I'm sick. My annual sinus infection is rearing it's ugly head over my normally productive life. I can't even do yoga. Seriously. I tried last night and fell into an embarrassing coughing fit. Woo woo.
However, since the boyfriend wasn't home to make me a dinner (that I couldn't taste anyway), I had to make something to eat. Toast just wasn't cutting it anymore.
So here is a simple, tasty, sinus clearing dinner that only took about 30 minutes out of my day. :)
Curried Potatoes and Peas
What you need:
3/4 c. bulger
2-3 medium red potatoes
1 tbsp. fresh grated ginger
1-2 tsp. of red curry
1 c. of frozen peas
What you do:
Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the bulger and cover. Simmer until cooked.
Meanwhile, dice the potatoes and cook over medium-high heat until browned (about 12-13 minutes). Add the ginger and curry. If you don't like the heat, only use 1 tsp., otherwise, use as much as you like. Add the frozen peas, cover, and turn the heat down to low. Cook until the peas are no longer frozen.
In a large bowl, mix together the bulger and the potato mixture. Enjoy!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
I poached an egg!
Yeah, that's right. I actually poached an egg. By myself. And the yolk didn't break.
I love poached eggs, however making them can be a tad intimidating. So, after watching many videos and reading every single helpful tip I could possibly find, I finally decided to try it for myself.
First, I brought the water to a rolling boil, then brought it down to a gentle simmer and added 1 tsp. of vinegar to the water. The reason for the vinegar is to help the egg coagulate more quickly while cooking.
*deep breath*
I started stirring the water to give it a whirlpool effect, cracked the egg and dropped it in the pot. Two and a half to three minutes later, I had a poached egg. A really tasty poached egg.
I served the egg over the best veggie hash in the world.
The Best Veggie Hash In The World
What you need:
4 red potatoes
1 med onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
garlic salt to taste
sea salt and pepper to taste
Old Bay to taste
2 medium broccoli crowns (steamed for about 5-6 minutes)
1 1/2 tbsp. Safflower oil
What you do:
Dice and boil potatoes in lightly salted water. While potatoes are cooking, cook the onion and read pepper in the safflower oil in a large skillet. Cook for about 3-4 minutes of until tender. Add the potatoes and the steamed broccoli. Add spices to taste and cook on low heat for about 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are slightly browned.
Make the poached eggs last and serve together in a blissful breakfast combination. Mimosas optional, but highly suggested.
*picture borrowed from whatscookingamerica.net.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Baked, not fried...
That will be my new motto when making falafel.
Bad things happened in the kitchen tonight. I tried to improvise and I made a mess, ruined dinner and ended up making pasta.
I'm not even going to go into the horrid details.
But I will say that the stupid falafel balls tasted great even though they fell apart and...wait...not going to talk about it.
So here's the recipe. DO NOT fry them in sunflower oil, like I did. Instead, turn on the trusty oven and sit back with a glass of wine while the magic happens.
Spicy Falafel
What you need:
1 can of chickpeas
1 small red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
dash of garam masala
dash of cayenne pepper (or more if you like heat)
1 egg white
1/2 tsp baking powder
chickpea flour for shaping
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
What you do:
Lightly drizzle a baking pan with the olive oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pan in the oven to preheat.
Toss the chickpeas, onion, garlic, spices and egg white into your food processor. Process to form a firm paste, with some texture. Stir in the baking powder.
Coat your hands with the chickpea flour and form into 1 1/2-2 inch balls. Recipe should allow for about 9-10 falafel balls.
Place the balls in the preheated pan and bake for 10-15 minutes.
***Disclaimer***
I've not tried this baking method yet, but I have compared a couple different baked falafel versions and this seems to be the consensus. I will report back later this week when I try this again. Luckily, I have lots of pasta on standby.
Bad things happened in the kitchen tonight. I tried to improvise and I made a mess, ruined dinner and ended up making pasta.
I'm not even going to go into the horrid details.
But I will say that the stupid falafel balls tasted great even though they fell apart and...wait...not going to talk about it.
So here's the recipe. DO NOT fry them in sunflower oil, like I did. Instead, turn on the trusty oven and sit back with a glass of wine while the magic happens.
Spicy Falafel
What you need:
1 can of chickpeas
1 small red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
dash of garam masala
dash of cayenne pepper (or more if you like heat)
1 egg white
1/2 tsp baking powder
chickpea flour for shaping
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
What you do:
Lightly drizzle a baking pan with the olive oil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pan in the oven to preheat.
Toss the chickpeas, onion, garlic, spices and egg white into your food processor. Process to form a firm paste, with some texture. Stir in the baking powder.
Coat your hands with the chickpea flour and form into 1 1/2-2 inch balls. Recipe should allow for about 9-10 falafel balls.
Place the balls in the preheated pan and bake for 10-15 minutes.
***Disclaimer***
I've not tried this baking method yet, but I have compared a couple different baked falafel versions and this seems to be the consensus. I will report back later this week when I try this again. Luckily, I have lots of pasta on standby.
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
This _______ is missing something...
These words are spoken quite often when the boyfriend and I are making dinner. No matter how good a recipe sounds, it sometimes is missing that little extra something to make it awesome.
Perfect example was tonight's dinner. Thanks to a very generous friend that let me borrow her copy of the vegan soup bible, I've been in total soup mode. Tonight I tried the Arborio Rice Soup with Spring Vegetables. Very simple spring soup that packs a lot of flavor and has an awesome texture thanks to the rice. Arborio rice is most commonly used in risotto because of the creamy texture it provides. TMYK!
So, after the soup had a chance to simmer for about 20 minutes, I gave it a taste. I thought it was good, but I wanted a second opinion. After tasting, the boyfriend said those few words that makes me do a mental inventory of my kitchen..."It's missing something...".
What you need:
*items have been added for awesome flavor
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 32oz carton of low sodium vegetable broth
4 C. water (although I only used 3)
3/4 C. raw arborio rice
8oz of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. dried basil
2 C. slender asparagus stalks, cut into 1/2 inch lengths
1 C. thawed frozen peas, or fresh peas
1 C. diced fresh tomatoes
1/4 or 1/2 C. minced fresh parsley
1/4 C. sliced, oil cured sun dried tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
*2 whole sprigs of fresh rosemary
What you do:
Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium-low heat until both are golden.
Add the broth, 2 cups of water, rice, mushrooms and basil (if your using dried parsley instead of fresh, add it now and use about 1 tsp). Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the rice is tender.
Stir in the asparagus and remaining cups of water (this is where I omitted one cup of water). Add the rosemary. Cover and cook for 5 minuets longer.
Add the peas, tomatoes, parsley (if using fresh), and dried tomatoes. Heat through, and add more water as needed to give the soup a thick but still soupy consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Perfect example was tonight's dinner. Thanks to a very generous friend that let me borrow her copy of the vegan soup bible, I've been in total soup mode. Tonight I tried the Arborio Rice Soup with Spring Vegetables. Very simple spring soup that packs a lot of flavor and has an awesome texture thanks to the rice. Arborio rice is most commonly used in risotto because of the creamy texture it provides. TMYK!
So, after the soup had a chance to simmer for about 20 minutes, I gave it a taste. I thought it was good, but I wanted a second opinion. After tasting, the boyfriend said those few words that makes me do a mental inventory of my kitchen..."It's missing something...".
What you need:
*items have been added for awesome flavor
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 32oz carton of low sodium vegetable broth
4 C. water (although I only used 3)
3/4 C. raw arborio rice
8oz of baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp. dried basil
2 C. slender asparagus stalks, cut into 1/2 inch lengths
1 C. thawed frozen peas, or fresh peas
1 C. diced fresh tomatoes
1/4 or 1/2 C. minced fresh parsley
1/4 C. sliced, oil cured sun dried tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
*2 whole sprigs of fresh rosemary
What you do:
Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium-low heat until both are golden.
Add the broth, 2 cups of water, rice, mushrooms and basil (if your using dried parsley instead of fresh, add it now and use about 1 tsp). Bring to a rapid simmer, then lower the heat. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the rice is tender.
Stir in the asparagus and remaining cups of water (this is where I omitted one cup of water). Add the rosemary. Cover and cook for 5 minuets longer.
Add the peas, tomatoes, parsley (if using fresh), and dried tomatoes. Heat through, and add more water as needed to give the soup a thick but still soupy consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Keen-what?
I recently started using quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) in a TON of dishes. It tastes better than couscous and it's better for you. Couscous is a form of pasta, where as quinoa is a whole grain and it's full of awesome vitamins and protein. You can find more info about it here.
So how do you use it? Well, because of it's slightly nutty flavor, it can be used in plethora of recipes, including pastries and baked goods. You can ground it into a flour, or use it in place of rice. It tastes great on salads (thanks sweetgreen) and it can replace your morning oatmeal by cooking it in almond milk, then adding some fresh fruit and honey!It's also considered Kosher for passover fare.
I made this easy recipe to help introduce quinoa to my boyfriend. He's a great guinea pig and will try just about anything I make, and give me an honest opinion. I had already tried it numerous times, but had never made the attempt to cook with it. Luckily, it turned out great and now he's obsessed with it just as much as I am.
Sweet Potato Quinoa Casserole
What you need:
1 c red Quinoa, rinsed (you can also use white)
2 c vegetable broth (I used the Pacific organic veggie broth)
2 sweet potatoes, diced and baked
3 tbsp. olive oil
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (If your not a fan of heat, then only use a small pinch or two)
What you do:
Dice the sweet potatoes and use about 1 tbsp of the olive oil to brush over the sweet potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. The timing doesn't have to be perfect. I prefer my sweet potatoes to be slightly mushy.
After rinsing the quinoa, simmer in the vegetable broth for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until the liquid is gone and the quinoa is light and fluffy. Remove from heat and set aside in a large bowl.
When the potatoes are done, toss with the quinoa.
In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt pepper and cayenne pepper. Give it a quick whisk, pour over the quinoa mixture and gently toss. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Makes about 8-10 serving as a side dish, or 4-5 servings as a main dish. Enjoy!
So how do you use it? Well, because of it's slightly nutty flavor, it can be used in plethora of recipes, including pastries and baked goods. You can ground it into a flour, or use it in place of rice. It tastes great on salads (thanks sweetgreen) and it can replace your morning oatmeal by cooking it in almond milk, then adding some fresh fruit and honey!It's also considered Kosher for passover fare.
I made this easy recipe to help introduce quinoa to my boyfriend. He's a great guinea pig and will try just about anything I make, and give me an honest opinion. I had already tried it numerous times, but had never made the attempt to cook with it. Luckily, it turned out great and now he's obsessed with it just as much as I am.
Sweet Potato Quinoa Casserole
What you need:
1 c red Quinoa, rinsed (you can also use white)
2 c vegetable broth (I used the Pacific organic veggie broth)
2 sweet potatoes, diced and baked
3 tbsp. olive oil
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (If your not a fan of heat, then only use a small pinch or two)
What you do:
Dice the sweet potatoes and use about 1 tbsp of the olive oil to brush over the sweet potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes. The timing doesn't have to be perfect. I prefer my sweet potatoes to be slightly mushy.
After rinsing the quinoa, simmer in the vegetable broth for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, or until the liquid is gone and the quinoa is light and fluffy. Remove from heat and set aside in a large bowl.
When the potatoes are done, toss with the quinoa.
In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt pepper and cayenne pepper. Give it a quick whisk, pour over the quinoa mixture and gently toss. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
Makes about 8-10 serving as a side dish, or 4-5 servings as a main dish. Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
I need an appliance makeover! aka The Cinnamon Roll Fiasco
I think the Food Network needs to create a show that helps poor souls like me makeover their kitchen appliance collection. They could even make it fun by having the contestants battle it out (similar to Cupcake Wars) with their crappy appliances. The winner would get sparkly new kitchen toys! Nothing fancy, just the basics like a stand mixer, food processor and hand blender.
So this past weekend, I wanted to try Naturally Ella's Vegan Cinnamon Roll recipe. They actually came out pretty tasty, but the consistency was totally off. I blame my crappy hand mixer because it totally couldn't handle the thickness of the dough and I had to kneed it by hand. I'm actually starting to hate my hand mixer to the point that I'm going to be trading it in for this beautiful thing:
No longer would I have to shy away from making certain cakes and pastries! I could make whatever I want! My cinnamon buns would never look like this ever again!
Yes, sad, I know. At least they tasted good.
Whole Wheat (vegan) Cinnamon Rolls
By: Naturally Ella/Erin
Details
* Prep Time:
180 min
* Cook Time:
20 min
* Ready In:
3 hour, 20 min
Servings: 8 pieces
Ingredients
* 3/4 cup almond milk warmed
* 2 1/4 tablespoons instant yeast
* 1 tablespoon natural cane sugar
* 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
* 3 tablespoons water
* 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
* 1/2-1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
Filling
* 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
* 1/3 cup sucanat
* 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Icing
* 1/2 cup powdered sugar
* 3-4 tablespoons almond milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
* In a small bowl combine ground flax seed and water, set aside. Heat almond milk (either in a sauce pan or microwave)- don't let it get too hot (I zapped mine in the microwave for about a minute.)
* In a stand mixer bowl, at milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for about five minutes or until yeast activates. Add in oil, flax seed mixture, salt, and the wheat flour. Give a good stir with a spoon and then turn on the mixer with the dough hook. Begin adding the all-purpose flour 1/4 cup at a time, letting it mix in before adding more. You want your dough to be soft (but not sticky) and the key to that is adding just enough flour so that it pulls away from the sides of the bowl but may still slightly stick to the bottom and letting it knead for 5-8 minutes.
* Once the dough is here, scoop out of the bowl, form into a ball, place back in the bowl, brush it with a oil, and let it sit in a warm, draft free spot for 1- 1 1/2 hours.
* Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out into a 8 by 12 rectangle. Brush oil over entire surface and sprinkle sucanat and sugar over the entire surface. Begin the the edge closest to you and roll away from you- tucking the dough in as you go (I always think of it as like rolling up a sleeping bag. Once you have the log, squeeze it just a little and mark eight rolls out (I use the cut in half method- Half once, Half each of those, half each of those). Place in a round 8" cake pan that has been rub with oil. Cover with a warm towel and let rise again for 45 minutes to and hour.
* After about a half hour of rising, pre-heat your oven to 350˚. Once rolls have risen and oven is up to temperature, bake for 15-20 minutes. Rolls should be firm to the touch and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly while you make the icing.
* To make the icing, place powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl- add only enough almond milk to get a thick consistency of the icing. If you find you added too much milk, add more powdered sugar. Also, if you want to leave these with a little less sugar, leave the icing out completely- they are delicious even without.
So this past weekend, I wanted to try Naturally Ella's Vegan Cinnamon Roll recipe. They actually came out pretty tasty, but the consistency was totally off. I blame my crappy hand mixer because it totally couldn't handle the thickness of the dough and I had to kneed it by hand. I'm actually starting to hate my hand mixer to the point that I'm going to be trading it in for this beautiful thing:
No longer would I have to shy away from making certain cakes and pastries! I could make whatever I want! My cinnamon buns would never look like this ever again!
Yes, sad, I know. At least they tasted good.
Whole Wheat (vegan) Cinnamon Rolls
By: Naturally Ella/Erin
Details
* Prep Time:
180 min
* Cook Time:
20 min
* Ready In:
3 hour, 20 min
Servings: 8 pieces
Ingredients
* 3/4 cup almond milk warmed
* 2 1/4 tablespoons instant yeast
* 1 tablespoon natural cane sugar
* 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
* 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
* 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
* 3 tablespoons water
* 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or regular whole wheat flour)
* 1/2-1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
Filling
* 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
* 1/3 cup sucanat
* 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Icing
* 1/2 cup powdered sugar
* 3-4 tablespoons almond milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
* In a small bowl combine ground flax seed and water, set aside. Heat almond milk (either in a sauce pan or microwave)- don't let it get too hot (I zapped mine in the microwave for about a minute.)
* In a stand mixer bowl, at milk, yeast, and sugar. Let sit for about five minutes or until yeast activates. Add in oil, flax seed mixture, salt, and the wheat flour. Give a good stir with a spoon and then turn on the mixer with the dough hook. Begin adding the all-purpose flour 1/4 cup at a time, letting it mix in before adding more. You want your dough to be soft (but not sticky) and the key to that is adding just enough flour so that it pulls away from the sides of the bowl but may still slightly stick to the bottom and letting it knead for 5-8 minutes.
* Once the dough is here, scoop out of the bowl, form into a ball, place back in the bowl, brush it with a oil, and let it sit in a warm, draft free spot for 1- 1 1/2 hours.
* Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out into a 8 by 12 rectangle. Brush oil over entire surface and sprinkle sucanat and sugar over the entire surface. Begin the the edge closest to you and roll away from you- tucking the dough in as you go (I always think of it as like rolling up a sleeping bag. Once you have the log, squeeze it just a little and mark eight rolls out (I use the cut in half method- Half once, Half each of those, half each of those). Place in a round 8" cake pan that has been rub with oil. Cover with a warm towel and let rise again for 45 minutes to and hour.
* After about a half hour of rising, pre-heat your oven to 350˚. Once rolls have risen and oven is up to temperature, bake for 15-20 minutes. Rolls should be firm to the touch and golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly while you make the icing.
* To make the icing, place powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a bowl- add only enough almond milk to get a thick consistency of the icing. If you find you added too much milk, add more powdered sugar. Also, if you want to leave these with a little less sugar, leave the icing out completely- they are delicious even without.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Vegan Fried Rice
I love fried rice, but I don't love the greasy-ness and the way it always makes me feel like a bloated cow afterward. No more cute little takeout box for me. I found a way to enjoy fried rice the vegan way: no egg, no meat, just veggies, rice and tons of flavor.
What you need:
Brown Rice (or wild rice, if your feeling...wild)
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 small red onion
1 yellow pepper
2-3 carrots, chopped
1 cup broccoli
1 cup cabbage
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or you can use rice vinegar)
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
(Feel free to substitute other vegetables. I threw in some baked brussel sprouts and it was mighty tasty)
What you do:
Prepare rice according to package. I suggest you invest in a rice steamer if you don't already have one. Set aside when finished.
Chop all vegetables. Heat sesame oil over medium-high heat. Toss in onion, carrots and pepper. Turn heat down to medium setting and cook for about 2 minutes. Toss in the broccoli and cabbage, cook until tender. Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic powder and cook for a couple more minutes.
Remove veggie mixture from the pan and set aside in a large bowl. Add the perfectly steamed rice to the pan and cook for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally.
Toss the "fried" rice with the vegetable medley and enjoy!
What you need:
Brown Rice (or wild rice, if your feeling...wild)
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 small red onion
1 yellow pepper
2-3 carrots, chopped
1 cup broccoli
1 cup cabbage
1/2 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or you can use rice vinegar)
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
(Feel free to substitute other vegetables. I threw in some baked brussel sprouts and it was mighty tasty)
What you do:
Prepare rice according to package. I suggest you invest in a rice steamer if you don't already have one. Set aside when finished.
Chop all vegetables. Heat sesame oil over medium-high heat. Toss in onion, carrots and pepper. Turn heat down to medium setting and cook for about 2 minutes. Toss in the broccoli and cabbage, cook until tender. Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic powder and cook for a couple more minutes.
Remove veggie mixture from the pan and set aside in a large bowl. Add the perfectly steamed rice to the pan and cook for a couple minutes, stirring occasionally.
Toss the "fried" rice with the vegetable medley and enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)