Hurricane Preparedness

With Hurricane Sandy approaching, we had quite a bit of work to do to get the house ready to weather the storm; my roommate handled the outside work and I was in charge of the inside work. At the top of MY list of preparations was to make sure we had water and non-perishable food items for a 3-5 day power outage (my neighborhood is notorious for losing power during major storms). While I stocked up on the standards like bread, crackers, peanut butter, canned soup (canned?! desperate times... *shudder*), fruit cups and the like, I also wanted to do some baking. So, what did I make? Well, in the sweets department there's the French apple pie with crumb topping, loaded oatmeal cookies, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, and I still had a loaf of vegan banana chocolate-walnut bread in the freezer.

In addition to the sweets, we made a last-minute run to the grocery store to stock up on junk food like tortilla chips with salsa and queso dip, pretzels, and popcorn. Because I had several whole wheat pita pockets stashed in the freezer, I made pita chips (easy enough to slice and bake, spiced however you want) and my roommate requested spinach dip. For dinner last night, I made a rather simple (but delicious none the less) baked pasta with zucchini, mushrooms, marinara, and the last of the chicken breasts from the freezer.

Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

(based on the basic Oatmeal Cookie recipe from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book)

loaded oatmeal cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup AP flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups old fashion rolled oats (not the quick cooking kind)
1 Tbs. ground flaxseed
3/4 cup butter (that's 1 1/2 sticks, and make sure to bring it to room temperature- it makes mixing easier)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, and flaxseeds.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugars before adding in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is well combined before mixing in the dry ingredients. Fold in the dried fruits, nuts, and chocolate chips. Drop cookies by the tablespoonful on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks before storing in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

peanut butter oatmeal cookies

*Even though these weren't the only cookies I made, as the day went on, snapping photos kind of fell by the wayside. Also, I'd like to point out that between the oats and dried fruits, these cookies are practically a breakfast food (I saw that eye roll!) and as such, a definite necessity for any power outage.

Tofu & Corn Chowder with Roasted Red Peppers

I. Love. Chowders.

Whether it's your basic clam chowder (yum!), chicken & veg chowder, turkey, potato... I could go on and on... I love 'em all. I've made chowders many times over the years and each time, I like to change things up a bit. Traditionally, I start my chowders with bacon (usually turkey, although occasionally I'll go with the real stuff) or salt pork (one of the very few culinary teachings from my New Englander mother that stuck with me), then saute the onions and any other veg in that salty goodness before adding flour to make a roux, so on and so on. This time, however, I kept things pretty light and extremely easy while maintaining that essential chowder flavor/texture that I love so damn much.

Tofu & Corn Chowder with Roasted Red Peppers

perfect to pack for dinner at work!

Ingredients:

1 Tbs. olive oil (yes, butter would be better but I rarely have REAL butter in the house anymore)

1/2 cup onion, finely diced (straight from the freezer)

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 (14.5 ounce) can cream-style corn (this was a MAJOR cheat for me because I would normally use fresh corn on the cob, scraping the cobs or "milking" them to achieve the same final product)

1 cup milk (I used plain soy, although with other chowders I'll buy real dairy milk)

2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock

1 cup corn (straight from the freezer again)

1/4 cup roasted red peppers, diced (I usually have a jar of these in the fridge or pantry)

4 ounces of previously baked tofu, diced (of course, chicken or turkey is awesome here as well)

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

In a medium pan over medium-low heat, cook the onion and spices in olive oil until softened and fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Here's where it gets really complicated so pay attention: Dump in the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes until everything is heated through. Serve with a hunk of crusty bread or some biscuits, and you're golden.

Enjoy!

Easy Mexican Lasagna

This dish couldn't have been any simpler to put together. Why? Well, that's probably because I had ALL of the ingredients sitting in the fridge, leftover from yesterday's football-watching snacks.

Like many of the dishes I make, it can be made as an individual size meal (like I did today), or it translates well into a larger casserole to feed a crowd. You'll notice that I don't list quantities on the ingredients for that very reason; it should be done to taste.

Easy Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:
black beans (kidney beans would be good too)
salsa (whatever your favorite kind is, and as hot as you like it)
pinch of chili powder
pinch of cumin
pinch of cilantro
tortillas (I had whole wheat ones in the fridge, but corn tortillas would be just as tasty)
shredded cheese (I usually have a Mexican blend in the fridge, but plain ol' cheddar or jack cheese would work too)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the beans and salsa until just warmed through, about 5 minutes. I suppose you could do this in a microwave, but since I don't have a microwave (gasp!), I do everything on the stove top. Once the bean mixture is warmed through, it's just a matter of layering the ingredients to create the lasagna. Because I went with my trusty individual-size casserole dish, I used a pair of kitchen shears to cut the tortillas into smaller rounds to fit my dish.

To build the lasagna, spoon 1/3 of the bean mixture on the bottom of the dish. Top with 1 tortilla (for larger casserole dishes, you can sort of shingle the tortillas to create one layer) then sprinkle on a thin layer of cheese. Spoon on another 1/3 of the bean mixture, top with another tortilla, then top THAT with the rest of the bean mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes (cook time would be closer to 20-25 minutes for a larger casserole). Sprinkle on more cheese and return to the oven for another 5-7 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Cool slightly to let things set before digging in.

Enjoy!

Creamy Vegetable, Chick Pea & Dumpling Soup

While I am fully aware that the classic dish is usually chicken (or even turkey) and dumplings, in this instance, however, I didn't think ahead to pulling some chicken breasts out of the freezer so I fudged things a little and improvised. But you know what? Some of my best dishes come from just these sorts of situations, and this one was a delightful success. Not as thick as the traditional chicken and dumplings, this particular version had a rich base without being too heavy, thus "soup" instead of a stew. AND, because I don't make dumplings very often, I actually follow the recipe straight from the Better Homes & Garden New Cook Book that I've had since my college days. [insert nostalgic sigh]

Creamy Vegetable, Chick Pea & Dumpling Soup

Ingredients:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried dill
8 ounces of mixed vegs (I've said it before, and I'll say it again- you NEED to keep this stuff in your freezer!)
1 cup tomatoes, diced
2 Tbs. flour
1 cup milk (yes, I used plain soy milk)
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2" piece of Parmesan rind
1 (15.5 ounce) can chick peas, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup AP flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. dried herbs (I used a combination of parsley and dill)
1/4 cup milk (yes, it was soy again)
2 Tbs. vegetable oil

Directions:
In a large soup pot over medium-low heat, saute the onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil until slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in all of the spices and cook for another 3-5 minutes before adding the tomatoes and mixed vegs. Continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes then sprinkle on the flour, stirring to coat the vegs. Slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly. Raise the heat to medium-high, continuing to stir as you add in the stock and drop in the Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once the soup reaches a boil, you'll notice it thickening slightly; turn the heat back down to medium-low, stir in the chick peas, and allow the soup to simmer gently for 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and herbs. Pour in the milk and oil, stirring just until combined. Once the dough comes together, immediately spoon it by the tablespoonful (you should get 4-6 dumplings out of it, depending on how generous your scoops are) to float on top of the simmering soup. Cover the pot and walk away for 20 minutes. NO PEEKING!

After 20 minutes, test the dumplings for doneness just like you do with baked goods- a toothpick inserted in the center blah blah blah. Like most soups, this one tastes just as good, if not better, the next day.

Enjoy!

Creamy Tomato Soup

Anytime I have leftover marinara in the fridge- usually loaded with all kinds of vegs (this one had onions, carrots, celery, zucchini, squash, and eggplant)- I either toss it in the freezer for another day, or make creamy tomato soup with it. It's as easy as reheating the sauce on the stove top and then using my immersion blender to buzz it til it's smooth and creamy. It makes a great simple supper or quick and easy lunch, but instead of pairing it with the classic grilled cheese sandwich, I went with a cheesy quesadilla that was baked in the toaster oven.

You see, it doesn't always have to be about a NEW recipe, but rather, what to do with the leftovers...

Enjoy!

Mushroom & Barley Faux Risotto

Traditional risotto is made with a short grain rice (like aroborio), sauted in butter or olive oil with onions for several minutes to coat the grains of rice before adding in a splash of wine and then ladles of hot stock or broth, stirring frequently with each addition of liquid to help the rice develop its starches and create a creamy dish. It refers to the method of cooking as much as the final dish itself. I call this dish a Faux Risotto because I used barley instead of a short grain rice (although you CAN make risotto with other grains), and the barley was cooked independently of the rest of the vegs, boiled like long grain rice. Yes, the final dish has that same creamy texture as a true risotto does, but I arrived there in a very different fashion... thus the Faux. And yes, I HAVE made traditional risotto before; quite frankly, I didn't have the patience for it tonight.

Mushroom & Barley Faux Risotto

Ingredients:
4 cups of water
3/4 cup of barley
1 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (preferably red, yellow, or orange)
1 roma tomato, diced (canned would be fine)
1 pint of mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini)
1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. garlic powder (blah blah fresh...)
1 Tbs. parsley (fresh or dried)
couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil before adding the barley and salt. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer until most of the water has been absorbed, about 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium heat, cook the vegs (except the mushrooms) in olive oil for 5-7 minutes until slightly softened. Add in the mushrooms and dried spices, continuing to cook until the mushrooms start to brown and give off their liquid, another 5-7 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar and remove from the heat. Once the barley has absorbed most of the water, add it to the mushroom mixture, stirring gently to combine. Finish with a sprinkle of parsley and some Parmesan if the mood strikes you.

Enjoy!

(Vegan) Pumpkin Spice Bread

After yesterday's meltdown fiasco with the gingerbread scones, I wanted to try another vegan recipe but one that I knew would be more, shall we say, foolproof. A basic quick bread, this recipe was certainly easy enough to put together (even with the distraction of watching football and entertaining a friend), and it had the added bonus of filling my kitchen with the warm, spicy scents of the holidays. It was hard to wait until it was cool enough to slice, but it was definitely worth the wait! Much like the (vegan) banana muffins, the texture of this bread was much lighter than I expected it to be, especially given the fact that I swapped out some of the AP flour for whole wheat pastry flour which is denser than its counterpart. Also, this bread was incredibly moist, with just the right amount of chew to it, living up to the promise of the warm spices which gave it a delightful richness. I will definitely be making this again!

(Vegan) Pumpkin Spice Bread

original recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets 

by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Ingredients:
3 Tbs. ground flaxseed
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 (14-ounce) can pumpkin puree (NOT to be confused with pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups AP flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips (I like dark chocolate)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a glass measuring cup, whisk the flaxseed and water together until thick and creamy.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, apple sauce, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and flaxseed mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk (or sift) together all of the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring just to combine. Fold in the chocolate chips then pour the batter into (2) 8"x3"x2" loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 55-65 minutes, until a toothpick blah blah blah. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy right away (after they've cooled, of course), or wrap in heavy duty foil and freeze for another day.

Enjoy!

Spinach & Herb Smashed Topatoes

spinach & herb smashed topatoes...

Sometimes, a girl's just gotta go with a big ol' bowl of comfort food for dinner and for me, that's mashed potatoes. Yes, it's a stereotype: girl of Irish descent loves potatoes. Can you blame me? But these aren't the mashed potatoes of my childhood, made with starchy russet potatoes and lots of milk and butter. Nope. Mine are made with the less starchy, waxier red potato, are much chunkier (thus "smashed" instead of "mashed") and they're not just potatoes (thus "topatoes"- a term that entered my vocabulary back in my college days). With a friend sharing dinner and football tonight, one of us had the vegetarian version, while the other bowl was topped with diced turkey bacon. It's like a hug for the soul... or your stomach. You know what I mean.

Spinach & Herb Smashed Topatoes

... with turkey bacon

Ingredients:
2 large red potatoes, skins on, diced
1 parsnip, peeled and diced
1 cup of cauliflower, chopped
1 Tbs. olive oil
4 ounces of spinach (fresh or frozen)
2 Tbs. goat cheese (cream cheese would work well here)
1 Tbs. sour cream (I usually have the fat-free stuff in my fridge)
1 Tbs. parsley, chopped (fresh is best, but dried would work)
1 Tbs. basil, chopped (fresh really is best here)
1 tsp. dill (fresh or dried, whatever you have on hand)
1 Tbs. chives, chopped (I usually just snip my chives with kitchen shears 'cause it's easier than using a knife)
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a large pot over high heat, cover the potatoes, parsnip, and cauliflower with water, add 1 Tbs. salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook the vegs until fork tender, about 13-15 minutes. (Stating the Obvious: The smaller everything is diced, the quicker it will cook.) Drain the vegs, and return everything to the hot pot (now over low heat) before adding the olive oil and spinach, covering with a lid to allow the spinach to wilt and heat through. When the spinach has wilted, lightly mash the vegs with a fork (NOT a potato masher), leaving things relatively chunky. Stir in the goat cheese (or cream cheese) and sour cream, then finish with the herbs and salt & pepper. To keep things vegetarian, stop here and serve the smashed topatoes as is. If, however, you want to take that extra step, top the smashed topatoes with some crispy bacon; in this case, I used a slice of turkey bacon, diced and crisped in the toaster oven.

Enjoy!

(Vegan) Gingerbread Scones

First of all, let me preface this by saying I did NOT enjoy making these scones. Why not? I've been eager to try these for several days now so when I got up this morning, I thought, "What the hell?" and turned the oven on to preheat before I even started my coffee brewing.

That was my first mistake.

The second mistake was in not eating breakfast before undertaking the task of mixing this very sticky dough. If you know me at all, you know that I don't function well in the morning- especially before caffeine- and that I tend to meltdown in spectacular fashion if I don't remember to eat and my blood glucose is too low. Tackling this particular baking project (a) in the morning, (b) before massive caffeine infusions, and (3) without eating first was like a perfect (shit) storm and I'm pretty sure I scared the dog when I started yelling at the dough, throwing utensils into the sink, and hurling the dishtowel across the room. Poor Kailan... he hasn't learned to ignore my ranting like Seamus used to; Kai takes everything personally.

Now, despite my meltdown and lack of enjoyment, the final product was definitely tasty. Will I make them again? I don't see that happening anytime soon.

(Vegan) Gingerbread Scones

original recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets 

by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Ingredients:
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used plain soy milk)
1 Tbs. white distilled vinegar
2 1/2 Tbs. unsulphured molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups AP flour
3/4 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed (I don't see why you couldn't use dark brown)
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup non-dairy butter, cold (I pre-cut mine into tiny cubes)
1/3 cup raisins and/or dried cranberries
2 Tbs. crystallized ginger, diced
non-dairy milk for brushing the tops (again, I used plain soy milk)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a glass measuring cup, combine the milk, vinegar, molasses, and vanilla. Set aside for 10-15 minutes to allow the vinegar a chance to "activate" the milk and essentially turn it into buttermilk.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using 2 knives (or better yet, a pastry cutter!), cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients; it should be crumbly (not pasty) with pea-sized chunks of butter. Fold in the raisins/dried cranberries and crystallized ginger before adding the wet ingredients to the dry. Stir just to combine, being careful NOT to over mix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Using your hands, shape the dough into a disk, about 9" in diameter and 1/2" thick. Now, this is where I did quite a bit of cussing at the dough because it can either be too sticky or too dry, in which case you need to add more flour (as in my case) or more milk (you'd have to do that before turning it out onto the board), working quickly so the butter inside the dough stays mostly chilled. (I'm pretty sure the molasses was the cause of the ridiculous stickiness, and I ended up sprinkling on another 1/4 cup of AP flour.) Cut the disk into 8-10 slices (like a pizza) and carefully transfer each slice to a baking sheet (mine was lined with parchment paper), giving them room to grow (maybe a 1/2" apart?). Brush the tops with milk, and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes until a toothpick blah blah blah. Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before diving in. (The original recipe also included a maple glaze which was drizzled on after the scones were cooled. I found it to be a little too sweet, so I'm leaving that part out of the recipe.)

Enjoy!

Chick Pea & Spinach Saute with Israeli Couscous

Another quick and easy pantry-staple, throw together meal, the ease with which this comes together certainly doesn't detract from it's tastiness. I like to save my more complicated recipes (read: time consuming) for my days off when I have the luxury of lingering in the kitchen to play. On mornings before work, I prefer to put together something a little less complicated but without compromising flavor. This particular dish fits the bill because, again, I always have the necessary components in my pantry/fridge/freezer and it only takes about 15 minutes to cook... just enough time for the coffee to brew while the dog is playing in the backyard. I suppose this would work just as well with lentils or brown rice as opposed to the couscous, but I was going for speed this morning; the couscous won. ;)

Chick Pea & Spinach Saute with Israeli Couscous

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup of onion, diced (from the freezer, remember?)
6 ounces of spinach (fresh or frozen)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 Tbs. parsley (I don't always have fresh, so the dry stuff is perfectly fine)
1 (15.5 ounce) can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn (yes, fresh really is better here)

1 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 cup of Israeli couscous (I like the sturdier texture as compared to regular couscous)

Directions:
In a large saute pan, cook the onions and spinach over medium-low heat until the onions have softened and the spinach has wilted, about 5-7 minutes. Drop the heat to low before adding in the nutmeg, parsley, and chick peas. Continue to cook until chick peas are warmed through, about 3-5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, bring the water or stock to a boil before stirring in the couscous. Cover and simmer on low for 8-10 minutes, until all of the liquid has been absorbed.

Toss the couscous with the chick pea & spinach mixture, and finish with the fresh basil.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Tacos

Okay. I admit it: Tacos are one of the few foods that I will occasionally "cheat" and use the box dinner kits that include those crunchy taco shells and a spice packet. So what? They're tasty and still better than the fast-food version you get through the late night drive thru because I can make them with ground turkey, chicken, or tofu and top them however I want. That being said, for the most part I make tacos from scratch and the quickest of the variations I like to make are these black bean tacos because all the ingredients come straight from the pantry and my freezer.

Black Bean Tacos

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup of onion, diced (yes, I have diced onions in my freezer)
1/4 cup of red/yellow/green bell pepper, diced (again, I keep a bag of peppers in my freezer)
1/4 cup of salsa or tomatoes, diced (I had leftover diced tomatoes with jalapenos in the fridge from a can opened earlier in the week)
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
splash of water (veggie stock or tomato juice works well here)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. paprika (sweet or smoked, whatever you have on hand)
1/4 cup sweet corn (yes, from the freezer again)
salt & pepper to taste
splash of lime juice
soft flour tortillas (I prefer the smaller taco size, but these can just as easily be made into larger burritos)

Directions:
Cook the onion, peppers, and tomatoes in olive oil over medium-low heat until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the beans, splash of water, and all spices. Using a fork, lightly mash some of the beans to release their starch, leaving most of the beans whole. Simmer until the beans are warmed through and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 3-5 minutes, before adding in the corn. Finish with a squirt of lime juice and build your tacos however you want. Today, I kept things simple and just spread a smear of sour cream on the tortilla, added a sprinkle of shredded Mexican cheese, and topped it with the bean mixture.

Enjoy!

Autumn Gardener's Pie (aka Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie)

Shepherd's Pie is traditionally made with minced lamb and vegetables in gravy, topped with mashed potatoes. (Shepherds herd sheep... makes sense, right?) What I grew up eating was made with ground beef instead of lamb, which is actually called Cottage Pie, even though it is still commonly referred to as Shepherd's Pie and I daresay that's what most people think of when Shepherd's Pie is mentioned. When I started making the dish for myself, it was always with ground turkey or chicken instead of beef, and the mashed potatoes frequently had parsnips, turnips, or cauliflower mixed in. Delicious, yes. But in the last few years, I've discovered just how easy it is to translate this dish into a vegetarian one, both as a single size casserole like today's recipe, or a larger casserole to feed a crowd as I've brought to work several times to share with the techs. Either way, it measures up to the traditional recipe, and it's incredibly easy to throw together since it's made with ingredients I always have in my pantry and fridge/freezer.

Autumn Gardener's Pie (aka Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie)

Ingredients:

2 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 small onion, diced (I was out of shallots which would've been my go-to, so I used frozen instead)

eggplant, diced (I had some leftover in the freezer)

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 sun dried tomatoes, diced (I like the sweetness these add)

1 small zucchini, diced (fresh or frozen, whatever you have on hand)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried parsley

pinch of dill

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbs. AP flour

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

2 ounces of tofu, previously baked (I had some leftover in the fridge, otherwise I probably would've left this out)

1/4 cup sweet corn (I always have this in the freezer)

1/4 cup peas (again, always in the freezer)

dash of Worcestershire sauce

8 ounces butternut squash, diced (I had a bag in the freezer which made it super easy)

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the onion, eggplant, carrot, tomatoes, zucchini, and all spices (except nutmeg) in olive oil for 6-8 minutes, until slightly softened. Sprinkle in the flour, stir to coat the vegetables, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes before adding the vegetable stock. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a bubble, stirring for 3-5 minutes until "gravy" has thickened. Add in the tofu, corn, peas, and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, then turn off the heat and allow everything to come together.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the butternut squash in a small amount of water (omit water if using frozen like I did) until heated through and soft enough to mash, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat, mash with a fork, and stir in the nutmeg.

Pour the veggie mixture into an individual size casserole dish and top with the mashed butternut squash. Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the top is slightly browned. Cool for at least 15 minutes before diving in.

Enjoy!

Greek Breakfast Pizzetta

What's a pizzetta, you ask? It's a small pizza... you know, a single serving, mini pizza. This particular pizza is one of my favorite things to make for breakfast, not only because it's seriously yummy, but also because it's quick and easy to put together. And really, who doesn't like pizza for breakfast?

Greek Breakfast Pizzetta

Ingredients:
1 whole wheat pita, opened into 2 halves
olive oil
handful of spinach
sun dried tomatoes, diced
pinch of oregano
pinch of dill
pinch of basil
pinch of parsley
pinch of garlic powder
pinch of onion powder or dried onions
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of lemon pepper (or salt & pepper to taste)
1 (or 2) egg(s)
crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees.

I've made these several ways, but my favorite way is to saute the spinach, sun dried tomatoes, and all spices in olive oil until the spinach is wilted. While that's cooking, split the pita into 2 rounds (NOT into pockets) and brush with olive oil. Top one half with the spinach mixture, making a well in the center. (What to do with the 2nd half, you ask? Nothing's stopping you from fixing 2 pizzette, I just wanted 1 for breakfast this morning so I took the other 1/2 pita round and stuck it in the freezer for another day.) Crack the egg into the well and then bake the pizzetta at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the egg is set and cooked to your desired doneness. Sprinkle on the feta cheese in the last minute of cooking and finish with another sprinkle of your favorite herbs.

Enjoy!

Banana Muffins, Revisited

Soooo... we've already established that I can't leave well enough alone when it comes to following an actual recipe, thus my decades long aversion to baking. That being said, I employed some of the same tweaks I've used in the previously posted banana bread recipe, and applied them to the vegan version of the recipe from my co-worker's borrowed cookbook. Again, I'm mighty impressed with the results!

(Vegan) Banana Chocolate-Peanut Butter Muffins

original recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets 

by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Ingredients:
2 cups AP flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbs. previously brewed coffee
2 Tbs. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup non-dairy chocolate chips
1/4 cup nuts, finely chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium-size bowl, whisk (or sift) the dry ingredients together.

In a larger bowl, mash the bananas and peanut butter together before stirring in the sugar, oil, coffee, water, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until just combined. Spoon the batter into a lined muffin tin then sprinkle with the chocolate chips and nuts. This amount of batter will make 12 giant muffins if cups are filled all the way, or 18 regular size muffins if filled 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out mostly clean. Cool the muffins in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

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Addendum: I resisted the urge to eat one of these muffins last night, instead, wanting to wait and have one for breakfast this morning. I mean, it IS a banana muffin which is totally a breakfast food, regardless of the fact that it has chocolate and peanut butter in it.

This muffin differs quite a bit from the other recipe I've been using in that it has a much lighter, more tender texture. If I hadn't made them myself, I'd swear that they were made with cake flour because my first bite was incredibly soft and practically melted in my mouth. Not that I don't still like the original banana bread/muffin recipe, but it's much more dense and, I don't know, chewy(?) but in a good way. On the other hand, these vegan muffins were sooooo light that the chunks of mashed banana were still discernible, rather than just a flavoring. I think adding the chocolate chips and/or nuts directly into the batter would take away from the incredible texture of these muffins, so I'll stick with the sprinkle on top... 'cause you know for damn sure I'll be making these again!

Yummmm....

Vegetarian Ribollita

What's better on a chilly, rainy Sunday than a big bowl of hearty soup?

Okay, lots of things, but for the purpose of THIS blog, you have to admit that soup ranks right up there on the comfort food scale and the warm fuzzy feeling it evokes. I do, however, feel it is my duty to warn you NOT to make this (or any other food involving a knife) if you're also indulging in my other favorite rainy-Sunday past time: watching football. Fortunately for me- although not so fortunate that it happened in the first place- I nearly sliced my finger tip off early on in the veg chopping process instead of at the end. That means that not much was contaminated before I could slap a bandage on my finger and get on with things, namely, grabbing a new cutting board, washing my knife, and throwing away a small pile of diced carrots and starting fresh. Oh well. Other than hurting like a mother and making it difficult to type, this time wasn't nearly as bad as the last time I got on the wrong side of my 7" Santoku knife... but that's another story. ;)

Vegetarian Ribollita

Ingredients:

olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 rib of celery, diced

1 bell pepper, diced (preferably red, yellow, or orange)

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 Tbs. herbes de provence

1 Tbs. dried basil

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

salt & pepper to taste

6 cups vegetable stock

2-3 inch piece of Parmesan rind

2 (15.5 ounce) cans of beans, drained and rinsed (I used pinto & cannellini this time)

6 ounces of spinach (fresh or frozen)

multi-grain bread, cubed and baked at 350 degrees until golden brown and crunchy

Directions:

In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute the onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper in olive oil for 8-10 minutes or until the vegs starts to soften. Add in the cherry tomatoes and zucchini, continuing to cook for another 5-7 minutes. Dump in the canned tomatoes and all spices and simmer for several minutes before adding the vegetable stock and Parmesan rind. Lower the heat and simmer, covered for 10-15 minutes. Lastly, add in the beans and spinach and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the spinach is wilted. To serve, drop several cubes of toasted bread in the bottom of the bowl, cover with ribollita, and toss a few more croutons on the side. Finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and you're set.

Enjoy!

Garden Lentils

Over the last couple of years, I've learned just how versatile the humble lentil is... it's not just for soup, you know. ;)

I think I've mentioned before how I grew up in a kind of "meat and potatoes for dinner" household, so I wasn't exactly exposed to a lot of different flavors. I had a stay-at-home mother who made dinner for the family each night, but what she cooked was geared towards my father's taste (thus the meat & potatoes) with a few of her (New England influenced) family favorites thrown in. So what does this have to do with lentils? Well, the only time I ever saw them was when they made an appearance in soup as a filler (much like barley was treated... but that's a post for another day), or in the bland, goopy lentil soup that only my mother seemed to like. I never had them as the main focus of a dish until I started experimenting with more and more vegetarian dishes in the last 2 years or so.

And can I just say... why the hell did it take me so long?! Lentils are one of my favorite go-to meals now, not only because they're so quick and easy to prepare, but also because the flavor possibilities are practically limitless. So, whether as a main or side dish, I've jumped on the lentil bandwagon!

Garden Lentils

Ingredients:
1/2 cup lentils
2 cups water
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1 carrot, diced or shredded
1 rib of celery, diced
6 oz spinach (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (or fresh... but you know my feelings on this stuff by now)
salt & pepper to taste
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. fresh basil leaves, torn
1 Tbs. fresh mint leaves, torn

Directions:
In a medium pot, bring the lentils and water to a boil. (Do NOT add any salt to the water because the lentils don't soften if you do... trust me, I learned this the hard way in the beginning.) Boil the lentils for 10 minutes then drop the heat to low, cover, and simmer for another 20 minutes or until the water has been absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium-low heat, cook the shallot, carrot, and celery until slightly softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add in the spices (EXCEPT the fresh basil and mint), tomatoes, and spinach and continue to cook until the spinach has wilted.

Once the lentils are cooked, stir in the red wine vinegar before adding the lentils to the spinach mixture. (Why not just add the vinegar to the spinach directly? I find that the spinach turns brown, and although it's still mighty tasty, it's not very appealing in color.) Remove from the heat and finish with the fresh herbs. (Again, why not add in the herbs earlier? They too will turn an unappealing shade of brown when cooked, so it's best to garnish the finished dish with them.)

Enjoy!

(Vegan) Mexican Mocha Brownies

So we're planning another little fete tomorrow night at work to celebrate the birthday of one of the techs, and I was volunteered to make my Vegetarian Tofu Chili. While that was easy enough to throw together after work tonight (it's simmering away in the slow cooker even as I write this), I couldn't resist the urge to finally try out one of the recipes from the vegan baking cookbook another co-worker loaned me. I've been intrigued by the concept of vegan baking, namely, how in the hell that works without eggs and butter, and my vegan co-worker was all too happy to loan me her copy of The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. If nothing else, it was certainly educational reading and answered many of my questions with regards to vegan baking.

So. To go along with my chili, I decided to try one of the easier recipes and make brownies. However, being me, I couldn't leave well enough alone and put my own spin on it.

(Vegan) Mexican Mocha Brownies

original recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking: The Compassionate Cooks' Traditional Treats and Sinful Sweets 

by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

if they taste as good as they smell... yum!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 Tbs. previously brewed, strong coffee
2 tsp. ground flaxseed
1/2 cup previously brewed, strong coffee
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups AP flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of cayenne
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup non-dairy dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, apple sauce, and 2 Tbs of previously brewed coffee.

In a separate bowl (I used a glass measuring cup), whisk together the ground flaxseed and 1/2 cup of previously brewed coffee before adding it to the sugar mixture along with the vanilla.

In yet another mixing bowl, whisk (or sift) all of the dry ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips and pour batter into an 8"x 8" glass baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until the edges are set and the center is still shiny. Cool before cutting.

Enjoy!

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all that was left... that's the mark of a great brownie!

Addendum: The brownies were a HUGE success at work tonight! I can't imagine making them any other way from now on because these were incredibly moist and fudgey... some seriously deep chocolately goodness. Yum... :)

Black Bean & Corn Salad

Black Bean & Corn Salad

Ingredients:
black beans, drained and rinsed
sweet corn
tomatoes, diced
roasted red peppers, diced
red onion, diced
orzo pasta
assorted spices: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, cilantro, salt & pepper
lime juice

Directions:
While the orzo is cooking to al dente (just about 8-9 minutes), in a separate pan, saute all other ingredients except the lime juice. Drain the orzo (reserving some of the cooking liquid) before adding to the rest of the ingredients, and splash in enough of the reserved cooking liquid to keep things nice and moist. Finish with a squirt of lime juice.

Okay, so notice how I didn't give any measurements? That's because it should ALL be done to taste. Today, I just made enough to pack for dinner tonight, but it also translates well into a larger quantity to feed a crowd.

Enjoy!

Banana Bread... & Muffins

Pretty much, anytime I have bananas in the kitchen that are too ripe (for me) to eat, I make a batch of banana bread. I really like how it can be made into either a standard loaf OR in the form of muffins, and this time, I split the batter to make some of each. I like this recipe because it's pretty forgiving and easy to switch things up by adding in any number of tasty flavors to suit your mood. This particular batch included chocolate chips and chopped walnuts, but I think my all time favorite combination is with peanut butter and chocolate chips... or cocoa powder and walnuts... mmm... What was I saying? Oh, right. Whatever combination floats your boat will turn out great... and they're fantastic for breakfast or as a snack. This time around, I froze the loaf and put the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge where they'll last the rest of the week.

Banana Bread... & Muffins

this recipe made 12 muffins & 1 loaf

Ingredients:

4 ripe bananas, mashed

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple sauce (I keep jars of this in my pantry, usually the unsweetened kind)

3 eggs

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt (I always use fine sea salt)

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Optional Add-ins: 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup natural peanut butter (or any nut butter would be tasty), 3/4 cup chopped nuts, 3/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the bananas, sugars, vegetable oil, apple sauce, eggs, and vanilla. I usually mash the bananas right in this bowl before dumping everything else in and stirring together with a wooden spoon. I suppose you could use an electric mixer if you really wanted to, but it's not exactly hard to mix these few ingredients together with a spoon... and it means fewer dishes to wash if you skip the mixer.

Anyway, in a separate mixing bowl, whisk (or sift) together all of the dry ingredients before adding them to the wet ingredients. As tasty as the final product is in it's basic form, I really like to play with my add-ins and hopefully, you thought about it before starting. If using the cocoa powder, whisk it in with the dry ingredients before adding to the wet. If you want to use a nut butter, stir that into the wet ingredients before adding the dry. If your preference is for the chopped nuts and/or the chocolate chips, I like to combine those with 1 Tbs. of flour to coat them before folding them into the completed batter. (Why the extra bit of flour? It prevents the heavier nuts/chips from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking, allowing them to stay suspended throughout the batter as it bakes.)

For bread, I like to use 2 of the 8"x3"x2" loaf pans and bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs clinging to it. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes before turning the bread out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Like any quick bread, this stuff freezes beautifully... if you can resist eating it all right away. ;)

If your preference is for muffins, this amount of batter will make 18 large (if cups are filled all the way) or 24 standard (if cups are filled 3/4 of the way full) muffins. Bake at 325 degrees for 22-25 minutes, until a toothpick blah blah blah. I only let muffins cool in the pan for a few minutes before turning them out on a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

A New Happy Place

Seamus in ghetto kitchen

While writing for my previous food blog several years ago, I was living in a house in a not-so-great part of Baltimore which I always referred (not so affectionately) to as the ghetto. Even though I enjoyed cooking in general, it wasn't always a pleasurable experience in my small kitchen with its inadequate counter space and outdated appliances. Well, about 18 months ago, I moved to a lovely house in Annapolis and the newly renovated kitchen is absolutely divine; lots of counter space, new appliances, and ample cupboard/pantry storage as well as a large fridge and freezer. I've rediscovered the joy of cooking- and developed an interest in baking- in this kitchen, and I take full advantage of it on a nearly daily basis.

Kailan in new kitchen

The other big difference in my new Happy Place is the latest addition to my family: Kailan. After I lost my old man Seamus when he was almost 15 years old, I ended up adopting a 3 year old golden retriever. Growing up with dogs, and having a dog of my own for the last 10 years, they're an integral part of my life and, naturally, follow me into my Happy Place. Now, as much as I love my goldens, it's a bit of pain in the ass to have to wipe down the counters and stove top- before I can even start cooking- to get rid of any hair that may have floated into my work space. Annoying? Yes. But I've learned to live with it and now it's just a part of my routine, much like washing my hands and preheating the oven before I even gather the first ingredients.

Kai staying out of the way

Whereas Sea would sleep in the middle of the kitchen floor, forcing me to step over and around him, Kai wants to be right next to me, squeezing himself in between me and the counter. After he pulled this stunt while I was removing a tray from the oven- squeezing himself between me and the open oven door, forcing the oven door to close on my arm- I learned 2 important lessons: (1) Use an oven mitt instead of just a pot holder when reaching into a hot oven, and (2) Kai is NOT allowed in the kitchen when I'm cooking! It took him awhile, but he finally learned to respect the invisible line surrounding my work space when I'm in the kitchen, and now he'll just flop down in front of the dishwasher, or better yet, on the sofa in the living room where he can still see me. That's not to say he doesn't occasionally try to sneak in between me and the counter when I'm not paying attention, but now I can just point and he heaves a big sigh before moving back to his spot.

See? Happy Place. :)

Veg(etari)an Minestrone Soup

With fall upon us, I have this driving need to make soup. It's a comfort food and I find it be very soothing, both in the eating AND in the process of making it because I can just go with the flow and toss in whatever I have in the fridge/freezer/pantry. One of my favorite forms of cooking is what I like to call the Pantry Game: What can I make with what I've got on hand? Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I kind of rock at this game because I keep a very well stocked pantry and the creative challenge really gets me thinking outside the box. Soup is one of the easier pantry challenges because, basically, anything goes. Having basic staples like different kinds of pasta, canned beans, canned tomatoes/sauce/paste, loads of frozen vegs, and an abundance of spices allows me the freedom to experiment whenever I feel like it.

I'm off work today and it's been overcast all day after rain moved through last night. It's not exactly cold out, but with the lingering dampness, it's the kind of day that just screams for something cozy to eat in front of the TV with the dog in your lap. (That's just a suggestion, albeit one of my favorite serving suggestions... you can eat it however you want.)

Veg(etari)an Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, diced (I usually just use a can of diced tomatoes, but thought, what the hell?)
1 bay leaf (I always throw a dry bay leaf into my soups)
1 Tbs. garlic powder (oh go ahead, use the fresh stuff if it doesn't give YOU a migraine)
1 Tbs. dried basil
1 Tbs. dried rosemary, crushed
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1 Tbs. dried dill
1 Tbs. lemon pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I didn't necessarily want a spicy soup, but it gives a nice heat in the background)
salt & pepper to taste
6 cups of vegetable stock (I suppose you could use water, but why? chicken stock is another good option if you don't care about it being vegetarian)
1 (24 ounce) jar of marinara (whatever you have in the cupboard is fine; I never actually use the stuff with pasta since I like to make my own, but it works fabulously in this application) *feel free to use tomato sauce instead or even V-8 juice
2 inch piece of Parmesan rind (I've mentioned this before here) *omit for vegan recipe
8 ounces of mixed veg (if you don't have this staple in the freezer... *shakes head* you're an idiot, and just made a whole lot of extra work for yourself) *depending on the brand, this will include green beans, corn, lima beans, peas, carrots, okra, and/or potatoes
1 (15 ounce) can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (really, any kind would work- these happen to be MY favorite)
1 cup of dried ditalini (elbow macaroni or orzo would work here, or even rice)
7 ounces of extra-firm tofu, diced and baked (I've mentioned baking tofu before here)

Directions:
In a large stock pot over medium heat, cook the onion, carrots, celery, and cherry tomatoes in olive oil until softened, about 10 minutes. Add in all spices and stir to combine before pouring in the vegetable stock, marinara, and Parmesan rind. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring soup to a low boil for about 10 minutes before once more reducing the heat to medium and adding in the mixed veg. Continue to simmer the soup for another 10 minutes or so, until the added vegs start to soften before tossing in the beans and dry pasta. By now, the soup should be thickening somewhat so turn the heat to low, add the tofu, and cover, simmering for another 5-10 minutes until the pasta is cooked. Don't forget to remove the bay leaf before serving. And, like most of my soups, this one freezes beautifully... if you have any leftover, that is. ;)

Enjoy!