Entries from February 1st, 2012

Remedy Quarterly

2.28.2012

Well I had planned on today’s post being some tales about our trip this weekend but then I got the newest addition of ‘Remedy Quarterly’ in the mail and I was too excited not to share. Remedy Quarterly is a magazine filled with stories of food and recipes. When I say stories…I mean literally each recipe it accompanied by a wonderful story and adorable pictures/layouts. The newest issue is about Adventures and I wrote a story about my travels to South by Southwest last year and shared my recipe for Avocado Fries.

For me, this is particularly exciting because this is my first print publication. I mean I post all over the blog-o-sphere but it is just too much fun to see your writing in print! Here are a few ‘sneak peak’ pictures of the magazine but I encourage everyone to take a look and pick up a copy over at Remedy Quarterly.

Moody Monday

2.27.2012

I realize I’m stretching this post a little since the whole point of Moody Monday is to pick something that will brighten up your day and today is almost over BUT we just got back from our Seattle/Portland trip a few hours ago and this is the first chance I’ve had to sit down at a computer. The trip was amazing and I cannot believe we managed to see and experience so many amazing things in three days.

I hope to edit some of my favorite pictures and post about our events in the coming days but until then…my Mood Monday post is definitely a picture of Seattle and Portland. I’m pretty sure that the excitement of this trip will carry me through at least the rest of the week.

 

Portland vs. Seattle

Dragonfruit

2.26.2012

Some days you just have to start your day out with some delicious color.

Marbled Parfait with a Raspberry Brownie Goat Cheese Filling

2.24.2012

Woah, that is a mouthful. It’s needed though- all those ingredients stick out so much in every bit that I would feel guilty not letting you know what you are in for. The salty goat cheese counteracts that brownie so well that they are an [odd] match made in heaven. Plus, anything with goat cheese is amazing. Right?

I should probably admit that I’m delusional to think that this is a “healthier” version of dessert but this was an attempt at some sort of weird compromise. I love parfait for dessert because they are light and sweet but not too sweet. Wyatt loves chocolate and ice cream and anything with more calories than is supposed to be consumed in a week. SOO I made this thinking it would satisfy both of our needs…but to be completely honest, this is for no one on a diet or watching their calories. It’s rich and indulgent in the best way possible.

I would imagine you could probably even top this with ice cream instead of granola. And replace the raspberries with strawberries or blueberries or whatever you’d like. Get creative…that’s the best part about baking!

 

Marbled Raspberry Brownie Goat Cheese Filling:

Brownie Part:

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Goat Cheese Filling:

  • 1 cup raspberries
  • 8 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Other things to put in the parfait:

  • granola
  • more fruit
  • greek yogurt
  • honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×9 baking dish. In a large bowl, mix together the shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Next, beat in the eggs. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients and fold until well incorporated. Pour into prepared baking pan.

In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and goat cheese together. Next, cream the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well blended. Fold in the raspberries (I crushed them a little bit on purpose so that they would bleed some pretty marbled red into the mix). Pour on top of the brownie mix.

Cook for 30 minutes or until it starts to brown on the top. Let cook for at least ten minutes then prepare your parfait with whatever fixins’ you’d like. Don’t worry if the brownie mixture is gooey because that helps it blend well with the other parfait ingredients.

Mmmmm, gooey goodness. Don’t share with your puppy but feel free to share with your roommates!


 

 

Pierogies with Roasted Tomatoes and Artichokes

2.23.2012

I should start off by apologizing for the lack of recipe posts this week but lots of other exciting things have been going on around here (don’t worry! I have not lost sight of what this blog is really about- I promise)! I am currently working on a button for some blogs that will be sponsoring VV for March and the new addition of the magazine ‘Remedy Quarterly’ will be featuring an article about VV (more details about these things later this month). But as of right now, Wyatt and I are leaving for Seattle/Portland tomorrow morning and I have been crazily prepping for that all week (plus the new puppy takes up 99% of my free time these days). Anyways, a much needed vacation is in order and I hope to get lots of pictures to be posting throughout the weekend (I am most excited to visit Julie Hasson- the author of ‘Vegan Diner’s food truck Native Bowl and to visit the diner from Twin Peaks for some pie///coffee!!) So, if any of you have suggestion for places to stop in Seattle/Portland let me know ASAP!

Anyways, back to food. And more importantly, this recipe. Making homemade pierogies is a tradition my Ma and I have had for years and one of the best parts making them is being able to freeze half the batch to enjoy months later. We whipped up a batch back in December (Look: Here) and I found some hiding in the back of my freezer the other day. There is something about these cheesy dumplings that mixes perfectly with any veggies. I chose roasted tomatoes here because they become so soft that they almost turn into a sauce and burst with flavors all over your pasta. So delicious and very easy to prepare!

For the Roasted Tomatoes

  • 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
  • whole garlic cloves (as many or as little as you’d prefer), peeled
  • Dash of balsamic
  • 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons dried sage
  • 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
  • Salt/Pepper

For everything else:

  • 15 pierogies (or ravioli)
  • 1 small container of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • Salt/Pepper
  • Parmesan

Start by roasting the tomatoes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the cherry tomatoes and garlic in a small bowl. Mix them with the brown sugar, balsamic, sage, olive oil,and salt/pepper. Then place on the baking sheet and roast at 375 for 20 to 30 minutes. Check periodically and stir around.

While that is cooking, bring a small pot of water to a boil and cook the ravoli/pierogies according the the package directions. Drain the dumplings.

The last part is to saute everything together so this time could vary depending on how well cooked you like them. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Next, add the pierogies, roasted tomatoes/garlic mixturee, and artichoke hearts. Saute for 5 to 10 minutes or until the pierogies have browned on both sides. Season with Salt and Pepper and sprinkle with parmesan.

Munch down and share with your puppy/kitty/boy.


And since it’s a delicious dinner, you’ll probably eat a little too much of it and feel really full after…so dance off that slumber with some tunes like this one:

Moody Monday

2.20.2012

You know it’s going to be a long week when you wake up to frost everywhere and your car won’t start. [grumble grumble]. However, I have such amazing roommates [!!!!] that I really can’t be upset because I still got to work on time and have plenty of wonderful people in my life to help me out when these things happen.

So, I should start out by saying that having wonderful friends and roommates is a great relief to a Moody Monday. You don’t always think of these things when everything is going right so I think it’s important to keep that in mind when things go sour like this.

Anyways, my PICTURE for Moody Monday is going to have to be of our new puppy. I CAN’T resist…he is the cutest thing to ever step foot in our home. My boyfriend’s parents gave him a puppy for his birthday and its a ten week old boxer. His name is Tuco but I’ve already started calling him ‘Tofu’.

 

Knowing I’m coming home to this guy is for sure going to get me through the week.

Baked Onion Rings with Basil Cream Sauce

2.18.2012

I use to have this method (well, I think a lot of people use this method) where if I don’t buy junk food at the store than I won’t eat it. Easy enough, right? Well then I met my boyfriend who craves milkshakes, french fries, and burgers every night around 11 or so (I despise the fact that the boy does not have an ounce of fat on him…) which was just not going to work for my diet. We compromised somewhere in the middle with hummus, popcorn, etc but there are times where he still manages to drag me to the dark side by insisting on a midnight milkshake run.

This has challenged me to try to “heathify” the greasy foods he craves. I know, I know…it just SOUNDS dreadful and most people think it’s impossible to BAKE something that we’ve grown to love DEEP FRIED but it’s more satisfying than you’d think. These onion rings are crispy, flavorful, and fast to whip up. So even though you weren’t able to drive thru to acquire them in five minutes, you know every single ingredient that goes into them and can feel satisfied knowing that they are just as good (probably even better. Who has honestly had warm, crispy and satisfying onion rings from Burger King? We all know they always turn out cold and soggy- YUCK).

I adapted the onion ring part of the recipe from Isa’s Appetite for Reduction. The key to success for this recipe is an assembly line to dip the onion rings from one thing into the other. This makes it so efficient and accessible to whip up in no time (no matter how lazy you are feeling at midnight).



Baked Onion Rings

  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
  • 1 teaspoons salt and pepper
  • 2 teaspoons oil

For the Basil Cream Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
  • salt/pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper (or grease it).

Use two wide bowls to whip up the batters. In one, combine the flour and cornstarch. Slowly add in the milk and whisk while doing so. Finally, Add in the vinegar and whisk until well incorporated.

In the other bowl, Mix together the bread crumbs and salt. Then add the olive oil and use your fingers (this is the fun part!) to mix create a crumbly breading.

Now create an assembly line by putting the things in this order: onions, cornstarch mixture, breading, and the greased baking sheet. Now dip the onions in each bowl in that order and make sure that they get well incorporated with the breading; stick on the baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the onions.

Cook for about six minutes and then flip the onions and cook six or so minutes.

Preparing the Basil Cream Sauce: While those are cooking, make your super easy sauce. Just throw all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until the basil has broken down and turned the sauce into a light green color. Serve with the onion rings.

Munch down to cure your evening munchies while watching another rerun of ‘Unsolved Mysteries’


Breakfast Special (Orange Waffles topped with Veggie Scramble and pile of Peppered Gravy)

2.15.2012

So, since I started my new promotion at work and have yoga class early on my days off, the idea of making an elaborate and delicious breakfast has pretty much become obsolete from my schedule. With breakfast food being my favorite type of meal, this realization made me very sad  until I decided to do something about it. My solution? I started making breakfast for dinner. And no, not that frozen french toast sticks breakfast-for-dinner you use to get served at high school lunch time. I’m talking warm, delicious, breakfast-of-champions inspired type breakfast feasts.

And so far, this meal has taken the cake. My boyfriend dreamed about this meal for days after we made it and he still insists that this should become a weekly regular in our dinner diet. I mean, to be fair, anything lathered in gravy is going to be heavenly. But there is something amazing about the sweet orange tang of the waffles and the savory peppered gravy that just explodes with deliciousness in your mouth. I could not eat this meal every week because I was so stuffed after eating this that I was out of commission for the rest of the evening (Luckily, ‘Coneheads’ was OnDemand).

Anyways, as a hint, this recipe is all about working the different components (waffle, scramble, and gravy) so that they are finished around the same time. I made my boyfriend help me so I could work on the waffle iron while he stirred the gravy but feel free to do whatever works for you (it’s be even better if there was a third person to work on the scramble!)

*Veganize by replacing the eggs with tofu and the butter with EarthBalance! That’s it!


Orange Waffles:

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup corn meal
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • dash of salt
  • 3/4 cup orange juice
  • 3/4 cup almond milk (or regular milk if that’s what you have on hand)
  • Cooking spray, to grease the waffle iron with

Veggie Scramble:

  • 3 small red potatoes
  • 1/2 bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Peppered Sage Gravy:

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 2 cups almond milk (or regular)
  • 4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 Tablespoon butter

Bring a small pot to a boil. Add the red potatoes and let cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, and cube.

While the potatoes are boiling, start by preparing the waffle batter. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients. Next, make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in the center. Fold the dry  into the wet ones until everything is well incorporated. Turn your waffle iron on and prepare according to your waffle iron’s directions.

While you are waiting for your waffle iron to heat up, start preparing the gravy. In a large skillet, whisk the flour, nutritional yeast, and milk together. Once it is a smooth consistency, add all the spices. Place the skillet over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Next, add in the butter and reduce to medium low. This is when you recruit someone to continuously stir the gravy while you start prepping the scramble. Cook the gravy until it is thick and feel free to add more salt/pepper.

For the scramble: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes or until the veggies become tender. Then add in the eggs and spices; use a spatula to scrabble all the parts together and saute until the eggs are fully cooked. Remove from heat and season with more salt/pepper.

Assemble your delicious project by putting a waffle on a huge plate and topping it with the egg scramble. Then lathered it all in the yummy pepper gravy and munch down while it’s warm. Also, feel to enjoy while watching ‘Coneheads’ or another episode of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’.

Enjoy!

Valentine’s Day Waterfall Picnic

2.14.2012

Valentine’s day is kind of a flop around here. I have class from 10 AM to 9:30 PM every Tuesday so making time to do something special on this holiday was kind of out of the question for me this year. Plus, I don’t really enjoy the whole cheesy make dinner for your special someone (I make fabulous dinner for my boyfriend ALL THE TIME) or go out to eat (we do this all the time too!). Although alot of this holiday is boogus, I do appreciate the idea of taking time out of your usual schedule to celebrate having someone important in your life. SO, instead of celebrating VDay on February 14th, I made Wyatt go on a winter picnic with  me  few days back when we both had the time for it so sit down and enjoy ourselves without the pressure of squeezing extra time into an already packed day.

MENU

  • Pear and Cheddar Panini
  • Hot Lentil Stew
  • Blue Cheese Drop Biscuits
  • Hot Apple-Pear Cider + whiskey
  • Nutella (my cousin brought me back some from Italy) + Crackers
  • Raspberry + Chocolate
 
 
 

Beautiful Waterfall spot in the Middle-of-Nowhere, Indiana

I promise he’s not peeing into the water

Oh, and he thinks hes funny.

Moody Monday

2.13.2012

In the excitement of the Grammy’s (our label won their first Grammy in history thanks to Bon Iver last night! Check out the video clip here), I almost forgot about moody monday! It’s funny because I am the least competitive person you will ever meet and I can’t (for the life of me) understand sports. The whole idea of wasting energy to chase a ball or to cheer on someone you don’t know seems so…pointless to me. But, if I ever could relate to team pride thing it was watching the Grammy’s last night and seeing Bon Iver win ‘Best New Artist’. It’s an exciting feeling.The extended family here at work has spent the last five years putting time and effort into this artist and it’s finally being recognized.

So today’s moody monday isnt going to be a picture but a video. And Yay for Bon Iver. And his extended label family. And Bloomington. And the whole indie scene in general!

 

Polenta Rancheros

2.11.2012

Well, I had planned on spending my day taking a trip up to Indianapolis to visit with my Ma but the fact that it had snowed 2 feet and everything is iced over discouraged either of us from wanting to drive. AND it being 15 degrees outside has discouraged me from even getting out of my pajamas, let alone leaving the house. So, what to do with my freed up day? Clean the house? Do some studying? Fold my laundry? Nah. How about….make some elaborate breakfast and lay around watching movies with my roommates and working on my blog all day? Score!

Okay, so I am a little bit in love with avocados. It may be a problem. I crave them all the time. I pick out recipes just because they are in them. And I tend to down the entire thing when I slice one open. This recipe was obviously inspired because I was determined to not eat ANOTHER lunch consisting of only an avocado and a spoon.

Also, this recipe is another “cross cultures” type of meal which makes it surprisingly unique but traditionally delicious. If you love the combination of bursting flavors you get with Mexican cuisine then you are sure to love this vegan twist on traditional TexMex. And it’s perfect with mimosas (if you’re having it for brunch) or beergaritas (if you’re having it for dinner).

Speaking of beergaritas, have you guys ever had a brass monkey? I know that is probably the trashiest question I have ever asked on my blog but they are surprisingly delicious! I realize that they were invented as a way of masking just how awful cheap beer/40s taste and the Beastie Boys sing about them but dayuuum! We were stuck in our house one night a few weeks ago because of an ice storm with the only evening beverages to choose from being gin and cheap beer pong beer so we decided to make some brass monkeys. I was pleasantly surprised. Orange Juice really can make any type of terrible alcohol taste good. Okay…sorry, this last paragraph was completely off topic of anything that this post is about.

Oh! And lastly, I should let you know where this recipe originated from! This is an adapted recipe that I got out of my ‘Vegan Brunch‘ cookbook (oh-it’s so good if you haven’t cooked from it! Go to your local library immediately and pick up a copy!).

Polenta Rancheros

  • 1 can of black beans (15 ounce)
  • 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
  • dash of salt
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 can of tomato sauce (8 oz)
  • 1 Tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 cups cooked polenta (cook according to manufacturer’s directions).

+Toppings: avocado, sour cream (vegan or non), cheese (vegan or non), tomatoes, salsa, cilantro, etc.

Prepare the polenta according to the manufacture’s directions and put aside to set.

In a large skillet, put the cumin seeds over medium heat and cook for about two minutes (or until slightly browned). Next, add the oil, onion, peppers, and garlic. Saute for about ten minutes or until the onions start to soften. Then, add the tomato sauce, dash of salt, black beans and the agave nectar. Cook for another ten minutes or until the beans until warmed up.

Plop a couple big spoonfuls of polenta in a bowl followed by the bean mixture and all the toppings.

Enjoy hot while you listen to your favorite David Bowie album or watching Anthony Bourdain eat spam in Hawaii (I wish I was in Hawaii! But this brunch is wayyyy better than any Hawaiian spam. that is for sure).

Garlic Naan

2.10.2012

I’m really sorry if you are a returning reader and keep coming back to a new website layout (this could be rather confusing. Is this the same site it even use to be? same writer? same purpose?)…I assure you it is but I’m having an image crisis. Not really…I’ve just become rather obsessed with design layout and am constantly being inspired for a new design every week…I feel like I already have a new idea in mind by the time I finish the last layout. Anyways, please don’t mind the constant experimenting going on around the site. Im sure…one day…I’l be completely satisfied (hopefully!). But until then, I’ve got quite an 80′s theme going (not intentional. just love those colors)…

Anyways, naan….mmmm. Not sure if you dig the indian bread but if you dont have much experience with it…get acquainted. It’s so yummy and amazing dipped in everything. I actually made it the other night to go with the creole j (weird cross of cultures, I know, but it was fantastic). This stuff was surprisingly easy to make in the bread maker and oh so yummy with all kinds of stews/curries/soups/dips.

Oh and I topped mine with garlic but feel free to top it with whatever you’re feeling.

Garlic Naan

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 2 cups bread flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

+whatever you’d like to top it with: minced garli, more clarified butter, parsley, thyme, whatever!

 

Place the ingredients in the bread maker in the order that I’ve listed.

Set it to ‘dough’ and let it do it’s thing. Go read some blogs, watch some tutorials, do some yoga, and play with your puppy.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Once the cycle is complete, flour a counter top and divide the dough into four pieces. Roll out each piece until it’s a thin, formless sheet of dough. Lather on a thin layer of melted butter and then stick your topping on.

Place on a greased baking sheet and place in the preheated oven for 1 minutes. If you’d like the top of brown than switch it to broiler and let it cook for another minute.

Remove from oven and munch down with your stew/soup/curries.

Creole Jambalaya

2.09.2012

I’m going to be honest with you. I’ve never had jambalaya before…which basically means two things:

  1. I have no way of telling you whether this is authentic and amazing compared to something you’ve had at a restaurant and
  2. This is the best jambalaya I’ve ever had.

I came across the original recipe for this because I’ve been exploring Seattle/Portland adventures (since my boyfriend and I are going there at the end of the month) and came across this vegan food truck (I. love. food. trucks.- and vegan food!) which lead to me learning about it’s owner which lead to me googling her which lead to me finding her book ‘Vegan Diner’. Phew. That’s the background story.

Okay, so why make this recipe if I don’t know what to expect? (I mean- what the heck is creole, anyways??). Well I was immediately drawn to this recipe because of its long list of veggies (yes. I crave veggies. I’m one of THOSE) and combining them with pretty much every amazing spice under the sun. Plus, it’s got the rice for the added filling affect and the veggie broth to soak in all the flavors. I knew it had to be good…regardless of my ignorance towards this type of meal.

And needless to say, it was fantastic. It made loads so I’ve been munching on leftovers since I made it Monday night and they are just as good as when it was fresh! Also, I used the spicy veggie sausage from Field Roast because it’s my favorite veggie sausage brand (have you ever taken these guys on a camping trip and cooked them over an open fire? Then you have not lived) but feel free to use whatever you prefer or have handy.

Creole Jambalaya

  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  •  5 sticks celery, diced
  • 2 carrots, cut into chunks
  • 2 vegetarian sausages
  • 1 1 /4 cup of rice
  • 1-29 ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained
  • 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth

To make the creole seasoning (you’ll have alittle extra to add to your sandwiches throughout the week):

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2  teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 3 teaspoons of paprika
  • 2 teaspoons salt

First, make the seasoning by combining all the ingredients into a small bowl and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the onion, garlic, peppers, celery, sausage, and carrots. Saute until lightly brown and the veggies has all softened. Next, add the rice and saute for another minute. Then add the tomatoes, broth, and creole seasoning.

Bring the mixture to a bowl and then reduce down to simmer. Let simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice has softened and absorbed most of the broth. Remove from heat and let sit for about ten minutes. Season with more salt (if necessary).

Serve to all your friends with warm bread. And then let your puppy lip the bowl clean.

PS Oh, and make sure you make sure you dance to this song while preparing this meal:

http://youtu.be/3KOiITxwWIM

Shapilicious Eggs

2.08.2012

Some days you just have to not take yourself seriously. You have to stay in bed. And do what inspires you. And play with your food. And refuse to shower. Come on, you can do it!

Today was one of those days for me. I woke up to my alarm at 8, got up to make coffee and find my puppy slippers, and crawled back into bed. Instead of spending my Tuesday morning working out and going to classes, I’ve spent the whole morning watching photo tutorial videos on lynda.com and playing with my food. It’s a great feeling to take some time for myself and do things at my leisure.

While ‘taking time for myself’, I found these owl recipe cards as I was perusing my usual blog site favorites this morning (find them right here to be exact: My Owl Barn) and thought they were too cute not to play with. Plus, I’m a huge sucker for anything vintage and owl related. I just cannot help myself. And  by ‘I can’t help myself’ I mean that this then created an artistic snowball effect where I wanted to make something cute and simple so I could fit the recipe on this cards. And then my morning took off from there.

If you wanted to, you could do a themed breakfast with a heart cut out (for Valentine’s day…which is coming up. hint hint nudge nudge at my boyfriend) or a birthday cake cutout or Christmas themed or whatever you’ve got to work with (cook cutter wise). It’s cute and simple so why not be a little creative in the kitchen next time you have a few minutes to whip up some eggs and toast? Enjoy!

 

Sandwich a la WWMD: Guest lovin’ by Ella Hartley

2.07.2012

Today’s guest post is by a very dear friend of mine. She was the first person that I collaborated with on cooking (back in the days when we were fresh out of dorm life and experiencing having our own place to cook for the first time). I would even go so far as to say she’s the one that inspired me to get out of my cooking “comfort zone”; I mean it’s not really her fault…when I think of childhood memories I envision pigs-in-a-blanket and vanilla ice cream while she dreams of Belgium chocolate and french dishes I can’t pronounce.

________________________________________________________________

Wednesday night dinners are often a challenge when I’m not in the mood for box mac and cheese or another quesadilla. At this point in the week, the leftovers from weekend culinary adventures are gone and, aside from various staple ingredients, I’m left with ends and scraps of some very odd ingredients. This is when I ask myself WWMD? What Would Mom Do? My mother can’t follow a recipe to save her life but hand her four seemlying random ingredients, half a tuperware container of leftover whatever, and a glass or two of red wine and it’s magic! So, with a glass of wine (or in this case a beer: Dirty Helen Brown Ale from the Barley Island Brewing Company), I did my best to channel my mother and this is what I came up with:

Magic! Actually, just a really yummy, veggie-full sandwich. But to a hungry girl that can sometimes seem like magic. Especially when you get a big bite of sweet sautéed onions and mushrooms combined with the savory, sharp kick of blue cheese, and a nip of wine and black pepper. Yum!

Sandwich a la WWMD

  • 4 T. olive oil
  • 1 small onion
  • 4 or 5 baby bella mushrooms (or whatever the heck you’ve got. These were the last of one of my stranger impulse-buys.)
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary (Why are fresh herbs sold in the most frustrating quantities!)
  • ½ cup of frozen spinach
  • a sploosh of dry white wine (I know. This isn’t a real unit of measure. Just say to yourself “Sploosh!” while you’re pouring the wine and that’ll be enough)
  • 3 T. crumbled blue cheese
  • 1 pita pocket, halved
  • salt and black pepper to taste

Throw the olive oil and the roughly diced onions and mushrooms into a saucepan and sauté at medium hear for about 5 minutes. Then add the fresh rosemary. Keep cooking at medium heat, stirring occasionally, until things start to get brown and soft. Add the frozen spinach; no need to thaw it or microwave it, just toss it in! When the spinach has defrosted, add the salt and pepper to the degrees that you enjoy and sploosh the white wine. Cook until the wine is absorbed or evaporated. (Say no to soggy sandwiches!) While this is happening toast the pita pocket. Once the veggies are ready and the pita pockets have popped, (ha! Alliteration is awesome.) you’re good to go. Throw those veggies into the pocket with the crumbled blue cheese and enjoy!

Moody Monday Part 3

2.06.2012

Today’s moody Monday post is about explorin’ because there is nothing more rejuvenating than going to a new place and discovering new things.

Top Left: This was from a camping trip we took over the summer to Acadia, Maine. It took us 20 hours and numerous Goodwills to get there but it was well worth it. This is probably my favorite National Park I have ever been to…it has it all. Rocky oceanscapes, forests, best hiking trails, and mountains.

Top Right: This was a swimming hole we went to outside of Austin, TX last year when we were there for SouthbySouthwest. I love live music and free booze but I think I may love this waterfall more.

Bottom Left: Canoeing at Lake Griffy is one of my favorite things to do in the summer. Living 5 minutes from it and being able to rent a boat for 2 dollar an hour really makes for a great excuse to get outside.

Bottom Right: Over winter break last year, we went down to Florida to try to escape from the snow. The outcome of this trip were tans, picnicing in zen gardens, making music videos, and drinking 4loko floats. Exactly how I love to spend my days off.

Ahhh, okay. Back to February and 30 degree weather. And all day work. Oh well, it was nice to reflect on some of my favorite trip for a few minutes.

French Onion Soup

2.05.2012

As usual, my Saturday consisted of loads of thrift shopping because it’s an addictive hobby and I love it. I didn’t find much (although my boyfriend found plenty. He bought an 8 tape VHS box set for the first season of Twin Peaks. Arg, he’s completely useless). Anyhow, I did find these adorable soup bowls (can you see where I’m going with this?):

I love them. I got a set of 4 and can’t wait until next year to display them somewhere in my vintage style kitchen next to my 1960′s Betty Crocker cookbook collection. So, as you’d assume…I immediately needed to make soup and try out my new cups.

When its freezing out, there is nothing better in the world than savory soup that is topped with a huge hunk of bread and stacked with cheese. Seriously, there isn’t. Plus, the bread being baked into it is allows you to skip the sides all together. I like this recipe because it’s light and simple so you usually have everything on hand and don’t feel guilty about eating it on a week night.

French Onion Soup

  • 2 Tablespoon butter
  • 4 small onions, sliced
  • 2 cup veggie broth
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 cup water
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • dash of sugar
  • fresh baguette, cut into big slices
  • slices of swiss cheese to put over the soup bowls (the amount of cheese will vary depending on how big your ramekins are)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent and just starting to brown (about five minutes). Then, add the garlic and cook for another minute (or until fragrant. you know that yummy smell I’m talking about!) Next, add the broth, wine, water, bay leaf, thyme, and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and then lower the heat, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper

Turn your broiler on. Remove bay leaf and pour into four small ramekins and top each with a slice of the baguette. Put a slice (or two!) of Swiss on top of each baguette. Stick under the broiler until the top has browned and the soup is bubbly (a minute or two).

Glazed Caribbean Tofu with Sweet Rice

2.03.2012

There is some sort of longing for summer (hence the pictures next to this text) that has been evoked because of these past few 60 degree and sunny days in February. My thoughts have started to drift off to roasting marshmallows and picnics on beaches. But since…it is still February (no matter how much I daydream), I am going to have to settle for whipping up summer type dishes in my home (instead of on my grill).

I was super excited about this dish (because I love making bland tofu flavorful!) but after I began cooking it…I realized I have had no experience with Caribbean food what-so-ever (Hey, Bloomington, it’s about time someone opened a Caribbean restaurant! Although…why would someone from the Caribbean ever have the desire to move to the Midwest to open up a specialty dinner spot?). I can tell you right off the bat that I probably did not use ‘traditional’ peas that they would use in the islands but it was delicious regardless. If all Caribbean dishes are like this, count me in!
It was light with a tropical/sweet flavor in the rice (this was most likely due to the coconut milk) and then the tofu had the slightest kick of spice that counteracted the sweet rice perfectly. It turned out better than I could have ever imagined and my favorite part about tofu is it’s even better as leftovers (because the flavors have time to sink in even more). So whip this up for your lover and don’t scarf it all down at once!
PS WHY IS TOFU SO YUMMY BUT SO HARD TO PHOTOGRAPH? Makes my skills look shameful. Sorry guys!

Homemade Pasta with Zucchini and Carrot Ribbons

2.01.2012

Okay, this recipe was sooo out of my comfort zone that I’ve been dreading trying to translate it for you guys. The recipe I followed for homemade pasta was by a french enthusiast (who also makes beautiful cooks books- Yvette Van Boven) and insisted on using cooking terms that have never come up in  my sheltered, American, vegetarian kitchen life. How did I end up making this? I got talked into it by my “cultured, been-to-every-Continent-but-Antarctica” roommate who insisted it would be a piece of cake (please note- she is the one in all the pictures doing most of the intensive labor parts because I was too busy googling what farina is and how you turn dough into “nests”). What kind of person have I become that cooking with xantham gum and agave nectar are normal occurrences but I don’t even know the french term for ‘cream of wheat’? This girl needs to get cultured outside of her hipster lifestyle.

Needless to say, this was my first experience with true fresh pasta and I can understand what all the fuss is about. It may be a bit labor intensive at times (which would easily be avoided if you have a pasta maker! Hoping to get one of these when I become a “real adult” one day) but it doesn’t even taste like the same food as packaged pasta. It’s soft and doughy with an almost…melt in your mouth texture.

I’m going to also post the recipe that we made with the fresh pasta but feel free to do whatever you’d like with the pasta after you make it. I mean…drenching it in french cream and fresh vegetables is only my suggestion…but you should know it’s a damn good one!


Homemade Pasta with Zucchini and Carrot Ribbons

For the pasta:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • salt and pepper
  • cream of wheat

For the sauce:

  • 1 cup creme fraiche
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and slit but still whole
  • 2 carrots, peeled
  • 2 zucchinis
  • salt and pepper, to taste

First…it’s time to prep the pasta dough: Make a pile of the flour (add a bit of salt and pepper to it) on a CLEAN kitchen counter and create a well in the center of it. Crack the eggs into the center and fold the flour into the eggs until you make a firm, dough balls. This will probably take about ten minutes or so sooo be patient (oh or you could probably stick this stuff in a food processor and make it that way…if you have a food processor. Some of us still live in the stone ages…or are just poor college kids. Either way will work though!). Next, your gonna have to leave the dough to rest for about an hour (I know, I know…waiting is no fun).


If you’d like, you can prep your veggies at this time. You’re just going to peel the carrots and then julienne them and the zucchini. Then set aside for later use!

Wait for the dough to be ready…write a song…dance to some vinyls…wait more…drool over how good this recipe is going to be…wait more…READY!

Now, this is the easy part for you folks that have a pasta machine. Basically, you are just going to roll out chunks of the dough and put them through the pasta maker until you reach the desired size you’d like. HOWEVER, we did it without a pasta maker and this is how: we floured that clean kitchen counter again and rolled out the dough as thin as we could possibly get it (I realize this sounds easy…but it’s not. the dough will be tough and want to pull back in on itself but don’t let that discourage you! You’ll get it!). Once it’s as thin as you’d like it, generously sprinkle the dough with cream of wheat (this is important because it’s going to keep the pasta strands from sticking to itself). Using a knife, cut thin strips of dough and make “nests” (see picture below) on a cutting board with the strips. Continue to sprinkle with cream of wheat to prevent sticking.

Once done with that, bring two large pots of salted water to a boil. While waiting for them to boil, in another small saucepan put the cream fraiche. Stick the whole garlic cloves in the cream and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to a simmer and add salt/pepper.

When the two pots are boiling, add the vegetables to one of them to blanched the veggies (the time this will take will vary because of how large or small you cut your veggies so just keep an eye on it and test the veggies every few minutes until they reach a slightly soft texture). Throw your pasta in another pan and let cook until it rises to the surface (this will be only about five minutes- it is a very fast process!). Once they are floating, strain and rinse with cold water. Return the pasta to the pot and strain the veggies.

Remove the garlic cloves from the cream and combine everything together in one of the large pots. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy warm!

Make sure to share and show off your European culinary skills to your mother and kittens!

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