Yesterday I stumbled on Chow's 10 Ways to Photograph Food. I like the idea, but I wish they had featured more than just apples. Does anybody know of a good tutorial for photographing finished dishes?
While reading through this feature, I discovered Scanwich, which is more than just a clever name. Yes, it's actually a collection of scanned images of sandwiches. What can you infer about me by the fact that my first thought was, "Who has to clean the scanner each day?"
I also discovered FoodPornDaily.com. How's that for photography inspiration?
I've made a habit of reading The Kitchn every Saturday morning, and I'm forever finding helpful tips and fun ideas there. This week, I found "30 Small Cooking Tips That Pack a Big Punch in the Kitchen," where I learned how to mellow out red onions and a clever way to store small quanities of herbs. I also found their Quick Guide to Every Herb and Spice in the Cupboard. The "spice blends" section was interesting since some of the names were new to me!
I cooked with tofu twice in the last two weeks! I'd say that's pretty impressive for someone who was once afraid to even try it. Now that I've discovered the importance of draining it, I'm not so hesitant to cook with it. This recipe comes from the most recent issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray, which I swear is becoming more meat-laden each month. (I wouldn't be surprised if she gets a kickback from the Cattlemen's Beef Board, honestly.) Anyway, it was nice to see this vegetarian-friendly recipe featured in the magazine's $10 Spot section. The magazine calculates a cost of $9.92 for the entire meal, although it would be slightly higher for me because I used Chinese noodles instead of the fettuccine the recipe called for.
You will need:
- One 14-oz package of extra-firm tofu, cut into 3/4-inch cubes and pressed dry in a towel
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp dark toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ~1 lb Chinese noodles (I used Nasoya again)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
- One 12-oz package broccoli slaw
Directions:
- Start a large stockpot of water boiling for the noodles.
- Season the tofu cubes with salt and pepper. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, and orange zest and set aside.
- Heat the canola oil over medium-high heat in a large rimmed skillet. Add the tofu in a single layer and cook without stirring until browned on first side (about 3 min). Turn the cubes and cook for 3 min on each side until all sides are browned. Transfer to a plate. (I learned after the first round of turning to count each cube I flipped so that I could make sure I got to all 30 of them each time!)
- Add the mushrooms to the now-empty skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned (about 5 min).
- When you start cooking the mushrooms, you can add the noodles to the stockpot, as the water should be boiling by now. My noodles took only 3 min to cook. Drain the noodles, reserving 2 cups of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the stockpot.
- Add the broccoli slaw to the noodles, followed by the tofu and the browned mushrooms. Pour in the soy sauce mixture and about half the pasta water, tossing to coat. Add more water if you need to thin out the sauce. (I think I used only about 1 1/4 cups of water.) Serve immediately.
I thought this recipe was just about perfect, and Bryan loved it too. Other than swapping Chinese noodles for fettuccine, the only change I made was to add orange zest to the sauce, and I'm glad I did. Oh, and I also didn't boil the ginger in the pasta water the way the recipe suggested because that seemed silly. This meal was filling and really quite healthy, and it tasted like something you could order at a restaurant, only it wasn't overly greasy. I'd definitely make it again!
As Bryan and I were preparing a pre-snowstorm grocery list earlier this week, I asked him what he was craving for dinner in the days to come. "Something with egg noodles," was his reply, and thus began a quest for the perfect mushroom stroganoff recipe. I started with a Better Homes & Gardens recipe, remembering I had made it once before. Like most BH&G recipes, it provided a good starting point but lacked "punch." I used some suggestions from Epicurious' version, and came up with the hybrid recipe that follows.
You will need:
- 8 oz dry egg noodles
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into thin half-moons (my mandoline slicer is my friend)
- 8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- dash of Worcestershire sauce
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 8 oz low-fat sour cream
Steps:
- Start the pasta water boiling in a large stockpot.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a large rimmed skillet. When the butter is totally melted, add in the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, for 8-10 minutes, or until they're soft. (I waited to start this step until the pasta water was starting to think about boiling.)
- Add in the garlic and mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for another 5-6 minutes. Season with the thyme, salt, and pepper.
- By now, the water in the stockpot should be boiling, so add in the egg noodles and cook until al dente (6 min for the type I bought). Drain and keep warm.
- Slowly pour in the wine and then the vegetable broth and Worcestershire sauce, stirring to incorporate. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir for about a minute until it's blended in well. Mix in the sour cream and stir to an even consistency.
- Pour the egg noodles on top of the sauce and toss to coat. Check for seasoning and then serve immediately.
Basically, I used the BH&G ingredients (plus white wine) and the Epicurious technique. The BH&G recipe called for fettuccine instead of egg noodles, and it also called for two onions instead of one. That seemed too intense for my taste and my touchy stomach. The only thing I'd change next time is to increase the mushrooms. I might use a mix of types, too, as I think portobello mushrooms would be lovely here. This wasn't as heavy as other stroganoffs I've eaten, but the sauce was still well-distributed and flavorful. It was a great way to end another snowy day here in Lancaster!
If you live anywhere on the East Coast, you've probably had a touch of snow lately. Here in Lancaster, we received a thoughtful 18 inches over the weekend with more falling as I type this. Thanks, freaking groundhog.
Sunday was the Super Bowl, so I decided to continue my annual tradition of ignoring football and cooking instead. I did make a super bowl of chili though! (Nobody's ever made that joke before, right?)
*ahem* Anyway, as I was sifting through some food blogs last weekend, I stumbled upon this chili recipe from AlwaysOrderDessert.com and was happy to discover I did have a solitary can of pumpkin hiding at the back of a cabinet. I substituted and added quite a few ingredients and made the recipe vegetarian, so it's not really even that close to the original, but I wanted to give credit to the source for the clever pumpkin idea. Here's what I ended up with:
You will need:
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- Half a medium onion, peeled and diced
- Half a medium bell pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp hot smoked Spanish paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 cups water
- 2 vegetable bouillon cubes (or paste equivalent)
- 15-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 2 15-oz cans beans, drained and rinsed (I used one kidney and one black)
- 1 14-oz can pumpkin puree
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add in the onion and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Add in the garlic for the last minute or two. (I found I had to add about 1/4 cup of water halfway through to keep the veggies from sticking to the bottom, but that's fine.)
- Next, sprinkle the spices on top of the veggies and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the water and add the bouillon, stirring to dissolve.
- Add in the tomatoes and beans and pumpkin puree, stirring to incorporate. Cover and let come to a boil. Then, lower the heat to a simmer and let it bubble for 15 minutes with the lid askew. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve.
I think I might be developing an addiction-like relationship with hot smoked Spanish paprika. I don't usually make things too spicy, and this was among the spiciest dishes I've ever made. (It's still wimpy compared to other people's tastes, I'm sure.) My lips got all tingly as I was eating, yet I couldn't stop! That paprika adds such a fascinating depth to everything I use it in. Definitely get yourself some if you haven't tried it!
Next time I make this, I'd use less water. I ended up adding in about 1/4 cup of dry bread crumbs at the end to soak up some of the liquid, which worked without adding a bread taste. Still, I'd either use less liquid or let it simmer a longer time when I make it again. I loved the texture the pumpkin created. And no, the chili doesn't taste overtly of pumpkin; it just lends a simple "vegetabley" taste to the base and makes the chili a pretty color. (Of course, it adds nutrition, too!) This was very, very hearty, and I had trouble getting through the whole bowl I served myself! Bryan loved it too. He topped his with cheddar cheese, but I just used sour cream to cut back on the heat a bit. If you don't use either of these toppings, it's vegan!
If you have peppers and onions in the freezer, you might not even need to buy any ingredients to make this! It's easy, too. Why not treat yourself to a spicy new spin on chili during a snowy week?
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.
Tonight's recipe comes from the 30 Minutes section. I've made other peanut noodles recipes before, but this is my favorite so far, mainly because of the sauce. Other recipes I've tried produced a clumpy sauce that didn't coat the noodles evenly, but this one was perfect. I think the trick must be the coconut milk.
You will need:
- 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
Steps:
- 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 original recipe called for snow peas instead of broccoli and green beans, but I just used what I had on hand. I'm sure you could use other veggies too; carrots or green pepper could be especially delicious. I think the lime juice is essential here, as it thins out the sauce and adds an invigorating brightness to the dish.
** One note: I mistakenly labeled this post as vegan at first, but I've since learned that Nasoya Chinese noodles are not vegan. You could certainly use a different type of noodles to make this dish vegan, but I just wanted to correct myself there.
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.
You will need:
- 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
Steps:
- 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).
The original recipe seemed to assume I was willing to juice my own pomegranates; obviously, the writers don't know me well. I just bought a 16-ounce bottle of POM juice instead. I happened to have some seeds in the freezer, but I don't think they're necessary. The juice adds a unique tang to the soup but doesn't taste overly fruity. The lentils are still the star of the soup, as they should be. I liked this recipe a lot, but I think the broth was lacking... something. I was hoping for something with more depth and heartiness, but I can't quite identify what it needed. Maybe a squirt of tomato paste would have done the trick.
I took a few photos of the soup, but they didn't turn out well. My lens kept getting steamed up! The photo on the original recipe is gorgeous, and the only difference between their finished product and mine is that their fresh pomegranate seeds were more vibrant than my frozen ones. All in all, I was quite pleased with this recipe! It certainly wasn't something I'd have come up with on my own!
