Side | V

Entries Tagged as 'side'

Kale, Tomato, & Garlic Breadsticks

3.19.2013

These breadsticks are a product of a frustrating juicer clean up experience. And by frustrating I mean the twenty minutes I spent scrubbing it’s inside parts trying to get green stains out. And then the other twenty minutes I spent scrubbing the kitchen counter to remove the orange carrot stains. And then finally the last ten minutes which consisted of scorching my hands with hot water trying to get all the last bits of color off of my own hands. Through this process I kept thinking to myself ‘Never again will I wait until my lunch break to clean up my morning juice’ which then was followed by thoughts of ‘these stains are crazy. Does it stain the inside of my stomach like this?’ and then ‘I bet this is how they make that fun colored pasta’ and finally ‘wait..I bet I could make fun colored doughs!’

And there you have it. The next day I set out of make dye juices out of carrots, kale, and beets. I didn’t end up following through the the beet one though…I know it would have made the most beautiful color dough but I couldn’t do it. I can not stand the smell of beets (let alone the taste) and knew the sticks would go straight to the trash if I even attempted to try it. And then my hands would smell like beets. And my beet stained hands would be reminders of the horrible earthy smell [sorry, beet lovers. I can not relate to you on this one]. I also ended up wanting a deeper red than the carrot juice gave so I ended up using tomato paste which worked wonders. And lastly, I played around with all sorts of toppings – poppy seed, garlic, parmesan, sesame seeds, and fresh herbs. The results were an array of fun colored breadsticks all with individual flavor profiles. No two sticks the same…which made it challenging to not want to sample them all.

All in all – my favorites were the kale poppy seed, tomato paremsan, and garlic thyme ones. These would make pretty party appetizers or go along perfectly with pizza. In fact, the basic dough recipe is my favorite pizza dough so you could totally just double that part and use half the dough for pizza. Just saying – I’ll take any excuse to eat pizza.

Make these thicker if you like your breadsticks doughy and soft. I personally was going for a cracker feel so I made them thin and let them sit out for a few hours.

Garlic, Tomato, & Kale Breadsticks

1 package active dry yeast
3+ cups all purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
a bunch of kale
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
assortment of toppings (sesame seeds, poppy seeds, parmesan, garlic, herbs, spices, etc)

Whisk together the yeast, 1 Tablespoon flour, and 1/4 cup warm water and let stand for ten minutes or until the yeast has become a thick foam.

Stir together 1 1/2 cups of flour and salt. Add yeast mixture and the rest of the water (3/4 cup) and stir until smooth. Add another half a cup of flour and mix. If the dough is sticking to your hands then it’s too moist so add a bit more flour and if it’s too dry then add a bit more water (try to keep on the stickier side since you’ll be adding a bit more flour as you knead).

Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel. Let dough rise for an hour or until it’s doubled.

While it’s raising, press washed kale through a juicer to create a few tablespoons of juice.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Divide the dough into 3 equal parts and keep the two parts you aren’t working with covered in the bowl (this will help the dough from drying out).

On a floured surface, fold in the minced garlic to the first part of the dough. Knead the dough until garlic is speckled throughout. Roll the dough into a 9×13 rectagle and use a cookie cutter to cut 5 long strips. Pick up a strip, twist it, and transfer to a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with the rest of the strips.

On a very floured surface (this is important because we are going to be adding more liquid to the dough which will make the dough sticky and will most likely need to be adding more flour), place another 1/3 of the dough and pour 1 tablespoon of kale juice over it. Start folding the dough into itself and add more kale juice (1 tablespoon at a time) until the dough is at your desired color consistency. Make sure to add more flour if the dough starts to get too sticky.

Roll out the dough into a 13×9 rectangle and cut into 5 strips with a cookie cutter. Twist each strip by hand and transfer to your greased baking sheet.

Lastly, knead 1 tablespoon at a time of the tomato paste into the rest of the dough. Knead until the color is evenly distributed (adding more paste if you want a darker color) and roll out into a 13×9 strip. Cut into 5 pieces, twist each piece by hand, and transfer to a greased baking sheet (you may need to start a second sheet at this point).

Brush 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top of the sticks and top with desired toppings. Cook for 20 minutes or until golden at the top.

Serve warm or let sit overnight for a cracker-like texture.
Song Pairing:

Parmesan Thyme Sweet Potato Fries

3.15.2013

I go through phases with food. I’ll make General Tao Tofu for dinner once a week for a month straight and then forget about it for a year. Same goes for Chili. And Enchiladas. And sweet potato fries. My problem with sweet potato fries is that I love them so much that I’ll eat an entire sweet potato in one sitting. I will be in love with every bite. And then start to feel a little stuffed. And then a little pain. And then swear to myself that I’ll never make them again because I can’t resist eating all of them.

My reasoning last night was to make them for both Wyatt and I…so I would have no choice but to eat a portion controlled amount. But then Wyatt was late for dinner…and I started picking at the fries. And before I knew it there was only a time portion left. So then I had to eat them all to cover up the fact that I even made them to begin with [let alone the fact that I ate 80% of them]. So, alas, my plan backfired. And I will probably not make these for another 6 months because I tell myself I have a good amount of self control. And then these come into my life and that goes right out the window.

Baked Parmesan Thyme Sweet Potato Fries

1 large sweet potato, washed and cut into long chunks
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
salt / pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/4 – 1/2 cup shredded parmesan (depending on how cheesy you like your fries)

[If you have the time then I recommend soaking the sweet potato chunks in water for about an hour and pat dry. This helps wash out some of the starch and results in crispier fries.]

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss with the sweet potatoes and then transfer to a baking sheet. Cook for 30 minutes or until crispy (flip halfway through). Cooking time will vary depending on how think you cut your fries.

Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with parmesan and thyme. Let sit for five minutes or until the parmesan has melted onto the fries. Serve with ketchup or a tangy aoili sauce.

Cinnamon Quinoa Granola

2.22.2013

Every winter, I become less into making oatmeal for breakfast than I had been the previous winter. Truth is – it’s just too time consuming (I know, I know – Ms. Lazy) in the mornings and I end up quickly going back to my granola. The transition to year round granola has urged my need to get creative with the stuff. Eating the same thing ever day? Booooring.

And let me tell you…oh my goodness. I can not remember the last time I was this obsessed with a granola. Bringing quinoa into the equation changes everything. It adds a texture depth that goes beyond anything I’ve experienced in granola. Even if your cinnamon oats end up soggy then you are still left with crunchy and toasted quinoa bits. This recipe can, of course, be adapted to your liking. Add more fruit or spices depending on what you are into.

I’ve played around with quinoa dozen of time (see: Southwestern Quinoa Salad, Quinoa Nuggets, or Fall Quinoa Salad) but have never been as excited about it as I am with this recipe. Toasting quinoa? Who would have thought! And the extra protein quinoa brings into this breakfast will help you feel full longer [which means no more 10:45 munchies runs to the vending machine in need of some Cheetos].

Don’t forget to rinse your quinoa SUPER well – you want to make sure all of that bitter outer coating is removed for maximum indulgence potential. This recipes makes about 3 cups so store leftovers in an airtight container. Or be a good friend and share a bag. Or even freeze the stuff if you won’t use it in a timely fashion. Love granola but hesitant about this quinoa business? Then maybe you should start with this Spiced Pumpkin Granola instead.

Cinnamon Quinoa Granola

2 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and patted dry
3/4 cup pecan, chopped
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1/3 cup coconut flakes
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup coconut oil, in liquid form
1/2 cup agave nectar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and spread evenly onto a cookie sheet. Cook for 30 minutes and stir 3 times throughout the cooking process. Remove from oven and let cool completely before moving to an airtight container.

Serve over yogurt, milk, or fruit. Or just eat it by the spoonful.

Song Pairing:

Cilantro Couscous Salad with Roasted Carrots & Chickpeas

1.23.2013

I have had a seriously absurd addiction to couscous lately. Ever since I received that tagine for Christmas, I’ve been throwing everything over the stuff. My go to for dinner is often times roasting whatever veggies / beans / tofu I have on hand with garlic then throwing it over some type of starch. It used to be rice or pasta but lately… it’s been all about the couscous. This has actually caused a battle in our house…Wyatt is a basmati rice lover and he has not happy about all this couscous trend. It’s been a fun challenge to see who can get to the simmering water first and what gets thrown in.

I ate this salad warm and also cold the next day (which was probably even more flavorful the couscous and veggies absorbed the dressing). This salad is a ridiculously delicious lunch and super portable (cannot wait to start bringing it on picnics). Feel free to substitute whatever veggies you have on hand and experiment! Root vegetables seem to be the appropriate option this time of year but I cannot wait to try a summer version with roasted tomatoes, corn, and basil.

The carrots are roasted in olive oil and honey which helps bring out the tiniest hint of sweet in the overall salad. The chickpeas are a great addition (warm or cold) and help to keep you feeling full for longer. Feel free to experiment with other beans you have on hand as well.

Cilantro Couscous Salad with Roasted Carrots & Chickpeas

4 carrots, sliced into chunks
3 garlic cloves
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 Tablespoons honey (or agave to make vegan)
1 preserved lemon, skin only and sliced very thinly (optional)
1/2 cup chickpeas, cooked
1 cup couscous

For the dressing:

1/2 bunch of cilantro, divided
1/2 Tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted
lemon juice from half a lemon
1/8 cup olive oil (may need a little more to thin out the dressing)
1 garlic clove, crushed
dash of paprika
salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combines the carrots, 3 garlic cloves (whole), half the olive oil, honey, and a dash of salt in a bowl. Spread out into a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until the carrots are browned and tender (I like mine with a little crunch but keep in for longer if you like them more roasted). Remove from oven and let cook slightly. Once cool enough to touch, squeeze out the garlic from the outer cloves and mix in with the carrots.

Make the dressing while carrots are roasting: In a small food processor, blend together half the cilantro (1/4 of a bunch), cumin seeds, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic clove, and paprika. Pulse until a smooth paste has formed. Add in more olive oil if it is too think. Season to taste and set aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a small saucepan over medium. Add in the couscous and cook until toasted (about five minutes – stir frequently). Add in 1 cup of boiling water and simmer for about ten minutes or until the water is absorbed and the couscous is cooked all the way through.

Combine the couscous, carrots, chickpeas, preserved lemon, leftover cilantro and dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy warm or stick in the fridge for a refreshing snack later.

Harissa Paste

1.04.2013

Happy Friday! Any big plans for the weekend? I didn’t start my work week until Wednesday so this week kind of feels like cheating…did I really earn weekend already? I could get use to this 3 day week thing! As for my weekend? The only thing I have planned to to make some homemade ravioli (now if I could only decide on ONE filling option…).

Continuing with my New Years resolution to eat less processed food, I decided to make my own harissa paste instead of heading to the specialty market to pick up a bottle of it. I needed some harissa paste because I received a beautiful Tagine for Christmas and have been cooking in it non-stop. It’s such an easy, delicious, and ridiculously healthy way to whip up a batch full of hearty veggies drenched in flavorful Middle Eastern or African spices.

So what exactly is harissa paste? It’s a condiment made out of chiles that will have varying ingredients depending on location. It’s been known to be used in African, Moroccan, and several other Middle Eastern countries. I added a few teaspoons of it to a butternut squash, raisin, and shallots combination I made the other day and it was delightful. I plan to use the leftover paste as a condiment on sandwiches (adding a little bit of honey bring the spice level down without compromising the wonderful flavor). I’ve also heard of peopling dipping fresh bread into it or adding it to cooked couscous.

This recipe can also be made with fresh chiles (just omit the soaking process). I am eager to grow some in my garden this summer so we can experiment more!

(more…)

Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

12.12.2012

So I curated (doesn’t that sound so much more important than planned?!) 90 percent of my family’s Thanksgiving dinner menu this year. The only thing I did not pick out was the Wild Rice Stuffing which my aunt made. And it was probably my favorite thing that was served that day. I don’t really have much experience with wild rice and I was blown away by the added texture it gave to the stuffing.

And so this experience made we realize I want more wild rice in my life which led to me making these stuffed squashes. And let me tell you….this stuffed acorn were great but I probably ended up eating 50% of the wild rice mixture before I could even get around to sticking it in the acorns. It was chewy and savory and sweet (thanks to the maple syrup!) and oh so addicting. I’m already dreaming of quick winter salads that are really just a healthy (throw the term ‘salad’ at the end of anything and it becomes guilt-free) way to talking about this wild rice mixture!

Anyhow, this is great as a side dish or even as a main vegetarian entree at your next dinner party (which, according to The Kitchn, are dead these days)!

Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash

Serve 2 as a side. Adapted from My Daily Morsel

1 acorn squash, sliced in half
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 cup wild rice
2 cups vegetable stock (I used my own from this recipe)
2 scallions
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries (or any dried fruit), chopped
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
Juice from half an orange
salt/pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and place squash cut side down. Cover the squash with tin foil and roast for 40 minutes or until cooked all the way through.

In the meantime, prepare the inside. Heat oil over medium in a large saucepan. Add onions and saute until soft (about five minutes). Next, add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add oregano, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, wild rice, and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until all the stock has evaporated/ been absorbed (about 20 to 25 minutes).

Remove from heat and fold in the pecans, scallions, cherries, maple syrup, and orange juice. Season with salt and pepper. Once the acorn squash is finished cooking, stuff with the wild rice mixture and enjoy warm!

Cheddar Corn Biscuits

12.05.2012

How has your week been going? Mine has been fine but I know it’s been a little quite around here. I’ve done a bit of traveling this week and have more to go which is a nice change of pace but can also be exhausting. It’s the type of exhausting that makes me want to just curl up on the couch with my leftover chili and watch Veronica Mars (corniest 90s show ever but we are addicted) all night. Sorry VV, you take up too much energy for me right now.

But I promised and I usually like to be a girl of my word. So here I am! And as I promised, here is the buttery and addictive biscuit recipe that complaints that healthy Black Bean & Wheatberry Chili recipe perfectly. If you missed the chili recipe, it’s featured on The Kitchn today so hop on over and check it out!

We even used leftover biscuits to make biscuits and gravy with Wyatt’s favorite Sage Gravy! Mmmmm. And I have a feeling that breakfast sandwiches are in our very VERY near future. Breakfast for dinner? Well hello evening plans!

Cheddar Corn Biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup frozen corn (or fresh!)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), cubed
1 cup buttermilk (I made my own out of the milk I had on hand)

Grease a baking sheet (it may take 2 sheets depending on how thick you make the biscuits). In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, black pepper, baking powder, and baking soda. Next, add in the butter and use your hands to incorporate the butter into the dough until it resembles a coarse meal.

Next, fold in the cheese, onions, and corn. Finally, add the buttermilk and mix until just combined (don’t over mix or the dough will become tough).

Transfer dough to a slightly floured surface and roll out to about an inch thick (more or less depending on how you like your biscuits) and use a cookie cutter or glass to circle cut outs. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and repeat with the rest of the dough.

Stick the cookie sheet (with the prepared dough) into the fridge and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Let the biscuits chill while it is preheating because the cold butter will help to make the biscuits flakier.

Bake for about 25 minutes (mine took 30 but my oven ALWAYS takes longer than what a recipe recommends so check often).

Serve warm with soup or gravy or by themselves with a little butter!

November Wrap Up

11.30.2012

…And there goes another month. Isn’t it crazy how fast time seems to be going by? Thanksgiving has come and gone, the Christmas shopping is underway, and holiday cookies are on the mind. How about a quick recap of the past month before we jump into cookie cutters, green/red sprinkles, and chocolate covered everything?

Some favorite highlights from the past month:

1. Rosemary Vegetable Soup with Rustic Bread – Fresh bread and a hearty vegetable soup. Cannot think of a better way to bring in the cold evenings.

2. Cranberry Mojito – Festive and delicious! This drink was the perfect starter at our Friendsgiving party.

3. Pumpkin Dog Biscuits – Tuko turned 1 so I had to spoil the crap out of him with homemade biscuits and a new sweater. Believe me, I will be making these again very soon for Christmas gifts for all the adorable pups in my life.

4. Dark Chocolate Raspberry Espresso Scones – they were an extra amazing breakfast treat! The flavor was rich and complex with a flaky texture that was pretty much irresistible!

And that sums it up!

Moving forward… here are a few winter goals I am planning to tackle in the dark, cold months ahead:

1. Make homemade ricotta cheese (this has been on my list forever and I am going to do it this time!)

2. Get into a morning yoga routine

3. Make more homemade salad dressings

4. Work on my photography skills // work on lighting

5. Learn basic CSS (or at least enough to get my logo up in that corner where the V is!!)

6. Get into Twitter

7. Make homemade cleaning supplies

Okay, that is a start. Should keep me busy for awhile [I hope]. What you are hoping to accomplish this winter?

Boozy Stout Brownies

11.28.2012

I was soooo excited to receive the newest edition of Chickpea Magazine in the mail last week that I instantly had the urge to start cooking out of it. I could have chose the healthy Wild Rice Stuffed Acorn Squash or the hearty Butternut Squash Fennel Lasagna but instead I was drawn to these Boozy Stout Brownies. Alcohol and chocolate? Go figure.

These vegan gems were extra rich and gooey. I’d suggest munching down on these with a big glass of Homemade Soy Milk and plan on sharing them with your friends. These are perfect for that Holiday vegan potluck coming up or to bring in to work (Am I the only one who works with handful of vegans? I bet not!).

Boozy Stout Brownies

1 cup flour
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola or coconut oil
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup soy yogurt
1/2 cup stout beer
1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line a 8×8 pan with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, oil, yogurt, and beer. Make a well in the center of the dried ingredients and add in the wet ingredients. Fold dry into wet until a thick batter has formed. Lastly, fold in the chocolate chips.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and cook for 30 minutes or until the center has set.

Let cool slightly and serve warm!

Sesame & Poppyseed Crackers

11.23.2012

…And it’s over. All the planning, cooking, over-eating, and family time is done. Now…time for a detox. Haha, Just kidding! Time to start planning for December holidays!

These crackers are awesome with some homemade hummus (sweet potato hummus recipe to follow soon!), baba ganoush or with that leftover brie from Thanksgiving (who are we kidding…who ever has leftover brie?!).

Anyhow, these make several dozen so plan to serve them at a holiday party (Ugly Sweater party, anyone?) or nibble away at them slowly as long as they are stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. Easy, right?

Also, feel free to get creative with the seed combinations. I used Sesame and Poppy because that is what I had on hand but feel free to use all sesame or flaxseed or sunflower…whatever you are feeling!

Sesame & Poppyseed Crackers

adapted from Salty Snacks

2 cups all purpose flour
1/8 cup poppy seeds
1/8 cup sesame seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a baking sheet.

Combine the flour, seeds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the water and olive oil. Fold dry ingredient into wet until combined (don’t overmix or it’ll become tough!)

Roll out in sections (I divided my dough into 4 parts) using either a rolling pin or your pasta maker. If using rolling pin, I would just roll as thin as possible or until desired thickness. Cut squares out of the dough using a cookie cutter and move prepared squares to the baking sheets.

Working in batches, cook for 12 minutes or until browned and crisp. As this round is baking, prepare more crackers with the rest of your dough. Repeat until all the dough has been prepared and cooked.

Let cool completely, serve with dips, or transfer to an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Roasted Carrots with Hazelnut & Rosemary + Giveaway

11.07.2012

____________________

Now that the official stuff is out of the way, let’s talk a bit about the changing happening around VV before we get into food. So, I’ve transferred my site and have the backbone of what it will become but this is only the beginning. Now it’s time to fix [many] bugs/broken links before I continue on the design process. Please feel free to shoot me an email at vegetarianventures@gmail.com if you happen to see something funky going on and update your RSS feeds to direct to my new site (most should automatically but if you followed VV through wordpress.com they WILL NOT. Consider switching to following VV on bloglovin or facebook!). Anyhow, just wanted to give a little update on how the process is coming and let you know that things will be moving around within the site for the next week weeks.

_______________

And now let’s talk about the greatest holiday to ever cross foodie’s paths – Thanksgiving! I, personally, love that there is a specific day dedicated to taking work off, cooking dozens of recipes, and eat mass quantities of delicious food. Am I the only one? Didn’t think so. And now that it is November, it’s time to start recipe experimenting for the big day! A group of wonderful bloggers and myself are teaming up with Country Crock to cook up some of the best Thanksgiving side dishes imaginable. What does this mean for you? It means that I have another wonderful giveaway for all of you (more on that later in this post!) and a list of delicious side dishes for your inspiration (click here to see what everyone is coming up with!).

As for VV, we decided we wanted to showcase this wonderful carrot recipe. Why? Because it would look absolutely stunning on your Thanksgiving table (look at all those colors!) and its super simple to make. So simple that you can pop these in the oven in 5 minutes and then spend the rest of your time worrying about the 100+ other things going on in your kitchen. Not to bad, eh?

Also, did I mention this recipe is delicious? The minimal amount of ingredients help bring out the true flavors of each component. Roasting makes the carrots slightly sweet while the rosemary brings in the savory and the hazelnuts give it a crunch. Plus, added bonus, the rosemary makes your kitchen smell like the holidays! So comforting.

Oh, and guess what!? I also have a giveaway for all of you! Because you are awesome and Country Crock was kind enough to supply some beautiful cookware.

Enter for a chance to win an Italian Scalloped Baker (10″ x 6″) in the color of your choice! Click on over to the Sur La Table website to see all the color options.

Here is how to enter:

1. Like VV on Facebook or follow on Bloglovin.

2. Leave a comment telling VV what your holiday dish/recipe is

That’s it! For extra entries, follow VV on Twitter and leave a comment saying you did so!

The giveaway will be open until next Tuesday (November 13th) at 2 pm (Eastern Time). Please make sure you leave a valid email address for me to get a hold of the winner!

Roasted Carrots with Hazelnut & Rosemary

2 bunches of carrots (preferably multicolored but orange will do)
1 Tablespoon County Crock
2 Tablespoons white wine
2 teaspoon olive oil
salt/pepper
a few (3-4, depending on size) springs of rosemary
1/4 cup hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 425. Wash and prep the carrots (if they are super dirty then peel them) and place them in a single row on tin foil. Place another piece of tin foil over them and roll up three of the sides to create a pouch. In the opening, stick the rosemary, country crock, white wine, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Seal the pouch, give it a gentle shake (to help mix everything together), and then place on a baking sheet.

Cook for 25 minutes or until the carrots are soft. You can check this by opening one side of the pouch and seeing if a fork can pierce through the carrot. While those are cooking, lightly toast the hazelnuts by putting them into a skillet over medium low heat and stirring until fragrant (3 to 5 minutes).

Sprinkle hazelnuts over carrots and serve warm.

Thank you to Country Crock for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Homemade Caramel Corn

10.25.2012

When I was in middle school, I would sometimes go to work with my Ma in the mornings and then walk to school [since it was right down the street]. This meant that there was about an hour where I would just be hanging out around her office doing “homework” (which was actually just me distracting her or going through the stuff in her office). My favorite time of year to be around was after the holidays because she would have lots of edible gifts that she received from employees/clients. Chocolate bars were a popular choice but as a little kid, I was always drawn to the GIANT tin of popcorn that had a tiny paper divider splitting the caramel and cheese popcorn [when you are little - everything is cooler when it's in mass quantities]. I always liked taking the divider out and mixing the two flavors…which was probably my first introduction to the ‘sweet/salty’ combination. [and look at me now! 10 years later and I can't imagine eating caramel without some big hunks of sea salt on top!]

Anyhow, so fast forward to present [~ 10 years later]: We’ve been having weekly movie nights on Thursdays which has given me a chance to make some treats for guests. Popcorn seems like the likely suspect for a movie night so immediately I thought of my Ma’s caramel popcorn recipes (which was actually my Grandma’s). These stuff is amazing…I mean..melt-in-your-mouth, can’t-stop eating-until-it’s-gone amazing. I tweaked the recipe slightly to fit what I had in my pantry and used agave nectar instead of corn syrup (sorry, Ma) but it was just as fantastic as I remember.

The moment that the popcorn came out of the oven and the sweet caramel smell filled my kitchen, I started nibbling at it… like, uncontrollably nibbling at it. And then before I knew it…a large chunk of the popcorn was gone (and the guests had not even arrived). I started pondering if this amount of popcorn was going to be enough (don’t get me wrong…it makes a ton of popcorn…but this stuff was good and I didn’t want it to be gone before the movie even started). So I started brainstorming ways I could make it last longer and that is when I remember the old cheese/caramel mix. Boom! Perfect. I [sort of cheating...] ran down to the co-op and bought a bag of cheesy popcorn [I know, I SHOULD have made it from scratch...but to be fair...I could not find any recipes that could truly capture that cheesy, powdery texture that the store-bought has. And...at least I went organic with it!]

And thus, the popcorn was a hit! It was [almost] gone before the movie started but lasted long enough for everyone to get their fill. The point of my story? Well 1. I like to ramble and 2. plan for the fact that you may eat half of it beforehand and 3. include the cheddar popcorn or just eat the caramel corn by itself…it will be irresistible regardless.

Homemade Caramel Corn

2/3 cup corn kernels
vegetable or canola oil (amount depends on the size of your pot)
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick of butter, melted
1/8 cup agave nectar
pinch of cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
salt

store-bought cheddar cheese popcorn, optional

First, pop the popcorn! You can either use your favorite method or follow mine. In a large pot with a lid, pour oil until it just coats the bottom. Place two kernels into the pan and heat over medium (with the lid on) and wait until the kernels pop (this will let you know the oil is ready). Once they pop, immediately add the rest of the kernels and stick the top back on. Shake the pot back and forth across the burner (this will be loud and a workout for your arms – both are good for ya!) and continue to shake until all the popcorn has popped (shaking will keep the popcorn from burning). Remove from heat once all the popcorn has popped and set aside.

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, agave, and cream of tartar. Bring to a boil and boil for five minutes while stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the baking soda.

Pour the heated mixture over popcorn and stir until all the popcorn is coated. Transfer popcorn to two cake pans or 1 baking sheet (if using baking sheet, make sure not to spill it in the oven!). Cook for 2 hours and stir every 30 minutes.

Enjoy warm with all your friends!

Apple Latkes

10.17.2012

Latkes for dinner?! Yes, please! My family is very German and every December we go up to the German market (Christkindlmarket) which takes place in downtown Chicago. The market runs for the whole month of December and people from all over Germany fly in to sell authentic goods which include candies, food, music, and decor items. To me, Christkindlmarket consists of warm mulled cider, loads of German chocolate, and potato pancakes lathered in apple sauce or sour cream (also known as latkes!). And although the chocolate is…well chocolate (need I say more?) and the cider is alcoholic enough to warm you from the inside out…it’s the latkes that get me oh so excited every year. There is nothing better than warm, fried potatoes lathered in apple sauce (this may sound weird to non-Germans but have you tried it? It really is amazing!).

Okay, that is enough day dreaming about winter already (yuck, what was I thinking?!). Not my fault though…I totally got the new ‘Thanksgiving’ edition of the Food Network Magazine in the mail today. Too warm out to be thinking about Mushroom Gravy and Stuffed To-furkeys? I’d say so. But, a craving is a craving so in an attempt to cool down my potato latke need…I made a fall version! Apple latkes! What a perfect idea! I, of course, did not top them with applesauce (wayyy too much apple in there) but did lather them in butter and maple syrup (since anything in pancake form has the right to be enjoyed with maple syrup. period.)

These little pancakes were awesome. They were flavorful, moist, fluffy, and full of fall spices. I would recommend these for a crisp fall breakfast served up with a batch of mimosas (or if it’s too early for you to start drinking then why not some sparkling cider?).

PS I had never been to the Christkindlmarket website until today – woah! I promise there are no giant fairies in wigs or bad typography to be found! Just lots of chocolate, alcohol, and fried foods.

Apple Latkes

1 egg
2/3 cups plain yogurt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg, cloves, and allspice
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup grated apples, about 2 apples (peeled and grated) – spritz a little lemon juice to keep from browning if you peel ahead of time
Vegetable oil

Whisk together the eggs and yogurt. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the egg/yogurt mixture and apples. Fold everything together until incorporated.

Oven medium heat, warm enough oil so that there is a thin layer of oil in your skillet. Add about a 1/4 cup of mixture into the hot oil (I cooked 3 at a time but it will depend on how big your skillet it) and make the latkes in batches. Let them cook for about 4 minutes on each side (this will completely depend on how hot your oil is so watch them closely and adjust accordingly). Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Serve warm with lots of butter and maple syrup!

Spiced Bread Pudding // Collaboration with Dishes Undressed

10.16.2012

Happy Tuesday! I’m here today with another collaboration with Angie from Dishes Undressed and this one is our dessert edition! I had her try out my vegan cobbler cake [which sure does look delicious!] and she had me tackle this mouth-watering bread pudding.

Okay, so let’s talk pudding. The REAL kind of pudding…not the stuff you get at the store that is in powder form and you add milk [or something to that nature] to make it come alive [do people still do that? I remember my Dad making us pistachio pudding a lot like this when I was a kid]. I’m talking about the traditional puddings which are created from recipes filled with generations of memories. I never grew up on those puddings and have sort of been making up for lost time. Earlier this month, I whipped up my first ever persimmon pudding and have enjoyed several batches of the stuff since. And now, here I am, trying out bread pudding for the first time. Who knows what’s next! Maybe I’ll try to conquer rice pudding [again, do people eat that stuff?]. Do you have a favorite pudding recipes? I think I might just have to go on a pudding kick to find mine!

So…my first experience with bread pudding. I was a bit unsure of what to expect but was smitten by the idea that the ingredients were so similar to my favorite breakfast food ever: french toast. I mean, anything that encourages eating french toast more than just before 10 AM is a keeper in my book. Anyhow, so the result was similar to baked french toast but soften. It was moist, spongy, and full of spices. The warm jam with the perfect sidekick to bring out the sweetness of the pudding. I adapted mine slightly from Angie’s recipe to accommodate what I had on hand.

PS- One last thing! I am a total instagram, bloglovin, and facebook addict [do you follow me on all these things??]. I am, however, totally clueless when it comes to Twitter but I’ve decided it’s time to make the plunge! That is right, VV is offically going to be on Twitter so please hop on over and…say Hi or whatever you do on Twitter. [Username: ShellyWester]

Spiced Bread Pudding

2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 vanilla bean
8 thick slices of stale bread
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
dash of cinnamon and nutmeg
fig jam, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and arrange the bread pieces on a small pan.

Slice the vanilla bean in half and scrap out all the seeds. Discard the pod and place seeds in a small saucepan with the milk and bring to a boil. Once boiling, immediately remove from heat and let cool.

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and the sugar. Once the milk mixture is completely cooled (we don’t want the eggs scrambling now!), slowly add it into the egg mixture and stir until combined.

Pour over the bread pieces and let sit for ten minutes. Pop it into the oven and cook for 30 minutes or until the top is browned and crusty. Remove from oven and let cool.

In a small saucepan, warm the jam until it becomes runny. Swirl into the bread pudding and enjoy right away! Perhaps along side a big mug of chia tea or with a blanket on your hammock.

Fall Quinoa Salad with Apples, Pecans, and Cranberries

10.11.2012

Good Morning! I know I’ve already mentioned this in previous posts but have you checked out Chickpea magazine yet? I am so excited that they have officially starting shipping out the fall issue this week. I cannot wait to snuggle up on the coach with my puppy and a big mug of chai tea while I swoon over this issue’s recipes and articles!

Anyhow, today I am sharing a recipe for a quinoa salad. Do you like quinoa? Did you try that Southwestern Quinoa Salad I posted about awhile back? If you have not tried it, I highly recommend checking this grain (is it a grain or a seed?) out. It has such a unique, light and filling texture//taste that it really is hard to explain. This salad is super simple and easy to make so this would be a great introduction to quinoa for you. The hint of cinnamon counteracts the tart apples to make a flavorful and filling side dish.

Fall Quinoa with Apples, Pecans, and Cranberries

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
3/4 cup water
1 tart apple, diced (sprinkle a little lemon juice on the apple chunks to keep from turning brown)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries (or cherries or whatever else you like dried!)

For the dressing:

2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
dash of cinnamon
salt/pepper

Bring the water a boil in a small saucepan. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add in the quinoa. Cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and “fluff” the quinoa with a fork.

Whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and add to cooled quinoa. Mix in the apple, pecans, and cranberries into the quinoa.

Serve warm or chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Feta and Chives Beer Bread

10.08.2012

I’ve been feeling very inspired today. Do you ever have those days where you go to check your “inspiration feed” [mine is bloglovin' but any sort of RSS feed is what I am referring to] planning to look for ten minutes and then one blog leads to another which leads to an idea which leads to lots of online “reasarch”? Of course you do…I mean you are on a blog right now reading this and there is a good chance if you stumbled upon VV that you were also on some sort of blog journey at one point.

Anyhow, I stumbled upon ‘Going Home To Roost’s’ monthly membership (that is only 5 dollars, might I add) where you get weekly newsletters filled with tutorials, e-courses, designs, etc. This led to me (of course) signing up and reading her e-courses triggered thoughts of the classes that I’ve taken in the past (Blogging Your Way and A Beautiful Mess) so the afternoon turned into lots of reflecting on concepts and ideas that were brought up in those classes. Anyhow, I bring this up because you should hop on over to Going Home To Roost if you are looking for some inspiration and consider signing up for her monthly plan. A lot of bloggers say that paid subscription for extra content in the way of the future for bloggers. It’s sort of a cool concept (who doesn’t like exclusivity?) and at 5 bucks a month…I bet we could handle it!

_____________________________

And now, let’s talk about food. This is probably one of the easiest recipes I have/will ever posted. I’ve actually made beer bread way more than any food blogger should EVER admit [ but it's totally not my fault!] I could make the fanciest truffle pasta or elegant french soup with Gruyere croutons and Wyatt would reply “are we having beer bread with that?”. Seriously, anything that you can dip bread in…he requests beer bread as the side. I’ve made fresh baguette and seasonal Foccaccia but he always goes back to asking about the beer bread. And so here we are, it’s probably the trashiest American bread to ever exist but it’s SO easy (no rise time) and actually can be rather addicting.

Another thing that is great about beer bread is its super versatile. I added feta and chives because that is what I had on hand but in the past I’ve added sun-dried tomatoes, basil, oregano, sage, cheddar, etc etc. The options are pretty endless! All you have to do is think of a combine that goes well together and do it!

So whip this up next time you are planning to spend hours making a soup (so then you don’t ALSO have to worry about an elaborate bread to go with it) or need some spongy bread for warm gooey grilled cheese.

Beer Bread with Chives and Feta

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 12-ounce beer
2 ounces feta, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped chives

Preheat oven to 375 and grease a small loaf pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Add in the beer and stir until just combined. Fold in the feta and chives.

Cook for 50 minutes or until the top is crusty.

Serve warm with soups and sandwiches!

Spicy Jalapeno Corn Hummus

10.02.2012

Heyyya! Happy gloomy, gloomy Tuesday. As a way to kick up this chilly and droopy day, I made some spicy hummus to warm you up! Well…I didn’t exactly make it for you. I made the hummus for myself but I do have the recipe to share with you so that you can make it too! It’s the perfect afternoon snack to fill you up and give your metabolism an extra boost (did you know spicy food does that? How cool!)

Anyhow, I’m off to do more logo design proofing followed by a lazy evening filled with warm apple cider and Parks & Recreation marathons.

Spicy Corn Jalapeno Hummus

1 jalapeno
2 cups cooked chickpeas
2 large ears of corn, kernels removed from the cobs (about 3/4 cup)
1 Tablespoon butter
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons tahini
2 teaspoons lemon juice
salt/pepper to taste
sriracha, optional (if you like it super spicy – add a few drops at the end)

Roast the jalapeno however you’d prefer. I stuck mine over my gas stove (see photo below) but feel free to use the broiler as well.

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and saute for about 7 minutes or until they are soft and browned.

Combine, the jalapeno, corn, chickpeas, olive oil (start with 2 tablespoons and add more if it’s too thick), tahini, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a blender (or food processor). Mix until everything is incorporated and the desired consistency is reached (add more tahini or olive if it’s still too thick and adjust flavor to your liking with the salt/pepper/lemon juice).

Fold in some sriracha if you want an extra kick and serve with warm pita.

Fall Apple Crisp // The Worry Worm

9.28.2012

This is a picture from a fall afternoon [ last year ] that Wyatt (pictured above) and I spent laying by the water and having long conversations. Today, I wish this was us again. Life [ for no particular reason ] has been really stressing me out lately. I’m not sure what exactly happened but it was like something inside of me snapped when I graduated from college [about six months ago] that turned on my “worrying” button. Before that, I was known for being the “laid back” friend who never took anything seriously. I always trusted that what was happening was supposed to and that I felt pretty much invincible. This all changed, however, when I started my “real-world” journey and I began feeling the weight of all my decisions being put on me. If I don’t take care of myself, something terrible COULD happen to me. What I put in my body does actually affect my mood/general feeling. If I don’t pay attention while driving, I could get into a car accident. It has been a large reality check for me and really unearthed my way of thinking.

I bring this up because this un-nerving feeling struck me again this morning [ and has thrown the whole day off ]. Why? Because I read an article this morning about Trader Joe’s recalling their peanut butter due to salmonella contamination. This happens to be the same kind of peanut butter that I opened and gobbled down last night. I mean, realistically, I would already have been feeling the negative affects of the peanut butter if it had been affected. There is just something about the fact that a comfort food [ that I eat almost every day ] could turn and harm you. Arg.
Anyway, I am getting way too serious for even my own liking so let’s shift gears…eh? Enough about my hang-ups. Cool? Cool.

_______________________

Instead, let’s talk about fall comfort desserts. I love love love apple crisp because not only is it filled with cinnamon and oats but its 50% fruit [ which makes it totally acceptable for breakfast, lunch, snack, dessert, etc... right? ]. And you know what’s even better about this recipe? Wyatt picked it out so it has wayyy more butter than any recipe I would have approved of. That is probably what made it sooo freaking delicious. Shhhhh….don’t let him know that I admitted to that!

We attempted to go apple picking last weekend which ended up being a huge fail. Supposedly, the season is off because of the bad Midwest drought and the early frost that struck us last week. Ah well. We still picked up a bundle of apples and some recipe cards (they always have a stack of homemade recipe cards by the check out counter at the orchard). We made an apple pie from these cards last year and it was to die for (which is where my assumption comes in….old fashion = SO much butter // heavy cream). Anyhow, this recipe is from one of those cards and was nothing short of amazing.

I’d suggest making this when you are trying to impress guests (sadly, most of them aren’t going to be impressed by your low-carb fruit cake) or when you really want to capture that “fall is in the air” feeling. Don’t forget to serve this crisp warm with a big helping of vanilla bean ice cream.

Apple Crisp

6 large tart apples
juice of half a lemon
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup (2 sticks) cold butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Grease a 9×9 pan and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prep the apples by peeling, coring, and dicing them. Add the lemon juice, corn starch, and sugar to the apples and place in the baking dish.

In another bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Dice the cold butter into chunks and use your fingers to work them into the mixture until the dough is coarse and combined. Fold in the oats and then evenly top over the apples.

Cook for 45- 50 minutes or until the top has browned.

Remove from oven and let cool slightly while you prep the ice cream (!!).

Serve warm and gobble up while enjoying the crisp breeze on your porch.

Savory Zucchini Feta Muffins

8.30.2012

Am I the only one or is everyone feeling a bit stressed about getting ready for the long weekend? I know I am! My birthday is next Tuesday so Wyatt and I took off an extra day for a 4 day weekend! We are planning to go camping (which means I may be MIA for a few days) but I still have yet to research a spot…hmmm. I am thinking Smokey Mountains? Or somewhere with waterfalls? Or maybe on the beach along Lake Michigan? Choices, choices!

And I didn’t get around to posting yesterday because I went up to Indianapolis to meet my Ma for my birthday. We have a little tradition that she always takes me out shopping for my birthday/Christmas. No complaining here! Haha. We usually go shopping on Michigan Avenue in Chicago but since I now live so far south…we have been compromising on Indianapolis. Not quite as glamorous but still a wonderful experience. Plus this gives us a chance to hit up Trader Joe’s so I can splurge on soy chorizo and mass quantities of three layer hummus. ALSO, on that note…have you tried Trader Joe’s ‘Cookie Butter’? Thanks to Tracey from Shutterbean and Joy The Baker and…I am addicted.

Now shifting our focus to what this post is all about! Thank you to Baba Ganoush for helping me dwindle away at my eggplant supply. What’s next? All that zucchini! Whoever decided to throw a bunch of zucchini into bread was an absolute genius! There are so many endless options with zucchini bread/muffins/cupcakes! This was my first batch (of 3) so expect a little mini series in the next few days (Chocolate muffins to come next!). I served these muffins along side some eggplant caponata and they were a hit! Between Wyatt and his brother, I’m pretty sure they knocked out half a dozen in the first evening. There is just something about that the little surprises of salty feta through the muffin that leaves you craving more. I can’t wait to make these again in the winter with some hearty chowder!

Savory Feta Zucchini Muffins

adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen

2 cups zucchini, grated
1/2 cup feta, crumbled
1/2 cup Parmesan, grated
4-5 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup buttermilk (I just made my own using this technique)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray.

Drain the excess zucchini by wrapping it in a clean dish towel and squeezing out as much juice as possible. In a large mixing bowl, combine the feta, Parmesan, and onions. Mix in the buttermilk and eggs to the zucchini mixture.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and pepper. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the zucchini mixture. Fold the dry into the wet ingredients until just incorporated.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full (they will expand a bit) and bake for 40-50 minutes. Remove from oven when the tops have browned.

Enjoy with soup, pasta, for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or just whenever you have a craving for something savory!

Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Caramelized Onions

8.21.2012

Have you ever cooked with farro? Well, this was my first time and I was totally blown away. Imagine a mix between a softer wheatberry and a heartier brown rice. It is oh so delicious and a fairly easy grain to prepare so I am not sure why we don’t utilize it more in our culture. As expected, I didn’t know anything about farro when I picked up a few cups of it in the bulk section at my co-op. After during some research, I learned that farro is an Italian grain that has just recently hit the United States by storm. It’s not a wheat grain (but a grain all of its own) and contains starches similar to arborio rice which results in a creamy texture when cooked (but does not get as gummy as risotto). And most importantly, farro is packed with fiber, magnesium, and Vitamins A, B, and E. If you’d like to learn more about this Italian grain, I’d recommend checking out this New York Times article on it.

Anyways, now that I am done with the food lesson for the day, let’s talk for real. This dish was summer in a bowl for me. I feel like every season I connect with at least one dish (last summer was that Savory Vegetable Cobbler) that makes me wonder where this recipe has been all my life. This is it! Fresh, roasted tomatoes are already one of the best things ever to exist so to mix them with caramelized onion and then put them on a hearty grain like farro…done deal. This is one of those recipes that shines in its simplicity…it doesn’t even need to be cooked with herbs or sprinkled with cheese to bring out the flavors.

So yeah. I hesitate to call this a salad because it is more than hearty enough to be your whole meal. Feel free to entertain the idea of it being a starter but you will probably forget whatever your main is and want to keep digging into this creation. I highly suggest you give it a try and see for yourself!

Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Caramelized Onions

1 cup farro, uncooked
2 cups cherry tomatoes (I used a heirloom mixture)
2 cups green beans, trimmed
8 ounces of white button mushrooms, sliced
1 medium red onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt/Pepper

Preheat ovan to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tomatoes and green beans in a single layer on sheet and evenly coat with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tomatoes start to split.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add farro and cook for about 15 minutes or until the farro is softened. Remove from heat and strain out excess water.

In a skillet, melt the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced onion and mushrooms and toss until they are coated in the olive oil/butter. Let cook for ten to fifteen minutes or until the vegetables have softened (make sure to stir frequently). Remove from heat and add the balsamic, salt, and pepper. Return to heat and cook for another 15 minutes or until everything is browned and deliciously caramelized.

Once everything has finished, toss together in a big bowl and enjoy warm!

Oh and it’s great as yummy leftovers for several days after!

Spicy Arugula Salad // A Guest Post

8.14.2012

Happy Tuesday! I am very excited to welcome Nicole from Masters2Marathons to VV today. She has a wonderful post about an absolutely scrumptous Trader Joe’s inspired salad. And feel free to hop on over to Masters2Marathon to see my guest post about DIY Granola Bars! Enjoy!

_________________________________

Hi everyone, my name is Nicole (blog Masters2Marathons) and I am super excited to be featured as a guest writer on Vegetarian ‘Ventures! I started following Shelly’s blog a few weeks ago and absolutely love all the recipes she shares. Today I will be writing about my new favorite recipe called “Spicy Arugula Salad” which is jam packed with protein and flavor! As a runner, I need to make sure I eat foods that give me the most ‘bang for my buck’ and this salad does exactly that: quinoa is a complete protein, bell peppers and arugula contain lots of crucial nutrients, and currants quench my sweet tooth craving. For those of you wondering where my inspiration came from, this recipe is my vegetarian friendly version of Trader Joe’s “Lemon Chicken and Arugula Salad”. Now where does the ‘spicy’ part come in? Well the arugula certainly has a little ‘bite’, but so does the dressing consisting of fire roasted bell peppers and sliced pimento. They certainly round out the salad nicely. My version of this recipe is given below, but there is definitely room to ‘play’ with ingredients to make it your own (see some of my suggestions). Hope you enjoy!

How to make this healthy deliciousness:

1. Prepare the quinoa and Israeli (pearled) couscous. To make my life easier, I like to cook them at the same time. I pour 1 cup tri-colored quinoa and 2 cups water into my rice cooker and press the button because I have problems with quinoa on the stove. For the couscous, I follow the directions on the package: In a 2 quart sauce pan, saute 1 1/3 cups couscous with 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned (~5 min). Slowly add 1 3/4 c boiling water (watch for spattering!!!) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/low, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Once both are done cooking, let them cool completely if you want a cold salad. Otherwise head to step 3 if you were multitasking and made #2 during the cooking process

2. Make the spicy dressing. Add 1 fire roasted bell pepper and 2 ounces of sliced pimento (with a little bit of their juices) to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and salt to taste. To add a bit more ‘kick’ feel free to include a little lemon juice and cayenne pepper powder. Also, if you want extra dressing, just double the recipe!

3. Put it all together. Add the quinoa and couscous to a very large bowl. Mix in the currants, chopped bell pepper, and arugula. Serve yourself and dress the salad to your satisfaction! This recipe makes a few servings, around 3-4, for me personally.

Some suggestions: This salad would also taste great with some raw or lightly toasted pine nuts or raisins instead of currants. Also, feel free to throw in some chopped onions when sauteing the couscous for a caramelized flavor! Finally, this salad tastes great warm or cold (first time I made it, I couldn’t wait to dig in). Enjoy!

If you end up making your own version of this recipe, please share it in the comments below!!!

___________________________

Hop on over and check out Nicole’s blog here.

Zucchini Fritters with Dill Dipping Sauce

7.27.2012

Happy Friday! Does anyone have any big plans for the weekend? Wyatt’s band is playing tonight and my Ma is stopping by to see our new house later but I feel that my schedule is pretty open for Saturday and Sunday. I really would love to adventure in the form of canoeing, hiking, picnicing, and camping but I fear that the temperatures are not supposed to drop below 100 again this weekend. This means that I will most likely need to start planning ways to hide indoors during the day (I really have become a wuss when it comes to the heat). Perhaps make a few macrame plant holders or some homemade billy buds?

Or maybe it’s FINALLY time to make that homemade cheese that has been on my summer to-do list forever now! Who knows…but honestly, this heat makes me not want to eat anything lately…the only thing my body has craved for the past month has been coconut flavored La Croix and green smoothies. This would be great if I was the type of girl who wanted to be on a diet…but let’s be real here…I own a food blog! I LOVE to eat! This wasn’t brought up as a complaint…I’ve learned to adjust to the heat. We have been waiting to eat until about 9 or so every night so that it’s cool enough to tolerate cooked food (tolerate is such a terrible word for my recipes…they deserve so much more!). And on a good note – we have been eating a lot less so this has given me a chance to try out all those recipes that many would consider starters/appetizers as light meals for us to enjoy (like those yummy Corn and Feta Empanadas).

Speaking of light meals…I whipped up these zucchini fritters with what was left of CSA box from last week (remember…I didn’t get one this week because of the drought! Such a bummer. And as a warning: it’s not going to just be us Midwesterners who will be affected by this drought! Ek!). Anyhow, these were delicious as a light dinner but feel free to also feel these to your guests as a starter at your next dinner party.

Zucchini Fritters with Dill Dipping Sauce

For the dipping sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of a small lime
Salt/Pepper, to taste

For the Fritters:

4 medium zucchini
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh dill
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Vegetable or Coconut Oil for Frying

To make the dipping sauce: Combine everything together in a small dish and stick in the fridge until ready to eat (this will give it some time to let the flavors mend together).

To make the Fritters: Cut off the top and bottoms of the zucchini. Grate them using the largest setting on your grater (AKA side with the biggest holes). Sprinkle with salt and stick in a bowl. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Move the zucchini to a clean dish towel (or SEVERAL layers of paper towel so they are strong) and ring out any excess juice.

Next, combine the zucchini, dill, flour, garlic, eggs, and baking powder. Stir until everything is mixed and a thick batter has formed.

In a medium skillet, put just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil over medium and use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out the batter onto the pan. My pan was big enough to cook 3 at a time but this may depend on the size of your pan..make sure they have enough room to not collide. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side (time will depend on how hot your oil gets…usually will take less time as you go on).

Place cooked fritters on a paper towel lined tray and repeat with the rest of your batter.

Enjoy with that yummy dipping sauce and your favorite people/puppies.

Berry and Pecan Summer Salad

7.12.2012

If any benefit that has come from the previous heat wave, it is that it was too hot for me to crave anything but a huge, juicy salad. The thought of greasy french fries and the sluggish afternoon they would lead to in this 100 degree weather makes my stomach twist.

From years of salad experimenting, I’ve discovered the key to a really satisfying salad is as follows:

Greens (spinach, iceberg, kale, etc) + a sweet (usually fruit- fresh or dried) + a savory (nuts or baked tofu) + veggies (everything is better with veggies) + light salad dressing (to bring the flavors out but not over bear it).

I have been playing around with many variations on these combination a whole bunch recently and this Berry Pecan salad is probably my favorite one so far. The light honey vinaigrette brings out all the veggie fresh flavors and the peach/blueberry duo adds beautiful color and just enough sweet to tame the salty feta.

I am not going to put exact measurements for the contents of the salad because that is all up to you and what you enjoy. Feel free to experiment and swap out whatever you have on hand!

PS- Substitute the honey for agave nectar and omit the feta to make it vegan!

Berry and Pecan Summer Salad

Mixed Greens assortment (mine was just from a farmer stand)
Blueberries
Sliced Peaches
Chopped Pecans (bet it would be even better if you roasted them before hand!)
Feta
Bell Pepper
Red Onion (I soaked the slices in water for about 15 to tame the flavor – it works great!)

For the Honey Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt/Pepper

Whisk all together in a small bowl and pour over salad.

Veggie hotdog dressed All American Style + Summer Salad = Mmmmmmm.

June Wrap Up

7.02.2012

Well Mondays are when I usually post about being moody …but let’s be real: I have a TWO day week since my company is giving us Wednesday through Friday off for the 4th of July… so do I really have that much to complain about? I think not.

Instead, since July snuck up on us over the weekend let’s have a June Wrap up instead!

My favorite posts from this past month:

1. I am a picnic fanatic and had soooo much fun enjoying these Southwestern Veggie Sliders with Avocado Mayo while soaking up some fresh air on a lovely dinner picnic with my puppy and boyfriend

2.I am not sure where you live but this 100 degree weather refuses to let up over here in Bloomington, Indiana. Popsicles like these Berry Mango Yogurt Pops are the only things keeping me cool when I attempt to adventure outdoors.

3. Oh! My adventure with this Summer Potato Salad was pure bliss! Potato salad just screams summer and this was a great way to kick off our first grill out of the season!

4. Pizza Pizza Pizza. I cannot escape it no matter how bad I tell myself it is! I’ve come to accept this and have at least turned to making my own pizza so that I know exactly what goes into it. This Savory Breakfast Pizza was part of a two segment post that also included yummy Blueberry Lime Pizza.

In other news, June was ridiculously busy with us moving into our new house (which we are still not completely settled into) and being out of town for almost every weekend.

Also, I managed to learn a lot from my Blogging 2.0 class (which ends this week!) and can’t wait to start applying what I learned to VV.

And onto July! What to expect? Well I am hoping to spend July settling into our new place; this means starting to make lots of new memories at our new home in the form of cocktail parties, movie nights, and creative time in our new studio. I am very excited for things to calm down around here so we can enjoy the simple pleasures of summer (now if only this 100 degree weather would calm down a bit…).

Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadilla

6.14.2012

So I wanted to talk to you guys about this ‘Food is the New Rock’ podcast. I’m not sure if you are into podcasts but I’ve come to enjoy listening to them while I workout or am laying in my sun-room. I’ve become super into this specific podcast that mixes food and rock music…they show all the similarities and talk a lot about how the two are connected (and then interview chefs about music and musicians about food). This concept is sooooo fantastic for me because I obviously am super into food (having a foodblog and all) but my day job is working at an indie record label distributor…match made in heaven? I think so. If you’re into this sort of thing, I highly recommend checking it out here.

Ah yes, back to recipes! I’m not really sure where this goat cheese and black bean combination came about but I highly approve. I remember my old (old) roommate use to make a similar (and absolutely delicious) taco when I lived with her a years ago. Then I ran across a recipe with the black bean/goat cheese combo a couple of days back which sparked my memory for these ‘dillas. I had remembered really enjoying them but I think my love affair for goat cheese has grown even stronger in the last 3 years; this means these were even more mouthwatering-awesome them I remember.

Since I’ve been trying to use up what is in my pantry/fridge (moving begins TOMORROW), I tweaked this recipe to what I had on hand. I used the leftover chevre from the Veggie Polenta Lasagna and the kick of spice from the jalapeno was tamed perfectly from the smooth cheese. Can’t wait to make these again with some Beergaritas!

Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadilla

Makes 2 ‘dillas

I can (15 ounce) of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
4 ounces of chevre or goat cheese
1/3 cup Gouda cheese, shredded
2 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
4 large tortillas (or 8 small)
1 jalapeno, diced
salt/pepper
Olive oil, for cooking

Spread half the cheeses on a tortilla. Top with half the beans, corn, jalapeno and cilantro and then place another tortilla on top. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients.

Heat a dollop of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium. Cook the tortillas on each side for about 5 minutes (or until they start to brown).

Serve warm while the cheese is gooey!