Colcannan Veggie-Style

I had this beautiful cabbage from my CSA basket - so I decided to try something where I could use up most of it at once...sometimes, things like cabbage tend to get pushed to the back of my fridge since they aren't every day staples. Whenever I find something old and no longer usable, I always feel bad - I think I should have thought of something before I let that go to waste.

I found this recipe in an old Whole Foods "magazine". Why I was saving that issue, I have noooo idea, but it was full of cabbage recipes, which worked out good for me!! I adapted it slightly to fit what I had in my cupboard, but otherwise, it's true to form.

I used tempeh here - - it's a soy bean product (read: vegetarian substitute for meat). It used to only be sold in health food stores and Whole Foods, but now I can buy it at my local Ralphs grocery store if I need to.

Colcannan Veggie-Style
1/2 head of cabbage, thinly sliced

1/2 onion, diced
1 package tempeh, cubed
1/2 cup of veggie broth
2 large baking potatoes, scrubbed (but not peeled or diced)

Prick potatoes with a fork a couple of times, put in a glass baking dish, cover with a wet paper towel and add a little bit of water in the dish. Microwave on baked potato setting or for 7 - 10 minutes until a fork goes all the way through with little or no resistance.

Meanwhile, saute tempeh cubes in canola oil until browned on both sides; add in onion, let cook (stirring occasionally) until translucent, about 5 - 7 minutes, add in veggie broth, bring to a simmer and let cook for another 5 - 7 minutes, until liquid is mostly evaporated. Add in sliced cabbage and stir to combine pan ingredients and wilt cabbage.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon on top of split and baked potatoes.

Serves 3 - 4

You could add a cheesy-type sauce on top to make the whole thing more creamy. You can see how nice it looks when you DO add the sauce. However, THIS particular sauce did not come out good (boo-hoo), so I won't give you the recipe or tell you where I got it. But, I will say, add your own sauce to up the flavor of this dish.

This also makes nice, easy leftovers. If you add some fruit, you have a complete meal!

Have you ever used tempeh?
What do you make with it?


I'm linking up at these awesome parties!
More later!!

Stir Fry Noodles

When I got married, one of our wedding guests gave me a wok. A real Asian wok. It wasn't something that I asked for, but even though I was new to cooking, and willing to experiment, I was amazed at my excitement over a new wok (of which I didn't have at that time). I once had a wok in college that one of my aunts had given me, but it really sat mostly unused - mostly because I didn't know how to use it or what to use it for. I think I ended up using as a substitute for a frying pan... and it didn't last too long.

So starts my saga of the stir-fry. I was DETERMINED to learn how to make stir fry. I searched recipes, read up on how to do it, and I practiced and practiced. More than once, I decided that I would never.be.making.stir.fry.again. :)

Now, fast forward to my current situation -  :) - I know how to stir fry and I think I have it down pretty good. So good in fact that stir fry is one of my go to dishes when I don't have a plan, or don't have time to cook something, or when I'm just feeling lazy and want dinner on the table NOW. It took my awhile to get the science of it down, and I now use bottled stir fry sauce because it's just so much faster and easier than making my own. Which amazingly, is something that I resisted doing for so long. I thought that I could make it myself as well as buy it store bought. But, I now realize that may have been part of my problem!! Maybe one day I will be a stir fry sauce master, but for now, I'm settling for my store bought (low sodium, organic) sauce that tastes so much better than one of my own creations.

This works best with fresh veggies, but is still delicious using frozen, or even better, a frozen stir fry mixed bag. <~~ Which is now sold even at our local, regular grocery store next to the bags of frozen veggies.

Stir Fry 

1 bag of frozen stir fry veggies (or a self-made mix with whatever frozen veggies you have on hand)

OR

1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets

1 stalk of celery, thinly sliced

1/2 onion, cut into wedges

2 carrots, thinly sliced

and any other veggies on hand (ie. mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, bok choy, cabbage, or spinach)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced (or use 1/4 tsp. dried)

1/2" of ginger, grated (or use 1/2 tsp. dried)

tofu, baked if preferred

1/2 cup frozen peas

udon noodles, softened

Stir fry sauce

1 - 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 - 2 green onions, sliced

sesame seeds (for garnish)

Heat up a large skillet or wok over medium high heat; let heat while preparing the veggies. Once pan is hot, add vegetable oil, then start adding veggies. Start with the onions, saute (mixing constantly until slightly brown on the edges), add in garlic, cooking for 30 seconds or so, and then add in ginger, continue stirring for no more than 30 seconds. By the (large) handful (so that the pan doesn't get over crowded and cool down), add in other "hard" veggies like broccoli and bell peppers. Let cook for 2 - 3 minutes between handfuls. Continue stirring / stir-frying as much as possible. After 3 - 4 minutes, add in "soft" veggies like zucchini and mushrooms using the same method as before.

Add in tofu and saute for approximately 5 minutes. Add in bok choy or spinach, if using, and stir to combine and wilt the greens. Add in a handful of frozen peas, and the udon noodles. Stir to combine, add in stir fry sauce, saute for 3 - 4 minutes. Turn off heat, add sesame oil.

Serve on plates with green onions and sesame seeds sprinkled over the top.

This is always a hit in our house.

More later!! :)

I'm also linking this recipe here:

Mique's Pity Party

Food Trip Friday

Happy Friday Potluck

Weekend Bloggy Reading

Foodie Friday

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Roasted Mushroom Tacos

I was in the mood for quick tacos.... But since I didn't feel like really cooking....too hungry, I just wanted to grab-and-go.... I came up with this quick alternative using leftovers in the fridge.

Roasted Mushroom Tacos

3 - 4 cups of mushrooms (I used Baby Bellas), sliced

1 cup of corn (defrosted, if frozen; drained, if canned)
1/2 head shredded cabbage
1 avocado, mashed with lemon juice
8 corn tortillas, grilled or heated up
spicy taco sauce, optional
optional spices: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper

Put cleaned, sliced mushrooms in a skillet over medium with a little bit of water (1 - 2 Tablespoons). Let water soak in and then evaporate, 2 - 3 minutes, and then add a little more water, let evaporate out. Let mushrooms char a little bit, add some more water and cook until water has evaporated. Add seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne powder, if desired) and continue to cook until the mushrooms are where you want them to be.

Take one corn tortilla and layer mashed avocado, some mushrooms, small bit of cabbage, and then pile corn over the top. Add taco sauce over the top.

Serves 4

I served these with just refried beans on the side. These don't look like much, but two of them were surprisingly filling!

More later! :)

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I Was Featured!!

I am so pleased to have been featured at the King's Court IV the week before last! This weekly "forum" is like a blog hop for food and recipes and I love being a part of it every week. I submitted my recipe for Rosemary Apple Turnovers. If you missed my previous post, please check it out and see how easy this recipe is. Clairity made these and said that they smelled like heaven in her kitchen (lol) and that not only did she get "two thumbs up" from her two kids, but she also was planning to make them again the next day....I'm not kidding, they really are that fast and easy!! Good enough for company, but super quick to make!!

Additionally, I was also featured on the Hungry Cook Daily the following day (because of the King's Court IV post).

Very Cool!!!
More later! :)

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The Weekend of Firsts

It rained again (!) most of this past weekend!! We spent a lot of time inside, but I also got a lot of cooking done!

I made a potato and leek soup, a raw "tuna" salad for lunches during the week, a big salad, and vegetable broth (with my vegetable scraps from the past month or so). This broth is so easy, fast, and cheap(!) compared to any dried bullion that you would buy at the grocery store. It's flavorful and has no preservatives, no coloring, no animal products, and no extreme amount of salt. To get ready to make the broth, I take all the vegetable peelings and cuttings (except for broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower) and put them in a large Ziploc bag and freeze. Every night, I just add more peelings to the bag - which is nice because I am completely using alllll parts of the veggies that I use, which is just more value for my grocery dollar - and when the bag is full, it's time to make broth!

Vegetable Broth

Scraps from vegetable peelings and cuttings

Enough hot water to fill a 6 quart stockpot (with veggies already in the pot)

3 or 4 whole garlic cloves

1 tsp. kosher salt

3 dried bay leaves

20 peppercorns

1 tsp. each dried parsley, oregano, and thyme

Bring the water and veggie peelings to a rapid boil. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer the broth for about one hour. Turn the heat off, take the lid off and let cool for approximately 1/2 to 1 hour. Strain broth into containers (and ice cube trays) and freeze for later use.

Miss No-No also got to wear her new Rapunzel hair clip that I mentioned a few posts ago.

I also taught Miss No-No how to make "Ants on a Log". Which was funny because she's only had them once before!! But, she never MADE them herself before and she really enjoyed it. She likes to do things in the kitchen, which, of course, makes me happy. Creating brings me a lot of joy, and I hope that she can find joy in some creative endeavors as well!

 

 

Who would have known that almond butter, celery, and raisins could be soooo much fun?? :)

We also went for sushi (vegan!) on Friday night and frozen yogurt on Sunday ~ she had never had either of those either! So it was a weekend of firsts for her.

Thanks for your comments on my last post about the Indian-Inspired soup. I really enjoyed making - and eating - that one!

When it's cold outside, if you stay inside, what kinds of things do you do? What keeps you busy?
Are you letting your little ones cook / make treats for themselves yet? What do you trust them to do?

More later! :)

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Soup Time - Indian Inspired Potato-Chard Stew

Since it is still cold here,

(I know.... it's California, but when it rains, it is cold....to us!)

we are still eating a lot of soup. And for those of you that know me, you know I LOVE my soups. This soup recipe was modified from Toni Fiore's book Totally Vegetarian. If you haven't seen this book, you should at least check it out from the library and see what's there. I have raved about Toni Fiore before - but, I do love the fact that 1) she makes killer vegan food, 2) it's fast and easy - and I usually have everything to make her dishes in my fridge - which means no special trips to the store just to try a recipe, and 3) she's Italian!! :) Not that the Italian part matters all that much, but she does put an Italian spin on A LOT of vegan dinners. The best thing about her food is that you.will.not.miss.the.meat. With my non-vegan Mr. No-No, that is something I love.

I modified this recipe slightly because I didn't want it to be too spicy for my little Miss No-No. This recipe is great because it's slightly spicy, slightly Indian-inspired, and so creamy that it's hard to believe that it is truly vegan (but, believe me, it is!). BTW - the creamy goodness comes from the coconut milk (which, I believe, would temper a pinch of cayenne a bit, if you added it for extra kick).

Toni Fiore's (slightly modified) Potato-Chard Stew

2 - 3 T olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

salt

1 medium sweet potato, cut into 2-in pieces

1/4 red pepper (raw), diced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1/2 T ginger, grated

1/2 t ground coriander

1/4 t turmeric

1/2 can (full fat) coconut milk

1 bunch of swiss chard (center stems removed), chopped

1/2 lime, juiced and rind grated (and reserved)

chopped cilantro, for garnish

In a saucepan heated over medium-high, add oil. Add onions and sprinkle with a little bit of salt to make them sweat. Cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, approx 7 minutes. Add potato, pepper, garlic, ginger, and spices and cook, stirring, for 1 - 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and approx 1 cup of water and boil. Immediately, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add swiss chard and cook until wilted, approx. 10 minutes. Serve soup in deep bowls with a bit of lime juice, some grated rind, and a sprinkling of cilantro or parsley.

I took this to work the next day for lunch and it was still deeeelicious! :) 

Miss No-No also found this soup to be delicious with bread to dip into it!

Thanks to everyone for their comments on my last post. Turns out that Catherine from Our Village is a Little Different likes Target, too - for all their little gifts that she can get for her little ones! :)

What are your favorite kinds of soups? What other kinds of things do you usually serve to your family when the weather is cold and rainy?

Stay warm!

More later! :)

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Everyday Hummus

I am constantly trying new things...and new variations of things...and adding new things to old recipes and standbys.

Hummus is something I play with all the time - I have tried every.single.recipe that I have been able to find!! I used to add olive oil until I got the right texture, but it ended up being so heavy that it didn't taste like the store bought versions, but something else entirely. Water or extra lemon juice is a better replacement - and keeps the whole thing light.

I love hummus, but I hate paying $3 or $4 for a little thing of hummus at the grocery store - - especially when I know that it costs *next to nothing* to make (especially if you cook the beans from dried). Another note on dried beans and hummus - when you make the beans yourself, the hummus comes out waaaaay creamier than if you use canned. But, I know that canned beans are easier and faster - and more convenient. And even I use canned beans at times just because it's so much simpler!

With all that being said, here's my latest version of hummus. I have been eating this with carrot sticks every single day for an afternoon snack - full of protein and easy to grab and throw in my lunch bag! I use a food processor when I double the recipe, but use my blender otherwise. I think the blender whips it all up better and makes it a lot smoother.

Everyday Hummus

1 can chickpeas, rinsed (or 2 cups pre-cooked)

1 - 2 garlic cloves, depending on how much you like garlic

1/4 cup of tahini

2 T. olive oil

1/2 t. sea salt

juice from 1/2 large sized lemon or juice 1 small lemon

cumin, oregano, parsley, paprika and pine nuts (for garnish; approx 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of each and 2 T. of pine nuts)

Combine chickpeas and sliced garlic cloves in food processor or blender until well blended (it's hard to over blend at this point, so go ahead!). Add in remaining ingredients (except garnishes) and blend again. Add warm or hot water and continue to blend to desired consistency. (At this point, remember that the hummus will "harden up" in the fridge, so add a little more water than you think you need.)

Move to serving dish (or Rubbermaid-type container for fridge storage) and stir in cumin, parsley, and oregano. Sprinkle additional spices on top and add remaining garnishes. Drizzle some olive oil over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serve, dip, and enjoy!!

Something else that would be cool would be to add roasted red peppers (and you could probably reduce the olive oil a bit), or cilantro or even basil. I imagine this would also be excellent (and creamier?) with white beans.

What are your easy and fast snack recipe staples?

Personally, I love anything that's grab-and-go. The quicker the easier. I try to pre-prep snacks, like this hummus, but sometimes, I just grab what's easy (ie. leftovers, LaraBars, dry cereal, yogurt).

Let me know what your favorites are!

More later!  :) 

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Potato Gnocchi and Roasted Root Vegetables

This recipe was from my Valentine's Day Menu, but is easy and fast and could be done nearly any weeknight (where you don't get home toooo late or aren't toooo tired). It would also be a nice weekend meal since it actually takes longer to make the red sauce than it would to make the gnocchi.

Sage Potato Gnocchi

Serves 4

3 small/medium russet potatoes
1 cups white whole wheat flour

Egg Replacer (equivalent of one egg)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground black pepper

2 to 3 Tbs. vegetable oil, optional

1/2 tsp. Dried sage, or to taste

Peel and dice potatoes. Put in a glass dish with water to cover or nearly cover. Bake in the microwave approximately 7 - 10 minutes, or until soft. Cool approximately 10 minutes.

Drain and mash potatoes until no lumps remain. Add in flour, egg replacer, salt, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, if needed, to help the dough stay together better.

Divide dough into two equal balls.

Using a floured work surface, roll 1/2 of one dough ball into one long strand, approximately 3/4" thick. Slice the strand into approximately 1" pieces and place aside. Continue with remaining dough until all has been used.

In a large pot of boiling water, drop about 1/2 the gnocchi into the pot and cook until they rise to the surface, 2 - 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or plate and cook remaining gnocchi.

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or other skillet. Once oil is hot, add in sage and cook for 1 minute. Drop in gnocchi (just enough so skillet is full, but not overcrowded).  Cook gnocchi until it has browned, approximately 3 - 4 minutes, and then turn pieces over and cook the other side for a few minutes more.

Put gnocchi on serving plate with some marinara sauce either on the side or on only some of the gnocchi. It's good on it's own, but it's fun to dip, too!

I served this with roasted beets and butternut squash topped with a chiffonade of basil and a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts.

More later!! :)

Borscht / Beet Soup

It's been cold here lately so I have been making tons of soup!!! :) I love hot soup on a cold or rainy day. Cooking them warms up my kitchen, warms up my body, and it's just plain good for my soul.

This recipe came from Toni Fiore's Delicious TV series. I have made this soup so many times now that I pretty much have it memorized (so it may not be the EXACT recipe, but that's where it started from - and I love how it comes out). Mr. NoNo is Russian and Polish - and this soup is a total treat for him. 

I love Toni's recipes because they are quick and easy...nearly everything is something that I can whip together on a weeknight and it takes the hassle out of trying to get a super healthy, nutrient packed dinner on the table. Another thing about Toni's recipes that I love is that they all taste delicious. I have never made anything out of her cookbook (or from her show) that I have thought, "Well, that was OK, but it won't be on my regular rotation", or something like that - the food is good. And, unlike some vegan / vegetarian recipes, she is generally not trying to imitate something else. It's just basically delicious and wholesome....and we can all use that in our lives!

...and I know I'm raving a bit, so - no - I didn't get paid for this, I don't actually KNOW Toni, I just love her cooking style...

I usually use just a bunch of beets - whatever I get out of my CSA basket; I generally use whatever kind of potatoes I have on hand (as long as they are some shade of brown); and I love dill, and will use fresh when I can, but generally beets and dill don't usually come in the CSA basket at the same time, so I usually use some dried - use less if you aren't a dill fan, or leave out completely - the soup is still good without.

Toni Fiore's Borscht

1/2 brown onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 cloves of garlic, diced

3 or 4 red beets, peeled and diced

2 medium potatoes, washed and diced

1 apple, diced

3 cups of vegetable broth

dried dill (for garnish)

Saute onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil over medium heat until onion is translucent and carrots are soft, approx. 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cook for 30 seconds longer. Add vegetable broth, beets, potatoes, and apple. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with pinches of dried dill (1/8 tsp).

Hope you enjoy this as much as we do - - it's amazing that you can get soooo much flavor in a soup without adding ANY spices (it smells great even before you add the dill!).

If you tried it, how did it come out? And if you modified it, let me know the details!!! :)

More later!! :)

Vegan Chocolate Pudding

I got the distinct pleasure a couple of months ago of getting to help Lindsay Wolf (of www.kissmyvegan.com) write a cookbook review. The review was for Vegan Chocolate Pudding that was coming out in a new cookbook.

Actually, I don't know Lindsay personally, but I follow her on Twitter and have been a fan of hers for quite some time - ever since I read her book Kiss Me, I'm Vegan. I love cookbooks because I get - first and foremost - a lot of good meals from them, but also a lot of inspiration and ideas from them, and I (generally!) learn some new tricks or methods that I haven't seen or heard of before.

She put out a tweet one day asking for volunteers to make, taste, and review this recipe for Sharon Valencik's new book Sweet Utopia.

I was so happy to be one of the reviewers! My review and pictures from her blog are here. Her blog post for that day also has recipies for PB & Jelly Thumbprint Cookies and Spiced Pumpkin and Cranberry Muffins.

Let me tell you there are some things that I miss being vegan - and this chocolate pudding was a-mazing; it was unbelievably chocolate-y and creamy - and it took me back to my pre-vegan days. Mr. NoNo couldn't believe that this was vegan - and I am thinking that all of her recipes are the same style!! Yum, Yum, Nom, Nom.... I can't wait to get a copy of Sharon's book so that I can try out more of these great desserts!

Since I was "testing", I didn't modify this recipe at all.

Divine Chocolate Pudding

1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 c. granulated vegan sugar

2 tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. salt

2 c. vanilla soymilk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract or additional vanilla extract

1/3 non-dairy chocolate chips.

Sift the cocoa powder into a medium saucepan. Mix in the sugar, cornstarch, and slat until there are no lumps. Place on low to medium heat and slowly whisk in the soymilk until the mixture is smooth. Cook on medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 10 minutes, or until thickened (it should be the consistency of cake batter). Do not let the mixture come to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the extracts. Then stir in the chocolate chips and continue stirring until they are completely melted.

Pour evenly into six-6 oz. ramekins or a large bowl. Cool, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4-8 hours before serving, or until thoroughly chilled. Store leftover pudding tightly covered in the refrigerator.

 

More later!! :)

Valentine's Day 2011

Happy V-Day!!
Spent some time last night with Miss NoNo finding places to hide kisses for Daddy.  :)  We "hid" them in:

• his underwear, sock, and t-shirt drawers
• in his shoes
• in his lunch bag
• by the front door
• in the dryer
• in his bathroom drawer
• on his nightstand
• in the refrigerator: in the fruit drawer, in the eggs, next to the milk, and on top of his pre-made (for lunch) sandwich
• and one on top of the trash can

You would have thought that the kisses were for Miss NoNo herself as excited as she was!! Mr. NoNo told me later that she kept telling him, "there is something for you hidden somewhere, but I can't tell you where because it won't be as much fun". This morning, the excitement overwhelmed her, I guess. She kept telling Mr. NoNo - you need to look in the eggs now, don't forget to look in the eggs. Hahahaha.

I also made a little "basket" for Miss M - two preschool activity books, Disney Princess pens, window markers, and a squeezable applesauce container that she can put in her lunch one day this week! She didn't see it before I left for work. But, after the chocolate high (from school) slows down, I'm sure she will be telling me all about it!!!

Tonight, I am making a special VDay dinner: Homemade (!) gnocchi with red sauce, a simple salad, mushroom crostini (as an appetizer while dinner finishes) and rosemary apple turnovers for dessert!!! Yum! My plan is to have the tarts cooking while we eat dinner and then pull them out and serve after a little bit. (The turnovers are a treat for Mr. NoNo who had something like that at a restaurant last month and was still talking about it a couple of days later!)
I will share the pics and the recipes later this week!!!

This was the most fun I have had on Valentine's Day in years!!
More later!! :)