tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-544035108154536762024-03-13T02:05:52.670-07:00South Austin Vegan Dinner Co-opWe are four moms busy with young children. So, we decided to form a dinner co-op. Each of us has one designated day per week on which we cook a strictly vegan dinner for all four families and deliver to them. Each person only cooks on the one day but enjoys four freshly cooked dinners each week. This blog is a tool we will use, as desired, for presenting recipes and sharing information.Karen Adamohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583899938690587485noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-17257152555001211812010-12-22T08:25:00.000-08:002010-12-22T08:30:34.605-08:00Spinach Lasagna and Gingerbread CookiesWow! We haven't been updating the blog, have we? Coop's still going strong, though we are currently at 3 members: me, Claire, and Erika. We're working on adding a fourth back in after the holidays.<br /><br />For Monday, I made a spinach lasagna with tofu ricotta. The recipe came highly recommended by friends and is in Joanna Vaught's The Yellow Rose Cookbook. I liked it; I did not love love it. But it was still very good.<br /><br />I also made <a href="http://www.theppk.com/2008/12/the-ghost-of-gingerbread-past/">gingerbread cookies</a>, ala the Post Punk Kitchen. These are always delish and the girls had a grand time <del>making some of their own</del> eating raw (vegan) dough.Sunnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17178023882383903984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-11933450871419392882010-10-19T20:31:00.000-07:002010-10-19T20:41:57.741-07:00Vaguely European eveningI try to keep meals coherent within one region, so today was Continental European-ish. I served <a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=10328.0">French Onion Soup</a>, <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/baguettes-recipe">baguettes</a>, <a href="http://vegetarian.about.com/od/saucesdipsspreads/r/walnutpate.htm">mushroom-walnut pate</a>, and a salad with roasted chickpeas. <div><br /></div><div>Keeping in mind that I haven't had true French Onion soup in 10 years (since we went vegetarian), I really liked this soup! Perhaps a little salty? But maybe that's a benefit, since you're supposed to float croutons in it. I didn't pre-slice or toast the baguettes, but that was an option. The mushroom pate was phenomenal on the baguettes as well. </div><div><br /></div><div>Speaking of baguettes, this round (with fresh yeast) was much better than last week's! I also added a smidge more water to the dough, and it rose beautifully. Unfortunately, my oven got too hot, so the tops got too brown. 20 hours of preparation, scorched in the last 5 minutes! They didn't taste burnt, so I served them anyways. </div><div><br /></div><div>I provided roasted chickpeas with the salad to give it a bit more body, since onion soup is a bit thin, baguettes aren't exactly filling, and there wasn't a ton of pate. I love eating these chickpeas while watching a movie, but it's very easy to eat way more calories than you intended! The recipe is from <i>Vegan Lunchbox</i>.</div>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02503319755093772976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-37471768515437523162010-10-12T21:37:00.000-07:002010-10-12T21:45:26.149-07:00Gumbo with Andouille Sausage, Rice, and BreadI decided to do a gumbo this week since it was the last week for okra at Boggy Creek Farm. I bookmarked a lot of recipes and eventually decided on <a href="http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2008/05/gumbo-with-vegan-andouille-sausage.html">this one</a> from VeganDad. Amazing. He used the base sausage recipe from PostPunkKitchen and made it cajun. When we finished steaming them and cooled one down enough to try it, our jaws dropped. Oh my, wonderful. Definitely making these on a regular basis for David's protein fiending! They softened a bit soaking in the gumbo overnight, but they were just perfect right after cooking. <div><br /></div><div>I was going to do southern-style collards to serve on the side, but instead, just subbed collards for the handfuls of baby spinach originally used in the recipe. </div><div><br /></div><div>I attempted french baguettes using a King Arther Flour recipe, but that was a bust. I probably need new yeast, I don't think I made the dough moist enough, and I don't think I kneaded it enough. All three things combined for a super dense loaf, although the slow rise did make for excellent flavor and a nice crispy crust. Obviously, the faults were not in the recipe, so I will try again in the hope that practice makes perfect!</div>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02503319755093772976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-26616885506265758452010-10-12T07:03:00.000-07:002010-10-12T07:14:31.543-07:00Cashew CurryI adore <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/">Heidi Swanson</a> and I often turn to her when I have no idea what to cook. So many of her recipes are so simple but yummy. In this particular case, David thought I could have upped the curry powder, but since I wasn't 100% sure at the time that I was adding curry powder since it wasn't labeled, I erred on the side of caution. (It was curry powder). Someday I'll make my own curry blend which is also included in the recipe <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/cashew-curry-recipe.html">here</a>.<br /><br />I served the curry with brown basmati rice, marinated cucumbers and pumpkin muffins (via the Post Punk Kitchen <a href="http://www.theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=72">recipe</a>).<br /><br />p.s. I am so excited because I just ordered Heidi's cookbook, Supernatural Cooking!Sunnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17178023882383903984noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-72642447189345495292010-10-06T19:20:00.000-07:002010-10-06T19:26:15.932-07:00Sweet Potato and Lentil CurryThis week's meal was one of my old Red Tent standards. I got the recipe from a vegan forum eons ago, and I have since lost the attribution, but it's simply onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, and lentils, cooked in vegetable broth and fabulously seasoned with curry powder and cumin. Amazing! <div><br /></div><div>I served it with plain long grain white rice, and a side of Browned Onions & Collard Greens from Madhur Jaffrey's <i>World Vegetarian</i>. I had forgotten how much Graiden loves well-cooked, well-seasoned collards, but he devoured a pile of them, and even Casper got in on the act. After simmering for an hour, they don't require a lot of jaw strength or perseverance to eat! I happily polished off the rest of the bowl. </div>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02503319755093772976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-6730061641056216532010-10-04T19:28:00.000-07:002010-10-04T19:35:19.568-07:00Moosewood strikes again!Sorry for my lack of posts lately. September was a crazy, heady month. I hope October remains a little more calm. <br /><br />I wanted to make soup for tonight's meal b/c I recieved a new immersion blender for my birthday. So, I perused all my cookbooks and picked out Moosewood's Golden Split Pea soup. It has undertones of cinnamon, cardamom, cumin and turmeric in it, as well as sweet potatoes, yellow split peas and tomatoes. It was served with plain soy yogurt (which I swirled in very prettily and neglected to take a picture of) and chopped cilantro.<br /><br />I paired it with a papaya salad that was a riff on a mango salad in the same cookbook. The original called for cucumbers, mangos and green peppers. I opted for cucumbers, papayas and pineapple. Mixed in were coconut, a dressing of lime juice and a little brown sugar and a Fresno pepper for a bit of spice.<br /><br />I was going to send homemade bread with the meal, but got my dough making started too late yesterday to give loaves an adequate rise. Still, I am using the artisan bread dough that keeps in the fridge and the dough looks lovely so there's hope for homemade bread in the weeks to come. Standing in for my bread were fresh loaves of sourdough from the Whole Foods bakery.<br /><br />Happy October, everyone. Welcome to fall.Sunnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17178023882383903984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-91003159233261418432010-10-02T14:48:00.000-07:002010-10-02T14:51:14.828-07:00Chili.......For my meal this week, I made a Fall Chili. It had pumpkin in it, winter squash, black beans, and other ingredients that made it a hearty meal. I opted for TVP chunks to give it that chili taste. I also threw in some chipotle chiles. The chili was flavorful, but I felt it didn't have enough heat in the pepper department. I might add some cayenne next time I make it. <br /><br />I served the Fall Chili with homemade bread and molasses cookies.two vegan boyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17319467910257963068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-68599060719694333682010-09-28T18:43:00.001-07:002010-09-28T18:49:05.854-07:00Broccoli Quiche and Waldorf SaladIt's brunch for dinner! I used the Classic Broccoli Quiche recipe from <i>Vegan Brunch </i>and served it with a veganized <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/waldorf_salad/">Waldorf Salad</a> over baby greens. I haven't had waldorf salad in years, but I suddenly craved it with this quiche. A bit of quick googling, and it turns out that it's super easy to veganize. Just substitute the super-tasty Vegenaise for mayo, and voila! I even used the Omega-3 version of Vegenaise, so that makes it healthy, right? RIGHT?<div><br /></div><div>I admitted my time constraints this week and used store-bought crusts, but I really like <a href="http://whollywholesome.com/products/pie-shells.php">this</a> brand, so it worked out okay. They're flaky, don't leave a greasy mouth after-feel, and they're only $3.50 for two. </div><div><br /></div><div>Both my kids enjoyed this meal, and the older went so far as to ask for the leftovers in his school lunch tomorrow. I would have gladly eaten the last piece, but I suppose my desire for easy lunch packing trumps my desire to overeat :) </div>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02503319755093772976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-49779644170141517662010-09-28T08:59:00.001-07:002010-09-28T09:02:04.520-07:00Curry in a hurry.....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKXeUB8wu9mk8s1YfiEUbHYjgrSrrf3bX7cxUiGgnI151rynRvB5J6MS8qdyCRjhfg1g0pt-rlS8NbSkZGFcIPFG9Qjyl1fbJX2KqaNM3eltTuNOAqNTKcU-IbGcUawS_C9KYXgYaeSY/s1600/sept26+1900.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521995201937695538" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrKXeUB8wu9mk8s1YfiEUbHYjgrSrrf3bX7cxUiGgnI151rynRvB5J6MS8qdyCRjhfg1g0pt-rlS8NbSkZGFcIPFG9Qjyl1fbJX2KqaNM3eltTuNOAqNTKcU-IbGcUawS_C9KYXgYaeSY/s320/sept26+1900.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>For my meal last week I made curried mustard greens with chickpeas and rice. I also made chocolate pudding for dessert. I like how mustard greens add its own natural spice to a dish. And who doesn't love pudding. Mmm mmm.</div><br /><div></div>two vegan boyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17319467910257963068noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-71675655275394632232010-09-17T06:39:00.000-07:002010-09-17T06:46:59.900-07:00I'm back.....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtEbfGXsso3wm9iDsFNIhogtfg64T6FQHN-9Q_ViI4rRm6VyBJYVOaA3To82ZTVKiynQkwYLzNfDA4kZ8w9jr0n8hLv2szgU_p-d4XUX1o1sH2Z3Xe809XvgS7JKKyGUSkl4Hbw_oh84/s1600/sept17+1848.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517878267900017394" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtEbfGXsso3wm9iDsFNIhogtfg64T6FQHN-9Q_ViI4rRm6VyBJYVOaA3To82ZTVKiynQkwYLzNfDA4kZ8w9jr0n8hLv2szgU_p-d4XUX1o1sH2Z3Xe809XvgS7JKKyGUSkl4Hbw_oh84/s320/sept17+1848.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Did you miss me? Hee hee. I am back cooking with the co-op after taking a break during the summer. It is nice to be back with such wonderful ladies and good cooks.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>For my co-op meal this week, I cooked New Orleans red beans with andouille sausage, rice, and cornbread. I also made brownies. Simple yet tasty.</div><br /><div></div>two vegan boyshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17319467910257963068noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-72638658609020589032010-07-20T19:09:00.000-07:002010-07-20T19:15:52.142-07:00Taco salad TuesdayIn keeping with things that can be eaten room temperature/chilled, today I served a taco salad. I made ground tofu with taco seasonings and simple black beans for the protein, served on top of shredded green & red leaf lettuce. I also provided chopped red onion & chopped tomato for garnish. The whole thing was topped off with a "honey" lime cilantro <a href="http://fatfreeveganblog.com/dressings/honey.shtml">dressing</a> from FatFreeVegan.com. I did omit the artichoke hearts from the dressing because I just wasn't going to buy a whole jar to use 1 as a thickener! The dressing was a little thin as a result, but still tasty, I thought.<br /><br />This whole meal was extremely low fat, with no added fat or oils at all. I sauteed onion & minced mushrooms before adding the seasoned tofu to the pan to give the whole shebang a more savory & rich flavor without using the oil I would normally splash in there.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02503319755093772976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-34409521615797575692010-07-13T17:55:00.000-07:002010-07-13T18:02:44.604-07:00Expanding the summer repertoireIn my summer quest to use the oven & stove only when absolutely necessary, dinner tonight was a raw kale salad and a cooked-but-served-cold bean & tomato "salad." I put salad in quotes there because although the recipe uses the term, it is obviously a loose translation. Really, it's more of a curry consistency, slightly saucy & good for mopping up with flatbread. For being so incredibly simple, it had good flavor and was enjoyed by every member of this family. The baby was wolfing down the beans faster than I could separate them out! My 4yo even said "Mama, thank you for making this dinner. I really liked EVERYTHING! Can I have more kale?" Wow! (I never get thank yous. This was jaw-dropping.)<br /><br />Both recipes were from the internet. Here is the <a href="http://blog.seattlepi.com/sassycitygirl/archives/212440.asp">original kale salad</a> recipe. I modified it as follows: halved the oil & sunflower seeds, omitted the currants & gorgonzola. Next time, I might try creating a marinated tofu "feta" to mix in, but I didn't want to get too crazy with a a meal I had to serve to other families too! The beans were from <a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=4849.0">vegweb</a>. I admit I went hunting for a pinto bean recipe since I had just stashed 7 "cans" worth in the freezer & needed to use some to make space for chickpeas! Now that I think about it, I bet it would have been extra delicious (and rich) to put a dollop of the walnut-bread sauce from two weeks ago on top! Maybe I'll try that next time.Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02503319755093772976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-20094923321856611862010-07-03T22:07:00.000-07:002014-12-14T14:07:59.136-08:00Beet Hummus and Polenta baked with Tomatoes, Corn, and BasilThere had been quite a buzz on the AM list that spilled over into FB, about this <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/beet_hummus/">Beet Hummus</a> recipe. I first tried it and took it on my cooking date (fairly daring given he is an Israeli foodie. I'm happy to say he loved it). I was happy to use the co-op as an excuse to make more of it. The other time I made it, I didn't realize I was out of tahini, and though several websites assured me you could make it yourself in a blender, I went through two different processors and a blender before resorting to my mortar and pestle. Worked really well, though with more texture than regular tahini, that's for sure. THis time around I bought tahini, so probably what takes the longest is just boiling the beets before throwing everything in the blender. I served the hummus with more of that yummy flatbread that Claire had served us the previous week with daal. That was what got me to finally join Costco, helped along by a reduced price membership coupon from my Amex card.<br />
<br />
The Baked Polenta dish is another of my favourite summer meals from Annie Somerville's Fields of Greens, recipe book from Greens Restaurant. I just had to veganize the polenta, and the cheese topping. Prompted by Claire's suggestion of replacing the cheese in the polenta with nutritional yeast, I went searching on the web, and found this <a href="http://brokeassgourmet.com/articles/nutritional-yeast-polenta-cakes-with-savory-black-bean-sauce-and-collard-greens">Nutritional Yeast Polenta Cakes </a>recipe. I made the polenta the night before, and the tomato sauce, and then put it together and baked it the next day.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Tomato Sauce</span><br />
makes 2 cups<br />
<br />
1 Tbsp olive oil<br />
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced (1 cup)<br />
1/2 tsp dried basil<br />
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped<br />
1/4 cup dry red wine<br />
1.5 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped (2 cups) or a 16 oz can of diced tomatoes in their juice<br />
1 bay leaf<br />
<br />
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions, basil, 1/2 tsp salt and a few pinches of pepper. Saute over medium heat until the onion is soft, ~ 7 mins. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 mins. Add wine and simmer 1-2 mins to reduce. When the pan is almost dry, add tomatoes and bay leaf. Cook over low heat ~ 30 mins. Add salt/pepper/sugar to taste.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">Polenta baked with Tomatoes, Corn, and Basil</span><br />
Serves 4-6<br />
<br />
Polenta (see recipe link above)<br />
Tomato Sauce (see recipe above)<br />
1 Tbsp butter (I used earth balance vegan stuff)<br />
3 ears of corn, shaved (2.5 cups)<br />
3/4 lb tomatoes, cored and seeded (I used halved cherry tomatoes)<br />
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 cup fresh basil, chopped<br />
1-2 jalapeno chilies, seeded and thinly sliced (I skipped this for co-op)<br />
2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated (~ 2/3 cup) - I used Daiya vegan mozarella shreds<br />
<br />
Make polenta. While it's cooling, make tomato sauce. Remove bay leaf. Preheat the oven to 375F.<br />
Melt the butter in a skillet and add the corn. Saute over medium heat for 10 mins till the corn is tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt.<br />
While the corn is cooking, cut up the tomatoes and marinate in olive oil with 1/4 tsp salt and some freshly ground pepper. <br />
Cool the corn, toss with the tomatoes, half the basil, and half the chilies (if you are using them). <br />
Pour the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Arrange polenta triangles or fingers upright in the sauce, using all of the polenta. Spoon the veges into the spaces between the polenta. Sprinkle with cheese. <br />
Cover and bake for 25 mins, then uncover and bake 10 more mins. Sprinkle on the remaining basil and serve.DrRuthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15282659190268045274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-22503248853892391022010-06-29T13:09:00.000-07:002010-06-29T13:17:16.510-07:00Simple Summer SupperI used Heidi Swanson's recipe for <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/grilled-tofu-soba-noodles-recipe.html">Grilled Tofu and Soba Noodles</a>. I tripled it and found that I didn't need 9 serranoes (so glad I thought before I automatically added them all). I think I used either 6 or 7 and while the dish was too spicy for the girls, David and I really liked it. Also, I didn't need all the oil. I used about 1/2 to 3/4 a cup for the whole triple batch. I think 3/4 x 3 would have been way too much. Last, I didn't purchase enough cilantro so I used spinach in its place which upped the healthy quotient and I think tasted quite good.<br /><br />Served with steamed broccoli and organic raspberries.<br /><br />This was one of my cheaper recipes for coop since raspberries and broccoli were on sale and I only bought one bunch of organic cilantro (I already had the organic spinach on hand). I used three blocks of tofu. Biggest expense? Three packages of the noodles, but I discovered that two would have been plenty for four families. I have a big bag of cooked noodles in the fridge, as well as some uncooked noodles in the pantry.<br /><br />The girls loved the soba noodles sans pesto which felt like a brilliant discovery on my part. Rory actually ate noodles, tofu, broccoli and raspberry.Sunnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17178023882383903984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-54617999644043867022010-06-23T09:24:00.000-07:002010-06-23T09:31:12.832-07:00Mock Tuna SaladIt's getting way, way too hot out there to be heating up the house with cooking! I'm switching over to my summer menus, which means lots of fruit, chilled soups, and bean/grain salads. Ideally, in our house, we convert to a "larger lunch, smaller dinner" system during the hot months, but that often doesn't work out, simply because we get too busy! I'm trying to figure out the best portion sizes for the co-op during the next few months, so bear with me.<div><br /></div><div>This week's meal was a <a href="http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/mocktunasalad.html">mock tuna salad</a> served with iceberg lettuce cups & a fruit salad. It's a favorite lunchbox meal of mine, and we usually eat it with either tortilla or lettuce wraps. Since it wasn't having to survive till lunchtime in a lunchbox, I went with the more delicate lettuce. Next time, I'm going to find some good Bibb lettuce instead of iceberg, but I had to go with what HEB had in stock. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02503319755093772976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-34371614560300608672010-06-21T07:20:00.001-07:002010-06-21T07:31:17.707-07:00Beans.With Father's Day and a child with a broken arm, I needed a simple meal this weekend, per my recent trend. So I used <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/health/nutrition/09recipehealth.html?_r=1">this recipe</a> from the <span style="font-style:italic;">NY Times</span> to make a batch of black beans, using organic black turtle beans from a Bob's Red Mill coop I recently participated in. I even found epazote at CM to add to the beans along with the cilantro (those are the little stick-like things you might see!).<br /><br />I made a huge batch and have leftovers to now make homemade refried black beans.<br /><br />I served the beans with brown rice, yellow tomatoes, avocado and CM's organic blue (frito-like) corn chips. And with organic strawberries on the side, on sale this week at CM. I meant to slice the strawberries and marinate them in balsamic vinegar and sugar. If you feel so inclined, give this a try - super yummy.Sunnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17178023882383903984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-92202963284326807962010-06-16T13:43:00.001-07:002010-06-16T14:55:14.022-07:00Hot weather food!As we lead into the Texas summer, I've been trying to dig up my "Oh my god, it's too hot to move" recipes. I didn't have a lot of time for cooking this week (or shopping, or anything really) because I was stranded an extra day in San Jose over the weekend. While I'm grateful the plane broke while we were on the ground instead of at 39,000 feet, I had a lot of stuff I needed to get done in Austin!<div><br /></div><div>So the meal this week was C<a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=17343.0">auliflower Cevich</a>e & a simple <a href="http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=4984.0">Indian Daal</a> with flatbread, both from vegweb. The ceviche was divine! Really really enjoyed it. Next time, I'll add a ton more cauliflower, because it really got lost among all the other veggies, even though I used the lower of the recommended ranges for each. It didn't help that both Casper & Graiden picked out all the cauliflower and left almost none for me! </div><div><br /></div><div>The daal was a very basic red lentil mush. Both my kids gobbled it up. I left out the hot pepper, and only used 1/4t of cayenne in the doubled recipe. </div><div><br /></div><div>The flatbread was from Costco, a brand called FlatOut. It only has 100 calories, but has 9g of protein & lots of fiber in each wrap. I gave each meal 3 wraps, cut in half. </div>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02503319755093772976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-44236923397095244762010-06-16T13:16:00.000-07:002010-07-03T22:29:20.464-07:00Roasted Veggies with pipian sauce, Sweet potato stuffed tortillas and Mango-lime sorbetWell here are the long ago promised recipes for my mexican cooking night.<br /><br />First up I made <a href="http://www.windattack.com/?p=67">Mushroom and Sweet Potato Stuffed Tortillas</a>. I had found this recipe a few months ago looking for something to different to do with sweet potatoes. I made the first time with Shitakes and that was good, but expensive. Regular mushrooms worked just fine. Last time I added in some diced red peppers. This time I added some black beans (one can, rinsed and drained). It's a nice way to make something quesadilla-like without using cheese. I keep the filling for several days and just cook up a tortilla full when the kids need a snack.<br /><br />Next was Roasted Mexican Veges in Green Sesame Pipian, taken from Rick Bayless' Mexican Kitchen, my favourite mexican cooking book. The sauce is a fair bit of work, but I enjoy making it, and it tastes great on a variety of non-vegan dishes too (salmon, chicken breasts, pork...). You can serve it as a side dish with rice, or as a filling for tacos, or even bake it topped with bread crumbs and/or cheese to make a gratin. I've read some short cuts for making a pipian sauce, and will write them in below. There are a lot of alternatives in this recipe. I used chard in the sauce this time, but think I prefer spinach. This year my epazote didn't come back in my herb garden, and I missed its flavour in the sauce too. Some year I'll find hoja santo and see what difference that makes to the mix.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Roasted Mexican Veges in Green Sesame Pipian</span><br />(feeds 4-6)<br /><br />1 lb (~ 11) tomatillos, husked and rinsed<br />2-3 serranos, stemmed (I halved this amount, but they turned out to be pretty hot)<br />4.5 Tbsp olive oil<br />1 medium white onion, roughly chopped<br />2 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped<br />2 cups broth or water (I used vege broth)<br />1/3 cup cilantro, chopped<br />1/2 cup hulled sesame seeds<br />1 sprig epazote, or 8-10 sprigs cilantro (I used cilantro. My epazote bush had died.)<br />1 leaf hoja santa, or 1/2 cup chopped green tops of fennel, or 1/2 tsp freshly ground aniseed (I used fennel tops)<br />1 tsp salt<br />3 medium fresh cactus paddles (I used 2 extra chayote)<br />4 medium red-skin potatoes, 3/4" diced<br />1 large chayote, peeled, pitted, and 3/4" diced<br />2 medium zucchini, 3/4" diced<br />2 cups lamb quarters, or 3 cups purslane, or 3 cups chard in 1/2" strips, or 3 cups spinach (I used chard because I had some in my farm box. I'd recommend spinach for the faster cooking time over chard.)<br /><br />Roast the tomatillos and serranos for 5 mins, 4" under a hot broiler, until they blister, darken, and soften on one side. Turn and roast the other side. Transfer along with juices into a blender. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook onion for 10 mins, stirring often, until golden. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 min. Add to blender and blend until smooth. Wipe skillet clean, add 1/2 Tbsp oil, heat on medium high. When hot enough for a drop of puree to sizzle, pour all the puree in at once and stir constantly for 5 mins until it darkens and thickens. Add the broth, boil, simmer briskly, stirring frequently, for 10 mins until thick enough to coat a spoon. Stir in cilantro. (You have made a tomatillo-serrano sauce. You can skip all of this and just buy a jar of green salsa and use 2.5 cups of it.)<br /><br />In a small ungreased skillet over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds for 5 mins, stirring often, until golden. Add to the tomatillo sauce, add epazote (or cilantro) and hoja santo (or its substitute). Partially cover and simmer for 30 mins, stirring frequently. Put back in the blender, cover loosely, and blend for 1 min or more until the sauce is smooth. You can use a mesh strainer if you want it even smoother. Return the sauce to the pan, season with salt (about 1 tsp), add more broth if needed to bring it to the consistency of a cream soup. (You can prepare the sauce up to this point and refrigerate several days ahead. You can use tahini instead of toasted sesame seeds to make things even faster.) <br /><br />I'm skipping the instructions of what to do with the cactus because I always just use extra chayote. Cactus takes a long time. Heat the oven to 375F. Scatter the potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzled with 2 Tbsp of oil, sprinkle with salt and toss to coat the potatoes well. Roast for 10 mins. Sprinkle chayote with salt, add to potatoes, mix with spatula to turn potatoes and coat chayote with oil. Roast another 5 mins. Salt the zucchini, add to the mixture, and roast till everything is tender, but not overly soft, about 8-10 more mins.<br /><br />Just before serving, reheat the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the lambs quarters, or equivalent and simmer until tender for 2-5 mins (chard took longer than that). Add roasted veges to the sauce, leaving behind as much oil as possible. Once heated, scoop onto a warm serving dish, sprinkle with sesame seeds, garnish with epazote or cilantro.<br /><br /><HR> <br /><br />Finally, I made mango-lime sorbet, which is my favourite sorbet ever, from the same Bayless book. It's very easy if you have an icecream maker. I make this every summer - it came out a little too sweet this time, but it depends a lot on the ripeness of the mangoes you use.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mango-lime ice</span><br /><br />2.5 lbs mangoes (4 large), peeled, coarsely chopped - about 2 heaping cups<br />Finely chopped zest of 1 orange<br />1.25 cups sugar (Sorbets are sensitive to the amount of sugar you use, and the ripeness of the fruit. The mix always tastes sweeter than when it does when it's frozen. The batch I made could have gone with a little less sugar. The only way to do it properly is to have a refractometer to measure the sugar level of the mix. I will own one one day. Well I have one in lab, but it isn't really food safe!)<br />1/3 cup fresh lime juice<br />1 Tbsp vodka (not in original recipe, but I added because it lowers the freezing point of the mix and reduces the ice crystal size when you are using an icecream maker vs the other way to freeze it described below).<br /><br />Use food processor to combine the ingredients plus 1 cup of water. Process to a smooth puree. If you want to, press through a strainer to make really smooth. (I never bother with this step.) If you have an icecream maker, pour it in and let it do its magic. If you don't, freeze in a stainless steel bowl or 9x9" pan, until the mixture is firm 2 inches in from the sides (about 2 hours). Whip with an immersion blender or process in a food processor until slushy. Repeat the freezing and beating two more times. Freeze for an hour before serving.DrRuthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15282659190268045274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-1662949750300041932010-06-16T12:58:00.000-07:002010-06-16T13:03:56.775-07:00Beans and Kale and Gingered Lemon BarsI know I still owe you last week's recipes. But this week is easy because both recipes are online already.<br /><br /><a href=" http://mamaknows.pbworks.com/Cannellini+Beans+with+Roasted+Peppers+and+Kale">Cannellini Beans with Roasted Peppers and Kale</a> is one of my fast, easy, yummy meals that I use for the Austin Mamas Red Tent group. I had already entered the recipe on our mamawiki. It originally comes from The Quick Recipe, a Cooks Illustrated cookbook. I usually serve it with crusty bread to soak up the juices (sorry I didn't get around to baking bread like I had planned to), and recently discovered it's pretty damn good served cold as well as served warm.<br /><br />I found <a href="http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/gingered_lemon_bars/">Gingered Lemon Bars</a> on the Simply Recipes website a year or two ago and really liked how lemony they were and the nice kick of ginger in the crust from both powdered and crystallized ginger. I used that recipe for the crust, which I made vegan by just using Earth Balance instead of butter. The lemon filling was another story. I googled around for vegan recipes to see what people used instead of egg to help it set. It seemed the two main choices were silken tofu or agar agar. I had tofu, so that's the one I went with. I used this <a href="http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/vegan-lemon-bars.php">Vegan Lemon Bars</a> recipe from Savvy Vegetarian to make my filing. It didn't set real well. Not sure if I just needed to cook it a little longer, or what. So sorry they were a bit gooey, but they taste good.DrRuthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15282659190268045274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-29941142419409288642010-06-15T06:35:00.000-07:002010-06-15T06:48:52.720-07:00Moosewood MealsWe've been in the throes of busy-ness over here for the last few weeks so I have needed simple, one-dish type meals. The last two have come from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Low-fat-Favorites-Flavorful/dp/0517884941"><span style="font-style:italic;">Moosewood Restaurant Low Fat Favorites</span></a>, a cookbook that I don't often remember I have. To be honest, I've hardly ever made anything from it before though I've had it for years (now, <span style="font-style:italic;">Moosewood Favorite Desserts </span>is a different matter altogether). But I found some simple one-pot meals with a good amount of flavor. I appreciate the low-fat in them also during these hot summer days.<br /><br />Last week I made black bean chilaquiles, a mix of black beans, veggies, spices and baked tortilla chips, not completely unlike a tamale pie, though I preferred it to the traditional tamale pie. I subbed crumbled tofu for the the cheese to keep in the protein. Sorry for sending the casseroles without lids; I believe David has misplaced them somewhere in the house.<br /><br />This week's meal was Middle Eastern chickpeas and spinach, served over orzo with a yogurt sauce. Mostly, I tend to prefer simple one-dish meals and this one really fit the bill. I neglected to pick up some coriander while I was at the market, but the cumin and saffron were flavorful enough for me, even if it was mild. I think the yogurt/mint/garlic sauce pulled it together and actually made a creamy addition to the orzo. I fear this meal may not have been flavorful enough for everyone, but I'm the kind of person who could eat beans and rice most every day - simple simple and simple is usually my preference and what I find fuels me best.<br /><br />I sent along organic watermelon with yesterday's meal. I think this was a particularly good melon and I am so glad I splurged on it at the farmer's market on Saturday!Sunnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17178023882383903984noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-49067356715975560202010-05-30T21:36:00.000-07:002010-05-30T21:44:35.769-07:00Creole Mushroom and Pepper Stew & that carrot cakeThis week the main meal was from Fields of Greens, a Annie Somerville recipe book from <a href="http://www.greensrestaurant.com/">Greens restaurant</a>, also in the Bay Area. There's a section of curries and stews in that book and I love every one of them. I made one of my favourites: Creole Mushroom and Pepper stew, with some couscous. I love the way the mushrooms taste in this stew and use this cooking method often in other dishes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Creole Mushroom and Pepper Stew</span><br />(feeds 4 - 6)<br /><br />2 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped (about 3 cups) or 1 28 oz can tomatoes with juice chopped, or 3 lb roasted tomatoes, without skins, chopped.<br />2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil<br />1 lb white mushrooms, halved or quartered (about 5 cups)<br />salt and pepper<br />5 garlic cloves, finely chopped<br />1/4 cup dry white wine<br />1 medium red onion, halved and cut lengthwise into crescents (about 2 cups)<br />1/2 tsp dried thyme<br />1 red bell pepper, seeded, cut into thick strips, then triangles (about 1 cup)<br />1 green bell pepper, seeded, cut into thick strips, then triangles (about 1 cup)<br />1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, cut into thick strips, then triangles (about 1 cup)<br />1 medium fennel bulb, quartered lengthwise, cored, sliced 1/2" thick (about 2 cups)<br />2 bay leaves<br />2-3 jalapeno or serrano chilies, seeded and finely diced<br />cayenne pepper<br />2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise, sliced 1/2" think (about 2 cups)<br />2 scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal<br />1 Tbsp fresh thyme<br />1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice<br /><br />If you're using canned tomatoes, simmer over low heat while vegetables are cooking to reduce acidity. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms, 1/2 tsp salt, pinch of pepper. Sear until golden and browned (about 7 mins). Add half garlic and wine, stir to release pan juices, reduce until nearly dry and transfer to a bowl.<br /><br />In the same skillet, heat 1 Tbsp oil. Add onion, 1/2 tsp salt, dried thyme. Saute on medium until soft (about 7-8 mins). Add garlic, peppers, fennel, bay leaves, chilies, 1/8 tsp cayenne. Saute over medium for 10 mins. Add zucchini and cook till heated through (about 5 mins). Add tomatoes and mushrooms. Simmer uncovered over medium low heat for 20 mins. Season with salt and cayenne if needed. Add scallions, fresh thyme and lemon juice just before serving. If still acidic, add a few pinches of sugar.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Almond-Currant Couscous</span><br />(makes 4 cups - serves 4 - 6)<br />I skipped the nuts in this recipe. You can use chopped dried apricots instead of currants, or pine nuts instead of almonds, or cumin instead of cinnamon.<br /><br />1/4 cup whole almonds with skins, toasted, chopped<br />2 Tbsp unsalted butter (I used a vegan substitute Claire suggested and I've forgotten the name)<br />1.5 cups instant couscous (I used whole wheat)<br />1.5 cups water<br />salt<br />1/2 tsp cinnamon<br />1/4 cup dried currants<br /><br />In a medium-sized skillet with tight fitting lid, melt the butter. Add the couscous and nuts and stir over medium heat 4-5 mins until fragrant and heated through. Turn off heat. While toasting couscous, bring water to boil in small saucepan. Add 1/4 tsp salt, cinnamon, currants. Pour over couscous. Stir. Cover the skillet and let it sit for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and season if needed.<br /><br />To finished the meal off I wanted to use up a big pile of carrots I had accumulated. I went internet surfing looking for something other than just standard carrot cake and came up with <a href="http://www.chow.com/recipes/10139-ginger-macadamia-coconut-carrot-cake">Ginger Macadamia Coconut Carrot Cake</a>, from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1569243581?ie=UTF8">Vegan with a Vengeance</a> by Isa Moskowitz. I don't have the recipe book but a number of bloggers had liked it enough to write out the whole recipe. I'm linking to <a href="http://www.nom-able.com/2009/05/ginger-macadamia-coconut-carrot-cake/">this version of the recipe</a> because it reassured me that cupcakes made from the recipe worked well and how long to cook them for. They almost didn't get made because the raw batter tasted so good it was hard to stop eating it. In addition to the ginger, walnuts (which I used instead of macadamia simply because I had them already), coconut, and carrot, this recipe also has other yummy stuff like pineapple juice and maple syrup. Both kids demanded I make this recipe again soon, and I don't blame them.<br /><br />RuthDrRuthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15282659190268045274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-52504570516634286532010-05-30T11:11:00.000-07:002010-06-16T12:58:07.488-07:00Baked madras glazed tofu & strawberry rhubarb galettesWay behind posting my recipes, sorry.<br /><br />Two weeks ago was a hectic week. Luckily I had done some prep ahead of time. Like the previous week, the recipes were from the <a href="http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/">Millennium</a> cookbook.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Baked Madras-glazed Tofu with Saffron Basmati Pilaf, Sauteed Vegetables, and Peach-Lime Chutney</span><br /><br />1 yellow onion, cut lengthwise into thin crescents<br />2 Tbsp canola oil (or 1/4 cup vege stock or water)<br />2 Tbsp mild curry powder<br />1/4 tsp saffron<br />1/4 cup fresh lemon juice<br />1 tsp sea salt<br />24 oz extra firm tofu<br />2 cups Tandoori marinade (see below)<br />1 tsp canola oil (or 1/4 cup water or vege stock)<br />4 cups chopped veges<br />3 cups Saffron Basmati Rice Pilaf (see below)<br />Peach-lime chutney (see below)<br />lime slices and cilantro leaves for garnish<br /><br />Saute onion over medium heat in oil until softened (5 mins). Add curry powder and saffron and saute 2 more mins. Add lemon juice and salt. Remove from heat.<br /><br />Cut tofu horizontally into 6 sheets ~ 1/2 inch thick. Pour half the marinade into a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Add the tofu, coating well. Marinate for at least 30 mins at room temp, or up to 4 hrs in fridge. Grill for 2-3 mins on each side, or broil for 3-4 mins each side (I needed more like 5 mins/side). Slice diagonally into triangles for serving.<br /><br />In a large saute pan or skillet over high heat, heat the canola oil and saute the veges and curried onions for 5 mins till heated through and crisp-tender.<br /><br />Serve a mound of rice pilaf, topped with tofu, surrounded by veges. Top with some more marinade and chutney. Garnish with lime slices and cilantro leaves.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tandoori marinade</span><br />(makes 3 cups - could probably get away with half of this)<br />In addition to being good on tofu, this marinated is good on vegetables, and fruit like peaches or pears.<br /><br />3 Tbsp paprika<br />1 tsp fennel seeds<br />1 1/4 tsp cardamom seeds<br />1 Tbsp coriander seeds<br />2 tsp cumin seeds<br />1/4 tsp cayenne pepper<br />1/2 tsp ground pepper<br />1 tsp sea salt<br />1/2 yellow onion, finely diced<br />1/4 cup canola oil (optional)<br />2 cloves garlic<br />5 oz silken tofu<br />1.5 cups soy milk (or water)<br />1 tsp minced lime zest<br />1/4 cup fresh lime juice<br /><br />In a dry skillet toast the fennel, cardamom, coriander, and cumin. Grind. Retoast along with the paprika until the mixture smells fragrant and is slightly darker (~3 mins). Blend all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Peach-Lime chutney </span><br />(makes 1.5 cups)<br /><br />1 cup water<br />1/4 tsp sea salt<br />1 lime with peel, finely diced<br />1 Tbsp unrefined sugar, fructose, or Sucanat<br />1/4 cup rice vinegar (or champagne vinegar)<br />1/2 serrano chile, minced (or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes)<br />1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted<br />2 tsp fresh ginger, minced<br />1 red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed, finely diced<br />2 firm fresh peaches (or 4 apricots), peeled, pitted, 1/2 inch dice<br />1/4 tsp sea salt<br /><br />In a medium saucepan, boil the water and salt. Add lime, simmer for 10 mins. Drain and set aside. In a large saute pan or skillet, cook the sugar and vinegar over high heat until the sugar melts and the mixture is syrupy. Add chile, coriander, ginger, then red pepper, lime, and peaches. Stir well and saute 5 mins. Cool.<br />Variation: Use 1 cup dried peaches, apricots or figs instead of peach. Reconstitute by simmering in water or apple juice until soft. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Add with liquid when you would have added the peach. Simmer until all liquid has evaporated.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Strawberry-Rhubarb Galettes</span><br />(makes 8 - 10 galettes)<br />(Actually I only used about half the filling - so you could halve it for this amount of pastry.)<br /><br />1.5 lbs rhubarb finely diced (~4 cups)<br />1/2 cup maple syrup<br />2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced<br />1 tsp balsamic vinegar<br />4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped<br />2 tsp arrowroot dissolved in 2 Tsp cold water<br />3 cups unbleached AP flour<br />1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and finely chopped<br />1/4 cup sucanat<br />1/4 tsp sea salt<br />1/4 tsp ground pepper<br />3/4 cup canola oil<br />1/2 cup soy milk<br /><br />In a large saucepan, combine the first four ingredients. Simmer over medium heat for 5-7 mins till rhubarb begins to break down. Add berries and mix thoroughly. Add arrowroot and cook for 3 mins, while stirring. Pour into a pyrex 9x11 casserole dish and let cool.<br /><br />Sift flour into a medium bowl, add walnuts, sucanat, salt, and pepper. Drizzle oil over dry ingredients covering as much surface area as possible. Mix lightly with spatula until you form dough balls the size of marbles. Drizzle 1/2 cup soy milk into bawl and stir until the mixture forms a ball. Add more soy milk in small increments if more liquid is needed. Wrap in plastic wrap. Knead lightly and refrigerate for 15-30 mins.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 8. Keep covered with a towel. Roll one piece between two sheets of parchment paper until ~ 6 inches in diameter. Remove the top sheet of parchment to break the seal. Replace the paper on top and flip. Remove the top sheet of parchment. With a paring knife cut a 5 inch circle using a small plate as guide. Remove excess dough. Place 1/4 cup filling in the center of the circle. Fold the sides of the circle over the filling, leaving the center open, forming a square galette. Transfer with a spatula onto the baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Bake for 35 mins or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling. Let cool slightly on rack. Eat.DrRuthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15282659190268045274noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-53262618426600246902010-05-25T18:51:00.001-07:002010-05-25T18:57:29.737-07:00Memorial Day BBQSince this weekend is Memorial Day, I made a picnic-worthy bbq dinner tonight. Fat Free Vegan Kitchen has a fabulous recipe for <a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/05/barbecued-seitan-ribz.html">seitan "ribs"</a> that are first baked in the oven and then finished off on the grill with barbeque sauce. They're a guaranteed hit around here, and I make them every couple weeks in the summer. They pack well too, so sometimes I'll wrap everything in foil & we'll head off to the Wednesday farmer's market at the Triangle.<div><br /></div><div>I used Stubb's barbeque sauce on the grill, and it was pretty good. I still think our favorite brand is the "Austin's Own" that you find at Costco every so often. I've never seen it anywhere else, oddly enough.<br /><div><br /></div><div>I served the seitan with a <a href="http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv5.htm">mustard potato salad</a> and carrot/coconut/pineapple salad a la Mr. Natural. I felt a bit weird about having two "salads," but since one was creamy & one was sweet, I figured it worked. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>This meal cost about $23. </div>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02503319755093772976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-16096774774310797972010-05-18T22:09:00.000-07:002010-05-18T22:13:23.573-07:00Strawberry Asparagus saladLast week's meal all came from the fact that I had a large box of strawberries from a trip to <a href="http://www.sweetberryfarm.com/">Sweetberry farms</a>. I remembered I had one vegetarian cookbook I hadn't used much and always had wanted to, when I pulled it out, it had this strawberry asparagus salad recipe, and so here we are. The recipe book actually turns out to be vegan. Yay. I'll use it all month. It's called "The Millenium Cookbook: Extraordinary vegetarian cuisine", which is based on the <a href="http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/">Millenium restaurant</a> out in the Bay Area.<br /><br />The recipes you asked for were the cabbage and the dressing. In addition to them, there were steamed asparagus, chopped toasted almonds, balsamic caramelized baby beets that got cooked too long, chopped strawberries and romaine. Here you go...<br /><br />Caraway-marinated red cabbage (serves 6 as written here)<br /><br />1/2 head red cabbage thinly sliced<br />1/4 cup champagne vinegar<br />1 teaspoon sea salt<br />1 teaspoon caraway seeds, toasted in a dry skillet<br /><br />Heat a dry saute pan over medium until hot. Combine cabbage, champagne vinegar, sea salt. Add toasted caraway seeds. Wilt half of the cabbage in the hot pan. Mix it back in with the remaining raw cabbage. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes. (I cooked it the night before).<br /><br />Mint-Dill Dressing (makes 1.5 cups)<br /><br />2 fresh strawberries sliced (I used about 6-8 smallish sweet ones)<br />1 tbspn fresh dill, chopped<br />1 tbspn fresh mint, chopped<br />1 tspn Dijon mustard (I used whole grain)<br />3 tbspn raspberry vinegar<br />2 tbspn champagne vinegar<br />1/4 tspn black pepper, freshly ground<br />1/2 tspn sea salt<br />1/4 cup water<br />3/4 cup canola oil<br />2 tbspn sucanat or maple syrup (I used syrup)<br /><br />Combine all but the oil in a blender until smooth. Gradually add the oil while blending until fully incorporated. That's all.DrRuthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15282659190268045274noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54403510815453676.post-67723978112046528142010-05-18T21:04:00.001-07:002010-05-18T21:13:47.742-07:00CalzonesTonight I made two kinds of calzones: broccoli & tofu "ricotta," and sauteed mushroom with Gimme Lean ground "sausage." I served it with marinara sauce for dipping and roasted potatoes. I also had time to make chocolate-covered cherry pudding cake for dessert. <div><br />The calzones came from the Vegan Lunch Box cookbook. She provides recipes for the multigrain pizza crust and the broccoli/tofu filling. I invented the mushroom/sausage filling. Next time, I will use less oil when sauteing the sausage & mushrooms and I will add some Italian seasoning. </div><div><br /></div><div>The marinara sauce was straight from the Joy of Cooking, and the roasted potatoes were a bastardization of something I found on the internet. I definitely should have added more garlic! (I'm starting to think that should be my motto.)</div><div><br /></div><div>My favorite part of this whole meal was the dessert! The Chocolate-Covered Cherry Pudding Cake is from <a href="http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/02/chocolate-covered-cherry-pudding-cake.html">Fat Free Vegan Kitchen</a>. I made it last year for my birthday, and it was just heavenly. I took advantage of the sale on frozen organic cherries to make it for the co-op. I can't get over how low-fat it is! 250 calories and 1g of fat per serving, and each ramekin had two servings. David & I were using our fingers at the end to scrape out the last of the chocolate!</div>Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02503319755093772976noreply@blogger.com1