Oh-Yum Asparagus and Rice with Chickpeas

Asparagus is looking lovely these days and I made a huge pot of chickpeas, so this recipe (despite its cheesey name) by Heidi seemed like destiny.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3-4 cups cooked chickpeas
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch segments
• 2 cups additional vegetable (broccoli recommended), optional
• 1 cup almond slivers, toasted
• fine grain sea salt

Dressing:

• 1 garlic clove, smashed and chopped
• 1/4 cup tahini/peanut butter
• zest of one lemon
• scant 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

Directions:

1. Cook rice.
2. Make the dressing by whisking together the garlic, tahini/PB, lemon zest and juice, and olive oil. Add the hot water to thin a bit and then the salt. Set aside.
3. Add a couple glugs of olive oil (roughly 3 tablespoons) to a big skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl the oil around to coat the pan, then add the chickpeas and sprinkling of salt. Let the beans sauté there for a couple minutes Add the garlic and onions. Stir for a minute. Stir in the asparagus with another pinch or two of salt, cover with a lid for a minute or two to steam - just until the asparagus brightens and softens up just a bit. Uncover and stir in the rice and almond slivers, reserving a few almonds for garnish. Taste and add more salt if needed (likely). Serve family-style in a big bowl drizzled with a few tablespoons of the dressing, let each person add more dressing to their tastes.

Serves 6.

Comments: Yes! This was delicious, and fairly addictive. It made quite a bit though, next time I think I’ll shoot for 3/4 the recipe, so I can finish the leftovers before they go bad.

Zucchini Pizza

To top my new pizza, I tried Jenna’s recipe. I followed her recipe perfectly, but wasn’t super impressed. It was lovely looking pizza, but I prefer my own combinations (sundried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, blue cheese, olives, etc.) See the link above, if you want to give it a try.

New Deep-Dish Pizza Crust

So, right around the time I came across King Arthur’s Chicago Style Pizza Crust, I found another recipe which also received great reviews. I knew I needed to compare the two before deciding on a new standard dough.

Ingredients

· 2 teaspoons sugar

· package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)

· 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)

· tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

· 12.38 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 3/4 cups), divided

· 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal

· 1/2 teaspoon salt

· Cooking spray

· Toppings of choice

Directions:

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in olive oil.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 11.25 ounces (about 2 1/2 cups) flour, cornmeal, and salt in a bowl. Stir flour mixture into yeast mixture until dough forms a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 5 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel sticky).

3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Roll dough into an 11 x 15–inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Place dough in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray; press dough up sides of dish.

4. Preheat oven to 400°.

5. Top pizza with desired toppings.

6. Bake at 400° for 25 minutes or until crust browns and cheese bubbles. Cool 5 minutes before cutting.

Comments: I made two of these, as I was afraid one wouldn’t be enough to feed me and my hungry bf. I didn’t need to worry, one was still enough. The dough wasn’t quite as luxurious as the King Arthur’s recipe, but that made it feel better suited to become a regular player in the pizza game. It was also a lot easier, although I think the flavor was less developed due to the shorter rising times. I may play with it a bit, but I think I’ll continue with this new recipe for a while.

East Coast Enchiladas (?)

Another recipe I marked, as I’m always trying to tempt myself to something healthier than cheese enchiladas, I didn’t notice how unconventional it was until I went to make them.

Enchilada Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
• 4 carrots, finely diced
• 2 celery, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
• Water to sauté veggies (between ¼ and ½ cup)
• 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 12 tortillas (whole wheat recommended)
• 14 ounces tomato sauce
• Cumin, oregano, paprika and pepper for topping

Fresh Salsa Ingredients:

• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• ½ cup cucumber, diced
• ½ cup cabbage, thinly julienned
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 avocado, finely diced
• Oregano, salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the rice and water and cool to approximately room temperature so that you can work with it.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. Sauté the onion, garlic, carrot and celery in water until tender. Add the spices, rice and bean and mix until thoroughly combined. Taste the filling and add salt and pepper as desired.
4. Fill each tortilla with 1 cup of the mixture and roll up. Place in a baking pan with the seam side down. Top the filled enchiladas with tomato sauce. Sprinkle the top with cumin, oregano, paprika and pepper. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes, until the fillings are hot.
5. To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients and stir gently to not break up the avocado. Serve the salsa cold on the side of the enchiladas.

Comments: While I can give up a bit of authenticity for health, these just didn’t fly. Rice in enchiladas? Why? Overall, I just found them lacking, the enchilada sauce was underdeveloped, and the vegetables in the enchiladas seemed quite European. Next time, I’d go with my Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas, and keep my rice and beans on the side.

The salsa was interesting, although again…cucumber? Cabbage? I’d go for a more traditional pico de gallo here, as well, but the creativity was appreciated.

Leek and Swiss Chard Tart

Still working my way through tart crusts, I landed on this recipe, also courtesy of Deb at Smitten Kitchen:

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed (I used a ready made crust)
• 2 T. butter (I used 1 T.)
• 3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped (I used 2 leeks)
• 1 t. dried thyme
• 1/2 bunch Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 2 1/2 cups) (I used a whole bunch)
• 1 1/4 cups whipping cream (I used 1/4 c. cream and one cup whole milk)
• 3 large eggs (I used 4 eggs)
• 2 large egg yolks (I skipped this, with the extra egg above)
• 1 teaspoon salt (oops! Forgot this!)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (uh…I think I put in 1 T.)
• Pinch of ground nutmeg (and this was forgotten—this is why I need to cook without the distractions of great conversation)

Directions:

1. Roll out pastry on floured work surface to 12-inch square. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold under; crimp edges. Cover; chill.
2. Melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add leeks and thyme. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until leeks are very tender but not brown, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add chard; saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool.
3. Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 425°F. Whisk cream and next 5 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in cooled leek mixture. Pour filling into crust.
4. Bake tart 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake until filling is puffed and just set in center, about 15 minutes longer (this took my oven about 10 minutes longer). Transfer to rack; cool 10 minutes.

Comments: This is the perfect example of why I usually cook alone. I was chatting with friends my whole way through this, and not referencing the recipe several times over. However, it seems like a solid recipe when you account for my errors. I’ll probably try this again when I’m in the mood for a tarta de verduras. It felt like it was missing cheese, but that may have just been something I needed to counteract my accidental pepper dump.

Empanadas de Verdura, Cebolla, y Tomate con Queso

I’ve been making a lot of white-flour dishes lately based on a pack of fresh foods I got—raviolis, tart crusts, fresh pasta, and empanada shells.

I decided to keep things simple for the empanadas, although I also had to get my variety in, to keep things from getting boring. Here’s what I did:

• Tomate con queso: Diced tomato, diced cheese, and a mix of provenzal herbs (parsley, garlic, and oregano).
• Cebolla: Carmelized onions with more diced cheese.
• Verdura: Chard sauteed with onions and garlic and a diced hard-boiled egg.

Comments: I loved the simplicity of the cebolla and tomate con queso, however I definitely should have sought a recipe for the verdura empanadas. They were terribly bland. Many contain a white sauce, which can be good if it’s not too heavy.

Here are the lovely empanadas my boyfriend made, unfortunately filled with meat:

Butternut Squash and Carmelized Onion Galette

I tried a tart dough…but had no tart pan. Before than shelling out 30 pesos, I started browsing recipes, looking for inspiration, and…realized the existence of a galette! Deb, the mastermind of Smitten Kitchen opened my eyes to this wonderful galette recipe and a solution to my lack of pie pan.

While it made for a tasty treat, I was really impressed at how simply it came together!

Ingredients:

• 1 pie crust dough
• 1 lb. winter squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
• 3/4 cup Gouda, grated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if necessary. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.
3. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.
4. Roll out dough and transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.
5. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Comments: This was warm and savory. I think it would have been a tad bit better with the butternut squash, but I enjoyed it either way. Next time I’ll add a bit more cayenne.

Creamy Mushroom Pizza

I whipped up some Chicago-style pizza dough the other night, as my boyfriend loved it last time, and decided to try Bittman’s Creamy mushroom sauce for some added interest to my portion.

Here’s what I did:

• 200 g. mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 shallots (or 1 small leek)
• 2 T. Butter
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 c. heavy cream
• cheese (gruyere or fontina recommended, I used Gouda)

Saute thinly sliced shallots or the white of a small leek in butter until soft, then add the mushrooms and probably some more butter and certainly generous salt and pepper. Over medium heat, toss or stir until the mushrooms are just about cooked and much of their moisture has been exuded, then evaporated — but let them not be dry or burnt. Then add a moderate amount of heavy cream, let it bubble and reduce for a minute or so, remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool and thicken. You can do this well in advance and store the mixture in the refrigerator.

Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees F. Stretch or roll out the pizza dough (recommended thin, but as I was preparing a thick crust, I skipped this part) and put it onto a sheet pan. Let it rise for five or ten minutes if you like, then spread on the mushroom-cream mixture, having tasted it once more for seasoning. Top with a very little bit of cheese – just a sparse sprinkling, or even none — and bake as long as it takes your oven to cook it.

Comments: Well…I love mushrooms, so this pizza made me happy, yet…I think sauteed mushrooms would have been equally tasty without the added guilt of cream. (Note: the quantities given covered about half of a large pizza.)

Low-Fat Caponata

While it was a small, oil soaked, and highly rewarding meal, I was left craving something healthy after my fried rice dinner. So, I turned to the ever-reliable VeganEpicurean for something to absolve me of my dietary sins. And it really did make me forget about the oily goodness of fried rice! Here’s what I did:

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ fennel bulb, chopped
• ¼ cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
• 1 eggplant, diced small into small bite size pieces
• 1 zucchini, diced small into small bite size pieces
• 2 cups tomatoes, diced into small bite size pieces
• ½ cup golden raisins
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 2 T. sugar
• 1/3 c. olives, chopped

Directions:
Heat the pan with the water on high until it comes to a boil. Add the onions, garlic and fennel and cook, stirring often until they have begun to wilt.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the sugar and cook until the eggplant and zucchini have softened. If you want the caponata to be saucier add as much tomato sauce as you think is necessary. Next add sugar until the caponata is as sweet as you like. You want the caponata to have a sweet and sour flavor. Garnish with fresh parsley or torn basil leaves (if desired) and serve at room temperature or cold.

Comments: I was a little nervous at omitting oil from this recipe, as it is so traditional, but it actually worked fine! That said, I would probably use a tablespoon next time, and sub a cup of garbanzos for the pine nuts to get more protein. The nuts didn’t have much of a crunch, and felt like a waste. My picture isn’t great, but I ate this with quinoa the first day, and afterwards scooped up on crackers, for that added crunch.

Ginger Fried Rice

I’ve started some menu planning in an attempt to work through my ever-growing TBD File, and it’s been quite successful (as you will soon see), though not necessarily the lowest-fat week of my life!

I started with Smitten Kitchen’s Ginger Fried Rice, which I collected during a fried-rice spree I was on a few months ago. Unfortunately, after roaming my suburban Mar del Plata neighborhood for several hours on a Sunday afternoon, I finally conceded fresh ginger wasn’t going to be had. So, here’s what I did:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon ground ginger
Salt
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
4 cups cooked rice
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 teaspoons soy sauce

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels and salt lightly.

Reduce heat under skillet to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons oil and leeks. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very tender but not browned. Add ginger and season lightly with salt.

Raise heat to medium and add rice. Cook, stirring well, until heated through.

Season to taste with salt.

In a nonstick skillet fry eggs in remaining oil, sunny-side-up, until edges are set but yolk is still runny.

Divide rice among four dishes. Top each with an egg and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Sprinkle crisped garlic and ginger over everything and serve.

Comments: While I love the ability of fried rice to accommodate whatever random vegetables I have hanging around, this was lacking nothing. It was delicious, and while I would love to try it with fresh ginger (and recommend following Deb’s recipe), it worked well with my adaptation.

Quinoa Zucchini Lasagna

I’ve found very few ways I enjoy quinoa, so I’m always on the lookout for something new and promising. This was posted a couple weeks ago, and immediately jumped on my to-do list.

· 3 large zapallitos (or 2 large zucchinis)

· 1 cup quinoa, rinsed

· 1 cup vegetable stock

· 1/2 cup tomato sauce

· 1/4 cup finely chopped onion

· 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

· 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley

· 2 tablespoons CasanCrem (or light cream cheese)

· Salt and pepper

· 1.5 cups marinara sauce

· 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400*

2. Chop the top and bottom off of the zapallitos and slice each one the long way into 6 pieces. These will be your noodles. Lay the zapallitos on a paper towel, sprinkle with salt, put another paper towel on top, and let them sit while the water is released.

3. Combine the rinsed quinoa, vegetable stock, tomato sauce, and onion in a pan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. When the quinoa is done cooking, add the CasanCrem and parsley and mix thoroughly.

5. Wipe the zucchini clean of any excess moisture.

6. In an 8×8 dish, pour 1/2 cup of marinara sauce. Put 4 slices of zapallitos, one next to the other. Top with a layer of the quinoa and 1/3 cup of marinara sauce.

7. Repeat: zucchini, quinoa, marinara.

8. Add the final zapallitos, top with marinara, and top that with the cheese. Bake in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes, or until everything is heated through and the cheese is bubbly.

Comments: Despite being slightly fearful of this, it was quite tasty! Of course, I can’t really relate to it on a lasagna level, but I’ll definitely be repeating it!

Homemade Pasta by Mabel

I’ve been away—first a move, then a vacation to the US, and now another move is coming soon, so I haven’t been cooking as much as usual, but I do have a couple new recipes to share, courtesy of my boyfriend’s mother, Mabel.

First up are homemade, whole wheat spinach noodles, whipped together without the aid of any pasta-making devices. It’s a labor-intensive process, but uses whole, healthful foods and the family loves it. Here’s how she does it:

Ingredients:

1 kg. whole wheat flour

100 g. gluten (white, with no additives)

1 packet of spinach, washed

1 clove of garlic

2 T. oil

4 eggs

2 T. olive oil (optional, but recommended)

Steps:

1. Sift together the flour and gluten until well mixed, and any impurities have been removed. Put 3/4 of the mixture in a bowl and create a well in the center.
2. Cook spinach, if desired. Add spinach, garlic, oil and two eggs to a blender, and blend until well mixed. Pour into the well in the flour-gluten mixturee.
3. Beat the remaining to eggs and olive oil, if using. Mabel throws them in the empty blender, to rinse out any remaining spinach-goodness, before adding them to the well in the flour mixture.
4. Mix well, until the dough forms a solid, non-sticky ball, as shown below.

5. Separate the dough into 4-5 balls.

6. Now, comes the tricky part. Roll out one of the balls of dough until it is paper-thin. If you have a pasta machine, this may be easy, but Mabel uses a rolling pin to stretch the dough as she rolls it out, as shown. She works deftly, with years of practice. Basically, it’s a matter of wrapping a bit of dough over the rolling pin and stretching the dough by pushing on the pin. Repeat until the entire mass is a uniform thinness. Use the extra flour in the process, as needed to keep the dough from sticking.

7. Next, coat both sides of the dough with the leftover flour mixture, and roll the dough into a log. Check while rolling to ensure the dough doesn’t stick to itself, and add more flour if necessary.

8. Cut tiny spirals from the log, as shown below.

9. Using another pile of the flour-gluten mixture, toss the spirals to unravel them., being sure they stay coated and don’t stick to one another.

10. Repeat until all the pasta has been rolled, cut, and tossed. Toss in boiling water for about 5 minutes, tasting for doneness after about three. Serve with a delicious sauce, or just oil and grated cheese.

¡Buen Provecho!

African Pineapple Peanut Stew

This is a recipe from Bridget at The Way the Cookie Crumbles adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.

4 servings

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
1 bunch kale or Swiss chard, large stems discarded, leaves chopped coarse
1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained
½ cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup peanuts, chopped
1 scallion, sliced

4 servings cooked grain, potato

1. Heat the oil in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until just browned at the edges, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add pineapple to the pot and bring to a simmer; add the greens, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just tender. Stir in the peanut butter and hot sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the flavors are blended. Stir in the cilantro just before serving and add salt if necessary. Serve over rice or couscous, garnishing each serving with the peanuts and scallions.

Comments: Definitely needs the recommended cayenne. I used the full T. of Tabasco, and was underwhelmed. Otherwise, it’s a decent dish, but not something I went crazy for. I probably won’t return to it. On the other hand, it was great for getting ideas on how to shoot an otherwise un-photogenic dish.

Cauliflower Cheese Pie

INGREDIENTS

Butter (for greasing pan)

2 c. raw potato, grated

¼ c. grated onion

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 T olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

½ t. dried basil

½ t. dried thyme

1 t. salt

1 T. flour

Olive oil (for brushing)

1 med. Cauliflower, coarsely chopped

1 c. grated cheddar cheese

2 eggs

¼ cup milk

Paprika (for sprinkling)

POTATO CRUST:

1. Set the oven at 400F. Use butter to grease a shallow 9 inch baking dish.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the grated potato, onion, egg, salt, and flour. Transfer the mixture to the buttered pan and pat it down with a rubber spatula.

3. Set the pan in the hot oven and bake for 30 minutes. Brust the crust lightly with olive oil, return the pan to the oven, and bake for 10 minutes more. Set the pan aside.

4. Turn the oven temperature down to 350F.

FILLING:

1. In a saute pan, heat the olive oil until it is hot. Add the onion, garlic, salt pepper, basil and thyme. Saute over medium heat for 8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Stir in the cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes more.

2. Spread half of the cheese on the potato crust. Spoon the sauteed vegetables on top, then sprinkle thos e with the remaining cheese.

3. In a small bowl beat together the eggs and milk, and pour this over the vegetables. Sprinkle with paprika and transfer to the oven.

4. Bake the cauliflower for 35 minutes or until the custard is set and the top is browned. Serve at once with a salad and crusty

4 servings.

Comments: I used nutmeg and sage instead of thyme and basil. This was another just-okay recipe. No zip, no zing (I added Tabasco)…but nothing wrong with it. It wasn’t as cheesy as I’d hoped for. I made the potato crust the night before, and it was soggy, although this may have been my own fault.

Cauliflower Cheese

Craving Mac-N-Cheese once too often, I decided to make a cheesy cauliflower dish to keep my refined wheat intake in check. Little did I know, it’s a traditional British dish.

1 large Cauliflower
300ml (½ pint) nonfat milk
110g (4oz) gouda cheese
3 tbsp Plain Flour
50g (2oz) oil
25g (1oz) Fresh Breadcrumbs
1½ tsp Mustard
Nutmeg
Salt & Black Pepper

1. Trim the cauliflower boil in salted water for 5 minutes or until just tender.
2. Drain and place in a flameproof dish.
3. Add the milk, flour and butter to a saucepan.
4. Heat, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens, boils and is smooth.
5. Allow to simmer for a further 2 minutes.
6. Add three-quarters of the grated cheese, mustard, a pinch of nutmeg and seasoning.
7. Cook for further minute stirring well.
8. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower.
9. Mix the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs together, sprinkle over the top.
10. Place under a hot grill until golden brown.
    Serve immediately.

Comments: This is no mac-and-cheese, but it’s not a bad healthier fix. I actually felt full after a bowl, rather than ready for more like I usually feel after pasta dishes. I added hot pepper to it, as I usually do in homemade mac-and-cheese and I added spinach, since I had it and it seemed like a good add. I also made some tweaks to the original recipe from the start. Next time, I’d chop the cauliflower smaller, as the bigger pieces were distracting. Otherwise, it was a success!

Texas TVP Chili

I had a ton of chipotles in adobo left after my Adzuki Butternut Squash soup, so I was in search of more chipotle-friendly recipes, and found Captious' Texas Tofu Chili. Here's what I did:

For the TVP:

• 2 cups TVP, either in granules or larger chunks

• 2 Tbs. peanut butter

• 3 Tbs. soy sauce

• 1/4 cup tomato sauce (from a 14 ounce can)

• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

• 1 ¾ c. liquid (I used flat stout beer I had laying around)

For the chili:

• 1 Tbs. olive oil

• 2 onions (diced)

• 6 cloves garlic (diced)

• 1 bell pepper

• 1 jalepeno pepper

• 5 Tbs. chili powder

• 1 T. chipotle chiles (in adobo)

• 1 Tbs. cumin

• 1.5 cups pinto beans, soaked, cooked, and lightly salted

• 1.5 cups tomato sauce (rest of 14 ounce can)

• 4.5 cups bean cooking/TVP soaking liquid (supplement with vegetable broth, water liquid)

• 3 cups whole tomatoes or diced with juice

• 1-1.5 tsp. salt

• 1 tsp. oregano

• 1 cup corn

Mix together peanut butter, garlic powder, soy sauce, and tomato sauce and TVP hydrating liquid. Heat to a boil, and add TVP, taking off heat. Heat 1 Tbs. of oil in a large stockpot. Sauté peppers, onions, jalepeno, and garlic together, chili powder, and cumin. If using large chunks of TVP, cut. Next add the TVP, pinto beans, the tomatoes, the rest of the tomato sauce, and the bean cooking liquid. Season with salt and oregano. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the corn. For the best flavor let sit overnight.

Comments: This was good, I actually don't notice a huge difference in most chili recipes. I think I'd leave out the TVP next time, as I didn't find it necessary, and probably go with a simpler recipe, as I'm not sure the peanut butter and soy sauce added much. I ended up adding a lot more chili powder (3 T?) to get the flavor I was after.

Curry Apple Fried Rice

Rachel is quickly winning my props for her ability to choose recipes! This was easy and a delicious variation of my typical fried rice. Here's my version:

Ingredients (Makes 3 Servings)

1 cup uncooked brown rice

3 eggs, scrambled

3 cups small diced vegetables

1 small onion, chopped

1 apple, chopped with skin on

1 glove garlic, minced

1 T. finely chopped ginger

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tbsp ground cumin

2 tbsp chopped peanuts or cashews

Sriracha to taste

This Is How We Do It

1. Cook rice according to package directions with a bit of salt. Parboil the vegetables (just a couple minutes should do it).

2. Meanwhile, preheat a pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, then add onions, curry powder, and cumin and cook about 5 minutes.

3. Add apples and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until garlic begins to color.

4. Remove everything, fry a scrambled egg in the pan. Chop.

5. Add rice, veggies and onion mix. Cook for 2 more minutes.

6. Top with nuts and soy sauce and sriracha to taste.

Comments: Loved it. I mixed the fruit and veggies together, and simple fried the egg, then added rice and veggies to the fry pan for subsequent servings. Only complaint is that I used a ton of oil, so I'll have to work on that.

Gratuitous Pizza

Just because there haven't been any photos in a while, I whipped this up the other day...

Clotilde’s Rice and Beans

I honestly can't say what it is, I have other recipes quite similar to this, but something about this is just oh-so good, I can't get enough! (Although it’s not photogenic for anything!)

-240 ml (1 cup) mixed dried beans and legumes
- 240 ml (1 cup) brown rice
- a 3-cm (1-inch) piece of dehydrated kombu seaweed (see note below)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 rounded teaspoon strong mustard
- Tabasco sauce
- 2 tablespoons good oil, such as olive or sesame
- a small bunch chervil or flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, roughly chopped
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- mixed greens for serving

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Soak the beans in a large bowl of cold water for 12 hours, or up to a day.

A little while before cooking, soak the rice: rinse in fresh water, drain well, and put in a medium saucepan. Add the volume of water recommended on the package -- mine says to use double the volume of water, but I use a little less (1 4/5 cups rather than 2 cups) because I like the texture better that way -- and let the rice soak in the water for 20 minutes to 1 hour.

Rinse the soaked beans in fresh water and put them in another medium saucepan with the kombu. Cover with cold water (no salt) by about 2 cm (1 inch), cover, and bring to a simmer. As the water comes to a simmer, a white foam will collect at the surface; skim and discard it.

Cook the beans at a low simmer for 1 hour, or until the beans are just cooked through: you want them to retain their shape, and not turn to mush. Drain, remove the seaweed, and let cool slightly.

While the beans are cooking, get the rice started. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the pan, cover, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cook at a low simmer, without disturbing, until all the water is absorbed -- this will take anywhere from 12 to 40 minutes, depending on your particular type of rice. Remove from the heat and let rest for 10 minutes, then uncover and let cool slightly.

In a large salad bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and Tabasco sauce and pepper to taste. Add the oil slowly, stirring to blend and form an emulsion.

Add the beans and fold them in gently with a spatula; you want to coat them with the dressing without mushing. Fluff the rice with a fork (to separate the grains) and add it in along with the herbs -- again, using a gentle hand. Taste, correct the seasoning and (probably more important) the acidity of the dressing, and serve in shallow bowls, on a bed of mixed greens.

Pasta with Leeks, Spinach, and Sundried Tomatoes

Captious vegetarian posted about this recipe recently, and it just sounded like a great combination of flavors and perfect for the veggies I was seeing at the verduleria. Here's the version I made:

• 2 T. olive oil
• 2 large leeks, total weight about 450g/1lb, thinly sliced
• 500g pasta
• 200ml tub Casan Crem*
• 1 T. mustard
• 125g Roquefort cheese
• 8 sundried tomatoes
• 225g bag spinach leaves

1. Soak the sun dried tomatoes in 1/2 cup boiling water. Put a large pot of water on to boil.
2. Heat the oil in another large pot (do this part first if you only have one pot). Add the leeks and a pinch of salt, and splash in a little hot water. Cover and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
3. When the leeks are done, add the mustard and mix. Add in the spinach leaves, cover, and turn off the heat.
4. Cook the pasta in salted water. Drain the pasta.
5. At this point the tomatoes should be soft. Remove from the water, reserving the soaking liquid. Slice the tomatoes and add them to the vegetables with the Casan Crem. When the pasta is done add it to the sauce as well, adding enough of the tomato soaking liquid to make the sauce coat the pasta. Heat gently and serve immediately.

*Casan Crem is often thought of as the Argentine equivalent of sour cream. It has the texture of cream cheese, but that sour twang you find in…sour cream! The original recipe calls for crème fraîche

Comments: This was delicious, but unnecessarily heavy. I think the Casan crem was a bit much, and would like to try it again without, and maybe a touch more olive oil, if necessary.