vegaquarian

Good local dining

2010-11-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a dinner with a distinguished out-of-town guest, a distinguished colleague, and several of my favorite co-workers. I have heard about the restaurant we went to for years, but have never found a good enough reason to go -- it is a high dining kind of place. Their motto is:

"A Hint of Southern fare with a dash of French Cuisine."

We started with appetizers -- olives and an amazing selection of cheeses for me, country ham jalapeno fritters for the others. That was followed by an amazing salad of local organic baby lettuces, roasted beets, walnuts, and blue cheese tossed with a light honey-cider vinaigrette. I was a little bit embarrassed how fast I ate my salad -- I was so hungry!

The menu was slim pickings for vegetarian fare -- there were a number of seafood dishes, but I wasn't in the mood for fish or scallops (never a fave of mine). I discussed the situation with our serve and she suggested I allow the chefs to be creative. I did and found myself with a plate of yummy veggie sides -- in entree size portions. As I type this I am finishing up the leftover mashed sweet potato souffle, black bean cakes, roasted root veggies, & cauliflower and mushroom gratin.

If you ever have a chance to go to Five Senses, it is worth the time and money. The website does not have their most up to date menu, but you get the gist of what they create.

Peppers, pumpkins, and red beans

2010-10-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

We declared today "FAMILY DAY!" This means we are headed to a local Pumpkin Patch and Farm this afternoon. The weather is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S, highs in the upper 70s! We will need sunscreen for sure! We are so excited for G to see real tractors and pet baby goats. Batteries are charged and camera cards are emptied in anticipation!

In anticipation of complete hunger and exhaustion that awaits later today, I am cooking up a huge pot of vegetarian red beans (New Orleans style). This is a "tried & true" recipe for me, and I have posted about it before. I made a few changes to my changes this morning -- I didn't have any carrots and couldn't go to the store (and didn't want to!), so I sorted baby carrots out of a bag of frozen veggies and used those in the saute. I also used pickled garlic cloves because we are out of fresh. The pot smells wonderful and I am looking forward to dinner when we get home tonight!

A grown-up meal

2010-10-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

When I stop to think about what I eat for dinner most nights, well, I am sad to say it is "nothing" or "cereal." Between teaching late, feeding and bathing G, and getting him to bed, I am usually too tired to do much in the kitchen. Last week, I decided I really wanted salmon. We had asparagus and potatoes. Thursday was a light day for me at work, so I picked up a really nice looking piece of fish at Publix, picked up G, then headed home. Of course, dinner wasn't until after G was in bed, but it was well worth the wait. I originally thought I would make mashed potatoes, but that plan quickly went south -- no time and I have no idea where my hand mixer is. So, we settled for baked (with butter and LF sour cream, yum!), and oven-roasted asparagus (super quick and tasty). I used a new recipe from the September 2010 issue of Cooking Light. My two changes -- I didn't use the regular chili powder, and used avocado honey instead of maple syrup (it was all we had -- a souvenir from California). I had to bake my fish for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees F in addition to broiling. I like it cooked all the way through.

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr

Maple-Glazed Salmon (from Cooking Light, Sept. 2010)

Other Time: 20 minutes minutes
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet)

1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ancho chile powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 (6-ounce) Alaskan salmon fillets
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine first 6 ingredients; rub spice mixture evenly over flesh side of fillets. Place fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 6 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Brush fillets evenly with syrup; broil 1 minute.

Three Sisters Nachos

2010-10-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

Many of the ancient civilizations of the Americas relied on maize, beans, and squash as staple crops and dietary foundations. All three are domesticated plants native to the Americas -- with the most likely origin in Mesoamerica. There are so many foods and dishes that maize is a part of. Add beans and squash, and no wonder they have been called the New World Trinity.

I am watching my Florida State Seminoles compete against the Miami Hurricanes -- so a plate of Three Sister Nachos seems appropriate. These are not your typical pub grub. These are nachos that are mellow at their roots, but spiced up with chipotle pepper and Tabasco sauce (the chili pepper is also native to the Americas), these become gourmet bar cuisine.

I roasted a very large (ca. 3-4 lbs) butternut squash, cooked a pot of black beans (always from scratch) with a couple of bay leaves earlier in the day. These came together super quick.

Tortilla chips (made of maize, of course)
shredded cheese of your choice (I used extra sharp cheddar, hand shredded gives better melting characteristics)
1 1/2 cups cubed roasted squash
1/2 cup cooked black beans (pinto or adzuki would also be very good here)
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed and heated
cumin, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
ground chipotle pepper, to taste
diced avocado
sour cream

Layer the tortilla chips on a paper plate or other microwave safe plate. Scatter shredded cheese over the chips. Microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds (depending on your microwave, may take more or less time).

Scatter black beans on top of melted cheese. Sprinkle with cumin, black pepper, and salt.
Scatter cubed squash on top of beans. Sprinkle with additional cumin (if desired), black pepper, salt, and chipotle pepper.
Scatter heated corn kernels and diced avocado on top. Place several dollops of sour cream on in middle and around sides. Serve with hot sauce of your choice!

** Apologies again for the low res picture. I cannot find the cord to my camera so am using my phone!

Hoot Owl Cupcakes

2010-10-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

We missed the birthday of one of G's daycare teachers -- I feel bad because I always try to bring them a treat for their birthdays. I decided we should make cupcakes for Mrs. C, but I wanted something different and not too difficult to make (since I am supposed to be working on any one of 5 papers that are due in the next week!). I came across a link to these on a blog, they are from the Land O' Lakes website. I used the cream cheese frosting recipe from the original LOL post, but added a good dose of cinnamon for extra yum. The cupcakes are an amalgamation of recipes, but based on a banana cupcake recipe from Cooking Light. Here are the original recipes, I will post the cupcake recipe I used at the bottom.

Land O' Lakes Halloween Hoot Owls

Cooking Light's Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

My Banana Cupcakes Recipe

Cupcakes:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preeheat oven to 350°.

Beat the granulated sugar, butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana to sugar mixture, beating well. Add in ground flax meal, and mix until combined. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture.Mix well. Add coconut and chocolate chips, stir to combine.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups lined with paper liners. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

I used the cream cheese frosting recipe from the Land O' Lakes website -- I did add in a good dose of ground cinnamon (and it was worth it!). I then directed the cupcakes as directed. I used LifeSavers Butter Rum candies and semi-sweet chocolate chips for the eyes.

*These pictures were taken with my phone, so apologies for the poor quality!

Teacher Appreciation Week: Bittman's Coconut and Nut Chews -- Wow!

2010-10-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Baby G's teachers love him and take good care of him during the work week, we try to show our appreciation often! Ms. Lara and Ms. Meagan love when I bring in baked goods and other homemade treats. So, I thought I would make them something yummy, but easy since most of my baking stuff is still packed up.
Baby G happened to pull our copy of "Food Matters" by Mark Bittman off the living room shelf the other day. I had previously earmarked a number of recipes, and "Coconut and Nut Chews" was one of them. I knew these would be good, they definitely sounded interesting. I did vary my add-ins slightly, and I recommend waiting the 30 mins before peeling them off of the parchment. I did not and half of the first one was left behind. I will likely package them in stacks with small squares of wax paper between them -- they are a bit sticky, but definitely good and worth repeating.

ORIGINAL RECIPE
Coconut and Nut Chews
"Food Matters" by Mark Bittman (page 289)

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
4 egg whites, lightly beaten until just foamy
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (this I recommend).
3. Wet hands and make small balls about 1 Tbsp. in size, and put on prepared sheet about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake until light brown, about 15 mins. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack or at least 30 minutes. The keep well in a covered container for up to 3 days.

*Bittman notes, "as long as you keep the total volume (minus sugar and eggs) to 3 cups, you can make a 'kitchen sink' cookie that includes a bit of everything." I took him at his word.

MY INGREDIENTS

1 cup sugar
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup craisins
4 egg whites

First Saturday in October Lunch

2010-10-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

I made homemade tomato soup with the last of the tomatoes. Cue the tears....
Grilled cheese sandwiches are the perfect counterpart to all that yummy tomato goodness. I decided to jazz up ours with caramelized onions (which I was making for another recipe, see below). I grilled the sandwiches in the same pan that I had caramelized the onions -- adding to their onion goodness. I think these sandwiches taste like a vegetarian cheese-steak. SO GOOD!

And finally, I made a house favorite -- Caramelized Onion Dip. This recipe is from Cooking Light, so you know it is tasty and not over the top on the fat and calorie charts. I have made this many times over the past 5 years and have never had leftovers. I love it best served with Snyder's of Hanover Butter Snaps pretzels (this is not an official endorsement of their product, it is truly my personal preference). Of course good ol' wavy Lay's potato chips work well, too.

Hope you are enjoying this lovely fall weather!

Dinner tonight

2010-09-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

I managed to get home earlier tonight than usual, and with the beautiful weather we are having, was inspired to cook dinner that we could eat together.

I used Eating Well's recipe for Broccoli-Cheddar Chowder as a guide. I did not have a potato, but I had other veggies (zucchini, about 6 celery stalks, 2 carrots, onion, broccoli). I cooked the veggies in a wee bit of olive oil until some of the onions and carrots browned, then braised them with a cup of water (no stock available) to loosen up the browned bits. I then added the rest of the liquid (28 oz in all) and about 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, and simmered. I used regular Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (hand shredded -- the best!), low-fat sour cream, and about 1/3 cup whole cream because I had some that needed using up. DELISH!

I also made mini-corn muffins to go with. Grabbing a Yazoo Brewmaster's Reserve on the way to watch Wipeout with dinner and hubby!

Mine mostly looks like this (from Eating Well's recipe page)!

Lasagna Florentine Roll-Ups

2010-09-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

Florentine Roll-ups (recipe modified from San Giorgio pasta)

16 oz. box of uncooked lasagna noodles (I used whole-wheat)

4 cups (2 lbs) ricotta or cottage cheese (I used part-skim ricotta)

2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese (I used mozzarella)

1 cup chopped fresh spinach (I used more like 4 or 5 cups)

1/2 cup sliced green onion (I used 1/2 a large sweet)

1 egg, slightly beaten

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups (26 oz) tomato/spaghetti sauce

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; run under cold water to cool off. Drain, then lay separately on cutting board or piece of foil.

2. In large bowl stir together cheeses, spinach, onion, egg, salt and pepper (I also added in Italian seasoning mix).

3. Spread about 1/3 cup cheese mixture on each piece of pasta to within 1inch of end; roll up. Repeat with all noodles (I had approx. 16 noodles).

4. In bottom of baking dish (either one 13x9x2 or two 8x8) spread 2/3 cup tomato/spaghetti sauce. Place roll-ups seam side down in dish. Top with remaining sauce.

*At this point you can cover with foil and freeze the dish(es). Add cheese before baking. Bake at 350 for 45-90 minutes, if baking from thawed (45 mins) or frozen (90).

5. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and bake for 45 mins. at 350 degrees F.

Did you know?

2010-09-22T03:30:00.000-07:00

That you can cook hot cereal in the rice cooker? I just made Bob's Red Mill 10-grain cereal mix in my rice cooker. I used a ratio of 2:1 (2 parts water to 1 equal part cereal). It was done in less than 15 minutes. No standing at the stove. No stirring. Just done. LOVE IT!

Freezer Eating!

2010-09-15T04:12:00.000-07:00

I spent Tuesday doing fieldwork, which meant I was really tired and hungry by the time I picked up the boy from daycare, stopped at the store for some essentials and made it home. Fortunately, we have plenty of good and tasty food in the freezer! I was able to make a quick stop by the house before heading to daycare, so I was able to turn on the oven and pop in one of the pans of enchiladas. It was so nice to come home to a meal that was hot and just waiting to be devoured!

Now I am dreaming of the day when I have an oven that can be programmed to refrigerate the dish and then start cooking it in time for dinner. I am sure there must be something like that out there, but probably not affordable at this point!

Weekend Freezer Cooking -- 9.11 and 9.12

2010-09-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

The further into the semester we get the crazier and more hectic our schedules become. It is so easy to let nutrition fall to the wayside (it usually lands right next to exercise, the first to fall) during these times, that I always feel the need to take a stand. I know through careful and casual self-observation that I am a better person -- mentally, physically, and emotionally -- when I eat healthfully. Freezer Cooking is my stand against junk eating. Last fall my sister and I spent a glorious Fall Break weekend cooking, cooking, and cooking some more. We made no less than 16 different recipes in large enough quantities to stock up both our freezers for the second half of the semester. Unfortunately, we have not been able to get together to do it again, so I had to take matters into my own hands. Our old freezer (7+ years) was on the fritz so we bought a new one. It seems smaller on the outside, but overall is the same or slightly bigger than the last one. I love that it has a lock, power light, and temperature controls all on the outside! I know, I am a freezer nerd!

I am hoping that these meals and staples will get us through the next few weeks until there is time to replenish the freezer again. I will list here what I made and provide links to recipes that have them!

Lasagna Florentine Roll-ups -- I have been wanting to make these for 7 years (according to the date on the recipe I have been saving). I used whole wheat noodles which I think is a wise choice as they can stand up to all the handling, freezing, and cooking.

Pinto Beans -- nothing special or fancy. I just cooked up a big pot (with a few bay leaves) so I can freeze in gallon bags. Beans of all shapes and sizes are a huge staple for us.

Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls -- I really wanted to have these made for this morning, but I was out of AP flour, so I now have two pans in the freezer -- ready for when the urge hits next!

Oatmeal Pancake Mix -- this is my sister's favorite mix and it is ingenious in that you keep it in the freezer and use as needed. You mix 1 cup of the mix with 1 cup buttermilk and 1 egg, and voila! awesome pancakes!

Homemade Yellow Cake Mix -- I made this today so I can use it in this recipe (Coconut Tres Leches Cake) for a potluck dinner I am attending later this week.

Enchilada Casserole, Two Ways. I made up a recipe for this. One pan is a layered enchilada casserole using a mix of kasha/spinach/cream cheese/taco seasoning alternately layered with corn tortillas, red sauce, pinto beans, and shredded monterey jack cheese. The other is more traditional in that the enchiladas are rolled (filled with either the kasha mix and cheese OR freshly roasted peppers from our garden and cheese). The latter is being eaten tonight!

Sesame Sprinkle -- thank you Mark Bittman!

Okra Ratatouille -- basically a ragout of fresh okra, tomatoes, green peppers, onions, and pickled garlic. SO GOOD!

I still have a few more things I want to make but ran out of time. Oh well, maybe in a few weeks!

A great recipe for Spring's Fickle Ways

2010-05-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

After a crazy week of intense spring weather (The Great Nashville Flood [the pic at right is the very small amount of standing water in our side/back yard - nothing compared to the north of us], near freezing temps, 80's during the day) and end-of-the-semester exams and general madness, we were all in need of some R&R. Friends of ours invited me to a casual spring dinner last week. I knew the hosts were grilling chicken and salmon (and this is the man that grills salmon so fantastically I actually crave it). I knew there would be ample dessert. I knew I had limited time as I was a single mommy for the week. What on Earth could I make? I knew where to turn for help -- enter Kickpleat over at Everybody Loves Sandwiches.
I did a little searching of her Recipes and decided to narrow it down to something with lentils. I had a package of pre-cooked Beluga lentils from Trader Joe's begging to be used up. I settled on this little number: Apple, Red Onion, and Lentil Salad. I did change it up just a wee bit -- for instance I used the black Beluga lentils, added a can of rinsed organic soybeans, and used green pepper. It was a hit at the dinner and made a ton. So much so that I had leftovers for lunch a couple of times this week. I topped with sliced avocado and feta -- Super Yum

Sweet Potato Chili

2009-01-15T15:19:00.000-08:00

Here in the South we have mild winters. Today the temperatures never went above the low-20's. Tonight we are expecting single digits -- without the wind chill. Brrrr!
Chili is definitely in order. One thing I love about being a vegetarian is all of the options for making traditional foods more exciting and bit non-traditional. It is as if vegetarians have permission to think outside of the chili spice powder package and get creative with flavor combinations.
I have several recipes for Black Bean Chili and I decided to use the Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili recipe on file as a starting point.

Fortunately, I pulled a container of black beans out of the freezer a few days ago so they are defrosted and ready for the chili pot.

Basically I sauteed onions, carrots, and garlic in some olive oil. To that I added cumin, paprika, chili, and adobo chili powder. I let this cook for a few minutes then added the diced sweet potato. After sauteeing for about 8 minutes, I added the container of black beans (approx. 20 oz.), a can of diced tomatoes and some water (since the potatoes will suck up all the liquid). I squeezed the juice of one tangerine into the pot, turned to medium-high and let the boiling get on.

Once it boils, turn it down to simmer -- shouldn't take more than 45 minutes (depending on the size dice of the potato). I am serving this chili with mini-corn muffins (yep, from Jiffy mix).

I'll post pictures after dinner! Stay warm....

A little sunshine to chase away the rainy day blues

2009-01-10T12:38:00.000-08:00

Not that I am really feeling blue. Actually I am hard at work on an article, but the rain pounding down outside is quite gloomy. I have just the prescription....CITRUS!

Basically I mix together the following:

1 6 oz. cup low-fat pineapple yogurt
1/2 peeled clementine (also works well with oranges, tangerines, whatever citrus you have on hand)
the juice from the other 1/2 of the citrus fruit
1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut
favorite granola to soak up the citrus juice

Combine all in a bowl and enjoy!

This works just as well with other flavors of yogurt (we have a great tropical blend in the local grocery here), or vanilla and add canned pineapple.

No pictures -- I ate it too fast! Now hope that makes your day just a wee bit sunnier!

A BCS Briny Pizza

2009-01-09T15:47:00.000-08:00

We decided to make pizza for the BCS College Bowl Championship Game.
I had already decided I wanted olives and banana peppers on it, luckily John also wanted those, and he suggested capers.

So, I made the dough, he very skillfully chopped up the olives and banana peppers, topped the pre-cooked crust (it keeps it from getting soggy), and into the oven for 17 minutes at 425 degrees.
Out came a lovely lightly browned briny pizza. Maybe one of these days I will put together a "Recipe Archive" because I know I have quite a few pizza recipes posted over the years.
Hope your 2009 is off to a great start!

Up to our ears in beets and greens

2008-05-31T06:13:00.000-07:00

My husband has the greenest of green thumbs. Our gardens really go gangbusters under his watchful eye. This is our third year of gardening at this house, and the frequent additions of home grown compost ash from our wood burning stove. Our early crops are in full swing and I have spent the past two weekends trying to come up with enough recipes to use up the bounty.

Oodles of Rainbow Chard and Spinach --
I have made two "Greek Greens and Sweet Onion Pie" in the past week. Last night I really caramelized the onions and it really added depth to the pie. We love this recipe! I ate leftovers last week for breakfast!

For a bbq last week I made a version of Swiss Chard with Chickpeas and Couscous. I used Israeli couscous -- which is bigger in size and has a great texture. I nixed the pine nuts and used cashews, and added a good heaping of garam masala (home made mix).

With some leftover spinach I made SPinach stuffed shells, using low-fat cottage cheese.

Two weeks ago when spinach was just coming in I made Chickpea and Spinach Curry. I added tofu to this mix and it was so yummy. It also makes a ton, so there were plenty of leftovers for lunches.

Also on my list today: Spinach Balls, Spinach Gnocchi

Lettuce -- pretty much just making salads and using on sandwiches

Beets -- I love them, and never know what to do with all of them.
In the oven right now is: Chocolate Beet Cake from Susan V at Fat-free Vegan Kitchen.

Marinating in the fridge are the beets for Roasted Beet and Three Radish Salad
Did I mention that we have three varieties of radishes?

I really need some recipes that freeze well. I am off to the field for 5 weeks (coming home on Sat. nights), and want to take yummy homemade food with me. I really hate eating at less-than-stellar restaurants -- not too mention where I am going is not known for its vegetarian friendliness. I won't feel like, or have time, for cooking at the field house, so whatever I can make on the weekends and eat on all week is the plan. If you have any suggestions, please drop them my way!

Carb-loading for a cause

2008-05-11T16:56:00.000-07:00

We have been really busy with work and yard work, so cooking has been sporadic. This past week I have made a cheese pizza with a spare dough I had in the freezer; shrimp tacos (yum!); and this winner from the local paper (Daily News Journal):
Whole-Wheat Penne with Artichoke-Red Pepper Sauce.
I made half the recipe and it was enough for 5 generous servings (the original recipe serves 6). We had a salad and garlic bread to go with. This was Friday night's dinner -- lots of carbs because I ran in my first 5k on Saturday morning! Yea for me!

Whole-Wheat Penne with Artichoke-Red Pepper Sauce (modified from original recipe)

two 14-oz. cans quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained
2 Tbsp. EVOO
4 tsps. lemon juice
1 tsp. dried basil
1/8 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. whole-wheat penne or other small pasta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook pasta according to directions. Reserve some of the cooking liquid (maybe 1/2-3/4 cups).

While pasta cooks, combine artichoke hearts, red peppers, EVOO, lemon juice, basil, S & P in a food processor. Puree until smooth.

When pasta is done, drain then return to pot. Add the artichoke sauce and the reserved liquid. Stir and warm over low heat. Serve immediately topped with Parmesan cheese.

Update on the St. Patty's Day Fare (see post below)
The cake was amazing and there was very little left to bring home (even though we were late to the party and everyone had already eaten). So, the extra Guinness didn't seem to matter too much.

The "Irish Casserole" was really good. Perfect hearty fare for a cold crisp Irish night. I will definitely make it again next year!

Kiss me blarney stone!

2008-03-15T12:18:00.000-07:00

I have been lax about posting lately because my camera seems to be in a funk! One day it decided to start producing pictures that look like this:

I think this was a picture (supposed to be a picture) of my back deck covered with snow. I have tried everything I can think of, short of taking the entire thing apart, to no avail. At this point is probably cheaper/easier to buy a new one (with better features) than to have it fixed. The sad, but true reality of the consumer world we live in. Oh well....

I have been cooking quite a bit over the past few weeks, well a lot compared to the past few months -- but was "blogging paralyzed" without my camera! No more I say. So, I might not be able to pose slightly out-of-focus-taken-in-bad-kitchen-lighting of my gastronomical creations, but I can post my recipes and reviews.

This weekend we have been invited to a St. Patty's Day party, and I have decided to bring my favorite Chocolate Guinness Cake (follow the link for the recipe and a picture), and "Irish Casserole" (uninspired recipe title not mine!). Both are vegetarian and of course, yummy!

I am hoping the cake turns out okay. I was on the phone with my sister when I started the recipe and misread 1 cup of Guinness as 1 Guinness, so in went an 11.6 oz bottle, not an 8 oz. cup! I couldn't figure out why it was so liquid-y, and didn't realize my mistake until after it was in the oven! Whoops!

Here is the recipe for "Irish Casserole." This is my first time making it, and since it is in the queue for the oven, I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds delicious! My changes to the recipe are in (parentheses).

Irish Casserole (posted on the Cooking Light bulletin board)

1 med. head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
3 baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (I used 2 red)
3 cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I used 1 green)
1 onion, finely chopped
Butter (I used a combo of olive oil and some butter)
Salt and pepper (I used freshly ground pepper and a roasted garlic/salt blend)
1 cup heavy cream (I used half-n-half)
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs (I will use panko when I get to this step)
1/2 cup finely grated Swiss Cheese (grating it myself)

Arrange 1/3 of cabbage, apples and potatoes and onions in layers in large ovenproof casserole.
Dot heavily with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (I used a mix of olive oil and just a few thin slabs of butter)
Repeat two more layers. (My third layer was a bit thin since I was up to the top of the pan)

Pour in heavy cream.

Cover casserole and bake at 350 for 45 min. or until just tender. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese and return to oven uncovered until top browned with nice crust.

Pantry Love

2008-02-20T04:03:00.001-08:00

One of the tasks on my holiday "honey-do" list was cleaning out the pantry. Over the past year or so John and I would find items on sale at the grocery, bring them home, and shove them into the pantry. Sometimes haphazardly, with the general end-result of not knowing what we had or didn't have. The items below are just some of the condiments that came from ONE SHELF! Notice the bbq sauces? Yep, 19 bottles, not including the CASE stashed away on the floor of the pantry!

I naively thought I could fit everything on the available counter tops/stove/table top in the kitchen....John had to bring in reinforcements from the garage...items spilled into the hall and into my adjoining office!

Yes, all that stuff came out of our pantry! Needless to say, we are only buying "fresh" foods at this point (fruits, veggies, cheese, soy milk). I must admit it is hard to pass up a good buy one/get one sale on Kashi Cereal, but as you can see in the foreground, we don't really need it! Thankfully, over 95% of the items are still "good" so there was little to throw out. I did empty the contents of home canned goodies that we made in maybe, oh 2001 or 2002! Yeah, probably for the best.

I am proud to say our pantry is much more organized, neat, and accessible. All of the dried beans stand tall in their glass jar homes and ready to be called into duty. Tea is all together in one location, and we now have a drawer to hold all the odds-and-ends, like open bags of chips, small single-serving containers of nutella (I know!), coffee filters. I LOVE IT!

Finals are over...back to blogging! First up...Louisville

2007-12-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I took a road trip to see my friend Caren. We taught in Scotland together this past summer. It was hard to believe it had been six months since we hung out, so I took a much needed break from the chaos of the end-of-the-semester to see what Louisville, Kentucky, has to offer.
Our first stop was a store that supplies all manner of foodstuffs to local restaurants, but lucky for us, sells to the public as well. Many items come in bulk size quantities or are packaged into smaller (i.e., 1 lb) bags. Here I am posing with the largest bar of chocolate I have ever seen (or held!). No, I did not buy one -- I can show restraint! I did however buy two types of couscous (Israeli and Lebanese), kosher salt, peppercorns, tarragon mustard, red and white speckled beans, and maybe a few other things I cannot remember!

From there we did a little thrifting -- at some great charity shops -- and made a visit to the legendary Baer's fabric store -- with its three floors of all things sewing. All of this shopping gave me (and Caren!) an appetite. She took me to a local fave -- the Zen Garden -- a completely vegetarian asian restaurant that gives all proceeds to charity. It was so nice to peruse the menu and know that I could choose ANYthing, and not have to ask if there were any hidden animal products in it. Here is a review of the restaurant and they have the picture of the orange tofu, too!
Caren and her friend Julie ordered a cucumber salad to start -- I don't really remember too much about it, other than that it was delicious! We all ordered egg rolls -- so yummy!

Caren ordered her favorite....orange tofu (or a name similar to that). Wow! Next time I go there I am definitely ordering that. The tofu was just the way I like it: crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, with a perfect coating of orange sauce -- not too sweet either. This is definitely a dish that could sway the staunchest of tofu-avoiders.

Now, I do not mean to diss my selection...for it was an unusual choice for me, and really yummy. I ordered the lunch special of the day, Lemongrass Soy Satay (or something similar to that!). This was a bowl full of warm rice noodles, marinated tofu, glazed tempeh, mushrooms, lettuce, cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers. A lemongrass dressing was served on the side (which I poured all over the bowl). It was more food than I could eat, and has inspired me to branch out in my menu selections.

Caren and I did some more thrifting in the afternoon then met back up with Julie to walk to the local coffee shop, Heine Brothers Coffee -- the Frankfort Ave. location.
We made stops at a really cool and well-stocked consignment shop, local bookstore (Carmichael's), and a fair trade store (Just Creations). I bought a gift for John (which I did find...it was in the one bag I didn't check!), and a really pretty wool hat from Nepal for myself!

That night we went to the First Friday Gallery Hop....so many good galleries, not nearly enough time! Our first stop was to purchase calendars from Sarah Lyon, a local photographer and friend of Caren's. She has published a 2008 calendar of all Female Mechanics from across the US (that is Sarah on the cover). She rode her motorcycle out west and back taking pictures and documenting her journey. The Atomic Saucer (or maybe that is its former name) hosted a calender party...and even Ms. September was there! I bought one for my mechanic hubby and had it autographed. It was great to meet the artist in person and tell her how cool her work is.

Dinner was at a Middle Eastern restaurant...grape leaves, hummus, baba ghanoush, falafel...all the goodies! I went to bed that night tired and full and ready for sleep.

Saturday morning was spent shopping and eating (of course!). We went to a Louisville establishment -- Lynn's Paradise Cafe. This is Cracker Barrell meets Eccentric Art Lover with yummy food. After a bit of a wait we were seated in the very eclectic dining room (with our own "Ugliest Lamp Contest" winner). The biscuits are amazing as are the potatoes.

From that point we headed back to Caren's and I packed up ALL my stuff (we calculated that I brought more for 2 days in L-ville than I did for 5 weeks in Europe!) and headed home ready to face the last week of the semester.

Thanks Caren and Julie for showing me your favorite spots! I am looking forward to bringing John back to all of these haunts.

Mardis Gras in November

2007-11-20T02:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, I do realize that this is the month where Turkey reigns supreme (while my sister may cook one in my kitchen for the "big day," it is still all about the sides -- always has been). However, I was a co-hostess for a baby shower this past weekend. We racked our brains and quickly discarded any "archaeology" themed showers (Bones and Babies? Somehow, it didn't seem appropriate! :) )

So, "A Mardis Gras Baby Shower" was born. The guest of honor spent a number of years living and schooling in the Big Easy and loves all things New Orleans. The colors were of course green, gold, and purple. We found a feather boa in just those colors for the mommy-to-be. That, along with a crown of jewels, plenty of beads, balloons, and streamers, not to mention food(!) and we were set for a party.
A request had gone out for no "traditional" baby shower games, so we provided blank masks, markers, glitter, and feathers and made Mardis Gras masks!

Here we are showing off our creations!

Each co-host had a separate food assignment, which was wonderful! One hostess brought appetizers and the cake -- let me just say that the hummus was amazing (and store bought!), and the cake....well it was from Publix, so of course it was good!

We had tried for a King Cake, but as they are seasonal and nearly impossible to get in Middle Tennessee, we opted for a yellow cake with vanilla custard filling, topped off with buttercream icing in fantastic shades of purple, green, and gold. A plastic baby was inserted in the side and covered up by extra icing. We were sure to give this piece to our guest of honor.

Our friend who hosted all of us made a salad and a Po' Boy station -- complete with all the fixin's. There were choices of roast beef, shrimp, and roasted veggies (eggplant and orange bell pepper). A few loaves of Publix French bread and we were set.

My contributions were vegetarian red beans and rice (thanks Jack Bishop!), a trio of hot sauces, garlic cheese toast, and my Dreamy Punch (my recipe). The red beans were absolutely amazing. My sister is amused that I get so excited over beans, but hey, these are special! I started with a rice cooker, a one pound bag of dried small red beans and a fantastic recipe from Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen.

New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
Jack Bishop -- A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen (pg. 373)

**Note -- I doubled the recipe.**
(My changes/additions are in parentheses.)

2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 medium carrot, finely chopped (I used 2)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium celery stalk, finely chopped (I used 3)
4 medium garlic cloves, minced (I used 6 on the large side)
2 tsp. minced fresh oregano leaves (didn't measure, just kept chopping)
1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce, or more to taste
2 cups vegetable broth (I only used a bit of veggie broth b/c I kept the liquid the beans were cooked in.)
2 15-0unce cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (one 1-lb. bag dried small red)
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (omitted these in favor of 2 Tbsp. tomato paste)
1 bay leaf (I used 3 in the initial cooking of the beans and left them in.)
Salt
(cumin)
(one green bell pepper, sliced into long thin strips)
Cooked Rice

My first step was to sort the beans into a large (5 qt.) chili pot. I then added enough cold water to cover by 1-2 inches. I added 3 bay leaves, put the lid on, and turned the heat up. Once it came to a boil, I turned it down to simmer. This will take about 2 hours or so (the no soak method is highly preferred -- another nod to Jack Bishop here [pg. 369]). I do not salt my beans very much (maybe 1 or 2 tsp.) and definitely wait until near the end -- the salt can make the beans impenetrable to the water.

In a separate skillet I sauteed the onions, celery, carrots in the canola oil. After about 5-7 mins. I added the garlic. To this I added the tomato paste and a Tbsp. of veggie broth, seeral dashes of garlic Tabasco, and a dash of cumin. I sauteed this until it was "sofrito" consistency. I added this mixture straight into the bean pot, and continued simmering. As the beans thickened I added a bit more veggie broth. I also added the sliced green bell peppers at this time. I let the whole thing cook for another 20 mins. -- then I had to have some! The scent of onions and cumin, garlic and celery was too much! I whipped up a quick bit of rice (actually the rice cooker did that), and some garlic cheese toast, set out a bottle of garlic Tabasco, and dinner was served!

I stored the beans in the crock pot (in the fridge) overnight, pulled them out in the morning, and reheated via the crock pot for two hours. Our guest of honor said they were quite authentic and tasty. And lucky me, there were enough left over that I had lunch yesterday!

**Best non-baby baby shower ever!

In need of some comfort food

2007-11-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

I spent the better part of this past week at a conference, which is always hectic and fun and exhausting. Eating out for several days wears on me, even when the food is really good. Add to that the perfect weather we are having (blue skies, all the leaves are changing, temps around 70 degrees, and one exhausted girl, well, I want some comfort food.

Since the food is still cooking, I realize I run the risk of posting a recipe that might turn out icky, but it is either blog or mow the yard.....well, you can see which one I picked!

First up is a lovely golden corn and potato chowder that I modified from Corn and Sweet-Potato Chowder by Didi Emmons (Vegetarian Planet). Not a sweet potato or cup of milk in the house, so a little improvisation is turning into Golden C & P Chowder (and it is lactose-intolerant friendly).

Golden P & C Chowder

1-2 Tbsp. butter (you can omit this and use all olive oil)
1-2 Tbsp olive oil (Next time I will cut the fat/oils down to 2 Tbsp. TOTAL)
2 cups chopped vidalia onion
3 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
2 1/2 Tbsp. flour (I used unbleached AP)
2 cups water
4 cups vegetable stock/broth
3 corn tortillas, cut into small pieces
2 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, diced (size is a matter of personal preference)
1 jalapeno or other hot pepper.
S & P to taste

Heat the oil and butter in a chili pot, and when hot, add the onions. Saute for 5 mins. until tender, then add the garlic, cumin, and paprika. Cook an additional 3-5 mins.

Add the flour, but keep stirring (this is akin to making gravy), so the flour starts to brown, but doesn't get all lumpy. Add the water while stirring. Stir to all is combined. Add the broth/stock, stirring constantly. Once all of the liquid is combined with the flour/onion mixture, add the tortilla pieces, corn, and potatoes -- stir to combine.

Add the hot pepper -- I pierced it with a knife so it would sink a little (and not bob around on the surface). Simmer for 30 mins. or until potatoes are tender. Discard hot pepper. If the broth is too thin, puree one cup of the soup (with corn and potato bits), and add back to soup. The tortillas melt away and act as a thickener. Add S & P to taste.

I will be serving this with a Potato and Squash Pot Pie and Cornmeal Scones.

I'm a photographer!?!??!?!?!

2007-10-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

One of my pictures was chosen for inclusion in an on-line city guide of Edinburgh. The cool part is I did not submit it to a competition, they found me on Flickr.

I am going to try to add the widget, but I have no clue what I am doing so I hope it works out.

Update -- it did work out -- the link to the map is on the right.
Here is a link to my picture of Arthur's Seat.

Rosco

2007-10-22T19:26:00.001-07:00

Sweet Potato Pizza -- Thanks Angela!

2007-10-22T04:41:00.000-07:00

One of my good friends moved recently to Boston and went through a major purge -- seriously between her and her partner all of their worldly possessions fit in the back of a small Toyota pick-up. (Oh, I wish I could be so brave, but that is the topic for another day!). You know the saying, "One woman's junk is another woman's treasure," yep, I made out like a bandit (quoting my g-ma here!).

Angela entrusted all of her vegetarian cookbooks to my care -- and I am honored. My favorite to date is one unassuming 1,001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes, by Sue Spitler. This book contains over 800 pages of recipes (yes pure recipes!) in easy-to-follow text. There are no pictures, which is usually a deterrent for me b/c I like pretty pictures, but the recipes can stand no there own. I have been flipping through this book, earmarking yummy sounding dishes, and have found that most of the recipes are made with common ingredients (no weird vegan stuff!) and are straightforward to assemble.

Which brings me to the Sage-Scented Sweet Potato Pizza -- one of two pizzas I made on Saturday for Oktoberfest. The ingredient list was rather unassuming, but this is definitely one of those that falls in the "the sum is greater than the parts" category! I was amazed at how yummy this was. I modified it to fit our tastes and kitchen practices.

Sage-Scented Sweet Potato Pizza

2 cups evenly sliced sweet potatoes
1 cup thinly sliced onion (I used Vidalia -- my favorite onion!)
1 tsp. dried sage leaves
olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1 cup shredded reduced-fat Colby Jack-cheese (I used one of those pre-shredded Mexican blends)
Salt and pepper
pizza dough (I used my old standby from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)
Parmesan cheese

I am deviating a bit from her directions b/c I cook my pizzas on a stone, so no need to prep the pan!

1. Mix sweet potatoes and onion with sage, salt, pepper, a bit of olive oil (which is not in the original ingredient list) in a baking pan. Wrap unpeeled garlic cloves in aluminum foil. Roast at 425 degrees until tender -- 10-15 minutes (I overdid mine, but they were still good).

2. Pre-bake crust on stone for 8 minutes. Remove with pizza peel and brush on a mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Arrange roasted potatoes and onions evenly on crust, sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 420 degrees for an additional 18 minutes, until desired browning on cheese. Remove from oven, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese ad serve.

Cookies for the Co-Workers

2007-09-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

My dear husband started a new job last week, and this week requested I make some yummy cookies for him to take to his new co-workers. While it seems that these new people in our lives might be on the adventurous side (I considered my Cocoa Picantes), I decided to wow them with a more "normal" but delicious recipe.
I had saved this recipe from Southern Living, first published in May 2004.

Let me just say, these cookies looked JUST LIKE the picture (well, mine were a tad bigger), and were the perfect combo of crunchy-on-the-outside-yet-chewy/moist-on-the-inside, and salty and sweet.
Here is the recipe, with my changes in ( ).

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening (I used SmartBalance shortening)
1 cup chunky peanut butter (I used fresh ground nothing added)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used whole-wheat and probably ended up adding a total of 3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I LOVE cinnamon in my choc. chip cookies, so I doubled

(1 1/2 tsp. vanilla)
1 cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
1 (11.5-ounce) bag chocolate chunks (I used 1/2 bag mini-semi-sweet choc. chips)

Preparation

Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add chunky peanut butter and sugars, beating well. Add eggs, beating until blended.

Combine flour and next 4 ingredients. Add to butter mixture, beating well.

Stir in peanuts and chocolate chunks.

Shape dough into 2-inch balls (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie). Flatten slightly, and place on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 375° for 12 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pan 1 to 2 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Double Chocolate Chunk-Peanut Cookies: Reduce flour to 2 cups; add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted. Proceed as directed.

Yield

Makes 28 cookies

Marsha Johnson, Montgomery, Alabama , Southern Living, MAY 2004

Attention all cherry lovers!

2007-08-05T10:13:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to an easy and quick way to pit cherries. Publix has cherries on sale for $1.99/lb. So, I bought a couple of pounds of cherries this morning and wanted to freeze some for smoothies. My sister and I were just discussing what a pain pitting cherries is. Neither of us own cherry pitters -- just one more gadget to find a home for.

After pitting on with a knife, and mangling the sweet flesh, I did a Google search, and found this fabulous tip.

How to pit a cherry with a paperclip -- believe me it really does work (and no need to waste valuable drawer space to store it)!

Here is a post from 2006, scroll down to see my first ever Cherry Clafouti!

No, go pit some cherries!

Dog (and cat) days of summer

2007-07-17T07:13:00.000-07:00

The hot and humid weather that is typical of southern summers has been hard to adjust to after spending June and 1/2 of July in cool (50-60's in Scotland) and pleasant (70s-80s in London and Italy) conditions in Europe.

The animals are feeling the effects, too. This picture was taken yesterday afternoon. Rosco and Fatty McL were (im)patiently waiting for dinner.

Sunday sunrise as viewed from our backyard. One of the adjustments I have not made is sleeping in. I am up by 5:30 every morning and trying to harness the extra time.

Our coneflowers are going gangbusters. Can you believe these are the offspring of two small plants that a colleague gave me Easter weekend of 2006?

While we have plenty of cucumbers and tomatoes in our garden, I have been yearning to make some of the dishes we had in Italy. Rosco and I made a trip to the Farmer's Market this morning. I was surprised and pleased to see that the market is as big, if not bigger, than last year, and the ethnic diversity of those selling has increased. My favorite Mexican family was there...they have the best produce at oh so reasonable prices. I bought the okra and squash from them, and had to stand in a bit of line to buy from them. I am glad business is going! I bought the potatoes from an older nearly toothless gentleman. He had several varieties, all freshly dug within 24 hours. They are not organic, though. The fella' that sells the organic potatoes only had tomatoes and cukes for sale, and well, I have plenty of them! I bought all of this for less than $7, I even came home with money in my pocket!

I will be back there on Friday, and hopefully will make a venture to get some peaches from Garrad's. Love them peaches!

Cucumber Recipes

2007-07-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

My sister found this website that has lots of cucumber recipes. I haven't tried any, but am intrigued by:

"Chicken in Cucumber and Lemons Sauce"...of course I would sub tofu for the chicken
Ginger Peanut Pasta Salad
Cucumber Granita
Cucumber Limeade

amongst others.

If anyone tries out any of the recipes from the website I want to hear your reviews!

We're back and they are huge!

2007-07-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

We returned on Wed. July 11th, in the evening. We were exhausted as we had been up and moving for almost 21 hours. Needless to say, I could barely put two words together and was ready for a shower and bed. However, we did take a quick peek at the garden. Our friends and neighbors did a nice job of picking tomatoes and keeping them under control, however, some cucumbers were overlooked and now we have these mammoth english cucumbers. The picture on the left shows them alongside regular-sized salad cucumbers and a variety of tomatoes.

This picture at left shows the two biggest with the pepper grinder for scale.

What am I supposed to do with all of these cucumbers? I have cut up one big one and it was okay, drier than a regular sized one. I have been searching for recipes that use cukes in baking, much like zucchinis or green tomatoes. No luck. So, if anyone out there has a recipe using cucumbers in something other than cold soup, tzatziki, or any version of marinated salad, please direct me to it!

I am going to make a cold cucumber soup...the weather is perfect for that. I wonder how a cucumber gelato would taste?

Look for a link to our trip photos soon!

Vacation is finally here.....

2007-06-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

Thursday, June 28, 2007

I woke up really early this morning to head back to the dorm and finish grading student papers, return student papers, eat breakfast, pack all of my stuff, and say good-bye to my students and colleagues, all before 10:30 AM!
John was still in bed when I got back to Rebecca's flat, but we were soon headed out the door to explore the city. We began by walking up the Royal Mile, to our first stop, Edinburgh Castle (my second trip, but I didn't see it all the first time).

Here is a shot of some of the inner buildings of the castle.

This is the Great Hall, with its huge fireplace and impressive display of weapons and battle armor. We were able to view the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny -- both very impressive and no photos allowed. The Scottish crown jewels have a long history, and were hidden several times to protect them from being destroyed. The self-appointed protectors were quite successful. Read more about the Honours of Scotland here.

Our second stop was a tour of Mary King's Close. This place is billed as a "city beneath the city" and is a bit on the touristy side, but it was a pretty neat experience. You are not allowed to take pictures, and honestly it is not a picturesque kinda' place. One really has to go down into the houses where the lower classes of society lived over 400 years ago to be thankful for indoor plumbing, modern medicine and hygiene, and food preservation.

After this we met up with Rebecca and headed to dinner at her favorite vegetarian restaurant. More on that in the next post.

John's Here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-06-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

John soaking up some rare Scottish sunshine in the garden at the new Scottish Parliament building.

John admiring the bike rack/sheds outside the dorms, Edinburgh University.

In honor of our youngest nephew.

A Daily Dose of Castle

2007-06-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

June 21 – Summer Solstice

We had two castles on today’s agenda, so off we went to catch the train at Waverly Station (Platform 15). A quick 20 minute train ride brought us to the hamlet of Linlithgow, famous for Linlithgow Palace and St. Michael's Parish Church. Our first stop was the tourist information center…which didn’t open until 10:00 am (even thought the website said 9:30am, which I think is kinda’ late since many tourists like to get an early start…but I guess that is just the mulit-tasking, agenda-setting American in me!). We decided to skip on up to the Palace, the earliest construction dates to the 1400s (left -- entering the palace; right -- turret in northwest corner of palace, there are four in all). This castle was different from the other two in that it was square and contained an open courtyard with a large fountain (erected in the mid 1500s, the unicorn and mermaid are sculptures on the fountain). The views of the loch were breathtaking, even with cloud coverage.

After touring the castle for about an hour, I asked the castle staff about getting to our next destination, Blackness Castle. Contrary to the directions in the Historic Scotland pamphlets, traveling to this castle was not going to be straightforward, quick, or practical. The very nice staff at the Palace called around to taxi and bus services, but they were quickly eliminated as possibilities (too expensive, erratic service). We gave the class an hour to tour around the hamlet of Linlithgow and meet us back at the train station. The archaeology class had an afternoon appointment at the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland that we could not be late for. Caren and I did a little shopping, a quick stop at a bakery (with prices a third of those in Edinburgh), and then back to the train station (which was not so easy to find, apparently in a typical British fashion -- although the Scots say they are Scottish, not British, and you would be wise not to confuse the two).

Once we got back to Edinburgh, my class and I headed off to the Elephants and Bagel s for lunch. I chose this place because I thought it was where J. K. Rowling liked to hang out, but was informed by the very nice bagel mistress that she actually hung out at the Elephant House, their sister shop, in a different part of town. After eating my $6 bagel sandwich (3 GBP = $6 US, ouch!), we headed for the Royal Commission.

We were on time for our appointment at the RCAHMS (pictured at left in the John Sinclair House) and the staff there gave us a great tour of the facilities, their archives, maps, databases, what they do, why they do it, and how we can access their information. We were even given goodie bags of brochures and post cards. The students were impressed with the old and antique books that are available for research, and we were able to see unique photos of ancient monuments and archaeological sites. I can’t speak highly enough of the welcoming and enthusiastic attitude of the RCHAM staff.

Back at Turner House we all headed off for naps…we needed to be rested for the longest day of the year, which in Scotland is pretty darn long!

Caren and I decided to have a picnic dinner at the Royal Botanic Gardens because they were staying open late and having traditional Scottish music until 11:00 pm. It is really hard to feel sleepy when the sun doesn’t set until 10:30 pm, and then there is still a faint glow in the sky; it never truly gets dark.

Craigmillar Castle

2007-06-24T23:30:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday (June 20), I had plans to take my class to the small village/Edinburgh suburb of Cramond with is on the shores of the Forth of Firth. However, we woke up to rain (surprise), and plans quickly changed. Caren planned to take her class to see Edinburgh Castle, so we decided to join them (see previous posts). By lunch time the sun had come out and the sky was filled with puffy white clouds. My class waited for the one o’clock cannon, then sought out lunch, to be followed by a trip to Holyrood Abbey.

Lunch was at a burger place on the Royal Mile called Wannaburger. The décor was simple modern and the burger options were numerous. Vegetarians (and our numbers are growing on this trip) were able to get a veggie burger fixed in any of 13 ways. I stuck with veggie burger with cheese, and it was HUGE! We were able to eat at the sidewalk tables, a rare treat in rainy Edinburgh.

After lunch we walked the entire Royal Mile until the terminus at the new Parliament Building and Holyrood Palace. There was some confusion on the abbey entrance, and plans once again changed. To get the most out of our newly purchased Explorer’s Passes (bought at Edinburgh Castle through Historic Scotland), we searched the maps for acceptable and nearby alternatives. Thus, we jumped a bus (several actually) to head out to Craigmillar Castle, which is located near the Royal Infirmary, in a not so nice part of town (which we didn’t find out until the next day, and that was fine with me – although the abrupt end of the sidewalk should have been a clue!).

Craigmillar Castle is quite different from Edinburgh Castle – the former is in ruins, the latter is a major tourist attraction. Craigmillar was more of a residence, where as Edinburgh was more of a fortress with numerous levels and cannons, and it still houses an active military unit (with quirky red feathers in their caps). Craigmillar is in the countryside with sweeping views of mountains to the west and south, Arthur’s Seat to the northwest, and the North Sea, to the north. Queen Mary of Scots sought peace and solitude here after witnessing the violent murder of her closest confidante and secretary. From the pictures you can see why she would come here. Edinburgh Castle is a powerful symbol of royal and military authority, with numerous levels and buildings, all seeming to have grown out of the extinct volcano they are sitting atop. Impressive.

The journey to Craigmillar was just as much fun as being at the ruins. I used the directions as described in the Historic Scotland brochure…”take any bus to the Royal Infirmary. Follow footpath to the castle.” Sounds straightforward, but I have learned on this trip that Scots give directions like American countryfolk (although I think we use more landmarks…turn right at the big oak, go aways…etc.). I choose to get us off at a stop on the #33 (bus that is) because I happened to see a sign that read “Craigmillar Castle ½) with an arrow. I thought “Good. Signage.” This is where the sidewalk ended and I must say it didn’t resemble Shel Silverstein’s musings at all!

We (which includes myself and 10 students) walked up the road (a slightly dangerous proposition considering that pedestrians do not have the right-of-way in Scotland), when I saw a signpost for the castle, and a small break in the fence…and the fabled footpath. So, off we go, climbing several stretches of increasingly steep hillside. Beautiful, yes, but I couldn’t help thinking “this better be worth it.” At one point, with no castle in sight, I was afraid my class might mutiny. At least the weather was perfect!

Anyway, here is our first glimpse of the castle, and we quickly realized we were in for a treat. Glimpsing the castle was one thing, getting into the castle was quite another. There was a fence surrounding the entire thing (along with near-waist high grass and cows), and no real entrance that we could see. One student went on a recon mission to the fence, but didn’t have too much information. So we all trooped through the tall grass (luckily Scotland has few snakes, only one that is poisonous which lives in the Highlands, far, far away from where we were), and climbed the fence (I like to think of this as “storming the castle”). We more or less had the place to ourselves on a day when the sky could not have been bluer, the breeze softer, and the mood happy and peaceful. This is one outing the eleven of us will not forget anytime soon.

Courtyard of the castle

More castle pics

2007-06-24T23:17:00.001-07:00

My colleague, Caren, took some pretty fun pictures at Edinburgh Castle to share. Consider her a guest blogger!

The first three pictures are from Edinburgh Castle.

Edinburgh friends (from left to right):
Sandy
Rebecca (friend from UK)
Maria
Me

at the Meadow Bar

Long days = full schedule!

2007-06-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

We woke up to rain and thunder (apparently a rarity here, but I have heard it on two different occasions now!), which put a damper on out plans to visit a quaint fishing village on the coast. We reorganized and decided to visit the Edinburgh Castle with the photojournalism class. Here is a mix of students (not all of them) waiting to go in the castle.

An immortal knight guarding the castle entry.

The castle houses a small city within its walls. These next two pictures are of the buildings w/in the castle.

Stained glass window in Royal apartments showing royal symbols. The Scottish version of the Royal coat of arms shows the lion of Scotland in the first and fourth quarters, with the French fleur de lis in the second (today the English lion is in the second). The harp of Ireland is in the third quarter. The shield is under the crown, and they are surrounded by a circle of thistles (the flower of Scotland).

Here is the modern coat of arms of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II:

Queen Mary (of Scots) chapel. This is now a shrine to her.

Stained glass window commemorating William Wallace in Queen Mary's Chapel.

A cannon's view of the city. This is a working castle, there are active military troops here, although I saw few of them. They fire a modern "cannon" off everyday at noon, and the Scots set their watches by this....we all did yesterday since we have spent the last week or so being +/- 10 minutes off from one another!

The castle was packed with people and the weather turned sunny and warm. It was a nice day to be out and about. I didn't even see all there was to see at the castle, it was too big and I wanted to take my class to another site...the ruins of Holyrood Abbey where Queen Mary of Scots was married (one of the times she was married). That didn't work out as planned, so I took my students on a jaunt around the city and ended up at a nearly left alone castle, Craigmillar Castle. But, more on that later. (it is now Thursday morning) I have to get to breakfast because we have to catch a train to see a palace and a castle this morning before a tour of the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Mounments this afternoon!

Happy Longest Day of Summer!!!!!!!

Technical Difficulties

2007-06-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, technical difficulties at home are one thing, abroad they are inevitable!

The difficulties were on two fronts: communications and technology.

The communications difficulties were partially due to my forgetfulness/laziness in either buying a new phone card or adding more minutes to the cell phone I am borrowing (topping up, as the Scots say). The third part of this woe....the wireless network was down here on campus until mid-morning. So, not internet service. I did, however, get a free 1.5 days of internet access for free to compensate. The manager on duty at Reception happens to be a computer geek (certified at that), and hooked me up.

The technology difficulties have to do with the voltage differences here. At home in the US the majority of our outlets are 110 v, with the few odd 220 v for big time appliances. Here in the UK, everything is 220 v, even my little electric tea kettle (no wonder the water boils in a second!).
I brought an adapter for my computer, as it is self converting (thank goodness, the older technology some kids brought is making weird humming noises, but not my fresh new Dell!). It did not even occur to me how I was going to charge my camera batteries (obviously I brought along the charger, but it is 110 volt). So, I borrowed Caren's converter and adapter, plugged in my charger and watched. The lights indicating charge came on for a few seconds then went out. I immediately turned off the outlet (each outlet has its own switch -- ubernifty). I smelled it, and it had a faint acrid smell -- I am hoping I didn't burn out the charger, but have no way of knowing that until I am back in the states -- mid-July. So, today I headed out to buy a new battery charger (after I took my students to the fabulous National Museum -- less than 10 years old and WOW! I can't wait to take John there!). I happened upon one at the Pound Saver (Pound being kin to our dollar, and the store is much like Big Lots!) for 7 GBP ($14), including 4 batteries. So they are charging now and we shall see how they do. Hopefully good enough to get me to Rome and back to London.

Of course I cannot download any pictures from my visit to the Royal Botanical Gardens yesterday (another fantastic place I am going to take John), so you will have to wait till the charge is done for more pics. Oh, the camera batteries decided to quit on my just as we got to the memorial to the Queen Mother -- a beautiful grotto decorated with shells and pinecones -- you will have to see the pics for yourself! The RB Gardens were so pretty, it made me think of all the people in my life that would truly enjoy visiting such a uniquely British place. I hope you will stop back for pictures later or tomorrow.

Now I am off for my afternoon tea, and to grade all those exams I gave last night. Grrr............ Oh well, it pays the bills right?!?

;)

Home, sweet Ikea, Home

2007-06-17T05:17:00.000-07:00

The first thing that struck me when I checked into my dorm room (No. 110, Turner House, Pollock Halls), was how frightfully pink everything was; the walls, the bedding, underlain by a deep red carpet. Yeck! I turned the duvet over so the green side is up (currently my duvet is lilac). It helps!

The second thing that struck me was how efficiently the space was arranged. I honestly feel like I am living in an Ikea showroom.

I think this room is nearly as big as the one I shared my freshman year at FSU in Kellum Hall.

A picnic for one

2007-06-15T05:20:00.000-07:00

It is so blustery today!!!!!! I went out to visit the offices of Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission for Antiquities and Historic Monuments (or something close to that) this morning, no easy feat considering the extremely windy conditions. I am trying to secure a tour of the latter, and received a bunch of information for my class from the former! Here are some pretty purple flowers I spied along the way.

I have to go back to the Royal Commission, as the fellow I need to speak with was out for lunch. So, I headed back to my room at Turner House (part of Pollock Halls), wind in my face, and decided to have a picnic in my room. Caren (the photojournalism professor) and I purchased some great Scottish cheddar cheese at the local Mark and Spencer's store, buy one get one, so about $4 for two large wedges of the stuff (you can see it on the left in the photo). There is a small pantry with a dorm-sized fridge and microwave -- good for those of us on a budget! We also purchased difft. flavors of crackers, today I had the sesame, poppy, and pumpkin seed crackers, so tasty (and were really cheap at 49 pence a pack -- about $1)! I also cut up an apple I filched from the cafeteria...well I had all intentions of eating it at breakfast yesterday, but was too full by the end. Better than tossing it in the trash! Oh, I also made a cup of fair trade black tea with milk (no sugar -- didn't have any). The dorm supplies the tea, sugar, milk, and hot water pot (wish they would fit in our outlets, I would bring one of these little suckers home!) -- all the teas and sugar are fair trade. Scotland is much "greener" than the US, really nice! Lots of the thrift stores I went to yesterday sold fair trade jewelry and bags -- at very reasonable prices.

For dessert I finished off this package of Caramel Shortcakes (I opened this yesterday, so not all 5 -- couldn't do that in one sitting!).

These heavenly delights have a graham cracker crust, a thick bit of caramel, with a nice topping of fantastic chocolate. They are just as good, if not better than smore's, plus you don't need a fire to get them! The package cost me 50 p (p = pence, so about $1). They were great with my tea.

Of course, I am walking at least four times as much as I do at home, so I am not too concerned with burning the calories, and I don't eat desserts all day long! For breakfast I had some fantastic porridge (oatmeal) to which I added a cut up apple and some sugar (no cinnamon around these parts). I also had a croissant, not bad, with strawberry jam. I am taking a daily multivitamin, so no worries on being malnourished as a vegetarian abroad. Actually, this town is really veggie friendly. The campus pub has a nice selection of veg. options, all noted with a (v) next to them. Last night I had a bowl of Sweet Potato and Corn Chowder with crackers. Really good stuff!

Tonight I will probably buy a sandwich or something as I am going out with my friend Rebecca to see a band she really likes (and of course about 5 of her friends are coming, too, two of whom I have already met...really nice folks).

Well I am off to brave the cold and try back at the Royal commission!

Lectures-r-us

2007-06-14T12:05:00.000-07:00

Today I was able to sit and chat with my class about archaeology...it was nice, we actually had a discussion, the students really got into it, and the time went by really fast. We meet for 1.5 hours, then had a break for a few hours. Caren (the photojournalism professor) and I went and did a bit of thrift shopping, to ya' know, be amongst the people (she says with tongue-in-cheek). There are a whole bunch of them on one street, just one after the other. They were very clean, and full of thrifty things. I did buy 2 pairs of trousers (pants are tighty-whiteys or granny-panties) and a top. I optimisitcally brought 2 pairs of trousers, one capris, and one skirt. Well, the weather has been a might bit chilly since we got here, even the Scots say it is unseasonable. Seriously, the high today was 52 degrees F, with a brisk wind. It is now a bit drizzly. I don't mind the cool weather, it sure beats 90+ degrees, but it is about 15-20 degrees below the average. Anyway, no worries, right? I now have three very functional souvenirs!

Also today we took the combined classes to hear Professor Ian Ralston, Univ. of Edinburgh, speak. He took time out of his very busy schedule to give us an overview of Scottish prehistory. We spent a delightful 1.5-2 hours seeing pictures and taking notes in what is called the Old High School building. This building was the original Royal High School of Edinburgh, Sir Walter Scott was a student there in the 1820s, after which it was turned into the first Infirmary (hospital), and is now located at No. 12 Infirmary Street (although there is no street sign indicating the name, and no number on the building!).
Another interesting note about this building is that Dr. Lister, a surgeon made famous by his work with developing anesthesia (thank you, Dr. Lister), performed numerous surgeries there.

I think the students were impressed to know they were in a building with such history.
I didn't take any pictures of the building today, but will be back there on Monday, so will then, promise! I did, however, take a picture of the room with our classes in it waiting for the lecture to begin.

King Arthur's Seat

2007-06-13T15:33:00.001-07:00

King Arthur's Seat is the crowning glory of Edinburgh, as far as geological formations go. It rises some 800 ft. above sea level, is bordered by the North Sea and the city. My dorm room looks out to it.

We had class until about 4:45 pm, and then sent our students off to visit this rock. We we along as well, and let me tell you, it is every bit as tall and steep as it looks, I have the sore legs to prove it!

The pic. above is the view before we start our ascent.

Here is a panoramic view from the top. This is the North Sea. Sorry about the repeats in the pictures, blogger is annoying and won't let me do much with them.

Here is the view from the top, looking southwest. My dorm is visible from here.

Here is me standing on top! I know I will be going one more time at least (with John), and I hope we have enough time to explore more of it!

Well, that is all for now. My internet access runs out at midnight, in 15 minutes, and I have some grading to do before I turn it!

Cheers!

Day two...do I really look like I belong here?

2007-06-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

This morning we had our first breakfast experience in the dining hall. The plan is to eat as much breakfast as possible, so I can eat cheaply the rest of the day (bfast is included with the room). So, several courses were in order.

Course 1 -- Vegetarian haggis (spicy lentil mixture -- quite good); hashbrown potato triangle, wheat toast w/ blackberry jam; coffee
Course 2 -- bowl of plain yogurt with fresh raspberry puree and museli, 1 packet sugar, 1 cup coffee.
Course 3 -- there was no course 3! I was pretty full at this point.

At 10:00 am we took the class on a driving tour of the city, via a hired
coach. Our driver was not from Edinburgh and didn't really know his way around, but luckily, our on-site director does!

Some of the things we saw today:

Fun taxi in front of the bus.

It truly was just a box. Didn't see any police though!

The fantastic British phone booth, big enough for two!

The old, the new, and the bravehearted!

Cute little wedding cake bakery. Notice the upper left of the photo is an icing bag w/ tip and a drop of icing!

The title of my post refers to a question asked me today. A scotswoman stopped me as I was walking up Princes Street (in the busy downtown area) to inquire if Jenners was just up the way. I had to say I didn't know, but was flattered that she thought I looked like I would know such an answer! I don't even know what Jenners is, although I did spy it around the corner a few blocks down later!

I will put more pics. in the second post!

More pics. from the first day

2007-06-12T12:16:00.001-07:00

Pub in Edinburgh that I would like to go back to. I hope the owner stops by the blog and sees that I have corrected my mistake! :)

Bikers get a wide berth (or is it girth?) in Edinburgh.

The view from my window. This is King Arthur's Seat and Holyrood Park. This geological feature is fancied to look like a lion (head the left, rear end to the right) facing the North Sea. The lion is featured prominently on the Scottish coat of arms.

Still the view from my window. Lots of fog here in Edinburgh today!

The Yanks have landed!

2007-06-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, the flight was long (almost 8 hours from Chicago to Manchester).
Yes, the coach ride was long (a bit over 5 hours from Manchester to Edinburgh).
Yes, I slept, for a total of 1.5 - 2 hours. It is hard to sleep when the sun never goes away!
I did get to see Iceland from the sky...pretty cool.
I highly recommend the vegetarian option for food when flying. The food was better quality than the non-veg. counterparts.
Okay, so here are some of the sights from our first day(s) (since we lost some time in the
process).

Left: Students w/ luggage waiting to get on the private coach for the 5+ hour drive from Manchester to Edinburgh.

Left: Scottish taxi

Pretty stone farm w/ stone walls on the way to Edinburgh.

Landscape typical of Scotland. Lots of sheep and clouds today.

Left: Pretty cool old Ford something or another pulling a nifty camper! John would be proud of all the car noticing I am doing!

Here I go!

2007-06-11T06:14:00.001-07:00

Well, I leave for the airport in less than two hours, and I still have a few errands to run!

I spent several hours packing yesterday, and this was after I spent two months collecting my stuff in a pile in the guest room! I must say, however, that I am ultra-pleased with the results. I borrowed the neighbor's scale to weigh my luggage, and they both come in under the weight limits for Ryanair -- which was my goal!

Here is what I put in my checked bag -- my backpacking sack -- that now weighs a total of 26 lbs! including the bag:

The green day bag has some stuff in it, and is inside the larger bag. Some of the toiletries are for my friend Rebecca, who lives in Edinburgh, and the rest will get used up while there, so no packing them back!

Here are the contents(minus my laptop and digital camera) of my carry-on.

I hope to add updates during my trip with pictures, so check back for more!

Farmer's Market Season is here!

2007-06-08T16:58:00.000-07:00

Our local farmer's market opened today for the season. Unfortunately, I was not able to make it today...I am quite busy running errands before I leave for Europe. I hope to go to some local markets while I am there though!

Alanna at A Veggie Venture has offered up this sweet tomato icon for use in posts that feature fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmer's markets. I hope she doesn't mind if I use it for recipes that are made using produce grown in our own backyard, too (tonight's meal will include bok choy from the Lemons' Patch).

On tonight's menu:

Grilled Chili and Cumin Sweet Potato Wedges (ground chili pepper, cumin, garlic powder, kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, olive oil, and three sweet potatoes)
Sweet Ginger Tofu
Bok choy, Broccoli, and Mushroom stir-fry (made up recipe)

Still Alive and Cookin'

2007-05-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time since my last post. Teaching has gotten the better of me. Today, though, I have a shiny new laptop with WIFI in my OWN HOME! This means I should be able to blog more often, and now that the semester is nearly over, cook a bunch more, too!

Here are some upcoming events to stay tuned for:

1. My dept. picnic is this friday, and I should be cooking up several vegetarian treats for that;

2. I am off to Scotland for the month of June, hubby will be joining me at the end of the month, we will hang out in Scotland then journey off to Rome for a few days; and

3. I will be featured in a column on kitchen strategies/solutions in the August 2007 Cooking Light magazine. In August I will share the recipes they gave me to try, our thoughts about them, and hopefully be able to try some of the other recipes featured that month.

Those are the big highlights for now. Looking forward to posting more cooking adventures soon. For now, I need to get back to grading exams and papers. YIPPEE~

Not Quite Spring

2007-03-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks brought us some pretty spring-like weather. Gorgeous blue skies, temperatures in the 70s (F), gentle breezes. The daffodils have begun to bloom, as well as the lovely little ground-hugging purple flowers along the country roads I travel to and from school. Then, a nasty front came through (the same one that has wreaked havoc in the midwest and south of here), and brought us much colder temps (last night was in the low 20s). So, we cranked up the stove, put fresh flannel sheets on the bed, and cooked a big pot of chili!

This recipe for Cheesy White Chili with Cauliflower caught my eye on the CL bulletin board Feb. Inspired Vegetarian thread. For one, its vegetarian; for two, it is made in the crockpot; for three, not a can of tomatoes in sight (tomatoes in the crockpot always come out tasting overly stewed); and for four, it uses cauliflower -- and who can't use another recipe for that cruciferous cousin of broccoli?

Before I leave you to the recipe, let me tell you what I did differently, followed by some ideas John and I had for variations.

What I did different from the recipe:

I used about 4 cups of Great Northern Beans (I have a 10 lb. bag of dried beans in the pantry -- I have plenty of beans!, and 1 can did not seem like enough)
I used the entire cauliflower and put about 1/2 of it in during the initial crockpot cooking stages, to soften it up. There was no need to pre-cook the cauliflower -- after cooking in the hot chili liquid for 30 mins. it was perfect!
I used 3 cups home-made veggie broth + about 2 cups water (my broths are always strong, and this recipe really needed more liquid at the front end).
I used ground cumin (didn't have any seeds at the moment)
I omitted the oregano (didn't have any)
I used ground red pepper and ancho chile powder in place of the chili powder
I omitted the jalapeno pepper and used Tabasco Sauce
I used just under 1 cup Nacho Blend cheese (2%) (that is what I had, and really this recipe does not need all the cheese).
I did not use the optional green chiles or green onions.
I did use cilantro.

Future Variations

Next time I would omit all the cheeses (mont. jack and cream). Pureeing a portion of the mixture with my hand blender yielded a perfect texture. Who needs all the fat and cholesterol?
I might add some red kidney beans as well. It would bring some much needed color to this rather bland looking (but good tasting) soup/chili/stew.
We thought this could be outstanding, and company-worthy, if garnished with any of the following:

-- a cilantro aioli or pesto
-- sauteed greens (think kale, in a little vinegar)
-- chopped fresh tomatoes
-- homemade sourdough and pumpernickel croutons

This recipe made A TON! I am freezing some and of course I just finished a bowl for lunch today!

Cheesy White Chili with Cauliflower

125 Best Vegetarian Slow Cooker Recipes by Judith Finlayson
Serving Size : 16

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 onions -- finely chopped
4 cloves garlic -- minced
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
1 can (14-19 oz) white kidney beans, -- drained & rinsed
3 cups vegetable stock
3 cups cauliflower florets, cooked for 4 minutesin salted boiling water and drained
1 jalapeno pepper -- minced
1 green bell pepper -- diced
2 cups shredded Monterey jack
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1/2" cubes, softened -- optional
1 can 4.5 oz chopped mild green chiles -- optional
finely chopped green onions -- optional
finely chopped cilantro

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cumin seeds, oregano, chili powder, salt and peppercorns and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to slow cooker stoneware. Add beans and stock and stir to combine.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until hot and bubbling.

3. Stir in cauliflower, jalapeno pepper, green pepper, Monterey Jack cheese, and cream cheese and chiles, if using. Cover and cook on HIGH for 25 to 30 minutes, until green peppers are softened and cauliflower is heated through. Ladle into bowls and garnish as desired.

Sniffles, sneezes, and soups

2007-02-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

I have been battling a sinus infection as of late, so not much that could actually pass for cooking going on. I did just post the recipe for Baked Egg Rolls with Hot Mustard Sauce (from Veg. Times). I blogged about them in May 2006, and let me tell you they are so good. I wish I had the energy to make them tonight. I could go for some hot mustard!

I am going to try to get some cooking done this weekend. Not baking, but actual cooking. I want to try to limit my sweet intake so I don't cancel out all the time spent at the gym!

Baby, it's cold outside

2007-01-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

So, you may have noticed I have been absent from posting for a while, sans the post of yesterday. I have been super busy with work and life, mostly life. I have been taking a much needed and deserved break this weekend, hiding out in our cozy ranch with its newly installed Buck Stove in the fireplace cranking out the warmth. There is nothing like a sunny, windy, CRISP day to motivate me to get in the kitchen. And I find that cooking and baking helps to clear the cobwebs and cure the blues.

Today I am making Vegetarian Cashew Chili, a Cooking Light recipe, but one I can never find in the mag, so I resorted to looking it up in kickpleat's index. Out of all of the types of beans we keep around the house, kidney beans were not among them, so after a jaunt to the store, with side-trips to Sam's and Khols' for some much-needed retail therapy, I am in the kitchen cooking up a fresh pot of kidney beans to use in the chili.

As if the chili wasn't enough, I felt this overwhelming urge to bake sweet breads (real breads, nothing of the cheese head variety). I have been on a muffin/breakfast cookie kick the past few weeks, even going so far as to dream (!) of lemon muffins. Today I am making Chai Spiced Pumpkin Bread courtesy of 28 Cooks, via Everybody Likes Sandwiches, and will throw together a banana bread when we get back from a blustery stroll with the pooches.

Good Food Karma

2007-01-27T07:54:00.000-08:00

Last night I threw together a Veggie Pot Pie using stuff hanging around the fridge/freezer. I must say that it was so good (and surprisingly so considering the lack of any planning on my part) and I am looking forward to leftovers.

Here is what I did:

I roasted 5 diced carrots, 3 diced red potatoes, 1/2 diced onion (mixed w/ olive oil, salt, pepper, sage, thyme). I also roasted 5 cloves of garlic (all that were left on the head).

Once the veggies were done roasting, I added a bag of frozen soup vegetables (corn, carros, peas, potatoes, onions, green beans, okra, lima beans) to the dish, mixed in the roasted garlic, and put back in the oven to heat through.

Meanwhile, I defrosted a 16 oz. container of garden brown gravy (leftover from Christmas -- this is a great CL recipe), and simmered on the stove to reduce. I ended up mixing in 1/8 cup of flour to thicken it up.

I put the veggies in a 1.5-2 qt. casserole dish, poured the gravy over it, and covered with biscuits (3 Pilsbury frozen that I had defrosted and rolled out as big as I could get them; and 5 small refrigerated ones that I spread out and covered all exposed veggies).

I baked at 375 degrees for about 25-30 mins, until the biscuits were golden and the gravy bubbly.

The result was so tasty, I ate two servings. I probably will never be able to repeat this recipe, it was just good food karma! :D I give the credit to the gravy and roasted veggies and garlic.

Desserts-R-Us!

2006-11-28T11:55:00.000-08:00

The shop that employs my hubby had a pre-Thanksgiving lunch for employees and clients. The owner's daughter made many of the side dishes, the guys at the shop fried up three turkeys, and at least one of his co-workers' wives sent in a casserole or two. Apparently I have gotten a reputation for dessert making, and so a request was sent in for desserts. This is a case of flattery will get you everywhere! I already had many things on my plate (all puns intended) that week, but was more than happy to oblige!

Knowing that everyone would be sitting down to "traditional" Thanksgiving fare that week, I wanted to make desserts that were "traditional with twist." I borrowed heavily from Cooking Light recipes, but in the end, I "make them my own" (to quote the infamous Paula Abdul).

First up...Ooey-Gooey Apple Sheet Cake. I had never made this before, but a read-through of the recipe told me this was like an apple pie cake! I am not a huge fan of pie (however, I discovered over the holiday that I can make a mean pie crust!), but I am a lover of all things cake! After mixing the batter, and before assembly, I did a "taste-test" of the batter, and knew it was a winner. It wasn't terribly gooey, but oh so yummy! For a non-chocolate dessert, this one goes straight to the top of my LOVE pile!

Second, Oatmeal Pecan Pie. I have never made a pecan pie before, but it is the November 2006 Cooking Light cover recipe. Depsite that I did not love the picture on the cover, the recipe was simple and apparently very tasty. I added 1/2 cup Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate chips, which I think made this pie a repeater (and I have gotten requests for the recipe!).

Third, Pumpkin Cheesecake. This is a tried and true recipe, and was well-received. I should have cooked it a few minutes longer, but I don't think anyone else noticed! Instead of a crust made from vanilla wafers, I used ginger snaps and added a tad more butter to make up for their "hardness." I will use ginger snaps as the crust every time.

Last, but not least, Old-fashioned Cider Ginger Bundt Cake. Oh, how I love a good bundt cake. It takes me back to my German roots and a deep love of all things bundt! I had not made this particular recipe before, but was very pleased with the results. I used my fancy-shmancy Nordicware Cathedral bundt pan for dramatic results!

Here is a picture of the wee bit of leftovers, as I forgot to take photos before they were devoured!

From left (clockwise): Old-fashioned Cider Ginger Bundt Cake; a slice of Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Pecan Pie on its side; a slice of Pumpkin Cheesecake, also on its side; thre cubes of Ooey-Gooey Apple Sheet Cake.

I have heard through the grapevine that there have been several requests for pies for the holidays. YEA!

Scottish nibbles

2006-11-03T11:49:00.000-08:00

I am teaching a study abroad class in summer '07 in Scotland. I had an informational meeting yesterday for interested students, and I called it "Tea and Tartans." So, being the food lover that I am, I made different Scottish-inspired nibbles for the students and offered a selection of teas (not all Scottish, but all good!). The cookies are Martha recipes (Citrus and Cornmeal Shortbread and Dried Cranberry Shortbread Hearts) the Pumkin Bread is a recent Cooking Light recipe -- but I omitted the raisins and walnuts and replaced them with chopped dried apricots, apples, and prunes. SO YUMMY! I also had an assortment of english tea crackers, a (purchased -- horrrors!) cheese ball, apples, and peanuts.

Here is a picture of the leftover baked goodies. My hubby took some to work and said the Pumpkin Bread went really fast. I love praise!

Round-Up

2006-10-30T07:43:00.000-08:00

I have been remiss of posting of late. I have been way too busy to take even 5 minutes to put together something for the blog, and for that I apologize! I have been doing some cooking, although my dear hubby as been really bringing it on. Unfortunately, many of his dishes include meat, so I don't include them here (even though he has asked! sorry honey!)

First up -- a tomato galette -- galette dough from Julia Child
I used red tomatoes from our garden and the yellow/orange ones are from the market. I LOVE this recipe, but the amount of butter included means I won't make it too often.

Second up -- for our anniversary I made a bunch of Indian food, however I was not wowed over with my attempt. I have made better in the past, and I am not sure what went wrong this time. The best part was that that week we had indian cheese in our dairy delivery, so I fried it up. That was pretty fun to see it actually hold shape and look like it is supposed to. Of course the spinach sauce it went into left a little something to be desired. We should have just gone to the local indian rest. and ate there. oh well!

Use'em or lose'em

2006-10-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

Now that the weather is decidely fallish, the nights are cooler, the sun is not quite so warm, we have decided that our tomatoes are not going to get any less green, as can be seen here. So, we try to come up with creative ways to eat them. Don't get me wrong, I love fried green tomatoes, but some times they are a pain to make. So I dug out this recipe that I made two years ago for the first time, and I really love it. I am sorry to say I have no pictures of it b/c, well, it is all gone. But it was lovely and even lovelier tasting!

Green Tomato Chocolate Cake

As unlikely as it might seem, among thrifty gardeners there is a tradition of using up excess vegetables in cake. They don't necessarily lend taste, but they do make it more moist. This recipe comes from "The Tomato Festival Cookbook," by Lawrence Davis-Hollander. Serves 12.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cup sugar
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted unbleached flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup beer
1 cup puréed green tomatoes
1/4- 1/2 cup water (optional) (you need this if the puree is very thick and dry. I had to add ¼ cup)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan (I used two 8-in. round pans).
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Stir in chocolate, then, one at a time, the eggs. Add vanilla.
In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with beer and tomatoes.
If batter appears stiff, add water (moisture content of tomatoes varies).
Turn batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 35 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Ice with frosting or serve plain.

The first time I made the cake, I made a frosting of powdered sugar, unsweetened cocoa, vanilla extract, and half-n-half. I spread it over the top and let it drip down over the sides. It looked really good this way.

This time I made the frosting recipe from the back of the Hershey's cocoa powder can, and used 6 Tbsp. butter and 2 Tbsp. all natural peanut butter. Can you say, YUM?!???!?!

My Favorite Fall-themed appetizers, Part I

2006-10-01T09:22:00.000-07:00

Now that Fall is upon us, and I LOVE appetizers, I thought I would post my favorite tried and true FALL-THEMED appetizers. This is also a way for me to keep posting even though I don't have a lot of time to cook right now!

Up first,

Pumpkin Cheese Ball (from Southern Living, photo credit: Southern Living.com)

Here's a great cheese ball recipe I got from Southern Living. This cheese ball is so cute - it looks just like a pumpkin and the broccoli stalk looks just like a pumpkin stem! I used all light cheeses and cut the recipe in half to make a small pumpkin. DH and I both thought this was delicious. A definite repeater.

Pumpkin Cheese Ball INGREDIENTS

2 (8-ounce) blocks extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8-ounce) container chive-and-onion cream cheese
2 teaspoons paprika (I usually use a beer cheese spice mix that I have. You might want to added a touch of seasoned salt to the paprika and ground red pepper. You can really play around with the spices, after all it is CHEESE and very forgiving!)
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 broccoli stalk Red and green apple wedges

INSTRUCTIONS Combine Cheddar cheese and next 4 ingredients in a bowl until blended.
Cover and chill 4 hours or until mixture is firm enough to be shaped.
Shape mixture into a ball to resemble a pumpkin. (I usually wrap it in plastic wrap for this step. Otherwise you end up with lots of cheese goo on your hands!)
Smooth entire outer surface with a frosting spatula or table knife.
Make vertical grooves in ball, if desired, using fingertips.
Cut florets from broccoli stalk, and reserve for another use.
Cut stalk to resemble a pumpkin stem, and press into top of cheese ball.
Serve cheese ball with apple wedges.

Note: To make ahead, wrap cheese ball in plastic wrap without stalk, and store in refrigerator up to 2 days. Attach stalk before serving.

YIELD: Makes 16 appetizer servings
PREPARATION TIME: 30 min. COOKING TIME: Chill: 4 hrs.

Did you miss me?

2006-09-27T17:11:00.000-07:00

My most hearfelt apologies for my prolonged absence. This semester has gotten off to a HECTIC start! If we had a decent internet connection at home chances are I would have been posting so much more. We are in the middle of some fall crziness (conference presentations, weddings, family visits, job changes, and general mayhem!), so I am going to postsome photos from our anniverasry backpacking trip from 2004. We hiked in the Smoky Mountains, including a bit on the Appalachian Trail. Fun stuff!

Mmmm...camp cuisine!

Yummy Magical Mystery Dessert Place

2006-08-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

My hubby often (sometimes a little too often for my waistline) brings me sweet treats from some establishment near his work. He won't give me any identifying details...I don't even know if it is a bakery or a gas station! So I call it the yummy magical mystery dessert place! I do know that whenever I see a small white box hanging around in the kitchen, I know I am in for a yummy treat. Sometimes my sweet-tooth overtakes my willpower, and my dessert becomes my dinner. SIGH! I have never had any dessert from there that I haven't like, although there are some that I like the best!

This week he brought me a chocolate mini-bundt cake with a fudge icing/glaze. Now, I had a bite, and thought it was fine as it, but then the lightbulb in my head went off, and I said "Wow! Wouldn't this be great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream?" So, out came the ice cream maker and the milk and sugar. I whipped up a quicky (but tasty) vanilla ice cream (well, it was more like ice milk b/c we didn't have any cream). I warmed the cake up in the microwave ( 1 min. on 20% power), plopped a scoop of ice cream on top, and then the vanilla ice cream looked a little lonely, so I covered it in Guittard Milk Chocolate Sauce. Yep, sinful!

Here is a pretty picture of a custard tart topped with fresh fruit that was really tasty.

It's gettin' hot in here,

2006-08-10T09:50:00.000-07:00

so I thought I would turn on the oven and roast some veggies!

I made veggie stuffed roasted poblanos for dinner during the week. While there were a couple of steps, the cooking was mostly hands-off, so it was fairly easy, and the results yummy!

Roasted Veggie Poblanos

recipe by ME!

Ingredients:

2-3 green poblanos

3 small yellow squash (or zucchini) (cut in half lengthwise, or coarsely chopped)

3-4 fingerling potatoes (coarsely chopped)

1/2 - 3/4 cup pinto beans (already cooked)

1 cup fresh corn kernels

up to 1 cup onions (diced)

1-2 cups cooked brown rice

2 Tbsp. low fat cream cheese (at room temp)

fajita seasoning

cheese (this can be shredded cheddar, queso quesadilla, whatever you have on hand)

To do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a roasting pan with Al foil. Coat a second roasting pan with either non-stick spray or mist with oil (either canola or olive).

2. Put whole poblanos in foil lined pan. Roast for about 20-30 mins., turning halfway during cooking. Cool long enough to handle without burning yourself!

3. Place potatoes, squash, corn, and onions in other pan. Lightly drizzle with oil (you just need a light coating, don't drown them!), and sprinkle with fajita seasoning. Stir well to coat. Roast for about 20-30 mins., turning halfway during cooking.

4. While veggies are roasting, mix rice and cream cheese in a med. bowl.

5. Add the roasted squash veggie mixture to the rice and cream cheese mixture.

6. When the poblanos have cooled enough to handle, gently peel the roasted skin off (go ahead and discard this, compost is acceptable if oil has not been involved in the roasting). Gently slice the poblanos in half, and remove seeds -- discard.

7. Put 1/2 cup (or more if it fits) of the veggie/rice/cream cheese mixture in each pepper. Wrap sides of pepper over mixture, sprinkle with cheese of choice.

8. Put back in oven and roast for about 10-15 mins.

Channeling my Inner Julia

2006-08-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

My friend, KIG, gave me Baking with Julia a few years back as a gift. I have to admit, that when I first received it I wasn't sure I would ever use it. Julia Child....WOW! I have no where near her skills, and was just intimidated. So, here I am years later, thumbing through the book...I LOVE THIS BOOK! The picture are gorgeous and inspiring. I lay in bed at night and read it like a bedtime story.

Last weekend I decided that I would no longer fear such beauty, and such directions! I decided to make the vegetable galette for dinner, followed by a berry gallette for dessert. The Gallette dough recipe is enough for two gallettes, and this is the dinner menu that Julia Child suggests.

The savory gallette was made with tender baby crookneck squash, sweet Vidalia onions, a scattering of mozzarella, and topped with roughly chopped backyard-fresh tomatoes. The result....OUTSTANDING! My hubby kept singing the praises of the crust. The ONLY drawback was having to heat the oven up to make it.

The dessert gallette was a little trickier. I rolled the dough out too thin, so it was harder to work with, and I didn't put enough sugar on the berries -- raspberries leftover from my berry picking trip, and blackberries fresh my the farm of a friend's grandfather (the same friend that told me about the peaches). Here it is:

Miscellanea

2006-07-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Thought I would post some pics. of recent food stuffs going on in our household (and I need to clean off the card on my camera!).

Shitake Mushrooms grown by a colleague of mine.

We ate these in a tofu stir-fry. Note to self -- cut off and discard stems before cooking/eating. They were surprisingly tough!

All the Veggies Pasta SaladA concoction to use up some fresh veggies sitting in the crisper. Light, tasty, and filling.

Cherry Clafouti

Surprisingly easy. Yummy!

Cherry Clafouti

Created by Gale G andFrom Great Food in the July 2006 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine

Serves 12

Pop this bubbly, custardy cherry clafouti into the oven midmeal and 30 minutes later, take your bows.

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing

2 cups fresh (or frozen, unthawed) cherries, pitted

1/3 cup granulated sugar

4 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°.

Grease a 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate. Fill with cherries.

In a blender, combine sugar, eggs, milk, flour, salt and butter until smooth.

Pour batter over cherries in prepared pie plate. Bake until puffed and golden, about 30 minutes.

Dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve hot.

Produce Pictures

2006-07-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Here is the total haul fro mTuesday's market foray.

Red-speckled butter beans

Gilliliand's peaches

2006-07-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

Murfvegas has a farmer's market, and I finally found it! It has been elusive lo these past months...only because I was looking on the WRONG SIDE of Main St.! Geez! Well, I went last week for the first time, spent $6, and came home with enough veggies to feed us for the week. As a matter of fact I have been eating up what is left just so I could clear out the fridge for Tuesday's trip....which is detailed below....

I went to the market again today (Tuesday)...I only spent $5.50 and got so much food! There were a few more vendors today than last week, and some were already sold out and packing it up at 8:00 AM. I missed out on the cantaloupe...too bad, that was one of my favorites from last week.
However, I did get 4 ears of peaches-n-cream corn (see the picture), a bunch of tender baby crookneck squash, 1 lb. of blue-runner beans, 1/2 lb. of some sort of red and white speckled beans (apparently they are sweeter and creamier than lima, taste a bit like pinto? I don't know, I haven't had them yet), some blue potatoes (can't remember the offical name of these guys), and one organic cucumber. I stood and chatted with the only organic farmer there...super nice fellow, very knowledgable, and passionate, about eating only organics. He told me the story of his wife having kidney problems after working in their printing shop for 30 yrs. around a bunch of chemicals. Now that she eats all organic (on the recommendation of her doctor) and drinks only distilled water, she feels so much better. He has been selling at this market for about 4-5 years, and said he was "near run off" when he first started selling there. Now, this guy is about as local as they come (so it is not like he is an outsider, like me!), but apparently some of the other farming women were very nasty to him because he told them all the chemicals and pesticides they were using on their crops were bad. And since he doesn't use them, and he buys all organic seeds, etc., he charges more (like $3/lb for beautiful fingerling potatoes -- like 8 varieties!). They apparently also made a stink about how pricey his stuff was, and they could get the same thing or grow it, for less. Obviously, what they are buying elsewhere or growing themselves, was/is not the same thing. I am so glad he decided to ignore the ol' biddies and keep on with what he believes in. I am stopping there first next week to get me some of those potatoes!

Second cool treat today...Gilliland's Peaches (not really sure if I have spelled their name right...sorry folks if it is wrong). I found out about this "pit stop" (hee hee, sorry about the bad pun!) last Tuesday from one of my friends (that met me at the market to make sure I could find it!). Apparently, these people sell their peaches a block off the town square, out of the back of their truck every Tuesday morning. They start at 8 AM, and are sold out by 11 AM. My friend, AS, had to get on to a meeting, but urged me to go and try out these fantastic peaches (her obsession with them is similar to that of the Mackinaw on Seinfeld -- if you know what she is talking about!). She also warned me there could be a line, but that it would be well worth it. So, I found the place, (church parking lot across the street from Jr's grocery), and sure enough there was line, but only about a dozen deep. It was funny because it was obvious that everyone there was a veteran (at standing in line for peaches, not of any wars, although some of them were old enough to be), and knew what to do. I kinda' felt like I was getting in line for the Soup Nazi, but these people are not militant and are super nice! Seriously, you stand in the line, facing forward. When it is your turn to pay, you tell the old-timer (I mean this with the utmost respect) sitting in the lawn chair how many boxes you want, and give him your cash. You then have to wait until he tells you to move forward to the tailgate of the truck, where the Peach Mistress is working the peach boxes. While waiting my turn to pay, I chatted with the folks in line behind me and was told that these peaches were so good, that (1) I should stand in a bathtub to eat them ['cause they are so juicy], and (2) don't make anything with them -- that would be a waste, just eat them as they are. Well, with recommendations like that, how could you not want these?
(I was also told that the line often stretches around the building, and people have passed out in the heat from waiting in line for these peaches.)

So, I bought a flat ($8 for about 25 good-sized peaches), which the Peach Mistress hand sorts and chooses to make sure you get the finest of the peaches. She sets aside any half-rotten ones (which can be bought for $4 a box), and gives you extra if some of them are small, all with a smile on her face! Of course, I had to lug all my produce to my office so it didn't melt in the hot car. The peaches totally fragranced my office -- a good thing, I assure you. I took some down to the dept. secretary, and when I walked in she said "Are those Gilliland peaches? Man, I just love those peaches. Haven't had a chance to get over there this year."
YES, the peaches really are THAT GOOD! I have been eating them two at a time, because one is so not enough. Once, I even cut some up and put them over vanilla frozen yogurt w/ a sprinkle of cinnamon...ahhh, summer.

Anyhow...on to more recent adventures....

I stood in line again for peaches, but this time I knew what to do. I split a tray w/ my neighbor b/c I still have 8 leftover from last week's box. Add that to our plenteous bounty (is that redundant?) of tomatoes and we are set! I just picked a baker's dozen tonight...and there are PLENTY of green and half-turned ones yet. I just love mid to late summer!

Well enough of that for now. I will be posting a picture of my veggies and peaches when I get to a faster internet connection -- dial-up can't handle pictures all that well! If you have made it this far, thanks so much for reading and letting me share my farmer's market story! There aren't too many people that understand my joy at having fresh, well-priced veggies for the next few months!

Okay -- just popping in to add that something funky is going on with blogger b/c I am not able to post my pictures. I get them uploaded, and then it says "can not find server." Okay, vent over!

Carrots, and chocolate, and buttercream...oh my!

2006-07-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

It must be a birthday! Happy birthday to my honey! His favorite cake is carrot cake (sorry honey, as you know this is not even in my top 10 of cakes), and I had never made one until we started dating in 2000. So for this year's bday I resurrected the same recipe I used that year (a Cooking Light recipe), made a few minor substitutions, added chocolate chips, and topped it all off with a low(ish)-fat buttercream icing (no cream cheese in the house, and in no mood to run to the store). All in all, the layers came out very nice, and the cake was not bad. I liked it best on the first and second day. It dried out (even w/ layers of plastic wrap and toothpicks) and became rubbery at the same time as days passed. Well, that is what happens with low-fat cakes sometimes.

Here is a picture of the dinner we had: falafel burgers, cucumber raita, chopped fresh tomatoes, feta, and mediterranean couscous.

Girls' Weekend -- Part II

2006-07-11T07:29:00.000-07:00

First, let me offer my sincerest apologies for the delay in this second installment. First blogger was inaccessible (to me anyway), then I took some extended and much needed time away from the computer, and third -- I haven't been inspired to write at all. I haven't had writer's block since 1997...I really didn't know what to do. However, I have been reading like mad, in some vain hope for inspiration.

Okay, now let's get on to to the good stuff. I forgot to mention that K. and I went to a wine tasting on Friday night before dinner. It was free, not crowded, and I liked the majority of the wines. What's not cool about that?

Saturday -- late morning, early afternoon -- BERRY PICKING! K., Natalie, and I went to Reed Valley Orchard, in Bourbon County, for their Blueberry Jubilee and Pancake Day! We were a bit later getting out there than we would have liked, so we missed out on the pancakes (darn!), and there weren't as many ripe berries on the bushes as we would have liked, but we did manage to make a nice haul, and K and I took some time to pick red raspberries (N. abstained since she has her own thicket of these in her backyard, and plugged along on the bluesies!). K is on the right modeling a very nice ripe red raspberry. YUM! N. is below right with her flat of berries -- which she so graciously shared with me! Is that not the best berry picking outfit or what?

Here is my haul, before N. loaded me up with fruits of her labor! (You can seem that I had my sights set very high, with all those empty bins.) I ate a bunch fresh, but have since frozen them, to be used in yummy non-smoothie recipes. I have so far made Berry Tofu "Ice Cream" (from The Big Book of Vegetarian) with 2 cups of the bluesies. I think I will use some more in a lemon blueberry poundcake. The raspberries? These will be made into a raspberry sauce to go over Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (and some bluesies may make a cameo in those as well!).

Saturday Evening -- "Girls' Night In" Cocktail Party! Hosted by K, at her lovely nearly refurbished historic house.

Menu (solids) : hummus and dippers; lemony veggie dip (K's own creation -- very yummy!); olive nut and crackers; Italian cheese torte and baguette; dolmas (stuffed grape leaves); pita chips and tomato salsa (like a deconstructed bruschetta); and Chocolate Guinness Cake.

Notice the Guinness Chocolate Cake -- all gussied up!

Menu (liquids): various red wines (all that I sampled were delish); martinis -- lemon, passionfruit (my personal fave); regular (am I missing anything K?).

The food was fantastic, the beverages were fantastic, and the company and conversation was even more so. I can't say whenI have spent a more enjoyable evening with a group of smart, confident, in-the-know, fun women.

Thanks K for a great weekend! I hope we can repeat it again in the fall!

Girls' Weekend -- Part I

2006-06-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

I spent this past weekend visiting friends in Lexington, Kentucky. The entire trip was instigated by my good friend, Kristin. She wanted to have a "Girls' Night In" cocktail party since her hubby was out-of-town. The entire weekend turned out to be fantastic and revolve around food (what else, of course?!?). I have decided to split this into two posts because of length and pictures -- and I want to stretch the fun a wee bit longer! So, please indulge me!

Friday -- left home super early (7 am CST!) to arrive in Lex. to pick up two former co-workers (donna and nancy -- who was celebrating her b-day) to go to the girliest restaurant in town (and not be late for our reservations -- which is a no-no, and might get you blacklisted, seriously!). Flag Fork Farm's Garden Cafe (sorry, the don't have a website -- which is soooo 1990!), a few miles from downtown Lexington is one of my favorite lunch-time destinations. All of the menu items are made on the premises, fresh, and full of flavor. The two-story brick building (which has been described as a cottage) is part cafe, part store, part flower and herb garden. They sell everything from antique linens and children's clothing to furniture, locally made jewelry, mass-produced tapestry and scarves, unique purses, dip mixes (their own line), to local art (can be found upstairs). I always purchase something when I am there, whether it be notecards, earrings, scarves, or plants! Out back they have a 1/4 acre flower and herb garden. This past weekend they were selling all plants at 40% off. I didn't get any b/c we are quickly running out of room for anything in our yard until we construct additional beds.

My favorite part of Flag Fork (as we all have always called it -- for a time we had the reservation phone number posted on the wall above the phone, yes we went there often!) is the food. The menu is printed on both sides of a pink laminated card that is probably 4" x 11". There are also daily specials, which I will get to ina minute. Items on the front side range from appetizers (beer cheese & crackers, bourbon blue cheese & crackers) to pasta salads to sandwiches. The sandwich selections are always the same: pimiento cheese, beer cheese, olive nut, turkey, ham, tuna, chicken salad, or PB&J. Each sandwich comes with a choice of two sides (potato salad, fresh fruit, fresh veggies and dillicious dip, jello and fruit, pumpkin bread, pasta salad). All of these sandwiches are simple, yet excellent and tasty. As for specials -- one can choose from the soup of the day (on Friday these were: Burgoo, Fresh Tomato and Basil, or Carrot Leek with Ginger Cream); quiche of the day (Friday -- only one choice -- spinach and feta); pasta salad of the day (on Friday these were: fettucine with crab meat and a bunch of other stuff; and one vegetarian with olives and other stuff -- I can't remember!). There are also desserts of the day, tea of the day, and coffee of the day. The tea of the day was Ginger Peach (donna got this and said it was really good).

The dessert list includes: Lemon Geranium Pound Cake (I really need to get this recipe), Bourbon Chocolate Cake, Bourbon Bread Pudding, Key Lime Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce, Carrot and Chocolate Chip Cake; and a few others I am forgetting.

Anyway -- I had a 1/2 pimiento cheese sandywich w/ a cup of the Carrot Leek w/ Ginger Cream Soup (SO EXCELLENT!), and fresh veggies. I had the Bourbon Chocolate Cake (served warm) and regular iced tea. The food was outstanding and worth the drive!

Friday night -- Kristin and I went to the Good Foods Co-op for dinner and shopping. They have a fabulous hot bar and cold/salad bar, plus desserts and a variety of drinks not found in most places. We both had these really yummy black bean cakes with some sort of aioli that we are going to try to reproduce. (I'll let you know if we are successful!). We then spent the rest of our time shopping. I indulged in fresh ground peanut butter and almond butter; bulk whole wheat cous cous; and an assortment of bulk spices (I so wish we had a place in M'boro that sold bulk spices....).

We then headed home to begin food preparations for the Saturday night cocktail party. Kristin worked on appetizers (olive nut, hummus, lemon dip), and I set about making the Guinness Chocolate Cake . What can I say -- I LOVE this cake!

After the cooking was done we stayed up chatting and watching a chick flick (13 Going on 30 ...cute and light).

Saturday A.M. -- First stop -- the Lexington Farmer's Market. I purchased a Lavendar Sachet and Ground Ginger from Herb N' Renewal , and a bottle gourd to turn into a birdhouse (sorry -- I can't remember the name of the farm that grows these). Kristin loaded up on veggies and more veggies. Here is a picture of some of the items for sale:

Check back tomorrow for Girls' Weekend-- Part II: Berry Picking and The Cocktail Party!

I made RICOTTA!

2006-06-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

and it is damn good! We get more milk than we can drink with our weekly CSA delivery. Our friendly farmer Jordan sent me a recipe for ricotta that is super easy, so I used the milks (cow and goat) from last week and this week to make about 2 cups of ricotta.

Homemade Ricotta (from the kitchens at Short Mountain Farm)

1 gallon milk (16 cups) [I only had 14 cups]
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt [this is my addition to the recipe]
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Heat milk to 195 degrees (I did this on low to medium-low heat, so it took a while. I also kept a constant watch on the thermometere -- didn't want it to boil and get all weird!).
Slowly stir in vinegar, which will separate the curds from the whey. Don't stir too much or the curds break up and it becomes a real challenge to scoop them out of the pan.
If needed, you can heat the mixture to 205 degrees, but I didn't.
Ladle curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander (over a bowl), and let drain. I then tied up the cheesecloth w/ a rubber band and hung it from a long-handled spatula across my sink for about 15 mins.
Mix the drained curds with the melted butter, salt, and baking soda (I did this in a metal bowl with a fork -- works really well).
Let cool before refrigerating. Use with in 3 days.

Macaroni-and-Ricotta Cheese (from Tanya's kitchen)

I made this recipe up to use what we had on hand for a quick and tasty dinner.

1/2 pound macaroni (I used short tube-shaped pasta)
1 cup homemade ricotta (I used all the ricotta I made, which was a bit too much!)
2 cups broccoli (or spinach, or asaparagus would be good, too)
1 tbsp. EVOO
salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup parmasean or romano cheese, freshly grated
1 cup chopped tomatoes (I didn't have any, but this would be so good with tomats!)
fresh basil, sliced, to taste
minced fresh garlic (one clove per serving)
red pepper flakes, optional

Cook pasta according to directions, adding broccoli last 2 mins. of cooking time. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid.
Mix ricotta, EVOO, S & P, 1/2 cup par. cheese, and 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid.
Add hot pasta and broccoli. Stir until combined. Add more liquid if sauce is too thick.
Serve topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, and additional parm cheese, if desired.

Refrigerator Calzone

2006-06-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

We had a bunch of veggies and fresh ricotta to be eaten or abandoned, so I chose to make them into a yummy calzone (as we had pizza dough sitting in the freezer). I have never made a real and true calzone before, and was a little nervous about getting it on the pizza stone all filled up with goodies. Well, it slid off the peel like a champ, and all my sweating and worries were for naught. So here are some pictures of it in the oven, and thne cut in half. Contents included: fresh cow milk ricotta (from our CSA), spinach, roasted garlic, barely-carmelized Vidalia onions (I couldn't wait long enough for them to be fully carmelized!), squash, green pepper, mozzarella, fresh basil, S & P.

Of course, you cannot have calzone without some sort of marinara. I used one 28 oz. can of peeled whole roma tomatoes, and then added a bunch of the veggies that wouldn't fit in the calzone. All in all a very veggie-friendly dinner, and hubby even had leftovers for lunch. YUM!

Guinness is Good For YOU!

2006-06-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

[If loving a cake is bad, then I don’t want to be good!]

Last Friday night was a Bon Voyage party for one of my students (Jessica, pictured here). She was about to embark on 30-day trip to Scotland, where she will be participating in the excavations of a really cool archaeological site! I leaped at the chance to make her a cake for her party. I have been dying to make this Guinness Chocolate Cake (recipe by Nigella Lawson), so I thought what a perfect crowd to serve it to! (Yes, I do know that Guinness is Irish and she is going to Scotland, but who cares?!?!?!?!)

All I can say is this cake is absolutely fantastic! Jessica’s husband, Daniel, gave the cake two thumbs up, and proclaimed that “The cake and the hummus [another treat I brought a long] were wicked!” THANKS! The cake is wicked. I am in love with this chocolate cake like no other, perfect density and crumb, and the icing sets off the cake PERFECTLY! Okay, without further ado, here is the recipe (with my comments in parenths.)

Chocolate Guinness Cake -- Nigella Lawson’s
This cake is magnificent in its damp blackness. I can't say that you can absolutely taste the stout in it but there is certainly a resonant, ferrous tang which I happen to love. The best way of describing it is to say that it’s like gingerbread without the spices. There is enough sugar - a certain understatement here- to counter any potential bitterness of the Guinness, and although I've eaten versions of this made up like a chocolate layer cake, stuffed and slathered in a rich chocolate frosting, I think that can take away from its dark majesty. Besides, I wanted to make a cream cheese frosting to echo the pale head that sits on the top of a glass of stout. It's unconventional to add cream but it makes it lighter and frothier which I regard as aesthetically and gastronomically desirable. But it is perfectly acceptable to leave the cake un-iced; in fact, it tastes gorgeous plain.

For the cake:
1 cup Guinness
1 stick plus 2 two tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups superfine sugar (I used 1 cup regular sugar and 1 cup brown –that’s all I had!)
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 tsp. baking soda

For the topping:

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream (whoops! Forgot to buy this so I subbed maybe ¼ cup full-fat goat’s milk)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter and line a 9-inch springform pan. Pour the Guinness into a large wide saucepan, add the butter - in spoons or slices - and heat until the butter is melted, at which time you should whisk in the cocoa and sugar.

Beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery pan and finally whisk in the flour and baking soda.

Pour the cake batter into the greased and lined pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Leave to cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack, as it is quite a damp cake.

When the cake's cold, sit it on a flat platter or cake stand and get on with the frosting. Lightly whip the cream cheese until smooth, sift over the confectioner's sugar and then beat them both together. Or do this in a processor, putting the unsifted confectioner's sugar in first and blitz to remove lumps before adding the cheese. Add the cream and beat again until it makes a spreadable consistency. Ice the top of the black cake so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint. Makes about 12 slices. (I would say that this cake served a lot more than 12 folks. It is so dense the pieces don’t need to be huge!)

D is for dough

2006-06-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

Here is my very pretty dough all ready to be shaped into 2 yummy pizzas. I made pizza for the Friday night of Memorial Day Weekend. We had a house full of folks, and the food was yummy! Three of the pizzas were destined to be topped with goat milk ricotta (SO GOOD!), and one had tomato sauce and asparagus. All my favorites. I promise to post some non-pizza stuff soon....

Smooth on over

2006-05-23T10:32:00.000-07:00

I love smoothies for breakfast when the weather turns warm. They are the perfect breakfast for an on-the-go morning. It is basically a "one-pot" meal that you can put in a to-go cup and drink while driving to work, or at work while prepping for class. I love that there are endless variations on the smoothie, almost all being extremely yummy and customizable, and healthy to boot....let me introduce you to today's smoothie yumminess!

Liquid Sunshine (aka, Pineapple-Mango-Orange Smoothie)

1/2 can Dole crushed pineapple in juice
1 mango
6 oz. plain yogurt
1/2 cup (or more to taste and thickness-consistency) Mango-Orange Jucie (I used Santa Cruz's organic)
blender
fun plastic tumbler
bendy straw

I need to confess that, knowing I would be making a smoothie in the morning, I prepped the mango and pineapple last night. Basically I cut and smooshed off all of the edible mango that I could from the seed [those darn seeds are such a pain, how many of us have found ourselves sucking the mango juice off the seed? Um, yeah, me neither ;)] I then put the mango and 1/2 can of pineapple in a tupperware container and stuck it in the freezer overnight. When I got up this morning I took it out of the freezer so it could thaw to slushy consistency (the microwave will also achieve this w/o any forethought).

In the blender I put the slushy fruit, the yogurt, and the juice. Blend on "liquify" (or equivalent) until desired thick/smoothness. I sometimes find that I have to turn the blender off and swirl things around with a spoon or spatula to help the process along. This comes with having a cheap, but mostly effective, blender.

Pour into fun plastic tumbler (in this case I made two smaller smoothies; one got covered with a sanwich baggie and put in the freezer for tomorrow).
Insert bendy straw.
Enjoy.

**I often add wheat germ to the mix, but forgot this morning.

2006-05-18T12:15:00.000-07:00

We recieved our CSA delivery yesterday, and with it approx. 12 oz or so of fresh goat's milk ricotta cheese. Mmmm....I wanted to prepare it in a very minimal way, so we had it on a pizza (I seem to be on a weekly pizza kick lately). I had a dough in the freezer (recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone), which my hubby defrosted while I was at the gym taking my first-ever water aerobics class with my friend Noel(What fun, and not just for the AARP crowd!).
The dough was not quite squishy enough, so we took the doggies on a stroll. We came home, rolled it out, and did the prebake thing (~ 7 mins. at 425 degrees on the stone).

I then brushed the hot crust with a bit of olive oil and seasonings (dried basil, oregano, etc.). Smooshed on (I don't really know how to describe this) small bunches of ricotta until the dough was pretty much covered. I then added freshly sliced basil and sliced grape tomatoes (and sliced/chopped green onion on DH's half -- ick). This was all topped with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes and a lightish dusting of shredded mozzarella. Baked for 14 minutes on 425 so the cheese would just start to brown.

The Details...

The verdict -- creamy, rich, decadent, heavenly. I could only ingest two pieces (and they were not huge NY slices by any stretch of the imagination), but DH managed to put down three. I mentally wanted more, but the belly said no!

I love that homemade pizza lends itself to endless variations!

I'm on an eggroll.....

2006-05-15T11:23:00.000-07:00

YES! I made eggrolls, successfully for the first time. I have been having an overwhelming hankering for Thai food, intensified by the very icky food a friend and I had at a place that calls itself a Thai Diner (this is in Franklin, TN). Ummm, I may not be a Thai connoisseur, but I do know that Pad Thai is not supposed to be bologna pink and stinking like old fish!

So, Saturday after working on the house (although I am not sure exactly what I accomplished!), I made a run for the local Kroger to pick up much needed supplies. I used a recipe for mini-eggrolls with spicy mustard sauce from the January 2006 Vegetarian Times. In this recipe the filling is sauteed ahead of time, and the assembled eggrolls are put on a hot cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. The rolls themselves are also sprayed and put in the oven at 425 degrees for 10 mins, flip and bake another 10 mins (I think mine only needed about 5-7 mins on each side). They come out just as crunchy as if they had been fried, but w/o the guilt. YUM-O!

We also had Tofu Paht Thai, a recipe given to me by my colleague that she found on the Splendid Table website. Very quick and yummy. It will be the house Paht Thai recipe from now on!

Baked Mini Egg Rolls & Hot Mustard Sauce (Vegetarian Times)

1 T. soy sauce
1 t. rice vinegar
1 t. cornstarch, plus some extra for dusting baking sheets
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1 cup frozen, shelled edamame, thawed
2 T. finely chopped roasted peanuts
1/2 t. dark sesame oil
26 won ton skins
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Whisk soy sauce, vinegar, and 1 t. cornstarch in bowl to blend; set aside.
Warm large nonstick skillet over med-high heat; coat with cooking spray.
Add cabbage and carrots; cook, stirring, until cabbage is softened, 3-4 minutes.
Add ingredients down to dark sesame oil, stirring just until heated, about 1 minute.
Add cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring until thickened, about 1-2 minutes.
Transfer to plate; cover, adn chill about 20 minutes to cool.
Place several won ton skins on work surface, with a corner of each facing you (in diamond shape).
Brush top corner of each with egg.
Put 1 T. filling in center of each; fold bottom corner, then both side corners over filling, and roll up.
Place egg rolls on baking sheet dusted with cornstarch and cover loosely with plastic as you go.
Preheat oven to 425 F.
Put second baking sheet in oven for 2 minutes.
Remove, coat with cooking spray then quickly put egg rolls on it.
Spray rolls and return to hot oven.Bake 10 minutes, flip rolls and bake 10 minutes more, or until golden brown.
Serve with mustard sauce (below).

Hot Mustard Sauce

2 T. powdered yellow mustard
1 T. water
1 t. honey or rice syrup
1 t. rice vinegar

Whisk all ingredients in bowl to blend. Transfer to dipping bowls.

Couscous is yumyum

2006-05-09T10:39:00.000-07:00

My sister and nephew came for a visit last week, and we had planned to do lots of cooking (note -- planned!). The first evening we made a medley of "grilled" dishes ("grilled" as in on the George Foreman -- my favorite-at-this-moment kitchen gadget! Can't believe I am such a late-comer to the GF grill bandwagon!), including:
Grilled Vegetable Salad (Vegetarian Times May 2006)

I don't have the recipe with me right now to add here, but I can, so if you would like it, please leave me a comment. Basically it is spinach tossed with grilled asparagus, portabello caps (sliced), and red onion that have been marinated in a balsamic/EVOO vinagrette. The leftover marinade is warmed in a pan on the stove, then tossed into the salad right before servine. Good flavors, healthy, and quite easy, thanks to George Foreman!

Next up: Saffron Couscous (Cooking Light May 2006)

The actual recipe is for zucchini ribbons on the couscous, but we had no zucchini, so just the couscous was made. I really liked this dish, as it was easy, tasty, and really good leftover. First you sautee some small-dice carrots and onions in a small amount of EVOO, then add veggie broth and saffron threads, bring to a boil, add couscous and peas (mine were thawed frozen), turn off and remove from heat. Next time I am thinking of adding lima beans and corn as well. My sister wasn't a huge fan of the couscous ("It's a texture thing!"), but her little boy (my nephew!) sure was!

Next up: GF Grilled Tofu (My own creation!)

I drained and pressed all of the excess water out of a tub of Extra-Frim Tofu, then sliced into 1/2-inch slices. I then sprayed (liberally) the grill and the tofu w/ Pam, and put them on the grill. In about 7 mins. total, my tofu was grilled to perfection. I then cut the slices into cubes, sprinkled a very small amount of kosher salt over them, and dipped them in a Sesame-Ginger Vinagrette dressing my husband had bougth. So good!

All in all, I was super pleased with my vegetarian portion of the dinner. My sister, newphew and hubby had chicken as well, but honestly the food was perfect for a May evening on the deck.

Dessert? Double Chocolate Truffle Cookies (however, these were not made on the GF!)

SHF #18 -- Bourbon-licious!

2006-04-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

I am very excited to participate for the first time in a Sugar High Friday!

I knew nothing about bourbon before I moved to Kentucky. Did you know that all bourbons are whiskeys, but not all whiskeys are bourbons?

Here are some quick facts about the smooth substance, from the folks a the Labrot and Graham Distillery, makers of Woodford Reserve, our house bourbon.:

No whiskey can call itself Bourbon unless it meets the following criteria:

Must be made in the United States

Distilled at less than 160 proof from fermented grain mash

The grain recipe must be at least 51% corn

The product must be stored in new, charred, white oak barrels at no more than 125 proof

Nothing can be added to the final product except pure water

I learned a lot about bourbon in my four years in Kentucky, like a bottle makes a great hostess or thank you gift; non-whiskey drinkers will sip on a glass of good bourbon; even dogs like bourbon (when it is occassionally spilled on the floor!); and don't call Jack Daniel's bourbon in front of a Kentuckian (or me now, for that matter!); mostly I learned about cooking with it. I have made everything from Bourbon Baked Beans to Bourbon Brown Sugar Sauce for ice cream, and probably my favorite...the Bourbon Ball. My husband and I were married at an historic log cabin church in Paris, Bourbon County (yep, our marriage certificate even says Bourbon County!), Kentucky. For the reception we featured Kentucky foods and drinks, like Flag Fork Farm Beer Cheese (YUM!), Kentucky Ale, and of course Bourbon Balls (made with Woodford Reserve)! We made over 300 of those little buggers, by hand, to give out to the family and friends in attendance. I haven't quite gotten over that experience, and have stuck to extremely small batches since then!

A few months ago I made some Bourbon Fudge Brownies from Cooking Light (March 2003) when we had a weekend guest. They were really good, especially when warmed and topped with Purity After Dinner Mint ice cream! This weekend, for our Easter party, I wanted to make them again. As I was preparing them, I realized I used the 2/3 cup instead of the 1/2 cup when measuring the flour, which made the batter more like a dough. To compensate, I added approx. 1/4 to 1/3 cup additional bourbon, extra cocoa powder, and 3/4 cup chocolate chips. The result -- HEAVENLY! Here is the modified recipe, with a modified title that more accurately reflects their bourbony-goodness!

Bourbon Truffle Brownies

1/2 cup bourbon

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips + 3/4 cup semisweet choc. chips

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups sugar

6 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bring bourbon to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well combined. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture and bourbon mixture to sugar mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Add 3/ 4 cup chocolate chips.

Spread batter into a 9-inch square baking pan (I used my Emile Henry heart-shaped pan, which is the perfect size!) coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

A Sure Sign of Spring

2006-04-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

I love when asparagus can be found for less than $2 a pound! That means warmer weather is here (along with tornados), and it is time to start eating veggies we haven't seen in 8 long months (or so)! The April issue of Vegetarian Times had a recipe for Asparagus-Pesto Lasagna. The recipe sounded good, but their picture was a bit on the pale and pasty side to me. However, a virtual friend of mine made it and raved about it on the Cooking Light Bulletin Board (a favorite haunt). I trust, better, I run to his recommendations, so I knew I had to make this dish on Monday night when my sister, BIL, and nephew were coming over [none of which are veg-heads, but I still love them! :) ]. The recipe is posted over on the link, but I will repost here, in case the link goes down (thanks to Bob for typing and posting it on the CLBB).

Asparagus-Pesto Lasagna
(Vegetarian Times April 2006)
(Serves 10)

1/3 cup all purpose flour
3-1/2 cups low fat milk, divided
6 Tbsps pesto, or more to taste*
2 Tbsps. Grated Parmesan, plus additional for garnish, optional
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1-1/4 lb. asparagus spears, tips cut off and reserved, spears trimmed and chopped into 1/4” pieces
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp)
16 no-cook lasagna noodles (9 oz)(I used 9 noodles, and couldn't find no-cook!)
2 cups shredded Fontina or part-skim mozzarella (8 oz), divided

1. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk flour and ½ cup milk in saucepan until smooth. Gradually whisk in remaining milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly, and boil 1 minute until thickened. Remove from heat: stir in pesto, parmesan, salt and pepper. Reserve one cup of the white sauce.

2. Warm oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high heat. Add chopped asparagus (not tips) and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, cook, stirring, 1 minute and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

3. Coat 13 x 9 baking dish, layer three noodles on bottom, overlapping slightly. Layer with half of cooked asparagus, ¾ cup cheese and half of sauce (I used less sauce, since my noodles were already cooked). Add another layer of pasta, remaining sauce, remaining cooked asparagus, and ¾ cup cheese. Top with a layer of noodles, then with reserved cup of white sauce. Arrange reserved asparagus tipes over top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. (I had sauce, ca. 3/4 cup, leftover b/c I had pre-cooked my noodles.)

4. Bake, uncovered. 35 to 45 minutes, or until golden. Let stand 10 minutes; serve with additional grated parmesan, if desired.

Per Serving: 413 cal; 21g protein; 17g total fat (8g saturated); 44g carb; 44mg chol; 686mg sod; 2.5g fiber; 8 g sugars* Look for the freshest, most flavorful pesto in the refrigerator section of the supermaket, packed in vacuum sealed bags or plastic tubs.

The Evolution of Pizza...

2006-04-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

at my house anyway! Here is the very delectable end-result...a tomato and asparagus pizza on my all-time favorite crust (recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone). This pizza looks as yummy as it tasted. Of course, it was a labor of love to get it to the final stage.

Let me backup and clarify the story....

First, I bought a new pizza stone in January (via Amazon.com) because our first one had an unfortunate collision with one of our dogs (thankfully, on the stone was hurt, and that story is for some other time!). I used it maybe twice before I noticed it had what appeared to be oil stains...not really sure how that would have happened, but I do know it was putting off an awful smell, kinda' sweet and icky all at the same time!

So, it was banished to the pantry until I decided I couldn't take it any longer, I HAD TO HAVE homemade pizza. Hubby agreed, so I set about making the dough, and while it was rising, I set off to sand the yucky stuff off of the pizza stone (per the recommendations given here), under my hubby's watchful eye (or camera, maybe!). Hence the picture in the garage with the palm sander.

Okay, sanding done, stone washed and dried, dough is ready to go. I rolled out half the dough for the pizza (the other half goes into a well-oiled ziploc, remove all the air, and place in freezer for future use).

It had been a while since I made pizza, so I put the dough on the peel, and proceeded to put tomato sauce on it. Hmm...something seemed not quite right here. OH WAIT! I need to prebake the pizza. DUH! So I scraped off as much of the sauce as possible, and into the oven it went.

I baked it for 7 minutes, then went in for retrieval. Well the darn dough, instead of slipping onto the peel, proceeded to hightail to the back of the stone, and then JUMPED! ARGH! Now I had half cooked pizza dough cleaning for its life, its tail end getting sizzled by the very hot oven element below. I start yelling some very choice words, grab the tongs, and start pulling pieces of it out. The half-cooked dough was flinging around, piling up, and what was resting on the hot element was putting out an awful stench.

Hubby comes running in from the garage to see what the commotion was about to find our dinner looking like this:

Alas, I dry my tears of frustration, blanch the asapragus (they were forgotten about in the hoopla surrounding the stone and the burning shattered dough), and remember that I have the bag of dough sitting in the freezer. Luckily, it was just cold, not frozen.

So, I repeated the procedure, and here it is ready to go in the oven. I love that you can see the little ends of the asapragus sticking out!

Freakin' Fantastic!

2006-03-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

Pear Walnut Muffins

This is one of those recipes where the "sum is greater than the parts." (if that is indeed, the correct saying!)
My sister made the Cooking Light version of these a few weeks ago, and I was really surprised at how good they were. I made the Vegetarian Times version last night, and again, the ingredient list is almost a yawn to look at, but the end result is so yummy! I brought some to the folks on my hall today, and all agreed, they were scrumptious. So, without further ado.....I give you Pear and Walnut Muffins (in mini form).

Pear and Walnut Muffins

Vegetarian Times, March 2006

makes 12

These tender muffins wowed every one of our testers. They have a great nutty taste and are studded with chopped fresh pears. You can also make them with apples.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (I used Penzey's Cake Spice)

1 1/4 cups finely chopped ripe but firm pears (about 2 to 3 medium pears) (I just chopped mine, not finely.)

1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted*

3/4 cup reduced fat milk (I used vanilla soymilk)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil (I used olive oil)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

sugar for sprinkling

(I also added approx. 1/4 cup raw wheat germ.)

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Coat 12 standard muffin pan cups with cooking spray (I used two 12-count mini-muffin pans coated with Pam w/ Flour).

2. Combine both flours, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl, and whisk to blend. Add pears and walnuts, and toss gently to coat.

3. Combine milk, oil, and egg in small bowl; stir to blend. Make well in flour mixture, and add milk mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky) (mine wasn't sticky, but a bit liquidy).

4. Divide batter evenly among prepared cups. Sprinkle tops with sugar. Bake 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. (even with the smaller pans, mine took about 14 mins. or so to bake)

Remove from pan, and cool on wire rack.

*To toast walnuts: Spread walnuts evenly in small baking dish or pie pan, and bake at 350F until fragrant and lightly browned, stirring twice, 6-8 minutes.

You win some...you lose some...

2006-03-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

Friday night I wanted to make a Greek themed dinner. On the menu: Greek Greens and Sweet Onion Pie and Fassolakia Yiahni (Ragout of Fresh Green Beans). Let's start with the winner.

I found some fabulous looking pole beans at the local grocery, so I used them, red potatoes, and canned tomatoes. I cooked according to the recipe (see below), except I was fresh out of dried chilis, so I subbed a tsp. (or two) of chili garlic sauce.

This recipe is so simple and easy to make, yet the final product is definitely one of those that is greater than the sum of its parts. I love, love , love this recipe. Thanks to former Lexington Supper Clubber Patt B. for sharing her scaled down (in calories and fat, definitely not in taste) version of this dish.

Fassolakia Yiahni (Ragout of Fresh Green Beans)

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (Patt lightened this from 1/4 cup! EEK!)
2 medium onions, halved and very thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 pounds fresh green beans, topped and tailed
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 – 5 tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped, or 1 28-oz can whole tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 small dried hot red chili
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a pan large enough to hold all the vegetables, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are meltingly soft – about 10-15 minutes. Add the beans and potatoes and stir with a wooden spoon for a few minutes, intil the vegetables are coated with oil and beginning to soften.

Add the tomatoes and chili and a few tablespoons of water. Simmer for about I hour, adding a little water every so often if necessary. The vegetables are done when they are very softg and the tomatoes are reduced to a thick sauce that naps the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Though it can be served hot, traditionally, this is served at room temperature.

You might like to top it off with a squirt of lemon, but I did not find this necessary.
Apologies for not having pictures today. My camera was not around for this dinner!

And now on to the LOSER! First, let me confess that it is my fault that it was a loser -- pure operator error here. The Greek Greens and Sweet Onion Pie is absolutely one of my favorite dishes. This is a Cooking Light recipe, and it satisfies the craving for spanikopita. Here is the recipe, as written. I will fill you in, dear reader, with the details on the other side.

Greek Greens and Sweet Onion Pie

2 quarts water
12 cups torn Swiss chard (about 3/4 pound)
8 cups torn spinach (about 1/2 pound)
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add the chard and spinach; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Place chard mixture on several layers of paper towels; squeeze until barely moist.
Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add chard mixture, dill, and parsley, stirring well to combine. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Combine chard mixture, cheese, eggs, and egg whites, tossing well to combine. Stir in pepper and salt.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface (cover remaining dough to prevent drying); lightly coat phyllo sheet with cooking spray. Place phyllo sheet in a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, allowing edges to overlap plate rim. Repeat the procedure with 6 additional phyllo sheets, placing sheets in a crisscross design. Spoon the spinach mixture over phyllo. Lightly coat each of remaining 3 phyllo sheets with cooking spray, and place sheets over spinach mixture in a crisscross design. Roll excess phyllo into the dish to create a decorative edge; press lightly to hold. Cut 4 (2-inch) slits in top of pie; cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until crust is crisp and golden. Cut pie into 8 wedges. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)

CALORIES 312(30% from fat); FAT 10.5g (sat 4.8g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 16.1g; CHOLESTEROL 125mg; CALCIUM 264mg; SODIUM 955mg; FIBER 5.9g; IRON 6.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.3g Cooking Light, APRIL 2004

Okay, simple enough. First red flag -- my local grocery store had "re-set" their frozen food section the day before and gotten rid of the phyllo dough (not that the clerk even knew what "feee-low" was!). So, I trekked on over to a competitor (a store I never go into b/c it is kinda scary), and found some there, albeit at a much higher price. Second red flag -- no Swiss chard to be found in the produce section, and the spinach was pricey and sad looking. So, I opted for 2 big bunches of kale (cheap and pretty).

(*As a side note, I am not a huge greens person, shh! don't rat me out!. I am a PTC taster, and so most greens are bitter to me. But I was pretty sure I had eaten kale before and liked it.....)

Okay, got home, got the green beans cooking, and started cleaning the greens, ripping them up in preparation for steaming (screw blanching them!). Interruptions abounded. My hubby came home, the animals needed to be fed, solicitors were at the door...then some friends showed up to drop off their car for hubby to do a brake job on. By the time they left, I was tired, but determined to wrangle the phyllo and kale into a tasty dinner!

The kale had been steaming the entire time we had company. However, it didn't occur to me that it had been steaming for at least 30 minutes, and yet it was still green and crunchy. Cue the bad omen/foreshadow music.
So, I mixed the greens with the onions, greek seasoning (I don't have the necessary idividual herbs, so I use this great mix from a local herb vendor in Lexington, KY), feta, eggs, etc.

In the pie dish I stick the phyllo, followed by the kale mixture. WOW! It was really mounding up in the pie plate. I didn't remember it being so much before....cue the bad omen music again....Topped it with the remaining phyllo sheets, cut the slits, and popped it into a 375 degree oven.

10 minutes later, and I removed the foil, and put it back in for another 30 minutes.

Timer went off, I let it cool slightly, and cut into to it. It looked good, although there was some water on the bottom of the pie plate. Mmmm...could it just be from the kale?

Sat down on the couch with my plate, got all comfy, and took a bite of lukewarm (at best) greek pie. What? LUKEWARM?????? NO WAY! I went back to the kitchen, and decided that the kale was so dense that the pie had not cooked through all the way, and the liquid in the bottom of the pie plate was uncooked egg! Back in the oven w/ the remaining pie. My piece and hubby's piece went into the toaster oven to speed up the single serving cooking process.

20 minutes later and hubby and I decided to share the big cooked piece. I took two bites and decided it was too bitter and not what I really wanted...so I ate a bunch of the green beans and called it a night. The leftove pie is still sitting in the fridge, awaiting its final resting place (likely the trash at this point).

The worst part is -- I love this recipe! I have made it before with much success. My failure was due to trying to use kale in the place of the greens called for. Well, never again!

Now we're cooking!

2006-03-06T11:56:00.000-08:00

After several frustrating trips to the local grocer, I have decided we will no longer be buying pre-made bread. Between the trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and whatever else they put in bread (all of those loaves that say "Healthy", "Health Nut," "Light"...what a load of crap!), I refuse to buy any of it!
I love the Sandwich Bread Recipe from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, as it is tasty, easy, and makes two loaves.

However, all baking at my house had been halted b/c this weekend we bought a new (to us) stove to replace our old fire hazard. I was plenty excited; I was set to make sandwich bread. My enthusiasim waned upon John pulling out the old stove to find that it was hard-wired into the electrical lines -- no plug to unplug! EEK!
One trip to Home Depot later, and we were both too tired to deal with it on Saturday night. We did mangae to carry out the old stove to sit in our driveway until the "convenience center" opened up the next day.

Since we had no stove to cook on, we grilled out. Chicken for John, Amy's Texas Burger for me (pictured below). I also cut up some zucchini and squash, tossed them with olive oil and fajita seasonings, and put them on the grill in a foil packet. The dinner was yummy and filling! We ate our bbq by the fireplace while watching The Money Pit. A good flick that was to foreshadow our Sunday...

Sunday morning came, John brought me coffee and an english muffin in bed. I was siked because I was able to relax and we were going to have our new stove hooked up today! John re-wired the outlet so we could put the stove in (ahhh...he is so handy!). I scrubbed it clean in the garage, and was ready to instally it by 11:00 AM! Ahh, but that was not to be! The old stove was wider on top than the new one. However, the old stove was a drop-in, and looks are deceiving. The stovetop was wider, but the oven portion was skinnier.

We tried to push the new stove into the too small space, but we were not having any more luck than the wicked haggy stepsisters in Cinderella trying to fit into the glass slipper. John did some banging around with the hammer, to no avail. The cabinet on the right side was up against a chair rail, base board, and 3/4 round.

This meant we had to pull out the fridge. (And hey, while we are at it, unplug it and take off the back cover so I can vacuum out all the dust bunnies on the coils...) Once out, John was able to use his handy-dandy cordless Ryobi sawzall (or some such thing), and take pieces out of the baseboard and chair rail w/o removing them completely!

Here is John in action

So, after removing the countertop and cabinet, our new stove was finally in place.

I could finally get around to making that bread! Oh, before I forget, I decided to run the self-cleaning option while the bread was rising. FIVE (5) + hours later, John had to go turn off the stove at the breaker box, so I could get the door to unlock. By then it wasn't even hot inside, but my bread dough had already gone through its third rising! I don't think I will be using that feature again.

And, so to put the happy ending on a long story, here is one of the loaves of bread that I made. I had several pieces for breakfast, with come unsalted butter. Yummy!

Nuevo Mexico!

2006-03-03T06:16:00.000-08:00

I can eat Mexican and Mexican-inspired food everyday. I never (or very rarely) get tired of it. I love the endless variations of beans, rice, corn (in its many forms), tomatoes, onions, garlic, cheese...oh my!
The other night I decided to make some Mexican-inspired (I like to think of them as Nuevo Mexcian) dishes.
The first was Drunken Pinto Beans with Charred Onions and Chilis from Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen (from the winter section). Here is a picture of them in a bowl (they are a little bit soupy) with some queso fresco on top.

I also made Spicy Corn Cakes with Smoked Cheese and Chilis (in the foreground).

The corn cakes were interesting. I compared them to Mexican Egg Foo Yung (sp?). I used tofu in place of the ricotta (maybe a little too much tofu), and didn't have any cayenne pepper so I subbed Fajita seasoning (salt-free). Next time I make these I will use corn meal instead of flour, and really spice them up. Also, it made a ton! They were good (maybe even better) leftover the next day at lunch.

Spicy Corn Cakes with Smoked Cheese and Chilies
from Fields of Greens

1/2 tablespoon light vegetable oil

1/2 medium red onion, diced, about 1 cup

salt

3 ears of corn, shaved, about 3 cups kernels (I used frozen)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 or 3 jalapeno chilies, seeded and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 eggs, separated

1/2 pound ricotta cheese, about 1 cup

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup unbleached whie flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 ounces smoked cheese, grated, about 3/4 cup (I used smoked gouda)

light vegetable oil for the pan

Heat the oil in a large skillet; add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt

Saute over medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and the cayenne; saute for about 5 minutes, until the corn is tender. Add the chilies and lemon juice to the warm corn, transfer to a bowl, and allow the mixture to cool.

Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks.

In a medium-size bowl, combine the egg yolks, ricotta, and milk. Stir in the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the baking powder, then add the smoked cheese. Stir the corn into this mixture, then fold in the egg whites.

Spoon the batter into a lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat, making 3-inch cakes. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until the cakes are lightly browned.Makes 24 three-inch cakes; serves 4 to 6

So...

2006-02-24T13:52:00.000-08:00

Whatcha’ Cooking This Last Weekend of February 2006?

Broccoli Risotto Torte

2006-02-23T07:54:00.000-08:00

Broccoli Risotto Torte (Serves 6)
8 oz. broccoli, cut into very small florets (I used 1 ½ cups chopped roasted asparagus)
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large yellow pepper, chopped (didn’t have, omitted)
2 T. olive oil (1 T)
4 T. butter(1 ½ to 2 T)
1-1/4 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4-1/2 cups stock/broth (4 cups veggie broth)
salt and pepper to taste
4 oz. fresh Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated (1/2 to 2/3 cup mozzarella and 2 oz. crumbled goat cheese)
4 eggs, separated
Cooking spray

1. Blanch broccoli for 3 minutes then drain and reserve.
2. In a large saucepan, gently saute onion, garlic and yellow pepper in the oil and butter for 5 minutes until they are soft.
3. Stir in the rice, cook for a minute then pour in the wine. Cook, stirring the mixture until the liquid is absorbed.
4. Pour in the stock/broth, season well, bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, spray a 10" round deep cake pan and line the base with a disc of waxed paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Stir the cheese into the rice, allow the mixture to cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the egg yolks. Stir in broccoli.
7. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and carefully fold into the rice. Turn into prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour until risen, golden brown and slightly wobbly in the center.
8. Allow the torte to cool in the pan, then chill if serving cold. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and shake out onto a serving plate. (I served this hot, as I don't really like cold eggs. The leftovers are good, and this would make an excellent brunch dish with a salad [or fruit salad] and crusty bread.)

Note: this cut a lot easier once it had cooled for more than 2 minutes (I was hungry and couldn't wait!)

Fresh from the oven

Thai Tofu Curry

2006-02-17T12:48:00.000-08:00

I made this beautiful Thai Tofu Curry dish one recent cold winter night. The wiggly golden tofu sticks were paired with stir-fried broccoli and mushrooms, simmered in a red curry paste, garlic, and coconut milk sauce. All of this was laid atop a bed of delicate, but hearty, steamed brown rice, and topped off with shredded cabbage and cashew pieces with a twist of lime. My dinner was loosely based on the following recipe:

Thai Tofu with Red Curry Sauce over Coconut-Scallion Rice

10 dried kaffir lime leaves -- or 1 1/2 tsp lime zest
1 1/4 cups coconut milk
2 3/4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice -- or basmati or regular long-grain white rice
2/3 cup cilantro
2 large garlic cloves -- halved
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon fish sauce -- or 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil -- or corn oil
3 tablespoons hot chile sauce -- or 2 tbsp chile paste
16 ounces firm tofu -- patted dry and in 1/2" cubes
1/2 bunch broccoli -- in small pieces, about 4 cups
1 cup minced scallion
2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Soak lime leaves in 1 quart very hot water 30 minutes.

While leaves soak, bring the coconut milk, 2 1/4 cups water, and salt to a boil. Add rice. Cover and simmer 25 minutes.

Drain the lime leaves and chop into pea-sized pieces. In a food processor or blender, process lime leaves (or lime zest), cilantro, garlic, and peanuts. With the machine running, add fish sauce and 3 tbs oil, then the chile sauce. Set aside.

In a wok or nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil. Add tofu, cook until the pieces form a golden crust on the bottom. Turn, and let tofu crust on the other side. Transfer to a plate.

In the same wok or skillet, add the broccoli and 1/2 cup water. Cover and steam 2 minutes. Add lime-peanut paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add tofu and toss to coat. Stir scallions into the rice. Serve with tofu, garnished with cilantro.

Source:
"Vegetarian Planet"

2006-01-27T14:11:00.000-08:00

rows and rows of the "nectar of the gods"

2006-01-27T14:09:00.000-08:00

our fave honey stand

the fruits of our labor

2006-01-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

a very bountiful August day in the garden (2004)