Dinner - February 24, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.