I would like this warm and sunny arts-and-crafts kitchen someday, please. Who can make this happen?
AlwaysOrderDessert.com (great name!) offers 10 tips to lessen reduce food waste. I especially like tip #9!
If you're looking for a vegetarian cookbook -- either because you're a new vegetarian or just because you're looking to add more vegetarian meals to your repertoire -- Williams-Sonoma's Vegetarian cookbook from their Food Made Fast series is an excellent place to start. The book includes three sections (30 Minutes Start to Finish, 15 Minutes Start to Finish, and Make More to Store) and the recipes feature simple directions and accessible ingredients. I feel there are too many pretentious, tree-bark-and-seaweed kinds of meatless cookbooks out there, featuring complicated recipes that aren't even that tasty. This book, however, is refreshing and user-friendly.
- 1 lb firm tofu
- ~1/2 lb thin fresh Chinese noodles (Nasoya makes a 9-oz package)
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1/4 lb green beans, ends trimmed and beans cut into 1- or 2-inch lengths
- 1/2 cup coconut milk (I used light coconut milk)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- splash of dark sesame oil
- Start a large stockpot of water boiling for the noodles. Meanwhile, drain as much liquid out of the tofu package as you can. Then, slice the block into 1/2-inch wide slabs. Lay the slabs on a folded clean towel on top of a plate; press another clean towel on top and apply pressure to squeeze the moisture out. (I think draining the tofu as much as possible must be the secret to cooking it well.) Remove the tofu from the towel and slice it into chunks about 1/2 or 3/4-inch thick. Set aside.
- When the water boils, add the noodles and cook according to package directions. (Mine needed 3 minutes.) Add the broccoli and green beans to the water for the last 2 minutes. Drain and rinse; set aside.
- Just as you're adding the noodles to the boiling water, warm the coconut milk and peanut butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Stir until well mixed; then stir in the pepper flakes, sugar, water, soy sauce, lime juice, and sesame oil. Add the tofu, mix it into the sauce, and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, or until the tofu is warmed through.
- Stir the noodles and veggies into the tofu-sauce mixture and toss to coat. Serve warm.
The Kitchn is one of two food blogs I read regularly, and I was immediately intrigued by this recipe when I saw it last week. I like soup. I like lentils. I like pomegranate. I had never tried lentils with pomegranate, but I was willing to give it a try, and I was happily surprised by the results! I made only one small change to their recipe, which was to use spinach instead of chard.
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 1/2 cups brown lentils, picked through for stones and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups spinach leaves, de-stemmed and finely chopped (I rolled over the leaves with a pizza wheel, and that did the trick!)
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
- Heat oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot and saute until onion is translucent (about 10 min.), stirring occasionally.
- Add cumin and coriander and saute one more minute.
- Add lentils, spinach, water, and 1/2 tsp salt and stir to combine. Turn up the heat to bring soup to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer with lid askew until lentils are tender (about 30 min).
- Stir in the pomegranate juice and simmer for another 5 min.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with pomegranate seeds (optional).
If you still haven't seen Food, Inc., 2008's entertaining and informative documentary about big-time food production in the U.S., here's your chance! Franklin & Marshall College is showing the film this Tuesday, February 2, at 7 pm with discussion following. Check out the event's facebook page for more details.
This past week, Serious Eats taste-tested six meat-free burgers. I've seen most of these at grocery stores around here. Which is your favorite? Most of the time, I like the "chicken" products better than the simulated beef type. (Maybe they'll test those next!)
Panzanella is the whole package, baby. It's got beans, veggies, bread, oil, vinegar, and herbs. It's like eating a colorful salad with a side of bread, plus a serving of protein! I admit it's more seasonable for summer than winter, but it was a balmy 58 degrees here in Lancaster today, and I was longing for something sunny and refreshing. So tonight I made a modified version of this Epicurious recipe. The site claims: "This version of the Italian classic is an irresistible mix of crusty-chewy bread cubes and colorful roasted vegetables, all bathed in a lusty balsamic vinaigrette." Well, if that isn't enough to make a girl blush, then I don't know what is!
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 cup plus 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 12-inch lengths of crusty baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes, making about 12 cups (It's an approximation, kids. Don't worry if it's not perfect.)
- 3/4 lb cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths
- 1/2 lb mushrooms, cleaned and cut in half
- 1 jarred roasted red pepper, chopped
- 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbsp capers, rinsed, drained, and chopped
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Mince and mash garlic clove into a paste with a pinch of salt, using a heavy knife, and then transfer the paste to a small bowl. Add 1/2 cup olive oil in a slow stream, whisking until combined well. (The first time I made this, I did all that. This time, I just used garlic powder. Eh. Lazy.)
- Put bread cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with 3 Tbsp of the garlic oil you just made, tossing to combine. Then divide the bread between two shallow baking pans so that the bread can be spread out in a single layer on each pan. Toast in oven, stirring once, for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a plate to cool, but leave the oven on.
- Gently toss the tomatoes, green beans, and mushrooms with 1 Tbsp oil (not the garlic oil), 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper in a bowl. Arrange the veggies in a single layer on the pan you used for the bread earlier. Roast vegetables, stirring once or twice, 12-16 minutes. Cool vegetables on the pans. (You can turn the oven off now.)
- While the veggies cool down, assemble the vinaigrette. Add balsamic vinegar to the remaining garlic oil, along with the capers, sugar, remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper; whisk to combine well.
- Put roasted veggies, toasted bread, beans, mozzarella, and basil in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing and stir with a big spoon to combine well. Allow to sit another 5-10 minutes to let the flavors combine, and then serve at room temperature.
