Zucchini Muffins

Great holiday muffins!

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/zucchini_muffins/

Watermelon/Tomato Gazpacho

It's been a while but this is totally worth dusting off the old recipe blog.

We had some watermelon cubes in the frig that were threatening to go to waste and we had a similar soup at a restaurant a few weeks ago PLUS I ran across this recipe not to mention that freaking Siri commercial with Sam Jackson is on a freaking loop so, obviously, the universe was saying "MAKE GAZPACHO ALREADY."

I messed with the quantities of the ingredients as I'm sure you will.

You need:
2 cups watermelon
1 cup chopped tomato
the juice of a few lemons
2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
sprigs of mint
generous portion of kosher salt (don't be scared, this soup drinks salt; taste as you go)
day old bread hunks, about a cup of it rough chopped
crumbled feta cheese

Add the watermelon, salt tomato, lemon juice, mint, vinegar and oil to a blender and puree till smooth.

Pop the hunks of bread in and let soak for a few minutes.

Blend till smooth again. Check for acidity and oeverall tastiness. Add more of whatever you think it lacks. I ended up adding more salt, oil, vinegar and lemon juice after the first whir, but you be the judge.

I made mine a day ahead. Top with feta cheese and serve super chilled.

Next time, there will be cucumber!

Double Celery Soup with crumbled goat cheese and balsamic reduction

3 tbs butter

1 tbs olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 large leeks, chopped (light green and white parts only)

2 yukon gold potatoes, chopped

1 large celery root, chopped

2 sprigs Thyme, fresh or dried

1 bay leaf

8 cups Chicken stock/broth 

5 stalks of celery, chopped
1 cup milk (optional)

Balsamic vinegar

Goat cheese, crumbled

celery leaves

Kind of Xmas-y!

Sautee onion and leeks in butter and olive oil till almost translucent. 

Add potatoes, celery root, herbs and broth. Bring to a boil for a few minutes then let simmer for 40. 

Add celery and cook til soft, about 10 minutes. Puree in pot. Add pepper and salt to taste. You can add the milk here if you want but I find the soup so creamy and great as it is that I mostly skip it.

Reduce a half cup of balsamic vinegar in a saute pan.

Top soup with crumbled goat cheese, balsamic drizzle and celery leaves.

Zucchini Fritters

Just like the spinach cakes except I've decided to call them fritters.

3 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Onion, finely diced

1 Tbs Olive oil

2 Zucchinis, shredded

1 serving prepared couscous

1 egg

Vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

Sautee oil and garlic until fragrant, add shredded zucchini and couscous and stir to combine; salt and pepper to taste.

Take off heat. While the mixture cools, heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a fry pan. Mix in one egg. Shape mixture into patties and fry, 3 minutes on each side.

 Drain on paper towels.

Devour.

Wood Light Fixture

At Tender Greens in Santa Monica, CA

Farmer's Market

I really want to put together a photo collage for above the oven and I think I've taken some great pics for it at the local farmer's market. Some Jeremyville art thrown in for good measure.

Simple frame

Olive Burl Slab

Posting this here bc Pinterest couldn't see it on the page I found it.

Spinach Cakes

Oh, man, it's been so long! Must have a kid or something.

Owen loves his greens (for now) so I'm taking full advantage.

1/2 c. uncooked quinoa

1/2 c. Onion, finely chopped

2 cloves Garlic, minced

Olive oil

1 10-oz pkg frozen spinach

1 egg

vegetable oil

salt and pepper

Cook quinoa according to direction in chicken broth or water. Spin your spinach a salad spinner or squeeze out as much water was you can. Saute onions and garlic in olive oil on med hi heat until translucent with a dash of salt (add more if you used water to cook your quinoa and didn't season it); mix in cooked quinoa and spinach. While the mixture cools for a moment, heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a big fry pan. Stir in one egg to the mixture and form patties.

Fry in oil until firm, about 3 minutes per side. Let drain on towels before serving.

Next time, I might add some feta cheese. Yum!

Ratatouille

Andy complains that I watch too many cooking competition shows (the Top Chef franchise, Chopped, Next Food Network Star, Next Iron Chef, Champions, ETC) but I learn so much! Like, last season the winning Next Food Network Star taught me in passing how to make ratatouille: EZPOT!

E- Eggplant
Z- Zucchini
P- Peppers
O- Onion
T- Tomato

It's so easy to remember and, now that I have a shiny new mandoline, it's easy to make!

Slice all the vegetables thin and layer in order starting with Eggplant at the bottom of an 8X8 baking dish; drizzle the top with olive oil and generously salt (while it cooks the olive oil and salt will get to the rest of the layers).  Cook for 30-40 minutes at 375. You can add whatever spices and herbs you want through the layers like basil, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, anchovies, the works! Go nuts! Oooh, pine nuts would be good...

Serve over brown rice or pasta or cous cous or white beans or sourdough bread or under chicken or a flaky white fish. Etc.

Tofu with Rice Noodles and Bok Choy

adapted from the best of Cooking Light everyday favorites


Rice Noodles
red pepper, julienned
bok choy, chopped
firm tofu, drained and cubed
garlic
red pepper flakes
honey
4 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
olive oil

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, whisk together honey, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil (use about 1/4 oil to rice vinegar).

In a large pan, heat your olive oil over medium high heat. Sautee red pepper for two minutes; add bok choy and sauté for 1 minute; add tofu and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Add cooked noodles and sauce and heat through. Serve immediately.

Roasted Stuffed Acorn Squash

This is FALL.

2 acorn squashes, halved and cored
pecans, rough chop
onions, chopped
garlic, minced
fresh rosemary, sage, parsley, chopped
dried cranberries
1 cup couscous
olive oil
1 tbs Earth Balance
S+P

Preheat oven to 375. Oil up your halves, season with salt and pepper and place meat down on your baking sheet. Roast until your fork can pierce the shell, 20-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté onions and garlic in oil and Earth Balance until translucent. Add your rosemary and sage and sauté til fragrant, 30 seconds or so. Add 1 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil. Mix in couscous, parsley, dried cranberries, and pecans. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.

Stuff your mix in the squashes and serve.

A non-vegan might top with parmesan cheese. ;)

Moroccan Inspired CousCous and Butternut Squash with Spiced Tofu

Okay, this came out really great and I have no idea how. It's an amalgam of three different recipes and had the potential to go terribly wrong. Andy wanted me to look at something on TV and I literally could not leave the stove for a few seconds or lose the plot of the whole thing.

Anyway, it was delicious! As usual, all quantities are approximate.

Tofu:
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Brown sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp Salt + 1/2 tsp Pepper
1/2 tsp dried mustard
Tofu

CousCous:
2 tbs toasted pine nuts
dried cranberries
1 cup couscous
handful chopped parsley

Dressing:
Orange zest
juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
olive oil

Butternut squash, cubed

1. Preheat oven to 375 and position rack to the tope 1/3 of your oven. Cube squash and toss with olive oil and a dash of salt. Arrange in a single layer and roast til tender (20-30 minutes depending on the size of your cubes). Set aside.

2. Cut your tofu into slabs and drain by wrapping in paper towels and setting a plate on top for weight. Leave for 15 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, mix together your rub ingredients. When tofu is drained, dredge in rub. Pan fry in a couple teaspoons of olive oil. Keep in a warm oven (225) until you need them.

4. Toast pine nuts in a small pan. Boil 1 cup of water; add dry couscous, cranberries, parsley, and pine nuts. Stir, remove from heat, cover and set aside for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

5. Toss together dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Toss in prepared couscous and squash.

6. Plate with tofu on top.

Black Bean Hummus and Tabouleh

Thanks, Mark and Kristi for the black bean hummus suggestion; I will seriously never use chickpeas again.

Black Bean Hummus

1 can black beans with 1/2 their juice
juice of 2 lemons
3 cloves roasted garlic
7 tbs tahini

Puree all in your food processor and refrigerate.

Tabouleh

(play with the quantities)
juice of 2 lemons
1c cooked bulgar wheat
cucumber, diced
mint, chopped
parsley, chopped
tomato, diced
scallions, chopped
olive oil
salt

Prepare bulgar wheat according to package directions (cooks a lot like cous-cous or quinoa: bring water to a boil and simmer for 12-15 minutes). Mix in with the rest of your ingredients and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

Adapted from here

I like this recipe because it doesn't make too much batter, they are super light and vegan!

1c whole wheat flour
1c almond milk (or soy)
2tsp baking powder
2tbs veg oil
pinch salt

Mix ingredients. Use margarine or Earth Balance to make the pancakes on your griddle or fry pan on medium high heat. Lower the heat to medium after the first flip. I topped mine with raspberries, yum!

Hummus, flatbread

Andy got a box of tabouli from Whole Foods, it was not very good; tasted like powdered, dusty bulgur wheat. No thanks. But my homemade flatbread and hummus was great!

Hummus
1 can garbonzo beans with half their juice
7 tbs tahini
4 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 c olive oil
juice of two lemons
Salt

Mix all in your food processor till as smooth as you want.

Flatbread
Preheat oven to 375, follow directions, pat into little pancakes and bake for 10-15 minutes.

Vegan Shepard's Pie

It's a lot like this but with squashes and carrots. Just as yummy but vegan!

Ingredients

Potatoes, peeled and cubed
Almond/Soy/Rice Milk
Earth Balance
Cloves garlic, whole roasted then minced

Olive oil
3c various diced squashes and carrots
Cloves of garlic, whole roasted then minced
2 tbl shallots, minced
2tbl rosemary, chopped
3tbl flour
1 1/2 c veggie broth
S+P

Preheat oven to 375.

Dice veggies, spread in a single layer with the whole garlic cloves on a lined cookie sheet, coat with olive oil and pinch of salt and pepper, and roast until the carrots are sort of soft or 30 minutes.

While the veggies roast, boil potatoes until soft. Mash potatoes with Earth Balance, salt and pepper, and your milk. Mince and then add the roasted garlic cloves. Set aside.

In a big pan, sautee the shallots, garlic and rosemary until soft and add veggies. Mix the flour into the veggie broth and pour the mixture into the pan with the veggies. Let that simmer for a minute and thicken.

Pour the veggie mix into the bottom of an 8X8 pan, top with mashed potatoes and bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!!

Another Life Change

I had my baby in March. I don't want to be morbid but, yikes, here I go: if I thought I was afraid to die before he arrived, now I'm petrified. I really, really want to live to see Owen grow up. Go to college, get married, have kids, turn 50. The works.

Which is why the documentary Forks Over Knives affected me so powerfully, I think. I watched scientists say I could avoid cancer, diabetes, heart disease and chronic illnesses by adopting a plant-based diet and they had statistics to back it up. I freaking love stats: I feel like they are the closest thing to proof of a theory anyone can get. The film explored the environmental impact of eating meat which is pretty terrible; the dubious morality of raising animals only to overfeed, pump with hormones, trap in cages, and then slaughter them; the way the different food industries falsely brand themselves as the source of nutrients we can get from more responsible sources; and the health benefits of being vegan.

So, at the risk of sounding like a 17 year old high school girl entering a phase: I'm going vegan. Since watching the movie, I've begun to read The China Study by Dr. T. Colin Campbell, I've watched Sanjay Gupta's "The Last Heart Attack" (Bill Clinton is vegan now!), listened to some podcasts and read a bunch of articles. I've researched how it will affect me as a nursing mother and have found it doesn't. I've started taking my prenatal vitamins again for the Vitamin B12.

This blog will now be vegan. I'm hoping to put together a collection of truly yummy dishes that me and my family will love.

Awesome Vegan Chocolate Cake

So freaking good. Adapted from an Instructables. 


Cake Ingredients
3/4 c wheat flour
1/2 c white flour
1 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm coffee
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp distilled white vinegar

Chocolate Glaze Ingredients

1/2 cup raw sugar
4 tbsp margarine (Earth Balance works)
2 tbsp soy/almond milk
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract


Preheat over to 350 degrees.


Mix dry ingredients well then mix in wet. Cook for 30-40 minutes in an 8X8 square cake dish or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool if you can stand it.


For the glaze, bring all the ingredients except the extract to a boil for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla; keep stirring for a bit. Pour onto cake.


SO GOOD.

Roasted Peppers Soup

Peppers were 10 for $10 at the grocery store the other day which is totally unheard of so I grabbed some, of course. I ate some with cheese and then thought, okay, now what? Soup!

Roasted Pepper Soup
adapted from Epicurious.com

3 tri-color peppers, cut up into big pieces
1 small jalapeno
1/2 c. half n half
4 cups chicken stock
olive oil
S+P

Preheat oven to 400. Toss the cut up peppers in olive oil and salt and place in a baking pan. Roast until soft and browned, stirring occasionally (although to be honest I always forget that step when I roast anything), about 50 minutes. Transfer to pot and add chicken broth, boil to meld flavors, 10 minutes or so. Working in batches with your blender or with the love of your life, your immersion blender, blend till smooth. Let cool slightly before stirring in half and half. Salt and pepper to taste.

You can either roast or leave raw your jalapeno depending on how spicy you want your soup: a roasted jalapeno will be a lot mellower in the spice department.

Serve with sandwiches.

Coriander Scallops with Orange-Ginger Dressing

This is such a quick, easy weeknight dinner, thank god, because babies are a lot of work.

from Epicurious

Coriander Scallops with Orange-Ginger Dressing
2 servings

12 scallops
coriander seeds, crushed

1 tbs cilantro
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tsp ginger, minced
3 tbs orange juice
S+P

Salt and pepper scallops, dredge in crushed coriander seeds and place in hot pan with olive oil. Sautee 1 1/2 to 2 minutes each side. Combine the second group of ingredients in a small bowl for the dressing. Serve scallops and dressing over mixed greens. (I grilled some ciabatta slices brushed with the dressing for a starch.) Yum!