Kitchen Notes from an Aspiring Herbivore

A Little Home Improvement

2012-02-04T16:35:00.005-05:00

No food here but a little home improvement. No tools involved.

Our aquarium and stand always felt unfinished and we were always going to get rid of it. This year Clownie made it to 20 years so I guess we are keeping the aquarium.

I wanted to add a shelf on the bottom and clean up the wires. I looked for pre-cut shelving online that would fit but found these Ikea Knipsa boxes instead.

Before, during, and after pictures of my small addition to Ikea hacks.

Lentils and Chard

2011-11-16T21:51:00.001-05:00

Lentils and Chard

2 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch chard, leaves chopped, stems sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup lentils
3 cups water
2 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp soy sauce
Pepper

Sauté stems, celery, carrots, and garlic in the olive oil. Cover and let stems soften Add lentils and water (pictured) and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for 15 minutes. Add the chard leaves and simmer 15 minutes. Remove lid and cook off excess liquid. Remove thyme stems and add soy sauce. Makes two servings at about 325 calories.

Cauliflower Leek Soup

2011-11-05T09:49:00.001-04:00

Cauliflower Leek Soup:
4 Tbsp olive oil
3 large leeks, halved and sliced
1/2 large head cauliflower, sliced
1 stalk of celery, sliced
12 oz of small potatoes, chopped
6 cups water
Sea salt
1 cup soy milk, plain unsweetened

Sauté leeks, add celery and cauliflower and continue to sauté. Add potatoes and water and bring to a boil. Simmer until vegetables cooked about 45 minutes. Purée with emersion blender and add salt to taste. Stir in soy milk. (I probably would have used more soy milk if I had it.)

Good hot and cold. I considered it 4 large bowls of soup at a little over 2 cups each. Yum.

Lazy Bean Dip - Try 1

2011-09-28T18:19:00.001-04:00

1 can white beans drained
2 tbsp smoked hot sauce
1 tbsp cumin
1 pinch oregano
1 tbsp fresh cilantro
Salt
Pepper
Purée all ingredients in mini food processor and serve with chips.

Pretty good and quite addictive.

Simple Summer Dinner

2011-08-28T12:14:00.000-04:00

I love when the tomatoes are so flavorful that they are all you need to enjoy a great meal. I had this simple dinner by myself earlier this week. This meal could be called "don't forget to stop and taste the summer". I enjoyed three more tomatoes after these two. The glass on the right is olive oil for my bread.

Indian Eggplant and Potato Stew with Chickpeas

2011-08-28T12:04:00.000-04:00

This recipe is from Bishop's Vegetables Every Day. I only had half a pound of eggplant and had to use some Thai red curry paste in place of the ginger, hot pepper, and lime. We really enjoyed it anyway. With the mustard seed and garlic the spices still ended on the Indian side. It went together quick and left us both glad we hadn't given into carryout. It really showed off the red and yellow fingerling potatoes. Looking forward to trying the real thing soon.

Cake Try 1

2011-07-28T22:56:00.001-04:00

It has been a long time since I have posted anything here. I made this cake back a couple months.

Vegan half whole wheat chocolate cake with a coconut milk icing and fresh berries.

Yum but not quite right. Need to refine the recipe a bit. Should be fun.

Wine Tasting to Benefit Engineers Without Borders

2011-03-19T09:11:00.003-04:00

I hope you will join us for our first Wine Tasting to benefit Engineers Without Borders.

Wine Tasting

To Benefit Engineers Without Borders

Greater Cincinnati Professional Chapter

Thursday, March 31, 2011

6 pm to 8 pm

Molly Malone’s - 2nd Floor

112 East Fourth St, Covington, KY

Tasting will spotlight four South American Wines paired with a small Tasting Menu.

Donation of $30 cash at the door.

All proceeds to benefit EWB’s continued work in rural Rwanda.

For More Information Please Contact ewbgcp@hotmail.com

Engineers Without Borders Greater Cincinnati Professional Chapter partners with

developing communities to improve their quality of life through the implementation

of environmentally sustainable, equitable, and economical engineering projects.

This event will help us continue this work.

Thanks - Kristen Keane

Communications Chair

Engineers Without Borders

Greater Cincinnati Professional Chapter

Will It Blend

2011-02-15T21:44:00.000-05:00

Matt pointed out that my cooking in Indy is starting to sound like an installment of will it blend. Tonight the results were tasty.
Cauliflower Mushroom Soup
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 onion
1 leek
1 large shallot
1 fennel bulb
12 oz mushrooms
1 head cauliflower
1 bunch thyme (stems removed)
1 sprig sage
Salt
Pepper
Truffle oil
4 cups of water
Saute, simmer, blend.
Yum.

Pizza in Search of an Alternate Name

2011-02-05T21:04:00.000-05:00

I have been making pizza without cheese and with a large amount of veggies for years now. We have gotten so accustom to it we consider it normal but still never consider it the same thing as real pizza. I need a new name for it to prevent confusion.
I have started working on my crust to improve it. The texture was good tonight but I still need to work on flavor.

Pizza Crust (2 pies)
3/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp yeast
Dash of salt
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup hot water
2 tbsp whole wheat flour

In food processor, mix dry ingredients, add oil, slowly add water, process for a minute. Should form a slightly stick ball. Work on counter with a bit of the flour. Placed in oiled double boiler with inch plus of water and cover. Place over mild heat source (top of oven when preheating). Let rise till double and punch down. Let rise again punch down and divide. Work in remaining flour and pull and toss. Using rolling pin make even in thickness. This is a thin crust pizza. Transfer to foil and cover with warm damp towel or foil. Let rest and rise as you prepare other half. Let rest another 15 minutes. Top pizza and bake on heated stone in 500 degree oven for 9 to 10 minutes. Remove from foil and cool on rack.
These two were topped with Thyme-Braised Brussels Sprouts (Eating Well) and sauteed onions and spinach with black olives.

Sweet Potato Ginger Soup with Spinach

2011-01-14T05:45:00.003-05:00

Made up another soup just to play with my immersion blender.

Sweet Potato Ginger Soup with Spinach
2 tbsp olive oil
1 very large onion chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
4 oz mushrooms
1 carrot sliced
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 tbsp ginger chopped
1 large red potato peeled and sliced
1 large sweet potato peeled and sliced
1 can white beans rinsed
6 cups of water
1/2 lb baby spinach
4 tbsp mirin
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
Salt
Pepper
(cooked brown rice optional)

Saute onions in olive oil until soft. Add ingredients through garlic and saute. Add potatoes, beans, and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and blend until smooth. Turn heat to low and mix in spinach. When soft add mirin and spices. Add salt and pepper to taste.

I put in about twice as much red pepper as listed and it was too hot. I cooked up some brown rice (2/3 cup uncooked) separately and mixed into the finished soup to help with the heat. That was post picture.

This was a complete meal for me and a different way to serve beans and rice.

Cauliflower and Root Vegetable Soup

2011-01-04T19:49:00.001-05:00

This was my own creation to serve three main purposes. 1: Use my new immersion blender. 2: Use my celery root bulb. 3: Have something yummy for dinner with enough for lunch tomorrow.

Cauliflower and Root Vegetable Soup
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions chopped
1 shallot sliced
3 garlic cloves sliced
1 carrot peeled and sliced
3 large red potatoes peeled and sliced
1 small celery root peeled and sliced
1 head cauliflower sliced
1/2 cup vegetable broth
5 cups of water (more when needed to keep veggies covered)
Salt
Pepper
Red pepper flakes
Coriander

Sauté onions and shallot in olive oil until soft in large pot with high sides. Add garlic and sauté for a minute. Add sliced veggies, water, and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for half hour. Turn off heat and purée with immersion blender in the cook pot.

Dinner from a someone else's odds and ends

2010-12-12T14:51:00.001-05:00

It is a challenge sometimes to use up the last of the veggies in the fridge. It is even harder when someone else stocks the kitchen. Broccoli and yellow squash with tofu and cashews served on quinoa. All made without garlic or soy sauce. I think that was the real challenge. Without a strong flavored sauce the quinoa was a bit flat but the veggies and tofu were quite good.

Inspiration from the Home Front

2010-10-28T05:30:00.000-04:00

Matt has been cooking without me. Last night he ate better than I did. This is a roasted vegetable pasta. On the side is home made hummus with vegetables. I am going to give it a try next week.

One Course at a Time

2010-10-26T22:51:00.001-04:00

I cooked my dinner one course at a time and ate them as they became available. This is one of the freedoms that comes with cooking for one.

I started with a tomato salad. Then enjoyed some seasoned and pan (not) fried tofu. Next some seasoned brown rice made with vegetable broth. Next was a pear (peeled and sliced). Then a bit of collard greens but most went in tomorrow's lunch.

The tofu was drained, sliced, and patted dry. Then it was rubbed with cumin and coriander and sauteed in a non stick pan. A couple tablespoons of soy sauce and a mild and smoky hot sauce were mixed and poured on at the end. Sauteed in the sauce till all thickened and brown.

Pumpkins for Dinner

2010-10-24T19:51:00.000-04:00

We ate pumpkins stuffed with fake sausage for dinner. They also contained onion, collards, broccoli, some spices, and whole wheat couscous. Baked for an hour and then cut in half. Matt said they were really quite good. I was going to give him credit for just trying them. It was sort of a fun way to clean out the refrigerator.

Lazy Dinner #4

2010-10-18T19:12:00.000-04:00

Roasted Vegetables with Apples

2 yellow delicious apples cubed
2 onions cubed
1 large sweet potato peeled and cubed
2 carrots peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
2 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

Put veggies, apples, thyme, and olive oil in pan and toss. Roast in 450 degree oven for 45 minutes. Stir twice during roasting. Remove thyme. Salt and pepper to taste and serve.

I enjoyed this and it was just one dirty pan. House smells like fall.

Simple Dinner

2010-10-06T20:11:00.000-04:00

Mushrooms and green beans with a little garlic, salt, and olive oil. Kept putting off making this since I only had local shiitake mushrooms. It is not the same as when I use oyster mushrooms but it might be just as good.

Easy Office Lunch

2010-10-06T20:01:00.001-04:00

Loved my lunch today. It was a great celebration of the last big harvests of the summer season.

Local cherry tomatoes, corn cut from one local ear of corn, and a can of black beans rinsed well. I added a little salt, soy sauce, cumin, and red wine vinegar.

Pancakes for One

2010-10-06T06:53:00.001-04:00

I ran out of rolled oats and I don't have a blender so my standards of cereal or smoothie were out. I tried a herbivore whole wheat pancake topped with mixed berries and a little sugar. Both pancakes and topping were my own creation.

Pancakes for 1
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp flax meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup soy milk (need to confirm)

Cook on non stick griddle without adding oil. I think the pancakes are about 500 calories. Topping is more.

Lazy Dinner #3

2010-10-01T05:58:00.001-04:00

Some left over rice, a can of white beans, and a bag of baby spinach make for another quick and easy dinner. Some garlic, salt, and pepper is all I added for flavor as the spinach provided most of the flavor.

Lazy Dinner #2

2010-09-30T20:59:00.001-04:00

This is me looking for inspiration in some lazy but reasonably food centric meals. Also trying to remember how to post pictures with words.

Lazy Dinner #1

2010-09-30T20:54:00.000-04:00

Muffins - Whole Wheat Plum - try 1

2010-09-19T11:51:00.000-04:00

Muffins - Whole Wheat Plum - try 1

2010-09-19T11:49:00.001-04:00

Muffins - Whole Wheat Plum - try 1

1 c flour
1 c whole wheat flour
4 T flax seed meal
4 t baking powder
1/4 cup sugar

2 bananas mashed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp vanilla
3 plums peeled and chopped
Soy milk - Put plums in 2 cup measure and add enough unsweetened soy milk to equal 1.5 cups.
2 T maple syrup

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately and then mix together.

Lightly oil muffin tins (safflower oil). Fill most of the way. Makes 18.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Yes I put half the sugar in wet and half in the dry ingredients.

2010-09-19T11:01:00.001-04:00

Enjoying some whole wheat plum muffins with black coffee.

Summer Favorites Revisited - Three Sisters Stew

2010-08-08T08:32:00.004-04:00

Just realizing that we are way into summer and I have some favorite recipes still to enjoy. I am going to put off posting my meals from back in April and enjoy the current season. I think this post will be the first in a series revisiting summer favorites.

Three Sisters Stew with Okra and Leeks is a great one dish meal that shows off the tastes of summer. I use olive oil in place of butter and leave out the sour cream garnish.

The recipe can be found in Peter Berley's Fresh Food Fast.

Posts from years gone by can be found at:

http://aspiringherbivore.blogspot.com/2009/10/dinner-september-8-2009.html

http://aspiringherbivore.blogspot.com/2009/09/dinner-september-3-2009.html
http://aspiringherbivore.blogspot.com/2009/10/dinner-september-3-2009.html

http://aspiringherbivore.blogspot.com/2007/08/i-finally-wanted-some-okra-and-i.html

Breakfast - March 27, 2010

2010-06-13T18:02:00.003-04:00

To begin my birthday celebration, I started with some excellent fresh fruit.

Dinner - March 22, 2010

2010-06-13T18:00:00.004-04:00

Sort of a traditional midwestern meal made with odds and ends from the refrigerator. Starch: Quinoa pilaf with spinach. Protein: A "hamburger helper" like flavored tempeh sauteed with some mushrooms. Vegetable: Simple side of asparagus. Tasted about as unispired as it sounds.

Dinner - March 19, 2010

2010-06-13T17:59:00.004-04:00

Simple salad with some boiled new potatoes. This is one of my favorite things to have after traveling to recalibrate myself.

Dinner - March 16, 2010

2010-06-13T17:49:00.004-04:00

The other day I was trying to remember that tempeh recipe that Matt liked. I thought I should check my blog. It wasn't there then but I think this is it.

This is Curried Tempeh with Brown Rice and Peas from Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. I substituted sugar snap peas and served cauliflower on the side.

Not a power house of a dish but a nice way to make tempeh. The result is a sort of mild risotto like dish although it is definitely not risotto.

Now that I have found it, I will try it again.

2010-05-11T06:39:00.004-04:00

This looks like a clean out the refrigerator meal.
Sauteed greens with mushrooms. Mashed sweet potatoes. A sautee of snow pea and onions. Glazed tofu.
I would guess Immer's recipes were the base for the greens and potatoes. Kornfeld's recipe would be the base for the tofu.

Dinner - March 14, 2010

2010-05-11T06:33:00.002-04:00

We must have been getting ready for picnic season. A meal of potato salad and coleslaw. Also known as new potatoes with sauteed shallots and herbs served with a crunchy cabbage salad.

Lunch - March 14, 2010

2010-05-11T01:04:00.000-04:00

This is the start of a red bean chili from Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. The recipe had coffee in it. I liked it but it was more like really good red beans than chili. I think it will be some new techniques to add to my chili plans.

Dinner - March 9, 2010

2010-05-10T21:56:00.002-04:00

So far behind. Trying to get started again with the posting. We have been cooking but I have been so busy with the new job and volunteering. This is a mango and black bean salad served with a side of broccoli. Maybe there was a recipe. Maybe it will come to me.

Dinner - March 3, 2010

2010-03-13T21:52:00.000-05:00

We decided to try and go back to some simple meals. Just vegetables and beans or in this case processed beans as tofu. I guess that is not that simple but it is a step in the right direction.

I wanted to make Kornfeld's glazed tofu but realized I was out of soy sauce. I substituted some fermented black bean sauce. I then remembered that I don't like fermented black bean sauce (or at least what you can buy in a jar in the grocery). I managed to eat this but Matt couldn't.

The aspargus had looked great but when I roasted it in the oven it came out kind of stringy. I think I crowded it to much in the oven. For reference 2 lbs of asparagus does not fit on one cookie sheet.

Dinner - March 1, 2010

2010-03-13T05:00:00.000-05:00

I believe this is my own creation. It is Mushrooms, Seitan, and Brussels Sprouts with Pumpkin Seed Oil over brown rice. It was satisfying but nothing special. This is why I still cook from recipes.

Lunch - February 28, 2010

2010-03-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

I believe this is called broccoflower and is some sort of cross between broccoli and cauliflower. I would say it is more like cauliflower in feel and structure. I used it in a soup where broccoli was called for.

The soup was Iowa Open House Grain & Pasta Pottage from a Frontier Soups' Soup Mix. I made my own vegetable broth which turned out pretty good. I had saved the water from cooking some potatoes and parsnips and added it to a new broth I made with shallots, onions, carrots, celery, potato, and some spices. After making the broth it felt like a waste to use a spice packet with dehydrated vegetables.

While this was okay I wouldn't serve it to anyone. I didn't even make Matt try it. I did eat it all for my lunches over the following week. The pasta in the package was whole wheat but not very good. The rices in it were nice but it just never was quite worth the effort.

Dinner - February 27, 2010

2010-03-12T05:03:00.001-05:00

This is Elise's Sesame Noodles from the Eating Well Ipod Touch Application. You can find the recipe here. This is a keeper. Very easy since the vegetables and sauce are not cooked. Cook the pasta, toast the sesame seeds, toss it all together.

Most cold sesame noodle recipes I make are based on using peanut butter and garlic. This has neither so it is a little more refreshing.
I used half regular sesame seeds and half black sesame seeds due to availability in my pantry.

Dinner - February 26, 2010

2010-03-11T04:49:00.004-05:00

This is based on Saag Tofu from my Eating Well Ipod Touch Application. You can find the recipe here. I substituted unsweetened soy milk for the yogurt. I would call it more like "not creamed spinach with tofu over rice" but still very good. I accidentally upped the cumin which I liked.

I plan on making this a regular for us. It was super fast. I would serve it to vegetarians but I wouldn't call it saag to prevent expectations of a really rich sauce. I think pan size would limit being able to easily make this for four. I think we ate all of it.

Dinner - February 25, 2010

2010-03-11T04:36:00.006-05:00

Balsamic Roasted Seitan with Cipolloni Onions and Crunchy Cabbage Salad and Mashed Potatoes with Parsnips
from Berley's Fresh Food Fast.

We had this before and thought it was great. This time I wondered what I had thought was so great.

The onions were very large and ended up a bit strong. The last time they were the size of pearl onions. The cabbage was still good but I was out of walnuts so it wasn't great. The parsnips were particularly strong and I didn't use the full amount noted in the recipe.

I am wondering if I used to like the "meat substitute" way of cooking better.

Lunch - February 25, 2010

2010-03-10T06:48:00.002-05:00

I used the left overs from the sandwiches to make a salad. I thinned the adobo/veganaise with a little water and tossed it all together just before eating. Find the original post here.

I thought this was great. It is inspiring me to eat more salads for lunch.

Dinner - February 24, 2010

2010-02-27T09:54:00.003-05:00

This is a TLT (Tofu, Lettuce, and Tomato) Sandwich from Eating Well's Ipod Touch Application. In the background you can see Black Bean Soup from Eating Well Magazine's February 2010 issue. The sandwich recipe can be found here. The soup recipe can be found here.

The recipe calls for extra firm tofu but I had (and generally prefer) firm tofu. I smashed it under a pipe plate with some weight on it before proceeding with the recipe. I found the tofu came out of the oven as promised which is unusual for me and backed tofu. I used veganaise for the mayo. I thought these sandwiches were good but should never be compared to a sandwiches with bacon. The tofu tasted mostly like mustard to me.

The soup calls for prepared salsa. I did not have any so I substituted 1/2 cup diced tomato, a clove of garlic, a 1/2 tsp of adobo sauce, and 1/4 cup of bell pepper. I added the cilantro un-chopped to the food processor with the last batch of soup. This soup was easy and better than canned.

Lunch - February 21, 2010

2010-02-27T09:11:00.009-05:00

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Sage from Immer's Everyday Dining with Wine. I didn't have any sage. Still an excellent dish. I serve these to everyone.

Fusilli with Green Lentils, Root Vegetables, and Parsley Caper Puree from Bishop's Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. I used 12 oz of pasta instead of the pound and still think this was too pasta heavy.
The lemon and parsley give a nice brightness in the winter. I used multi colored carrots for this dish. I probably wouldn't bother with the pasta again except that it looks like it is one of those handy recipes where the ingredients are always on hand.

We started this meal with Yukon Gold Potato & Cauliflower Soup with Truffle Oil from Immer's Everyday Dining with Wine. I forgot to snap a picture. I reserved and used a cup of the cooking water to thin the soup and it was still a too thick. I used the food processor instead of a blender which may have effected the outcome. It was good even if it resembled mashed potatoes. I will make it again. Thanks to Betty and Mark for the truffle oil.

We were going to go to lunch with my parents but as I was behind on my cooking due to illness earlier in the week I wanted to use up some vegetables and so subjected my parents to trying new recipes.

Dinner - February 20, 2010

2010-02-27T08:46:00.005-05:00

This was going to be Indian Mango Dal from Eating Well Magazine's February 2010 issue. When I went to the pantry I had yellow split peas and not yellow lentils. I upped the cooking time but the peas were still a little firm and chalky. I liked it anyway so I am figuring the real recipe is excellent. The recipe can be found here.

I made a recipe and a half with two large mangoes. I would consider the mangoes I used ripe but not soft. I served it over brown basmati rice (1 cup uncooked).

The recipe claims you can make it in 40 minutes but I think it took me the time it took to cook the rice which is about an hour.

This made for excellent lunches as leftovers. I will definitely make this again.

Menu - Week 2/21/2010

2010-02-20T08:46:00.003-05:00

Split Pea Soup with Fresh Peas & Potatoes
(From the Farm Fresh Delivery Newsletter)
Basic Skillet Corn Bread
(Berley's The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen)

Elise's Sesame Noodles
(Eating Well, Ipod Touch Application)

Roasted Corn, Black Bean & Mango Salad
(Eating Well, Ipod Touch Application)
Sesame Salmon (by Matt)

TL&T (Tofu, Lettuce, and Tomato) Sandwich
(Eating Well, Ipod Touch Application)
Roasted Root Vegetables with Oregano
(Immer's Everyday Dining with Wine)

Mushroom and Brussels Sprout Saute
served over Simple Rice Pilaf
(I am going to try making this up myself)

Saag Tofu
(Eating Well, Ipod Touch Application)

Dinner - February 17, 2010

2010-02-20T08:27:00.004-05:00

This is Lemon Lentil Soup with Spinach from Berley's Fresh Food Fast. I am debating on whether to rename this "Instant Soup" or "Pound Soup".

I made a version of this before I had a pressure cooker and liked the results enough to make it again. This time I made it in the pressure cooker and hence the idea for the "Instant Soup" rename. It is not only the quick time on the stove but the fact that there is really no chopping involved either. Peeling the garlic is the most time consuming part of the recipe. I also skipped wrapping up the spices and just pulled them out individually before adding the spinach. This left the rosemary leaves in the pot but I think that was okay.

This time I made about a recipe and half. That kicked the lentils up to a pound. I then rounded the tomatoes up to about a pound which matched the can of diced tomatoes I had. I also used a pound of baby spinach. Hence the idea for the renaming to "Pound Soup". I also used a whole head of garlic because I was close and I just thought that would be cool. Now I have a recipe I can almost remember but I will be checking in to get the spices right.

The soup and bread were not the best combination. I enjoyed the soup greatly as lunches.

Dinner - February 14, 2010

2010-02-18T19:00:00.003-05:00

For Valentines Day, I was going to make a fancy meal and serve the last bottle of Italian Barolo that Matt got me several years ago. Instead we did laundry and had pizza and beer. It really was quite good and made the laundry tolerable.

One pizza is caramelizes onions (cooked with thyme and garlic) and sauteed portabello (cooked with garlic). The second pizza is sauteed spinach (blanched and cooked with shallots). The onion and mushroom pizza was the winner but it was nice to have both.

The crust was a recipe and a half of the whole wheat crust in The Healthy Hedonist cooked on a hearth stone (borrowed from my mother). Ten minutes at 500 degrees.

With the hearth stone I can make the crust from scratch and all of the toppings by the time the oven is hot.

Menu - Week 2/14/2010

2010-02-18T18:53:00.002-05:00

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Sage
(Immer's Everyday Dining with Wine)
Yukon Gold Potato & Cauliflower Soup with Truffle Oil
(Immer's Everyday Dining with Wine)

Indian Mango Dal
(Eating Well Magazine, February 2010)
Luca's Sesame Ginger Broccoli Florets
(Immer's Everyday Dining with Wine)

Black Bean Soup
(Eating Well Magazine, February 2010)
Green Salad and Bread

Tofu Au Vin
(Eating Well Magazine, February 2010)

Dinner - February 13, 2010

2010-02-18T06:41:00.004-05:00

This is Potatoes and Chard with Green Curry Sauce from Bishop's Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen served over brown jasmine rice. That thick tasty sauce is based on coconut milk. I thought serving potatoes over rice was a bit excessive in the starchy category but we really enjoyed it. This is a great way to get your greens, rainbow chard was used here. I used a mixture of Yukon Gold and Klamath Pearl potatoes. You leave the peel on and they turn out great. There is something slightly strange about this dish but we both think we are going to be craving it. I will serve to some guests but I don't know which ones. I look forward to trying this again.

Dinner - February 10, 2010

2010-02-12T06:32:00.003-05:00

This was Linguine with Orange Sauce and Cilantro from Bishop's Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen served with Bok Choy from Bishop's Vegetables Every Day.

The pasta dish was as weird as it sounded. I made the orange sauce from fresh squeezed orange juice. It was a reduction that was kind of fun to make. I then tossed it with some pretty bad pasta. First mistake was that I used whole wheat pasta. The second was that I tried a local brand that was actually quite like cardboard. I would say that this dish with the poor pasta choice boarded on "Lets order carryout" but the bok choy saved the day.

The bok choy tasted great. I based my dish on Bishop's recipe but his calls for some broth. This was so soupy without adding broth that it wasn't needed. Lots of garlic and bok choy make their own broth that tastes great.

Dinner - February 9, 2010

2010-02-12T06:23:00.006-05:00

This was a try at Israeli Couscous & Mushroom Pilaf with Spiced Tofu from Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen served over a mixture of romaine and green leaf lettuce dressed in lemon juice and olive oil. I didn't realize that Israeli couscous was a different size and I just had the little regular stuff. I cut the amount down to 1.5 cups and used 2.25 cups of water. The cherries and crimini mushrooms made for a nice earthy flavor but we were looking for a little tang. Some bites with just the right amount of dressed greens were excellent. I am going to give this a rating of has potential but I may still make it a regular meal here. I hope I am giving the impression that this was a great little meal.

Dinner - February 6, 2010

2010-02-08T06:01:00.003-05:00

This is Indian-Spiced Cauliflower, Chickpeas, Potatoes, and Kale from Kornfeld's The Healthy Hedonist.

The notes in my cookbook said I made a double recipe previously that didn't quite fit in my dutch oven. I also noted that I used coconut oil, diced tomatoes in place of crushed, and 3/4 tsp of cayenne pepper. I also noted that I served it over half a serving of brown basmati rice. I wrote "good" at the top of my notes.

This time I used the the pan from my pressure cooker. I didn't have coconut oil so I used 2 tbsp of canola oil, 2 tbsp of roasted peanut oil, and 2 tbsp of roasted sesame oil. I was gong to go with just 4 tbsp of oil which follows my general rule of double the recipe but not the oil. I opted for 1.5 times on the oil since the pressure cooker is not non-stick. I only had a can of whole tomatoes so I just chopped them before adding to the pot. I think I was a little shy on the coriander.

This dish smelled heavenly and I think it tasted "great". The broth that developed was excellent. As noted in the cookbook this recipe makes great leftovers. I think serving it over a limited amount of rice is good since it is already full of great starches. I think this as the entire meal could serve 6 when doubled. The recipe says 4 to 6 for a single batch which it pairs with some raita and rice pilaf.

This recipe comes together including all the prep and cleanup in less time than it takes to make the rice. I think the taste of this dish is good enough to serve to any guests but I am still reluctant to serve a stew with kale to guests because I fear they will not see it as beautiful.

I also want to note that the vegetables from Farm Fresh Delivery were excellent. I was at about 5 days from the deliver and the vegetables were still in beautiful condition. The Klamath Pearl potatoes were perfect in this recipe and about half of them I left whole. It is now nearly a week since our delivery and I just washed up the remaining lettuce and it still looked better than when I get it at the grocery store.

Menu - Week 2/7/2010

2010-02-06T14:22:00.004-05:00

Dinners:

Linguine with Orange Sauce and Cilantro
Sauteed Bok Choy
Bishop's Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Fusilli with Green Lentils, Root Vegetables, and Parsley Caper Puree
Bishop's Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Spinach & Coconut Milk
Sugar Snap Peas with Fried Ginger
Sesame Encrusted Salmon (by Matt)
Bishop's Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen (for vegetables)

Potatoes and Chard with Green Curry Sauce
Bishop's Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Balsamic Roasted Seitan with Cipolloni Onions
Crunchy Cabbage Salad
Berley's Fresh Food Fast

Lunches (to be augmented with salads):

Lemon Lentil Soup with Spinach
Berley's Fresh Food Fast

Red Bean Chili with Ancho Chilies and Coffee
Bishop's Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Iowa Open House Grain & Pasta Pottage
Frontier Soups Soup Mix with Broccoli added

Meals in Reserve:

Farm to Kitchen Frozen Soups

Farm to Kitchen Tomato Sauce with Spinach Pasta

Dinner - February 5, 2010

2010-02-06T10:20:00.004-05:00

I had a note in my recipes for the week for Orecchiette with Spicy Broccoli. I did not have orecchiette and I could not find the recipe. I made this up based on my memory of several of Bishop's recipes but I think I can claim it as mine.

Orzo and Broccoli with Olives
4 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 big stems of broccoli, broken into bite size florets and peeled and chopped stems
1/2 cup chopped olives
1 tbsp capers
salt
pepper
6 oz whole wheat orzo

Bring a pot of water to boil, cook the orzo about half way, add the broccoli and cook both until done. Meanwhile saute the garlic and red pepper flakes in the olive oil in a large pan. Drain the orzo and broccoli and add to the saute along with about 1/3 cup of the water. Add the olives, capers, salt, and pepper. Saute for a minute or two and serve.

We both liked this. It was great with some red wine. It is fast to make too. I would say this serves two for dinner with a good vegetable to pasta ratio.

Dinner - February 4, 2010

2010-02-04T22:43:00.002-05:00

Pizza for dinner - no cheese.

I made a recipe and a half of the 50% whole wheat crust from Kornfeld's Healty Hedonist. I made three pizzas and backed them one at a time on my mom's oven hearth insert. I thought they all turned out great.

Carmelized Onion: Sauteed 2 onions in olive oil, added 3 sprigs of thyme, 1 large clove of garlic, and some salt. Removed the sprigs, spread on crust, and added olives that were sliced in half.

Asparagus Pizza: Sauteed 2 shallots in olive oil, added asparagus pieces, covered for a bit to cook, sauteed with out the cover until nearly dry. Spread on pizza and drizzled with 1 tbsp olive oil.

Potato Pizza: Boiled potatoes for 10 minutes then cooled and sliced. Blanched 4 garlic cloves then cooled and sliced. Spread a 1 tsp of olive oil on crust. Spread potatoes and garlic on pizza. Sprinkled with chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper. Drizzled with 1 tbsp olive oil.

Baked them at 500 degrees for 10 minutes.

Served with a little green salad. We have enough pizza left for lunches tomorrow.

Lunch - February 4, 2010

2010-02-04T22:33:00.003-05:00

This morning I made chili and cornbread for our lunches. The night before we had some prepared soup and bread along side a big green salad for dinner. All of those ingredients were delivered by our new grocery service, Farm Fresh Delivery. It was great to have an easy, healthy, and tasty meal. Next time I will have to order enough for leftovers.

I am working on developing my own chili recipe. Below is a quick rundown on the ingredients.

Kristen's Chili - Try 1
1 onion chopped
2 shallots chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 jalapeño chopped
3 mini peppers chopped
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp cumin
8 oz seitan ground in food processor
2 tbsp tomato paste
12 oz chopped fire roasted tomatoes
1 14 oz can black beans rinsed
1 14 oz can chickpeas rinsed
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 tbsp lime juice
1/3 cup cilantro
Salt

Vegetable broth
Onion trimmings
Shallot trimmings
Carrot tops
Celery
Olive oil
Water

I made the broth as I was making the chili.

We both thought the chili was quite good. I had planned on developing a chili with pinto beans but I was pretty happy with the texture of the chickpeas today. I am not sure which way to go next.

Dinner - February 2, 2010

2010-02-02T21:17:00.003-05:00

This is Berley's Wehani and Wild Rice Stew with Cremini Mushrooms, Winter Squash, and Kale from Fresh Food Fast. I substituted another red rice for the Wehani rice. I also had to substitute some fresh oregano and dried sage for the fresh sage. I am never sure what to do with the slices of ginger with the peel on them after the rice is cooked. This time I put about half of them through the garlic press and added back into the stew. I also smashed the garlic and left it in the stew.

The toasted pumpkin seeds really make this dish. I served them hot off the frying pan so they were still popping and snapping on the table. I would say this is a nice dish for real vegetarians. I will be making it again but it I am not sure I would serve it to a guest.

My produce delivery started today. I am quite impressed with the condition of the produce. It all looked better than the grocery store selection. The real test will be how long the stuff lasts. I am really excited about this service and what it could mean to my life.

From Farm Fresh Delivery into this dish:
- Carrots
- Celery
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Acorn Squash
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Kale
- Cremini Mushrooms

I forgot to turn the flash on for this picture but I tried to save it in iPhoto.

Dinner - January 31. 2010

2010-02-02T21:02:00.004-05:00

This was Berley's Quinoa with Brussels Sprouts, Tempeh, and Toasted Almonds from Fresh Food Fast. I made a single recipe which was much easier as it fit nicely in the pan.

I used 1/4 cup of oil instead of the 1/3 of cup called for. With that modification I got 684 calories per servings for four servings.

I think this is a simple tasting dish that is very satisfying. I could serve it to vegetarians but I probably would pick something a little more fancy if I were going to being serving guests. This will remain a standard for me for week nights. The left overs make a nice lunch too.

Menu - Week of 1/31/10

2010-01-31T12:57:00.003-05:00

On the menu for the week:

Israeli Couscous & Mushroom Pilaf with Spiced Tofu
(A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen, Bishop)
with a green salad

Wehani & Wild Rice Stew with Cremini Mushrooms, Winter Squash and Kale
(Fresh Food Fast, Berley)

Indian-Spiced Cauliflower, Chickpeas, Potatoes, and Kale
(The Healthy Hedonist, Kornfeld)

Orecchiette with Spicy Broccoli
(The Complete Italian Vegetarian, Bishop)

Whole Wheat Pizza with Asparagus and Assorted Vegetables
(Crust from The Healthy Hedonist, Kornfeld)
with a bean salad

Lunch - January 30, 2010

2010-01-31T11:03:00.004-05:00

I created a make do lunch. I am going to call it Quick Tomato Pantry Soup.

1 large shallot finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 28oz can chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper
2 tbsp basil chopped

Saute the shallots in the olive oil in a chef's pot. Add the tomatoes and bring to a low boil. Mash tomatoes with a tomato masher. Add the chick peas and corn and heat through. Add the balsamic and salt and pepper. Stir in the basil and serve.

I am going to say this was 3 servings and tasted pretty good.

Dinner - January 29, 2010

2010-01-30T06:54:00.005-05:00

From my meal plan for the week we have Black Bean Tostadas with Cherry Tomato Salsa from Berley's Fresh Food Fast. We have liked this recipe for years and have served it to guests.

This night I tried reducing the lime juice in the salsa to half and doubling the black beans in the black bean and seitan mixture. I rounded the measures on the spices to compensate for the extra beans. I used a potato masher to smash some of the beans while they were cooking. I put about half of the seeds and core from the jalapeno in the salsa and that was plenty hot for me.

I think these adjustments are improvements. Next time I think I will try and make a little more salsa to balance the increase in the bean mixture.

I made up all ten of the tortillas in the package into tostadas. Two is probably a meal but I think someone ate four.

Dinner - January 18, 2010

2010-01-30T06:43:00.003-05:00

We have two dishes here based on the memory of some recipes. The roasted vegetables are based on Immer's Spicy Roasted Cauliflower and Okra. The beans are based on the white beans from the Pork Tenerloin with Pistachio-Gremolata Crust recipe from Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy.

For the vegetables I substituted bell peppers and zucchini for the okra. I varied the spices and used whole mustard seeds.

For the beans I used lime in place of the lemon, cilantro in place of the parsley, and avocado in place of the nuts and breadcrumbs.

I found the meal satisfying. We were looking for a meal with no pasta or rice and this fit the bill. For a refrigerator clean-out meal I will call it a success.

Dinner - January 17, 2010

2010-01-30T06:34:00.004-05:00

This is a variation on Immer's Linguine with Walnuts, Arugula, and Olives. Here we have broccoli rabe in place of the arugula. I blanched the chopped rabe in the pasta water before I cooked the pasta. I also used 50% whole wheat spaghetti in place of the linguine and left out the cheese.

Checking my notes it says that I used two bunches of broccoli rabe and chopped them into 2 inch pieces. I blanched them for 1 minute and then sauteed.

We loved this dish. These are strong flavors so I would be reluctant to serve it to most guests but I think those that really love food will appreciate it.

Lunch - January 9, 2010

2010-01-27T05:46:00.003-05:00

I made a last minute trip with my mom down to see my sister and her family before I started my new job. I took three recipes with me from Kornfeld's The Healthy Hedonist. One was the standard Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry. The second was this salad, Asian Chicken Salad with Crisoy Wonton Strips, that can be made with the same Glazed Tofu. The third was Spinach-Tofu Wontons which is a version of ravioli in red sauce. I picked them because they were three very different dishes that were tied together by several ingredients.

Matt and I had enjoyed this salad before with the tofu. On this day we tried it with the chicken. I didn't have breasts on the bone with skin but rubbed some boneless, skinless breasts with olive oil. I also opted to replace the watercress with arugula. Both of these substitutions worked well. I think I do like the dish better with the tofu because you add a little sweetness.

Menu - Week of 1/24/10

2010-01-24T14:36:00.003-05:00

Here are my menu ideas for the week.

Black Bean Tostadas with Cherry Tomato Salsa
(Berley's Fresh Food Fast)

Quinoa with Brussels Sprouts, Tempeh, and Toasted Almonds
(Berley's Fresh Food Fast)

Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes, Olives, Capers, and Basil
(Bishop's Vegetables Every Day)

Linguine with Walnuts, Arugula, and Olives
(Immer's Everyday Dining with Wine)

Tofu and Vegetable Stir-fry
(Kornfeld's Healthy Hedonist)

Breakfasts will be smoothies or oatmeal with fruit. Lunches will be leftovers with green salads.

My Shopping List (since I already have some ingredients):
1 pint - cherry tomatoes
1 small red onion
1 bunch cilantro
2 limes
1 jalapeno
3 yellow onion
2 clove garlic
2 head romaine
3 red bell pepper
1 lb brussels sprouts
1 lemon
1 lb green beans
1 small package basil
1 box arugula
6 oranges
10 bananas
3 apples
3 lb grapes
1 head red lettuce

1 package of seitan, 8oz
1 gallon unsweetened soy milk

1 package wheat tortillas
1 can black beans, 15 oz
1 can chipotle in adobo
1 can chopped tomatoes, 14 oz
1 jar black olives, pitted
1 can chickpeas, 15oz
1 box whole wheat linguine, 12 oz
1 jar maple syrup

frozen cherries
frozen blackberries
frozen smoothie fruit

Dinner - January 4, 2010

2010-01-06T07:46:00.002-05:00

My purple cauliflower turned blue and helped me create this red, white, and blue meal. I say it is pretty damn American for not containing any beef.

This is Braised Tempeh with Curried Coconut Sauce from the Healthy Hedonist. I used hard cider for the apple juice and some of the water. I had to fake the spices and skip the dried coconut garnish. I also substituted half the amount of full fat coconut milk for the light type. I guess this is really not all that close to the recipe.

I enjoyed it but was not that impressed. I did keep going back for more so it worked well in a comfort food kind of way. I do think the tempeh ended up a little too salty.

I will not be making this for anyone else but when the ingredients end up in my refrigerator, I would try it again.

Dinner - September 27, 2009

2010-01-05T06:34:00.005-05:00

Can you name this vegetable?

This was a vegetable that I got at the Farmers' Fair in Newport. This was a great little festival where they paired local growers with local chefs and sold tastes of some great dishes for rather low prices. The next day they did a traditional farmers' market.

I don't remember what this vegetable was called. I was told you could put it in salad or cook it. I went in between and used it like I use bok choy in the Eating Well salad Asian Slaw with Tofu & Shiitake Mushrooms. The recipe can be found here.

To go with this dish it looks like I tried my hand at making Szechuan Green (and yellow) Beans. I recall we liked this dish but I haven't found my notes on how I did it. I think this was a mixture of recipes I found on the internet.

This is the last picture from my old camera.

Dinner - Sepember 26, 2009

2010-01-05T06:28:00.003-05:00

I am now recalling that the ratatouille that I made the day before had jalapenos in it that were very spicy resulting in a lot of left overs. Here I served it with some rice, re-fried beans, sauteed corn, and fresh salsa to mellow it out a bit. I believe we thought this was great. The roasted vegetables added that fajita flavor to the meal.

Dinner - September 25, 2009

2010-01-05T06:23:00.003-05:00

I am guessing we have oven roasted ratatouille here. I suppose it is really not so surprising that in January I can not remember what I cooked in September. I hope this post will remind me to tend to my cooking notes promptly.

Breakfast - September 25, 2009

2009-11-18T09:39:00.006-05:00

I enjoyed this bread for breakfast, but I made it the day before and ate quite a bit that day too. The recipe is called Whole-Wheat Flatbread with Grapes and comes from the www.culinate.com website and can be found here.

I found an error on the recipe which I mentioned in the comments of the site. It looks like they straightened it out pretty quickly.

Mostly the recipe came together well. The sugar on the grapes on top became liquid and ran off the end of the bread and provided a little too much caramelizing on the bottom of the pan.

I plan to make this again when we have company.

Update: Found some notes on making this. I reduced the recipe so that I was at just 3 total cups of flour so I could make the dough in the food processor. When I put it in the baking sheet I went to about an inch from the edge.

Dinner - September 24, 2009

2009-11-15T11:47:00.004-05:00

I was making Berley's quinoa salad and just liked this image. Cooling green beans on a towel instead of running them under water does leave them in a nice condition and I now use this technique in many recipes.

Information on the recipe can be found on old posts here and here.

Dinner - September 22, 2009

2009-11-15T11:28:00.005-05:00

Yellow oyster mushrooms (before) are pictured above. Yellow oyster mushroom (after) with some flat green beans are pictured below. This is again based on the Eating Well recipe that can be found here.

Myra Kornfeld's The Healthy Hedonist has become one of my favorite cookbooks. I don't think I go a week without hitting it. The dish below is Glazed Tofu (with brocolli added) which is part of her Tofu and Vegetable Stir-Fry. The stir-fry is a great dish and works with a lot of vegetable substitutions. I have posted on this one before where I served it with some noodles. You can find the old post here. On this day I just made the Glazed Tofu step and added broccoli.

Lunch - September 22, 2009

2009-11-15T11:26:00.003-05:00

This looks to be a quick lunch of greens and a nice dressing. I just need to remember the dressing.

Dinner - September 21, 2009

2009-11-15T11:25:00.001-05:00

For a starter we had a "Tomato & Bread Salad with Basil" that I made up. When I was packing Matt's lunch I cut off the end piece of the whole wheat bread that was starting to dry up. I cubed it and left it on a plate to finish drying during the day. For the salad I mashed 1 small clove of garlic with some salt. I chopped two large tomatoes (one red and one yellow) and mixed with the garlic. I chopped a handful of basil and mixed it in. I added a teaspoon or so of balsamic vinegar and tossed in the bread cubes. I tossed and served the two of us. This was good but I add some course salt when I served it that ended up being just a bit too much.

For the entree we had a curry from Berley's Flexitarian Table called "Lentil and Rhubarb Curry with Potatoes and Peas". I did not have the ginger or the shallots. I used all onion, oil in place of the ghee, and added a bit of prepared curry powder along with a bit of ground ginger. I doubled the red pepper flakes and upped the garlic cloves by one. I also used regular lentils in place of the french lentils and did no soaking ahead of time.

We both liked this. It did not work out as perfectly as the last time I made it but I thought it was still pretty good. I think trying to compare it to our carry out curries doesn't work since they rely so heavily on cream and fat to taste good. This is a nice healthy basic curry to make when ever you have some rhubarb around. I would say this could feed 4 if served with some bread.

The Last Day My Camera Worked

2009-11-15T10:59:00.002-05:00

The last day my camera worked was 10/29/2009.

I was just flipping through my blog and saw some recipes that I had forgotten about and thought this whole picture and posting thing might be worth it. I downloaded 176 pictures from my camera to get posting and confirmed what I had been suspecting, the camera is not recording any image data.

It is saving files with additional data. The flash and all the other controls are working. The shutter is opening. The screen shows no picture data but it is powered and shows all of the menu data. Somewhere inside the camera the picture data is lost.

I will start my new camera research. Advice is welcomed.

I do have a month of images for posts so I will get to work on those.

New Addition to the Kitchen

2009-10-04T17:57:00.003-04:00

I finally added a butcher block table to my kitchen. I have been looking at options since the spring. You can find an old post here.

The top and legs from Ikea cost $138 with tax. The mineral oil to treat it cost $5 from Ace hardware in Clifton.

I may still move the legs but I am very happy with it. While it makes my kitchen smaller it makes my work space and outlook so much better.

Lunch - September 20, 2009

2009-10-04T17:50:00.002-04:00

After a rainy morning at the farmers' market, I relaxed with some fresh bread, a Norther Spy apple, and a steaming cup of coffee.

Dinner - Sepember 18, 2009

2009-10-04T17:41:00.002-04:00

That is real shrimp you see in the picture. For the last year we had been following the rule that we would eat a herbivore diet at home and then twice a week when eating at a restaurant or as a guest, we would eat meat and dairy. With the new frugality with which we are living the restaurant dining has gone away, so we are going to add the occasional meat or cheese item back into our diets at home.

This was a home made tomato sauce from local tomatoes served with the shrimp and 50% whole wheat pasta. We enjoyed this with a nice Barola that Matt got me several years ago.

I am not going to rate this recipe or tag it. It was indulgent and fun and tasted pretty good.

Lunch - September 11, 2009

2009-10-04T17:32:00.004-04:00

I was home alone and whipped this up for myself for lunch. I will call it Not Really Re-fried Beans and Fresh Salsa. I don't remember exactly what I did but my current guess follows.

For the beans I sauteed an onion in some olive oil. I then added a drained can of pinto beans while reserving the liquid. I added some cumin and mashed the beans with a potato masher while they cooked. I then worked in the reserved liquid until it was the consistency I wanted.

For the salsa I mashed a clove of garlic and mixed it with some salt. I chopped up some cherry tomatoes, a very small red onion, and a dark red bell pepper and tossed them with the garlic. I believe I added a dash of Adobo sauce from some chipotle peppers I had in the fridge.

Very satisfying and easy.

Dinner - September 8, 2009

2009-10-04T17:31:00.000-04:00

I tried the Three Sisters' Stew with Okra and Leeks from Berley's Fresh Food Fast again. This time I backed off on the jalapeno to about a half of a large one. I also made my own pinto beans.

The result was a stew where the spice just added to the flavor of the dish. I could have gone for a little more spice. Since the pepper is the first thing in the pot it is hard to gauge.

Matt rounded out the meal for us this time with some corn chips.

I made the recipe from gathering the ingredients to ready to serve in under an hour. It is a nice one pot meal where you can chop the veggies as you go.

Dinner - September 7, 2009

2009-10-04T17:24:00.000-04:00

This would not be a typical summer meal but I had some older green beans to use up. I stated with Bishop's Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes, Olives, Capers and Basil recipe from Vegetables Every Day. From there I used a 28 oz can of Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes, 20 olives, 1 tbsp capers, 6 cloves garlic, added 1 lb of eggplant, and added 1 can of white navy beans. I also had to substitute parsley for the basil.

For the 1 lb of green beans I used 12 oz of green beans and 4 oz of yellow wax beans. The eggplant were 4 small white globes with a purple blush. I only peeled the eggplant where there were blemishes and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces.

I cooked this up in my dutch oven.

Yum. I really liked this and plan to make it a regular for us. Matt said it is comfort food. Prep is easy.

Dinner - September 5, 2009

2009-10-01T10:14:00.003-04:00

This is a version of a recipe from Eating Well modified for the produce I had on hand. The recipe is called Asian Slaw with Tofu & Shiitake Mushrooms and can be found on the Eating Well website.

I used regular cabbage for the napa cabbage. I used broccoli which I cooked in advance for the bok choy, and I used regular tofu in place of the silken. I let the tofu drain for a while and then dry it in a dish towel before marinating. I use peanut oil in place of the canola oil.

You can find my previous post here.

Lunch - Septpember 4, 2009

2009-10-01T09:34:00.004-04:00

This is Gazpacho Salad from The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas. This is the vegetarian cookbook that my mom had when I was growing up. I guess I nabbed her copy when I was in college. I recently purged my cookbooks but I held on to this one from 1972.

I added chickpeas to the salad to make it a meal. The recipe says to use firm tomatoes which would help limit all the extra liquid I had, but when you have ripe tomatoes you just can't pass them up. It is the nice dressing that makes this more than just chopped vegetables

I like chopping and I don't like turning on the stove so this is a good recipe for me. I have made a less soupy version of this for sharing at picnics.

Dinner - September 3, 2009

2009-10-01T09:19:00.004-04:00

Again, I revisited a favorite. This recipe is Three Sisters Stew with Okra and Leeks from Berley's Fresh Food Fast. Have I mentioned how much I love cookbooks organized by season?

I used purple okra and tomatillos. I had no cilantro for garnish and of course I skipped the sour cream for garnish. I also used olive oil in place of the butter. Besides this full oil try, I have made this recipe with half the oil and with none of the oil and have enjoyed all.

My notes say start to finish in under an hour and that you can chop the vegetables as you go.

I think that you can consider this a complete meal because of the beans. If I were going to serve this to a guests I would probably add some cornbread or some other starch on the side. I will stick with the taste rating of 4 that I gave it before but this is really good and I hope everyone tries it.

You can find a previous post here.

Dinner - August 30, 2009

2009-10-01T09:04:00.004-04:00

One more go on a favorite. This is from the recipe Chilled Tomato Soup, with Shallots, Cucumbers, and Corn from Berleys' Fresh Food Fast. I took this over to Kevin's to share for dinner.

I say taste your cucumber and if it is strong, reduce it. I think the corn can be upped a bit. I used red onion in place of the shallot because that is all I found at the market. The shallot adds a little complexity.

I made a double recipe and that served the three of us along side some grilled food with one serving left for lunch. The recipe says it serves 4 but that would be just a small cup.

Previous posts:
cold-soup-for-hot-weather
dinner-without-photos

Snack - Septpember 27, 2009

2009-09-27T17:35:00.005-04:00

I have been trying to post my meals in order no matter how far behind I am. Today I am scrapping that procedure to bring you the pawpaw. I have been waiting to try one for years and just had to post now.

As I understand it the pawpaw does not have any shelf life. I bought 6 today thinking that half were ready to eat today and the other half will be ready tomorrow.

I had read that the simpliest way to enjoy them is cut them in half and eat the fruit like a custard. I would say that is a great way to eat them and it is custard like. The flavor was something like a tropical jellybean mixed with butterscotch or vanilla pudding. I enjoyed.

Dinner - August 29, 2009

2009-09-12T16:51:00.002-04:00

Some summer classics again.
Gazpacho. My previous post with the basil croutons can be found here. The recipe can be found at http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Shrimp-Gazpacho-with-Basil-Croutons-12647. This one lacks the croutons and the shrimp. I have been out of red wine vinegar all summer so I have been using sherry vinegar.

"Green Beans and Potatoes with Pesto". The recipe is from Jack Bishop's The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook. I used half yellow wax beans. You can find a previous post here.

The tomatoes and green beans are from my dad's garden. The rest of the ingredients (except for the olive oil and vinegar) are from the Hyde Park Farmers' Market.

Dinner - August 26, 2009

2009-09-12T16:50:00.005-04:00

When the camera battery is low the auto-focus does not appear to work.

The first picture is a Tomato Curry. The recipe is from a cookbook that I already returned to the library. It was tasty but not what I expected. I had cooked up some yellow split peas over which I was going to serve the curry. I ended up just mixing them into the curry and calling it soup. It was a nice taste with the fresh heirloom cherry tomatoes of strange colors but anything is good with that much coconut milk.

The second recipe was the topping from Jack Bishop's recipe "Crisp Tortillas with Pattypan Squash, Eggplant, and Tomato." The recipe can be found in A year in the Vegetarian Kitchen. I did not use the tortillas or the queso fresco. I believe I doubled the rest of the recipe. This was again not what I was expecting but pretty good. The lime and chipotle chile gave the dish some variety from a regular ratatouille.

I enjoyed both dishes but I would say they have a little work to become regulars. I am giving these a taste rating of "have potential" and I really mean they have a lot of potential. Cooking up lentils, soup, and veggies separately was a lot of work so as a whole I would say this was a weekend meal but the individual dishes all have weeknight potential.

Dinner - August 13, 2009

2009-09-12T16:47:00.005-04:00

Lazy and rather lame dinner of whole wheat pasta in fresh tomato sauce with some strange and all together too firm mushrooms. This dish can also be called "Nothing Left in the Kitchen to Eat."

Dinner - August 12, 2009

2009-09-12T16:45:00.004-04:00

We had a first course of fresh tomatoes and basil with chickpeas in a room temperature salad. After enjoying the salad I started cooking dinner.

Later for the second course we had a version of Eating Well's Five-Vegetable Curry. You can find my original post here. This time I had no sweet potato so I used carrots as a substitute. Still a great dish and a good way to eat eggplant.

I am still giving this a taste rating of a 4 but it is good enough to serve to meat eaters. The dish is just more of an everyday dish. Maybe next time I will think of a way to fancy it up a bit.

Dinner - August 5, 2009

2009-09-09T07:58:00.004-04:00

Here is one of my favorites again. This is from Berley's The Flexitarian Table. The recipe is called "Quinoa Salad with Green Beans, Corn, and Tomatoes." You can see it with a post of the full meal here.

I finally spotted some red quinoa at Bigg's this week. I will have to try this again.

I am giving it a week night rating for preparation but please see the caveats in previous post noted above.

Dinner - August 4, 2009

2009-09-09T07:22:00.002-04:00

This is gazpacho with basil croutons. This was made from a recipe you can find on epicurious.com called Shrimp Gazpacho with Basil Croutons. I left out the shrimp and I used an excellent mild sour dough bread for the croutons.

You do not need to chop all the veggies up like the recipe says. The half that go in the food processor can just be chunked. This saves a lot of time but if you are going to make the croutons this might be hard to pull off after work and get everything to cool. I make it for weeknights but I have my system down.

Matt first made this gazpacho over 10 years ago and it is the standard for us.

Dinner - August 2, 2009

2009-09-09T07:14:00.003-04:00

This is a tomato soup with mushrooms from a mushroom cookbook I got from the library. The soup calls for a little bit of beet in the soup. I am going to guess this is for color. The soup was fine.
The salad was simply dressed greens with new potatoes and sauteed oyster mushrooms. The salad was fine.

I will say that these dishes have potential. I am imagining that a french bistro that is just around the corner from here could do some very nice versions of these dishes. It think this combination could also make for a nice meal.

Dinner - August 1, 2009

2009-09-09T07:06:00.002-04:00

This does not look good. The squash on the left is a yellow zucchini. While the flavor was good it was too large and seedy for this preparation.

The dish on the right was a sad version of olives, walnuts, and arugula on spaghetti squash. I really need to give up on the spaghetti squash as pasta substitute.

We both ate this meal because it was healthy. It did taste better than it looked but I would avoid making both dishes in this way in the future.

Dinner - July 31, 2009

2009-09-07T15:55:00.003-04:00

Again, I have no idea what this is. It looks to have broccoli, tofu, and mushrooms. Was there a peanut sauce?

UPDATE: I found an entry in my calorie tracker for that day. I called the recipe "Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Tofu in Peanut Sauce" but I credited no source so maybe I did make it up.

This makes 4 servings. One serving had 377 calories.

Here is a general list of ingredients:
4 tsp peanut oil
4 cups broccoli
1 cup cooked shiitakes
1 block tofu
2 tbsp peanut butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp mirin
2 garlic cloves
3 tsp grated ginger
serve over 3 cups of cooked brown rice

Dinner - July 27, 2009

2009-09-07T15:49:00.004-04:00

I can't remember this meal. It appears to be zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, and kidney beans tossed with some pasta. I am guessing that I just improvised.

Matt does not recall it either. I am hungry right now so I think it sounds pretty good. I guess this is why I have to keep track at the time.

UPDATE: I found an entry in my calorie tracker for that day. I called the recipe "Zucchini and Pasta with Tomato and Pinto Beans" but I credited no source so maybe I did make it up.

This makes 4 servings. One serving had 408 calories.

Here is a general list of ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
7 cups zucchini
8 oz of pasta
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 can pinto beans

Lunch - July 21, 2009

2009-09-07T15:42:00.004-04:00

A potluck of leftovers for lunch also known as sauteed zucchini tossed in a tomato sauce served with quinoa-grits polenta cakes. It was more than healthy and since it was leftovers it was easy. You can check out the original polenta cake post here.

Dinner - July 20, 2009

2009-09-06T12:33:00.002-04:00

I had some lion's mane mushrooms to try. The grower said to use any recipe that you make with crab and substitute the mushrooms. I didn't have one but I found an old Eating Well recipe that we used to make with canned clams. I figured they are both seafood and both start with "c."

The base recipe was "Linguine with Clam Sauce" from The Eating Well Rush Hour Cookbook. I upped to 2 tbsp the olive oil, used 4 oz of mushroom in place of the clams, left out the clam juice, and used about 5 oz of thin whole wheat spaghetti. This modified version served 2 at 570 calories each.

The base recipe was "Sicilian-Style Broccoli" from The Eating Well Rush Hour Cookbook. I upped to 1 tbsp the olive oil, used 10 oz of green beans cut into 2 inch pieces, and tossed in a tbsp of the herbs from the clam sauce. I boiled the green beans for 5 minutes in the pasta water and then cooled on a dish towel. When time to eat I sauteed the capers and garlic and then through the beans in for about 3 minutes. This made 2 servings at 110 calories each.

The mushroom had a great texture and the dish was a reasonable success but the mushrooms did not quite work out like seafood. I can't remember what we thought of the green beans.

Lunch - July 20, 2009

2009-09-06T12:24:00.004-04:00

An easy lunch of a formerly frozen Amy's Roasted Vegetable Pizza from some Kroger store combined with a nice salad.

Add a fresh salad to any frozen entree and you have a relatively healthy meal that may keep you from ordering pizza. I try not to feel guilty about these meals.