From the Fat-Free Vegan website that Jody sent me. This may be from the Sinner's Version - - it has you saute onion (I just sweated mine), and it calls for almond butter. But then, in what must be a sanctimonious anti-lipid gesture, it omits chocolate. Which I of course added. What follows has my comments in parens:
Tofu, Tempeh, and Butternut Squash in Slow-Cooked Peanut Mole
Freezing tofu completely changes its texture, making it chewy and spongy. Be sure to freeze it for at least 24 hours and squeeze out as much water as possible before cooking so that the sauce will permeate it. Tofu can be stored in the freezer for months in its original package and then defrosted in the refrigerator or microwave before using.
1 dried Ancho or New Mexico* chile pepper (I used 2 big Anaheim.)
1 1/2 cups hot vegetable broth
3 black peppercorns (or 1/8 tsp. ground pepper)
3 allspice berries (or 1/4 tsp. ground)
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces (or 1/2 tsp. ground)
3 cloves (or 1/8 tsp. ground)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup diced fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit)
(omitted: 1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder *(optional--use if New Mexico chile is used above))
1/3 cup almond butter
1 slice whole wheat or French bread (or gluten-free bread), torn in pieces
(omitted:) 1/2 to 1 chipotle chile canned in adobo
14 ounces reduced fat tofu, frozen for at least 24 hours and defrosted
(omitted) 8 ounces tempeh, cut in 3/4" cubes
1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut in 3/4" cubes
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
omitted the sugar but added 2 oz cacao
Cut the dried pepper in half and remove the seeds and stem. Chop it into small pieces and put them in a bowl. Cover with 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth and set aside to soften for about 1/2 an hour.
Place the spices in a spice or coffee grinder and grind to a powder. (If you don't have whole spices, use ground ones in the amount specified and mix them in a small bowl.)
In a small skillet, saute the onion until it begins to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more.
Transfer the onion-garlic mixture, ground spices, chile pepper and its broth, tomatoes, and remaining broth to the blender. Add the salt, ancho chile powder (optional), peanut butter, bread, and chipotle pepper. Blend until the mixture is nearly smooth.
Cut the tofu into slices about 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Squeeze each slice between the palms of your hands (use paper towels! takes lots of them!) until all the water is removed. Cut the slices into cubes.
Spray the bottom of the slow cooker with non-stick spray. Spread the tofu, tempeh, and squash on the bottom of the cooker and pour the blender contents over them. Stir to make sure sauce covers all surfaces. Cover tightly and cook on low for 3-6 hours, until sauce is thick and squash is tender. Before serving, check sauce and stir in the sugar, if you like, and salt to taste. Serve over rice or in tortillas.
Makes 6 servings. Per serving: 305 Calories (kcal); 14g Total Fat; (38% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 31g Carbohydrate; trace Cholesterol; 286mg Sodium; 8g Fiber. Weight Watchers 6 points.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Monday, December 27, 2010
Mole
I made this for Thanksgiving dinner, 2010 and offered it in lieu of gravy. I also had it with pureed parsnips later. My alterations to this recipe (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2010/11/17/turkey-oaxacan-mole/) are in parens:
* • 1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and cut in half
* • 4 dried whole pasilla peppers (skipped in favor of 2 jalapeno)
* • 4 dried whole mulato peppers (may substitute ancho chili peppers for more heat)(Skipped in favor of half of a dried thing whose identity I forget but might have been ancho)
* • 12 to 16 (I had about 8) dried whole guajillo peppers (see headnote)
* • 1/4 cup unsalted raw peanuts (skipped in favor of more almonds)
* • 1/3 cup blanched almonds
* • 1/4 cup white sesame seeds
* • 3 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano or marjoram
* • 2 whole cloves
* • 4 whole allspice berries
* • 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
* • 1/2 cup corn oil (skipped altogether)
* • 1 large white onion, finely chopped
* • 6 or 7 cloves garlic, minced (2 tablespoons)
* • 1 heaping tablespoon raisins
* • 2 ripe plantains, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (skipped)
* • 1 large corn tortilla, broken into pieces (used half-wheat tortilla)
* • 2 slices white bread (I used whole wheat), cut into cubes (slices 1/2 inch thick)
* • 2 ounces Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped or shaved (doubled!)
* • 1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt, or more to taste
Directions:
Position the top oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place the tomatoes cut side down on the sheet and broil for several minutes, until blistered and blackened. Let cool, then puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.
(I roasted them at 400 for 40 min instead)
Move the oven rack to the middle position and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Have a separate rimmed baking sheet at hand.
Arrange the pasilla, mulato and guajillo peppers evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until they have softened.
Boil a kettle of water.
Transfer the peppers to a cutting board, leaving the oven temperature at 350. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, discard the stems; scrape out the seeds and reserve them. (Nope! see below) Place the softened peppers in a large saucepan and cover with the just-boiled water. Let them steep for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, spread the peanuts and almonds on the same baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring a few times, until golden brown.
Place a heavy saute pan over high heat. Add the reserved pepper seeds and toast for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking the pan to promote even toasting, until they turn black. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cool water. Soak for 5 minutes, then pour into a fine-mesh strainer to drain. (I did this, but then every time I got within 4 or 5 feet of the toasted seeds, I nearly gagged. I think the dish is hot enough without this.)
Drain the peppers, then transfer them to a food processor along with (nope) the drained seeds. Process until smooth; if necessary, add a little of the cooking water from the turkey (or, if you're making the mole in advance, use chicken broth). Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer; reserve.
Combine the sesame seeds, oregano or marjoram, cloves, allspice berries and cinnamon in a dry saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until toasted. Transfer to a dedicated spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until they are softened but not browned. (I just sweated them.) Add the reserved tomato puree and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, then add the peanuts, almonds, spice powder, raisins and plantains. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Transfer in small batches to the blender or food processor and puree until smooth and thick, using broth from cooking the turkey to thin the mixture as needed.
Return the puree to the saute pan over medium heat. Add the pepper puree, tortilla pieces, bread, chocolate, salt and 4 to 5 cups of the turkey cooking liquid (or, if making the mole in advance, use chicken broth). Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes to form a thick, pourable sauce. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Use an immersion (stick) blender to puree until smooth. The finished sauce should be thick enough to coat the pieces of turkey. Taste, and add salt as needed. Return the sauce to a large saute pan over medium heat.
* • 1 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and cut in half
* • 4 dried whole pasilla peppers (skipped in favor of 2 jalapeno)
* • 4 dried whole mulato peppers (may substitute ancho chili peppers for more heat)(Skipped in favor of half of a dried thing whose identity I forget but might have been ancho)
* • 12 to 16 (I had about 8) dried whole guajillo peppers (see headnote)
* • 1/4 cup unsalted raw peanuts (skipped in favor of more almonds)
* • 1/3 cup blanched almonds
* • 1/4 cup white sesame seeds
* • 3 tablespoons dried Mexican oregano or marjoram
* • 2 whole cloves
* • 4 whole allspice berries
* • 1-inch piece cinnamon stick
* • 1/2 cup corn oil (skipped altogether)
* • 1 large white onion, finely chopped
* • 6 or 7 cloves garlic, minced (2 tablespoons)
* • 1 heaping tablespoon raisins
* • 2 ripe plantains, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (skipped)
* • 1 large corn tortilla, broken into pieces (used half-wheat tortilla)
* • 2 slices white bread (I used whole wheat), cut into cubes (slices 1/2 inch thick)
* • 2 ounces Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped or shaved (doubled!)
* • 1/2 teaspoon sea or kosher salt, or more to taste
Directions:
Position the top oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the broiler element. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Place the tomatoes cut side down on the sheet and broil for several minutes, until blistered and blackened. Let cool, then puree in a food processor or blender until smooth.
(I roasted them at 400 for 40 min instead)
Move the oven rack to the middle position and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Have a separate rimmed baking sheet at hand.
Arrange the pasilla, mulato and guajillo peppers evenly on the baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until they have softened.
Boil a kettle of water.
Transfer the peppers to a cutting board, leaving the oven temperature at 350. When the peppers are cool enough to handle, discard the stems; scrape out the seeds and reserve them. (Nope! see below) Place the softened peppers in a large saucepan and cover with the just-boiled water. Let them steep for 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, spread the peanuts and almonds on the same baking sheet. Toast in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring a few times, until golden brown.
Place a heavy saute pan over high heat. Add the reserved pepper seeds and toast for 5 to 7 minutes, shaking the pan to promote even toasting, until they turn black. Transfer to a bowl and cover with cool water. Soak for 5 minutes, then pour into a fine-mesh strainer to drain. (I did this, but then every time I got within 4 or 5 feet of the toasted seeds, I nearly gagged. I think the dish is hot enough without this.)
Drain the peppers, then transfer them to a food processor along with (nope) the drained seeds. Process until smooth; if necessary, add a little of the cooking water from the turkey (or, if you're making the mole in advance, use chicken broth). Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer; reserve.
Combine the sesame seeds, oregano or marjoram, cloves, allspice berries and cinnamon in a dry saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until toasted. Transfer to a dedicated spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until they are softened but not browned. (I just sweated them.) Add the reserved tomato puree and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, then add the peanuts, almonds, spice powder, raisins and plantains. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Transfer in small batches to the blender or food processor and puree until smooth and thick, using broth from cooking the turkey to thin the mixture as needed.
Return the puree to the saute pan over medium heat. Add the pepper puree, tortilla pieces, bread, chocolate, salt and 4 to 5 cups of the turkey cooking liquid (or, if making the mole in advance, use chicken broth). Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes to form a thick, pourable sauce. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Use an immersion (stick) blender to puree until smooth. The finished sauce should be thick enough to coat the pieces of turkey. Taste, and add salt as needed. Return the sauce to a large saute pan over medium heat.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Pining for Pilaf
I made myself rice pilaf last night, with roasted almond oil. Simultaneously made rice/onion/stock for Reeves. Mine was perfection.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Crockpot Eggplant
Just stick an eggplant (unpeeled) in and leave on low all day. Nice, smooth results. Not so fast on the onion (smelled bad, rubbery texture) or the red pepper (tasted fine, but hard to peel). I used the eggplant and the pepper (with skin) in a tofu casserole to which I added (oil-free!!!) salsa. Likewise, I could use them to make eggplant slop, or as Suzanne says, eggplant puree.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Crockpot Adventures
I got a crockpot! The one that we'd gotten for our wedding (uh, 1973) made hoarse moans when shaken as though its innards had turned to dust, which they probably had. I cruised through links from Suzanne's Aloo Gopi post and found some good sites: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2007/12/alphabetical-listing-of-recipes.html collects the results of the author's effort to post 365 recipes in a year, which definitely cover a lot of basics. Saw that you can cook rice, and did so, the results being no worse than stovetop cooking when you can't use oil and make a decent pilaf. Also googled crockpot lentil soup and came up with a Good Morning America Crockpot Recipe winner, notable for the last-minute additions of greens (specifies kale; I used baby bok choy) and balsamic vinegar. It was very good. Here it is:
3 carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopt
1 onion, chopt
3 cloves garlic, pressed
8 c water or veg broth
2 c lentils
1 tsp dried thyme or rosemary.
Leave in crockpot on low for whole day; on high for half day.
10 min before serving, add
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
bunch of kale, chopt
salt & pepper
And earlier if you like, add
cubed potatoes
2 tomatoes or 1 14 1/2 oz can
3 carrots, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopt
1 onion, chopt
3 cloves garlic, pressed
8 c water or veg broth
2 c lentils
1 tsp dried thyme or rosemary.
Leave in crockpot on low for whole day; on high for half day.
10 min before serving, add
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
bunch of kale, chopt
salt & pepper
And earlier if you like, add
cubed potatoes
2 tomatoes or 1 14 1/2 oz can
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Shepherdess Pie
I tried this vegetarian take on shepherd's pie this week, motivated by a purchase of two large sacks of potatoes (they were on sale!) I can't decide how I feel about it--it tasted good and lasted a long time, but it also took forever to make. I could see myself making the filling alone and having it over rice.
I based my efforts on a recipe from a delightful website called "Netmums." The site is intended for "mums". I am not a mum by virtue of both nationality and parity, but enjoyed the site nonetheless. My search revealed that shepherdess pie is pretty popular amongst the British. Recipes vary considerably but typically consist of a thick veggie + bean stew topped with a layer of potato or sweet potato.
Cook 3/4c lentils in 1.5c veggie stock (takes ~30 min.)
Meanwhile, saute 1 chopt onion, 2 sliced celery stalks, 2 sliced carrots, 1 chopt jalapeno, and 1/2 package mushrooms in EVOO.
If you have one, use a large, oven-safe saute pan.
Add 1T tomato paste and simmer for a few more minutes.
Add 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes and herbs to taste, then bring to a simmer. I used parsley, thyme, oregano, and rosemary. (Fun fact: the British call crushed tomatoes [tomahtoes] "passata.")
Add 1c frozen corn and the cooked lentils.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Allow this concoction to simmer while you mash the 'taters.
Peel and dice ~8 medium potatoes, depending on the size of your pan and your appetite for potatoes (or, in my case, your desire to clean out the fridge.)
Cook by placing potatoes in tupperware in 1/2" water and microwaving for ~10 minutes or until soft.
Mash potatoes with 1/2c buttermilk, 1/4t white pepper, and 1/2t salt.
Spread potatoes on top of the stew if there's room in the pan and if your pan is oven-safe. If not, transfer the stew to a casserole dish and then top with taters. Top with grated cheddar (optional.)
Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees or place under the broiler to brown the top.
Mom, I bet Dad would love this--it's hearty and you could readily omit the oil, buttermilk, and cheese.
The finished product:
Om nom nom.
O wait, what's that you ask? What has Dan been up to lately? Well, last week, he assisted me in finishing my paper by sitting on my draft and swatting me whenever I tried to access it. See below:
I based my efforts on a recipe from a delightful website called "Netmums." The site is intended for "mums". I am not a mum by virtue of both nationality and parity, but enjoyed the site nonetheless. My search revealed that shepherdess pie is pretty popular amongst the British. Recipes vary considerably but typically consist of a thick veggie + bean stew topped with a layer of potato or sweet potato.
Cook 3/4c lentils in 1.5c veggie stock (takes ~30 min.)
Meanwhile, saute 1 chopt onion, 2 sliced celery stalks, 2 sliced carrots, 1 chopt jalapeno, and 1/2 package mushrooms in EVOO.
If you have one, use a large, oven-safe saute pan.
Add 1T tomato paste and simmer for a few more minutes.
Add 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes and herbs to taste, then bring to a simmer. I used parsley, thyme, oregano, and rosemary. (Fun fact: the British call crushed tomatoes [tomahtoes] "passata.")
Add 1c frozen corn and the cooked lentils.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Allow this concoction to simmer while you mash the 'taters.
Peel and dice ~8 medium potatoes, depending on the size of your pan and your appetite for potatoes (or, in my case, your desire to clean out the fridge.)
Cook by placing potatoes in tupperware in 1/2" water and microwaving for ~10 minutes or until soft.
Mash potatoes with 1/2c buttermilk, 1/4t white pepper, and 1/2t salt.
Spread potatoes on top of the stew if there's room in the pan and if your pan is oven-safe. If not, transfer the stew to a casserole dish and then top with taters. Top with grated cheddar (optional.)
Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees or place under the broiler to brown the top.
Mom, I bet Dad would love this--it's hearty and you could readily omit the oil, buttermilk, and cheese.
The finished product:
Om nom nom.
O wait, what's that you ask? What has Dan been up to lately? Well, last week, he assisted me in finishing my paper by sitting on my draft and swatting me whenever I tried to access it. See below:
Christmas bells are ringing...
I have had a WONDERFUL weekend of procrastination and holiday celebrations! My dear friend Maddie had a Christmas cookie decorating party on Saturday. Everybody brought their A game and some peculiar cookie cutters. Yes, we had snowmen and bells, but we also had unicorns and giraffes.
This morning, I hosted a brunch. I made quiche-- broccoli cheddar and sundried tomato goat cheese. I used the Joy of Cooking recipe. Alex brought a delicious salad, Maddie banana bread, and Liz and Marko brought coffee cake. You guys should post your recipes in the comments (om nom nom.) My rosemary tree is pictured below.
Happy Holidays, y'all!
This morning, I hosted a brunch. I made quiche-- broccoli cheddar and sundried tomato goat cheese. I used the Joy of Cooking recipe. Alex brought a delicious salad, Maddie banana bread, and Liz and Marko brought coffee cake. You guys should post your recipes in the comments (om nom nom.) My rosemary tree is pictured below.
Happy Holidays, y'all!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Farro + Roasted Butternut Squash
Another success from 101cookbooks! I did not follow this recipe by the letter, but found the flavors of farro and butternut squash in combination to be inspirational. Maybe I just like anything with butternut squash in it. I also like that the farro is thicker than a risotto, the nuts add a good crunch, and the nut oil makes for delicious flavor.
Cut 1/2 butternut squash (~2.5c) into 1/2" cubes
Cut small red onion into ~10 slices
Toss the above with 2T EVOO, 1T balsamic vinegar, 1/2T thyme, salt & pepper to taste.
Roast at 400 for ~40min.
In the meantime, cook 1 cup farro in 2.5 cups stock and/or water.
When both items are done, mix them together in a large bowl. Toss with 2T almond oil and a generous shaking of sunflower seeds (101 calls for walnuts and walnut oil, which I bet would be great.) I added arugula and black beans, too, which I could take or leave. Nom hot or cold, topped with feta or goat cheese.
Cut 1/2 butternut squash (~2.5c) into 1/2" cubes
Cut small red onion into ~10 slices
Toss the above with 2T EVOO, 1T balsamic vinegar, 1/2T thyme, salt & pepper to taste.
Roast at 400 for ~40min.
In the meantime, cook 1 cup farro in 2.5 cups stock and/or water.
When both items are done, mix them together in a large bowl. Toss with 2T almond oil and a generous shaking of sunflower seeds (101 calls for walnuts and walnut oil, which I bet would be great.) I added arugula and black beans, too, which I could take or leave. Nom hot or cold, topped with feta or goat cheese.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Slow Cooker Aloo Gobi
I made this recipe a few weeks ago and didn't like it immediately, but it grew on me the longer and longer it stuck around in the fridge. It also made about 6-7 servings, so I was able to eat it for my entire week of OB nights. Quite the lifesaver. It came from a book called The Indian Slow Cooker. I haven't had the opportunity to flip through the book yet, but the description on the author's website (linked above) makes it sound right up my ally. I wonder if the other recipes are as good, and what portion of them are vegetarian. I found the recipe for aloo gobi in an interview with the author on ABC local. I made few changes. I would recommend not adding tomato. Also, I used 2 jalapenos (seeds removed) instead of the 3-4 chiles called for. Finally, my garam masala used equal parts black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Monday, November 22, 2010
a cop-out
My fellow bloggers here make their recipes into adventures. Turkeys being mugged on the fire escape, cats playing scrabble, and so forth. My offering today is in a minimalist vein, very much influenced by my churlish attitude about the new regime applicable to the so-called "food" chez nous. We are asked to produce beans. Here goes:
- Pour a bunch of mixed dried beans into a saucepan, looking the other way.
- add water and soak. This is the virtuous part. Was informed that frozen beans from Whole Foods tasted "musty."
- Pour off soaking water and add a lot of vegetable stock. This is the prophylactic part.
- add 1 T of super-hot never-cooked salsa from the g-store.
- chop and add a head of baby bok choy.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Thanksgiving!
Well, I've started thinking about thanksgiving. I guess this appropriate given that it's, oh, 5 days away and I"m having 10 people over for dinner plus 4 more for dessert.
I have this weird personality quirk where I always end up inviting lots of random people to any event I am holding. Let's call it graciousness. Anyways, six of the people coming are some of my dearest friends in the world, so I did pretty well keeping it under control this time around.
Maybe my vision of thanksgiving as a time when lots of people you don't know show up and casually eat tons of food comes from Etta's thanksgivings so long ago. Just a house full of "kin", pre-made biscuits, and m&ms. It was kind of magical.
Anyways ... I want my thanksgiving to be magical too. Or at least not an outright disaster. I think the presence of Libby will guarantee that I don't majorly screw anything up, set things on fire or give people food poisoning. She also knows how to make stuffing and gravy, which is a major plus since I had no intention of figuring those things out.
But I'm actually really excited about making a Turkey myself! Last year when I did thanksgiving for my, what shall we call them, ex pseudo in laws, I opted for cornish game hens so I could run a 10 k in the morning. Well, not this time. Its go big or go home this year. A local, free range, organic turkey has been ordered. This bird grew up in marin county and probably had soy green tea lattes every morning for breakfast, so some of my berkeley-induced guilt has been lifted. Amazingly enough, 9 of the 10 people coming to dinner are NOT vegetarians. So I'm really tempted to put bacon into everything and just give Laura some chips to munch on. But in the end I'm too nice a person and I'll keep the sides all veggie.
Anyways, the bird. It is going to be off. the. hook. I spent about 1 hr talking about how to cook turkey while I was riding through the berkeley hills with a friend yesterday morning. This chick is already the matriarch of her huge bosnian/texan family, and she regularly has 20 - 40 people over for Thanksgiving. She's tried a lot of things, and has settled on brining. I'm going to use her brining recipe, which calls for a bottle of riesling, mustard seed, coriander, and about 10 other spices. She's hooking me up with a brining bag and the plan is to let willy (that's the turkey's name) chill on my fire escape for a day. Hopefully he won't get mugged.
Other than the bird, stuffing, and gravy, libs and I are going to make creamed onions, green bean casserole, brussel sprouts, collards, glazed sweet potatoes, cornbread, and pecan pie. And maybe persimmon pudding if we get to it. Plus people are bringing things of course. Rationally, I know its going to be hella food, but I'm still worried that there won't be enough. I have no idea why I always think this. Really, I should probably be more worried about the wine situation. I'm hoping people will bring some and I don't know how much I should have on hand. I know Mom does appertifs and pairings and the whole deal.
Other than food, I suppose I need to worry about "the table". In Martha Stewart speak I suppose this means things like place settings, centerpieces or candles. I have a much more basic concern about the "the table". Namely, I don't have one. I have the little one in my kitchen, but I think we'll use that for prep and serving. And I have my desk. But I don't have a table for 10 people. Shit, I don't even have more than four chairs. I suppose I need to address this problem ...
Anyways, lots to do. And I also need to prep a lecture for tuesday and re-do some analyses which should have been done by last friday. I guess I'll be buying frozen pie shells :)
I have this weird personality quirk where I always end up inviting lots of random people to any event I am holding. Let's call it graciousness. Anyways, six of the people coming are some of my dearest friends in the world, so I did pretty well keeping it under control this time around.
Maybe my vision of thanksgiving as a time when lots of people you don't know show up and casually eat tons of food comes from Etta's thanksgivings so long ago. Just a house full of "kin", pre-made biscuits, and m&ms. It was kind of magical.
Anyways ... I want my thanksgiving to be magical too. Or at least not an outright disaster. I think the presence of Libby will guarantee that I don't majorly screw anything up, set things on fire or give people food poisoning. She also knows how to make stuffing and gravy, which is a major plus since I had no intention of figuring those things out.
But I'm actually really excited about making a Turkey myself! Last year when I did thanksgiving for my, what shall we call them, ex pseudo in laws, I opted for cornish game hens so I could run a 10 k in the morning. Well, not this time. Its go big or go home this year. A local, free range, organic turkey has been ordered. This bird grew up in marin county and probably had soy green tea lattes every morning for breakfast, so some of my berkeley-induced guilt has been lifted. Amazingly enough, 9 of the 10 people coming to dinner are NOT vegetarians. So I'm really tempted to put bacon into everything and just give Laura some chips to munch on. But in the end I'm too nice a person and I'll keep the sides all veggie.
Anyways, the bird. It is going to be off. the. hook. I spent about 1 hr talking about how to cook turkey while I was riding through the berkeley hills with a friend yesterday morning. This chick is already the matriarch of her huge bosnian/texan family, and she regularly has 20 - 40 people over for Thanksgiving. She's tried a lot of things, and has settled on brining. I'm going to use her brining recipe, which calls for a bottle of riesling, mustard seed, coriander, and about 10 other spices. She's hooking me up with a brining bag and the plan is to let willy (that's the turkey's name) chill on my fire escape for a day. Hopefully he won't get mugged.
Other than the bird, stuffing, and gravy, libs and I are going to make creamed onions, green bean casserole, brussel sprouts, collards, glazed sweet potatoes, cornbread, and pecan pie. And maybe persimmon pudding if we get to it. Plus people are bringing things of course. Rationally, I know its going to be hella food, but I'm still worried that there won't be enough. I have no idea why I always think this. Really, I should probably be more worried about the wine situation. I'm hoping people will bring some and I don't know how much I should have on hand. I know Mom does appertifs and pairings and the whole deal.
Other than food, I suppose I need to worry about "the table". In Martha Stewart speak I suppose this means things like place settings, centerpieces or candles. I have a much more basic concern about the "the table". Namely, I don't have one. I have the little one in my kitchen, but I think we'll use that for prep and serving. And I have my desk. But I don't have a table for 10 people. Shit, I don't even have more than four chairs. I suppose I need to address this problem ...
Anyways, lots to do. And I also need to prep a lecture for tuesday and re-do some analyses which should have been done by last friday. I guess I'll be buying frozen pie shells :)
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Raw Kale Caesar-ish Salad
Just made a new raw kale salad based on this 101 cookbooks recipe. I think this is the second or third entry on this blog regarding raw kale salad, and I think that says something (good? strange?) about our diets. I haven't selected kale with my farm share for a long time and had forgotten how good it was! This recipe got me thinking about the different types of kale. It calls for Tuscan or dinosaur kale, which I've never used before. Have you? What's it like? I used regular kale, which seemed to work out fine. In the course of my internet research, I also learned that cold weather and/or frost actually makes kale sweeter. This is why it's so tasty in the late fall/winter. This specimen proved that rule right!
Slice 1 bunch of kale leaves (stems removed) into 1/2" strips.
Whisk together 1/4c parmesean (or pecorino), 3T EVOO, 1/3c lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4t salt, 1/2 minced jalapeno (seeds removed), plus a pinch of black pepper with a fork.
Toss this dressing with the kale as you knead it gently.
Top with coarse whole wheat bread crumbs (~2 thin slices worth), additional parmesean, and 1 capful of EVOO.
I served this with the leftovers of last night's curried squash soup, which is picture below. Yes, today I am actually posting a photo of the food about which I'm blogging, rather than a photo of my cat.
Just kidding--here's a photo of Dan playing Scrabble:
Slice 1 bunch of kale leaves (stems removed) into 1/2" strips.
Whisk together 1/4c parmesean (or pecorino), 3T EVOO, 1/3c lemon juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/4t salt, 1/2 minced jalapeno (seeds removed), plus a pinch of black pepper with a fork.
Toss this dressing with the kale as you knead it gently.
Top with coarse whole wheat bread crumbs (~2 thin slices worth), additional parmesean, and 1 capful of EVOO.
I served this with the leftovers of last night's curried squash soup, which is picture below. Yes, today I am actually posting a photo of the food about which I'm blogging, rather than a photo of my cat.
Just kidding--here's a photo of Dan playing Scrabble:
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Curried Butternut Squash Soup
New recipe alert! Tonight I made dinner on a theme of What Is In My Fridge (and About to Go Bad). The result was a delicious curried butternut squash soup. Place the following ingredients in the slow cooker for 6h on high or 10h on low:
1T EVOO
1 onion, chopt
2 garlic cloves, chopt
1/2T minced ginger
1/2T curry powder
2.5c stock
1/2lg butternut squash, peeled & chopt
1t sugar
1/2t salt
~1h before the soup is done, add ~7oz unsweetened coconut milk and 1T lemon juice.
Puree and garnish with cilantro.
I roasted some suspect root veggies on the side. Turns out 400 deg. for 1h cures root veggies of all ills.
This dinner came together with beautiful fall colors--orange squash & sweet potatoes, red beets, yellow potatoes. All these colors are not so beautiful as my dear cat, though, so I will leave you with another adorable photograph:
1T EVOO
1 onion, chopt
2 garlic cloves, chopt
1/2T minced ginger
1/2T curry powder
2.5c stock
1/2lg butternut squash, peeled & chopt
1t sugar
1/2t salt
~1h before the soup is done, add ~7oz unsweetened coconut milk and 1T lemon juice.
Puree and garnish with cilantro.
I roasted some suspect root veggies on the side. Turns out 400 deg. for 1h cures root veggies of all ills.
This dinner came together with beautiful fall colors--orange squash & sweet potatoes, red beets, yellow potatoes. All these colors are not so beautiful as my dear cat, though, so I will leave you with another adorable photograph:
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Oatmeal Cookies with Reese's Cups
Preheat over to 350. Freeze 9 Reese's cups (in their wrappers was fine).
Mix 8 oz. roasted almond oil, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup eggbeaters and 1 t. vanilla. Combine in another bowl 1 1/2 c flour, 1 t baking soda and 1 t. salt. Add this stuff to the first mixture. Then add 3 c. oats.
When oven is preheated, cookie sheets are ready, and everything else is ready , take the Reese's cups out of the freezer, 3 at a time, and unwrap and quickly chop them into approx. 1 cm. x 1 cm. pieces. Stir them into the cookie dough and put the trays in the oven. Check them after 10 min. Mine took 13:30.
Mix 8 oz. roasted almond oil, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup eggbeaters and 1 t. vanilla. Combine in another bowl 1 1/2 c flour, 1 t baking soda and 1 t. salt. Add this stuff to the first mixture. Then add 3 c. oats.
When oven is preheated, cookie sheets are ready, and everything else is ready , take the Reese's cups out of the freezer, 3 at a time, and unwrap and quickly chop them into approx. 1 cm. x 1 cm. pieces. Stir them into the cookie dough and put the trays in the oven. Check them after 10 min. Mine took 13:30.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
I cooked something
That involved a pan and turning on the stove. I know you are all very proud of me. Mainly I did it to justify opening a bottle of wine by myself, but that's neither here nor there. It's a start :)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Dinner to the tune of glee, or why ketchup + PB is not a bad idea
Yesterday I had two friends over for dinner & Glee and made some simple yet tasty dishes! I made a this pasta dish for a main course. A certain husband of mine, who will remain anonymous, said that peanut butter mixed with ketchup sounded gross and would have no part in the creation or consumption of this dish. He missed out--it was quite delish! I used natural chunky peanut butter and garnished it with cilantro, though the recipe suggested garnishing it with cheddar and red peppers. Cheese + PB + ketchup sounds a little weird, even for me.
We rounded out the meal with baked beets and sweet potatoes:
chop 3 beets and 2-3 sweet potatoes into ~1" cubes, douse with 1/4c EVOO & enough veg stock to cover the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and rosemary. Toss. Bake for 1h at 400 degrees, or until the beets can be poked through with a fork.
And sauteed beet greens:
saute 3 cloves sliced garlic and several chopt beet stems in 1T EVOO. Fill pan with clean (not necessarily dry) beet greens. Cover until the greens cook down a little. Cook until the greens are tender. Add some salt and balsamic vinegar.
The meal ended with two AMAZING desserts: Sarah's apple tart (apparently just flattened pie dough, apricot jam, sliced aples) and cupcakes from Georgetown cupcakes (apparently featured on TV) courtesy of Kate!
I wish I had taken pictures of all this deliciousness. At least I found my camera recently--in a shoe box along with my wedding shoes and my stunna shades. Who knows what possessed me to store my camera there? No idea. So, I will treat you all to a picture of Dapper Dan menacing us all from inside a soda box.
Also, here is a picture of my beets before I chopped them up to roast. Isn't the inside pretty? These beets were more savory than regular beets, less sweet. I made borscht with this kind, too, and it had a very different flavor--also good, but more like celery and less like carrots.
We rounded out the meal with baked beets and sweet potatoes:
chop 3 beets and 2-3 sweet potatoes into ~1" cubes, douse with 1/4c EVOO & enough veg stock to cover the bottom of the pan, sprinkle with salt, black pepper, and rosemary. Toss. Bake for 1h at 400 degrees, or until the beets can be poked through with a fork.
And sauteed beet greens:
saute 3 cloves sliced garlic and several chopt beet stems in 1T EVOO. Fill pan with clean (not necessarily dry) beet greens. Cover until the greens cook down a little. Cook until the greens are tender. Add some salt and balsamic vinegar.
The meal ended with two AMAZING desserts: Sarah's apple tart (apparently just flattened pie dough, apricot jam, sliced aples) and cupcakes from Georgetown cupcakes (apparently featured on TV) courtesy of Kate!
I wish I had taken pictures of all this deliciousness. At least I found my camera recently--in a shoe box along with my wedding shoes and my stunna shades. Who knows what possessed me to store my camera there? No idea. So, I will treat you all to a picture of Dapper Dan menacing us all from inside a soda box.
Also, here is a picture of my beets before I chopped them up to roast. Isn't the inside pretty? These beets were more savory than regular beets, less sweet. I made borscht with this kind, too, and it had a very different flavor--also good, but more like celery and less like carrots.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Checkerboard Cake
This week, in celebration of a friend's bday, I tried my hand at the checkerboard cake. I found this treasure of a cake pan set at a yard sale a few weeks back and have been eager to try it ever since. The front of the box has this adorable 1980s home scene of a blonde housewife handing a piece of cake to her very excited, backward-hat-wearing son. Totally inspirational for baking.
The cake turned out SO well and I had enough batter left over to make cupcakes for Amanda & Dave's visit this Friday. As per Amanda's request, I'm posting the frosting recipe here. It was, perhaps, better than the cake!! The recipe supposedly makes enough frosting for a 3-layer cake, but that's really only true if you prefer cake to frosting. If you prefer frosting to cake, I'd recommend doing 1+1/3 recipe (all ingredients are measured in multiples of 3, so this is simple.) 1 recipe makes enough frosting for ~12 cupcakes.
Chocolate Butter Icing (adapted from "Bake King" Checkerboard Cake Set)
Melt 3 oz baking chocolate.
Sift 3c confectioners' sugar.
Heat 6T milk to boiling (~1:45 in microwave), pour immediately into confectioner's sugar, and beat until smooth.
Add melted chocolate and cool to lukewarm.
Add 6T softened butter and beat until creamy.
Beat in a dash of salt and 1t vanilla.
Eat a spoonful
then, spread immediately.
The cake turned out SO well and I had enough batter left over to make cupcakes for Amanda & Dave's visit this Friday. As per Amanda's request, I'm posting the frosting recipe here. It was, perhaps, better than the cake!! The recipe supposedly makes enough frosting for a 3-layer cake, but that's really only true if you prefer cake to frosting. If you prefer frosting to cake, I'd recommend doing 1+1/3 recipe (all ingredients are measured in multiples of 3, so this is simple.) 1 recipe makes enough frosting for ~12 cupcakes.
Chocolate Butter Icing (adapted from "Bake King" Checkerboard Cake Set)
Melt 3 oz baking chocolate.
Sift 3c confectioners' sugar.
Heat 6T milk to boiling (~1:45 in microwave), pour immediately into confectioner's sugar, and beat until smooth.
Add melted chocolate and cool to lukewarm.
Add 6T softened butter and beat until creamy.
Beat in a dash of salt and 1t vanilla.
Eat a spoonful
then, spread immediately.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Armenian Lentil and Apricot Soup
Adapted from "Please to the Table," a Russian/Former Soviet Union cookbook. I love this soup--takes on a beautiful red color if you use red lentils and a warm golden brown if you use brown. Mom used to make it years ago and now I make it for some variation in my usually savory bean dishes. I'm posting it for Michael's benefit, as he won't have a meal plan this year (horror!) but will have a slow cooker.
Saute 1 chopt onion, 2 chopt cloves of garlic, and 1/3c chopt dried apricots in 3T EVOO.
Pour this mixture into your slow cooker along with 1.5c washed dried lentils (red is preferred, but brown will do), 5c veg stock, .5t cumin, .5t thyme, salt, and black pepper to taste.
Set the slow cooker to lo for 8h. After about 5-6h, add 3 med plum tomatoes (peeled, seeded & chopt--using canned tomatoes saves you some work).
At the end of the cooking time, remove half of the soup and puree in a food processor or blender. Return to the rest of the soup and season w/ 2T lemon juice. Simmer for a few minutes and serve. Top with parsley and/or sour cream.
Saute 1 chopt onion, 2 chopt cloves of garlic, and 1/3c chopt dried apricots in 3T EVOO.
Pour this mixture into your slow cooker along with 1.5c washed dried lentils (red is preferred, but brown will do), 5c veg stock, .5t cumin, .5t thyme, salt, and black pepper to taste.
Set the slow cooker to lo for 8h. After about 5-6h, add 3 med plum tomatoes (peeled, seeded & chopt--using canned tomatoes saves you some work).
At the end of the cooking time, remove half of the soup and puree in a food processor or blender. Return to the rest of the soup and season w/ 2T lemon juice. Simmer for a few minutes and serve. Top with parsley and/or sour cream.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Mango Lassi
Another Joy of Cooking Joy!
Place in blender:
10 ice cubes
1.5-2c yogurt (I used plain skim)
1 chopt mango
2T sugar
Blend. Divide into two chilled beer glasses over ice.
Do not chop the mango on a chopping board that you just used to dice a large red onion.
Place in blender:
10 ice cubes
1.5-2c yogurt (I used plain skim)
1 chopt mango
2T sugar
Blend. Divide into two chilled beer glasses over ice.
Do not chop the mango on a chopping board that you just used to dice a large red onion.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Naan
I finally tried to make naan (continuing my Indian food spree) and found it to be surprisingly easy.
Place 2c bread flour, 1/2t salt, 1 1/8t active dry yeast (I used bread machine yeast), 3/4c yogurt (or buttermilk), 2T melted butter, 1t-1T+ water (I needed almost 2T) in the bread machine bowl. Use the small dough setting.
Place pizza stone (or upsidedown, heavy cookie sheet) in oven and preheat for 45 min on 475. When the dough finishes, punch down dough and divide into 4 pieces. Roll into balls, cover, and let rest for 10 min.
Roll each ball f dough on a floured surface into an oval ~1/4" thick. Brush the tops with 1-2T melted butter or olive oil. Place ovals on baking stone without touching and cook until each is puffy and just beginning to turn golden (6-7 min).
Next time I think I'll try garlic naan.
Place 2c bread flour, 1/2t salt, 1 1/8t active dry yeast (I used bread machine yeast), 3/4c yogurt (or buttermilk), 2T melted butter, 1t-1T+ water (I needed almost 2T) in the bread machine bowl. Use the small dough setting.
Place pizza stone (or upsidedown, heavy cookie sheet) in oven and preheat for 45 min on 475. When the dough finishes, punch down dough and divide into 4 pieces. Roll into balls, cover, and let rest for 10 min.
Roll each ball f dough on a floured surface into an oval ~1/4" thick. Brush the tops with 1-2T melted butter or olive oil. Place ovals on baking stone without touching and cook until each is puffy and just beginning to turn golden (6-7 min).
Next time I think I'll try garlic naan.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Simple casserole
More lean stuff. I found oil- and egg-free pasta spirals (flaxseed and whole wheat flours). Boiled maybe 1 cup dry spirals with 1/2 vidalia onion. Meanwhile steamed swiss chard. Rinsed the cooked noodles/onions and spread them in a casserole pan. Mixed in the cooked chard and a can of diced tomatoes. Added a fair amount of black pepper and then 3 oz. or so of veg. stock to keep the noodles from drying out. Sprinkled ground flaxseed on top. Baked at 350 for 1/2 hour. Not exciting but ok.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Butternut Squash, Chickpea, Lentil etc Soup
Throw into heavy pot for the day (or, ideally, a slow cooker) and serve:
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dried chickpeas
- 2 1/2 pounds kabocha squash, (see Note) or butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 cup red lentils
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron, (see Note)
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
- 1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Monday, August 2, 2010
White peaches!
Glorious white peaches! Suzanne found a halibut recipe in the Post (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2010/07/28/five-spice-rubbed-halibut-peach-ginger-relish/) with a peach relish. I dutifully eliminated the fat and made it as follows: I cooked the peach dice to provide liquid in the pan. I minced the ginger root and added it, likewise the onion. I forgot the vinegar but added a little diced jalapeno. It was lovely on top of the halibut, which I simply poached in vegetable stock.
Ingredients:
For the relish- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, cut into small dice (2/3 cup)
- 1 teaspoon grated or minced peeled ginger root
- 2 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon water, for serving (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- Two 4-to-6-ounce skinless halibut fillets
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the grill rack
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives (from several long stems), for garnish
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Going Lean with . . . tofu, eggplant, & pepper
Another effort to cut back on olive oil: The trick is probably the convection oven.
Halve two eggplant and score as much as the flesh as possible into small dice, leaving it all in the skin. Same for a vidalia onion. Wash and remove stem and core from two red peppers. Roast them all in a convection over for an hour or so at 350. They'll get crispy brown. It's the crisp that makes the dish.
Scrape the dice into a roasting pan with a box of diced tofu. If you have leftover teriyaki marinade from salmon, pour that in. Mince two garlic and about 1/2 " of jalapeno and put into a small cup. Add rice vinegar and soy (as much as 1/2 c. total if you didn't have teryaki marinade) so that you can mix and distribute the garlic and jalapeno among the tofu and vegetables. Roast this for maybe 20 min at 350, regular oven.
Halve two eggplant and score as much as the flesh as possible into small dice, leaving it all in the skin. Same for a vidalia onion. Wash and remove stem and core from two red peppers. Roast them all in a convection over for an hour or so at 350. They'll get crispy brown. It's the crisp that makes the dish.
Scrape the dice into a roasting pan with a box of diced tofu. If you have leftover teriyaki marinade from salmon, pour that in. Mince two garlic and about 1/2 " of jalapeno and put into a small cup. Add rice vinegar and soy (as much as 1/2 c. total if you didn't have teryaki marinade) so that you can mix and distribute the garlic and jalapeno among the tofu and vegetables. Roast this for maybe 20 min at 350, regular oven.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Hummus, again!
Soak, then boil in veg stock til soft, 3/4 c. dried chickpeas. Drain. (Reserve stock in case you want to lighten the hummus.)
Process with 1/3 c tahini, 1 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 t. sweet paprika, juice of 1 1/2 lemons, 4 minced cloves of garlic, about 1/4" of a jalapeno, minced, 1 t. cumin, and 1T. or more sherry vinegar.
Process with 1/3 c tahini, 1 1/2 t. salt, 1/4 t. sweet paprika, juice of 1 1/2 lemons, 4 minced cloves of garlic, about 1/4" of a jalapeno, minced, 1 t. cumin, and 1T. or more sherry vinegar.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Going Lean with Quinoa
I'm trying to reduce the amount of olive oil I use in cooking, so as better to follow the mandate of a book Anne recommended to Reeves. To this end I adapted a back-o'-the-box recipe from Ancient Harvest Inca Red Quinoa, making 4 substantial (or 6 medium) servings:
Halve, clean out somewhat (save the innards) and roast 2 (or 3) big tomatoes - - in 450 degree oven for 15 min.
Mince and saute 1 big shallot (or 2 med) in minimal oil until soft; use 2 qt.+ saucepan.
Boil 2 c. veg stock with 1 c. quinoa and the tomato innards until the stock is absorbed. Transfer quinoa to saucepan and let it saute with the shallot. (The recipe called for 1/2 lb crimini mushrooms to be sauteed first.) When it starts to stick a bit to pan, add 1/4 c. marsala wine (can get this as cooking wine; alternatively, could use strong red or port). Add 1 T. soy sauce (recipe called for 2 T. Tamari). Stir in 1/2 t. crushed fennel seed and 1 t. basil. (I used 1/2 c fresh basil from the windowbox.)
Top the tomatoes with the mixture.
Halve, clean out somewhat (save the innards) and roast 2 (or 3) big tomatoes - - in 450 degree oven for 15 min.
Mince and saute 1 big shallot (or 2 med) in minimal oil until soft; use 2 qt.+ saucepan.
Boil 2 c. veg stock with 1 c. quinoa and the tomato innards until the stock is absorbed. Transfer quinoa to saucepan and let it saute with the shallot. (The recipe called for 1/2 lb crimini mushrooms to be sauteed first.) When it starts to stick a bit to pan, add 1/4 c. marsala wine (can get this as cooking wine; alternatively, could use strong red or port). Add 1 T. soy sauce (recipe called for 2 T. Tamari). Stir in 1/2 t. crushed fennel seed and 1 t. basil. (I used 1/2 c fresh basil from the windowbox.)
Top the tomatoes with the mixture.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Our 200th! Cabbage Chez Panisse
Suzanne and I collaborated on this one for last night's dinner, courtesy of the book Jody gave me. We both independently thought of cloves as a worthy addition; the allspice was a substitute for that brainstorm. I made it in my biggest skillet.
Thinly slice an onion and sautee it in roasted almond oil for 3 - 5 min.
Core and thinly slice a head of red cabbage and add it to the pan. Add 2 T. sherry vinegar, 1/2 cup water, pepper (& salt) if desired and cook covered for 20 min. Core and thinly slice an apple; add it to the pan and cook for 5 more min. We also added 3 ground allspice. Michael suggested topping with roasted sesame seeds.
The tastes were pretty subtle. We may have had a cabbage head bigger than the one intended for the recipe. I thought it was a nice treatment of the cabbage. There's another recipe for slaw in the book using roughly the same ingredients that I'd like to try.
Thinly slice an onion and sautee it in roasted almond oil for 3 - 5 min.
Core and thinly slice a head of red cabbage and add it to the pan. Add 2 T. sherry vinegar, 1/2 cup water, pepper (& salt) if desired and cook covered for 20 min. Core and thinly slice an apple; add it to the pan and cook for 5 more min. We also added 3 ground allspice. Michael suggested topping with roasted sesame seeds.
The tastes were pretty subtle. We may have had a cabbage head bigger than the one intended for the recipe. I thought it was a nice treatment of the cabbage. There's another recipe for slaw in the book using roughly the same ingredients that I'd like to try.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Shortcuts :) :) :)
I am at heart impatient and lazy, and therefore I love shortcuts. Yesterday's thrill: the menu was halibut in a bag (the yogurt marinade) and Jody's sweet potato baked chips. I realized (it certainly took me long enough) that they have many ingredients in common. Into the FP, then, went 6 fat cloves of garlic and half a jalapeno. Gave it a twirl. Then added 1 t. pepper (maybe), 1/2 t. salt (maybe), 1 t. cayenne (maybe) and 1/2 c. olive oil, twirled again. Split the resulting slush in half: half into the bag with the 1 c. yogurt for the halibut. Remaining half stayed in the FP. Switched to the slicing blade and sliced appropriately sized chunks of peeled sweet potato. Used the forcer tube thingy to move the SPs past the blade as quickly as possible in the hopes of getting reasonably thick chips. It worked really well.
To top it off, I think I have successfully used a USB stick to make a one or two (well, maybe 5, but at least not 100) touch transfer of about 80 documents from my laptop to my desktop.
And then I happily reflected on how last year's wave petunias have evidently self-seeded in the window box.
Now if I could only discover a short cut for playing piano. Yuliya says there are none.
To top it off, I think I have successfully used a USB stick to make a one or two (well, maybe 5, but at least not 100) touch transfer of about 80 documents from my laptop to my desktop.
And then I happily reflected on how last year's wave petunias have evidently self-seeded in the window box.
Now if I could only discover a short cut for playing piano. Yuliya says there are none.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Neatloaf
I just made this tasty tasty neatloaf, aka vegetarian meatloaf. It was amaaaaaazing! Michael says it could pass for "the type of cheap meat loaf where you can't really tell what type of meat is in there." I think it was far superior fare.
The recipe was inspired by the neatloaf served at Ananda Fuara, a vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco that I love. This group (cult?) cooks communally and all of the waiters at the restaurant have a creepy vacant look. They make fantastic food, however, so can't be doing all bad.
The only thing I would change next time is to replace at least half the ketchup in the sauce with no-salt added tomato sauce, as the sauce was too salty. Also, I replaced the special K with raisin bran sans raisins (as raisin bran was on sale and special K was not). Now the remaining 1/4 of a box has two scoops of raisins in it--breakfast promises to be a very healthy meal this week.
I served it with rice made with veggie sauce.
The recipe was inspired by the neatloaf served at Ananda Fuara, a vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco that I love. This group (cult?) cooks communally and all of the waiters at the restaurant have a creepy vacant look. They make fantastic food, however, so can't be doing all bad.
The only thing I would change next time is to replace at least half the ketchup in the sauce with no-salt added tomato sauce, as the sauce was too salty. Also, I replaced the special K with raisin bran sans raisins (as raisin bran was on sale and special K was not). Now the remaining 1/4 of a box has two scoops of raisins in it--breakfast promises to be a very healthy meal this week.
I served it with rice made with veggie sauce.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Souffle cupcakes
This weekend was Michael's bday. To celebrate, I made a combination dish of two of our favorite desserts: chocolate souffle and cupakes! These chocolate souffle cupcakes with mint cream was found on smitten kitchen, my favorite food-porno blog. I followed the recipe nearly to the letter and wouldn't change a thing.
Also on the menu: homemade pizza! We had too many guests to have a sit down dinner, so just asked people to bring some toppings and assembled pizzas together. Sooooo tasty. My favorite was probably the simplest, that just used every type of cheese in our kitchen in excess.
Also on the menu: homemade pizza! We had too many guests to have a sit down dinner, so just asked people to bring some toppings and assembled pizzas together. Sooooo tasty. My favorite was probably the simplest, that just used every type of cheese in our kitchen in excess.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Fennel and Red Pepper salad with Sherry Vinegar dressing
This was in the Post Food Section a few weeks ago:
First use the chop blade in the FP on about 2 T. cilantro. (The recipe called for parsley.) Then switch to the slicing blade. Take 1 fat fennel bulb and quarter it with vertical slices so that it goes into the food processor heads-up. Slice. Likewise slice the red pepper. The very thin slices let the juices blend nicely.
For the dressing whiz 2 T. lemon juice, 1 T. sherry vinegar, 1 clove minced garlic and 2 - 4 T. olive oil.
Use lettuce on the bottom of the plates. Add the vegetables. Top that with shaved parmesan then add the dressing.
First use the chop blade in the FP on about 2 T. cilantro. (The recipe called for parsley.) Then switch to the slicing blade. Take 1 fat fennel bulb and quarter it with vertical slices so that it goes into the food processor heads-up. Slice. Likewise slice the red pepper. The very thin slices let the juices blend nicely.
For the dressing whiz 2 T. lemon juice, 1 T. sherry vinegar, 1 clove minced garlic and 2 - 4 T. olive oil.
Use lettuce on the bottom of the plates. Add the vegetables. Top that with shaved parmesan then add the dressing.
Monday, June 14, 2010
hummus
I was out of hummus tonight, and I needed some for leek pie. I did have leftover Moorish stew, though, so I scooped out some (maybe 1 cup) of the chickpeas, added the juice of a very big lemon, poured on a lot of tahini (maybe 3 or 4 T.), added 2 cloves of garlic, and poured in maybe 2 T. of almond oil. It was very sweet from all the tahini, and delicious. The sherry vinegar comes through nicely.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
So here is the rhubarb trifle I had at the Orangeriet, housed in an old guardhouse along the edge of the King's Garden at Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen. I had a similar dessert, likewise in a ball jar, at Les Trois Cochons in Vesterbro. It has crumbled macaroons in it, and a meringue, and a sort of frozen yogurt. Heavenly.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
I made a strawberry rhubarb pie for a dinner party I had last night and it turned out beautifully! I've never cooked with rhubarb before. I went to the farmer's market planning to find some fruit and bake it into a crisp. I came across some luscious strawberries at the booth of some marvelously grizzled old men from the Eastern shore. These beauties just happened to be sitting right next to bunches of rhubarb, so I decided to try my luck. I chose relatively thin and tender rhubarb. I adapted Joy of Cooking's strawberry rhubarb pie recipe with their buttery crust recipe.
Preheat oven to 425.
Filling:
Without peeling, cut 1 bunch (2-2.5c) rhubarb stalks into 1" pieces.
Add 2.5c strawberries, hulled & halved lengthwise.
Mix with 2/3-1c sugar, 1/4c cornstarch, and 1/4t salt.
Let stand for 15 min, stirring once.
(I used 2/3c sugar and 2c rhubarb)
Pie assembly:
Pour filling into pie.
DOT TOP WITH 2T BUTTER.
(I always forget this step. Seriously. This is one reason I always do the lattice crust, because if necessary you can shove in the butter at the last minute. See below.)
I chose a lattice crust. This seems more difficult than a basic, contiguous pie crust, but is far more forgiving on a weak/breaking crust and looks gorgeous. Lightly brush the top of the pie with milk or cream.
Cook for 30 minutes at 425, then lower the oven temp to 350 and cook for another 25-30 minutes until the juices are thick and bubbling.
Serve with vanilla ice cream. Yum!
Preheat oven to 425.
Filling:
Without peeling, cut 1 bunch (2-2.5c) rhubarb stalks into 1" pieces.
Add 2.5c strawberries, hulled & halved lengthwise.
Mix with 2/3-1c sugar, 1/4c cornstarch, and 1/4t salt.
Let stand for 15 min, stirring once.
(I used 2/3c sugar and 2c rhubarb)
Pie assembly:
Pour filling into pie.
DOT TOP WITH 2T BUTTER.
(I always forget this step. Seriously. This is one reason I always do the lattice crust, because if necessary you can shove in the butter at the last minute. See below.)
I chose a lattice crust. This seems more difficult than a basic, contiguous pie crust, but is far more forgiving on a weak/breaking crust and looks gorgeous. Lightly brush the top of the pie with milk or cream.
Cook for 30 minutes at 425, then lower the oven temp to 350 and cook for another 25-30 minutes until the juices are thick and bubbling.
Serve with vanilla ice cream. Yum!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Indian Feast
In celebration of Thursday, I made an Indian feast today! These two recipes are adaptations from The Taste Divine, a wonderful Indian cookbook Jo gave me (and that has appeared several times on this blog before.) We have very few leftovers.
Siddhi/Chickpea Curry/Chana Masala
Saute 1 chopt jalapeno chili, 1/2 chopt onion in 2T oil. Add 1.5t turmeric, 1.5t cumin, 1/4t cinnamon, 1/4t cloves, 1/4t cardamom, 2T grated ginger, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant.
Meanwhile, place 3c chickpeas, 1 can tomatoes, and 2 bay leaves in the slow cooker (I'm sure this would work fine in a big pot, too). Cook on lo for 6 hours. At the end, stir in 1T sugar and 1t salt. Enjoy with rice!
Anaandi/Spicy Spinach Saute/Saag
Saute 1 chopt jalapeno chili, 1/2 chopt onion in 2T oil. When they start to soften, add 1/2t cumin and ~1t mustard (1/2t black mustard seeds were recommended, but I do not have those). Let it sputter and then add 1/2 can petit diced tomatoes. Stir in 1/2t turmeric, 1/2t salt, and 6 cups fresh spinach. Steam until spinach is soft and then mash it with a fork. Enjoy with rice and the chickpeas!
Above: Saag with rice and skewered salmon
Siddhi/Chickpea Curry/Chana Masala
Saute 1 chopt jalapeno chili, 1/2 chopt onion in 2T oil. Add 1.5t turmeric, 1.5t cumin, 1/4t cinnamon, 1/4t cloves, 1/4t cardamom, 2T grated ginger, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant.
Meanwhile, place 3c chickpeas, 1 can tomatoes, and 2 bay leaves in the slow cooker (I'm sure this would work fine in a big pot, too). Cook on lo for 6 hours. At the end, stir in 1T sugar and 1t salt. Enjoy with rice!
Anaandi/Spicy Spinach Saute/Saag
Saute 1 chopt jalapeno chili, 1/2 chopt onion in 2T oil. When they start to soften, add 1/2t cumin and ~1t mustard (1/2t black mustard seeds were recommended, but I do not have those). Let it sputter and then add 1/2 can petit diced tomatoes. Stir in 1/2t turmeric, 1/2t salt, and 6 cups fresh spinach. Steam until spinach is soft and then mash it with a fork. Enjoy with rice and the chickpeas!
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Oyamel Restaurant - Jose Andres yet again
We couldn't get a reservation Monday night at Cafe Atlantico, so Reeves booked us at nearby Oyamel (thinking it was a restaurant we'd taken the Taylors to a few years back). It's cocina Mexicana, with a lot of exotica: sauteed grasshoppers (we skipped that), pollo mole poblano, wahoo ceviche, fruit soup, and on and on. Jose's website (http://www.josemadeinspain.com/recipes.htm) didn't give any mole recipes. But he does give his take on the tomato/eggplant/pepper/onion roast which I do in what Suzanne has renamed "puree": he tears the roasted vegetables into large shreds and douses them with sherry vinegar, which is the ingredient so central to his Moorish stew.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Homemade pierogi and tomato dill sauce
Remember how we used to always make Mrs. T's pierogis? Carolyn over at 'Chefski Digest posted this recipe for homemade pierogis. I tried them out this week and they turned out really well! I would use 3 potatoes next time rather than four, as I ended up with plenty of extra filling (though the filling stands on its own as tasty mashed potatoes.) I them with white pepper. Also, I made a tasty sauce by heating minced garlic, 1 can tomato sauce, a big spoonful of sour cream, and plenty of chopped dill on the stove. These took quite a mile to make, so I don't think they'll make it into the regular rotation, but maybe for a Russian/Eastern European-themed dinner sometime in the future??
Thanks for the inspiration, Carolyn!
Thanks for the inspiration, Carolyn!
Friday, May 7, 2010
Jazzed up broccoli
I usually microwave my broccoli, but today I wanted something better. I came home after working for 16 hours, covering dawn and dusk, and felt I deserved something tasty. But it needed to be fast. The dish tastes vaguely Asian, and would probably be great (and even more Asian-tasting) with peanuts and tofu.
Saute medium broccoli florets and garlic slices in EVOO on medium. Add a splash of red wine when they are almost finished cooking. Season with red pepper flakes.
Scarf down ravenously with a veggie burger and a beer.
Saute medium broccoli florets and garlic slices in EVOO on medium. Add a splash of red wine when they are almost finished cooking. Season with red pepper flakes.
Scarf down ravenously with a veggie burger and a beer.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Pasta w/ chard & "sausage" sauce
I wasn't originally going to post this b/c the recipe is very simple and by no means ground breaking. It was just so tasty, though, that I felt I ought to share it!
Boil water and add salt and whole wheat pasta (I used penne, but I bet soba noodles would taste good, too).
Saute 1/2 onion (chopt), 1 lg clove garlic (sliced), 1 veggie chorizo sausage (sliced) in EVOO. When the sausage is browned and the onions are soft, add a bunch of chopt chard. When the chard has cooked down some, add 1/2 can chopt tomatoes and some balsamic vinegar. Season with oregano, rosemary, basil, and red pepper flakes (I added dried oregano and rosemary to the pan and put chiffonaded basil on top of the completed dish). Allow the sauce to simmer while the pasta cooks. This was >10 min for me. I initially wanted the sauce to be relatively raw, with barely softened onions and nearly fresh chard, but I think the long simmering time allowed the flavors to mature and mingle.
Top with crumbled feta cheese. Possibly for the first time in my life, I do not recommend hot sauce. Eat while watching TV alone and then promptly fall asleep.
Boil water and add salt and whole wheat pasta (I used penne, but I bet soba noodles would taste good, too).
Saute 1/2 onion (chopt), 1 lg clove garlic (sliced), 1 veggie chorizo sausage (sliced) in EVOO. When the sausage is browned and the onions are soft, add a bunch of chopt chard. When the chard has cooked down some, add 1/2 can chopt tomatoes and some balsamic vinegar. Season with oregano, rosemary, basil, and red pepper flakes (I added dried oregano and rosemary to the pan and put chiffonaded basil on top of the completed dish). Allow the sauce to simmer while the pasta cooks. This was >10 min for me. I initially wanted the sauce to be relatively raw, with barely softened onions and nearly fresh chard, but I think the long simmering time allowed the flavors to mature and mingle.
Top with crumbled feta cheese. Possibly for the first time in my life, I do not recommend hot sauce. Eat while watching TV alone and then promptly fall asleep.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Vindaloo Veggies
I've tried making all kinds of Indian dishes this year. Surprisingly, this one adapted from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, a non-Indian book, has been the best! I think it would be really easy to adapt to the stovetop--just simmer on the stovetop ~30 min rather than using the slow cooker. The vindaloo sauce could really be used with any combination of veggies or, dare I saw it, meat, as well.
Stir together 1T oil, 1T minced ginger, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1t lt brown sugar, 1t ground coriander, 1/2t ground cumin, squirt of mustard (or 1/2t dry mustard), 3/4t cayenne, 1/2t turmeric, 1T white vinegar.
Heat 1T oil in skillet over med hi heat. Add 1 lg yellow onion chopt and 2 thinly sliced small carrots and cover. Cook until veggies are soft.
Transfer onions and carrots to slow cooker and turn it on lo. Add spice paste & cook, stirring, ~1 min.
Add ~2 handfuls pepper slices (or 1 sliced pepper), ~2c cauliflower florets (~1/2 cauliflower), 2 partially cooked diced potatoes (~5 min in microwave), 1.5c kidney beans (.5c dry or 1 15.5 oz can), 1/2c green peas, 1 lg can tomato sauce (~1.75c). Season w/ salt 'n' pepper.
Cook 6h on low.
I ate it with a rice pilaf similar to the one I described in my recent post about California--onion, raisin, diced tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, (just a dash) of white pepper, and salt. I made a cauliflower, tofu, and green bean curry the night before, so I've been having the three dishes together all week. Mmmmmmm.
Stir together 1T oil, 1T minced ginger, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1t lt brown sugar, 1t ground coriander, 1/2t ground cumin, squirt of mustard (or 1/2t dry mustard), 3/4t cayenne, 1/2t turmeric, 1T white vinegar.
Heat 1T oil in skillet over med hi heat. Add 1 lg yellow onion chopt and 2 thinly sliced small carrots and cover. Cook until veggies are soft.
Transfer onions and carrots to slow cooker and turn it on lo. Add spice paste & cook, stirring, ~1 min.
Add ~2 handfuls pepper slices (or 1 sliced pepper), ~2c cauliflower florets (~1/2 cauliflower), 2 partially cooked diced potatoes (~5 min in microwave), 1.5c kidney beans (.5c dry or 1 15.5 oz can), 1/2c green peas, 1 lg can tomato sauce (~1.75c). Season w/ salt 'n' pepper.
Cook 6h on low.
I ate it with a rice pilaf similar to the one I described in my recent post about California--onion, raisin, diced tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, (just a dash) of white pepper, and salt. I made a cauliflower, tofu, and green bean curry the night before, so I've been having the three dishes together all week. Mmmmmmm.
Serendipitous asparagus
I was making Jody's sweet potato recipe last night, working on the island right next to the tough ends of asparagus that I'd left there in the morning, when I remembered that we had eaten roasted or broiled asparagus at JoLe in Calistoga. I threw the asparagus onto the tray and dressed them with the oil/garlic/jalapeno/paprika/pepper/salt mix. They cooked up soft and delicious on the inside, and the spicy dressing was delicious!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
A belated post on a Yay Area feast feat. rice pilaf
I apologize for not posting for so long. I also apologize for the fact that about half of our entries seem to start this way! My schedule's been rather unpredictable since starting my surgery clerkship, so I've mostly been rocking my slow cooker and old-standby recipes. I typically make a big pot of beans or a casserole on Sunday night and then chip away at it all week so I don't need to cook on the weekdays.
I was looking through my photos from my wonderful spring break trip to California today when I found this one and remembered the delicious feast we made and shared with our cousin, Amy. We made butternut squash with chick peas, a raw kale salad on frise, a rice pilaf, and a leek tart. Most, if not all, of the produce we used was from Jody's farm box. It amazed me--in March, when One Straw Farm (the source of my farm box) still has frozen fields, she was getting pistachios, apples, squash, frise, you name it! I suppose that's what you get for living in California.
Rice Pilaf
Saute 1 chopt onion and 1 generous handful of raisins in EVOO (or a nut oil)
Once the onions are soft, add 1.5c short grain brown rice, almost 4c water, and 1 veggie boullion cube. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the rice is cooked (~40 min). Season with cumin, cinnamon, and black pepper. Sprinkle crushed pistachios on top.
Michael and I had the leftovers with the yogurt sauce from the squash dish the next day as a cold picnic--wonderful!
Jody, could you post the recipe from the seared red cabbage we had a different night? I want to make that one as soon as my farm box gets started!
I was looking through my photos from my wonderful spring break trip to California today when I found this one and remembered the delicious feast we made and shared with our cousin, Amy. We made butternut squash with chick peas, a raw kale salad on frise, a rice pilaf, and a leek tart. Most, if not all, of the produce we used was from Jody's farm box. It amazed me--in March, when One Straw Farm (the source of my farm box) still has frozen fields, she was getting pistachios, apples, squash, frise, you name it! I suppose that's what you get for living in California.
Rice Pilaf
Saute 1 chopt onion and 1 generous handful of raisins in EVOO (or a nut oil)
Once the onions are soft, add 1.5c short grain brown rice, almost 4c water, and 1 veggie boullion cube. Bring to a boil, and then simmer until the rice is cooked (~40 min). Season with cumin, cinnamon, and black pepper. Sprinkle crushed pistachios on top.
Michael and I had the leftovers with the yogurt sauce from the squash dish the next day as a cold picnic--wonderful!
Jody, could you post the recipe from the seared red cabbage we had a different night? I want to make that one as soon as my farm box gets started!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Tomato Bean Soup, or Obstinacy is the Mother of Invention
Suzanne came down on Saturday, being able to confirm only on Friday that she would be free to visit. Having done my grocery shopping in DC on Thursday (Wagshal's halibut & salmon, mmmm), I determined to cook on the basis of available ingredients. We did respectably Saturday night, but by Sunday the cupboard was looking bare. The pantry contained canelli beans, canned tomato and soba noodles, and the frig merely a few spring onions and cilantro. The garden is being overtaken by mint. Hence the following meal:
- Canelli beans cooked in vegetable stock, then added to a stew of sauteed onion, tomato, black pepper, basil and thyme, topped with cilantro, and
- soba noodles with canola oil/rice vinegar/salt vinagrette, plus roasted sesame seeds, spring onions and mint.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Scrod with ginger-mango sauce
Cook on low heat, for 1/2 hour, 1/2 mango, diced, 1 large shallot, diced, zest and juice (and some of the pulp) of a large navel orange, juice of small shoot of ginger, squeezed from garlic press, slush of 1/4" slice of jalapeno, squeezed from garlic press, and 1/2 t. balsamic vinegar. Then add 1/2 lb. scrod, increase heat to medium, cover, and cook for maybe 10 min or until fish flakes. Really nice with brown rice pilaf.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Paneforte
This is the recipe from New Zealand which you both have, but I thought it was blog-worthy. I made it today - - and some is on its way to Oakland! Some I served to Yuliya, who came over today in some desperation over her search for a new piano tuner. Alan Weiss's tuner, Richard Lowman, worked on the piano two weeks ago and to my ear it sounds better than it ever has. She came to play our piano and Alan's so that she could have some background on Lowman. Evidently she must hire her own tuner before every concert at AU, and she economizes on tunings, so she won't have the chance to use her next hire in her home prior to her next concert. Nervewracking. I'm not sure how much today's visit helped her, but I think she's considering Lowman.
Anyway, here is the latest iteration of paneforte, bearing the exigencies of the day (no sugar, etc.):
Mix 2/3 c. shredded apricot (this is messy - - I used the shredding blade of the cuisinart, but I think dicing would have worked just as well), 1/3 cup low-sugar dried pineapple dice, 1/3 cup dried ginger dice, 1/2 c. blanched hazelnuts and 1/2 cup roasted almonds. I forgot to add the orange zest! (The New Zealand recipe called for "mixed peel," whatever that is.) To this mixture add a previous mix of 1 1/3 c. flour, 2 tsp cinnamon and 1/3 cocoa. Blend all that. Then take ~6 oz melted baking chocolate - - I use 2/3 of a bar of Sharffen Berger (melts in 1 min 45 sec in the microwave) -- and add 1 c. honey to that, stirring. Probably good to have the honey a bit warm. Stir that mightily into your dry mixture. Don't take any crap from it. I used to use the electric mixer, but you can do it by hand if you are unrelenting. Line a 9 x 9 baking pan with parchment paper and add the mixture. You can wet your hands to spread it out. Have the flaming a-hole of Satan pre-heated t0 390 (I hope that electronic thermometer is working!) and bake for 19 minutes. Take it out when it is no longer moist-looking. Don't wait for it to start pulling away much from the edges, because it burns really quickly.
Anyway, here is the latest iteration of paneforte, bearing the exigencies of the day (no sugar, etc.):
Mix 2/3 c. shredded apricot (this is messy - - I used the shredding blade of the cuisinart, but I think dicing would have worked just as well), 1/3 cup low-sugar dried pineapple dice, 1/3 cup dried ginger dice, 1/2 c. blanched hazelnuts and 1/2 cup roasted almonds. I forgot to add the orange zest! (The New Zealand recipe called for "mixed peel," whatever that is.) To this mixture add a previous mix of 1 1/3 c. flour, 2 tsp cinnamon and 1/3 cocoa. Blend all that. Then take ~6 oz melted baking chocolate - - I use 2/3 of a bar of Sharffen Berger (melts in 1 min 45 sec in the microwave) -- and add 1 c. honey to that, stirring. Probably good to have the honey a bit warm. Stir that mightily into your dry mixture. Don't take any crap from it. I used to use the electric mixer, but you can do it by hand if you are unrelenting. Line a 9 x 9 baking pan with parchment paper and add the mixture. You can wet your hands to spread it out. Have the flaming a-hole of Satan pre-heated t0 390 (I hope that electronic thermometer is working!) and bake for 19 minutes. Take it out when it is no longer moist-looking. Don't wait for it to start pulling away much from the edges, because it burns really quickly.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
I finally figured out mashed potatoes
Mashed potatoes is one of those dishes that I had never been able to figure out. They seem so easy but getting the perfect texture and flavor have always eluded me! This recipe arose out of an effort to finish the perishables in my fridge before leaving for California (!!) where I will get to see my lovely sister and co-blogger and, most likely, eat some fantabulous vegetarian food.
Boil three chopped potatoes with half a bunch of chopped collards
In the mean time, saute 4 cloves cloves of garlic (cut in half) in 1T butter. Remove from pan and chop when done.
When potatoes are soft and the collards have lost their nasty, drain water and begin to smash the whole mixture with a whisk.
Add 2T buttermilk powder, 1/4c warm water, garlic, white pepper, basil, oregano, and salt. Continue mixing with a fork.
Delicious!! I think the secret is ignoring the directions on the back of the dried buttermilk package and doubling the powder to water ratio...
Boil three chopped potatoes with half a bunch of chopped collards
In the mean time, saute 4 cloves cloves of garlic (cut in half) in 1T butter. Remove from pan and chop when done.
When potatoes are soft and the collards have lost their nasty, drain water and begin to smash the whole mixture with a whisk.
Add 2T buttermilk powder, 1/4c warm water, garlic, white pepper, basil, oregano, and salt. Continue mixing with a fork.
Delicious!! I think the secret is ignoring the directions on the back of the dried buttermilk package and doubling the powder to water ratio...
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Roasted butternut squash salad (or: finally, Suzanne posts something healthy)
Ok, one more post. When it rains, it pours, right?
Chop butternut squash into 1/2" cubes. Toss lightly with EVOO, salt, white pepper, and rosemary. Roast at 350 until the cubes are very soft and caramelized, ~30 minutes. Serve over lettuce with toasted sunflower seeds and balsamic vinegar. Great with hot or cooled squash.
This recipe is pretty basic, but it was just so delicious I had to share! It's pictured here with a mole burrito concoction that wasn't very tasty, despite the fact that it allowed chocolate to masquerade as an appropriate entree ingredient.
Chop butternut squash into 1/2" cubes. Toss lightly with EVOO, salt, white pepper, and rosemary. Roast at 350 until the cubes are very soft and caramelized, ~30 minutes. Serve over lettuce with toasted sunflower seeds and balsamic vinegar. Great with hot or cooled squash.
This recipe is pretty basic, but it was just so delicious I had to share! It's pictured here with a mole burrito concoction that wasn't very tasty, despite the fact that it allowed chocolate to masquerade as an appropriate entree ingredient.
Good times with an old friend
Miss Kate came to visit me this evening for some dinner and some much-needed catch-up time. I served her specialty, crack corn dip, as an appetizer (recipe below). I assembled several trays of it during the snow storm and froze it (when you see the recipe, you'll know why I didn't want to eat it all alone.) Since couldn't find/didn't have all of the required ingredients, I improvised with stuff I had in the fridge. I'm writing them both down because I thought they were equally good--it's the type of recipe you can really play around with. In the end, how bad can cheese dip get?
Next we made butternut squash risotto and finished up the meal with some chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars. I used to LOVE a dessert they served like this at Interlochen (yes, something good came out of the cafeteria there) and am so happy I finally recreated it. The ingredients could use some tweaking, depending on your personal taste--I found a few similar ones on about.com that had more sugar and more or less chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal. None of this stuff is healthy (sorry, mom) but at least it's all gluten free!
Crack Corn Dip
1 can mexicorn (green giant) [note: not found at 3 different Baltimore grocery stores!]
1 cup pepperjack
1/2 cup Parmesan
1-2 spoonfuls of mayo
OR
2/3c corn
~3T chopt green peppers
1 spoon adjuka (Russian hot pepper spread--hot pepper flakes would work fine)
~5 slices pickled jalapeno (fresh would work fine)
1c cheddar
1-2 spoonfuls of mayo
Stir everything together in a shallow baking dish, ~8x8--a casserole or cake pan works fine. Bake for 23 min at 400. Serve with chips (tortilla chips work well).
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Boil 1/2c milk (or almond milk, as I used today), 1 stick butter (chopt), scant 1/2c cocoa, and 1.5c sugar for 2 minutes while whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and promptly stir in a generous 2.5c oatmeal (most recipes recommended instant, but regular works fine), a generous 1/2c PB, and 1t vanilla. Spread into a pan (~8x8) and refrigerate or allow to rest at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Next we made butternut squash risotto and finished up the meal with some chocolate peanut butter oatmeal bars. I used to LOVE a dessert they served like this at Interlochen (yes, something good came out of the cafeteria there) and am so happy I finally recreated it. The ingredients could use some tweaking, depending on your personal taste--I found a few similar ones on about.com that had more sugar and more or less chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal. None of this stuff is healthy (sorry, mom) but at least it's all gluten free!
Crack Corn Dip
1 can mexicorn (green giant) [note: not found at 3 different Baltimore grocery stores!]
1 cup pepperjack
1/2 cup Parmesan
1-2 spoonfuls of mayo
OR
2/3c corn
~3T chopt green peppers
1 spoon adjuka (Russian hot pepper spread--hot pepper flakes would work fine)
~5 slices pickled jalapeno (fresh would work fine)
1c cheddar
1-2 spoonfuls of mayo
Stir everything together in a shallow baking dish, ~8x8--a casserole or cake pan works fine. Bake for 23 min at 400. Serve with chips (tortilla chips work well).
No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars
Boil 1/2c milk (or almond milk, as I used today), 1 stick butter (chopt), scant 1/2c cocoa, and 1.5c sugar for 2 minutes while whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and promptly stir in a generous 2.5c oatmeal (most recipes recommended instant, but regular works fine), a generous 1/2c PB, and 1t vanilla. Spread into a pan (~8x8) and refrigerate or allow to rest at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Star studded week
Just a quick update to let you know some exciting goings on around here. Last week I saw two definite celebrities, and one cookbook author (borderline celebrity). I'll start with the cookbook author, since this a cooking blog. I think I've mentioned before that I'm currently in love with my new cookbook - "Vegan Soul Kitchen". The author - Bryant Terry - is an oakland native. Last Sunday he and a spoken word artist and some interpretive dancers put on a performance art/cooking demonstration at La Pena, a cultural center in my neighborhood. It was really fun! Oliver said if they made him dance, he was going to leave, but in the end when they made him dance he was into it :)
The food was also really yummy.
Earlier that day we saw Joshua Bell play violin sonatas with Jeremy Denk. Jeremy Denk has a cool blog about piano: http://jeremydenk.net/blog/ . You should check it out, mom.
Then, on Thursday, I saw Bill Clinton speak! It was really cool. By total luck of the draw I had a great seat. It was in the big performance auditorium at Berkeley. He is a very good extemporaneous speaker, and very charismatic as well. You could tell how he got to be president.
Well, I expect a much calmer week this time around. I have a butternut squash I need to do something with, and some leeks, too. This morning I made pancakes (banana cinnamon hazlenut) for the first time in a long while, and I am re-committing myself to making a delicious breakfast one day on the weekend.
The food was also really yummy.
Earlier that day we saw Joshua Bell play violin sonatas with Jeremy Denk. Jeremy Denk has a cool blog about piano: http://jeremydenk.net/blog/ . You should check it out, mom.
Then, on Thursday, I saw Bill Clinton speak! It was really cool. By total luck of the draw I had a great seat. It was in the big performance auditorium at Berkeley. He is a very good extemporaneous speaker, and very charismatic as well. You could tell how he got to be president.
Well, I expect a much calmer week this time around. I have a butternut squash I need to do something with, and some leeks, too. This morning I made pancakes (banana cinnamon hazlenut) for the first time in a long while, and I am re-committing myself to making a delicious breakfast one day on the weekend.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
the evolution of forks
I just saw that Jody's profile inquires, "Do you believe that forks are evolved from spoons?" She asks us not to joke about evolution. I probably similarly debase science by letting it inspire greasy analogies, but I can't help but answer the question by saying that if there's at least a cartoon positing that the Y chromosome evolved by way of deletions from the X, then maybe we can argue that forks, like little men, evolved from lady spoons.
Yeah, roll your eyes. I'm eating my oatmeal with flax seed (see comment stream on post about the F word).
Yeah, roll your eyes. I'm eating my oatmeal with flax seed (see comment stream on post about the F word).
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Blizzard baking
Something about snow makes me want to bake a lot and, of course, eat a lot. My first project was this tasty ginger cupcake recipe from 101 cookbooks. Yes I know I promised not to wrote more tribute posts, but these were just such a hit! I added about 1/2 cup coconut to the batter and sprinkled more coconut on top. I made extra icing, too, because icing is delicious, but the amount in the recipe is plenty. I shared them with my neighbors on one of the worst days of the storm when we bonded over our cabin fever.
Next, during a fit of post snow pre test anxiety, I whipped up these remarkable peanut butter sandwich cookies from an old wapo christmas cookie food section special. I used fresh bananas rather than dried, which was a mistake. In fact, as much as I love peanut butter on bananas, I'd like to try this recipe with maybe a cinnamon cream cheese filling instead. I would recommend making the cookies smaller than you think you need- keep in mind you'll be eating 2 of them at once. I also tried dipping a few of the extra cookies in ganache, which was fabulous.
Finally (I told you I did a lot of baking!) I tried the joy of cooking oatmeal cookie recipe for my dodgeball team reunion (note: the linked recipe omitted the 1/2c walnuts, a touch I really liked). A little tacky to bring cookies to a restaurant, yes, bit whatever. They were appreciated and I'm posting them as per request of a friend. They are very oatmeally and kept their shape nicely during baking.
Happy baking!! And sorry no gluten free stuff here =(
Next, during a fit of post snow pre test anxiety, I whipped up these remarkable peanut butter sandwich cookies from an old wapo christmas cookie food section special. I used fresh bananas rather than dried, which was a mistake. In fact, as much as I love peanut butter on bananas, I'd like to try this recipe with maybe a cinnamon cream cheese filling instead. I would recommend making the cookies smaller than you think you need- keep in mind you'll be eating 2 of them at once. I also tried dipping a few of the extra cookies in ganache, which was fabulous.
Finally (I told you I did a lot of baking!) I tried the joy of cooking oatmeal cookie recipe for my dodgeball team reunion (note: the linked recipe omitted the 1/2c walnuts, a touch I really liked). A little tacky to bring cookies to a restaurant, yes, bit whatever. They were appreciated and I'm posting them as per request of a friend. They are very oatmeally and kept their shape nicely during baking.
Happy baking!! And sorry no gluten free stuff here =(
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The F Word
is Flax. Suzanne urged a box of ground flaxseed from Walmart on us when we went up to Balto last weekend. Not exactly Moses coming from the mountain and urging the tablets on his people, but close: she had omega-3 in mind, and we take her seriously. So I used flax in biscotti: Fantastic. (Substitute 1/2 c ground flaxseed for flour.) In bread: Fine. In oatmeal: hmnm. Can't think of another f-word (or can I now??), but it was tasty.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Some Valentine's Day Food Porn
I apologize for not having posted for so long--I don't have the excuse of not having teh internets at home, I simply haven't been cooking much lately. Well, I have been cooking, but I haven't made much that's original. I figured that this blog could do without another "omg 101 cookbooks is sooooo good!" post.
My latest cooking adventure was to make a veritable feast with Michael for Valentine's Day. For our first course, we had mom's tasty squash soup with fresh whole grain bread.
For our main course, we had the Barefoot Contessa's spinach pie with her Asian grilled salmon.
For dessert, la piece de resistance, we made chocolate souffle with grand marnier-flavored chocolate sauce. It was to die for! Thankfully, there were leftovers: Michael liked his reheated, but I had mine cold with hot chocolate sauce on top. I liked it better that way than fresh!
My latest cooking adventure was to make a veritable feast with Michael for Valentine's Day. For our first course, we had mom's tasty squash soup with fresh whole grain bread.
For our main course, we had the Barefoot Contessa's spinach pie with her Asian grilled salmon.
For dessert, la piece de resistance, we made chocolate souffle with grand marnier-flavored chocolate sauce. It was to die for! Thankfully, there were leftovers: Michael liked his reheated, but I had mine cold with hot chocolate sauce on top. I liked it better that way than fresh!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
spending yo sweet dolla dolla bills in the yay bay
Holla! Sorry I've been mia. All is good and well in the yay area. We were just without the internets for a couple weeks (our router broke and Oliver and I operate at our own special pace of never getting around to anything (and no Mom, we haven't been back to Ikea (it is highly questionable that this will ever occur))).
Anyways, I'm back! I made an awesome dish tonight (pasta with vegan ricotta and green garlic sauce), but that is not what I am preaching to y'all tonight. No, I would like to tell you what $32 magical dollars (magically charged to Robin's credit card account) will buy you at whole foods. The answer, in short, is pure bliss.
Mom insisted I "test out" the new emergency credit card by buying myself groceries. Instead of doing a sensible grocery trip, I made a late night trip to whole foods. I was drop dead, no dinner, post-spin class hungry, too. I bought all the things I always wanted but haven't tried because they are expensive (okay, not all the things, but many). So what did I buy? Well, I started out with a $3 bottle of kombucha tea with ginger, orange peel and hibiscus infusion. Then I got a blueberry nut food bar. Of course, hummus and babaganoush were purchased (essential vitamins for the Jody species). I also selected an organic zinfandel from Paso Robles. And finally, I went to the salad bar. I rarely do the whole foods salad bar because it is so expensive. And when I do, I pull a Reeves and only buy the light items. Well not this time. I went hog wild (all O-town slang I could think of to describe my actions was too raunchy for this blog). I got micro-greens, sprouts, red cabbage, chives, beets, sunflower seeds, currants, marinated mushrooms, marinated giant beans, roasted red onions, lentils, black quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, grilled tofu and balsamic vinaigrette. It was the most amazing salad EVER. There is probably a lost book of the bible about this salad. It was $11.
I also got toilet paper (anticlimactic, sorry).
In retrospect, that's kind of a lot of stuff for $32. Respect, whole foods.
I promise more recipes and CSA adventures soon. Its good to be back :)
Anyways, I'm back! I made an awesome dish tonight (pasta with vegan ricotta and green garlic sauce), but that is not what I am preaching to y'all tonight. No, I would like to tell you what $32 magical dollars (magically charged to Robin's credit card account) will buy you at whole foods. The answer, in short, is pure bliss.
Mom insisted I "test out" the new emergency credit card by buying myself groceries. Instead of doing a sensible grocery trip, I made a late night trip to whole foods. I was drop dead, no dinner, post-spin class hungry, too. I bought all the things I always wanted but haven't tried because they are expensive (okay, not all the things, but many). So what did I buy? Well, I started out with a $3 bottle of kombucha tea with ginger, orange peel and hibiscus infusion. Then I got a blueberry nut food bar. Of course, hummus and babaganoush were purchased (essential vitamins for the Jody species). I also selected an organic zinfandel from Paso Robles. And finally, I went to the salad bar. I rarely do the whole foods salad bar because it is so expensive. And when I do, I pull a Reeves and only buy the light items. Well not this time. I went hog wild (all O-town slang I could think of to describe my actions was too raunchy for this blog). I got micro-greens, sprouts, red cabbage, chives, beets, sunflower seeds, currants, marinated mushrooms, marinated giant beans, roasted red onions, lentils, black quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, grilled tofu and balsamic vinaigrette. It was the most amazing salad EVER. There is probably a lost book of the bible about this salad. It was $11.
I also got toilet paper (anticlimactic, sorry).
In retrospect, that's kind of a lot of stuff for $32. Respect, whole foods.
I promise more recipes and CSA adventures soon. Its good to be back :)
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Palak Daal
More from 101 cookbooks (of course!) I made this recipe for palak daal (lentils w/ spinach) tonight. It was pretty good, but I think next time I'd make it with less water (4c), add the spinach about midway through the cooking, and add a chopt onion. In this run, I added more turmeric (good!) and topped it with the same yogurt and cilantro sauce mom posted from her recent butternut squash and chickpea recipe (mix 1c yogurt, 1/4c cilantro, 1/2T lemon juice). I made it in my slow cooker (3.5h on hi--probably would be better to do it for 6-8h on low, but I forgot to turn the thing on until it was too late...)
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thin and Rich Chocolate Frosting
I must have cut the one out of the paper at least 20 years ago. To ice a 2-layer cake:
- In a saucepan (or glass bowl if you're going to microwave), melt 3 oz. chopt unsweetened chocolate, then stir in 6 T. roasted almond oil,
- Blend 1/2 cup sugar with 1 T. cornstarch, then add this to the pan
- Whisk in 1/2 c. milk
- Bring this to a boil over moderate heat, whisking. (Or microwave it for about 30 seconds to boil it)
- Remove pan from heat and stir in 1 t. vanilla
- Let mixture cool, stirring the frosting "every so often"
- Frost the cake when the icing is lukewarm and still spreads easily
Friday, January 22, 2010
Mexican Chocolate Cake
I went over to my friend Madeleine's house last night and she made the most delicious chocolate cake. It had cayenne and cinnamon to make it spicy and, I suppose, more like Mexican chocolate. I loved it! The recipe is below:
* 1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
* 1 cup sugar
* 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tsp. cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1 Tbsp. distilled white or white wine vinegar
* 5 Tbsp. vegetable oil
* 1 cup cold water
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Stir in the cinnamon, cayenne, vanilla, vinegar, oil, and water. Mix until just combined.
• Pour into the prepared cake pan and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Chocolate sauce
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Combine ingredients in a saucepan over LOW heat, stirring constantly.
* 1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
* 1 cup sugar
* 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tsp. cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1 Tbsp. distilled white or white wine vinegar
* 5 Tbsp. vegetable oil
* 1 cup cold water
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Stir in the cinnamon, cayenne, vanilla, vinegar, oil, and water. Mix until just combined.
• Pour into the prepared cake pan and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Chocolate sauce
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Combine ingredients in a saucepan over LOW heat, stirring constantly.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Food model
I haven't been cooking anything interesting (or successful) lately, so I'm posting a photo of one of Mom's and one of Jody's dishes--stuffed acorn squash and sweet potato fries. They were delicious--thanks for the recipes, ladies!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Adventures in squash
I have been on a bit of a winter squash kick of late. Branching out from the traditional butternut and acorn squash, I have tried delicata, kombucha and buttercup squashes. This week I add two more to the list: red kuri and sweet dumpling. I tried the red kuri last night. Its more like a traditional pumpkin then kombucha, but still quite different. It isn't as sweet as an acorn squash and it has a nice nuttiness to it. Kind of hard to describe. The flesh was a vibrant orange-red and it was totally roasted after an hour. I just ate it plain this time but next time I'm going to try making a soup! It would also probably make great pie. I will let you know how the sweet dumpling compares. So far, my favorite new squash is the buttercup. I think it is the cupcake of the squash world.
Next on the list: spaghetti squash.
Next on the list: spaghetti squash.
Sweet Potato Sticks
Peel and cut 2 sweet potatoes into fat french fry shapes. Put them on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Cover with about 1/4 c. olive oil and sprinkle on 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 2 or 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1/2 tsp paprika. Roast in a 450 oven for about 25 minutes or until the edges start to crisp and blacken, turning once with a spatula halfway through.
Monday, January 4, 2010
2009 Christmas Cookie Extravaganza
The first post of 2010 concerns food made in 2009. Happy New Year!
As per usual, this Christmas, I made several different cookie recipes to give to family and friends, drawing mostly from the Washington Post's Christmas cookie-themed food section and with lots of help from a very patient husband. Unlike previous years, I made sure 3/4 recipes were cholesterol/sat. fat free (for dad) and gluten free for Jo. Surprisingly, WaPo had a bunch of recipes that fit the bill!
I started with the favorite from last year, White Chocolate Apricot Almond Balls. Also tried out Chocolate Meringues. I couldn't find coconut extract (even at whole foods), so I just used extra almond extract. Macadamia Ginger Crunch Drops were quite well-received and were surprisingly good for "vegan" cookies. I used skim milk rather than non-dairy milk and they worked out fine. My personal favorite were the Pistachio Cookies. Substituting eggbeaters for eggs worked fine. Also, you can make your own almond flour by finely grinding blanched almonds in a food processor (much cheaper than buying already ground almond flour).
Happy baking!
As per usual, this Christmas, I made several different cookie recipes to give to family and friends, drawing mostly from the Washington Post's Christmas cookie-themed food section and with lots of help from a very patient husband. Unlike previous years, I made sure 3/4 recipes were cholesterol/sat. fat free (for dad) and gluten free for Jo. Surprisingly, WaPo had a bunch of recipes that fit the bill!
I started with the favorite from last year, White Chocolate Apricot Almond Balls. Also tried out Chocolate Meringues. I couldn't find coconut extract (even at whole foods), so I just used extra almond extract. Macadamia Ginger Crunch Drops were quite well-received and were surprisingly good for "vegan" cookies. I used skim milk rather than non-dairy milk and they worked out fine. My personal favorite were the Pistachio Cookies. Substituting eggbeaters for eggs worked fine. Also, you can make your own almond flour by finely grinding blanched almonds in a food processor (much cheaper than buying already ground almond flour).
Happy baking!
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