I will continue as I have in the past. I vow today to inform you in the future if, blog-god forbid, I need to take another extended leave of absence.

With loving apology,
xoxo,
E

p.s. the puppy pic is just a ploy to win back your hearts

Okay, now that that's taken care of, let's move onto this coffeecake. In Wednesday's Dining In section of the NY Times, Melissa Clark included her recipe for Rhubarb 'Big Crumb' Coffeecake, which she designed as a lower-sugar alternative to baked goods with rhubarb that contain copious amounts of sugar to offset rhubarb's tart bite. The bright red stalks at the grocery store have been flirting with me lately, so I decided this would be an excellent way to get them back to my place.

My only substitution to the recipe was the use of whole wheat pastry flour (in both the cake and the crumb topping) instead of cake flour. This certainly makes a difference in the final product, but I think it worked out well, considering I hoped to eat this with my morning coffee and not as a dessert. I was pleased in general with the results (except for the fact that I think I over-baked it by a minute or two), although I think I would make just a couple of changes for the future:

1. I hesitantly purchased only one large stalk of rhubarb that weighed in at just over half a pound, so after trimming, I had just the amount that the recipe called for. I think the cake could stand for almost double the amount of rhubarb, or even better, a half pound of apples, strawberries, or raspberries in addition to the rhubarb. Next time I will try it with apples, as I think this would work perfectly with the hint of cinnamon and ground ginger in the cake.

2. The recipe calls for the crumb topping to be shaped into large crumbs that are 1/2-3/4" in diameter. Although I really enjoyed shaping the crumbs and sculpting my cake into a rocky landscape with towering peaks and deep crevasses (just like the ones I have been watching on Planet Earth), in the end, I don't know if they needed to be so big. I kind of enjoyed the bites with the smaller, dustier, crumbly topping, and I think I will take that route next time. Of course, my opinion might be different here if I had used cake flour.

This recipe, although a tad more labor intensive than simpler crumb cake recipes I have used in the past, was well worth the effort. I was very pleased with the results, which made an excellent companion to my coffee this morning (and my wine last night). This time of year, we all need a little rhubarb in our lives, even if it is not in a pie.

the recipe that saved my ass...

2006-12-12T23:06:00.000-05:00

Me: Finally taking a moment to relax, pretending to be done with finals, getting into some knitting and sipping on a nice big glass of red wine, joyfully watching the Enron movie
Francis (cat): Kind of bored, playing with a bug that she found, waaay to close to my wine glass (which I have precariously placed on the carpeted floor next to me, naturally)
Me: hmmmm.....I'll just move that wine gl-
Wine Glass: spppppllllllaaaaaaasssssshhhhhHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! (ALL OVER - totally my fault, by the way....Francis is innocent)

So, yeah, I started flipping out just a little bit in my brain...it seems like only yesterday when we steam cleaned the carpet from the last red wine spill...and hmmm....we don't have any more stain remover left, and hmmm......this carpet is seriously only 3 years old?.....and hmmmm.....won't that just make Chris's day when he comes home at 1 am to this? So, I took every towel out of the linen closet, and while blotting, quickly looked for home remedies online (thank god for the internet, by the way). I tried everything that was suggested that I had in-house. I poured a quarter of a bottle of white wine on it to "neutralize" it, then some tonic water (only thing I had with bubbles), then I had to hit the grocery store for regular stain fighting stuff plus ingredients for this very magical-looking concoction that I found on the stain-fighting sites. All I know is, the wine and tonic water maybe helped a little, but it's the $.97 bottle of hydrogen peroxide that I want to marry. I now have an unopened $5 bottle of double-chambered-oxy-high-powered-
ridiculousness for what? Here is the recipe that will save your life:

1 c. hydrogen peroxide
1 t. (or a little more if you don't believe a t. will work, like me) of Dawn

Mix, and pour the magic all over that stain. You talk nice to the stain. You give it your best sexy eyes. You watch it bubble up and foam just a little for you (I think it giggled at me), then you coax the stain, with nothing but an old tattered bath towel and your barest of feet. I did that like 3 times. Now, I bet Chris wouldn't be able to pick out where the 2 1/2 foot wide stain was. It's magic, people. I believe.

Party Food!

2006-11-19T00:00:00.000-05:00

A couple of weekends ago, we had a party at our place, and I made just a few easy things for people to snack on while they were nursing the keg :) - Fat-Free Bean Dip, Fresh Salsa, and Chez Megane's Pumpkin Bars. It turned out that people were very happy with them, and I got many recipe requests, which was really nice. Unfortunately, the only picture I have is of the bowl from the bean dip, which was clearly emptied out...

Fat-Free Bean Dip
adapted from the Foster's Market Cookbook

2 cans rinsed black beans
scant 1/2 c. tomato juice
juice of 2 limes
1 T. cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
4 scallions, trimmed and chopped
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. chili powder
2 t. salt
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1/3 c. fresh cilantro

Place all of the ingredients, except for the cilanto, into the bowl of a food processer and blend until smooth. If you add a full 1/2 c. of tomato juice, the dip will be a bit thinner than a typical bean dip...so you may want to add a bit less and test it depending on your taste. Then, add the cilanto and pulse until cilanto is roughly chopped into the dip.

Fresh Salsa
adapted from the Foster's Market Cookbook

7 cored, seeded, and chopped tomatoes
One 14 1/2 oz. can petite diced tomatoes, drained (or 3 more fresh tomatoes)
One 4 1/2 oz. can diced mild green chiles
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lime
2 t. ground cumin
2 t. salt
1 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 t. red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and adjust seasonings to taste. This makes a mild salsa - plan on added extra jalapenos, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce to spice it up if you prefer a hotter salsa. This makes a lot - 6 cups or more, and keeps for about a week.

So...lastly, I made the fantastically delicious Pumpkin Bars, which are posted here and here. I doubled the recipe, which seemed to fit nicely in one 11x17 jelly roll pan and a 9x 13 baking dish. I did make one change to the original recipe - Chris was kind enough to pick up a couple of things from the grocery store for me, and when he returned with the items on my list (cinnamon and ginger) he handed me a bag of ground cinnamon....and a big ol' hunk of ginger root. So, I decided it was better to up the nutmeg and cloves by 1/4 t. each rather than attempt to add grated ginger root to the recipe (although I am sure that would have worked out fine...). These were a hit as well - they were all gone!

One month later...

2006-11-03T11:48:00.000-05:00

Many apologies. A month? It's ridiculous. I'm gonna kick-start the return to my semi-abandoned- for-school blog by sharing this spicy (not too spicy) delicious Malaysian-Inspired Tofu Curry. It's a great, easy, tasty one that will fill you up in a healthy way and keep you warm as the temperatures drop low. (can you hear Barry White?)

Malaysian-Inspired Tofu Curry
(adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)

1 lb. firm tofu
2 15 oz. cans light coconut milk (or one can plus one can water)
2 t. light brown sugar
1/2 t. salt plus more to taste
1 T. ground coriander
2 t. curry powder
1/2 t. turmeric
1/4 t. cayenne
1 t. tamarind paste
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 T. finely chopped ginger
4 Roma tomatoes or 2 Beefsteak tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 scallions, chopped (white and green parts)
8-10 oz. green beans, okra, peas, broccoli or asparagus
juice of 1 lime
chopped cilantro or scallions for garnish

Drain and chop tofu into cubes. Place coconut milk through ginger into a rimmed skillet and bring mixture to a boil. Boil for one minute, whisking spices in until combined, and add tofu. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then add tomatoes and scallions and simmer for about 8 more minutes. Add green vegetables and simmer for about 5 more minutes or until crisp-tender. Add the lime juice and taste, add salt if necessary. Serve on top of steamed brown rice and garnish with cilantro or scallions.

Garlic Naan
(adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)

1 c. warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 t.)
1 8 oz. container plain yogurt
1/4 c. melted butter
1 1/2 t. salt
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. wheat bran
3 c. all-purpose flour

Sprinkle the yeast over 1/4 c. of the water and let sit for about 10 minutes or until foamy (you may need to lightly stir the yeast into the water). In a large bowl, combine 3/4 c. warm water, yogurt, butter, and salt, then stir in the prepared yeast, whole wheat flour and bran. Add as much of the all-purpose flour is needed to form a heavy dough, then turn out to knead (adding more flour if necessary) until smooth and slightly tacky. Turn ball of dough around in an oiled bowl, then cover and leave to rise for about one hour, or until dough has doubled.

Dice up 4-5 cloves of garlic and place in a small bowl with a few tablespoons of olive oil or melted butter and set aside. Place a cookie sheet or pizza stone in the oven (add a couple if you only want to bake one batch) and preheat to 450 degrees. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and divide into 8-10 pieces, then roll into balls and leave, covered, to rest for 10 more minutes. After resting, flatten out the dough balls with your fingers, spreading them and turning them until they have reached about 6-7" in diameter. I found it helpful to pull the dough out into a circle in the air instead of on the counter (gravity is your friend). Pull the preheated sheet pan(s) from the oven and place the dough rounds on top. Bake for about 8-10 minutes, until beginning to puff, but not yet browned. Remove from the oven and baste with the garlic mixture (alternatively sprinkle on the diced garlic and place a small pat of butter on each naan) and return to the oven to finish baking for about 2-5 minutes, or until the breads are slightly browned and the garlic begins to fill your kitchen with it's oh-so-lovely aroma. Depending on how long you leave them in the oven, they will be slightly crispy and cracker-like where thin and soft and chewy where thick.

A Fab Night @ The Strokes

2006-10-03T01:47:00.000-04:00

Emily, Mandy and I just returned from our evening in Muncie, Indiana at the Strokes concert - I don't think ANYONE knew why it was in Muncie...especially considering the small auditorium was about halfway full...but, whatever - we had so much fun rocking that halfway full house down. We arrived in Muncie, had some delicious pineapple tofu fried rice and pad woon sen at a place called Thai Smile (I had to mention it considering this is a food blog), then kicked it at "The Bird" for a few quick drinks before heading to the show. Our tickets were great...but we found even better seats right in the middle, 16 or 17 rows back. Yeah, the pictures aren't so great - it's a bummer that I didn't get better shots... oh yeah - except for that one of us and FABBY!!! Holy crap!You should be jealous. Not only was he super sweaty (in the cute i-just-played-in-a-rock-show-way), but he was super nice (and apologizing for the sweat). Way cute, Fabrizio Moretti, way cute.

drinks...more drinks...and chili

2006-09-23T14:11:00.000-04:00

It all started last weekend with my friend Mandy's bachelorette party in Chicago. It was a great time. I went up early with some of the girls and had a great day of super shopping with my partner in crime, Emily, and hung out with her family a bit. Then, Saturday night came where the sangria, mango margaritas, tequila shots, dirty martinis, beer, blow job shots and whiskey flowed like honey. It was wild n' crazy and so much fun...especially because the bars stay open and bumping so late in the city, so me and the 2 other wildest ladies stayed out until 5:30 our time...something that happened without our realizing it, which is the best part. How often can you party so effortlessly for 12 hours straight? Anyways, I blame it all on Mandy, a true top-notch bachelorette:Then, we all awoke tenderly...and slowly made our way out to a superb hangover breakfast at Glenn's Diner (in Ravenswood, I believe). I ordered the scrambled eggs with parmesan and chives along with a tasty potato pancake and some slammin' thick, soft, raisin toast with butter. It also happened to be my birthday, so the sneaky gals ordered me a short stack with a candle:That night, Chris made some Ghirardelli brownies with added peanut butter chips, and sang to me.Fast forward through one busy week of school, and we are ready for another weekend made for partying. Last night we had another wine gathering at our house, this time in honor of Chez Megane's return to Bloomington for a visit. Beforehand, a couple of fine ladies came over for a vegan dinner - Mandy clearly loves Tofutti sour cream :) I made this chili after hearing so much about it from my friend Emily, and then seeing it posted on Chez Megane's blog...I used the same spice combination, but veganized it and used a different combination of beans. It was delicious! I think in terms of texture at least, the results were fairly different, considering mine was really super thick, and the original seems to be a tad more soupy. The ladies brought over yummy bread and cheese, and made a beautiful salad of mache, radishes, yellow bell peppers, tomatoes, and (avocado). It was really good, and made me realize that I need to use mache and radishes more in salads. Quinoa and Three Bean Chili

adapted from this Epicurious recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onions chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 c. quinoa (for a thinner chili, try 1 c.)
1/4 cup chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
3 cups vegetable stock (or 3 c. water and one vegetarian bouillon cube)
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
3 15-ounce cans of beans (I used black, garbanzo, and kidney), rinsed & drained
chopped fresh cilantro, parsley, chives, or green onions
soy sour cream

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions; sauté until light brown and tender, about 10 minutes. Add oregano and cumin; stir 1 minute. Add quinoa; stir 1 minute. Stir in chili powder, bay leaves (which I didn't have, but would be delicious I'm sure), cocoa powder, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Add tomatoes with their juices, stock and tomato sauce. Mix and bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans to chili and simmer until flavors blend, about 10 minutes longer. Discard bay leaves. Ladle chili into bowls. Top with fresh herbs and sour cream. Serves 8.

After our delicious dinner, the wine started to flow, and although it was raining, we managed to find a point in the evening to start a modest fire and make s'mores as promised...and then we danced for the rest of the night to the tunes of D.J. Ninja RumbleKid. Now I have a couple of really pooped out kitties on my hands...

i <3 new cookbooks :)

2006-09-13T20:58:00.000-04:00

I FINALLY bought Vegan with a Vengeance the other night, and was so excited to cook from it. It looks like it is going to be a good book - nice flavors, new ingredients, and simple, straightforward recipes. Chris picked out a stuffed pepper recipe to start with, which I liked a lot. I guess the recipe is inspired by one that was found on the back of a box of veggie crumbles - - but because the cookbook is made without the use of prepackaged faux meat ingredients, she used quinoa and black beans instead - yum! The quinoa/black bean combination is not only a great source of protein, but it also tastes really good together, it's fast and easy to cook, and provides a nice textural appeal. As Giada would say, "...oooh....the beans are so smooooth and chrrreamy....and the toasted quinoa gives a little crrunch in your mouth." (that's for you, EBM)

Black Bean, Mushroom, and Quinoa-Stuffed Peppers
slightly adapted from Vegan with a Vengeance

4 large bell peppers (any color)
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 minced cloves of garlic
2 cups finely chopped mushrooms
1 T. chile powder
1 t. salt
1/4 c. water
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 c. quinoa
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
(optional) 1 t. maple syrup
(optional) fresh cilantro or parsley

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the stems, seeds, and ribs. Decide if you would like to stuff the peppers whole standing up (nice presentation but not practical) or in halves laying down (not quite as pretty but much more practical) and slice or not slice accordingly. Place the peppers in the boiling water for about 5 minutes, remove, drain, and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the onions and saute until the onions are becoming transluscent. Add the garlic and mushrooms, and saute for about 5 minutes more. Stir in the chile powder and salt, then add the quinoa, water, and 1 c. of the tomato sauce. Stir well to combine, then lower the heat to a simmer and cover for about 20 minutes, stirring once. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the beans and optional syrup to the quinoa mixture, then taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. At this time, you can also add a small handful of chopped fresh herbs to the mixture if you would like. Stuff the peppers, top with the remaining sauce and place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and top with a sprinkling of fresh herbs.

Curried Carrot Bisque
"yummmmm"

I had to pick out a quick side to go with the peppers, and since it has been so grey lately, I was drawn to this sunny soup. It's got an amazing flavor, vegan or not - I just LOVE anything made with coconut milk and curry powder. It's really easy to make - if you want to be super lazy you can even just buy grated bagged carrots and use those with barely any prep work. You can get this recipe at the Post Punk Kitchen site, which has a lot of other recipes from the book (and elsewhere). I highly recommend this, so go right now.

In other news, in case you haven't read the Dining Out section of today's NYTimes, I just wanted to draw your attention to these great articles on tea (yay for new and improved tea bags!), coffee (yay for artisinal latte patterns!), and the Eating Well section (yay for spraying viruses on cold cuts instead of cleaning the factories!).

a winey weekend...

2006-09-10T20:11:00.000-04:00

This weekend, we ended up having a little last minute wine gathering at our house (which was so much fun!). My time window to cook and eat dinner beforehand was really small, and I hadn't planned anything, so I just picked up some veggies at the grocery store to throw in the oven. It made me remember how much I love having plates of just vegetables for meals - it's simple, really tasty, and super healthy, of course.
With the oven at 400 degrees, I put two sweet potatoes (cut into 4 wedges each) in the oven for about 20 minutes, then added a bunch of asaparagus (with the ends trimmed) and 2 sliced shallots to the oven, tossed with a bit of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Everything will finish roasting in about 10-15 minutes. I put the asparagus on a bed of mixed greens, topped the sweet potato wedges with butter, lime, chili, salt and pepper, and enjoyed it quickly before my peeps arrived for an evening of fun...

Then, I woke up in the morning, one fire pit, 8 bottles of wine, several crown and cokes, lots of s'mores, and a few beers later...and headed off to....Oliver Winery. Yes, Chris and I were both feeling semi-nasty in the morning, but it was worth it. Some of the girls in the Arts Administration program organized a tasting and pitch-in picnic, and it was lots of fun. We chose super-fruity light wines to taste, because I simply couldn't handle drinking anything too heavy...and then settled on a bottle of Savignon Blanc, which was really good. I decided to bring this white bean dip to share, which has sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and a bit of heat to keep it interesting. It was really tasty and easy to make, and the leftovers will make an excellent filling with veggies in pita pockets.

Provencal White Bean Dip

adapted from The Foster's Market Cookbook

2 15 oz. cans of cannelini beans, rinsed
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1 jalapeno pepper
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes (I used those packed in oil, if dried, plump in hot water before using)
2 T. drained capers
juice of 1 lime
1 t. hot sauce
1/2 T. dried oregano (or 2 T. fresh oregano)
1 t. salt
1/2. t. freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the onion to 400 degrees. Toss garlic cloves and whole jalapeno pepper with 2 T. of the oil and place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until soft and light golden brown. Slice jalapeno in half and remove the stem, seeds, and skin. Fit a food processer with the metal blade attachment, add all of the ingredients to the bowl of the processer, and puree until smooth. Serve with crostini, pita, or crudites or use on sandwiches.

Gonna Go Back in Tiiieeeme

2006-09-08T00:17:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have been a horrible blogger. The truth is, now that I am back in school, and no longer chained to a desk chair, suckling on internet pop culture to survive each day (yes, part of me misses that)...I find it more difficult to sit down and do this when I know I have hundreds of pages to be reading and papers to be writing. So, I thank you for your patience. Stay with me, you few readers of mine, and I will strive to post more often than I have been. Also, my fellow classmates and I are looking into speed-reading techniques, so that should help...if it works out.

With that out of the way, let's get this time travel thing off the ground. Starting from this week and going backwards, I present to you (didillidilldoo, didillidilldoo, didillidilldoo, didillidilldoo, didillidilldoo,.....):

Macaroni n' Sneeze

I got a really nasty cold this week, and this super simple feast of deliciousness hit the spot. The best part is that it reminds me of my family's potato and onion pierogis, without the hours of intensive labor. It's from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone and consisted of just a few simple ingredients...

- 2 sliced onions sauteed until beginning to brown in 2-3 T. of the oil/butter of your choice
- 4 potatoes (I used Yukon which was fantastic) diced up and boiled until just fork-tender
- a pound of macaroni (I used whole wheat - also fantastic) boiled in the potato water after they are fished out
- a cup or two of grated Gruyere (I used a .4 lb chunk)
- a big 'ol handful of chopped parsley
- salt n' pepper
It's super easy - saute onions, boil potatoes, boil macaroni, toss in bowl with everything.

I do have a couple of tips/suggestions:
- Deborah suggested pouring the onions on top of the other mixed ingredients, but I say mix it all, so your leftovers will also have onions.
- When the potatoes are done, and the pasta is boiling, cover those potatoes in the bowl with plastic wrap - "keep 'em hot"
- Definitely eat this with a salad, preferably one with apples on it, or better yet, saute apples with your onions. Believe me, the apple combo is one you will not regret.
- Also better yet, why not add green beans, or peas, or broccoli, or....? (but not with the apples)
- A pat of butter or drizzle of oil won't hurt the mixture either :)

Nut Butter French Toast

In my quest to use less eggs, I haven't actually bought eggs in a while. So, when I decided to whip up a batch of french toast the other day, I just looked at a few recipes online and made up my own conconction with what I had. A lot of vegan recipes use tofu (which I didn't have) or bananas (which I hate), so I used peanut butter. Although not exactly a substitute for eggy french toast, the peanut butter worked nicely and was a good twist on the breakfast classic. It works well in terms of texture, but it does stick to the pan more than regular french toast does, so prepare the pan accordingly. Next time, I think I'll top it with jam and crushed peanuts.

Place the following ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth:
- 1/4 c. nut butter
- 2/3 c. soy milk
- 1 t. cinnamon
- 1/2 t. nutmeg
- 1/2 t. vanilla
That's it! I think you know the drill from there...

Coconut-Crusted Tofu Salad

I went out to dinner with my friend Emily at Upland Brewing Company a couple of weeks ago, and we split an amazing combo of the tofu salad (coconut-breaded deep fried tofu on salad greens with tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts and cucumbers) and the famous mac n' cheese. I love coconut-crusted anything...so I whipped up my own version of the salad. I think I need to do some research into the best way to coat tofu to get maximum coconut coverage, but other than that - this was really tasty. The salad at Upland was served with their amazing homemeade orange-ginger vineagrette. Since I had a bottle of sesame orange dressing on hand, I just used that, but any sweet-ish asian inspitred dressing would do. Enjoy!

- 1 package of extra firm tofu, drained, cut into pieces, and rolled in soy milk and sweetened dried coconut, and toasted to a golden brown in a non-stick pan with a tablespoon or two of oil
- salad greens
- sliced red bell pepper
- shredded carrots
- bean sprouts
- sugar snap peas
- dry roasted peanuts
- thinly sliced scallions

Double Berry Smoothie

So, there is not much to this - strawberries, blueberries (thanks E & A!), soy milk and ice in a blender. I made this when it was still officially August in celebration of the fleeting days of summer...which are almost gone now. I decided after making this that I need to make more smoothies with fun recipes, so let me know if you have any good ones.

Giada's Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

I made this after watching the Everyday Italian episode, "Italian Street Food," so this recipe was intended to be served on sandwiches. For dinner, I decided some whole wheat pasta was a better fit. I know a lot of us like to poke fun at poor Giada, but every time I have made a recipe of hers, I have liked it. Granted, she makes a LOT of meat, much of it being roasts and shoulders and the like that isn't easily replicated with soy or gluten, so I can't speak for that. Anyways, I encourage you all to have this recipe for sausage, peppers, and onions at the very least. She has a tendency to do things that are so simple, but that I might not have thought of if I were attempting the same thing from scratch - like tomato paste (which I find I LOVE in dishes like this) and wine. Simple, inexpensive ingredients....but she usually layers a lot of flavors for good depth of flavor in the final product. One note about the substitute meat that I used here - they were out of my favorite Boca Italian Sausage, so I tried Tofurkey Italian Sausage...and I don't recommend. The flavor was good and spicy, but the texture was like a damp kitchen sponge. Me no likey. Use something else (unless you like that damp kitchen sponge feel in your mouth).

I hope you have enjoyed this trip going back in tiiiieeeme (didillidilldoo, didillidilldoo, didillidilldoo, didillidilldoo, didillidilldoo,.....).

Carnivorous Kid

2006-09-02T18:14:00.000-04:00

Yeah, that's me.

I missed you. Let's catch up, shall we?

2006-08-14T10:02:00.000-04:00

Three weeks of vacation, and I am back. Oh, how I missed you. I don't really know where to start, but it's time for me to fill you in and post some oh-so-cute pics. OK - so, before I left, I made this...and although it was so in the past, I have to pass it on cause it was easy and delicious. I think I made it the night before we left - I needed a simple something to nosh on with minimal clean up. I toasted up some slices of baguette in the oven, then spread them with quince jam (fig would be delicious as well), topped them with thin slices of drunken goat cheese (but of course, almost any cheese would do, I think), and popped them back under the broiler until they melted. Then, the best part...I drizzled the bread with just a bit of honey and cracked black pepper on top of that. The salad is torn red leaf lettuce with dried cherries, toasted walnuts, and slices of granny smith apple with a simple balsamic vinagerette and black pepper. Yum!

So, where did we go, you ask? We started off driving from Indiana to North Topsail Beach in North Carolina to meet up with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. This is what we did there:
Yeah. It was nice. The weather was beautiful, the beach was beautiful, the water was beautiful, and the view was beautiful. So, after a full week of beach-reading, wave-crashing, shell-collecting, surf-walking, and sun-tanning...we were off. We drove to Chapel Hill, and kicked off the week by attending the wedding of our friends Chris and Alison. It was a beautiful, fun, personal wedding that Chris and I really enjoyed. It was a very classy affair, which this picture absolutely does not display:For the remainder of the week, we stayed at my parents' house. They are moving (sniff, sniff) - just across town...but still, the house has to be packed up, and I had to say goodbye. I spent the week going through dusty attic boxes of art projects, school papers, and letters, trying to make a dent for my parents in the pile of stuff they had to go through (a.k.a. get rid of). I did get a *tad* emotional when I actually had to say goodbye to their super-peaceful, wooded home for the last time, but there are only good things in the future for them, so it was all good, all around.

Then, we packed up again and hopped a flight to New Hampshire with my parents and sister for a BIG family reunion for my Dad's side of the family. I think New Hampshire is my new favorite state. Not only do they have the whole "Live Free or Die" thing going for them, it is BEAUTIFUL. I'm kind of sad, because my pictures simply do not do it justice, but I will share a sampling anyways. The reunion was held at the Mt. Washington Resort, which was built in 1902 and is a National Historic Landmark, surrounded by National Forest:
While we were there, we hiked, saw waterfalls, and visited with lots of family. It was great. After a jam-packed weekend there, we hopped in the rental minivan and trekked east into Maine. On the way, we briefly stopped at my aunt's house to eat some Thai food and and I finally got to meet my most photogenic cousin, Ellis:We had a lot of fun playing trains and puzzles and pulling up little Ellis's cargo pants that kept falling past his diaper. Cutie-pie. Then we ate a lemony delicious tofu pad thai...generally I like my pad thai with a ripe slice of orange, but the lemon really worked well. After that, we headed north to my Nana's cabin, where we spent the next week maxin' and relaxin' on the dock, basically. It's always a joy to be up there - I think breathing the air alone is like therapy. We canoed, looked at lily pads, and I ganked my family out of 26 billz in a hardcore game of blackjack (I only started with 2 dollars!). At Nana's house, if you are going to play cards, you have to gamble. I think my favorite day in Maine was Chris's 26th birthday, when we took a ferry out to the island of Monhegan. It's a tiny little island, an hour off the coast, with a small and super-cute community of island folk. There are a few cute shops and teensy grocery stores, and tons of hiking trails. There were some golf carts and a couple of old pick-up trucks, but I think the people that live there just walk around the island. We hiked on a trail called Cathedral Woods, which was basically like walking through a fairy tale (again, the picture does NOT do it justice). The ground was mossy and soft, but not muddy, and the trees were tall and dark with beams of light shining through. The path was narrow and curvy, and led you in and out of thick groupings of trees, so that you couldn't always see what was up ahead. The best part was that people built "Fairy Houses" all through the path, tucked under tree roots or on hillsides. They were all made out of natural materials - sticks, tiny pine cones, shells, stones, etc. This one was not my favorite, but you get the idea: The path led us out to the ocean, and this view: Then, we took a break for some ice cream, and hiked to the southern point of the island which led us to Lobster Cove, where we climbed on the rocks and explored a ton of really incredible tide pools. When we returned, we enjoyed this 1-2-3-4 Lemon Cake for Chris's birthday, served with locally-made blackberry ice cream. My Nana was really hesitant to let me bake in her kitchen - the cabin is only 800 square feet, and with 7 of us staying there, there isn't room to make a mess. But, after she tasted the moist and lemon-curdy goodness, I think I moved up in her love rankings. If you get a chance to make this cake, do it. No, my cake didn't look quite as pretty as the one on Martha Stewart's website (does it ever?) And although I think they linked the wrong lemon curd recipe to the cake recipe (I ended up with much less lemon curd than is pictured even though I doubled the recipe like it says to), it didn't matter. It tasted incredible. And yes, those blueberries are wild Maine blueberries - teeny pea-sized gems of sweet summertime. You could drink them. Oh, I miss Maine already. Although this post is already longer than it should be, I will leave you now with one of my favorite memories from the trip - a raucous birthday game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

Ooooh beanie weenie - ooh beanie weenie

2006-07-17T14:33:00.000-04:00

(sung to the tune of "Push It" by Salt-n-Pepa)

Yesterday, Chris and I had a nice lazy afternoon sitting under our nice shady backyard tree reading books, trying to beat the heat while enjoying the outdoors. Afterwards, I was so relaxed...I didn't really even think about cooking. We were talking about take-out, and I jokingly began suggested combinations that could be made with pantry/freezer items. One of them was beanie weenie...and Chris took this idea very seriously.

I got a phone call and lingered outside on the phone after Chris went inside, and when I came in, this was what I found waiting for me:

Chris cooked! Any of you that know me know that this is a very rare occasion, and although he is actually quite able to bake an unbelievable herbed quorn roast and saute perfectly seasoned, crisp broccolini and asparagus with garlic (okay...maybe with just a touch of help) he would much rather nod to his roots of Lipton Noodles or the holy trinity of sausage, beans, and corn from his undergraduate days (when he lived with guys). When it came down to it, this was a really good dinner that we both enjoyed immensely with a nice icey cold wheat beer. Chris insisted that I post his "recipe" here:

Chris's "Push It" Beanie Weenie
1 can vegetarian baked beans
4 quorn hot dogs (this makes an "extra weenie" version)
leftover frozen vegetables
bread
butter
salt-n-pepa

Open the can of baked beans and pour into a saucepan. Cook the hot dogs. Pour a concoction of leftover frozen vegetables into a saucepan with a little water, butter, salt and pepper. Cut the cooked hot dogs into bite-sized pieces and stir into the baked beans. Toast 2 slices of bread and put butter on them. Bon appetit!

Warning: If this is too good, you may find your spouse wearing boxer shorts in the kitchen after dinner, eating the extra beanie weenie straight from the saucepan with a big spoon, singing "oooh beanie weenie....oooh beanie weenie," as I did.

Duh-da-na-nuh-nugh-nugh-duh-na-nah-na-nuh-duh-da-na-nuh-nugh-nugh-duh-na-nah-na-nuh...

Beef Stroga-NO

2006-07-15T20:45:00.000-04:00

Who didn't grow up on this classic? It was definitely one of those stand-by childhood meals that my mother cooked for us, and I have always loved it. I realize that most of the time, when I get a craving for a meat dish that I used to like, it's generally the overall flavors of the dish and not the meat that I miss. So, it becomes fairly easy to recreate without meat (especially with all of the meat substitutes available)...except for crab cakes...which I don't think I will ever stop craving (and tuno just won't fly there). I did use whole wheat yolk-free egg noodles to make this, but other than that, this is vegan. I know they make them, however, so this could easily be made vegan if placed on top of a vegan noodle, or even rice.

I have never actually made beef stroganoff before, so I read several recipes, and then put my own modern spin on the classics that I had read. I used substantially less soy sour cream than is generally used in beef stroganoff recipes, because I don't really see the need for all of those additional calories when it seemed creamy enough after only 1/3 c. (it seems pretty average to use 1 1/2-2 c. in other recipes). I'm sure it would be tasty with more, though, of course :) The best part about this is that is takes less than 20 minutes to put together, especially if you use pre-sliced mushrooms, and the flavor is really fantastic. Pour yourself a nice glass of red wine, think of your mom, and enjoy!

Beef Stroga-NO

2 T. margarine
1 T. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 onion, diced
5 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced (I used 8 oz. cremini and 8 oz. white button)
1/4 c. sherry
1 t. dried rosemary (or thyme, or other herb that you like)
1 lb. equivalent of meatless ground burger (I used 2 of the sealed packs of Boca)
2 c. vegetable broth (I find that plain old vegetable bouillon has a nice light flavor here, and is easy to dissolve with the handy boiling pasta water)
1/4 c. flour
1/3 c. soy sour cream
chopped fresh parsley (optional)
paprika (optional)
12 oz. egg or other noodles

Heat the margarine and oil over medium in a skillet. Add garlic, onion, shallots, and mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally until beginning to brown. Stir in sherry and dried herbs, cook for about one minute until liquid is beginning to absorb into the mushrooms. Add meatless ground burger, stir, add 1 c. vegetable broth, and stir again. Dissolve flour into 1/2 c. vegetable broth, and stir into pan. Add sour cream, stir, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over noodles with chopped fresh parsley and a sprinkle of paprika for a true Betty Crocker touch.

Beans n' Rice II, III, & IV

2006-07-13T09:09:00.000-04:00

Leftovers...ooh baby, did I have beans n' rice leftovers. I originally made them because we were broke, and for a few bucks, we certainly got our money's worth. Here is a quick photo story of 3 of the dishes I used them in...

1. Similar to my original creation, I piled this bowl high with lightly sauteed and seasoned spinach with diced red peppers and onions, and topped that with fresh, bright red strawberries. This was a really nice treat, like a warm spinach salad with a little more bang for your buck. I do have to say that Chris and I both preferred the broccoli-sweet potato-mango combination to this one, but this still comes highly recommended. With summer being here, I find myself eating berries and fruit any chance I get.

2. Chris picked up a pack of whole wheat pitas, and we went to town stuffing them up for lunches. Here's one with hummus, beans and rice (of course) and veggies - salad greens, cucumber, and red peppers. Yum! Mr. Belvedere has a bread thing - while I was photographing, he was drawn to the pita like a magnet, so I had to keep his cute little nose in the frame.

3. To finish off the leftovers, I made a vegan version of a favorite enchilada recipe from Epicurious and plopped it on top of the last serving of beans n' rice. I've had this before, made with milk and cheese, and loved it - but I saw no reason not to try a vegan version. The results were wonderful - I don't even think I noticed a difference, except for the obvious absence of melted cheese from the top of the enchiladas! Obviously you could add soy cheese to the top, but I don't think there was a need, with all of the other topping options. This is a really creamy, filling enchilada with a spicy flavor and lots of fresh veggies (so good!). And, it is super easy for a weeknight meal! Excuse this messy half-eaten pic...I was hungry and it just looked too good not to wait!

Vegan Garden Vegetable Enchiladas

adapted from Epicurious.com

3 T. olive oil
3 c. chopped vegetables (I used zucchini, red peppers & cremini mushrooms, but use whatever you have on hand)
1 c. chopped onion
1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 4 oz. can mild green chiles (or a diced jalapeno - the mild chile flavor is nice though)
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
3 T. chile powder (this will result in a hot enchilada - use 2 T. or less for a more mild enchilada)
2 T. all purpose flour
1 1/2 t. ground cumin
2 1/2 c. soy milk
3/4 c. soy sour cream
4 T. nutritional yeast
8-10 8 inch whole wheat tortillas
toppings!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 T. olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mixed vegetables and onion and saute until just tender. Add 1 c. corn, chiles, and 1/4. cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Heat through, remove from heat and set aside.

While vegetables are cooking, place 2 T. olive oil or margarine in a medium heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chile powder, flour, and cumin to the pan. Cook while stirring with a whisk for 30 seconds. Gradually whisk in soy milk, cook until sauce is thick and bubbling, whisking occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add soy sour cream and nutritional yeast and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread 1/3 c. sauce in bottom of a 13" x 9" x 2" glass baking dish. Mix 3/4 sauce into vegetable filling. Place approximately 1/3 c. filling in center of each tortilla, roll to enclose, and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until no more filling remains. Pour sauce over the enchiladas, and top with the remaining 1/2 c. corn. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with 1/4 c. cilantro and serve with additional toppings (salsa, sour cream, guacamole), if desired.

Beans n' Rice

2006-07-03T08:48:00.000-04:00

After a quick hiatus of take-out and unphotogenic food (Chris was out of town), I am back...with a big 'ol bowl of beans and rice. I decided to make this semi Caribbean-style, but beans and rice is such a versatile starter for any number of combinations. I substituted one can of light coconut milk for 1 1/2 cups of the water to cook the rice, to help bring in that "island flavor." Then, once the rice was cooked, I mixed in the juice and zest of one lime, along with a handful of cilantro. I began with 4 cups of dry rice, so the "island flavor" was mild and left room for variation. I just cooked the beans plain in salted water (I soaked them first for a couple of hours then boiled them for about an hour and a half or until soft), and then topped it all with roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli, cubed mango, guacamole, lime, and more cilantro. I also had baby spinach that I was going to wilt and toss in there...but I forgot it. Chris suggested that I use a more Caribbean green vegetable next time and leave out the broccoli. I enjoyed the broccoli...plus, I don't really know what would work too much better here. I don't have a recipe because everything was really very basic and simple, but I suggest this combination of ingredients. Although I was a little nervous about tossing mango onto my vegetable-filled bowl, I really liked the mix of sweet and savory. Also, the guacamole was a necessary topper - it added such a great texture and flavor to the other ingredients. Stay tuned for more beans n' rice posts as I use up mammoth containers of beans and rice that I still have in my fridge.

yum!

2006-06-23T11:01:00.000-04:00

You Are an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

On the surface, you're a little plain - but you have many subtle dimensions to your personality.
Sometimes you're down to earth and crunchy. Other times, you're sweet and a little gooey.

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you.
But on the inside, you're a total pushover and completely soft.
You're a traditionalist, and you don't change easily.
You're likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and pout if it's sold out.

What Donut Are You?

Veggie Pizza

Upscale and trendy.
You're the most likely to go for a gourmet pizza.
You have impeccable taste in everything.
You truly enjoy the finer things in life.

What's Your Pizza Personality?

You Are Pumpkin Pie

You're the perfect combo of uniqueness and quality
Those who like you are looking for something (someone!) special

What Kind of Pie Are You?

You Are Tofu

Okay, so you aren't exactly meat. And that's fine with you. Even if people think you're a bit bland.
There's a good chance you're veg - and even if you aren't, you secretly think meat is gross.

What Kind of Meat Are You?

You Are a Martini

There's no other way to say it: you're a total lush.
You hold your liquor well, and you hold a lot of it!

What Mixed Drink Are You?

I was trying to keep it food related...but I couldn't resist this one...

Your Stripper Song Is

I'm a Slave 4 U by Britney Spears

"I'm a slave for you. I cannot hold it; I cannot control it.
I'm a slave for you. I won't deny it; I'm not trying to hide it."

You may seem shy, but you can let your wild side out when you want to!

What Song Should You Strip To?

Thanks, Megan! Whoa, those things are addicting!

"The Best Dogs Ever"

2006-06-23T09:18:00.000-04:00

That is what my husband said after eating his dinner in near silence (a few moans, groans, and occassional mumbles leaked out). Man, it was heavenly. When he suggested "hot dogs!" for dinner, I don't think he was imagining these beauties. I was in the mood to cook, and I knew we were out of buns, so I looked around for something to put the dogs in. While researching online, I came across information on traditional Chicago-style hot dogs, and I knew we had to give them a try.

Since we were not going to be able to find particularly good poppy seed buns in Bloomington, I decided that the buns would be where I would work my magic (it usually is.....bu-dum-ching!). Although I swore off baking yeast breads just a week and a half ago after a disasterous pretzel-dog incident, I thought I would give it one last go. This time, I would not substitute whole wheat flour for white flour - and I would not buy the Hodgson Mill yeast that did not rise last time (even though it is specifically made for whole wheat doughs). The result was beautiful! The dough was great - it behaved just as it should have - it was not sticky, did not require a lot of flour while I was working with it, could be kneaded in my mixer, and produced really great tasting, tender results. It was definitely worth the minimal effort. I got the recipe at the King Arthur Flour website, which I will be using in the future - they have an enormous recipe collection!

OK - so on to the dogs. Chicago-style dogs are Vienna beef franks in natural casings, which obviously doesn't fly in my household. We LOVE Quorn dogs, which Chris tried with this, and loved (all Quorn products are made from a fungi-derived protein, and the products are fantastic - I cannot say enough about them). I tried a Boca Bratwurst on mine, which was delicious, of course. When I discovered the joy of soy sausage (which I have coined "soysage") my life changed, what can I say? Either way, it's great - the dogs leave more room for you to pile on the toppings, while the brats add their own spicy flavor to the mix. The two links that we used contain egg whites and are not vegan, but there are obviously vegan options out there. The discovery that my favorite soysages contain egg whites is one of the reasons that I know I can't go all the way vegan anytime soon.

After you have your dog tucked into a warm, soft poppyseed roll, ready to be stuffed, get your assembly line ready. From what I have read, the traditional Chicago-style dog needs to be "dragged through the garden" of 7 toppings, added to the dog in this very particular order:

1. Yellow Mustard (I had brown on hand, which worked great for me)
2. Sweet Pickle Relish
3. Chopped White Onions
4. 1 Kosher Dill Pickle Spear
5. Fresh Tomato Slices (I found that romas were a great size for this)
6. 2 Serrano Sport Peppers (a little too hot for me, so I opted for hot banana peppers instead)
7. Celery Salt sprinkled on top
8. Crack open an ice cold Miller Lite tallboy, spoon some beans and slaw onto that plate, and enjoy your food-gasm :)

Apple Walnut Spice Muffins

2006-06-21T08:40:00.000-04:00

I wanted a nutritious muffin to have around the house for breakfasts this week, so I worked out this uber healthy solution. They are vegan and oil free, so there are no added fats. This, of course, means that they are a bit more dense than their buttery cousins...but for breakfast, I would rather skip the fatty bakery items to know I am putting good things into my body (at least most of the time). If you want a fluffier muffin, you could try substituting some of the whole wheat pastry flour for all-purpose flour, or adding oil in lieu of some of the applesauce - but of course, these work for me just the way they are.

Apple Walnut Spice Muffins

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c. rolled oats
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. ginger
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:
2 heaping T. ground flax meal
1/4 c. soymilk
1 c. applesauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4. c. maple syrup (or up the brown sugar to 1/2 c.)
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced or grated

Optional:
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (if not using walnuts, you could add a second diced or grated apple)

Strudel Topping:
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. rolled oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift or whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flax meal and soymilk until combined, then add the applesauce, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Mix well, then add the apple. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients until just combined, then fold in the chopped walnuts (if using). Divide the batter evenly among 12 lined muffin cups. Stir the brown sugar and oats together to make the strudel topping, and sprinkle over the filled muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.

p.s. Happy Anniversary C!

a lil' trip to Chi-town...

2006-06-19T10:34:00.000-04:00

This past week, my husband was participating in the Steans Institute for Young Artists jazz program at Ravinia, so my parents and I headed up to Chicago to see him over the weekend. We had a great time...and I thought I would share some of the culinary highlights here. There was one restaurant in particular, called Russian Tea Time, that just made the trip for me. My mother's family is Polish, and although the cuisine is different, there are certainly similar flavors in Polish and Russian cooking. For that reason, we were all just reeling from the cabbage and beets and potato dumplings...it was so good and very reminiscent of some of our family favorites.

We started out the right way - with vodka shots. They serve them ICY cold with a piece of black bread, a slice of pickle, and very specific instructions on how to take the shots. I won't go into all the details (it is on their website), but they were the best shots I have ever had. With over 60 different vodkas to choose from, it was a lot of fun, and something you could do all night if you were up for it. Among those tasted at our table were the house-flavored Stoli coriander, lime, horseradish, ginger, and black currant tea (pictured below).
Then, I warmed up with a cup of Ukranian borscht, which is very different from the cold beet-based variety that I was expecting. It was a delectable vegetable stew of beets, cabbage, carrots, onions, potatoes, and tomatoes, served with just a little bit of sour cream. The vegetables were chunky and substantial, and the flavors were robust with Ukranian goodness. As good as it was, I can't lie - it didn't compare with the vodka. After that, my mom and I split a combination of potato and pumpkin vareniky, which are half-moon shaped dumplings (similar to pierogis) that are boiled. The pumpkin dumplings were filled with a mixture of pumpkin, farmer's cheese, garlic, onion, and then sauteed lightly in a cinnamon butter; the potato had a very simple potato filling and were also sauteed lightly with butter. We also split a kartofelnik, which is a baked potato patty that was stuffed with cabbage, onions, and mushrooms...ohhh...it was good. My dad had golbtsi, which is a traditional stuffed cabbage with ground beef and vegetables. My mom used to make a similar dish for us when I was younger, so I think I might try to come up with a vegetarian version sometime soon. Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of any of the entrees - we just dug right in and devoured everything in a frenzy before we knew it. I think I even might have blacked out.

Considering the restaurant is named Russian Tea Time, we had to get tea and their pastry sampler after dinner. I had the house Russian tea, which is a combination of ceylon, darjeeling, and black currant teas, served in the glass on the left. It was delicious - a perfect end to the meal - and it helped that the wait staff was constantly keeping it warm and filling it to the top. My mom ordered a pot of the citron green, which was served in a super-cute English teapot. We sat for a while, sipping our tea, and noshing on cookies and pastries until we had reached our absolute maximum intake levels - it was fabulous.Although I don't think much can compare to the experience we had at Russian Tea Time, I did have a really spectacular brunch on my way out of town on Sunday at Wishbone in the West Loop area. They describe their style of food as "southern reconstruction cooking," and they had a wide selection of appetizing and affordable selections on their brunch menu. I got the Corn Cakes, pictured here, which were soft and fluffy cornmeal pancakes with fresh corn and scallions baked into the batter. They were served with a sweet red pepper sauce which complimented it really nicely. The cheese grits that my husband ordered were really fantastic as well, obviously made with a lot of great-tasting, sharp cheddar cheese. Being from North Carolina, grits are a breakfast staple that we don't see much of in Indiana.

Moussaka

2006-06-14T08:32:00.000-04:00

The other night, I was looking for something, quick, easy, vegetable-filled, and healthy - this fit the bill. It is a vegan moussaka out of Nigella Lawson's How to Eat, which she adapted from Nada Saleh's Fragrance of the Earth. Unlike the layered Greek moussaka most commonly found in the U.S., this is adapted from a Lebanese recipe that is sans cheesy white sauce, and is more like a vegetable stew or capponata. I served it over bulgur wheat (to cook, pour 2 1/2 c. boiling water over 1 c. bulgur wheat and let sit until all of the water is absorbed) that I tossed with the juice of one lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, some salt and pepper and chopped mint and Italian parsley. I think the moussaka would be fantastic over whole-wheat pasta, couscous, brown rice, or just served with "lots of bread" as Nigella suggests. It can also be served hot or cold, and I think it would be great with the addition of other vegetables if you have them on hand (traditional veggies include green peppers, zucchini, carrots, and potatoes). This is a great chop-and-add to the pan kind of meal, so aside from the time needed to simmer, you can put this together in 20 minutes with time in between sautes to clean up.

Moussaka

slightly adapted from Nigella Lawson's How to Eat

Preheat 3 T. olive oil over medium heat in a wide-rimmed saute pan. Cut a 1 lb. eggplant into 1-inch pieces and saute in the pan for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until golden brown. Remove the eggplant and reserve for later use. Add 2 T. olive oil to the pan, and then add 1 thinly sliced medium onion, and 1 head of garlic, with the cloves peeled and roughly chopped. Saute the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, until softened and pale in color. Add 1 can of drained and rinsed chickpeas to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes. Then, as an optional step, add 1 1/2 T. pomegranate molasses to the pan (I had pomegranate juice, and so I added 3 T. and could not really taste it - I would suggest upping the measurement even further if you are using juice). Return the reserved eggplant to the pan along with 1 lb. peeled, seeded, and quartered tomatoes (I used canned), 1 1/2 t. salt, 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1/2 t. allspice, 1/4 t. black pepper, and 1 c. of water. Bring the ingredients to a boil, and quickly reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Season to taste and top with chopped fresh parsley, coriander, and/or mint.

Johnnycakes for Vito

2006-06-11T17:54:00.000-04:00

I spent all day yesterday sick on the couch, and was able to catch up on some episodes of The Sopranos that I have been missing. Vito left New Jersey to hide out in small-town New Hampshire, and ended up settling down temporarily with a hot cook at a diner that makes him johnnycakes for breakfast. Watching Vito get served tall stacks of these cornmeal beauties every morning got me hungry for some. I have never had johnnycakes before, but I just sort of winged it after reading several recipes. The result was a really nice treat - more dense than a typical pancake, crispy on the outside, soft and moist on the inside. It is essentially a cornbread pancake - traditionally made with white cornmeal (I think) but I only had yellow cornmeal on hand, which worked nicely. I also had some frozen raspberries, which I defrosted and served on the johnnycakes along with my favorite Morningstar Farms Veggie Breakfast Sausage Patties (not Vegan) and plenty of maple syrup. R.I.P. Vito.

Vito's Johnnycakes
Mix 2/3 c. cornmeal, 1/3 c. flour, 1/2 T. salt, and 1 T. sugar in a bowl with a fork. Add 1 c. boiling water to the bowl, stir until combined, and let rest for about 10 minutes while the cornmeal absorbs the water and softens. Preheat griddle to medium heat with oil or butter/margarine. Slowly add soymilk to the cornmeal mixture until it is thinned to batter consistancy. Stir until batter is smooth and soymilk is mixed in. Add to the hot griddle as you would a pancake, and cook on each side until firm and golden brown. Makes 7-8 four-inch cakes.

Sesame-Ginger Tofu

2006-06-08T09:23:00.001-04:00

I love cooking tofu - it's such a miracle food that is quick and easy to cook by almost any cooking method, and it doesn't leave you with a bacteria-laden meat ooze to clean up. This is a super simple dinner that can be put together in about 20 minutes. It has a great light flavor throughout (I know the tofu looks like sesame candy in this picture, but it is not super-sweet) that works so well with the accompanying veggies. I recommend tasting and adjusting the sauce to your liking - I like to add a dash of this or that to balance it out at the end.

Sesame-Ginger Tofu

Drain the liquid from 1 lb. of tofu, turn on its side and slice into 3 layers, then cut the layers into quarters (you will have 12 square-ish pieces). Lay the tofu on a baking sheet lined with 3 layers of paper towels and top with 3 layers of paper towels. Press the tofu between the paper towels with your hands, then leave the tofu dry on the towels while you prep the other ingredients.

Pour 2/3 c. sesame seeds into a small dish. Coat each piece of tofu with the seeds, pressing to coat each side. Heat 1 1/2 T. peanut or sesame oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add tofu slices to the pan. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until the seeds are starting to brown and the edges of the tofu become crisp. When the tofu is done, remove from the pan and set aside. Wipe any stray sesame seeds from the pan, lower the heat to medium-low, and add 2 T. peanut or sesame oil to the pan. Peel and mince 3-4 cloves of garlic and a thumb-size piece of fresh ginger and add to the pan until beginning to turn golden brown. Add 1/2 c. Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce), 3 T. rice wine vinegar, the juice from one orange, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (optional) and 4 T. light brown sugar to the pan. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is starting to bubble. Add the tofu pieces to the pan until coated in the liquid and heated through. Remove the warm tofu from the pan and reserve the remaining sauce.

Amino-Glazed Broiled Carrots

Peel and trim the ends from 1 lb. of carrots. Cut each carrot into 3 sections, and slice the bigger pieces lengthwise into 2 smaller pieces. You want substantial chunks, as they will shrink in size under the broiler. Toss with 2 T. sesame or peanut oil, 2 T. Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce), and season lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and broil for 5-7 minutes until softened and beginning to brown and caramelize from the heat.

To serve, cook one package of udon noodles according to package instructions and toss with the remaining tofu sauce. Top the dressed noodles with the broiled carrots, freshly steamed broccoli, and tofu. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions and lime slices, if desired.

Vuh-vuh-vuh-VEGAN?

2006-06-06T08:24:00.000-04:00

Decadent, eh? Everything in the bowl is vegan - gooey, fudgy, brownies....So Delicious Mint Marble Fudge...and my make-it-up-as-you-go chocolate sauce. I thought it was great. Sure...you could tell that the brownies didn't have eggs in them...I suppose. But really, they held their own. The top was kind of fudgy with a little crispy bite to it, and the inside was fairly cakey and moist, but also very rich and oozey. There are chocolate chips mixed into the batter (and I sprinkled some on top), but they kind of sank to the bottom and created a lava-like base for the brownie. I'm looking forward to trying them cooled when the chocolate chips are no longer warm and will most likely add some texture to the brownies. I think these would be very good with the crunch of some added nuts, too. I got the recipe here, but I'll go ahead and rewrite it in the post. Enjoy!

Rusty's Chocolate Vegan Brownies

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and generously oil a 9"x12" glass baking pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/2 c. sugar, 3/4 t. baking powder, 1 1/2 t. baking soda and 1 t. salt. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 c. chocolate soy milk and 1/3 c. unsweetened applesauce. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and thoroughly mix. Fold in 1/3 - 1/2 c. chocolate chips (and/or nuts). Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes (mine baked for almost 45 minutes, so just watch it). Makes 12 generous servings.

Erin's make-it-up-as-you-go Chocolate Sauce

In a small saucepan, bring 2/3 c. filtered water and 1/3 c. sugar to a quick simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Whisk in 1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder until dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add 1 c. chocolate chips, stirring until chips are melted. If needed, place pan over low heat to aid in the melting process. Add 1/2 - 1 t. corn starch (depending on desired thickness) and whisk until dissolved. Serve warm over a decadent dessert.

Waffles!

2006-06-05T09:16:00.000-04:00

I don't know if there is much I enjoy more in life than hearty, whole-grain breakfast breads. There is something pleasantly carb-y about breakfast, and I just love filling the house with toasty whole wheat smells on weekend mornings. I recently made a vegan coconut orange muffin recipe that I absolutely loved, and since I had oranges and shredded coconut on hand, I decided to make orange-coconut-pecan waffles. Mmm....they were really delicious. Not as light as my mom's favorite waffle recipe (which requires beating and folding egg whites into the batter)...but very good, hearty, and fiber-rich.

Orange-Coconut-Pecan Waffles

In a large bowl, whisk together:
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour, 3 T. baking powder, 1/2 t. salt, and 1 t. cinnamon.

In a blender, puree the following until smooth:
1/2 c. orange juice, 1 c. soy milk, 1/2 c. applesauce, 1 t. orange zest, the segments from one orange (don't worry about the pith - just remove the peel and any seeds), 2 T. melted margarine, 1 heaping T. ground flax meal, 1/2 t. vanilla, 3 T. brown sugar (these are not very sweet - add more brown sugar if you like)

Add the blended ingredients to the dry ingredients in the bowl, and stir until just combined. Add 1/2 c. sweetened or unsweetened coconut (I used unsweetened) and 1/3 c. chopped pecans. If the mixture is too dry, add a touch of soy milk or applesauce. Cook on a waffle iron brushed with vegetable oil and serve warm topped with coconut, pecans and syrup!

The Resurrection

2006-06-01T08:33:00.000-04:00

Left with very few crepes and lots of spinach-basil sauce and tofu "cheese" from the chickpea crepe incident, I decided to resurrect the leftovers into a simple one-pot meal. It was a no-brainer, really, pesto + "feta" = mediterranean pasta. So, I tossed some whole-wheat rotini with the pesto, some chopped sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, kalamata olives, and the tofu cheese from the night before. I was very pleased with the results - super simple, tasty, protein-filled pasta, and I did not miss the cheese at all. And, it made a fantastic lunch today served cold over mixed greens. I am particularly happy with the pesto, because it is mainly comprised of spinach, not basil. Because there is still a generous amount of basil in the pesto, the flavor is still there, while the spinach provides extra vitamins, antioxidents, folic acid, etc. that would otherwise not be present in the basil pesto (right?). Also, the recipe calls for 1/2 c. of water, which liquifies the pesto without using large amounts of oil.

Spinach-Basil Sauce

from The Voluptuous Vegan

Prep and wash 3/4 lb. fresh spinach and using only the water on the leaves, cook down in a skillet until wilted and bright green (OR use a defrosted 10 oz. package of frozen spinach) and transfer to a blender. Saute 1 finely chopped medium onion and 3 minced garlic cloves in 2 T. olive oil until softened and lightly browned, and transfer to the blender with the spinach. Add 1 c. fresh basil leaves, 1 chopped scallion, 1 t. mellow barley miso, 1 jalapeno (stem and seeds removed), 1/2 c. water, 2 T. pine nuts, 2 T. olive oil, and 1 t. sea or kosher salt to the blender and blend until smooth. If desired, add stir in 2 T. chopped fresh oregano by hand after blending. Add 2 T. lemon juice no more than one hour before serving (or just before serving if using pesto on more than one occassion), and be sure to heat gently, so as not to discolor it.

This was my first attempt at tofu "cheese" and I was quite excited to give it a try. Don't get me wrong, I do love cheese, but in moderation. For me, a little goes a long way, and that is just my personal taste preference. I love the idea of using tofu instead, because I get all those soy-licious qualities without even the risk of getting an upset stomach (tmi?). So, Chris likened this to "feta" although it does not have that strong of a flavor, so it could be very versatile. The tarragon adds a nice fresh flavor that would be good on salads, sandwiches, or of course, pasta dishes, among other things.

Tofu "Cheese"

from The Voluptuous Vegan

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Drain and cut 1 lb. firm or extra-firm tofu into 1-inch cubes and place in a pot of simmering, lightly salted water for 5 minutes. Remove tofu from water, drain, pat dry and place in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk 3 T. olive oil, 2 T. fresh lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 t. mellow barley miso, and salt and pepper to taste until combined, and pour over the tofu. Mash the mixture with a fork or potato masher until the liquid has been absorbed and curds have formed, and stir in 1 T. chopped fresh tarragon and 1 T. chopped fresh chives (I used scallion). Place the mixture in a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tofu starts to brown.

Chickpea "Crepes"

2006-05-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

Allow me to introduce myself...I'm a 24 year old lady from Chapel Hill, NC living in Bloomington, IN. My husband Chris is in school at IU, and am planning on going back myself in the fall. For the past 2 years, however, I have been working in an office job that I (to put it nicely) dislike. Since I still have a long, boring summer of work ahead, I thought a nice blog would be a great way to keep me occupied at work and active in the kitchen. I have been a vegetarian for nearly 2 years now, but I had been very light on the meat for a long time before that. Although I don't think I am quite ready to take the plunge into veganism, I do understand that dairy farm practices are no more humane (or environmentally sound) than meat farm practices, and I intend to start making more vegan substitutions to my diet where I can.

Last week I made several big meals, so Chris and I have been eating (and getting sick of) the leftovers for the past few days. So, I decided to try something fun and new last night out of my V oluptuous Vegan cookbook. I have been eyeing the chickpea crepe recipe for some time, and had just purchased chickpea flour the day before - so it was a match. From what I read, the chickpea flour is supposed to act as the binder (as eggs do in regular crepes). Well, I am sorry to say it was a disaster - one so big that I am not sure the chickpea crepes will be worth attempting again anytime soon.

The recipe is essentially a 1:1 ratio of flour (chickpea and all-purpose) to water. This resulted in a gummy, thick batter that would never make it's way around a hot pan if it wanted to. I had to add at least an extra cup of water to get the batter to a more crepe-like consistency, and still I had bad luck. Uniform bubbles perforated the crepe batter with gaping holes so much that I had to turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cook the batter through at a PAINFULLY slow rate. If the heat was any higher, the batter practically evaporated into bubbles and the remaining Swiss cheese-like patties scalded in the pan. The end result was a few golden 4 inch crepes (which actually tasted good) and a disposal full of crepe carcasses. Since they were so small, we had "chickpea tostadas" instead.

Myra Kornfeld has organized The Voluptuous Vegan into menus of three or four recipes each. I topped the "tostadas" with simple roasted asparagus, red bell pepper, zucchini, corn, and halved cherry tomatoes (all of which over-cooked while keeping warm waiting for the crepes) along with the spinach-basil sauce, tofu "cheese" and potato salad recipes that accompanied the crepe recipe. The potato salad was my personal favorite of the evening - it was light, lemony, and delicious - so I will share it here instead of the crepe recipe.

Potato Salad with Tarragon Vinaigrette
(tweaked from The Voluptuous Vegan)

Cut 2 lbs. of low-starch potatoes (I used Yukon Gold) into 1-inch cubes and place in a large pot with cold salted water. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for about 10 minutes until they are fork-tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Saute 1 diced onion and 1 minced clove of garlic until soft and beginning to brown. Add the onion and garlic to the bowl of potatoes along with 2 diced stalks of celery. In a small bowl, combine the juice of one lemon with 3-4 T. of olive oil (feel free to change this to taste - the original called for 7 T. of olive oil) - incorporate in a slow, steady stream with a whisk until emulsified. Whisk in 1 thinly sliced scallion, 1 T. of chopped fresh tarragon, 4 T. of flat-leaf parsley (or cilantro), 1/4 t. of freshly grated nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the potatoes while they are still warm and let it rest for at least 30 minutes before serving.