The Golden Yolk

Things I've Made Lately: July 17

2011-07-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I really wanted a cheeseburger. This happened instead:

-(never home)maker's Vegetarian Juicy Lucy topped with Mama Pea's Mmmm Sauce
-Mama Pea's Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Fries
-Salad from my garden with dressing made from Mama Pea's Mmmm Sauce and vinegar

This was better.

Simple Vegan Cheesecake

2011-07-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hey there, long time, no see. My hiatus was partly laziness, partly technical difficulties, but I'm back with a new computer and new photo editing software and hopefully it will be better than ever?

This week was my friend Derek's birthday. He recently went vegan and wanted some cheesecake. I took the challenge and scoured the internet for recipes, eventually settling on the first one that comes up when you google "vegan cheesecake." It seemed to have good reviews and didn't require any fancy, expensive ingredients so I was all for it.

I started this morning by making vegan graham crackers because all the ones at the store contained honey. I was afraid they wouldn't crisp up properly and some of the thicker ones didn't, but that was mostly my fault for not rolling the dough thin enough. Most of them crisped up perfectly though.

I was a little nervous about the cheesecake base setting, but it turned out perfectly. Turns out, vegan cheesecake isn't so scary after all! Give it a try for the lovely vegans in your life.

Vegan Cheesecake

Part One: Crust
From About.com

About 10 graham crackers (store bought or from recipe posted above)
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice
1/3 cup Earth Balance, melted

Put the the graham crackers in a zip lock bag and pound them with a meat hammer (ironic, no?) or a rolling pin until broken up into fine crumbs. In a bowl, combine the crumbs with the sugar, then add the Earth Balance and mix well. Press into a pie plate and chill until ready to use.

Part Two: Filling
Adapted from All Recipes

12 oz. silken firm tofu
1/2 cup almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
1/2 cup evaporated cane sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Scrapings from one vanilla bean (optional, I used one from an old jar of homemade vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350.

Combine all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until well combined. That's it. I almost forgot the maple syrup and tried the filling before hand it and it was definitely sweet enough on it's own. I added half the amount the original recipe called for and end result did have a subtle maple flavor. If you aren't a maple fan or want a plainer flavored cake, try adding even less or skipping it completely.

Pour into the graham cracker crust and bake for 40 minutes or until the middle is just barely jiggly.

Put in the fridge and allow to chill completely. Garnish with fresh berries, chocolate, or whatever else you can come up with!

Perfect Whole-Wheat Sandwich Bread

2011-04-14T14:56:00.000-07:00

Remember when I told you about my plan to bake a loaf of bread from scratch every week?

Well, I thought you should know that I have definitely kept that promise. Every single week my kitchen fills with aroma of bread dough rising and then baking. I've made dozens of different kinds and now consider myself a master bread baker.

JUST KIDDING!

I made that one loaf, and another the next week...and this one in February. I haven't bought any bread at the store though, so it's not like I'm cheating. We just don't eat a lot of bread around here. Maybe I should give it another go and aim for once a month. That seems much more reasonable.

Anyway, the title really says it all here folks. The people at Cook's Illustrated know what they are talking about. There are a lot of steps (I broke it into two days), but the work is worth it. This bread is light but sturdy, with a crispy crust and soft interior. The recipe makes two loaves. I froze one and used it a week or two later. The crust wasn't as crisp, it was softer, more like the crust of the bread you would buy at the grocery store. If you prefer that texture, freeze the loaves for a few days and let thaw out before using. Otherwise, eat them as fast as you can!

Perfect Whole-Wheat Sandwich Bread
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Day One- Make Biga and Soaker:

Biga
2 cups bread flour
1 cup warm water (100-110 degrees)
1/2 tsp instant yeast

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl until mixed well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave out on the counter for 8-24 hours.

Soaker
3 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 cups whole milk

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a wooden spoon for about one minute. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Put it back into the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in refrigerator for 8-24 hours.

Day 2- Rise and Bake:

1/4 cup honey
4 tsp table salt
2 tbsp instant yeast
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Take the soaker out of the fridge and tear into small, gumball sized pieces and put in the bowl a stand mixer. Clean the bowl it was in. Add the biga, honey, salt, eyast, butter and oil and mix using the dough hook for about 2 minutes. Then up the speed to medium and mix until dough is elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Roll the dough into a ball with your hands and put it into the clean (and lightly greased) bowl the soaker was in earlier. Let rise for 45 minutes.

Press the air out of the dough lightly and then hold the edge the dough and fold it over. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat 7 more times. Cover and let rise for 45 more minutes.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease two loaf pans.

Divide the dough into two equally sized pieces and, using your hands, form each one into about an 8 by 17 inch rectangle. Then roll it from the short side, making a cylinder, pinch the ends close and place it seam side down in the loaf pan. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Cover the loaves with plastic wrap and rise let them sit and rise for another 60-90 minutes, until they are about 1 inch taller than the bread pan.

After the loaves have risen, make a shallow slash down the loaf lengthwise and put them in the oven. Put an empty loaf pan on the lowest oven rack and add two cups of boiling water (I just microwaved some), then close the door and put the temperature down to 350 degrees. Bake about 40-50 minutes and rotate halfway through.

Allow the loaves to cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before cutting, if you can resist the smell of freshly baked bread (I couldn't).

Creamy Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese

2011-03-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie to you. This dish is not very attractive (It looks just like this one specific thing that I won't mention here or else you will be totally turned off from ever giving it a shot). It is all brown. And blah. Normally I try to avoid such monochrome things, but there are veggies hidden in here (well, one veggie), so I give it a pass. You might want to serve it with something colorful though. Just sayin'.

This is a healthy macaroni and cheese recipe by Mark Bittman (I saw it linked to recently on Carrots 'N Cake). It may not be ooey, gooey, or overly cheese like the mac and cheese that you may love, but it is pretty damn good and the fact that it is good for you? That is also good. Good, good, good. Believe me. I am kind of a mac & cheese snob. My mother used to make the kind that came in a blue box with the thick liquid cheese sauce in a shiny silver packet. At some point, this grossed me out (Adult Laura is proud of you, former tiny self). The first time I ever had mac & cheese I liked was at Michael Jordan's restaurant in Chicago. It was made with real cheese. Nothing from a silver packet. It was good.

Since then, I only eat that fancy old-fashioned mac and cheese. None of that powdered microwave garbage.

Anyway, that had very little to do with this recipe, because it won't make you forget about the gooey cheesey goodness that is gourmet macaroni and cheese. There is no cream, no butter, and a modest amount of cheese. The bulk of the sauce is made up of pureed cauliflower. It tastes fantastic and won't make you feel like you are going to have a heart attack as its creamy, cheesy cousins might. In fact, it makes you feel great, like you are going to live a very long time and you can go off and run a 5K in a few hours. (which is actually what I'm going to go do).

If you're craving mac and cheese, this might not satisfy you. If you are craving a healthy, filling, vegetarian, protein-packed dish, then this is a winner (20 grams of protein if you're curious).

Creamy Cauliflower Macaroni and Cheese
Adapted from Mark Bittman

2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 cauliflower, cored and cut into florets
8 oz. whole wheat elbow macaroni
1/2 cup cheese (I used gruyere & emmantal, Bittman also suggests sharp cheddar)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/8 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup whole grain breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan

Preheat the oven and get a pot of salted water boiling. In a small saucepan, heat the vegetable stock with the bay leaves for 5 minutes, then remove the bay leaves and set aside.

Cook the cauliflower in the water for 25 minutes. Remove the cauliflower from the water. If you haven't read through this recipe well beforehand, you might just get out a colander and dump the cauliflower into it and the water down the drain. Don't do that. Use a spoon or tongs and put it into a food processor. It may be slightly annoying, but then you already have boiling water to cook the pasta in. How nifty. If there is a little bit of cauliflower still floating in the water, don't worry. It's cool.

Cook the pasta for 5 minutes. You can totally dump that in a colander when you're done and rinse it in cold water. Then put it into a greased pan. I used a 7x11 pyrex dish. Bittman suggests a 9 inch square pan. I don't have one of those.

Add the vegetable broth to the cauliflower and process until combined. Then add oil, cheese, mustard, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to the food processor and pulse a few more times.

Pour the sauce over the macaroni and stir a little. Be careful, the dish will be very full. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and parmesan on top and bake for 20 mintues. If you only have 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs, then look into your pantry and the perfect substitue might be staring you in the face.

Makes four very large and very filling servings.

Damn Good Peanut Butter

2011-03-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, Adam and I decided to stop by Hell's Kitchen for their famous brunch. I had the lemon ricotta pancakes, which were delicious, but that is not what we are going to talk about today.

Today we're here to discuss....peanut butter.

I had read something on the menu about their peanut butter, but didn't give it much thought. They brought some out with Adam's toast, but I didn't give it a second look until I was done with my pancakes and waiting for him to finish, a frequent occurrence, as I am married to the world's slowest eater. I was bored and I put a tiny scoop on my plate, wiped it up with my finger, and put it in my mouth.

My life changed.

I'm not sure if it was for better or worse. Better maybe, because I had just tasted the best peanut butter in the entire world. Worse maybe, because I cannot eat any other peanut butter again. I bough a small jar for $6 and it disappeared way to fast for it to become my new go-to peanut butter. I decided I would have to recreate it myself. Then I remembered that the Internet exists and just looked it up. I made myself a batch and it tastes just like the real thing. It is a little bit thicker and it doesn't spread as easily, so you just have to use a little more. Once you taste it though, you won't be complaining about that one bit.

Damn Good Peanut Butter
Adapted from Village Voice

3 cups raw salted spanish peanuts, skins on (I bought mine at NutsOnline)*
6 tbsp honey
5 tbsp light brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp kosher salt
7 tbsp peanut oil
5 tbsp unsalted butter

*You can also skip the first step and buy pre-roasted nuts if you are lazy. I won't judge you.

Preheat the oven to 375. Spread the peanuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 50 minutes, rotating the sheet 180 degrees at the half-way point.

When they are done, they should look like this:

According the Mitch Omer, the chef, "If they look like espresso coffee beans, well, you fucked up. Start over." Hopefully you don't have to start over. Let them cool before proceeding.

Put the cooled peanuts into a food processor and process for just about 30 seconds. The consistency should be like really chunky sand. Transfer them to the bowl of a stand mixer (but keep the food processor handy) and mix in the honey, brown sugar, and salt with the paddle attachement for about one minute.

In the food processor, mix the butter and peanut oil for about 10 seconds, until emulsified. Then add this to the stand mixer bowl and stir on low until well-mixed.

The recipe says it will keep in a jar for 4 weeks, but I doubt it will be around that long.

Tuna and Grain Stuffed Bell Peppers

2011-03-17T15:18:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to eat more fish lately, because it's good for you and has that protein stuff in it, which is slight challenge to get enough of for people who do not eat meat on a daily basis...or ever. I'm supposed to eat at least 60g a day. I'm really good at eating more than 45 and pretty good at more than 50. But I rarely meet that 60g mark. I'm working on it though.

Enter tuna.

When I was a kid, I refused to touch the stuff. In fact, this recipe might be the only thing I've ever eaten with tuna in it (at least that I can remember). It was my quest for more protein that led me to make this recipe several times my senior year of college, and again, a few weeks ago. Like the persimmon pudding I recently posted, I have no idea where this recipe came from. In fact, I didn't even have the ingredients list for this one, I recreated it from memory. I think I did a good job because it tasted exactly how I remembered it. So thank you, mysterious source of this recipe, for helping me get my protein on.

Tuna and Grain Stuffed Bell Peppers

2/3 cup five grain mix, cooked (rice, quinoa, or millet would work great too)
4 medium bell peppers
2 5oz. cans of tuna, drained
1 can yellow sweet corn
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper

Cut the tops off of each bell pepper, remove the insides, and cut in half. Broil each side about 5 minutes, until the peppers begin to brown.

While they are broiling, mix the cooked rice, tuna, corn, and cheese in a bowl. If the rice was made earlier and is cold or room temperature, heat it up in the microwave or on the stove first. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fill each bell pepper with the mixture.

In a small bowl, mix the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle this on top of the mixture in the bell peppers. Broil again until the breadcrumbs & cheese turn slightly brown.

Serves 4.

Vegan Persimmon Pudding

2011-03-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

I realize it has been awhile. I know. I'm sorry. I have a biochemistry test tomorrow. Lots of studying to do. TONS. So right now seems like a great time for a post, right? Of course!

This recipe was actually going to be the second recipe I posted on this blog back in the Winter of 2009. Unfortunately, I was dealing with some stubborn persimmons. The persimmons I purchased became ripe, one by one, and I pureed them and stored them in my freezer. Eventually they became Chocolate Persimmon Muffins.

This fall, I bought some more persimmons, made this lovely pudding for you, uploaded the pictures, and promptly forgot about them as I was busy doing things like organic chemistry, applying to grad school, and starting two new jobs.

So, here we are. Are persimmons still around? I don't know, but if not, hopefully you'll think of this or the muffins when they pop up in the produce aisle. This isn't pudding like the pudding that comes in those cute little cups. It is closer to English Christmas Pudding. Sort of a very moist quick bread. (Sorry if you are one of those people who hates the word moist. I don't really like it either, but the thesaurus didn't give me any better options. Damp? Soggy? No thanks!)

Vegan Persimmon Pudding
Adapted from...well, actually I have no idea where. All I remember is that someone tweeted the link to it. If you know where it's from, let me know and I'll update this post. When I made it the second time, I changed it a bit and made it vegan since I was out of eggs and probably didn't have any milk (I pretty much never have any milk, except unsweetened almond milk, which I have multiple cartons of at all times. And I'm not even vegan. I'm weird like that.)

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups persimmon pulp (about 3 pureed in a food processor)
1 3/4 cup almond milk (or any milk)
2 flax eggs (2 tbsp flax meal + 6 tbsp water, allow to sit a few minutes until goopy) (or 2 eggs)
1/4 cup earth balance, melted (or butter)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan.

Put the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a whisk until mixed together.

In a separate bowl, combine the pulp, milk, eggs, and earth balance. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined.

Pour the batter into a pan and bake for 40-50 minutes. It should spring back when gently poked in the center.

Cut into squares and serve.

Makes 16 squares.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-01-23T16:19:00.000-08:00

(This is an awful photo. Oops.)

This past July I met up with some friends for some intimate shows put on by one of our favorite bands, two in New Jersey and two in Vienna, VA. In between the two New Jersey shows, my friend Laura and I headed into NYC. Laura is gluten-free and vegan, so naturally one of our stops was at Babycakes, a vegan, mostly gluten-free bakery.

I'll have to admit, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I eat a lot of vegan food, but I'd never really had any vegan baked goods before, let alone gluten-free ones. After one bite of a carrot cupcake, I was in love. I'd gladly live the rest of my life eating only donuts, cupcakes, cookies, brownies and muffins from that bakery. If you aren't vegan, I promise you won't miss the butter or eggs at all. You'll forget they ever existed.

Yesterday I picked up the Babycakes cookbook and made these delicious cookies. They are light, crispy and have a faint coconut flavor from the coconut oil. If you aren't gluten-free, you should be able to use regular all-purpose flour and skip the xanthan gum.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from the Babycakes Cookbook

1 cup coconut oil (measure when melted)
1¼ cups evaporated cane juice (or sugar)
¹⁄³ cup homemade applesauce or store-bought unsweetened applesauce
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch processed)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
1½ cups bob’s red mill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour (or regular all-purpose flour if you don't have a problem with gluten)
¼ cup flax meal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons xanthan gum (skip if you use regular all-purpose flour)
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (or regular)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the coconut oil, evaporated cane juice, applesauce, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two batches, mixing until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Form the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter and press down slightly onto parchment covered cookie sheets. Bake for 14 minutes, turning the pans 180 degrees after 9 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the sheet and then transfer to a wire rack. If you don't want to bake all the cookies, you can freeze the cookie dough balls and bake later.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Pie with Oatmeal Walnut Crust

2011-01-12T17:21:00.001-08:00

Above is a photo of the most delicious pumpkin pie that has ever been created. It didn't get photographed after it was baked because it didn't stick around very long.

It started with a motorcycle ride to St. Paul. Adam bought one this summer and they freak me out, but I agreed to hop on the back to get some tacos. On the way home, I convinced him to take me to Birchwood Cafe for dessert and I had their Sweet Potato pie with Oatmeal Walnut crust.

Oh. My. God.

The crust was out of this world amazing. When Thanksgiving rolled around (yes, I am super late with this post), I knew I had to recreate it. For the insides, I decided to try out a recipe from 101 Cookbooks that used coconut milk and hazelnut paste (if the coconut milk freaks you out, don't worry, you can't taste it in the end result). I even skipped the can stuff and made puree from a pumpkin Alex and I got from our CSA. I had enough to make one pie and 4 tiny ramekin sized pies. I brought the big pie to Adam's family, where we ate Thanksgiving dinner, and the tiny ones to my family who I saw the next day. It got rave reviews all around, especially this crust. Really. Try this crust. I think it would be great with fruit pies too.

It's also worth mentioning that while this pie was in the oven, a giant squirrel fell into our chimney and proceeded to make the most terrible noises I have ever heard for over 2 hours until someone from Wildlife Rescue came and got him out. Just another reason to hate squirrels.

Oatmeal Walnut Crust
Adapted from here

3/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry)
3/4 cup rolled or quick oats
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup walnut pieces

Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and brown sugar (I used a food processor). Add the butter and pulse until combined. Stir the the walnuts pieces and press into the pie pan.

Makes enough for one pie.

Pumpkin Pie with Coconut Milk
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1.5 cups toasted hazelnuts (Put hazelnuts into 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups of roasted pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup coconut milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pulse the hazelnuts in a food processor until they become a paste. Spread over the bottom of the pie crust.

In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and cornstarch. Follow with the pumpkin and vanilla. Finally, add the eggs and coconut milk.

Pour into the pie crust and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the filling sets and only barely jiggles in the middle. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Whole Wheat Broccoli Calzones

2011-01-01T12:00:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I saw a recipe for Easy Veggie Artichoke and Olive Calzones on Kohler Created and made them for dinner that night, using spinach instead of olives, which happen to be one of the three foods I dislike (The full trifecta of ew includes olives, blueberries, and fennel). A few days later I was trying to use up all the produce in the fridge and decided to try it with a whole-wheat crust stuffed with broccoli, cooking it the same way I had been to make Broccoli & Feta stuffed sweet potatoes (a new favorite). The end result was an easy, filling dinner that I've made several times and plan on making frequently in the future.

Whole Wheat Broccoli Calzones
Crust adapted from Kohler Created

Makes 2 calzones.

Crust:
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water
1 1/4 tsp active-dry yeast (or half a packet)
1 cup bread flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 beaten egg for egg wash (optional)

Filling:
2 tsp olive oil
2 cups broccoli, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 cup water
Tomato sauce (I used some from a jar of Muir Glen Garden Tomato I have been trying to finish off)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water and the yeast and stir. Add the flour, salt, brown sugar, and mix with the dough hook until it comes together into a slightly sticky ball. Pour the olive oil on top, cover, and allow to rise for 30-45 minutes.

2. While the dough rises, make the filling. Heat the olive oil in a pan along with the garlic and red pepper flakes over medium heat. When the oil starts to bubble, add the broccoli and stir fry for a couple minutes (it should turn a brighter shade of green). Add the water and once it boils, lower the heat and allow to simmer until the water is mostly gone and the broccoli is tender, about 8 minutes.

3. After the dough has risen, knead a few times to incorporate the olive oil, and divide into two balls and roll each into a long, ovalish shape. Add the filling and fold the top over
and seal.

4. Brush tops with egg wash (if desired) and bake for 18-22 minutes and serve.

Grainsapalooza

2010-12-20T10:08:00.000-08:00

Quinoa? Millet? Brown rice? Can't decide?

Me either. I tend to be pretty indecisive which is why this idea to have them all at the same time is right up my alley.

A few days ago I was planning on making a temeph dish and serving it over millet. I also remembered I had a bag of amaranth stashed in the cupboard and thought it was about time to find a recipe to use it in. I decided to head over to 101 Cookbooks and was initially disappointed when only one recipe popped up. Then I looked closer and decided it would be perfect for my dinner and all those other times I have stood staring at all the jars in my cupboard filled with random grains. I used what I had and made a mix slightly different than Heidi's but just as pretty, delicious, and wholesome.

Five Grain Mix
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1 cup short grain brown rice (or use medium if you want it to be less sticky and more separated)
1 cup millet
1/3-1/2 cup quinoa
1/4 cup red quinoa
1/4 cup amaranth

Add all the ingredients into a mason jar and shake to mix. Store until you are ready to use.

You can rinse the grains before cooking, but be careful the tiny amaranth grains don't go through your strainer (You can probably skip the rinsing step, I almost never rinse my quinoa before cooking even though every one says you should). Put however much of the grains you'd like to cook into a pot and fill with water until it is about 2 inches over the grains. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, adding more water if necessary and stirring occasionally.

Serve! (Shown with Maple Grilled Tempeh)

Best Grilled Cheese Tip

2010-10-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the radio silence once again! I know I always have excuses, but a few days after my last post I got sick with a fever that lasted almost 10 days, mostly spent in bed sleeping or catching up on the schoolwork I missed. I also have tons of photos on my camera waiting to be posted, but the battery is dead and I cannot find the charger anywhere! Ugh. Excuses, excuses, I know.

I do have a new food tip for you though! Alex bought me a subscription to the Canal House Cookbooks for my bridal shower in June. If you aren't familiar with them, they are a series of cookbooks published three times a year with amazing photography, elegant writing, and amazing recipes. One of the essays in the latest edition is written by one of the author's sisters about her Christmas eve tradition of fancy grilled cheese with friends. She mentions a tip I had never heard before: using mayonnaise instead of butter for cooking the sandwiches.

I was intrigued and decided to try it out tonight and it worked perfectly! Whenever I use butter, I end up using a lot more than I would like in order to coat the bread enough for it to cook. A super thin layer of mayo cooked it perfectly. Plus, using less fat makes it a healthier meal. It's definitely what I will be using from now on! (I also highly recommend using Ezekiel Sprouted Grain bread and Pecorino Romano cheese....Mmmm!)

In lieu of a photograph of said delicious sandwich, I hope you will accept this adorable photo of our brand new puppy whose name is Ghost (however, Adam is pushing to change it to Falkor). As you can see, we have already started training him to attack squirrels. Maybe next year I will get some tomatoes after all!

Oatmeal Sandwich Bread

2010-10-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to get more into bread baking for...about a year. I've made the occasional baguette here or there, but I have pretty much made the same recipe every time. Last Monday, I decided it was time to get to it. Tuesdays are my long day at school and the only day where I have to bring a lunch. I was out of my usual sprouted wheat bagels so I decided to make some sandwich bread. I've also been meaning to bake more from Kim Boyce's Good the Grain, so I was able to kill two birds with one stone by making her oatmeal sandwich loaf.

I'm going to try to make some type of bread once a week, and so far I've made it two weeks in a row. Hopefully I'll keep this habit up, because so far it has been delicious.

Oatmeal Sandwich Loaf
Adapted from Kim Boyce's Good to the Grain

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or one packet)
3 tbsp unsulphured molasses
2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1 cup rolled oats
4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 tbsp kosher salt

Butter a 9x5x3 loaf pan. My pan was a little smaller (8.5x4.5) and if yours is too, I'd recommend making a few rolls or a small boule with some of the dough. I crammed all of mine into the pan and it baked up ridiculously tall.

Combine the yeast and molasses with 2 cups of warm water and sit for about 5 minutes (until yeast bubbles). Add the flours, butter, and oats and stir with a wooden spoon. Then let sit, covered with a towel, for half an hour.

Add the salt and knead for 8-10 minutes, until dough is soft and only slightly sticky (or mix on medium speed in a stand mixer for 6 minutes). Put the dough into a buttered bowl, cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size (about one hour).

Before:

After:

Then shape the dough:

First, flatten it out on a lightly floured surface (if making some rolls, take the dough out for that now). Then fold the top down and bottom up so that they meet in the middle. Press together the seam. Then put the dough into the pan with the seam down. Cover the pan with a towel and allow to rise again for another hour. Start preheating the oven to 400 degrees about 20 minutes before the hour is up.

Bake for 40 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when you thump the top. Remove the loaf from the pan and let cool for a few hours until cutting, if you can stand to wait that long.

Extra Spicy Green Tomato Salsa

2010-09-23T06:37:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update to my last post...

Adam is having a "Hot Off" (aka a competition to see who can handle the spiciest foods) at work today and requested I make that Green Tomato Salsa with habaneros instead of jalapenos. I just made a new batch not only with orange habaneros, but with double the amount (four instead of two). He claims it is so good, people would pay money for it. I'm not trying it, so I'll have to take his word for it.

If you or someone you know is one of those crazy people that likes to eat food so spicy that they sweat until their clothes are drenched, maybe give this version a try:

5 green tomatoes
1 onion
1 garlic clove
4 habanero peppers
small handful of cilantro
salt to taste
(I skipped the 1 tbsp of vegetable oil this time)

Green Tomato Salsa

2010-09-19T18:01:00.000-07:00

I don't think my expectations were too high.

I just wanted one. One ripe tomato. With 4 tomato plants in my garden, I didn't think it was too much to ask. It was my first garden ever and I just wanted to pick one juicy ripe heirloom tomato off the vine. I had "Julia Child" tomatoes, crazy banana pepper shaped tomatoes, and yellow tomatoes. At first, there were just a couple little green globes growing. I waited patiently....and then, the squirrels got to them. Then some more green balls appeared, but I went out of town in the middle of tomato season. No one really knows if any of them made it to being ripe before getting eaten by pesky critters, but I didn't get a single one.

There are still a ton of unripe green tomatoes growing though, but it's been really cold the past few weeks since we returned from our honeymoon and I gave up. Yesterday, we made fried green tomatoes. I'd never had them before and Adam hadn't had them for years. We were both underwhelmed. But what else can you do with those firm green buggers? I had no idea.

Google led me to this recipe. I was skeptical, but we decided we might as well give it a try. Plus, I got to use the jalapeno pepper I found hiding under an overgrown tomato plant. And what do you know? It actually turned out really good. So if you too have a bunch of green tomatoes still hanging on and want an option besides frying them, here you go.

Maybe next year I'll get one.

Green Tomato Salsa
Note: If you want to make it extra spicy, try this version.

5 medium unripe green tomatoes
1 small onion
2 jalapeno peppers
1 garlic clove
a small handful of cilantro
salt
pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Combine ingredients in a blender or food processor. That's it!

Quinuevos Rancheros

2010-09-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

Whenever I go on vacation, I come back completely disoriented. I forget how I used to function. In college, even after a long weekend, I'd come back wondering "How exactly did I mange to watch so many episdoes of Six Feet Under and do all my homework at the same time?" or even "What time do I normally eat dinner?" Coming back from my honeymoon has been no different. After 10 days of eating out for every meal, plus the weeks beforehand where I was traveling and not cooking regularly, have gotten my routines out of whack. I went to the grocery store the day after we got back since we had pretty much nothing in the fridge and was so overwhelmed, I ended up buying some apples and bananas and coming home. Not exactly great ingredients for dinner.

Slowly but surely I'm getting used to cooking again. The blogging part? That's coming back soon. I made myself a fantastic birthday cake last weekend and took pictures the first half, and then completely forgot about it. So I have pictures of making ganache and that ganache spread over the bottom layer of the cake, but anything else? Nope.

Oops.

I promise to be back in full force soon. There are too many new kitchen toys from the wedding for me not to be! I am super excited to start using my KitchenAid Ice Cream maker. I made my first batch of vanilla, just to get the hang of things, the other day and it is marvelous. I can't wait to try some more complex and delicious flavors. But anyway...to make up for my lack of entries lately, I bring you my dinner:

I got this recipe from Rebecca Woolf at Girls Gone Child. I am loving her new Eat Well section.

No recipe is really needed. Plop some quinoa on a plate. Top with 2 eggs, shredded cheese, salsa, cilantro, avocado and anything else you think would be good. I used cayenne pepper to add a little spicy to it. I don't think I've ever seen quinoa used in a dish like this but I think quinoa and runny egg yolks may be new favorite combo.

Honeymoon: Delancey

2010-09-07T20:47:00.000-07:00

While we were in Seattle, we were lucky enough to have dinner at Delancey, the restaurant owned by Molly Wizenburg (Orangette), who you may realize from reading my blog, I love. A lot.

We started with Burrata, served with prosciutto and arugula (excuse the not-so-great pictures taken in the dark restaurant with my point and shoot):

Then, pizza! I picked sausage:

Salami and fennel seed (which I loved even though I do. not. like. fennel):

They may just look like normal pizzas, but they were AMAZING. Simple, high quality ingredients. The salami was especially phenomenal.

In the back, you can see Molly's husband, Brandon. In the front, you can see the bottle of rose that we drank...

Then, I met Molly. No big deal...

She and Brandon gave us dessert on the house since it was our honeymoon. This is Adam's. ~~I can't remember what it was, except it involved blackberries and was delicious~~ Oh hey, I took a picture of the menu. It's blackberry pavlova:

But mine was totally better. Peaches with honey whipped cream, and BOURBON carmel. The bourbon. It was good.:

If you ever find yourself in Seattle, I highly recommend checking out Delancey (and getting there when it opens or else you might have to wait 2 hours for a table. If you do have to wait two hours for a table, there is a bar across the street, not that we went there and had enough drinks to be a bit tipsy before dinner). Also, one pizza is not enough for two people, but too much for one person, which means leftovers you can eat for breakfast in your hotel room. Cold pizza. Breakfast. It's classy.

I'm Back!

2010-08-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

We just got back from our honeymoon this afternoon! I had an amazing time and will be back in my next post to detail all the foodie highlights!

Thanks for sticking around!

August

2010-08-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to give anyone reading a heads up that August is going to be absolutely crazy for me. I'm about to head to Lollapalooza, followed by a visit to my sister in IL, then my wedding and the honeymoon (to Seattle and Vancouver). I have a few posts I've been planning but I'm not sure when I'll get around to posting them. Hopefully I'll find some time during this crazy month, but if not, I'll see you in September!

Foodie Book Club: The Butcher and the Vegetarian

2010-07-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

The Butcher and the Vegetarian by Tara Austen Weaver was the June selection for the Foodie Book Club (Yes, June. Excuse the lateness.)

I absolutely loved this book. Weaver, a vegetarian, explores the world of meat after struggling with health problems and a few doctors suggesting she tries to eat more meat. She details her journey exploring questions like should we eat meat and if so, from where? Commercial feedlots? Sustainable, local, organic farms? How can you tell if your meat is produced 'right'? Will meat really make her feel better?

I have personally thought about these questions over and over again. I've read several books on the subject, but coming up with an answer is difficult. I am not and have never been a vegetarian, but when I was a kid, I'd almost always pass on meat, unless it was chicken fingers, bacon, or a cheeseburger. Meat on the bone? Roasted pork loin? Turkey on Thanksgiving? No, thank you. It grossed me out. I never even ate steak until I was eighteen.

Do I think it is wrong to eat meat? The answer is not as simple as yes or no. I do believe we are omnivores, with bodies meant to eat both meat and plants. However, I think eating the majority of meat that is produced in this country is wrong and the amounts in which we eat it are even worse. I have a huge problem with CAFOs and the pollution they produce, causing both the animals and humans around them to get sick. I think its wrong to keep tens of thousands of chickens crammed in hen house where each animal can barely move around. I think its wrong that we have bred animals that are so large they cannot walk more than a few steps or even reproduce naturally. But pastured cows and chickens raised on local farms? That is something I can support (as with George the chicken from my last post).

Critics say that there is no way to produce enough meat to feed the country, let alone the world, on a pastured based system. And they are probably right. But guess what? People do not need to eat meat at every meal, let alone every day. For both environmental and health reasons, this country would do a lot better for itself if it incorporated more plants into its diet. You may notice from the recipes I post here are almost all vegetarian and that is how I usually eat. I'm not perfect, but I try not eat meat at restaurants unless they are restaurants I trust. Luckily Minneapolis has plenty of restaurants with local, organic, and sustainable values (my favorites include Restaurant Alma, Common Roots Cafe, Lucia's, Brasa, and the Birchwood Cafe). If I want to prepare meat at home, I buy it from the Farmers Market or a natural foods co-op. Yes, it is more expensive to buy meat that way, but I buy it so rarely I am willing to pay the extra price. The meat that comes from a commercial feedlot is not as cheap as the price tag might indicate, its costs are externalized to subsidies, health bills, etc. There is really no such thing as cheap meat.

But anyway, I'll stop with my food beliefs and go back to the book. It was a great read, I finished it over the course of two days. It was great to read along as Weaver researched and discussed all the issues surrounding meat that I have thought of myself. There were times I cringed (like the story of the cow from a commercial feedlot that wouldn't compost...gross!) . I also related to her discussion of how to deal with eating at other people's houses. This is something I've struggled with as well. I can't really say that I'm a vegetarian, but how to explain to someone that "Yes, I eat meat, but only some meat and that meat you are serving just isn't good enough for me" and not sound like a uppity bitch? You just can't.

At the end of the book, Weaver commits herself to two-week long experiments: one week of eating meat 3 times a day and one week going totally raw. The meat week leaves her feeling gross and dreading meals. She decided to go raw for a week as a sort of detox and the first few days she says she was always hungry, but the food wasn't bad at all...and then a few days later? She starts to feel better. Energized. She realizes that for the first time in years, she isn't exhausted all the time. It's the raw diet that ends up working for her. I found myself almost laughing at the end, reading the whole book about meat to leave with her becoming a semi-raw foodist. She says it probably isn't for everybody, but that is what works for her and she finally figured it out.

The one thing I didn't really like is the fact that the title and the cover illustration led me to believe there was a love story involved, that she would eventually marry a butcher or something like that. Every time she talked about some meat loving man (like Biggles who writes a meat blog), I kept waiting for the romance, but it never came. I'm not saying there needed to be a romance, but I found that to be a little misleading and distracting. Also, the book jacket mentions a butcher daring her to eat her way through the meat counter, so I also was expecting her to try everything at the butcher and go through it piece by piece. I did enjoy the book, but these bits were a little misleading and not everyone who takes a quick glance at it might end up satisfied.

Titles and false expectations aside, the book inspired me to get in the kitchen twice. The first time I made flank steak with the chimichurri sauce she mentions so often. I would have posted that recipe here, but I almost burned the house down when I made it, not realizing there were some plastic pieces on my new roasting pan (why? I have no idea, but I didn't see them and remove them before broiling the steak the house filled with smoke). But it was delicious. After finishing the book, I was intrigued by the raw kale salad she mentions at the end. I have heard that kale can be eaten raw and is quite good if you massage it with salt until it wilts, but I never mustered up the courage to do so (as Weaver says, it sounds too "aggressively healthy" to be good). I was surprised how good it ended up being. I know it sounds scary, but try it! It's actually quite delicious.

Raw Kale Salad
From Tara Austen Weaver's site

Dressing:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp flax oil (I don't have any so I used walnut. I'm sure you could also double the olive oil instead.)
1 tbsp light miso
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp mustard powder
1 clove garlic, crushed or chopped
cayenne pepper to taste

Whisk all the ingredients together until combined.

Salad:

About 3 leaves kale, with stems removed and cut into ribbons
1 cup cabbage, shredded
1/2 avocado
sea salt
1 tbsp red onion, chopped
1 tbsp jalopeno, chopped (optional)

Sprinkle the sea salt onto the kale and massage in until slightly wilted.

Toss with the other ingredients, add dressing, and eat!

Zuni Cafe Roast Chicken (Part One)

2010-07-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

(Note: Vegetarians and Vegans, beware. This post is full of dead chicken.)

How Alex and I spent our Saturday Night:

Meet George. He is our chicken. He is sassy and speaks with a French accent. He used to live in Mankato at Prairie Pride Farm where he spent his days in clover pastures, eating clover, alfalfa, oats, grasses, non-GMO corn, and bugs and being a chicken. Now, he is in my fridge, soon to become roasted, Zuni Cafe style.

We removed his organs. We (well, Alex) chopped off his neck. Then we gave him a bath and patted him very, very dry.

Then we stuck our fingers between his skin and breasts and gave him herbal implants of sage, marjoram, thyme, and rosemary.

We did the same to his thighs.

Then we rubbed him down with salt. Lots of salt. And some pepper. We even put some inside his cavity. Just a little. Not too much.

And now he sits in the fridge for two whole days before he is dinner.

Strawberry Banana Soft Serve

2010-07-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

If you are into vegan or raw foods, or even if you're not and you just read a lot of food blogs, you may have come across this post about making raw vegan "ice cream" by simply sticking a frozen banana or two in the food processor. I tried it several weeks ago and it's true! It is the perfect substitution if you don't eat dairy. Don't get me wrong, I still love the real stuff, but this is a perfect healthy (and cheaper!) alternative for when it is so hot you want to eat ice cream every. single. day. And a great way give brown bananas a new life.

Since I started making this myself, both Ashley at (never home)maker and Ashley at The Edible Perspective have posted some variations, including adding things in like cherries, peanut butter, and cookies.

Today I was inspired to try something new. As I as putting my bag of frozen bananas back in the freezer, I saw my GIANT bag of frozen local strawberries I have been adding to as strawberry season comes to a close. I grabbed a small handful, threw them in, and voila: PINK soft serve. The perfect thing to cheer you up when you have unexpected, last minute wedding-planning chaos. Even more perfect if you eat it with a brownie!

Strawberry Banana Soft Serve

1.5 frozen bananas
About 1/4 cup frozen strawberries (I'm guessing fresh would work too)

Put ingredients in food processor until texture is ice cream like. Yup. That's it.

Makes 1 large serving.

Ginger-Molasses Cookies

2010-06-23T07:23:00.000-07:00

Exciting news: I OWN A STAND MIXER!

Yes, a little over a week ago, my aunt threw me a bridal shower in St. Paul. I had a great time with all my friends, ate delicious food, and received lots of handy things for our new kitchen. My grandparents were generous enough to give me a gorgeous chrome Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I pulled it out of its box as soon as I got home and placed it in its new home on my counter. And that is where it sat for eight whole days before I touched it again.

I have wanted a stand mixer for the longest time. There have been so many recipes where I stood there, beating things with a hand mixer, or worse, a wooden spoon, for what seemed like forever, all the time dreaming of the day when a stand mixer would do all that work for me. When it was finally in my possession, I wanted to break it in with something that is hard to make without one. Something like the brioche I made a few months ago, where I cursed under my breath while kneading butter into the dough and made my entire kitchen a mess. Only, I didn't feel like making brioche. I thought and thought and thought and nothing seemed like the perfect first recipe for the mixer. Until I finally I gave up and decided I needed to make something right away. It was wrong for the stand mixer to sit there untouched for so long. I tried to get my fiance to give me an idea. After several unhelpful suggestions (potato salad??!?!), he finally mentioned gingerbread cookies. I searched several of my favorite blogs and found this recipe from Orangette. I ran to the store to get what I needed and finally plugged the Kitchen Aid in and watched the magic.

Ginger-Molasses Cookies
From Orangette

NOTE: The batter needs to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours, so keep that in mind when planning!

2 ¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour (all-purpose is fine too)
1 ½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 ½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp salt
½ cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature
6 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp peeled and grated ginger
1/3 cup molasses
½ cup unrefined cane sugar (or granulated sugar)

Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a bowl and set side.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a regular bowl and use a hand mixer), beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated each time. Then add the ginger and molasses and mix well.

Mix the dry ingredients into the wet, adding about 1/3 of the dry ingredients each time. When it is all added, cover the bowl in plastic wrap in set in the fridge for at least two hours. Molly says it can be kept in the fridge for 4 days at this point. I left it there overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the cane sugar in a shallow pan (I used a cake pan). Roll the dough into balls about 2 inches in diameter, eight at a time. Roll each ball in the sugar, coating it completely. Keep the dough in the fridge when you are not using it, otherwise it will warm up and become sticky and hard to work with. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 15-17 minutes (Mine were perfectly done at 15). Eight at a time should fit on a sheet.

When done, pull the parchment paper off the sheet and onto the counter to let cool. Take the cookies off the paper when cool enough and reuse for the next batch. I ended up with around 28 cookies (Molly said 22).

The United States of Arugula

2010-06-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

May's Foodie Book Club book was The United States of Arugula.

This book was a bit different than the previous selections in that it was more of a history book. The last two were very current and this book gets there eventually but starts at the roots of the foodie movement and goes all the way up to today, discussing Thomas Keller and Rachael Ray. I will admit I haven't finished it yet, but so far I've found it very fascinating. It traces the roots of 'foodie' culture back to the very beginning, discussing its founders such as James Beard and Julia Child. Maybe it is just that I am fairly new to the foodie scene, but I'd never thought much about where it came from, so reading about the very early history has been very interesting. It seems like a lot of pieces about foodie-ism seem nostalgic towards the "good old days" but I was surprised to find a lot of similarities between the public's ideas about food then and now. Even James Beard and the other first foodies were more outcasts than representatives of popular opinion.

Unfortunately, I don't have much more to say at the moment. It was a busy month with finals and wedding planning, but I do plan on finishing it as soon as I get a chance. Perhaps I will write up a better review then. I have this month's book already and am looking forward to reading it, so I promise to at least have a better review next time!

Vegan Banana Coconut Oatmeal Pancakes

2010-06-10T11:22:00.000-07:00

I'd been planning to make this recipe straight out of the book, but I was out of milk and lazy. I decided if I was going to use the soy or almond milk in my fridge, I might as well ditch the eggs too and veganize the whole thing. As I was waiting for the skillet to heat up, I spied my glass jar of unsweetened shredded coconut and decided to add some in at the last minute. These pancakes are a lot different than the light, fluffy type I usually go for. The oat flour and oatmeal make them especially dense and...well, oatmealy. Different, but delicious. I also highly recommend chocolate chips.

Vegan Banana Coconut Oatmeal Pancakes
Adapted from Good to the Grain

Dry:
3/4 cup oat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour (whole wheat pastry would work too)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Wet:
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/4 cups nondairy milk (I used soy)
1 cup cooked oatmeal
1 tbsp unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
1 banana, mashed

Chocolate chips (optional)

Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, oatmeal, molasses, and banana. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and be careful not to overmix. If not using immediately, it can be kept in the fridge overnight, but may need to be thinned with milk.

Heat a skillet over medium heat. When hot, scoop the batter (about 1/4 cup at a time) and cook until bubbles form and then flip.

Chocolate Persimmon Muffins

2010-06-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

I've probably mentioned this, but I have a cookbook problem. As in, I want to buy all the pretty cookbooks in the entire world and look at the delicious, glossy photos and make things from them. This is an expensive problem, so I try my best to restrain myself. This is why I didn't buy Good to the Grain the second I read about it at 101cookbooks. I was proud. But then it kept popping up everywhere and I gave in. And I looked at all the pretty pictures and plotted making pretty much every single thing with all sorts of flours. Including these Chocolate Persimmon Muffins made with buckwheat flour.

Okay. Persimmons are not in season. At all. But really, I'm doing you a favor. If you're anything like me, when you see an unfamiliar seasonal fruit or vegetable pop up at the Farmer's Market or the grocery store, you might look at it, admire it, but you probably have no idea what to do with it. Then you will see some recipes pop up on your favorite food blogs and when you finally decide to give them a try, you missed the majority of their precious in-season time. So yes, I'm posting this now, but in October or November when you see a persimmon, instead of being scared and not knowing what to do, you will think of this recipe and buy them right away.

See? IT ALL MAKES SENSE NOW!

Sort of.

Where did my persimmons come from? You may remember the stubborn persimmons that refused to ripen that I mentioned a few times at the start of this blog. They both did eventually ripen, but several weeks apart. So as each one ripened, I pureed it and put it in the freezer, to make the persimmon pudding I was planning later...which never happened and I found the puree again when we moved. I wouldn't recommend doing this yourself because it had a bit of a weird consistency after I defrosted it in the microwave (and maybe overdid it a bit) which I think made the muffins a little drier than intended, but still good. I will definitely be trying these again in the fall. The chocolate/persimmon combination is fantastic, but I can't really describe it. You'll just have to wait and find out for yourself!

Chocolate Persimmon Muffins
Adapted from Kim Boyce's Good to the Grain

1 cup buckwheat flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
1 cups Hachiya persimmon pulp
4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin tin.

Mix the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, cream the butter and sugars for few minutes, until light and creamy. Then add in the eggs and beat until combined. Then add the yogurt and beat until combined.

Add in the dry ingredients, 1/3 at a time, until combined. Stir in the persimmon pulp and chocolate with a wooden spoon. Transfer the batter to the muffin tin and bake for 30-35 minutes. Twist each muffin out of the tin and set on its side to cool.

Best served warm on the same day baked. Extras can be frozen and reheated.

Asparagus-Parmesan-Quinoa Waffle

2010-05-19T14:38:00.000-07:00

It was the Sweet Potato Gruyère waffle that first caught my eye, and it was love at first bite. It was the first time I'd heard of a savory waffle and I haven't looked back since: Parsnip, Pumpkin, and now Aspragus and Quinoa. Why is the Birchwood Cafe the only place that seems to know that savory waffles are the answer to all your problems? Well, all your waffle-related problems at least...

Hopefully the deliciousness of the savory waffle will spread, but until then, you'll just have to try it at home. A few weeks ago I had breakfast at the Birchwood Cafe: An Asparagus, Paremsan, & Quinoa Waffle served with Lavender-Rhubarb Butter and Kiwi-Kumquat Salsa, topped with bacon lardons and an egg with a perfectly runny yolk. While I was eating it on their patio on a beautiful May morning, I decided that I needed to recreate it down to every last detail and, if I may say so myself, I did a damn good job. The photo above is my savory waffle and the one below is what I had at Birchwood:

Yes, there are a lot of steps, but the two garnishes take about 5 minutes to make each, can definitely be made ahead of time, and are well worth the effort.

Lavender-Rhubarb Butter

1 stick of butter
1 tbsp edible lavender flowers
1 tbsp rhubarb stalk, finely chopped

Put all ingredients in a food processor and mix until well combined. Wrap in parchment paper and store in the fridge for up to 10 days. Other than on the waffle, it's great on your favorite slice of bread and smells absolutely amazing.

Kiwi-Kumquat Salsa

1 kiwi, chopped
5-6 kumquats, chopped (including the peels)
1/4 of a red onion, chopped

Simply combine all the ingredients in one bowl. Enough to garnish about 3 waffles. Feel free to adjust the quantities to your liking.

Asparagus-Parmesan-Quinoa Waffle

1 bowl of your favorite waffle batter (I used Mark Bittman's but in the future I plan to try either one of the recipes that Molly of Orangette just posted here)
Quinoa flour (optional, substitute up to 25% of the flour in your waffle recipe)

6-8 asparagus stalks, chopped into small pieces with the tops left in tact
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To serve (all optional):
1 egg (per waffle)
1 strip of bacon (per waffle)
Lavender-Rhubarb Butter
Kiwi-Kumquat Salsa
Maple Syrup
Powdered sugar

Preheat your waffle iron.

Saute the asparagus in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Mix into the waffle batter along with the cooked quinoa and cheese. Pour into waffle iron and cook as you normally would. Keep waffles warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon and eggs. Once the waffles are done, top each with one egg, chopped bacon, a small scoop of lavender-rhubarb butter, kiwi-kumquat salsa, and a dusting of powdered sugar (which I forgot, even though I had some). Skip the bacon and it's vegetarian. Enjoy.

PS- Join the waffle revolution at WAFFLEBLAWG

Spring Eggs with Asparagus

2010-05-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this recipe last night from The Perennial Plate and decided to try it for breakfast since I had almost everything I needed.

The Perennial Plate is a weekly webseries in which chef/activist Daniel Klein explores different aspects of food in Minnesota. Topics so far include foraging for morels, making cheese, and butchering a Thanksgiving Turkey. I highly recommend the series. They also host Harvest Dinners as a sort of underground restaurant. Alex and I attended the most recent dinner and had a fantastic meal, every part of which was local. If you are in the Twin Cities, you should definitely check one out.

Anyway, I didn't quite have all the ingredients, plus I added some morels, because the other day I was at the grocery store and decided I felt like spending over $7 on two mushrooms (they were pretty big, but still, these things are $40/pound). Needless to say, they are totally optional.

Spring Eggs with Asparagus
Adapted from The Perennial Plate

2 eggs
1 1/2 tbsp butter
4 asparagus spears
Olive Oil
Red Wine vinegar
Morels or other mushrooms(optional)
Wild Ramp Pesto

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl and pour into a cold pan. Heat, along with 1/2 tbsp butter, over low heat and stir constantly.

In a skillet, sautee the mushrooms in butter, then set aside. Add olive oil to the pan and when hot, add the asparagus spears and cook until bright green. Add the rest of the butter and a splash of the red wine vinegar, cover, and cook until tender (1-2 minutes).

Serve with a dollop of ramp pesto.

PS- These are the eggs this blog is named after. Just LOOK at those yolks. They are from Prairie Pride Farm in Mankato and I have yet to find any other eggs that are bright and delicious. Check them out at the St. Paul Farmers Market.

Wild Ramp Pesto

2010-05-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

This morning, I saw the Amateur Gourmet's post about making pasta with the Wild Ramp Pesto from Food52. Cut to a few hours later when I found myself wandering up and down the aisles of the Seward Coop without a grocery list. I saw ramps and decided I would make the same thing for dinner. I ended up going out for dinner, so the pesto will have to wait until tomorrow, but I wanted to share this since ramp season will be over soon and I wish I had known how fantastic ramp pesto was a few weeks ago. I would've been eating it by the spoonful until there were no more ramps to be found. If there are still ramps near you, grab them and try this! Next spring I'll be more prepared!

I'm planning on using it for pasta, similar to Adam, or maybe mixing it with some quinoa and doing something like this recipe, which was a favorite of mine this winter. Or maybe both!

Wild Ramp Pesto
Adapted from The Amateur Gourmet/Food52

1 bunch ramps (about 6-8)
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
A handful toasted walnuts
1/3 cup olive oil
Juice from half a lemon
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Roughly chop the ramps and pulse in the food processor along with the walnuts and cheese.

Then slowly add the olive oil while the processor is on low. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Pulse a few times, taste, and add more salt or pepper if needed.

Makes 1 1/2 to 2 cups.

Homemade Vanilla Extract (An Update)

2010-05-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

You may remember when I made my own vanilla extract. Well it's finally done! Actually, it has been done for over a month, but keep forgetting to post about it. Even when it's 'done', it still has a strong alcohol smell, but don't let that put you off. I've used it several times and it works just like any extract you would buy at the store.

The little jar on the left is made with bourbon and the one on the right is rum. It might make a slight difference in some recipes, but so far I haven't been able to tell. And now I have enough vanilla to last me until I die. Or probably more like a year with how much I bake...

Sautéed Bananas

2010-05-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

Ninety-percent of the time I make pancakes, it's for the bananas. Warm, slightly caramelized bananas. I can't think of any other time I eat warm bananas and I have no idea why because they are delicious. Well, actually I get warm bananas every Christmas Eve when my father makes Bananas Foster. In fact, this dish reminds me a lot of that, but (I assume) much healthier. I had it last week when I was visiting them in Illinois and made them dinner from one of my mother's Moosewood cookbooks (or Moosehead, as my father repeatedly called it). The sidebar suggested I serve this for dessert after the curried chickpeas and coconut rice I had chosen. Since then, I've made it three more times.

It's. Good.

The recipe is incredibly fast, simple (as in under 5 minutes), and healthy, yet tastes like something much richer. It's great served on top of vanilla ice cream or on its own with a dollop of whipped cream. Or eat it straight out of the pan like I just did. In your pajamas. I won't judge.

Sautéed Bananas
Adapted from...um...a Moosewood Cookbook (I can't remember which one it was)

2 bananas, sliced
1 tbsp butter*
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tbsp orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier (optional)

*I'm sure you could easily veganize this and use Earth Balance instead, but I haven't done it myself.

Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat. Add the cinnamon and stir until incorporated. Add the orange juice concentrate and stir until melted. Stir in the liqueur, if desired. Add in the banana slices, stir until coated, and cook for about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Vanilla Buttermilk Cake (Foodie Book Club: A Homemade Life)

2010-05-01T10:39:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned earlier (when I made bouchons au thon), this month's selection for the Foodie Book Club was A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette.

If you are not familiar, this book is an autobiography of Molly's life. Each short chapter tells a story and ends with a recipe. The stories span from her childhood to college to Paris to her father's death and finally her romance with her now husband Brandon, whom she met through her blog. I think what I love most about this book is although it is definitely about food, it is actually more about the people in her life. Each recipe is tied to a specific person or a specific memory and Molly invites you into her world and describes it so well that the recipes end up being an added bonus.

And what an added bonus they are! The first time I read the book last summer it seemed that at the end of every chapter I was making a mental note: "Must make this soon!" Soon, I was wondering if I would come across anything I wouldn't want to make. Since then, I have made several recipes from this book, as well as her blog, and not a single one has been disappointing. I made her Banana Bread with Crystallized Ginger at Christmas, the Tarte Tatin, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, roasted rhubarb, the bouchons au thon earlier this month, countless others I can't recall at the moment, but mostly, her Buckwheat Pancakes.

The Buckwheat Pancakes have become my go-to pancake recipe. I make them maybe once every month or two (in fact, I made them this morning before dropping my little sister off at the airport). I almost always make them with sliced bananas and sometimes, when I'm feeling indulgent, a few dark chocolate chips. But that was a complete tangent. I'm not writing about those pancakes today, but the Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Cake with Creme Fraiche.

I made creme fraiche for the bouchons au thon and knew I would have some leftover. I happened to flip past this recipe and decided it would be the perfect way to put that extra creme fraiche to use, along with the buttermilk I used to make the creme fraiche in the first place. It fit perfectly. Molly's version actually includes glazed oranges, but I decided to omit them. The cake turned out perfectly. Tangy, light and not too sweet. Molly says that it is best on the day it's made, but leftovers "make a nice 'dessert' after breakfast." I actually kept the cake around for maybe even 5 days. It did dry out slightly but was still delicious. I wasn't sure about this after-breakfast dessert thing, but every mid-morning that the cake was around, I found myself cutting off a thin slice, so I think she was definitely onto something.

(The macaroons pre-chocolate ganache)

Just as the bouchons led to this cake, this cake led to Molly's coconut macaroons with chocolate ganache. The cake calls for 4 egg yolks, leaving you with just enough egg whites for her recipe, which yielded rich, chewy sweet macaroons dipped in a bittersweet chocolate ganache. A definite must if you make this cake and are feeling naughty enough to go for something indulgent instead of the usual healthy Leftover Egg White Omelet.

All in all, I am a huge fan of Molly/Orangette. We are actually going to Seattle for our honeymoon and I am definitely making sure we eat at Delancy (her and Brandon's restaurant) while we are in town!

Vanilla Bean Buttermilk Cake with Creme Fraiche
From Molly Wizenburg's A Homemade Life

4 large egg yolks
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 cups cake flour (I was too lazy to make my own and used whole wheat pastry instead)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

Creme fraiche (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch springform pan. Line with parchment paper and grease the paper as well.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the buttermilk and set aside.

Put the sugar in a medium mixing bowl and scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the bowl. Use your fingers to rub the seeds into the sugar and break up any clumps. Add the flor, baking powder, and salt and beat at a low speed for a few seconds to combine.

Cut the butter into pieces and add to the dry ingredients along with the rest of the buttermilk. Beat on low until moist and then medium to combine for about one minute. Add the egg mixture in 3 doses and beat well inbetween each addition. The batter will be thick, airy, smooth, and pale.

Pour into the ban and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and then cool completely. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche.

Thai-Style Corn Pancakes

2010-04-22T17:28:00.000-07:00

Every time I pick up my copy of How to Eat Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman, I think "I should cook from this more often." When we moved into our new house a few weeks ago, I randomly grabbed it from the apartment to bring over, and for awhile it was the only cookbook here. I have about a million recipes marked with little post-it notes and this was one of them. I randomly opened the book to this page last week and decided to make them as soon as possible, which happened to be today for lunch.

They were a fantastic light lunch and would be great paired with a fresh, green salad. The Thai influence from the soy sauce and chilies was fairly subtle and I found serving them with a drizzle of soy sauce on top brought the flavors out. Bittman also recommends serving them with a fresh tomato or tomatillo salsa, cilantro pesto, or even maple syrup (although I'm not sure if that is a combination that I would like). They came together quickly and I definitely plan on making them again.

Thai-Style Corn Pancakes
Adapted from Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian"

2 eggs, separated,
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped scallions (I didn't have any on hand so I used yellow onion)
1 tsp minced fresh chile, cayenne, or hot red pepper flakes to taste (I used 1 jalapeño)
2 cups corn, fresh from the cob or thawed frozen
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3-4 tbsp butter or oil (I used peanut oil)

In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, salt, black pepper (about 1/2 tsp), scallions, chile, corn, soy sauce, and flour.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the corn mixture.

Heat the butter or oil on a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spoon dollops of the batter on the skillet and cook until nicely browned on one side. (I cooked 3 at a time, the first batch took 4 minutes to brown and the rest were done much quicker). Flip and brown the other side. Serve immediately.

Makes 10-12 small pancakes.

Bouchons Au Thon

2010-04-15T13:32:00.000-07:00

It was just a few weeks ago that I posted about the (never home)maker's Foodie Book Club. I am so excited that this month's selection was A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg of Orangette that I couldn't help but get an early start with a sneak peek mini-review. Plus, I've been wanted to try this recipe for awhile and I couldn't wait any longer!

I first read this book last summer and I loved it so much that when my copy was ruined after accidentally landing in a muddy puddle, I immediately went out and bought another. Each chapter is a short vignette of Molly's life, followed by a related recipe. She shares stories of her family and friends, living in Paris, and eventually meeting her husband through her blog. Her recipes are fantastic, and if possible, her storytelling is even better.

The story that accompanies this recipe is about college and studying abroad. Molly starts by saying "I am one of those people for whom college was just okay. I liked my classes and my professors and the peopel I met there, but I never felt completely at home. I always imagined college as a place where I would tumble, not unlike Alice falling down the rabbit hole, into some sort of lovely, wacky, self-contained world." I couldn't relate more. College was great, but it wasn't quite how I'd pictured it and by senior year, as everyone else was feeling nostalgic, I could. not. wait. to get out of there.

Molly's unmet expectations inspired her to spend a semester in Paris. Her host mother sold and tested silicone baking equipment and this was one of the many recipes she prepared in her silicone molds. Molly describes them as having "a texture somewhere between the filling of a quiche and a freshly made country pate." To me, they are kind of a cross between a tuna-version of the meatloaf cupcakes I made earlier this year and a cheese souffle. They were so delicious I ended up eating four of them.

I am planning on posting another mini-review and recipe at the end of the month along with the rest of the book club, but for now, enjoy these!

(I hate photographing on these yellow plates, but they are all I have. I am hoping to have a lovely cream set after the wedding this summer that will hopefully look a lot nicer!)

Bouchons Au Thon
From Molly Wizenburg's A Homemade Life

One 6oz canned tuna (either solid white or chunk light)
1 cup shredded Gruyere
1/3 cup creme fraiche*
3 tbsp tomato paste
3 large eggs
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 tbsp chapped parsley
1/4 tsp salt

*I must admit, I used to be scared for creme fraiche. I wasn't sure exactly what it was or where to find it, so I avoided it altogether. Then I found out it is incredibly easy to make. The day before you want to use it, combine 1 cup of heavy creme and 1 tbsp buttermilk (I put it in a jam jar). Let it sit out at room temperature for twenty-four hours, then refrigerate and use within ten days.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease 8 cups of a muffin tin.

Drain the can of tuna and put it in a medium bowl. Mash it with a fork to break it into dime-sized or smaller pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until combined.

Divide the mixture among the 8 muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for five minutes and then run a knife around the edge of each bouchon to remove it from the pan and serve. They can be served warm or at room temperature, but I prefer warm.

(The lovely oven in my new house)

Roasted Rhubarb with White Wine

2010-04-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

(I think this was taken before it was cooked, because it looks nothing like that now. I must have been too excited to eat it. Oops.)

My friend Alex had been waiting very impatiently for rhubarb to arrive in the produce section. When she first mentioned her intense need for rhubarb right-that-minute, I thought "Hmm, yes, rhubarb is good, but I can wait." It wasn't until I read Molly's latest post on Orangette that I needed it.

A week or so later, Alex and I walked into the store and she exclaimed "Look!" and then I yelped. I yelped. In public. Over rhubarb. One of the employees turned around to see if something was wrong, but just saw two girls excitedly stuffing produce bags with rhubarb.

There are only four ingredients, but making this recipe, for me at least, was way too complicated. I made it the day after we had started moving and it took 2 trips to the old apartment and one to Target to finally have all the equipment I needed. But that first rhubarb of the spring? So worth it.

Roasted Rhubarb with White Wine
From Orangette, adapted from Canal House Cooking Volume 3

2 lb. rhubarb, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the ingredients in a dutch oven or deep pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway. Serve warm or cold. I suggest serving it over vanilla ice cream.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Foodie Book Club: The Nasty Bits

2010-04-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

I am taking part in (never home)maker's Foodie Book Club. The selection for the first month was The Nasty Bits By Anthony Bourdain. It is a collection of various essays and articles Bourdain has written. First of all, I'm going to admit I haven't finished the book, mostly because I've found myself unable to get into it. His writing is very raw and in-your-face and while I appreciate his personality and strong opinions, at times I felt like he was saying "THIS IS WHAT I THINK AND IF YOU DON'T AGREE, YOU ARE STUPID." I will also admit that while I am aware of Bourdain's existence, I have never seen his show or read anything by him before. Perhaps if I watched his show, his strong personality would be more endearing.

The two essays I found most interesting happen to be the same two that Ashley of (never home)maker mentioned in her review. "Are you a Crip or a Blood?" discusses the slow food movement, dividing the issue into two gangs: chefs who source their food from far off places without a second thought (the Crips), and the slow-food, Alice Waters-types (the Bloods). If you cannot tell, I am a Blood, 100 percent. I buy as much as my food as I can locally and support restaurants that do so as well. At first he calls himself a Blood, but then immediately states that he will purchase tomatoes from across the world that may have caused one person to develop cancer as long as they taste good, which to me is the absolute antithesis of the Bloods. As a chef, he wants to use the best ingredients he can find, which is understandable and I think there is a place for Crip-type restaurants, but I still prefer the Bloods.

I also really enjoyed his discussion of street food in other countries. In America, fast food is McDonald's or Taco Bell, food made with a million ingredients and chemicals and it is not. good. for. you. (And doesn't really taste good either). However, Bourdain points out that fast food in other countries is simple, flavorful, and made by an actual human right in front of you. I definitely wish that this type of fast food was more common here. I have seen pictures and read about the street food in Japan and China and South America and it makes me incredibly jealous that we are stuck with McNuggets when we want something quickly.

While I did find topics that interested me here and there in this book, overall it is not going on my favorites list. It focuses a lot more on the restaurant world, which is something I appreciate, but is not my main food interest. I love reading about personal relationships with food and home-cooking, which is why I am incredibly excited that next month's pick is Orangette's A Homemade Life. I have already read that book and am looking forward to going through it again because I have the biggest girl-crush on Molly Wizenburg and desperately want to be her best friend. Next month I promise a better review and a recipe to go with it!

If you want to join the Foodie Book Club, you can do so here:

Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Toasted Pine Nut Sauce

2010-03-29T08:59:00.001-07:00

It has been a busy month for me, hence, not a lot of posting. I had a midterm, went to Arizona for a week, and bought a house. The latter of which has caused all the deeply buried hate I have for the kitchen in my current apartment to explode out and I refused to cook until I was in the newly renovated, cockroach-free, garbage disposal and dishwasher-possesing kitchen in my new home. But that won't be for 8 more days and I still need to eat, so the cooking strike ended.

Last weekend my friend Alex came over and we finally made homemade ravioli after postponing several times. It was definitely worth the wait though. We adapted recipes from both The Gourmet Cookbook and Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Cooking. It was not as complicated as I thought it might be, although I am definitely adding a pasta machine to my wedding registry after rolling the dough out by hand (actually, I made Alex roll it out. I am fine with rolling pie dough or pizza crust, but ever since the Great Cracker Disaster of 2009, I get scared when something has to be very thin). Don't let that scare you though, Alex didn't really have any trouble rolling out the dough, it's all in my head. The recipe seems long and work-intensive, but it's really quite simple and everything came together quickly. Don't let all the steps scare you!

Spinach & Cheese Ravioli with Toasted Pine Nut Sauce
Serves 4

Fresh Pasta
Adapted from The Art of Simple Cooking

2 cups flour
2 eggs
2 egg yolks

Put the flour into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour the eggs in the well and mix with a fork, incorporating the flour bit by bit. When it becomes too stiff to mix with a fork, mix by hand. (Note: If it is too crumbly, add small amounts of water until it is dough-like. You can also do this step in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment).

Turn the dough on a floured surface and knead lightly, for about 4 minutes. Shape it into a disk, wrap in plastic, and let rest for at least one hour. Meanwhile, make the filling.

Roll the dough out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured board or using a machine. Roll the dough into rectangles. Pipe or spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling along each sheet of pasta, leaving about 1.5 inches inbetween. Fold the pasta over the blobs and seal the layers together with your fingers around each blob, making sure to gently squeeze the air out of each pocket. Cut the raviolis using a knife or pastry cutter. (Note: We also re-squeezed the sides together after cutting).

When finished, cook the ravioli in salted boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes or until done. Drain and serve.

Filling
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp pepper
1 lb. baby spinach (the original recipe calls for arugula)
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup soft goat cheese
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Heat the butter in a skillet until the foam subsides. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 1-2 minutes. Add the spinach and lemon zest and cook until the spinach is wilted. Transfer to a fine-mesh strainer and extract the excess liquid. Finely chop mixture and then stir with cheeses in a bowl (Note: We chopped and added the cheese in the food processor).

Sauce
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup spinach leaves, chopped

Heat butter in a skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides (Note: I added the butter before realizing we had not chopped the garlic, so while Alex did that, the butter browned. This was the best mistake ever and I highly recommend browning the butter on purpose). Add pine nuts and toast, stirring frequently until pale golden, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic turns golden, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and oil, swirling skillet to combine. Remove from heat. Sprinkle the spinach leaves over the raviloi and drizzle the sauce on top.

Butternut Cookies

2010-03-03T10:32:00.000-08:00

I randomly flipped to this recipe in my Moosewood Restaurant's Cooking for Health cookbook (that I am clearly obsessed with) and decided these cookies needed to be made immediately. I had some leftover squash in the freezer (I'm pretty sure it was acorn, but may have been butternut, who knows?) that was dying to be made into these little things. Plus, I had every single ingredient. Every single one. If fate was not calling, then I don't know who was.

The cookies themselves are not incredibly sweet (the chocolate chips help with that) but they are jam packed with healthy goods: squash, pumpkin seeds, nuts, raisins. Okay, yes, they are still cookies, but as far as cookies go, these babies are pretty damn healthy. According to the nutrition info provided with each recipe, they are just 103 calories a pop. Not bad, little cookies, not bad at all. This recipe is also easy to alter. If you don't have any of the add-ins or don't want to use nuts, for example, just double the amount of something else, like the raisins or chocolate chips. Anything goes!

Butternut Cookies
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant's Cooking for Health

1 1/2 cups pureed cooked butternut squash (or 12 oz frozen winter squash)
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chpped toasted nuts (walnuts, almonds, peanuts, or pecans)
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped raisins or dried cranberries (I used golden raisins)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or chopped pumpkin seeds (I used whole pumpkins seeds because I'm lazy like that)
2 tbsp sesame seeds (optional, I did not use)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the squash, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the wet. Stir in the nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds (if using).

Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and use about a tablespoon of batter for each cookie. Mine didn't spread at all, so you can fit about 18 per sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Makes 36 cookies.

Open-faced Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Cheese Sandwich

2010-02-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, another broccoli recipe. What can I say? I LOVE BROCCOLI. This is a simple sandwich recipe that is easy to customize. I plan to trying different vegetables, cheeses, and spices, but as is, it is the perfect meal for a cold winter day. It makes 4 servings that are perfect to serve with a salad or soup. If this is all you are having though, I'd serve it for two.

Open-faced Broccoli, Red Pepper, and Cheese Sandwich
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant's Cooking for Health

1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
3 cups chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/1 tsp salt
Red Pepper flakes to taste
1 tsp minced fresh rosemary or basil
2 tbsp water
3/4 cup grated provolone cheese
4 slices whole grain bread

Heat the olive oil on a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, broccoli, bell peppers, salt, red pepper flakes, and rosemary. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add the water, cover, and cook for about 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

While the vegetables are cooking, sprinkle the cheese over each slice of bread and melt in the broiler or toaster oven. Top with the cooked veggies.

Broccoli Spinach Soup

2010-02-23T07:32:00.000-08:00

After all those cakes and cupcakes, I really needed something green. So the other day when Joy the Baker posted this lovely little Broccoli Arugula soup, I ran over to the Seward Co-op to gather the ingredients. While I do love arugula, once I was there I decided I would rather not buy an entire package of it and be forced to eat arugula every day until I resented it. So instead, I went with spinach, which comes in bulk and the amount for this recipes came out to about fifty cents (and was probably more than a cup since I am terrible at eyeballing such things). That and broccoli were all I needed, the rest of the ingredients are staples I always keep on hand.

There aren't any pictures of the finished product. You know what that means: It. was. good. I gobbled it up before I could remember to grab my camera (and also before I added the squeeze of lemon, but that was rectified for the last half of the bowl at least). Keep this recipe in mind if you ever make an Irish Car Bomb Cake and need some vegetables in your system to counteract the sugar, stat.

Broccoli Spinach Soup
Adapted from Joy the Baker's Broccoli Arugula Soup who adapted it from goop.com

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water (I used 2 cups veggie stock with .5 cups water. I definitely recommend using stock over water in any recipe.)
1 cup baby spinach
splash of lemon juice (fresh is best)

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and broccoli and cook until the broccoli is bright green. Add the cumin, salt, pepper, and stock or water and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the broccoli is tender.

Transfer the contents into a food processor or blender (two batches might work best, I did one in my food processor but made a little mess), add in the spinach, and blend until smooth. Makes two servings. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice mixed in and a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche.

PS- I did grab this shot of the leftovers the next day:

Irish Car Bomb Cake

2010-02-20T12:09:00.000-08:00

I have a thing for baking cakes.

Especially cakes with two layers or more. A cake with one layer is no cake at all. I get a intense feeling of satisfaction after successfully leveling each layer, spreading the filling, placing the last layer on top, and frosting the whole thing up. I'm not sure where it came from. It might be from the memory from my childhood when I tried to turn my parent's anniversary cake into a layer cake. I made it out of a boxed cake mix and baked it in a large rectangular pan. One of my best friends was over and we decided it would be cool to cut the rectangle in half and make a two-layered version. Disaster ensued. We ended up putting all the pieces back in the pan (at this point there were more than 2) and frosting over it, with a big cross to cover up our incisions. It. was. not. pretty.

So last summer when I decided to make a layer cake for my graduation party, I was very scared and convinced it was going to be incredibly tricky. Maybe if I had not thought it was such a big deal, I wouldn't have been so pleased when it came out perfectly. And then maybe I wouldn't dream of all the different flavors and fillings I could make or spend hours looking at recipes, dying for an excuse to start preheating the oven.

This week, I did just that. A cake version of the popular drink: the Irish Car Bomb. Chocolate Cake made with Guinness. Chocolate ganache with a hint of Irish whiskey. Buttercream froting made with Irish Cream. This is not your kids' birthday cake. It is an adult cake. Rich and chocolaty with a hint of booze. What more could you ask for?

Irish Car Bomb Cake
Adapted from here and here

Cake:
1 cup Guinness (or any stout)
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Filling:
8 oz bittersweet chocolate (I only had unsweetened, so I used 4 oz and added sugar to taste, about 4 tbsp)
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1-2 tsp Irish whiskey

Frosting:
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3-4 tbsp Baileys or milk (I used both milk and caramel flavored irish cream since we already had a bottle)

(I ended up making 1.5x the recipe because I'm better at cake frosting if I have more to work with. I had some leftover so you could probably get away with using the recipe itself.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans.

In a saucepan, simmer the stout and butter over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and mix until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 tsp salt. In a separate bowl, blend the eggs and the sour cream. Then beat in the chocolate-stout mixture until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Divide between the cake pans and bake for 15 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 300 and bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean, about 15 more minutes.

To make the filling, melt the chocolate in a saucepan or double boiler. Add in the cream, butter, and whiskey and mix until smooth. Allow to cool until thick. You can put in the refrigerator to speed up the process, but make sure you stir it occasionally.

For the frosting, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, fully incorporating it each time. I usually don't measure it out, just taste it frequently and stop when I think it is sweet enough. Then beat in the milk and/or Bailey's.

Valentine's Cupcakes

2010-02-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

Is there any better way to tell someone you love them than sending them a giant box full cupcakes?

I think not. So this is exactly what I decided to do for my dear sister (also the lucky recipient of some S'mores Brownies a few weeks ago). I didn't want to make anything too crazy, just something simple and delicious. But since it is Valentine's Day after all, I did add a little twist of color. I divided the finished batter in two and dyed half of it pink (and later, red) and made two-tone cupcakes. I put the color on the bottom for most, so they would look like plain old vanilla cupcakes until you unwrapped them. But I then got bored of that and did it the other way around. My decorating skills are not the best, but the cupcakes tasted delicious (what, you think I didn't save a few for myself?) and that is what counts.

Valentine's Cupcakes (1-2-3-4 Cupcakes)

Adapted from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food

Cake:

4 eggs, separated

1 cup milk

3 cups cake flour (if you don't have any, it's super easy to make your own, check out Joy the Baker's tutorial)

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Red food dye (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Measure the milk and set aside.

In a separate, large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Then add the sugar and cream. Beat in the 4 egg yolks one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract. When well mixed, add the one third of the flour, followed by half the milk, another third of the flour, the rest of the milk, and the last of the flour, incorporating well at each step.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Stir one-third of the whites into the batter, then gently fold in the rest.

Divide the batter into two parts. Mix the desired amount of food dye into one half. Put a spoon full of colored batter into each cup and top with a spoonful of white batter or vice versa. Bake for 18-20 minutes and allow to cool completely before frosting. Makes 24-30 cupcakes.

Simple Frosting

Adapted from Alice Waters' The Art of Simple Food

12 tbsp butter, softened

1 and 1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon juice

Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, fully incorporating each time. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and beat until smooth. Makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes.

Tempeh-Quinoa Burgers

2010-02-05T16:25:00.000-08:00

I want you to close your eyes and imagine a veggie burger. Yes, do it right now. What do you see? Is it a frozen, perfectly hockey-puck shaped gardenburger with no real discernible taste? Yes, that it what I used to see too. I've eaten my fair share of those and never thought they were bad, but I never thought they were great either. I've never called myself a vegetarian, but I believe the majority of my veggie burger eating days were during a phase of being deathly afraid of getting mad cow disease in middle school/junior high. Even last year I kept a box of frozen patties in the freezer for days when I couldn't think of anything else to eat for lunch. But like I said, they were never anything to get excited about.

Those days are over, thanks to the Moosewood Restaurant's Cooking for Health. There are five burger recipes, all completely different. I already posted about the Spinach Tofu Burgers and now I bring you the Tempeh Quinoa Burgers which are made primarily out of two of my favorite things: quinoa and sweet potatoes. They come together easily and are great to freeze and reheat later, and let me tell you, having homemade veggie burgers in your freezer is one of the greatest ideas of all time (probably second to Joy the Baker inspiring me to keep frozen cookie dough balls in there too). Plus, did I mention that these are delicious and nothing at all like the bland variety found in the freezer aisle at the grocery store. Make these once and you'll never go back.

Tempeh-Quinoa Burgers

Adapted from the Moosewood Restaurant's Cooking for Health

1/2 cup quinoa

2 cups thinly sliced peeled sweet potatoes (I used about 1/2 to 2/3 of a large sweet potato and roasted the rest with rosemary and thyme as a side)

1 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup diced onions

1 cup minced bell peppers

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

8 oz tempeh, diced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

4 tsp soy sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste, ketchup, or tomato salsa (I used ketchup)

1 tbsp dark sesame oil (optional)

2 tsp dijon mustard

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I think I forgot the cilantro this time, if you don't have any, you can skip it)

1/4 cup sesame seeds (I skipped these because I was out)

Preheat the Oven to 375 degrees. I also recommend chopping and dicing everything beforehand, it will save you a lot of hassle.

Rinse the quinoa in a fine strainer and combine with the water and sweet potatoes in a sauce pan. Add 1/4 tsp of the salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer until the quinoa is soft and the sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

While the quinoa and sweet potatoes cook, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, the rest of the salt, and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bell peppers and garlic, cover, and cook for another 3 mintues. Add the tempeh, oregano, black pepper, and soy sauce, cover, and cook for 7-8 minutes stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

When the sweet potatoes and quinoa are finished, mash them in the saucepan and then add to the bowl with the vegetables (Note: The quinoa/sweet potato mashed together is delicious on its own. I plan to make this as a side for another meal someday). Mix in the ketchup, sesame oil, mustard, and cilantro and refrigerate until cool enough to handle. Then shape the mixture into burgers (1/2 cup each) and sprinkle each side with sesame seeds. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake until firm and golden, about 35 minutes.

Serve in a pita, on whole grain toast, rice, or salad greens. Top with guacamole, avocado, or anything you'd like. It is your burger after all.

Vegan Chocolate Avocado Cake

2010-01-23T20:04:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, a girl really needs some chocolate cake.

Sometimes, the girl is out of some of the integral chocolate cake ingredients, like eggs and butter. But don't worry, she has....avocados?

Wait a minute, please. Don't stop reading. I know it sounds a bit strange. I had the same thoughts when I randomly saw this on Joy the Baker's recipe index. But I was intrigued. And out of eggs.

Maybe what you need to do to accept this combination is reimagine your idea of an avocado. Yes, the first thing you might think of when you see an avocado is guacamole, but take a step back. The avocado is a fruit. Strawberries, raspberries, oranges, bananas...they all get to hang out with chocolate all the time. They never invite the avocado. The avocado feels left out. It's sad. But it doesn't need to be. One bite of this cake and you will agree with me. Really, I promise.

And yes, that is also avocado frosting. It is not bad. It does taste like avocados, but also like sugar. Lots of sugar. It's probably not a combination you've ever tasted before and if you don't like something about this cake, it would probably be the frosting. It's probably not for everyone, but I like it. The cake, however, is delicious and you cannot taste the avocado at all. Feel free to swap the avocado frosting for chocolate or vanilla or whatever your frosting of choice may be. But if you ever find yourself sans eggs, plus avocado, don't be afraid! Let the avocado have some fun for once.

Vegan Chocolate Avocado Cake
Adapted from Joy the Baker

3 cups white whole wheat flour (you can use all-purpose or whole wheat pastry if you would prefer)
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/t tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup walnut oil (you can also use vegetable oil)
1 medium mashed avocado (use the ripest avocado possible)
2 cups water
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:
2 medium, very soft avocados, mashed
2 tsp lemon juice
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two round cake pans (8 or 9 inches).

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together the mashed avocado, water, oil, and vinegar. Then add the sugar. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients all at once and beat with a whisk until smooth.

Pour batter into the cake pans and bake for 30-40 minutes. Let cool in pans for 15 minutes, then remove and let cool completely on wire racks before frosting.

While the cake is in the oven, put the mashed avocados for the frosting into a bowl with the lemon juice. Mix with an electric mixer until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar a little at a time and mix until incorporated.

S'mores Brownies

2010-01-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

I made my own vanilla extract! I've seen it on a few of my favorite food blogs and have been itching to try it myself. It was ridiculously easy. It took about 60 seconds (well, minus the part where it sits for two months). Slice 3 vanilla beans lengthwise, put in a jar with 1 cup alcohol (at least 80 proof vodka, rum, or bourbon), shake. Store in a cool dry place for 2 months. Shake it a few times when you remember. I made this batch with rum. I ordered some more vanilla beans online (way cheaper!) and am planning on making another batch with bourbon.

I also made brownies for my little sister, because I am really super nice. Not just any brownies: S'mores brownies. I marked this recipe a few weeks ago and decided it would be the perfect way to get rid of the graham crackers I brought home from my desk at my old job. I did, of course, try one before I sent them away. They were very cakey and also, HUGE, but who can really complain about the giantness of a chocolate baked good? The only thing I would change next time is add more graham crackers. They rose so much the cracker bits were a bit too sparse. I definitely cannot complain about the crisp and melty marshmallows on top though.

S'mores Brownies

Adapted from Joy the Baker

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (you can also use all-purpose)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

6 oz unsweetened chocolate

5 eggs

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 cup roughly crushed graham crackers (I would maybe double this)

Large marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13in baking pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Chop the chocolate into small pieces.

Put the chocolate in the melted butter and microwave until the chocolate is melted and smooth, about 1-1 1/2 minutes.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla, and sugars. Add in the chocolate mixture and then mix in the dry ingredients until well incorporated. Fold in the graham crackers.

Pour batter into pan and top with marshmallows (I used 15). Bake for 30-40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes before cutting and removing from pan.

Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting

2010-01-22T14:02:00.000-08:00

So, I live with this boy. And this boy thinks cupcakes. are. stupid.

Yes, I know. There are no words. He is clearly insane.

I was determined to bake a cupcake he would like, and since he also is not a big fan of chocolate or any type of dessert (like I said, INSANE), but LOVES meat, we have meatloaf cupcakes. I think it was my friend Alex who first read about such a thing, so we decided to make some for Mr. I Hate Everything that is Good last weekend.

Also, I should probably mention that this was not just my first time making any sort of meatloaf, but it was also my first time eating meatloaf (at least that I can remember). So, I might sort of be insane too...

Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato "Frosting"

Adapted from Simply Recipes

1 diced onion

1 finely chopped celery rib (I never knew they were called ribs)

1 finely chopped carrot

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tsp salt

1 1/3 tsp ground pepper

2 tsp Worscestershire sauce

2/3 cup ketchup

2 lbs. ground beef*

1 cup breadcrumbs

2 large eggs

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves (I think we forgot these...oops)

*You can use a mix of ground beef and ground pork or ground pork sausage, but we stuck to ground beef

For the frosting:

About 3 potatoes

Butter

Cream or milk

Salt and pepper

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large skillet, then add the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and scallions. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat while stirring. Cover the skillet and stir occasionally. Cook for 5 more minutes or until carrots are tender. Add the salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and half the ketchup. Cook for one more minute.

In a large bowl, combine the meats, eggs, vegetables, bread crumbs, and parsley (but if you happen to forget the parsley, they will still be tasty). Grease a muffin tin or line with baking foils. Fill each cup with the meatloaf mixture and form into a cupcake shape (the mixture will not rise). We had enough mixture for about 14 cupcakes, but only had one tin, so used the extra meat to make 2 mini meatloaves on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 45 minutes or until done.

Meanwhile, peel and boil the potatoes until done. Drain the water and mash, adding butter, cream or milk, salt and pepper to taste.

When the meatloaves are done, spread the mashed potatoes on top to look like frosting. If you want to get fancy, put in a ziploc bag and cut a hole in the corner to make a piping bag. Feel free to decorate with ketchup, mustard, green onions, or anything else you desire.

Serve warm. Any extras taste great reheated in the microwave.

Spinach-Tofu Burgers

2010-01-04T19:42:00.000-08:00

My family has developed a somewhat strange Christmas tradition. It was started by my father several years ago. He would be handed a present and read the label aloud "To Dad, From Santa" and then say "Oh, I wonder what this could be...oh my gosh, look at THIS! This is GREAT! How did Santa know?" while my mother, sister, and I would look at each other trying to figure out who had gotten this gift. We'd then realized none of us had, and that he had, in fact, purchased the item for himself. In the years since, we have all given into this gag (except for my little sister). I remember the first time I indulged. It was a black lacy Free People skirt that I found while buying a purse for my sister. I couldn't resist.

The same thing happened this year. I should've known it was dangerous to enter the cookbook section at Barnes and Noble to find something for my sister. I saw the Moosewood Restaurant's Cooking for Health. I barely even looked through it, just picked it up in some sort of cookbook trance. I brought it home, wrapped it up, and snuck it under the tree.

It was definitely a good decision. Everything I have made from it so far as been absolutley amazing. Well...I've only made 3 recipes, but I am deeply in love with them all and plan to make them over and over for the rest of my life. The Banana Maple Oatlmeal I made this morning? I don't think I can ever make any other type of oatmeal again. Tempeh-Quinoa burgers with Sweet Potatoes? Perfection.

And here, I give you the Spinach Tofu Burgers. The recipe makes 6 and I froze the rest. They are great reheated, between two slices of whole wheat toast, and drenched in ketchup (I loooooove my ketchup). I used leeks instead of scallions because the scallions I had in the fridge had been there a lot longer than I realized...oops. Also, make sure you have precooked brown rice on hand, or else you will have to take a 45 minute intermission...not that I did that or anything. No, I am always incredibly prepared. Mmmhmm...

Moosewood Restaurant's Spinach-Tofu Burgers
(Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant's Cooking for Health)

10 oz fresh spinach (frozen chopped spinach works too)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped scallions (or leeks)
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 tsp dried oregano (or 1 1/2 tsp fresh)
1-2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
16oz firm tofu (1 cake)
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp light miso
Dash of ground black pepper
2 tbsp copped fresh dill or basil (I used dill)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Steam the spinach and drain it well. Set aside.

Warm the olive oil in a saucepan on medium-high heat and cook the scallions (or leeks), carrots, oregano, and garlic until soft (about 3-4 minutes).

Pulse the walnuts and brown rice in a food processor until crumbly. Set aside in a mixing bowl. Pulse half the tofu and half the spinach until well combined. Add this mixture to the bowl. Pulse the rest of the tofu and spinach and add the mustard, miso, black pepper, and dill (or basil) until well blended. Add the scallion/carrot/garlic mixture and mix well. Feel free to add some more miso or soy sauce to taste (I added a bit of soy sauce).

Shape the mixture into 6 burgers (about 1/2 cup each) and arrange on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for about 35 minutes until puffed and browned (I would recommend flipping them at some point. The bottoms of mine weren't brown and fell apart a bit when I lifted then off the pan).

PS- They are completely vegan!

Christmas Pudding with Caramel Sauce

2009-12-27T09:07:00.000-08:00

Dating further back than the Spinach-Orange Muffins for Thanksgiving is the tradition of the Burton Christmas Pudding. Similarly, you usually don't tell people the main ingredients until after they have taken a bite and fallen in love. My mother found this recipe in Redbook in 1984 and has made it every year since.

The main ingredients? Potatoes and carrots. The key? Overcook the crap out of it. Otherwise it will fall apart when you take it out of the pan. Even if it is the driest thing ever, the caramel sauce brings it back to life. It is kind of like a carrot cake covered in caramely goodness, so how can you really go wrong?

By the way, taking a picture of all the ingredients measured out is really handy, as it can serve as visual confirmation that you forgot to put in the nutmeg. But fear not, my mistake was realized in time.

Christmas Pudding with Caramel Sauce

(Adapted from a 1984 issue of Redbook)

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup raw, finely grated carrots

1 cup raw, finely grated potatoes

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup raisins, rinsed in hot water and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix baking soda, carrots, and potatoes in a bowl. Set aside.

In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Then beat in eggs one at a time until smooth. Sift in flour, spices, and salt over wet mixture. Add the raisins and the carrots and potatoes.

Place batter in 5 cup buttered and floured mold. Place mold in a larger baking pan that is filled with about 1-2 inches of water. Bake for 50-60 minutes (BUT PROBABLY LONGER...OVERCOOK IT DAMNIT) until pudding is moist, but set and starting to separate from the sides of the mold. Set on rack to cool and remove onto serving plate while still warm.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt sugar and butter on top of double boiler over low heat. Add cream slowly, stirring well. Remove pan from heat. Stir in vanilla. Serve warm, poured over slices of pudding.

Tempeh Curry

2009-12-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

I had never had tempeh before making this recipe a couple weeks ago, but now I'm hooked. I've made this dish again since then. It's fast, easy, and delicious and makes great leftovers. I used fingerling potatoes, they are my favorite. I was also excited to use tumeric, which may or may not be the best thing for you ever.

Tempeh Curry
(adapted from 101 Cookbooks)

1 1/2 cups fingerling potatoes (you can use any small, waxy potatoes)
2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tumeric (I doubled the amount)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup canned diced tomatoes
3/4 cup water
8oz tempeh
Cream
Cilantro

Cut the potatoes in half, sprinkle with half the salt, and steam for about 20 minutes or until done.

In a skillet, melt the butter into the olive oil, then add the onion and cook on low for about 5 minutes. Add the spices, then the water, tomatoes, and the rest of the salt. Remove from heat, stir in a bit of cream, then blend in a food processor. Return to the heat and add the tempeh, sliced. Cook for 5 minutes, then stir in potatoes and serve in a large bowl.

Miso Yellow Onion Salad Dressing

2009-12-09T20:41:00.000-08:00

I invented a recipe!

And by that, I mean that I became obsessed with the onion miso salad dressing at the salad bar at the Seward Coop & Deli, so I assembled all the ingredients listed on their little bottle and put them in made up quantities in my food processor.

I did not write down what I put in so only the powers that be really know, but I will urge you to be adventurous and do the same. I usually find it difficult to stray from a recipe, so this was exciting, in a nerdy food-and-recipe-loving way. Luckily it turned out well, miso ain't cheap.

Miso Yellow Onion Salad Dressing

(Inspired by the Seward Coop & Deli)

1 medium yellow onion

Miso

Canola Oil

Red Wine Vinegar

Water

Peel the onion and chop in half. Use about 1/4 cup miso. A smidge of oil and vinegar, and 1/4 to 1/3 cup water. Blend.

Put onto salad. Enjoy.

Eat Your Vegetables Damnit!

2009-12-08T09:45:00.000-08:00

Last week Cafe Brenda in downtown Minneapolis closed, so Alex (my partner-in-crime for all things food-related) decided we needed to go while we had a chance. It was started by Brenda Langton, who is very involved in the local food movement and started the Mill City Farmers Market, and has been around for 23 years. I had a wonderful sweet potato soup followed by mock duck tacos and Alex had sesame crusted fish and gobbled up the fresh bread. It was a lovely dinner, but perhaps my favorite part was when we got our checks:

Hah.

That is it for now. I do have another recipe-centered entry on its way, but not enough time before work to share it with you now. Although, I did just eat lunch and highly recommend quinoa drizzled with walnut oil and mixed with parmesan cheese. Super easy and delicious. And in case you were wondering, the persimmons are still not ripe. Persimmon pudding will be mine someday...

Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-12-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

My plan for my second post has been foiled by persimmons that have yet to become ripe, so that recipe will have to wait. Oh well, it will give me more time to decide between persimmon pudding and persimmon tea cake. So instead, I directed my baking urge last night to oatmeal chocolate chip cookies care of Orangette. They came out perfectly and keeping the percentage of recipes I've tried from Molly's blog and book at 100%. The only change I made was using dark chocolate chips.

Hopefully I will grace you with something delicious and persimmon related soon, that is, if the three persimmons sitting on my kitchen decide to cooperate.

Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Orangette

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 and 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
1 and 1/2 cups quick oats

1. Sift together dry ingredients.

2. Cream together butter and sugars with an electric mixer. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk. Add dry ingredients.

3. Stir in chocolate chips and oatmeal. Preheat oven to 325 F. Refrigerate dough 30-60 minutes.

4. Bake cookies for 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Thanksgiving Muffins

2009-11-26T12:13:00.000-08:00

When most people think of Thanksgiving, they think of turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, and cranberries.

I think of spinach...and oranges.

More specifically, my mom's Spinach and Orange Muffins, also known as Thanksgiving Muffins. I spent many of my childhood years as The World's Pickiest Eater and ate countless Thanksgiving dinners consisting of only these muffins and a slice of pumpkin pie.

"They sounded terrible, I have no idea why I ever made them," says my mother when asked how this tradition started, "but they turned out to be delicious. I made everyone try them before I said what was in them." Which is pretty much what I always have to do, as the words spinach, orange, and muffin in one sentence tend to elicit the words "ew" and "gross" from most people. But trust me. They are delicious.

This year was my first Thanksgiving away from my family, and the first time I made these muffins myself. I don't usually stray from what is written in a recipe (it frightens me, especially when the stakes are a muffinless Thanksgiving) but I made a few substitutions and they turned out perfectly. I put the recipe below with my alterations in parentheses. Give them a try, they are a perfect savory winter treat.

Thanksgiving Muffins (Spinach Orange Muffins)

3 cups fresh spinach, stems removed

1 medium orange, seedless and halved

4 large eggs

1 and 1/3 c vegetable oil (I used walnut oil, which is better for you, but expensive, so I wouldn't substitute it all the time)

2 and 1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used 1 cup sugar .75 cups raw blue agave nectar)

1 cup chopped pecans

4 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)

1 and 1/4 tsp salt (I used sea salt)

1 and 1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan, even if it is nonstick.

Wash the spinach and drain well. Cut into 1/4 inch ribbons.

Cut the orange in half and grind in a food processor, one half at a time.

Beat eggs in a large mixing bowl. Then add the sugar and oil and mix well. Stir in the spinach, orange, and pecans.

Sift together dry ingredients, then add to the liquid ingredients until just moistened. Do not over mix. Spoon into muffin pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 15-20 minutes and turn the pan halfway through. When done, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then on wire racks. They are best served warm, so if you make them ahead of time, warm them in the oven or microwave before serving.

Makes 2 and 1/2 dozen muffins.