Two Party Appetizers - Asparagus Phyllo Cigars & Red Peppper Dip

So you said you would bring an appetizer to the party but now don't have any idea what to bring. Or worse, you committed to bringing more than one appetizer and now you're really stuck! Here are two options - one super easy and one a little more time consuming.

Asparagus Phyllo Cigars
This is a great savory and warm appetizer that happens to be vegan. To my knowledge, phyllo dough is usually vegan, while Puff Pastry typically is not. They take a little time to assemble, but they make a splash once they are served, which is worth it to me. As always, when working with phyllo, keep it covered with a damp towel until you are going to actually work with that piece.

In this recipe, you'll make an herb paste, which you'll spread on the phyllo, then cut into strips and wrap around the asparagus. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 425 for 20 mins and serve immediately.

24 Asparagus Spears - washed and trimmed
1 Package of Frozen Phyllo Dough
1/4 each of chopped Dill, Parsley, Chives
1 TBS grated lemon zest
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine the chopped herbs, lemon zest, salt & pepper and about a TBS of olive oil to make an herb paste.

Using 2 sheets of phyllo, lightly cover with the herb paste. You may have to drizzle with a bit more olive oil to spread the herbs around.

Cut the phyllo into 2 inch strips and wrap each strip around an asparagus spear. Place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and then bake uncovered. Each one will be golden brown and a little crunchy.

Red Pepper Dip
2 cans White Beans
1 16 oz jar of roasted red peppers (drained).
4 Cloves of garlic
Squeeze of Lemon juice
Salt to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste

Blend all in a food processor. Taste and ajust the seasoning. Serve as an alternative or along side some hummus with pita chips or wedges.

More Cake - The Best Vegan Boxed Cake Mix

So after a week or so of posting home made, from scratch type of recipes for you all, I have to come clean...sometimes I totally use boxed cake mix. Yup. And why not? As long as the quality is good and the price is right, sometimes the convenice of one bowl baking is sublime. Especially when you bite into a warm piece of gingerbread that didn't create a huge mess.

This Hodgson Mills Gingerbread Mix is something that my Aunt Candy used to make when I was a kid. I'd file this box under "Mom Tricks". You know, things that Mom's can do quickly with one hand that appease all the children and doesn't make too much of a mess? It's also a whole grain product and typically sold for like $3 a box. I believe the recipe calls for egg and either oil or milk. I just sub in some Ener-g Egg Replacer and soy or rice milk which makes it vegan.

You can also get fancy and serve it with some vegan whipped cream by Soyatoo. The first time I had this was at a restaurant. As a non-vegan this product totally fooled me. I think the Husband gave his dessert to my cousin because I was convinced it was a dairy product. Luckily our local Hannaford and Whole Foods markets carry this item.

Carrot Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

I know, you're either thinking, another cake recipe :) or another cake recipe :( I figured with the holiday season in full swing, it's a good time to have multiple dessert recipes on hand. Especially tried and true vegan recipes that work. I once offered to make a dessert for a family party. The cake I chose was this fantastic looking multi-layered chocolate espresso deal that promptly slpit down the middle and completely fell apart as soon as I got it frosted on the cake stand. I made a bee-line for the bakery that day, thanking them profusely for carrying vegan cupcakes.

This is probably one of the best cake recipes I've ever made (and it's guaranteed not to fall apart). This is the usual request from the Husband for his birthday and was what we had made for our wedding. It also makes a great cupcake. In this recipe I used chopped hazelnuts, which is unorthodox for carrot cake. The truth is that I really just hate walnuts. You can use the nut of your choice though.

4 TBS Applesauce
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup Softened Margarine
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Cinnamon
1 Cup Sugar
1 1/4 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Soy Milk
1 Cup Grated Carrot
3/4 Cup Chopped Nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 325 and grease and flour a 9-Inch cake pan.
2. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients (sans nuts).
3. Add the wet ingredients in a large bowl. (I typically use the Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with the paddle attachment for this, but a hand mixer would work, too.)
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and once it is all "just mixed" stir in the carrot and then the shopped nuts.
5. Pour into your pans and bake at 325 for 45 mins.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
To me, Cream Cheese Frosting is what takes carrot cake from breakfast food to dessert. This is some good stuff, so be warned, however, it is not a very stiff frosting. Sometimes its best to refrigerate it before frosting the cake.

8 oz Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Margarine
2 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Orange Extract
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Using either a hand or stand mixer, cream together the Cream Cheese and Margarine. Gradually add in the powdered sugar. Once the sugar has been incorporated add the extracts. Refrigerate in a ceramic bowl until the cake is cooled and try not to eat all the frosting with animal crackers before hand.

Easy Chocolate Cake & Easier Chocolate Frosting

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

This recipe came from a cook book at my Mom's house. It will take me some time to figure out which one, but when I do, I'll update. I once made like 6 or 8 batches of this for a giant sheet cake for a party.

I have seen similar recipes in other places, and I am pretty sure that this is an old classic chocolate cake recipe that is more "accidentally vegan" than anything. It's "rise" comes from the baking soda and vinegar reaction instead of the egg. It's best to use a high quality coco powder. This simple recipe makes enough for one 8-inch cake - so double up if you're planning a double layer. It also makes for a good cupcake, just be sure to adjust the cooking time.

1 1/2 Cup Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp White Vinegar
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 Vegetable (canola) oil
1 Cup Water

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and flour your cake pan(s).
2. Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Mix together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together by hand.
5. Pour into your greased pans or cupcake tins. Bake the 8-inch pan for approx 30 mins.

Chocolate Frosting
What is cake without frosting? This is the vegan version of the classic butter cream frosting that so many grandmothers can whip up without a second thought.

Beat these ingredients together with a hand mixer to make a stiff but creamy chocolate frosting for any cake. Once again- the better the cocoa powder, the better this will taste.

1 Cup Softened Margarine
1/2 Cocoa Powder
1//2 tsp Vanilla
2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Baked Apple French Toast - Vegan Style

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

A few years ago my Mother in Law got a fantastic recipe for baked french toast. This was some super rich, super bad for you, and super delicious baked french toast. Definitely the kind of thing you save for special occasions, as the eggs, cream, and unbelievable amount of sugar makes this an over the top recipe. While the original recipe wasn't vegan, she did veganize it so that @isitvegan could partake in the in apple-maple glory of this breakfast food.

This is a 2 part recipe. You make a bottom layer of syrup and apples, then you add your day old bread, and then you top it off with a soy milk mixture. Oh, and I should mention that this recipe is no healthier for you than it's original non-vegan counterpart, except that I suppose it's cholesterol free.


1/3 Cup Maple Syrup
2/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Melted Margarine
3 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg

3 Tar Apples (Peeled & Sliced)
1 Loaf of day old french bread

3 TBS Ground Flax Seed
1/4 Cup of water
1 1/2 Cups of Soy Milk
1 TBS Vanilla Extract

1. Slice the apples and arrange them into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Melt the margarine and then add the Brown Sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon & nutmeg.
3. Pour the syrup mixture over the apples and the place the bread slices on top of that.
4. In a large mixing bowl add the flax seed and water and whisk together making a thick paste.
5. Then add in the Soy Milk and Vanilla and mix together and then pour over the bread, making sure to soak each piece.
6. Bake, covered in tin foil at 375 for 30 mins. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 mins.

Variation- reduce the maple syrup and brown sugar down a it and replace with about 1/2 cup of orange juice. You could also add dried cranberries to the bottom of the pan.

Mushrooms Berkeley

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

This recipe appeared in my email one day. Sent to me by my Great Uncle Cliff.

Cliff, who I don't think would mind if I described him this, was a child of the '60s...so in other words is now an "old hippie". (Which I say with affection, because what is better than those stories about Woodstock and backpacking around Europe and communes). Anyway, this was a favorite recipe of his taken from a true original vegetarian cookbook, The Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas. Which is something I don't own but, hey, Christmas is coming!

This is technically a side dish, but my family tends to eat it as an appetizer with crackers or on crusty bread. The sauce is delicious, thick and rich tasting but certainly on the sweet side. This is worth making for a mushroom lover, and is pretty simple. It's great for a party, because it can simmer while you're prepping other things.

24 oz. Fresh mushrooms (halved or quartered, but not sliced)
2 Bell peppers (I like red, cut into long strips)
1 Medium sweet onion (finely chopped)
2 TBS olive oil

2 TBS Brown Mustard
2 TBS Vegan Worcestershire Sauce (The Wizard makes some, and so does Annie's)
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup Red Wine
Black Pepper to taste

1. Mix together the mustard, Worcestershire, brown sugar and red wine and set aside while you heat sauce pan or electric skillet to medium heat.
2. Add the olive oil and saute the onion until it turns translucent.
3. Add the peppers and cook for 2-3 mins.
4. Add the mushrooms and then cook covered for 2-4 mins.
5. When the mushrooms begin to brown around the edges, uncover and add the sauce.
6. Simmer uncovered for 45 mins. The end result is a thick, caramel colored sauce and juicey mushrooms.

Thoughts- I'm thinking you could dial down the Brown Sugar to a 1/4 cup and still have success. I'm also wondering if the addition of some hot sauce near the end might punch it up a bit.

Mac'n'Cheez Vegan Style

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

This is a great casserole-style dish that is quick and easy for a weeknight, or can be jazzed up and brought to a potluck. I've served this to my cheese-loving family and they really enjoyed it. I typically make it with whole wheat pasta, but since going on the gluten free experiment I've been using rice pasta and it's just as good.

16 oz of pasta (I prefer fusilli, mostly because of Fusilli Jerry)
- Cook according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 Cup of the cooking water before draining.

Cheez Sauce:
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
1 Cup Plain Soy Milk
1/4 Cup olive oil
1 Cup of Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne

1. Whisk together these ingredients in a medium sized pyrex measuring pitcher.

2. Drain the pasta (remembering to reserve about 1/2 Cup of the pasta water) and then immediately add the pasta back into the warm pot. Turn the heat off.

3. Add the wet mixture over the pasta and mix. Usually this will work just fine, but occasionally the sauce will be a bit thick or a bit thin. Add the pasta water if it's too thick and sticky. If the sauce is too thin, turn the heat to med-low and keep stirring until the sauce is thicker and a better consistency.

Variations:
Add any spice/flavor combination you like. Sometimes I add miso, or lemon pepper, or smoked paprika might be nice.

Add a vegetable. Some ideas: caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, roasted butternut squash cubes, frozen peas, broccoli florets....

Baked: Another option is to add that pasta water to the pot, place this in a casserole dish or individual ramekins, and sprinkle with some vegan bread crumbs that are drizzled with olive oil. Then bake or broil for a few mins until the top is nice and crunchy.

I usually serve this with something green, either steamed broccoli or sauteed collards, spinach or kale.

Soy Nog Bread

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

I'm not vegan, but I am a vegetarian who limits the amount of dairy I eat. So several years ago when Whitewave began making soy nog it was like a revelation. Why? Well ,it wasn't too long before that the only soy milk available was brown and kind of clumpy and came in those aseptic containers. While it wasn't so gross you couldn't drink it, it certainly wasn't doing anyone any favors. As soon as Silk started becoming mainstream and they started making flavors (like soy nog) a dairy-free corner was turned for sure.

This is a favorite recipe at our house during the Holidays. This is a quick bread that's great for breakfast or an after dinner snack. It also wraps up and freezes well, if you're interested in giving it as a gift. I have NO IDEA where this recipe came from, but I do know it was adapted from a recipe that used real egg nog. So, have I changed it enough to call it my own? Who knows. What I do know is that this is a hit.

2 Eggs (I use the Ener-G Egg Replacer)
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Melted Margarine
1 Cup Soy Nog
2 tsp rum extract
1 tsp vanilla
21/4 Cup Flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (plus a little more for sprinkling on top)

Preheat the oven to 350
1. In a small bowl whip up the eggs using a whisk per the box directions.
2. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients and whisk together with a fork.
3. In a medium bowl combine the wet ingredients.
4. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together with the fork until it's just mixed. A few lumps are okay.
5. Pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan (or 3 or 4 of those tiny loaf pans).
6. Sprinkle nutmeg on the top. and bake the large pan for 45 - 50 mins. (the small pans for about 25 mins)

Spiced Autumn Cutlets

I am always promising The Husband (@isitvegan) that I will write up and post some of the recipes that he posts about on Twitter. I'm finally resolved to do it, so I'm starting with some Holiday recipes. Hope you enjoy!

Wanting to keep our Thanksgiving protein not only vegan but gluten free, I was at a bit of a loss this year. I knew I wouldn't be picking up a Tofurky and taking the easy route (not that there's anything wrong with that. But I knew I'd be making something from scratch.

Cut to me rummaging through my store of cookbooks in search of inspiration. So last Sunday I was was reading the expansive Mark Bittman classic, "How to Cook Everything Vegetarian" and came upon the recipe for Spiced Autumn Vegetable Burger. I figured that I could make them into a pan fried cutlet and the flavor profile of sweet potato, greens, and some Serrano chili pepper would compliment the Thanksgiving feast. I improvised the recipe a bit to account for the ingredients on hand as well as the gluten free factor.

2 Cups Cooked Kale (I used raw spinach)
2 Cups cooked Cannellini Beans (I used pinto)
4 TBS Olive Oil
1 Medium Sweet Potato -Peeled & Grated
Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs (I used toasted & cubed GF Bread)
1/2 tps Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Pinch Cayenne (I used a Serrano chili pepper and garlic instead)

1. Squeeze the water out of the greens and finely chop it. In a large bowl, mash the beans roughly and then stir in the greens with a fork.

2. In a deep skillet on medium heat, add 2 TBS oil. When the oil is hot add the sweet potato, salt & pepper. Stir and cook the sweet potato (about 15 mins). Once it's cooked, stir in the bread crumbs and other spices. (I started by shopping 2 cloves of garlic and the Serrano chili pepper. I added this to a cold skillet, added the oil and turned it to medium -creating an infused oil. Then I added the sweet potato, salt & pepper, but found the sweet potato was sticking to the pan- I added about a 1/4 cup water and let it cook.)

3. Add the sweet potato mixture to the bowl of greens & beans and mash it all together. You can add a little all purpose flour to help it stick together. I didn't have to - it came together really nicely.

4. Form into patties, about 4 inches long by 2 inches wide. Heat a nonstick pan to medium and add a Tablespoon of olive oil. Fry each patty until they reach a nice golden brown (about 4 mins on each side). Careful when flipping. They will become less fragile as they cool down a bit.

I brought these to Thanksgiving dinner on an oven safe dish and reheated them covered in the oven. (well actually I think my Mom did that part.) They were served over mashed potatoes today- but could easily be served on top of salad greens, rice or even a bun.

Overall this was a hit, and they got good reviews from the non-vegans as well.

Pot-Luck Pesto (vegan style)

We headed to a pot luck last night. A real pot luck. No theme. No advanced warnings. No sign up sheets. The possibility that we would get there to find a table full of green salads crossed our minds, but I had a pretty good feeling we'd have pretty good luck.

This is what I intended to bring:
Almond Pest Spirals topped with Cherry Tomatoes
Multi-grain Sourdough Bread
Blueberry Pie

I actually left the tomatoes and bread on the counter, which really bummed me out, but we pressed on and figured we could enjoy all the tomatoes ourselves...without sharing.

The almond pesto has been a favorite dinner lately and is a recipe I made up using almonds instead of pine nuts. Why almonds? Because I keep raw almonds around to snack on and throw in oatmeal. I have to admit to not really caring for pine nuts, hating walnuts, and only tolerating roasted peanuts a few at a time. Almonds however are my friend and they make a nice base for a vegan pesto. Almonds seem to have a creamy flavor which makes me not miss the cheese at all. They also pack some protein (albeit not that much) into this carb-tastic meal.

Pack into a food processor:
1/3 Cup of toasted almonds
30 -40 basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1-2 Tbs of olive oil
fresh ground pepper to taste

-Pulse your pesto into a paste in the food processor. Add a bit more oil if you need you loosen it up a bit, but it should be paste-like.

-Cook your pasta in salted water. I like whole a whole wheat penne or fuscilli. Reserve a 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

-Drain the pasta and then transfer to a large bowl.

-Add the pesto to the bowl and mix into the pasta. Add some of the pasta water as needed to loosen up the pesto and get a good coating over the noodles.

-Top with quartered cherry tomatoes and sprinkle with a bit of balsamic vinegar.

Sesame-Peanut Noodle Salad

For weeks it seemed summer was never going to come to New England. We've spent the months of May, June and most of July underwater. However summer has arrived in the last week or so and the temps have spiked. Lately this has been my "go to" hot weather meal. A noodle salad served cold or at room temp that is spicy, savory, a little sweet with a hint of peanut and is simply darling because the ingredients can be swapped out to suit whatever is in your pantry that day.

Sesame-Peanut Noodle Salad

1/2 Box Whole Wheat Spaghetti
Boil the noodles according to the package directions and rinse with cold water.

1/3 Cup Soy Sauce
1/4 Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tbs Peanut Butter
1 Tbs Sriracha (or less or more depending on your love of heat)
1tsp Sesame Oil
Juice of Lemon or Lime
Handful of Cilantro, chopped
1 Bunch of thinly sliced scallions
1 Thinly sliced red or yellow pepper
1 Meduim Tomato, diced
2-3 Cups of Cole Slaw Mix (shredded cabbage)

While the pasta boils, whisk together the Soy Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Peanut Butter, Sriracha, sesame oil and citrus juice. You may want to use a few tablespoons of hot pasta water to help break down the peanut butter. Add the cilantro to the bowl.

Slice up the veggies and set aside. This is where you can get creative. I have used cucumber, summer squash, red onion...you get the idea. You could even add some left over tofu (or chicken for you meat-eaters).

Once the pasta is done, rinse it with cold water and drain well. Add the pasta to your sauce. Using tongs, mix in your vegetables and finally the cabbage. You can top with top with toasted sesame seeds, but well, who has those laying around all the time?

2nd Attempt - Vegan Peanut Buttter Banana Ice Cream

I swear I do not have a problem...yet.

Anyway, after browsing the internet for vegan ice cream recipes I stumbled upon a way to use the over ripe bananas that were lying in the fruit basket (and a way to utilize the new small appliance in our kitchen).

The recipe I used was found here at A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise. I decided not to heat the liquid as suggested, instead I just melted the peanut butter with the brown sugar in a small pot over medium heat and then threw that into the blender. This eliminated the need to chill the liquid for hours before churning.

And this stuff is good. It made an excellent creamy ice cream and seriously, it also made an immensely great milk shake. And yes, I did take a picture and yes, I will post it at the point where I can find the strength to take out the cord, open photoshop and resize the image, but that will have to wait until tomorrow when I have had a day at work to emerge from my sugar coma.

Making Frozen Deliciousness

About three weeks ago I was walking through Target, minding my own, determined to buy a new mop and a first communion card. While on my journey to the back of the store I walked by one of those end of isle displays where they stack the sale items. It's hard for me to describe how much I LOVE the end of isle sale items at Target. So many great things for my house have been purchased from those shelves, organic cotton hand towels, table lamps, candle holders for the mantel, the mirror in the living room, and so many more essential and cute things that make a house feel like a home. That day the sale display in the housewares section had Rival ice cream makers on sale for $24.99. I was intrigued but kept moving, onward to the back of the store, to buy a mop as my old mop had broken part way through cleaning my kitchen floor.

A few days later I was back at Target, undoubtedly buying something I did need like dish soap and a whole pile of stuff I did not need but could use, like 4 boxes of Kashi GoLean cereal. Again I walked by the ice cream makers. I stopped to inspect the boxes but kept moving. I tried to telll myself there was no need to buy it, but I kept think about how I could perfect sorbets of all kinds and make vegab cookie dough ice cream, and maybe not be jealous of small children who get to have soft serve with jimmies on top. Ah the longing.

I thought about the ice cream maker for a week. Then I started to talk about it to the Husband. A LOT. Eventually, he was either tired of hearing me talk about it, or just really wanted to taste one of these creations and said something to the effect of "Go buy it already!". And that was all I had to hear. I believe the silly thing was purchased within two hours of that conversation.

And so now I bring you my first try with said machine. I used my rampant knowledge of the google to narrow down a great chocolate sorbet recipe and after reading about 25 of them I found Smitten Kitchen's post which seemed delicious and ironic, since I read her blog daily and should have thought of it in the first place! Head over there to check out the recipe she posted from The Perfect Scoop.

I deviated from the recipe on little bit. The only chocolate I had was a dark bar with espresso beans in it, so I though it fitting to replace half the water with espresso in the recipe. The result is some serious chocolate goodness with a hint of coffee. And the bonus is that this recipe is vegan to begin with, so there was no mussing and fussing with conversions.

My slight adaptation is as follows:
Chocolate-Espresso Sorbet
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup Espresso
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan,whisk together the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk, for 45 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it’s melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the espresso. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Chill the mixture thoroughly (I left mine over night since it was too late to run the machine) then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.

Sometimes I Make Fried Food -Fried Tofu Strips

A few weeks ago I learned that I have low iron. Not a huge deal, and actually it was nice to know why I am often so tired by Wednesday that I can barely get through the afternoon without a short nap at my desk. In addition to taking some supplements recommended by my very wonderful nurse practitioner, I purchased a couple of pieces of Lodge Pre-seasoned Cast Iron Cookware. The story of what I actually purchased is another post requiring pictures of said pieces of cookware and a wide angle lens. Why? Well, it seems I purchased a 15 inch skillet with a 3 inch edge that weighs about 82 pounds and could feed an entire boy scout troop dinner. The picture on amazon did not fully explain to me how menecing this thing is.

Back on track...After the first few cooking incidents (we shall call them incidents as I never burn anything, including my fingers, in my nonstick Calphalon). I finally started to get the hang of the cast iron this week -temperature, maneuvering the lids and hot handles, cleaning burnt cabbage off the bottom. On Saturday night, I was faced with what to make for dinner and going out was not an option. I had 2 crowns of broccoli, a block of tofu and the regular pantry staples. Apparently, I approach dinner the same way they do on the show Chopped. Except, luckily, I don't time myself, or juddge myself half as harshly. I figured that I could handle making something fried that never would have worked as well in the nonstick pans.

I dediced on Fried Tofu Strips, steamed broccoli, and dippping sauces. I was going for a "chicken finger" kind of consistency with the tofu andI think I accheived that. They were pretty darn tasty. I would definately make them again, and would probably expand the sauces, as I was a bit lacking in the creativity there. It was a fun Saturday night supper though.

Fried Tofu Strips
1 block of extra frim tofu
2 Cups of Panko (spiced up- using a smattering of garlic powder, cayanne, salt, nutrtional yeast, celery seed, and pepper. And no, there was no method to that madness.)
1/3 Cup of Soy Flour (I'm guessing any flour would work)
1 egg replacer egg mixed with 2 TBS of Soy milk
Olive Oil for pan frying

I will start by saying that this recipe will make a ton of dishes and will seem like a lot of steps, but is actually quite easy.

First step is to prep the tofu. You'll want to press your tofu and then get all the water out, which will make frying a much more enjoyable experience. I like to cut mine into about 1/2 inch slabs and then I press them between a stack of cutting boards. I stack them up and walk away for a while. (Or you could do this) Then cut the tofu into 1/2 inch strips. Take a paper towel and gently sqeeze the remaining water out of each strip.

Step two is to set up a place to put the done pieces. Preheat your oven to 350. Take out a jellyroll pan and a cooling rack. Place the cooling rack over the jellyroll pan and throw that in the oven. This is where you will place the fried tofu. It will allow the extra grease to drip off and keep the piece warm and crispy.

Then, just like Mom used to do...well maybe that was only my mom....set up your assembly line. Take a plate and coat it in flour and set aside. Take a bowl and mix your egg replacer and soy milk and set aside, perferrably next to the flour plate. Finally take a medium sized bowl and mix up those panko and spices.

Heat a pot on the stovetop on medium heat and coat it with olive oil. And don;t skimp on the oil. We're frying here. Now set up your assembly line. Take a tofu strip, coat it in flour, dunk it in the "egg", and dredge it in the panko. Then set the covered soggy tofu in the pan and fry each side until they are crispy and golden brown. Once it is done place it on the rack in the oven.

Repeat until they are all fried up. Like I said, pretty easy, but lots of dishes, and fun to eat.

I served them with an "assortment of dipping sauces". This was actually Spicy Ketchup (ketchup mixed with Hot Sauce), Trader Joes BBQ Sauce, Goddess Dressing, and some Kens Sweet Onion Salad dressing. Had I been planning better, I would have taken the time to get creative on the sauce front. Any ideas?

*and now I also realize that the only picture taken of this meal with with the husband's blackberry. Maybe he can email it to me ;)

Recipe: Wild Mushroom Barley Risotto

Last week I was dead tired after walking the dogs. I sat down on the couch to watch a little Food Network. My intention, since the Husband was meeting his friends for dinner was to make myself a bowl of cereal for dinner but after rejuvenating for a few minuets and watching a little Rachael Ray, I was inspired to make a healthy meal. What got me was that she was talking about how she doesn't get home from work until 8 or 9 at night, but still makes dinner everyday because it makes her feel better. I thought, geeze, I get home at 5 or 6 and some days I still can't pull it together. I can do better!

What was worse, I actually made the risotto the night before because I had some spare time and the energy to cook, but was still going to eat cereal instead because I didn't feel like making the rest of the meal for "just me". The good news is that it was really easy to reheat and toss the watercress into the dish on the second day. Dare I say it was "delish"? Oh My!

Oh, and where did I get the recipe for such a dish? I found myself looking up Barley in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and sort of went from there based on Mr. Bittman's loose directives. Man, I love that cook book.

Wild Mushroom Barley Risotto
1 package of Dried Wild Mushrooms -Re-hydrated in 4 cups hot water
1 Tbs Olive Oil
½ Sweet onion diced
2 cloves garlic
1Tbs Better Than Bullion (thx Renee for this recommendation- this stuff rules)
1Tbs Tomato Paste
1 ¼ Cup Pearl Barley
1 Cup Watercress roughly chopped – or any green

Heated the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the onion and cook until brown.
Scoop out the mushrooms from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the onion. Season with salt & pepper. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (2 mins). Add the barley and stir coating the grains. Add the reserved mushroom water to the pan and stir in the “Better than Bullion” and tomato paste. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until most of the liquid is gone and the barley is tender (30-40 mins). Stir in the watercress right before serving.

I served this with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Crispy Steamed Green Beans

Roasted Grape Tomatoes
Heat the oven to 400-450. In a baking pan or pie plate toss a bunch of washed grape tomatoes in a single layer with a coating of olive oil and salt. Roast for about 30 mins in the oven.

avocado cucumber puree

i would eat this- make this- even if the husband's mouth wasn't wired shut.

in the blender:
1 avocado
1/2 cucumber
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/4 cup plain yogurt (i use soy)
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 TBS olive oil
1 tsp red chili paste
1/2 clove garlic
salt
water/milk(plain soy milk) to thin the mixture in the blender. i started with a 1/4 cup and probably used 1/2 cup total.

i blended this up for the husband who had requested something green in his liquid diet. we were both a little skeptical of how this would come out because it sounds kind of weird but it was good. seriously good. if it was thicker i would dip chips in it. as it was it was good as sauce on a burrito and would be excellent as a dressing on a salad. i could have put in more lime and some cilantro, but i was holding back a bit for the husband's sake. he thinks i put too much lime in stuff anyway.