Apple Bread

Similar to banana bread.....but also very different. Dave's favorite, so I made it for his birthday!

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 apples, chopped

In bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl, place oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla and apples. Stir into flour mixture. Pour mixture into bread pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on wire rack before removing from pan.


Original recipe here 

Baked Quinoa with Spinach and Cheese

Easy, and delicious!! I added a bit more cheese than was called for, so it wasn't quite a "recipe for health" as written :). Also tastes great re-heated!
(I skipped the step of drizzling olive oil on the top, and it still tasted great!)


1 6-ounce bag baby spinach
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 plump garlic cloves, minced
4 cups cooked quinoa, (1 cup uncooked)
2 large eggs
3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (3/4 cup)
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 ounce Parmesan, grated (1/4 cup)

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish.

2. Heat a medium frying pan or a wide saucepan over medium-high heat. Wash the spinach and without spinning dry, add to the pan and wilt in the liquid left on the leaves after washing. You may have to do this in 2 batches. As soon as the spinach wilts, remove from the heat and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry and chop. Set aside.

3. Wipe the pan dry and heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir with the onion until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

4. Beat the eggs in a large bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir in the quinoa, the onion and spinach mixture, the Gruyère, and the rosemary. Add freshly ground pepper and stir the mixture together. Scrape into the gratin dish. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and drizzle on the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Place in the oven and bake until nicely browned on top, about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to sit for about 5 minutes, and serve.


Original recipe here 

Sugar Cookies

 

Sugar cookies might be my new favorite thing. How come they're not the same if you just make them as drop cookies? Because there's not as much love in them? The mystery remains unsolved.


4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. In another bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy and light. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, a third at a time to make a stiff dough. Roll out a portion of cookie dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Place on lightly greased or nonstick cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly golden, about 10-11 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through cooking time. Cool completely on pans about 5 minutes, transfer to cooling racks and cool completely before decorating. (Sprinkles can be added before baking!)


Original recipe here (with frosting recipe) 

Ginger Molasses Cookies

IT'S COOKIE SEASON!!! I've been getting into the Christmas spirit this week, and I am especially excited for Christmas cookie season. I've seen a lot of houses with lights up already, and I walk past 2 different places selling Christmas trees when I walk to/from work (depending on which way I go). I love December/Christmas time - it's a good time to celebrate before the gloomy/wet months of January and February come along.

I have a lot of cookie recipes to come - as this blog was nonexistent during cookie season last year, I can post all of the recipes I use! This is definitely a favorite - and I have dough chilling in the fridge so I can make Chocolate Krinkles tomorrow!


1 1/2 sticks butter
1 cup sugar, pluc 1/2 cup for rolling
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream butter and one cup sugar in a large bowl. (Easy method: melt the butter in the microwave and then mix in the sugar.) Add egg and molasses and beat until smooth. Add flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves and stir until just combined.

Put the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll the cookie dough into tablespoon sized balls and roll in sugar. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges are cracked and the centers are just set. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack (if you wish - no need for the wire rack step if you're lazy like me!).

Original recipe here 

Red Kuri Squash

Try. this. squash. I picked this up at the farmers' market at the beginning of November (and ate it then - this post was way delayed). I was poking around at the market and wanted to try something new - and thought this was worth a shot, since I love most kinds of squash. I tried delicata squash the week before, and didn't love it - but this one tastes a lot like butternut squash (which is my favorite), but it's easier to make (you don't have to peel the skin off and it's smaller, so easier to cut). Anyway, all I did was slice it in half, brush with olive oil, and bake it - and it was incredible. If you can find this, definitely try it!! (I think it took about 45 minutes - I took it out once it got wrinkly and tested for softness with a fork. It gets really tender. And you can eat the skin.)

Layered Vegetable "Torte"

This recipe is supposed to make a torte, but I didn't have the springboard pan it called for, so I just made this more of a vegetable "bake." It was very tasty all the same - and relatively easy - it just takes a bit of time to make because you have to roast or grill the vegetables before baking them.



1 large eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch slices
4 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 portobello mushrooms, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, or more as needed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 tablespoons minced garlic (or as much as you feel like peeling....I used about 1 tablespoon)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (or a sprinkling of dried basil between the layers)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (or more, depending on how much you like cheese!)
1/2 cup bread crumbs, preferably fresh.

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease 2 baking sheets with oil and distribute the eggplant, squash, and mushrooms between the pans. Brush the vegetables with oil, and roast vegetables on both sides until soft (about 20 minutes).

2. Coat bottom and sides of a large baking pan with oil. Layer half of the eggplant slices into bottom of the pan, then layer in half the zucchini, mushrooms, tomato, garlic and basil, sprinkling each layer with a bit of salt and pepper. Repeat layers with the other half of the vegetables. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and bread crumbs, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon oil.

3. Bake "torte" in oven until hot throughout and browned on top, about 30 minutes.

Original recipe here 

Fruit and Nut Truffles

 

This is a really interesting dessert recipe from Moosewood. I thought they were really date-y/apricot-y, so only try this if you like dates and apricots! This makes at least 20 truffles, so be prepared to share or eat these every day. I kept them in the fridge for a long time and ate them for snacks, but ended up throwing away a few because there were so many! (Note: these can be dessert or snack food. I chose snack most of the time.)


1 cup pitted dates
1 cup unsulfured dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries, dried cherries, or raisins
1 cup water
1.5 teaspoons grated orange zest
1.5 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup ground toasted walnuts
1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup toasted unsweetened shredded coconut

(I toasted the walnuts, almonds, and shredded coconut in a skillet. I just put them each in a nonstick skillet on medium(?) heat and stirred until toasted. Then I used a food processor to grind the walnuts and almonds.)

Place the dates, dried apricots, dried cranberries, and water in a saucepan, cover, and simmer on medium-low heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Puree the cooked fruit in a food processor, adding only as much of the reserved liquid as needed to make a smooth thick paste.

In a mixing bowl, combine the orange zest, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the pureed fruit and the walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, cocoa, and confectioners' sugar and mix well. By the tablespoonful, form the fruit and nut mixture into balls about an inch in diameter. Roll each ball in the toasted coconut and arrange the truffles in a single layer on a serving platter.

Chill for at least 20 minutes before serving. With longer chilling, the flavor develops and the truffles become more firm.

Eastern European "Minestrone"

 

I just noticed that I only had one post in the month of November - how time flies! I have a few recipes on the to-do list, but I am shocked that I only posted one recipe last month. At least it involved pumpkin beer, I guess.

Thankfully, it's now Christmas cookie season, so I'll be getting on that as soon as I can. I have a work trip to DC next week (two days of meetings, then visiting a friend for the weekend), so I might have another lag. But then cookie season will be in full force.

Back to the recipe for this post. This soup is really interesting and delicious - and it makes a lot. And it's super easy! I had this for lunch every day for one week, and it was tasty, but a bit much. I suggest sharing! This is another recipe from the Moosewood cookbook.

1.5 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery (I left this out, since I wasn't able to buy 1 piece of celery)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2.5 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds (I left this out since we didn't have them)
1 cup diced carrots
3/4 cup green beans cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I definitely used more than this)
1/2 cup diced peeled beets, turnips, or parsnips (I used parsnips, 'cause I love 'em!)
3/4 cup diced red or yellow bell peppers (I just used one full pepper)
1 15-ounce can white beans, drained
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 quart (4 cups) water or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 ounces whole grain linguine or spaghetti, broken into 1 inch long pieces
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

In a large soup pot on medium heat, cook the onions, garlic, and celery in the olive oil for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the paprika, bay leaves, and caraway and stir for a minute. Add the carrots, green beans, beets, and bell peppers, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the white beans, tomatoes, water, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta pieces, cover, and simmer on medium heat until the pasta is al dente, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the dill. Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Pumpkin Gnocchi

As the fall starts to turn into winter, I'm trying to consume all things pumpkin. I've made gnocchi once before (see my parsnip gnocchi recipe), and it wasn't very hard, so I decided to try this recipe that I found on Tastespotting. The recipe called for real pumpkin, but I was feeling lazy and went the canned puree route. The whole wheat flour makes this a bit more dense than regular gnocchi, but it was tasty all the same. I had some asparagus leftover from another recipe, and set Dave to work figuring out how to cook it. He baked it with some olive oil and cheese - it was delicious!! Brownie points for that and the Pumple Drumkin beer he picked out (see photo above) - it's from Cisco Brewers in Nantucket, and it was yummy! I generally don't like beer, but I like to try nicer beers (beyond those I've tried at house parties...) and I can officially say I no longer hate beer. It's a step in the right direction...yes?

1 can pumpkin puree
2 (ish) cups of unbleached white whole wheat flour
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
A few sprigs of thyme
(optional) freshly grated parmesan

Turn pureed pumpkin into a large bowl. Add egg and salt and pepper before folding in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. When you have added enough flour to produce a dough like consistency and forms a ball, turn out the ball onto a floured surface and knead a few times, adding a bit of flour if needed, until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Take a small section of the dough and roll out into a thin rope. Cut into 1″ sections and make indents on one side with a wet fork. Repeat with remaining dough. This makes a lot of gnocchi, about 4 servings, depending on your appetite. To save some for later, place half of the finished gnocchi on a floured baking sheet and freeze for up to two hours before placing them together in a freezer bag.

Place the other half of the gnocchi a dozen at a time in boiling water. Cook until they all float to the top. Meanwhile, bring a saucepan with butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme to medium heat until the butter melts and you’ve coaxed the aroma out of the herbs. Toss gnocchi in the butter/oil mixture, and enjoy.
(**note: I put half of the gnocchi in the freezer, and therefore used half of the recipe for the sauce: 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil, with dried thyme)

Original recipe here 

Pumpkin Carving

 

I decided against baking for my company's Halloween Bake-Off today, and decided to carve pumpkins instead! I don't particularly enjoy being judged on my baking abilities, so I'd prefer to bake on my own time and bring in treats when I feel like it! The mummies and the ghosts I made over the past two weeks turned out pretty well, but wouldn't win the competition, so I'd rather save my time to get other things done, like running on this beautiful (?) October day. The streets are pretty wet/slushy after last night's snow storm, but I can't run after work any more as the sun is setting around 5 45, and getting earlier every day. Dave semi-helped with the carving...he was mostly there for moral support. I don't think I've carved a pumpkin since before high school, so I'm glad I finally got this done this year!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpea Wheatberry Salad

I made this a month or so ago, when I was trying to find some new recipes with wheatberries. I really enjoy wheatberries, but it can be hard to find good recipes for them! This isn't my favorite recipe and I may not make it again - but it was definitely good to try. I'm not a huge fan of red onions, and this had a bit too much red onion in it, which was minorly overwhelming.

I remember I didn't follow the ingredient list very well - I used a whole can of chickpeas, a whole red onion, and a whole butternut squash (no idea how much it weighed) - so this may have been better if I had stayed true to the recipe. I don't like to throw food away, and if I had used 1/4 cup of the red onion, I probably wouldn't have found another use for it. I do this often and it's usually a non-issue, but, I can't cheat all the time and get away with it! :) I also tend to not measure spices if there are many different spices to measure and add - I can be pretty lazy sometimes!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Chickpea Wheatberry Salad

1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound squash (peeled, seeded and cut into bite sized pieces)
1 cup wheatberries (cook as directed)
1 cup chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup red onion (chopped)
2 tablespoons cilantro
1/4 cup tahini, lemon and yogurt dressing

1. Toss the squash in the oil, salt and pepper to coat.
2. Bake in a single layer in a preheated 400F oven for 30 minutes flipping once in the middle.
3. Mix the squash, chickpeas, red onion and cilantro and top with the dressing.

Tahini, Lemon and Yogurt Dressing

2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup cup Greek yogurt (or regular plain yogurt)
1 clove garlic (grated)
salt and pepper to taste
* olive oil or water

1. Mix everything and add olive oil or water to get it to the desired consistency.


Original recipe here

Tex-Mex Stuffed Portabellas

(I promise there's a mushroom under there!)

I'm a bit behind on posting recipes....but I made this recipe a few weekends ago with Dave, and it was pretty easy and absolutely delicious! Surprisingly, being a vegetarian, I don't think I have ever cooked portabella mushrooms before. I like them, and have ordered them in restaurants many times, but haven't ever cooked them on my own. This is definitely a good introduction to portabellas for people who haven't tried them before - you can't dislike them in this recipe! (This is another great find from the Moosewood cookbook!)

Each mushroom is supposed to be one serving, but Dave and I each had one and split a third one. So, I would say this makes about 3-4 servings, unless you have a side dish as well.

1.5 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 canned chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
1 yellow and 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced (about 1 cup)
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
4 large portabella mushrooms (4 to 5 inches in diameter)
minced scallions

1. In a skillet on medium-high heat, cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the chipotles and bell peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the peppers are tender but still firm. Remove from the heat. Stir in the cilantro and tomatoes and two-thirds of the cheese.

2. Break off the stems of the portabellas and save them for another use or discard. Rinse the caps (gently, so they don't break), and place smooth side down in a lightly oiled baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Mound each mushroom with about a cup of the filling. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top. Cover the baking dish with foil folded lengthwise to form a little tent so that the foil won't stick to the cheese. (This was a little tricky....but it doesn't need to be perfect.)

3. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the cheese browns, 10-15 minutes. Serve topped with scallions.


Dave and I were so excited to eat these, we forgot the scallions! They aren't necessary for the recipe if you don't want to buy them or don't like them.

Black Quinoa with Vegetables and Feta

My friend Julie sent me this recipe the other day, and it was pretty intriguing so I had to try it. Both the black quinoa and the strange array of spices really piqued my interest. I would have made this sooner but I knew I would have to venture into Whole Foods to find the black quinoa. And that I did. A bag of black quinoa (about 2 cups, I think) was $7.99!! Outrageous. Maybe worth it about once a year. I need to read up on the health benefits of it and see if it's actually better for you than regular quinoa...

Anyway, this was a fun and easy to make recipe. I never cook with leeks, and I'm pretty sure I chopped them incorrectly, but oh well - tastes the same. I found a video on youtube that shows you how to chop leeks - if you're as unfamiliar as I am and would like to try this recipe, just type "chopping leeks" into a Google search.

Quinoa Ingredients:
1 cup black quinoa (uncooked)
2 cups vegetable stock
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. coriander
1/8 tsp. cumin
pinch cloves
pinch allspice

Quinoa Directions:
Place all items in 1 quart sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook 20 minutes.
Let sit covered 10 minutes.

Vegetables & Feta Ingredients:
2 tsp. pure olive oil
1 ½ cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well (1 small can of garbanzo beans works)
½ cup asparagus, cut ¾ inches
½ cup leeks, sliced ¼ inch
½ cup roasted red bell peppers
½ cup roasted yellow bell peppers, diced ½ inch
(* I found a jar of yellow and red roasted peppers at Trader Joe's, which worked perfectly)
½ cup vegetable stock
3 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese

Vegetables & Feta Directions:
Heat olive oil to the smoke point.
Add garbanzo beans, asparagus and leeks, saute until asparagus softens. (about 5 minutes)
Add red and yellow bell peppers with vegetable stock and heat well. (about 5 minutes)
Add feta cheese, toss and serve over hot quinoa.

(* Note: in my experience, it's very hard to buy a small amount of leeks or asparagus. After making this once, it definitely wouldn't have hurt to add some more vegetables. So, feel free to add at least a cup or so of each!)

Ghost Meringues

Second attempt at a recipe for the Halloween Bake Off. These guys were (again) quite tedious to make, but so adorable!! I may make some of these again next weekend if I have the time. They taste just like regular, vanilla meringues. Only problem is that it's VERY hard to fill a pastry bag with meringue dough. It doesn't fall down into the bag with gravity like regular dough. Needless to say, I made a huge mess in my kitchen last night. Oh well.

These took about an hour and a half to dry out - I then left them in the oven overnight (with the oven off) as suggested in the recipe. They are now a little bit sticky, so I wouldn't suggest doing this. But, I would suggest making these for Halloween, if you have the time to deal with a pastry bag and lots of mini chocolate chips!


Original recipe here

Mummies!

In honor of my company's annual Halloween baking competition, I started practicing some halloween-y recipes. This is to make up for last year, where the "halloween-y-ness" of my creation was missed (it was a "surprise" in the middle of the cookie). I received full points for taste, but zero points for halloween-y-ness.

So, this was my first attempt at a new recipe for this year. These little guys are a bit tedious to make, and it's hard to make a perfect mummy. I may try this again next weekend for the competition, unless I find something else better. I used the dough that comes in a tube for Pillsbury Crescent rolls, which may not have been the best option. It's a little hard to roll out and shape, since it is supposed to be rolled out into a triangle. Also, I'm not convinced that I'll get top points for taste - these are certainly good (anything with Nutella in it is great in my book), but I wasn't blown away with the flavors. Anyway, this was a first try...I also made ghost meringues, which will be posted next!


See here for mummy-making instructions

Travels

At the beginning of this month, I went on a cruise through Greece and a few surrounding countries with my family. We hit:

Mykonos, Greece
Kusadasi, Turkey
Santorini, Greece
Monemvasia, Greece
Zakynthos, Greece
Corfu, Greece
Kotor, Montenegro
Dubrovnik, Croatia
Venice, Italy

We had a nightmare on the way over with two flights being canceled out of JFK and having to spend a night there - but we met the boat in Mykonos and all was well from there on out.

Our meals were included in our cruise fare, but on most days we were off the boat at lunchtime, and ate local food at restaurants in the area. On our first full day, in Kusadasi, we had a private tour and went to an amazing lunch at a small restaurant with an incredible view. The food there was very similar to Greek food (I thought) - but because of the restaurant we were at, this was probably the best meal we had on the whole trip. I also particularly enjoyed Kusadasi because this is where we saw the most agriculture; they grow many crops including pomegranates (above), figs, cotton, tangerines, and olives.

Anyway, I decided that I really enjoy the Mediterranean diet. I really enjoy tzatziki, grilled eggplant spread, olive oil, pita bread, and I even semi-enjoyed the olives I had there. I generally hate olives, but I had to give them a try in an environment where you see olive trees all around you. So don't be surprised if a lot of my upcoming recipes have a Greek/Mediterranean feel!

Beet and Yogurt Salad

This is a pretty simple and nice salad, but I am totally over cooking beets. I ended up with beet juice mostly everywhere. I roasted the beets according to Mark Bittman's technique (wrap in tin foil and peel them afterwards), but peeling the beets after they cook is always a disaster. I may try a different method of roasting (there are a few), but I'll probably be taking a rest from beets for a while - canned beets aren't SO bad.


4 medium size beets, roasted
1.5 tablespoons sherry vinegar, white wine vinegar, or cider vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 to 2 garlic cloves (to taste)
1/2 cup thick Greek style yogurt or drained yogurt
2 tablespoons minced dill

1. Roast the beets, peel and cut in wedges or slice into half-moons. Stir together the vinegar, sugar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the warm beets and allow to marinate for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

2. Place the garlic in a mortar and pestle, add 1/8 teaspoon salt, and mash to a paste. Stir into the yogurt. Stir in half the dill. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain the beets and stir some of the marinade into the yogurt (to taste). Toss with the beets, or arrange the beets on a platter and drizzle the yogurt over the top. Sprinkle on the remaining dill, and serve.


Original recipe here 

Harvest Cake

This is the most savory cake I have ever eaten. It doesn't taste like cake - it is full of veggies, and the vanilla "cream" frosting is made from cashews. I didn't enjoy the first bite I took, because I was shocked at the flavors, but ended up really loving this cake! Only downside is that a small bag of almond flour costs about $10 (even at Market Basket!).


Harvest Cake
(Makes 1-9inch cake)

3 cups almond flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup ghee (or oil of your choice) if you use ghee make sure it is melted
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup grated zucchini
1 cup chopped apple

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9inch cake pan (you can use a regular or fluted cake pan). In a bowl combine dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl combine wet ingredients. Pour wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir to incorporate. Pour into prepared cake pan and cook in oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Vanilla Cream 
(makes almost 2 cups)

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for three hours, water discarded
1/2 cup fresh apple juice
2 Medjool dates, pitted
1 TBS honey
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped and pod discarded (or 2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract)

In a high speed blender combine ingredients until very smooth. Spread on cake or muffins.

Cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 4 days or in the fridge for 1 week.

Original recipe here 

"Vegan" Cornbread

Another great Moosewood find. I don't know if I've ever had vegetables in my cornbread - but I definitely don't hate it! You can leave out the veggies and just make a regular cornbread (if you do this, the bread will likely bake in 20-25 minutes). This recipe is supposed to be vegan and use soymilk - but I didn't feel like buying soymilk just for this, and used regular skim milk instead.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup whole grain cornmeal (I just used regular cornmeal)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1/4 cup packed brown sugar or maple syrup
1.5 cups soymilk (or milk)

1/2 cup finely chopped scallions or chives
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell peppers
1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking pan or a 9-inch pie plate.

2. Sift the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour in the wet ingredients, and add the scallions, peppers, and corn. Stir just until mixed. (I generally don't mix the wet and dry ingredients separately when I bake, and it has always been fine. I did stir the dry ingredients together first, then add the wet.)

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the bread pulls away from the sides of the pan, 35 to 40 minutes.

Sweet Potato, Apple, and Chipotle Soup

 

Another choice from my Saturday of cooking (see Silken Chocolate Pudding post). This soup is very spicy - so beware. It's not an overwhelming spicy, but if you don't like spicy food, leave out the chipotle pepper. (It's another Moosewood cookbook find.) I am psyched that it is finally soup season!! (though it was 80 degrees yesterday...)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2.5 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 cup thinly sliced celery
5 cups thinly sliced peeled sweet potatoes
2 cups chopped apples
1 tablespoon minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 quart (4 cups) vegetable broth
1 cup water
1.5 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup unsweetened apple juice

1. Warm the oil in a soup pot on high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring continually, until the onions begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the celery, sweet potatoes, apples, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, vegetable broth, water, salt, cinnamon, and black pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat, and simmer gently until the sweet potatoes and apples are soft, about 20 minutes.

2. Add the apple juice to the pot. Puree the soup in a blender in batches until smooth and creamy. Blend in more chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and/or black pepper to suit your taste.

Silken Chocolate Pudding

Sticking to my habit of cooking when the weather is bad - I cooked most of the day yesterday because it was rainy/hot and sticky outside, and I didn't have much else going on (except work that I should have been doing....). I decided to try a few new recipes and one old one: basil pesto; this pudding; sweet potato, apple, and chipotle soup; "vegan" cornbread; and tofu stir fry. Most of the new recipes are from the Moosewood Cooking for Health cookbook, which I am slowly falling in love with. The base of this pudding is TOFU, so how could I not try it? I thought this would be a very healthy dessert - but it is in fact very rich and high in calories. This makes about 6 servings (2.5 cups), and each serving has about 245 calories.

1 cake of silken tofu (about 16 ounces)
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
6 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a food processor, whirl the tofu and confectioners' sugar until well blended. In a double boiler, a small pan on low heat, or in a microwave oven, warm the chocolate, water, cocoa, and vanilla until the chocolate melts. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour the chocolate sauce into the food processor with the sweetened whipped tofu, and whirl again until very smooth and silky.

2. Spoon the pudding into 6 serving sups. Chill for at least an hour.

(I just put all of the pudding into one tupperware and served it later.)

Feta, Mint, and Strawberry Salad with Green Beans and Pistachios

Don't judge a book by it's cover - the above image isn't very pretty, but this salad is delicious! I generally don't enjoy strawberries on their own - but they are incredible in this salad. This was really easy to make and a great summer salad. The recipe is from the Organic Seasonal Cookbook, which I received from a college friend as a Secret Santa gift. She knows me well :)

Salad:
1 lb 2 oz/500 g fine green beans
1 lb 2 oz/500 g strawberries
2-3 tbsp pistachios
1 small bunch fresh mint leaves
1 lb 2 oz/500 g feta cheese

Dressing:
2 tbsp raspberry vinegar (or strawberry or red wine vinegar)
2 tsp superfine sugar
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
pinch of salt
1/2 cup olive oil

1. To make the dressing, mix the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt together in a bowl until smooth. Slowly pour in the oil, whisking constantly until the mixture has emulsified. Cover and refrigerate until required.
2. Blanch the beans in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes, so that they retain plenty of crunch. Drain and quickly toss in a large, cool bowl. Hull and half the strawberries, then add to the beans. Stir in the pistachios and mint leaves. Toss the salad with enough of the dressing to coat lightly.
3. Break the feta cheese into chunks and scatter over the salad. Add a good grinding of pepper and serve immediately.

Japanese Lunchbox

This is a delicious, healthy, easy-to-make salad. I generally don't enjoy rice - but it really makes this salad. I found this recipe in the Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health cookbook - which my mom gave to me a few years ago, but I have barely every used. I just opened it the other day and realized how great it is! There are a ton of great vegetarian recipes - and all are very healthy. (I'll be posting a fruit and nut truffle recipe soon...even the desserts are healthy!) I've made this salad twice in the past two weeks - it makes quite a lot of food, but is very light and has about 4 meal-sized servings.

Japanese Lunchbox Salad

Lemon Ginger Dressing:
2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger root
1 garlic clove, minced

Salad:
4 cups loosely packed salad greens, baby spinach, or frisee
2 cups cooked brown rice
16 ounces seasoned tofu, sliced or cubed
1 cup carrot matchsticks
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ripe hass avocado
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds or flaxseeds

1. In a blender, whirl all of the dressing ingredients until smooth.
2. On a large platter or on individual serving plates, spread out the greens and mount the rice in the center. Arrange the tofu, carrots, and tomatoes on the greens and rice.
3. Just before serving, slice around the avocado lengthwise, twist the halves apart, and remove the pit. Cut the flesh into thin slices right in the skin, scoop the slices out with a serving spoon, and place them on the salad. Drizzle the dressing on the salad. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

[NOTE: I just cut the avocado into chunks, and mixed everything together in a bowl, including the dressing. No need to get fancy! I also didn't use sesame seeds or flaxseeds, as I didn't have them on hand.]

For the tofu, the cookbook suggests a few ways to prepare it, or you can buy it prepared from a grocery store. I used the following recipe, which was really easy and delicious!

An Easy Baked Tofu

1 cake of extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup

Cut the tofu into bite-sized cubes and place in an unoiled baking dish large enough to hold a single layer. Stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, and ketchup and drizzle over the tofu. With a rubber spatula, gently turn to coat thoroughly. In a 400 degree oven, bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the tofu is browned, firm, and chewy.

[NOTE: The first time I cooked the tofu, there was a lot of extra sauce on the pan, and it burned (not a huge deal, but it did burn the cookie sheet I was using). The second time, I combined the tofu and sauce in a bowl before putting it on the pan, and used aluminum foil over the cookie sheet. This worked much better - the sauce still burned a little bit, but didn't burn the pan!]

Rainy day bread making

What better to do during a hurricane than...make bread?? That's what I thought.
I was at home with my parents during Hurricane Irene, and I decided a few days beforehand that I really wanted to make bread (so that I wouldn't have to get any ingredients in the storm). It has been far too hot to bake anything for the past few months, and I have been itching to make more bread since I made challah! My mom has a recipe from one of her Armenian friends that she used to make when she was in her 20s. It calls for a rare spice that can be found at a market in Watertown, but I didn't plan far enough in advance to pick it up. We found online that cardamom was a good substitute, so I used that instead. This bread is even better than the challah I made a few months ago. It's moist but flaky and absolutely delicious. It also makes a TON - I made 2 large loaves, a medium sized loaf, and a small twist (I didn't have enough left for a braid). The recipe supposedly makes 5 loaves, but it varies based on how thick you make your braids, etc. The bread also freezes well, which makes the whole process worthwhile (though I would argue it is anyway)!
(I currently don't have the recipe on hand, but will gladly send it by request)

Pan-Cooked Summer Squash With Tomatoes and Basil

A quick, easy side dish. Doesn't taste as good cold or reheated - so plan to eat immediately!


2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds medium or small zucchini or other summer squash, thinly sliced or diced (depending on what shape squash you use)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ripe tomatoes, grated on the large holes of a box grater, or peeled, seeded and diced (I cheated and used canned diced tomatoes)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped or slivered fresh basil (to taste)

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy skillet. Add the zucchini. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan, until the zucchini is lightly seared and beginning to soften, three to five minutes. Remove from the pan, and set aside.

2. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, then the garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant -- less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have begun to cook down, about five minutes. Return the zucchini to the pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini is tender and translucent and the tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant sauce. Stir in the basil, and taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from the heat and serve hot, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

Original recipe here

Soba Noodle Salad

I've made this salad many times this summer - it's very easy to make, is delicious, makes a large quantity, and keeps well. Highly recommended for someone who likes leftovers! The first time - I made this with both the jalapeno and the full amount of chili flakes - and it was SPICY. Not bad spicy, but a bit much for a summer day. Since then I have skipped the jalapeno (more out of laziness than anything) and have cut the chili flakes to 1 teaspoon - which is more manageable. The original recipe calls for 8 ounces of soba noodles - I don't even check the size - I just use a whole package.


Soba Noodle and Raw Veggie Salad

8 ounces soba noodles
1/2 cup reduced sodium tamari (or soy sauce)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch green onions, chopped (3 or 4)
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 red bell pepper, sliced thin
1/4 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced (I actually used about 1/2...so as not to waste the cabbage)
3 whole carrots, shredded with vegetable peeler
2 cups shelled edamame, steamed
1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds

For even more flavor, try adding:
one lime, juiced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
peanut butter

1. Cook soba noodles according to directions, and rinse in a colander.
2. Chop up all your vegetables, and toss into a bowl with the soba noodles.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, sesame oil, canola oil, rice wine vinegar and red pepper flakes.
4. Pour the dressing into the pasta and veggies and toss well to combine. Enjoy!

Original recipe here

Wheatberry Salad

I wanted to make wheatberries for a long time - and my first attempt was a Mark Bittman recipe that I didn't really enjoy. I found this recipe just by searching for a wheatberry salad recipe on Google - and I love it! It's really easy, and good to cook/have around in the summer. It has a lot of olive oil - and you probably don't need to add as much as is called for - but it's delicious if you do :)


1 cup hard winter wheatberries
Kosher salt
1 cup finely diced red onion (1 onion)
6 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 scallions, minced, white and green parts
1/2 red bell pepper, small diced (I just used a whole one...what to do with 1/2 a pepper?)
1 carrot, small diced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Place the wheatberries and 3 cups of boiling salted water in a saucepan and cook, uncovered, over low heat for approximately 45 minutes, or until they are soft. Drain. (The package on the wheatberries I bought said to cook for 25 minutes - which was enough. This may differ greatly depending on the kind of wheatberries you get - just test them and they're ready when they're nice and chewy!)

Saute the red onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat until translucent, approximately 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the remaining 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of olive oil and the balsamic vinegar.

In a large bowl, combine the warm wheatberries, sauteed onions, scallions, red bell pepper, carrot, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the pepper. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes for the wheatberries to absorb the sauce. Season, to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Original recipe here 

Cheesy Black Bean and Pepper Enchiladas

I haven't blogged in quite some time - I've actually had this recipe ready to post for almost a month, but haven't gotten around to it.
Work and life in general has been crazy over the past month, and I have been cooking, but haven't had any time to post! Granted - I've stuck with some of the same few recipes to get through the hot days...I have a great soba noodle salad recipe and a wheatberry salad recipe that I'll post soon.

Anyway, these enchiladas are great. I bought spicy enchilada sauce, and it was certainly spicy!! I suggest using small tortilla shells, as I used the large kind and there was a low filling to tortilla size ratio. Also - mix with your hands....you sort of need to, and it's awesome.

8 tortilla shells
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature (reduced fat if you want...)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 handfuls fresh spinach, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 can enchilada sauce
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
2 jalapenos, sliced thin (optional)
chopped cilantro for garnish


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl combine black beans, cream cheese, bell pepper, onion, spinach, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly using a spoon or your hands.

Lay your tortilla flat and spoon 2 tablespoons of filling in center. Roll up tight and place in large greased baking dish. Fill and roll all 8 shells and lay side by side in baking dish. Top with enchilada sauce, shredded cheese and jalapenos. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted and slightly browned. Sprinkle chopped cilantro over enchiladas before serving.

Original recipe here 

Dave's Cooking Debut

Last weekend I tried to buy food for too many recipes...since Dave and I are going to Acadia this weekend, I didn't need much (and I already had a bunch of food from the week before). So, last minute at the grocery store, I tried to eliminate items for one of my recipes I was planning to make. I mixed up two things - bought dill that I didn't need, and didn't buy jicama, which I did need. However, Dave came to the rescue! I was just going to make this recipe without the jicama, but Dave is very resourceful and helped me use up the extra food I had lying in my fridge. We added some leftover quinoa (that I had made when making Quinoa Pancakes, see below) and two plum tomatoes that I was planning to use for caprese salads (...and failed. I have too much basil and was trying to use it). This may not be the prettiest dish you've ever seen, but it's quite tasty. There's a lot of cumin, but you can barely taste it with all the lime juice flavor. Dave also chose to add some Kashi Country Cheddar crackers (you can see in the photo) - I chose to keep those separate.

Anyway - this is a super simple recipe, and very versatile as I now know :)


Cumin-Lime Black Bean, Jicama, and Corn Salad

1 can corn, drained
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup diced jicama
1 avocado, diced
Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
Dash of salt and pepper
(OR in lieu of jicama: 2 tomatoes, 1-2 cups of quinoa, or whatever you have in your fridge.)

In a medium sized bowl combine corn, black beans, jicama, and avocado. In a separate bowl, whisk together lime juice and cumin. Pour juice over bean and corn mixture. Season with just a dash of salt and pepper. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour (or not...still delicious) before serving.

Original recipe here 

NOTE: This does not keep well. The lime juice causes the avocado to taste acidic after a day or so. Next time I make this, I'm going to keep the dressing separate until ready to eat.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

I've put off using my roomie's ice cream maker since I made avocado frozen yogurt, since that was quite the endeavor. Last weekend I decided it was time to pull it out again, since it has been unbelievably hot over the past two weeks or so. I decided to make strawberry frozen yogurt - mostly because it was one of the first recipes I found for frozen yogurt. I generally don't enjoy eating strawberries alone, but do enjoy strawberry flavored things, like gum and candy. I prefer blueberries and raspberries...and supposedly strawberries carry the most pesticides of any fruit, so I tend to steer clear. The recipe I found says that you can strain out the seeds, but why on earth would you want to do that?? When I make homemade ice cream/frozen yogurt, I want it to taste natural. Leave the seeds in. Also - the only whole milk yogurt I can ever find in the grocery store is Fage Total. I guess everyone in America is on a diet. I don't blame them.
(P.S. - this is incredible. Or maybe I'm delusional due to the heat. Try to get organic strawberries, if possible.)


1 pound strawberries, rinsed and hulled
2/3 cup sugar (you could probably use less than this...mine came out pretty sweet)
optional: 2 teaspoons vodka or kirsch (I left this out, but sounds interesting!!)
1 cup plain whole milk yogurt (Greek works well)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Slice the strawberries into small pieces. Toss in a bowl with the sugar and vodka or kirsch (if using) until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, stirring every so often.

Transfer the strawberries and their juice to a blender or food processor. Add the yogurt and fresh lemon juice. Pulse the machine until the mixture is smooth. If you wish, press mixture through a mesh strainer to remove any seeds (....don't!).

Chill for 1 hour, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (For me, this required about 20 minutes in the ice cream maker.)

Original recipe here

Quinoa Pancakes

 

I found this recipe in the New York Times a few months ago (May 24, to be exact, from the publishing date). I've been wanting to try it since then, but have gone through forgetting and then remembering and asking Dave if he would eat them and getting refusals. So, this past Saturday, I again asked Dave if he would eat quinoa pancakes for breakfast and received the expected "no" in return. But this time was different - I was on a mission to make pancakes. So I made em. And they were delicious. (Beware - this recipe makes quite a few pancakes - for 4 or 5 people - so if you're cooking for one, save some batter for later!)


1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup cooked quinoa (any type)
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries or other fruit, like sliced bananas, strawberries or raisins (optional)

1. Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt.

2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the buttermilk and whisk together, then whisk in the vanilla extract and the oil.

3. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and quickly whisk together. Do not overbeat; a few lumps are fine. Fold in the quinoa.

4. Heat a griddle over medium-hot heat. If necessary, brush with butter or oil. Drop 3 to 4 tablespoons onto the hot griddle. Place six to eight blueberries (or several slices of banana or strawberries) on each pancake. Cook until bubbles begin to break through, two to three minutes. Turn and cook on the other side for about a minute or until nicely browned. Remove from the heat, and continue cooking until all of the batter is used up.

5. Serve hot with butter and maple syrup.

Yield: 15 pancakes (five servings).


Original recipe here 

Poached Eggs

I'm the kind of girl who likes her eggs scrambled, and doesn't know much about any other way of cooking eggs....or what "sunny side up" means. However, when vacationing with the family in the Berkshires over the July 4th weekend, my dad found these little egg-poaching boats in a chef's store in Great Barrington. He bought them and gave them to me to use, and I was pretty sure I'd screw this up bigtime. But, these are really easy to use - all you have to do is oil the boat, put the egg in, and float it in boiling water for a few minutes. I only messed up when I scooped the eggs out and punctured one of the yolks. I still prefer my eggs scrambled, but I love new kitchen tools!

Maple Cornbread

I've always been a huge fan of corn bread (mainly corn muffins, from Perfecto's), but haven't made either of the two in far too long. I didn't realize how easy corn bread recipes are - and now I want to make bread/muffins all the time!! I've made this recipe twice, and will likely make it again soon - it only takes about 10 minutes to prepare. The bread has a little hint of maple syrup, which is hard to notice but it is a nice twist on a classic recipe.

1 cup (4 ounces) whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup stone ground or yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) whole milk (I used skim milk...it was fine)
1/4 cup (2 3/4 ounces) maple syrup
6 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425° F. Pour 2 tablespoons of the melted butter into an 8 or 9-inch square or round baking pan.

2) In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the milk, maple syrup, remaining butter, and eggs. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently stir together just until moistened.

3) Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup (optional - the bread is delicious on its own!).

Makes 9 servings

Original recipe here 

Gazpacho

This recipe is called "Great Gazpacho," and it really is great. I looked at a lot of gazpacho recipes, and thought it would be good to pick one that doesn't call for tomato juice (and instead uses the juices from the tomatoes you chop up). This may not have been the best idea - the soup turned out great, but it was a lot more work than it needed to be (and took much longer - letting the tomatoes sit and juice). I also used some sort of Thai pepper instead of the jalapeno (since Market Basket did not sell jalapenos individually), and this turned out fine - it wasn't even very spicy. Anyway, this was delicious, and if you can get over chopping in the heat, this is a great summer recipe!

Great Gazpacho

2 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes (about 5 medium), skin scored with an X at blossom end
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 hothouse seedless cucumber, enough peeled and cut into a 1/4-inch dice to yield 2 cups
1 small yellow pepper, stemmed, seeded, and enough cut into 1/4-inch dice to yield 3/4 cup
1 small onion, peeled, and enough cut into small dice to yield 1/2 cup
1 small jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and minced (optional, but nice)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or cilantro

Bring a large saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Drop tomatoes into the water to loosen skins, about 15 seconds. Remove skins, halve the tomatoes, crosswise, then seed the tomatoes over a small strainer set over a Pyrex measuring cup. With a rubber spatula, press on seeds to release their juices. (If the tomatoes are juicy and ripe, you should have 3/4 to a scant cup accumulated juices.) Reserve tomato juice.

Before dicing remaining vegetables, coarsely chop the tomatoes, sprinkle them with the salt, and place them in a colander set over a medium bowl to drain until they release between 3/4 and 1 cup of juice, 30 to 45 minutes, occasionally stirring the tomatoes and pressing on them lightly.

Mix diced cucumber, bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, garlic, vinegar, and all of the tomato juice in a 13-by 9-inch Pyrex dish or other shallow, nonreactive pan. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 45 minutes (Can be refrigerated up to 3 hours).
While gazpacho chills, transfer half the tomatoes to the workbowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the olive oil and pulse until reduced to a chunky purée, about four 1-second pulses. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cut remaining tomatoes into a medium dice and add to bowl; set aside at room temperature.

When ready to serve, stir tomatoes into soup and serve immediately with optional croutons.


Original recipe here

Mango Blueberry Quinoa Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing

I tried this recipe last week, and it's a pretty good summer salad recipe. Not too hard - unless you get bad mangoes! I bought 2 mangoes for this, and both were stringy and bitter. So, I had my Mango Blueberry Quinoa Salad sans mango. I didn't take a photo of this one (I was probably too angry about the mango), but the photo on the Veggie Belly blog should serve the purpose. I just realized a minute ago that the name of the blog was Veggie Belly....I may have to look into that one further...


For the quinoa
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water

For the fruits and veggies
½ cup fresh blueberries
½ cup cubed ripe mangoes
½ cup cubed cucumbers
1/2 tablespoon dried cranberries

For the lemon basil dressing
1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
10 Basil leaves, chopped finely
Salt and pepper

Place the quinoa and water in a medium skillet and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, and simmer covered for about 15 minutes or till the quinoa is cooked. Remove the lid, and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Let it cool to room temperature.

While the quinoa is cooking, combine the fruits in a bowl and refrigerate till you are ready to serve the salad.

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients, except the chopped basil. Refrigerate till you are ready to serve. Chop and add the basil to the dressing just before serving. If you add it earlier, it will go black.

Add half the dressing to the quinoa and mix gently.

Assemble the salad just before serving – toss the quinoa, fruits and cucumbers together. Serve other half of the dressing on the side. Serve immediately.

(I ate mine in a few batches, and mixed everything together except the basil until I was ready to eat.)


Original recipe here (and Veggie Belly blog!)

Braided Challah Bread

I've been wanting to make bread for a while, but have been slightly intimidated, and haven't been able to set aside the time. Then I found this recipe for Challah bread, which I love, so I decided to give it a shot. Yesterday (Saturday) was a dark dreary day, and a perfect day for making bread. This recipe is actually pretty easy, and has detailed directions on how to braid the bread (it took me a minute to understand, as I'm not a great braider, but I pulled it off). I used active dry yeast instead of instant yeast - and with help from the madre, I made it work. I put a little less than 2 teaspoons of the active dry yeast in a cup of hot water with a teaspoon of sugar to "proof" it, let it sit for 10 minutes, and then added the flour to make the "starter." Beware - if you want to try this, make sure you have a good 5 hours or so to spare.

Braided Challah Bread
Quick Starter
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 cup water
2 tsps instant yeast
Dough
All of the starter
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1 3/4 tsps salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs + 1 yolk (save 1 egg white for the wash, below)
Wash
1 egg white
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp water
poppy seeds (optional)

• To make the starter, mix the 1 cup flour, 1 cup water and yeast together in a large bowl. Let the mixture sit for about 45 minutes. 
• Add the dough ingredients to the starter and mix and knead together until smooth.  The eggs and oil make for soft, lovely dough. 
• Place the kneaded dough in a greased bowl, turning it over once to coat both sides. Cover it and let it rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until doubled in size.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over once or twice to break down the bubbles.  Do not punch! 
• Divide the dough into four even pieces and roll each into a strand about 18 inches long.
• On a lightly greased or parchment-lined sheet pan, braid the strands.
• Once your braid is done, make the wash by mixing together the reserved egg white, sugar, and water.  Brush the loaf with half the wash.
• Cover the loaf with lightly greased plastic wrap and allow it to rise again for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until it’s almost doubled in size.
• Brush the loaf with the remaining egg wash, and sprinkle with poppy seeds if desired. 
• Bake in a preheated 375°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• Remove it from the oven, and cool completely before slicing. (Or don't - it's delicious right out of the oven.)

Yield: 1 loaf, about 16 1-inch slices.

Original recipe here 

Summer recipes?!

So - I haven't posted much this month, and that's not due to lack of cooking but rather due to lack of good recipes. It's been pretty hot in my apartment most days (we're on the 2nd and 3rd floor and don't have air conditioning), so I haven't been motivated to tackle any complicated or time consuming recipes, and definitely haven't wanted to use the oven. I've tried a bunch of salad recipes from Mark Bittman's cookbook, and haven't been totally satisfied with most of them (except the ones I posted). This weekend I'm planning to try making bread (challah) and pad thai - so hopefully those go over well and I'll have something to post :). In the meantime, I'll be continuing to look for low-effort, low-cook-time recipes for summer - and, you'll know when I find them!

Birthday!

So, I turned 23 on Saturday. Was suffering a sinus infection (not diagnosed until yesterday), but was not about to cancel the party planned at my apartment for such nonsense. Unfortunately, I forgot to take any photos, but we had a great spread and I tried a few new recipes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp: simple and delicious.

Black Bean Hummus: a must-try; I left out the cilantro because the store was out of it, but it was great regardless. This recipe also makes a TON, so it was perfect for the party.

Creamy Dill Potato Salad: This was my first time making potato salad, and this recipe had a nice twist on a traditional potato salad. Note: this is spicy.

Moist Chocolate Cake: This was the cake that turned out to be an absolute disaster the first time I made it (see baking fail post). This time it still stuck to the pan a little bit, but the layers still turned out OK. I got a lot of compliments on it, though it wasn't as moist as the first time....