mickey has dinner, and we ate the heck outta it.

mickey had us over for dinner a few weeks ago. i think he and i have similar views on food. seems that we both like to keep it local, simple, sustainable, and mostly, real food.

nothin’ fancy.

frills are for suckers.

france, you can have your sauces. we want simple.

i think most everything that he made for us was from the farmer’s market in his area. of pittsburgh. those of you who know me know that i am obsessed with farmer’s markets, and the idea of local food and supporting small farms that use ethical and responsible practices. something about high standards makes food taste good.

mickey made all of of the meal, except for dessert. as sort of an appetizer, we had honeyed chevre with almonds and berries to pick at while he cooked.

now that i’m eating meat, i think i am probably a lot easier to cook for. however, my abstaining of grains has probably made up for that tri-fold… at least that’s what people may assume. no bread, rice, noodles, corn.. i know some who can’t imagine life without these foods. some who are still constantly offering me grains every time they can because they aren’t sure that i mean i don’t eat all grains (no, none). i really don’t miss that stuff aside my meal. especially not where there are fresh, well seasoned veggies in it’s place. mickey did a great job without even trying. he sauteed some green beans with caramelized red onions, garlic and butter. we also had herb roasted seasonal vegetables. again, i believe everything came from a garden in pittsburgh. they all tasted so fresh and sweet. bell peppers, squash, carrots, golden beets..

roasted chicken breast with sauteed apricots took up the big spot on the plate. juicy, slightly salty chicken with sweet tart apricots. so summery. this was the perfect meal to have on a hot day. i really love fresh fruit on meats. i had seconds.

a perfectly satisfying plate of food

i supplied dessert. no grains does not mean no baking. i made 2 versions of coconut flour brownies. i modified the original version as to use up some extra riccotta cheese i had in the fridge. then, i decided that i should make the first recipe just to see what the difference would be. i never do this. i am glad i did. though i really liked both versions, i prefered my modifications over the other. so did mickey’s crowd. do not expect a traditional flour. they have a taste all their own. you can find the recipe here.

thanks for dinner, mickey! you should have us over again!

cherries are in!

an army of sweetness

cherries, my favorite stone fruit, are all over the place right now. whole foods has the most amazing selection right now. deep, dark, sweet red cherries on the cheap! the darker the cherry, the higher the content of antioxidants. these help our bodies defend themselves against the damaging, aging, and disease producing effects of oxygen, nitrogen, and uv radiation. cherries also contain melatonin, which helps to regulate the natural sleep cycle. most of all, they taste wonderful. they are like candy. eat them up!

i’ve been buying a crazy amount of cherries every week, and have no shortage on ideas for them. i’ve shown how i used them to top my new favorite food, turkey. i also made a beautiful glaze with them to top tempeh, and put them on perfect little cupcakes! the tempeh was really really good. like, can’t get enough good. the glaze was sweet, tart, and salty on the starchy savory tempeh. i’m sure it would be great over salmon, or pretty much anything. i had it with some green beans. you gotta try it. to people who aren’t into anchovies: you can sub 1 tsp butter and a sprinkling of salt for the anchovies. just know that you’re missin’ out. i used the anchovies, and love them.

cherry glazed tempeh

cherry glazed tempeh

1 2 serving block tempeh,

1/2 cup fresh cherries, pitted and halved

1/4 cup red wine, cherry juice, or cranberry juice

2 salt and oil packed anchovies, finely chopped

pinch of fresh rosemary

1 tsp honey

a little butter

salt to taste

steam and pan fry tempeh in your usual fashion while sauce cooks.

in small saucepan, heat smear of butter over medium heat with rosemary. once butter bubbles a little, add anchovies and cherries. stir and watch. once cherries begin to release their juices, add honey and wine. cook for 1 minute. sauce will begin to thicken quickly, so turn down and let it come together for a minute. and serve over tempeh. yum!

i’ve made this vegan cupcake recipe before. i found it somewhere online, and have been loving it ever since. last time, i used blackberry jam to frost them. this time, i used vegan cream cheese (tofutti) with lemon zest and sugar to frost them, and topped with cute cherries. the lemony cupcake was awesome with the frosting this time, and it is now my favorite cupcake recipe. if you can’t find coconut yogurt, you could try soy yogurt. i’m not quite sure what would happen, though. also, you could try butter instead of earth balance, but again, i have no idea what it would turn out like. i kept them in the fridge after frosting them, because i was afraid the icing would get sucked up into the cake!

the cutest cupcakes

12 mini cupcakes or 6 regular sized cupcakes

1/4 cup cold earth balance margarine

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 oz (1/2 container) vanilla flavored So Delicious brand coconut yogurt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp soy milk

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup + 1 tbsp white whole wheat flour or ap white flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

preheat oven to 350f. place racks in the center of oven. prep large 6 cup muffin tin or mini 12 cup with cupcake liners.

beat sugar with margarine, slowly at first, speeding up to whip, until light and fluffy. add yogurt a spoon at a time, beating between additions. add soy milk, then lemon juice and zest, then vanilla, IN THAT ORDER.. it will get curdly if you do not follow instructions. whip until mixture is fluffy and well incorporated.

in separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. add half of flour mixture into wet ingredients, and mix until it looks a little dusty. add the rest of dry, and mix until JUST incorporated.

spoon batter evenly into cups, and bake for 15 minutes. cakes will be soft and spring back to the touch. don’t let the tops turn golden brown. they should stay the same color. let ‘em cool for half an hour before frosting.

vegan cream cheese icing

8 oz vegan cream cheese (cold)

zest and juice from 1 whole lemon

1 cup powdered sugar

vanilla, if you’re feeling frisky

6 cherries, pitted (NO! not the kind in a jar of can!!!)- i cut them in half for the mini cup cakes

combine first wet ingredients until thoroughly mixed. STOP THE MIXER BEFORE ADDING POWDERED SUGAR. i thought i was too good to adhere to this rule anymore. turns out i was wrong. stop the mixer to add the sugar, slowly bring it back up to speed. -unless you want the air to taste like sugar and the kitchen to have a white crust on it.

beat it on super high speed for a few minutes, until it is good and whippy. i like to stick it in the fridge before using it to let it stiffen up for 30 minutes or so. after spreading on the cupcakes, smoosh your cherry on top. give them to your friends and feel cool.

what do you do with turkey?

apricot roasted turkey tenderloin

you beat the crap out of it, cover it in butter, stuff it with fruit, and roast it. it’s almost too simple! just because this is my first time with turkey, doesn’t mean i lack inspiration. i have been eating lots of fresh and dried fruits lately, and wanted to incorporate their sweetness into my new love for poultry. i guess i’ve been sticking with poultry a lot lately because it is so versatile.

not only turkey is an almost perfect source of protein (32 g per 4oz. serving), but also contains B vitamins niacin and B6. these are essential for converting fat, carbohydrates, and protein into usable energy. niacin is also an important nutritional element for it’s help in regulating blood sugar. does turkey contain a significant amount of fat? compared to red meat, no. compared to my past vegetarian diet, though? yes. but i don’t care about that. i think fat is good for you, in moderation. plus, fat tastes good.

i obviously knew a lot about the health benefits of turkey, but i only knew one thing about cooking it: it gets dry and stringy if you overcook it. aside from that, it was all guesswork. the picture speaks for itself. this was the best turkey i’ve ever had. ever. sorry mom, sorry dad. sorry grandparents and anyone else who has fed me the bird. i’m tooting my own horn here. this was awesome. i also have to add that this was relatively fast and easy to do. it took less than an hour to come up with the idea, prepare, and execute. it took way less preparation and thought than a vegetarian meal would, maybe because i didn’t have to jump through hoops to get all of the nutrients in.

i think that it would be perfect for a smaller holiday gathering, if one does not want to serve a whole bird. the apricots lend a soft sweetness to the meat, and the rosemary was the perfect savory addition. next time i make it, i may add goat cheese and spinach. also, i wish i had used apricot jam with this somehow. maybe to glaze, or just for moisture in the filling. i’m glad i went with raw cherries on top. i almost made a glaze out of the cherries, but raw, they were a great tart contrast. there is a lot of room for creativity here, so feel free to experiment. i can’t wait to play around with this one for the holidays..  i’m thinking figs, pecans, and dried cranberries for thanksgiving!

apricot roasted turkey

serves 2

ingredients:

1 turkey tenderloin (about 8 oz)

1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary

tbsp butter

salt & pepper

1/2 cup pitted cherries, chopped

preheat oven to 350. set turkey on clean cutting board. with a mallet or rolling pin, tenderize the turkey without breaking the meat apart. you want it about 1/2 inch thick. cover it in butter.

mix chopped apricots with chopped rosemary. this is where i wish i had a little apricot jam, but i used a drizzle of olive oil to get my mixture wet.

place buttered meat into greased baking dish, and sprinkle with salt & pepper. rub seasoning into turkey, then smear on a little more butter. set apricot mixture in the center of the meat and fold it in half. i used toothpicks to keep mine closed.

bake for 35 minutes or so. let it sit outside the oven for a few minutes before serving. top with cherries.

i served mine with a spring salad with goat cheese and sunflower seeds. it was the perfect meal. perfect.

the fruits of my labor

teff crusted halibut with peach mango pico de gallo

so, last weekend, i actually followed a dinner recipe. as a general rule, i only follow recipes for baked goods, and even then i only follow them loosely. it is a rare day when i follow a main dish recipe. this was a beautiful recipe from my favorite magazine, clean eating. if you haven’t picked up a copy yet, please do yourself a favor and spend a few bucks on it. yes, it is expensive. but it contains a hefty amount of beautiful recipes (such as follows) and a wealth of nutrition literature.

i really love fish, and this is probably the best i’ve ever served halibut. it is a really inexpensive fish, and very healthy. since it is a cold water fish, it is high in omega 3 fatty acids, which are known to protect against colorectal, kidney. ovarian, and digestive tract cancer, and lower your risks for non-hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia. the health benefits are too many to list!

the cilantro in the pico de gallo (salsa) is a sweet and fresh contrast to the crispy, well seasoned halibut. cilantro is a great herb, with that simple and fresh taste you think of on hot days. the fruits went beautifully with it. i added some black beans with left over rice for some starch, and also to carry the sweet juice from the pico de gallo. i strongly recommend you enjoy rice with this dish. i also sauteed some onion and pepper strips in similar seasonings. here is the recipe:

serves 4

teff crusted halibut:

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

4  4-oz halibut fillets

1/2 cup teff flour

pico de gallo:

1 cup peach, diced 1/2″ cubes

1 cup mango, diced 1/2″ cubes

1/4 cup or so red onion, chopped finely

1/2 cup bell pepper diced 1/4″

2 tbsp cilantro, minced

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 chipotle, minced

sea salt to taste

mix all pico de gallo ingredients together in large bowl. set aside. i let mine sit for a good hour or so because i wanted the lemon juice to mingle with the onion a bit.

coat fillets in teff flour. i added a little chili powder and salt to mine before coating the fish.

add olive oil to hot saute pan. once oil begins to smoke, add fillets. cook for 4 minutes or so, depending on thickness of the cut. cook until flour is nice and brown on the outside, and just turned white on the inside. flip and cook other side. i was able to cook the sides of mine by sliding it up against the side of the pan (which was also coated in oil).

heat pico de gallo in small saucepan just enough to get warm. spoon over finished halibut fillets.

like i said, i served mine over some canned black beans and leftover rice i wanted to get rid of. i simply added a little chili powder, squeeze of lemon, and garlic while heating. i also sauteed some bell peppers and onions for some crunch. perfect.

mr. hare makes dinner

since i work until 6 monday through thursdays, mr. hare is responsible for making dinner 3 of these nights. this may sound like a rotten deal, but i make dinner for him the other nights, and also do a huge amount of baking to make up for it. usually, he makes something simple and healthy… some roasted veggies with fish, veggie burger with a nice salad,. you get the idea. he does a really nice job getting something healthy together by the time i get home and keeps it simple since it’s a weeknight. last week he wanted to make something a little different. we spotted this recipe from 101 cookbooks, and have been meaning to try it for quite a while now. it was wonderful!

he followed the recipe word for word, but forgot the lime, which was fine without. we threw on some toasted sesame seeds, too. the glaze for the tempeh was so sweet and salty, but not overly so. sometimes an asian style glaze is too much, in the sense that you find yourself scraping it off of the food. not this. brian says this dish was really easy to make. on a scale of 1-10, he gives it a 2 in difficulty. all of the work goes into the sauce, which can be done ahead of time so everything else can be put together easily. he made jasmine rice to go with it, and a little salad on the side. on a separate scale from 1-10, i give it a 9.5 in tastiness, and will definitely demand he makes this again. this was a really healthy and delicious meal, and all you vegetarians should be eating up some tempeh asap!

make your own darn pizza!

the pizza that required a close up

a few of my friends recently mentioned to me that they run out of dinner ideas pretty often. i’m pretty sure they were hinting that i post more dinner recipes on the blog, and post more often. they are right, i should. not only to help those who run out of ideas, but to remind myself to mix things up more often, too. a little while back, i was feeling really ambitious, and wanted a nice low fat vegan dinner that wasn’t my usual. pizza. i was going to make pizza. i don’t do this often, or at least i didn’t back then. i had it stuck in my head that pizza dough was a pain in the…. oven.

once i got started, it took no time at all. it was delicious. it was beautiful. it was healthy. it met all of my requirements for awesome.

here is how i did it. aside from the dough, i wanted a simple sauce that would highlight the veggies that i love so dearly. love the sweetness and subtlety of fire roasted tomatoes, and had a can laying around that were begging for it. there was no way i was going to put a pre-made pizza sauce on this thing. no no way. also, i’ve been avoiding dairy as much as possible lately, so i made a vegetarian ricotta cheese that is amazing. i really didn’t know what i was doing as far as this went, so i winged it. now that i’ve done it, i don’t think i can screw it up. please trust me here. i wouldn’t even think of putting dairy on pizza now. do me a favor and just try it.

if you use any whole grain flour, i would recommend spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or white whole wheat. i would not recommend straight whole wheat. there are some great yeasts out there that you can use that are specially formulated for whole grain baking. USE IT. it will make your dough soft and conditioned. also, i would start with 1 3/4 cups flour and add more as you knead to ensure your dough doesn’t dry out.

easy pizza dough:

2 scant cups spelt flour, whole wheat pastry, or whatever flour you wish

1 1/2 tsp fast acting yeast

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp honey

2/3 cups warm water

whisk together baking powder, flour, and a pinch of table salt in a dry bowl.

proof the yeast by adding the honey, then the yeast to warm (not hot) water. let it sit for 5 minutes or so. it should foam in 5-10 minutes. stir in oil, then add it to dry ingredients, keeping in mind the note about flour amount. stir with a wooden, plastic, or rubber spoon. no metal.

once mixture becomes too doughy for spoon, collect all dough scraps from spoon and begin kneading by hand. knead on lightly floured surface for 8-10 minutes. if dough is sticky, you may add more flour SLOWLY. adding too much can result in a tough, dry dough, and so will over kneading at this point. place dough in glass bowl and cover with a warm damp towel laying over bowl. place in draft free warm spot. let it sit for 30 minutes to rise.

for the sweet and simple sauce:

can of fire roasted tomatoes (i always use a 14.5 oz can of muir glen organic no salt added)

some salt to taste

pepper to taste

tiny pinch of sugar

drain most of the juice from the tomatoes. save it, it is super good on noodles. using the chunks, mix remaining ingredients together in a bowl and set aside. i like to let things sit for a while to let the flavors mingle.

vegan “ricotta” cheese:

7 or so oz. firm tofu, crumbled with fingers and fork or whatever it takes to make it look like ricotta

squeeze from 1/2 lemon

zest from 1/2 lemon

salt to taste

pepper to taste

2 or so basil leaves finely chopped up

tiny drizzle of olive oil

mix all ingredients together. again, let it sit for a while. i usually let it sit for an hour or so.

toppinz:

whatever you like!

here are some suggestions:

chopped asparagus

sliced mushrooms

yellow squash

red onions

roasted peppers

a little minced garlic

be creative!

here is a hint for toppings: use smallish pieces for easy slicing and to ensure even cooking, especially onions.

make it into a pizza:

preheat oven to 450f and put rack on second shelf in the oven. prep pizza pan by spraying with a little oil and sprinkling a couple tbsp cornmeal over oil. punch down your now risen dough. stretch it out gently. it should be a little elasticity. turn dough out on floured counter and shape dough. i like to move from the center out, in a circular motion, to ensure even thickness. carefully transfer to pan. brush outer crust very lightly with a little olive oil. dress up your pizza, sauce first. top with veggies, then sprinkle “cheese” over sauce.

bake for 10-15 minutes. cheese will turn golden when it is ready. just keep an eye on the crust so it doesn’t burn.

i made that pizza!

let it cool for 5 minutes before slicing. eat it outside. with some wine. share with a friend. or eat the whole thing and drink alone, whatever you think.

can you use canned sauce? yes. can you use any cheese you want instead of tofu? yes. can you put bacon and burger and sausage and pork rinds on it? i guess so. everyone loves pizza, so i’m sure you’ll have fun and be creative with this one. it’s yours now. take it and run with it. but if you put pork rinds on it, please don’t tell me.

friday dinner party

christine

my friend christine was in town from cleveland this past weekend, so we had a few kids over to have dinner and sweets with us. she and i did lots of baking on friday in preparation, though the meal itself was simple. ross and jenny encouraged me to post more often and more dinner recipes, so i will gladly grant that wish, starting with the dinner they were here to eat with us. i roasted some springy vegetables (mushrooms, asparagus, yellow summer squash). roasted vegetables are as simple as it gets, but are an amazing part of the meal. i bought organic everything. the zucchini and asparagus are in season right now, with the zucchini being a hair sweet after a slow roasting as was the asparagus, which was pencil thin and tender. no modified vegetables here. the mushrooms were huge, and were grown locally. i bought them in bulk at whole foods, and it was almost the cheapest thing in the produce aisle. this is where i will be buying mushrooms for the rest of my days. mushrooms are my favorite vegetable!

easy caprese

corey brought caprese salad, which i love. basil is so perfect for spring. he used a nice mozzarella cheese, with ripe sweet basil. it was delicious and simple, though i’m afraid to report that my friend brea was under a strong impression there would be greens in this salad, and no, basil doesn’t count as a green! we also had fresh sourdough bread, and booze. the main dish was pasta with 3 sauces: alfredo sauce, lemony sage goat cheese, and marinara sauce with veg meatballs, which brea made, so i can’t give the recipe for that. her’s was amazing, just a tiny sweet, with most of the flavor coming from slow cooked vegetables. i’m pretty sure she simmers it for a few hours. the recipes are quite simple for the 2 sauces i was responsible for, and pretty delicious, also. i bought my cheeses at whole foods because they always have a few different vegetarian cheeses. most packaged cheeses are NOT vegetarian. they contain rennet from animal derivatives, which i think is just nuts considering it can be done just as easily with the exact same result from vegetable rennet. it’s a little more typical of american cheeses to be vegetarian than imported cheeses. if you’re concerned, you should ask your local cheese dude or lady (like i had to at wholefoods) to point you in the direction of vegetarian parmesan. it is the same price, taste, shelf life, etc.

you can make this alfredo as healthy or fatty as you like. i made it with neufatchel (which is 1/3 less fat than normal cream cheese), and soy milk.

quick alfredo:

1/2 block neufatchel, 1/3 reduced fat, or regular cream cheese

1 cup soy milk, milk, cream, or whatever milk like thing you may have

5 oz a really nice parmasean (no, you shouldn’t be using kraft here)

seasonings you like (basil, black pepper, bit of salt)

over med heat, slowly heat up the soy milk (or whatever you chose) and seasonings. stir in the cream cheese. keep stirring, you don’t want anything to get too bubbly. once this mixture is nice and hot, maybe 10 minutes or so, add in cheese, a few tablespoons at a time. wait a half a minute or so to add more. keep it stirred. it will take a little while to really melt into the other ingredients. keep this mixture moving and on low heat once you are done adding the cheese. it only needs to cook until the consistency is uniform and smooth.

serve over other yummy things like pasta, cooked vegetables, or meats.

i really love my recipe for goat cheese. i think it is such a cool and fresh contrast in a warm pasta dish, and it gets a tiny melty and sweet from the heat of the noodles. it is extra good and sweet with roasted yellow summer squash, mushrooms, and asparagus, which i always stir in to my pasta.

lemony sage goat cheese:

8 oz crumbled goat cheese (cold)

a little lemon zest

juice from 1/4 – 1/2 lemon

tiny pinch of salt

1/4 tsp dried sage or 1/2 tsp of fresh

use a fork to fluff all ingredients together. keep it cold, serve over warm or cold pasta dishes.

christine's plate with alfredo sauce

for dessert, christine and i worked fairly hard on a vegan cheese cake and chocolate hazelnut biscotti. i had never made either of these before, which sort of goes against my policy of never serving guests a new recipe. but i wanted to try something new. the cheese cake was really good, which i wasn’t expecting from something vegan. i probably ate 1/4 of the thing myself. i loved it. it wasn’t as dense as a normal cheese cake, but i don’t necessarily require a stiffness in my cheesecake that real critics may. the biscotti were AMAZING, and are staring at me from inside my cake dome. -though, there are only 2 1/2 left from the 2 day massacre that they have so far survived.

plating and waiting

the cheese cake recipe was one that i found online, from the fat free vegan kitchen. i will spare you the recipe, and let you click on the link. i did modify it slightly by using regular soy milk in place of egg nog, and i salted the batter just slightly. also, i used a lemon snap crust instead of graham cracker, which is just a big handful of lemon snap cookies in a food processor. i will, however, provide a recipe for the blackberry sauce i dumped over the top before i served it. i will definately be making this thing again. it is a perfect and fuss free for a dinner party, and the flavors could easily be modified to suit any taste.

lucky watches the cheese cake

jammy blackberry sauce:

1 heaping cup fresh blackberries

juice from a lemon

2 tbsp sugar (more or less to taste)

heat all ingredients over low. smash berries a little as they give their juice up and melt into a lovely jam consistancy. let it cook over low/medium for 10 minutes or so. there is no wrong way to do this, just don’t cook it for more than 30 minutes or so as it will turn into candy.

the biscotti were a recipe from elana’s pantry, and i will again spare you the recipe. if you haven’t visited her site yet, do yourself a favor and go. i have never had a bad batch of anything i have made from her site. she has beautiful foods (healthy and gluten free, for those of you who can’t have wheat etc), simple recipes, and great photography. needless to say, i can only rave about her recipes. i visit every day to see what’s new. go! now! the only modification i made was adding chopped toasted hazelnuts and using egg whites only. i didn’t have to reduce the amount of sugar used here, which i usually have to do. they are perfectly sweet, and use coffee for an extra delicious punch. there is also no fat added in this recipe, and that makes me very happy. the fat here comes from the almond meal and the chocolate (obviously). these were too easy to make. everything is pretty much done in a processor, so it’s really quick. i wasn’t sure what the instructions intended by forming 2 “logs”, but next time i’ll know to flatten them slightly, form them into a rectangle shape, and slightly square off the ends. be sure to sprinkle with sea salt before baking. trust me. these biscotti turned out beautifuly, and i encourage you to try making them. they would make a nice gift or treat for a weekend guest.

biscotti with soy dream

i have a lot of fun when people visit for the weekend. dinner parties are one of my favorite things. i love to host guests and entertain. christine is an amazing guest, and has stayed with us several times. this visit was one of my favorites because it was so laid back! when she comes, i don’t have to impress anyone. she’s up for walks, baking, sitting, watching miami vice…. anything brian and i already want to do, she’s there. thanks for bringing a little peace to this house, christine! we love you!

roasting vegetables

fourth carrot recipe!

i roast vegetables probably 4 times a week. it is super fast, and you can do anything with roasted veg. so versatile. you can have them on the side, toss them with pasta, or my favorite, put them on a sandwich. yum yum.  roasting veg produces a soft, smokey flavor, and uses minimal fat. you can season however you wish, but here i’m including a basic recipe that is easy to play around with.

roasted carrots, summer squash, and mushrooms

preheat oven to 450. cut squash and carrots into big fat chunks, and if mushrooms are small, you may leave them whole, or cut in half if desired. arrange on a cookie sheet, keeping them separated in groups. this way, if something cooks faster than the others, you can easily pull them out so they are not over done. spray with a little olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. i like to throw some fresh rosemary in there (not cut so you can pull it out easily), but you can season however you want. put in the oven, and move veg about the cookie sheet every 5-10 minutes or so, preventing them from sticking to the sheet or burning. just keep an eye on them, maybe 20 minutes is all they need to cook. you know they’re done when the carrots are just a little browned at the edges, mushrooms have just given up their juices, and squash is tender and slightly brown.

you can roast huge amounts at a time, like i do, so you can have them as left over. goat cheese and roasted veg is probably my favorite lunch. i also usually keep some handy for a really quick dinner, and this is my usual, which brian and i have perfected:

roasted veg with couscous and lemon caper salmon

yes, that is fish. we are not real vegetarians. there, i said it. we love fish, and i’ll never quit eating it. it’s too good, and too healthy for me to abandon. we roast it with the veggies, and use whatever starch we can find. couscous was the victim on this particular night. really delicious and simple. a dinner like this takes us about 15 minutes to prepare, so no excuses on a work night.

i have to add: brea bought cupcakes from dozen last night, and let us pick out which we would take…. there was a carrot muffin. it looked amazing, and i know it probably was, but i could not eat it. i chose half of a chocolate peanut butter pretzel cupcake, and half of an earl grey, which i will eat today after lunch. i felt that if i chose a carrot cupcake, i would be betraying the carrots that suffer in my refrigerator. and no, i’m not getting tired of carrots yet!

thanks for the cupcakes, brea!

sesame/honey/ginger carrots with tempeh and shrooms

third carrot recipe!

it’s true that if you eat too many carrots, you will in fact turn orange. i’m willing to take that risk for the sake of my taste buds and my vow to use these stupid carrots. have i learned my lesson, not to buy huge amounts of things just because they are delicious and on sale? i would like to say yes, but i’m just not sure yet. i am having a fun challenge with carrot fest 2009.

a challenge, yes… but this is too easy. tempeh must be my favorite dinner “medium” to work with. the key is to steam it before you season it. that’s it. that’s the secret. carrots are such an amazing veg, they just fall into place anywhere you want to put them in the recipe world. tempeh and carrots are the 2 items i fall back on for a quick dinner or lunch, and here is one of the easiest, fastest, and tastiest ways. so many of my favorite flavors on one plate… i crave this. it’ll please the salt fiend and sweet tooth alike.

i have to add here that this meal is super delicious, and really good for you. vegetarians, take note, tempeh has 20 grams of protein PER SERVING, and is loaded with fiber. also, studies show that fermented and cultured foods build healthy immune systems, starting with the flora (good bacteria) in your stomach (speaking of fiber), promoting healthy digestive systems. carrots are high in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and manganese, and a good source of vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, iron, potassium and copper. (carrots are good for your eyes and make your fingernails grow, and attract the easterbunny., right mom?) don’t make me say it again, eat up some tempeh and carrots today.

sesame/honey/ginger carrots with tempeh and shrooms

2 whole carrots, scrubbed (i never peel them), ends off, cut into big fat coins

1 8 oz block tempeh, cut into cubes

6 big mushrooms, halved or quartered

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp ground ginger (more if you’d like)

cooking oil (sesame oil is good)

steam (in steamer basket) carrots and tempeh (mushrooms come in later) for 5-10 minutes. save yourself some dishes and just steam them together. remove from basket, and transfer to hot skillet that has been coated in oil (i like sesame oil for this). if you do not use enough oil, the tempeh will stick, and be annoying. cook for 5 minutes or so, gently shaking and moving tempeh and carrots about the oiled skillet frequently to avoid burning. add in remaining ingredients (yes, now the mushrooms), and cook for another few minutes, until mushrooms release their juices and everything else browns up nicely.

serve over couscous (like i did here), with some nice rice, alone, or whatever you desire. have a nice little salad with toasted almonds, pears, and some tasty dressing of 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp OJ.

couscous is another cheapie that goes a super long way. again, i make a lot at a time, and keep in the fridge to dish out throughout the week as a base for my dinner or lunch. i know the “purist” method for making couscous is by steaming it. i’m not hip to that yet, so this is how i do: boil 1 cup of veg broth (or water, if you so wish). once liquid is boiling pretty well, quickly stir in dry couscous and dried herbs (pinch of thyme is good), salt, and pepper. put lid on top, turn off heat, and let sit for 5 minutes. viola. couscous. now dress it up how you like, and throw any extra in a jar in the fridge. enjoy reheating quickly throughout the week and being creative using it in versatile dishes. how easy is that?

i’ve not run out of inspiration for using these carrots. no i have not. i have heard that shredding carrots into a bowl of morning oatmeal with cinnamon and cloves is quite the treat, along with pancake batter. i eat oatmeal every single morning, with the exception of pancake breakfast sundays. now i’m not saying that i’m going to try it, i’m just putting it out there. and if i get desperate, and have some straggling carrots left in the crisper this weekend, i might (MIGHT) think about it. I MIGHT… we’ll see.

what’s been in my cupboard…

this delicious meal has been lingering in my kitchen for months, and i didn’t even know it. i keep finding secret “pockets” of food that i’ve hidden from myself.

this past fall, my favorite grocery store was selling really tasty canned unseasoned pumpkin for less than $2. i was scared that this would be considered a seasonal item, and went the “safe” route of purchasing 1 can every time i went to that store. the bad news is, it ended up supplying me with 7 cans of pumpkin. 7. slowly, i’ve managed to knock it down to 2 cans by making pumpkin bread every month or so.

i love pumpkin bread, but 4 months of pumpkin bread had me all pumpkined out. last sunday, i decided to try something crazy. i had 1/2 package of won ton wrappers in the freezer, which is essentially pasta. why not mix together these 2 wacky ingredients, plus a few other things i have laying around, and see what we can come up with?

pumpkin ravioli was almost too easy to make. really. it wasn’t too time consuming, either. it’s a weekend thing, though. not something i’d do right after i get off of work.  i guess it took 30 minutes or so to fill the noodles, but it wasn’t too intense.  i didn’t have a recipe, so i just threw the whole thing together. it was actually fun!

i really like slightly sweet AND savory pumpkin ravioli. it sounds yucky, but it’s amazing. just try it.

*reserve 1/2 can of pumpkin for serving sauce.

this is what i did:

mixed 1/2 of a 16 oz can of pumpkin with the following:

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese

garlic powder to taste

1 tsp dried sage

1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary

1 tsp cinnamon (trust me)

1 tbsp maple syrup (trust me)

mix all of those things together in a big bowl. feel free to add other things, if you like. goat cheese or other herbs would be a good add in. if the mixture seems a little thin or runny, you can add a few sprinkles of arrowroot or cornstarch to thicken.

your work surface should be super clean, super dry, and floured. you’ll need a little space to spread out. you’ll also need a tiny bowl or cup with clean water to seal the pasta closed.

take 1 sheet of the noodle wrapper on the floured surface, and spoon 1 tsp of the filling right in the center. dip a finger in the water, and trace around the edges of the noodle.

carefully fold pasta in half, slowly pressing out ALL of the air before you seal.

run your dry fingers around the outside of the pasta to get a good seal.

you only want the water on the inside of the noodle, not on the outside. use a dry fork to gently go all the way around the noodle, sealing completely.

place sealed pasta on large plate or cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. don’t let noodles touch each other, they will stick. continue until you are out of pasta.

stick prepared raviolis in the fridge, uncovered, for 30 minutes or so. this allows the edges to dry out a little so the noodles don’t just fall apart when you cook them.

while pasta is sitting in the fridge, make sauce. if you have leftover prepared pumpkin from filling noodles, use it, too, mixed in with the other half can of pumpkin you have left over.

this is what you need for sauce:

1/2 can of reserved pumpkin

2/3 cup soy milk

3 tbsp maple syrup

sprinkle of salt, pepper, cinnamon, garlic powder

2 tbsp dried sage

mix all ingredients in saucepan over medium. stir frequently, and let cook for 20 minutes or so. keep well stirred, and turn to low heat to keep it hot until you serve. you can add whatever you want to this. if you like a thick, creamy sauce, you can use heavy cream here, or add in some nice parmesan cheese. keep tasting and adding whatever you want.

to cook the pasta:

fill a stockpot with cold water and a dash of salt. get it boiling. drop no more than 2 or 3 noodles into the boiling water at a time, and keep them moving, otherwise they will drop to the bottom and stick there. let them cook for 3 minutes, or until the edges are mostly clear, stirring constantly.

use skimmer or slotted wire spoon to remove, placing them on prepared sheet (not touching each other), or ready plates.

spoon sauce over individual plates of ravioli. a sprinkling of shelled pumpkin seeds would be great here!

to freeze, simply place individual noodles (uncooked) in single layers on parchment paper, stack, and seal up in an air-tight container. to cook from frozen, thaw for 10 minutes before dropping into boiling water.

i served the ravioli with some baked tofu for protein, and a nice little side salad, which doesn’t need a picture.

to bake tofu, i drain a standard block of firm tofu by sandwiching the block between 2 plates, and letting it sit of 10 minutes or so. slice block into 3 slices, fillet style. i coat a casserole dish with a little olive oil, and place tofu on the oil. sprinkle salt, pepper, basil, and any other desired spices on the top. bake in a 500f oven for 20 minutes or so, just until top is barely browned. you don’t want it to dry out. serve it with your yummy pumpkin sauce!