Image by Food Stories

500g Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 table spoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sticks of celery, washed and sliced
900mls chicken stock
100mls single cream
6 rashers bacon
100g hazelnuts, toasted and ground

- Gently fry the onions with the celery for 5 minutes
- Add the garlic and artichokes for 30 seconds
- Add the stock, bring to the boil and then simmer for around 20 minutes
- Meanwhile, grill the bacon until really crispy and chop into pieces
- Blend until smooth, then stir in the hazelnuts and cream
- Top each serving with some of the crispy bacon pieces, and a swirl of olive oil and cream if you remember!

Image by eskay8

Lentil, Broccoli and Orange Salad

The oranges add a sweet note to this hearty, crunchy salad. Serve as a side dish or with crusty bread or pita as a light meal. There are lots of ways you could vary this salad: swap out the broccoli for sweet pepper or cucumber, or try a different fruit instead of the orange–strawberries or peaches would be an interesting twist. Crumbled feta would really make it sing; I’m sad I didn’t have any to add this time.

Serves 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side

1 cup lentils*
chicken or vegetable stock (optional, for cooking lentils)
1 head broccoli
1 large navel/seedless orange, or 2 smaller oranges
1/2 head (approx.) romaine or other sturdy lettuce
juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
sunflower seeds for garnish

This is a make-ahead recipe since the lentils need to be cooked ahead of time to cool down and for the flavours to mingle.

Rinse the lentils in a large bowl or pot (I use the pot I’m going to cook them in) and pick them over to check for stones. Cover with about 1″ of water and stock if using. (I chuck in a few icecubes worth of frozen chicken stock. It adds more flavour to the pot.) Add a bit of salt unless your stock is salted. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. When they’re cooked, drain off any excess liquid and set the pot aside.

While the lentils are cooking, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Chop the broccoli into small florets and the orange into…pieces. I don’t get fancy with it. Wash the lettuce and tear into pieces, but don’t add it to the salad until you’re ready to serve it. (If you’re planning on serving the salad much later, I would probably wait to prep the lettuce, but a couple of hours wrapped in a towel in the fridge isn’t going to harm the lettuce too much, and it means less work later.)

Make the dressing: squeeze the citrus juice into a small bowl and add both the vinegars and the olive oil. Add some salt and pepper. Whisk to combine and see if it needs more oil.

Pour the dressing over the cooked and drained lentils and stir to combine. Fold in the broccoli and orange, and stash it in the fridge for a few hours. (3? ish?) When it’s time to eat, heap the lettuce on a large plate or in a bowl and place the lentil mixture on top. Garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Image by Island Vittles
Sui Choy Cabbage rolls with rice, aromatics and shrimp from the dock. Served with ponzu and sweet chili sauces.

Image by nettsu

Mix the veggies up a bit – used brussel sprouts and potato instead of parsnips and eggplant
also added chilli & corriander to the sauce
Preheat oven to 220 degrees celcius. Cut vegetables into 3cm chunks (base recipe asks for butternut pumpkin, parsnips, carrots, kumara (sweet potato or yams), small eggplant). Spread onto a roasting pan and toss with star anise (2) and 1 tablespoon of olive oil (i toss them in a bowl before transferring them to the roasting pan). Season with pepper and roast for 25-30 minutes until golden around the edges.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over low heat, add garlic (2 cloves), ginger (4cm piece) and 2 thinly sliced red onions – i also added i thinly sliced chilli at this point – stir for 10 minutes until softened. I added the corriander (cilantro) about half-way through. Increase heat to medium, add 1/2 cup brown sugar, stir for 1-2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of soy and reduce for 1 minute, add the juice of half a lime. Tip roasted vegetables into pan and carefully turn to coat into the sauce. Serve with steamed rice and lime wedges.

Image by norwichnuts
Close Up, Recipe to follow:

1 recipe Puff Pastry (make mine previous post or buy)
1 cup Toffutti Sour Cream
1/2 cup chopped waterchestnuts
1 cup chopped spinach, cooked
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/8 cup chopped parsley, fresh
1 whole veggie crab or 1 cup sliced
Juice from 1 lemon + zest

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all ingredients except crab, lemon, pastry and zest.
Lay out pastry – place crab in center and spoon the filling over it- add lemon juice and fold together like a package.
Sprinkle with some zest and rice parmesan and bake 35 minutes.
Serves 6-8 as appetizer.

Image by eskay8
1 cup lentils*
chicken or vegetable stock (optional, for cooking lentils)
1 head broccoli
1 large navel/seedless orange, or 2 smaller oranges
1/2 head (approx.) romaine or other sturdy lettuce
juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
sunflower seeds for garnish

This is a make-ahead recipe since the lentils need to be cooked ahead of time to cool down and for the flavours to mingle.

Rinse the lentils in a large bowl or pot (I use the pot I’m going to cook them in) and pick them over to check for stones. Cover with about 1″ of water and stock if using. (I chuck in a few icecubes worth of frozen chicken stock. It adds more flavour to the pot.) Add a bit of salt unless your stock is salted. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. When they’re cooked, drain off any excess liquid and set the pot aside.

While the lentils are cooking, prepare the rest of the salad ingredients. Chop the broccoli into small florets and the orange into…pieces. I don’t get fancy with it. Wash the lettuce and tear into pieces, but don’t add it to the salad until you’re ready to serve it. (If you’re planning on serving the salad much later, I would probably wait to prep the lettuce, but a couple of hours wrapped in a towel in the fridge isn’t going to harm the lettuce too much, and it means less work later.)

Make the dressing: squeeze the citrus juice into a small bowl and add both the vinegars and the olive oil. Add some salt and pepper. Whisk to combine and see if it needs more oil.

Pour the dressing over the cooked and drained lentils and stir to combine. Fold in the broccoli and orange, and stash it in the fridge for a few hours. (3? ish?) When it’s time to eat, heap the lettuce on a large plate or in a bowl and place the lentil mixture on top. Garnish with sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Image by B*2

• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 cup French green lentils, picked over and washed
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 tablespoon + 1 tsp red wine vinegar, divided
• 1/2 pound cremini or button mushrooms, quartered
• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 6 basil leaves, chiffonade
• Black pepper, to taste

How you do it:

1. In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. When hot, saute the scallion with a pinch of salt for 2 minutes, then add the garlic and continue to saute for 1 minute, until the scallion and garlic are softened. Add the lentils with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender but not falling apart, around 20 minutes. By the time they’re done, there shouldn’t be much liquid left in the pan.

2. Meanwhile, in a very hot saute pan, cook the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, turning occasionally. Try to get them to brown well on most sides. Season with salt and remove from heat.

3. When the lentils are cooked, add the smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 tablespoon of red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Toss the cherry tomatoes, basil, capers, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl.

5. To serve, divide the lentils into bowls. Top with the mushrooms, and top that with the tomato salad. Give the whole thing a grind of black pepper and another little dusting of smoked paprika.

Image by whitneyinchicago

1 1/4 cups white distilled vinegar
1 1/4 cups cold water
1 tablespoon kosher or pickling salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 pound sugar snap peas, stems trimmed and strings removed (I didn’t know what strings Deb was talking about)
4 garlic cloves, sliced
dried red pepper flakes, 5 or 6 shakes from a shaker jar if you like things spicy

2 cups apple cider vinegar (plus more if you need it to top off jars)
2 cups water
1/4 cup sugar
6 sprigs fresh thyme [I love my balcony container garden]
5 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons [which is also 1/2 tablespoon if you have one of those] black peppercorns, cracked
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
Heaping 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Heaping 1 1/2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
1 1/2 pounds small (finger-sized) carrots, or standard carrots cut down into sticks about 1/2 in wide and 2 in long [please don't use the bagged baby carrots b/c those just taste like plastic]

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, thyme, garlic, black peppercorns, red pepper flakes, salt and mustard seeds. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, and let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup vinegar.

Put the carrots in a large, heatproof bowl, and pour the warm brine over them. Cool to room temperature.

While the carrots cool, make sure your canning jars are cleaned. (I used a large leftover spaghetti sauce jar that I had soaked over night in baking soda a few times to get rid of the smell.)

When the carrots and brine are cool, distribute the carrots evenly among the jars, arranging them snugly. (Molly says that hands and fingers work best and she is right.) Using a ladle, divide the brine evenly among the jars. The carrots should be completely covered by brine. If not add more 2 parts vinegar and 1 part water to cover. [I had plently.]

Seal firmly and refrigerate for at least 3 days, or, preferably, a week; carrots are dense and take time to absorb the brine. [all the more reason to make sugar snaps on the same day so that you can munch on them while you are waiting.]

Image by tiny banquet committee

• 1 (14-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, rinsed
• 1/2 pound shallots (4 to 5 large)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
• 1 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

• cooked jasmine rice; steamed baby bok choy (optional); lime wedges

Image by Island Vittles

Image by Vegan Feast Catering
I have been nursing a little cold the last day or so- this will fix me up.
Recipe :
1 bunch chopped bok choy
6 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup tamari
2 Tbsp mirin
1/2 cup veggie crab,cut into bite-size pieces
2 packages udon noodles
1 cup chopped mushroom
1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts
1/2 cup leek, chopped
1 tbsp ginger

Place all ingredients in pot and bring to a simmer.
Feeds 4

Image by Vegan Feast Catering
Recipe to follow
I steamed zucchini noodles and served the eggplant over it.
Sliced eggplant- dipped in pesto ( previous recipe), then breaded in panko and baked 375 degrees for 30 minutes. The last 5 minutes I added the Tofu Kreme and sprinkled some veggie Parmesan.

Tofu Kreme Sauce:
10 oz Tofu
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
2/3 cup Nutritional Yeast
2 tbsp. Corn Starch
1 tsp. Turmeric, powder
Black pepper to taste

Puree and heat. 1 1/2 cups

Image by ulterior epicure

Ingredients
24 large asparagus
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or to taste
Granulated sugar
Fine sea salt 

Method

Hint: For this presentation, the larger the spears, the better.  This is an “interactive” dish – the spears should be picked up and dipped in the vinaigrette.

Set aside 4 asparagus spears for the vinaigrette. Cut off the tough bottom ends of the asparagus spears and set those aside for the vinaigrette as well.  With a vegetable peeler, peel the remaining asparagus.

Set a steamer basket in a pot over simmering water. Place the peeled asparagus in the basket, cover, and steam for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until the spears are just tender when pierced with the tip of a paring knife. Be careful not to overcook the asparagus.

Meanwhile, fill a bowl with ice water. When the asparagus is cooked, lift the spears with a pair of tongs and submerge them in the ice bath to cool, then remove and roll them in a clean kitchen towel to dry.

For the vinaigrette, cut the reserved 4 asparagus spears into 1-inch pieces. Place in a small saucepan and the trimmed aspagarus bottoms and add 1/4 cup water and the olive oil. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is completely softened. The water should have evaporated, and the asparagus should be steweing in the oil.

Pour the asparagus into a blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and whisk in the mustard, lemon juice and a pinch each of sugar and salt.

Serve the asparagus on a platter, with the vinaigrette in a small dish or ramekin on the side for dipping.

Image by Rakka

1. Combine all ingredients for the stock in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until chicken is fully cooked and meat is falling off the bone, about 1 hour.
2. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside to cool; strain the stock, discarding the vegetables. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and shred the chicken into 1/2-inch-wide pieces. Discard skin and bones and reserve meat.
3. Return the stock to the stockpot and add the fresh vegetables; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Return shredded chicken to the soup.
4. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add egg noodles and simmer until almost completely cooked, about 4 minutes; drain noodles.
5. Add cooked noodles to the soup and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Image by Fuschia Foot

Ingredients

2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 green onion, chopped
3 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon sunflower kernels
DRESSING:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons white vinegar

Directions

In a bowl, combine the broccoli, bacon, onion, raisins and sunflower kernels. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients; stir until smooth. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, stirring occasionally.

Image by cyberpenguin

Pumpkin Risotto

Ingredients:
6-8 c. water (for boiling the pumpkin)
2 1/2 c. fresh pumpkin, peeled, pulp scooped out, deseeded, and diced into 1″ cubes*
1 c. walnuts, crushed
1 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. yellow onion, peeled and diced (about 1/4 large onion)
1/4 c. shallots, peeled and finely minced
1 Tbsp. garlic, peeled and finely minced (about 2 large cloves)
1 large fresh bay leaf
1 c. mushrooms, well-rinsed and thinly sliced (about 3 large or 4-5 medium mushrooms)
1 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 c. superfino arborio rice, uncooked
1/2 c. quinoa, uncooked
1/4 c. dry white wine
3-4 c. water (or low-sodium, organic vegetable broth)**
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced and densely packed
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh sage leaves, julienned and densely packed
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely minced and densely packed
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, (plus more for garnish), julienned and densely packed
1/2 (heaping) c. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shredded***
1 Tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1/3 c. Silk coconut milk (or if unavailable, use plain, lite soy milk)

Directions: Bring water to a rolling boil (on high heat) in a large sauce pot, about 8-10 minutes. Then add diced pumpkin and boil until tender (but not mushy), about 15-20 minutes. Drain into a colander, allow to cool for about 10 minutes, and then take 1 c. of the diced pumpkin and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until smooth, then set aside.

While pumpkin is cooking, spread walnuts onto an aluminium foil-covered baking tray and toast in a 350°F preheated oven for 2-3 minutes, or until light golden brown. Let cool and set aside.

In a large (12-13″) sauté pan, sauté onion, shallots, garlic, and bay leaf in extra virgin oil on low heat for 2-3 minutes, or until almost soft and translucent but not browned. Stir frequently. Next add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and gently stir to combine. Cook for another minute, then turn up heat to medium and mix in rice and quinoa. Stir continually for about 1-2 minutes, allowing both the quinoa and rice to crisp slightly but not brown. When adequately crispy, a translucent outline will appear around the outside border of both the rice and the quinoa. (This step is particularly important, as it cooks off the rice’s starchy coating and prevents the grains from getting sticky and mushy when the liquid ingredients are added.) Watch pan carefully so the rice and quinoa don’t brown or burn. Then quickly deglaze with white wine, stirring constantly, until liquid is fully absorbed, about 5 minutes.

Wait until pan only has a thin layer of liquid on the bottom, then use a liquid measuring cup to incorporate water or broth, adding only one cup at a time, stirring constantly. Allow each cup to be absorbed before adding the next. Each addition should be only just enough to cover the risotto. Cook until rice and quinoa are al dente, about 15-20 minutes. With about 5 minutes of cooking time left to go, stir in fresh rosemary and sage. During the final minute of cooking, taste for consistency; if the rice &/or quinoa is still a bit too hard and crunchy, then add more water as needed (i.e., a cup at a time, waiting until each cup has been absorbed before adding the next), and continue to cook until the grains soften a bit more to the desired consistency. Be careful not to overcook; the risotto should be creamy but still firm. Test to see if it’s ready by pinching a rice grain; if only 2 or less beads remain, then the rice is done. When ready, remove from heat. Discard bay leaf with a slotted spoon, then add fresh parsley, basil, toasted walnuts, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and stir until just combined. Let cool for a few minutes, then add lemon juice and lite coconut milk (or plain, lite soy milk, if preferred), mixing thoroughly to evenly distribute ingredients. Gently fluff once, then let stand for 10-15 minutes. Divide into equal portions. Garnish each portion with additional basil, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 6-8 servings as a main course, or 10-12 servings as a side dish.

Image by Island Vittles

Preparation time: 30 minute(s)

Cooking time: 10 minute(s)

Diet type: Pescatarian

Diet (other): Reduced fat

Number of servings (yield): 2

Image by the urban mermaid

Ingredients

• 1/2 (16 ounce) package whole-wheat angel hair pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 large onion, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 1 (2 ounce) can anchovy fillets, drained and quartered
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
• 2 cups coarsely chopped kale
• 1 (4 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Image by karenandbrademerson

Ingredients

Image by Denni Schnapp
Overkill on a plate:

Pumpkin and courgette curry:
Recipe here (I substituted courgette for some of the pumpkin)

Korma gosht:
1 onion: slice and brown lightly
2 bay leaves, 2.5 cm cinnamon, 8 peppercorns, 8 cloves, 4 green cardamoms, 2 large cardamoms: grind
400g lamb (I use shoulder), cubed: mix with spices, add to pot and fry to seal
4 cloves garlic, equal amount ginger: crush with salt, then add and fry until acrid smell is gone
20g ground almonds, 1tsp turmeric, 2tsp cumin, same coriander: stir in and fry (stirring frequently) until the ghee or oil separates
150ml natural yoghurt (full fat): stir in (add a little water if necessary) and simmer until tender
10g creamed coconut: stir in just before serving

Okra and aubergine curry:
I can never decide between the two when eating out—so why not have both? I’ve lost the link to the original recipe, and it may be an idea to add onion.
Slice 1-2 large aubergines and fry until golden, pat dry and set aside.
1tsp onion seed (nigella), 1 tbsp each brown mustard seed and fennel seed: fry very gently for ten minutes.
4 cloves garlic, equal amount ginger (crushed with salt), chillies (to taste): add and fry another 10 minutes
Edit: on reflection, I add one finely sliced onion at this time as well.
2 tomatoes (peeled & diced), 300g okra, aubergine: stir in, add a splash of water and gently simmer/steam for a final 10 minutes.

All with my standard cucumber, onion and tomato relish with lime juice and coriander

Image by Cookthinker
komatsuna, bok choy and kale stir fry

Image by leesean
Pimentón salmon, Swiss chard with chickpeas, brown rice

Image by vigilant20
This is a food network recipe. I had to add a full extra cup of liquid to get it to a thick but workable consistency. It really could have used more. I also had to add extra ice cubes at the end to chill, because it took long enough to blend that it had warmed up a bit.

1 apple
1/2 avocado
1/2 c apple juice (I used orange)
1/2 c ice
3 sprigs mint leaves (I left out)
1 tsp lime juice

Image by ontheflyrecipes

1. Rinse and drain the chickpeas.
2. Chop the onion, cucumber, tomatoes and bell pepper.
3. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until evenly mixed and coated with the olive oil.
4. Ready to eat!

• For this sort of dish, the proportions are completely up to you. Plus, with vegetables always varying in size, the proportions listed above are just a really rough guide.
• Similarly, you need not stop at these veggies alone. Especially for the vegetarians out there, you can expand this dish into a small meal with the addition of other classic Greek ingredients like feta cheese and olives.
• This recipe yields quite a bit of food, so I served it as both the meal’s carbohydrate and veggie portion…and the whole amount disappeared.

Image by Indiana Public Media
Roast the eggplant:
rub with olive oil
roast in 350-375 degree oven
30-40 minutes
they will collapse, very soft to touch\

Image by The Flirty Girl

You will need:

• Kale – I used 6 small leaves
• Celery – sliced a little less than a cup
• Onion –  1/4 but you could add more
• Salt – to taste
• Pepper – to taste
• Balsamic Vinegar – enough to coat pasta when you toss it with the vegetables I used approximately a TBS and a half
• Pasta – Made just enough to create two servings
• Cooking Oil – Sesame works well

I chose Barilla’s Campanelle Pasta. I’d never had it before but it may be my new favorite pasta. I’ve always been a fan of ruffled (Fusilli and Rotelle) and textured tubular pastas (Ziti, Rigatoni, Penne) because of how they hold more sauce and little bits of garlic and seasonings not just on, but also in them.
Campanelle is the best of both worlds! This pasta is a semi circle (half of a circle) to be exact. The straight edge is a plain cut and the curved edge is ruffled. The pasta is then rolled into a cone shape perfect for catching and holding seasonings and sauce. So cute!
I used sesame oil to saute the veggies in. It can take high heat and won’t burn the way other oils can.
Basically, this dish came about because I had some leftover veggies in the fridge. A white onion and some celery, hmmmm what to make for dinner? I thinly sliced both so that they would cook quickly and so that their flavors wouldn’t be overpowering.

To begin I added the sesame oil to the saute pan, kept the heat on med low and slowly cooked the onions.
When they began to caramelize just a bit I added in the celery and sauteed them together for a couple of minutes. I wanted the celery to be “al dente” like pasta meaning cooked but not overcooked. I wanted them to retain some crispness for texture and flavor. When done, remove the onions and celery to a small bowl and set aside.

Next I needed to saute the kale. Since I’d only ever baked kale and didn’t know how to cook it on the stove top I went online and Googled “Sauteed Kale” and found this Bobby Flay recipe. It had 50 reviews and 5 stars so I figured it was a good one. I modified it a bit, simplifying it. I added a little more sesame oil to the saute pan I just took the celery and onions from, and let the minced garlic slowly cook on low heat until it just barely began to turn golden brown.

Next, I added the roughly chopped, bite sized pieces of kale. I added 1/2 cup of water, tossed the kale and garlic once, and as per Bobby’s recipe, put the heat up to medium high and put a lid on the pan for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes the kale was cooked. I added the freshly boiled pasta to the saute pan and tossed. Next I added the celery and onions and mixed them all together.

Here’s my best pasta tip: Time your pasta to finish cooking exactly when your sauce will be ready. It never tastes better than at that moment. Let it sit too long after cooking and it gets soft and overcooked. Even if you rinse with cold water I don’t think it ever tastes as good as when you can spoon it straight from the hot water and into the saute pan with your sauce to toss them together.

Final Steps: Add some balsamic vinegar and toss, then add the salt and pepper.

More Options:

1. MEAT: Small bites of (when possible, free range/organic) sauteed or baked chicken or (humanely produced) pancetta are obvious choices.
   Pancetta Photo Courtsey of www.OneVanillaBean.com

   Did you know you can even make your own pancetta? I found this blog post with pictures by someone who did to inspire you!

2. FLAVORED SALT: Use a flavored salt. I used Italian Black Truffle Salt and it was awesome! It is expensive at $24 for just a small jar but I look at it this way. One jar will last quite a while. You could easily spend $24 on a single bottle of wine that you’d drink (with or without friends) in one or two evenings so what’s  $24 for a jar of salt that will last you months?
3. CHEESE: Adding a finely grated (powdered) cheese like parmesan, romano or asiago would be flavorful and would make the dish more salty, so cut back on the salt if you add cheese.
4. SAUCES: To make the dish fancier you can always add a sauce. Here I whisked some butter and flour together over medium heat, then added some milk, salt and pepper to create a single, small serving of cream sauce.

Sourcing the Veggies: I found the organic veggies at my local farmers market. For around $5.50 I was able to afford all of the following organic produce:

• One bunch of kale
• One bunch of celery
• 5 potatoes
• 1 small onion
• 2 carrots

Image by sweet mustache
10 oz frozen green beans, defrosted
6 small red potatoes, cooked and diced
6 oz tuna (if from a can, drain)
3 flat anchovies (optional)
2 tbs pesto sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
3 tbs chopped parsley

Blanch the green beans in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain then plunge into cold water then drain again.

Place the potatoes, green beans and tuna in a large bowl.

Mix the anchovies (if using), pesto sauce and mayonnaise in another small bowl. Pour over the potato mixture, add salt and pepper and mix to coat evenly. Garnish with parsley

I used pesto sauce from a jar, low-fat mayonnaise and pre-flavored tuna, which I think is called :Tuna Creations”. The flavor I used was spicy, so it added a bit of a kick to the salad.

I would cook the green beans a bit longer, as they were too cruncy and “squeaky” for my taste.

But the salad was very good, overall.

Image by UCFFool
Prep time: ~10 minutes
Cooking time: ~ 20 minutes
Rating: Good (4)

*Cooking Light Magazine Complete
Cookbook Recipe* — pg. 422

Ingredients:
- Parmesan cheese
- Parsley
- 1/4 cup Chardonnay wine
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- salt
- 1 egg white
- garlic (minced) to taste
—-
- flour
- chicken breast (pounded flat)
- Green Giant green beans

Recipe:
- Heat pan to medium with a little olive oil
- clean chicken breast of unpleasant bits and flatten (cover with plastic wrap and pound with canned green beans, unopened)
- Mix first 7 ingredients in bowl
- Put an egg white in a separate bowl
- Dredge chicken in flour, then dip chicken through egg and then in mix till coated. Cook till done in pan.
- When chicken is completed, put wine, lemon juice, and a little butter or margarine in the pan, bring to a boil, and cook for < 1 minute. Serve over chicken.

- Heat green beans in microwave safe dish for 2 minutes, drain, serve.

Image by Guido_961

Image by framboise
Recipe:
Place tofu on kitchen towels to drain off excess moisture for 20 min.
Boil up some sauce for the tofu: 1/2 cup dashi stock, 1 tbsp soya sauce, 1 tbsp sake, 1 tsp mirin.
Coat cubes of tofu with sifted potato flour, and fry in corn oil (or other deep-frying oil) until slightly golden.
Serve in a bowl, with the sauce spooned over.
Sprinkle with grated radish or spring onion, if you’ve any in the fridge. I never have any…

Image by cizauskas
Cauliflower tossed with olive oil emulsified marinade of imperial stout, s/p, Vegit seasoning.

Roasted for 40 minutes at 425 °F.

Image by Patent and the Pantry

Streusel:

Image by FotoosVanRobin
Jamie Oliver’s Salmon (again)

400 gr green beans
200 gr cherry tomatoes
1 to 2 handfuls black olives, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 x 200 gram salmon fillet steak
1/2 lemon
1 handful fresh basil, picked
12 anchovy fillets

Preheat the oven and a roasting tray at the highest temperature.

Tail the green beans, blanch them until tender (6 minutes) in salted, boiling water, and drain. Put in a bowl with the cherry tomatoes and the stoned olives. Toss in the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the basil.

Give the salmon fillets a quick wash under the tap and pat dry with kitchen paper towels. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon over the fillets, on both sides, then season both sides with salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil over the top.

Take the hot roasting tray from the oven. Put the salmon at 1 end of the roasting tray. Add the green beans mixture next to the salmon in the tray

Lay the anchovies over the green beans!

Roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Or to your liking.
This is one of our favourite recipes. The combinations are just perfect.

Image by Rooey202

Ingredients

• 5 1/2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 pound)
• 24 green Spanish olives, pitted and halved
• 8 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped $
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained $
• 3 tablespoons olive oil $
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt $
• 3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Preparation

• 1. Preheat the oven to 450°.
• 2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small roasting pan. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with pepper and salt. Toss well to coat. Bake at 450° for 22 minutes or until cauliflower is browned and crisp-tender, stirring after 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley.

Image by 3liz4

Avocado Chocolate Bits Frozen Yogurt

Makes about 1 quart

2 cups whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large egg yolks

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

2 medium, firm-ripe avocados (6 to 7 oz. each), peeled, pitted

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1/3 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cacao)

Sweetened condensed milk for drizzling, optional

Heat milk and sugar over medium heat in a medium saucepan until just comes to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the vanilla.

Have ready a large bowl filled with ice and set a small metal bowl over the ice with a strainer set over it.

Place egg yolks in a medium bowl, lightly beaten.  Ladle some of the milk into the egg yolk, whisk it to prevent curdling.  Pour this mixture back into the rest of the milk in the saucepan.  Cook over low-medium heat until mixture is thick and can cover the back of a wooden spoon, about 4 to 8 minutes.

Pour the mixture over the strainer into the small bowl; stir in the yogurt.  Whisk the mixture over the ice bath until it cools completely.

Scoop the avocado meat and puree in a blender or food processor along with the lemon juice and some of the cooled custard.  Pour this mixture back to the rest of the custard, blend them together until it is thick and creamy.

Freeze the custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Halfway through the freezing process, fold in the chopped bittersweet chocolate.  Transfer the frozen yogurt into a freezer-safe container and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours.

Image by chrisfreeland2002

Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
3 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

Remaining ingredients:
3 C sugar
1 C vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 can pumpkin

Toppings & mix-ins:
-dried cranberries
-chopped walnuts
-pumpkin seeds (also sold as pepitas)

Preheat oven to 350degrees. Grease and flour 4 mini loaf pans or 2 regular sized ones.

In a large bowl, measure and combine the dry ingredients. Sift into a medium bowl and set aside.

In a large bowl, or using a stand mixer, beat the sugar and oil until well combined. Beat in the eggs and pumpkin, then add flour mixture, stirring just until the dry ingredients are dampened. Pour mixture into prepared pans.

If you’re going to go with the cranberries, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds (all three are great together, or mix and match your faves), add them to the top of each pan then use a knife to cut them into the batter. Sprinkle some on top of the batter, then bake for 1hr, or longer as needed. Check for doneness by sticking a toothpick into the loaf; if it comes out clean it is ready.

Let loaves cool for 5 minutes, then turn out of loaf pans onto a rack. You can use a knife to separate the loaf from the pan, if needed, but the grease + flour should make them pop right out. Let the loaves cool to room temperature, then wrap with aluminum foil.

Image by megabeth

1 .5oz package dried porcini mushrooms (or shitake)
1/4 onion, diced (or more if you prefer)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups vegetable broth (the stronger the better)
1/4 cup tamari
pinch nutmeg
pinch cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground pepper

Roux
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon corn starch, optional

Soak mushrooms in one cup of warmed vegetable stock for at least 20 minutes. Transfer to a small pot and simmer mushrooms for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove mushrooms and reserve remaining broth. Cut mushrooms into smaller pieces.

In small saucepan, heat olive oil and saute onions and garlic until softened. Add mushrooms and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add nutmeg, cayenne, salt and pepper and tamari.

Add remaining broth and cook for 5 minutes on low heat. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, make roux by combining olive oil, water and flour. Whisk until a thick paste is made.

Add roux mixture and cook until the gravy is thickened, stirring frequently. Another 5-10 minutes. If gravy is not getting thick enough for you, add some corn starch, if desired. The longer it simmers, the better it gets.

Image by avlxyz
Julia’s 芋头糕 Yam Cake turned out quite well. The texture was a bit firm, but it tasted great! I love the garnishings of finely chopped spring onion, coriander, 冬菜 “winter vegetable” (preserved cabbage), and fried shallots.

Don’t forget to drizzle some Hoisin and chilli sauce before eating!

Chinese-Style Steamed Pumpkin Cake*
Loh, Wai Fong
4 servings
Prep. Time: :25
*Total Time: 1:25
Ingredients:
10 oz. rice flour
2-3/4 cups water
1-1/2 cups finely chopped pumpkin
1/4 cup dried shrimps, soaked and minced
2 Chinese mushrooms or shitake mushrooms, diced
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. five-spice powder (optional)

Garnish:
2 shallots, sliced
1 stalk spring onion, chopped

Directions:

Mix the salt, flour, water and five-spice powder in a big mixing bowl.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a Chinese wok and sautéed the shallots
until it turns golden brown. Reserve for garnishing. Stir-fry the dried
shrimps for about 2 minutes and add the pumpkin and mushrooms. Continue
cooking for another 3 minutes until the pumpkin becomes soft. Pour the
flour solution into the wok and continue to stir the mixture until it
turns into a sticky paste. Pour the paste into a greased 9×5-inch loaf
tin (or any similar capacity baking dish) and steam at moderately high
heat for one hour. Allow 20 minutes to cool before serving the pumpkin
cake. Garnish with fried shallots and chopped spring onion.

Image by CreatiVegan.net

Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients:

♥ 2 green pepper
♥ 2 red pepper
♥ 200 g textured vegetable protein
♥ 1 garlic clove, minced
♥ 1 teaspoon parsley
♥ 1 teaspoon oregano
♥ 1 teaspoon basil
♥ a pinch of black pepper
♥ 4 tablespoon soy sauce
♥ 300 ml soy milk
♥ 20 g vegetable margarine
♥ 50 g wheat flour
♥ salt
♥ nutmeg
♥ olive oil

Preheat oven at 180ºC. Moisturize TVP in 300 ml warm water. Drain and fry in a frying pan with olive oil. Add garlic clove, parsley, oregano, basil and black pepper and sautée 4 minutes. Add soy sauce, stir well and cook 3 minutes more.
Wash peppers and chop the top. Remove seeds and fill in peppers with the TVP and cook 20 minutes at oven.
For the bechamel: melt margarine in a frying pan at medium heat. Pour some soy milk and, always stirring, add gradually wheat flour and more soy milk, until it’s a soft and curd free cream. Add salt.
Put peppers in a serving dish, por bechamel and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Image by mallydally

• 6 large leeks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• About ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup sliced shallots
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1½ to 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Peel any bruised outer layers from leeks. Trim roots, leaving root end intact. Trim off tops on diagonal, leaving two inches of green. Cut in half lengthwise. Clean very well in water to remove internal grit. Pat dry with towel.

3. With cut sides up, season with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grindings of black pepper.

4. Heat pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in ¼ cup oil and wait 1 minute. Place cut side down in pan without crowding them. (Make in two batches, and use more oil, if necessary.) Sear them 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, and turn over to cook 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them, cut side up, to a gratin dish that will fit leeks and chicken, or use two dishes.

5. Pour ¼ cup oil into pan and heat over medium heat. Add shallots, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until just beginning to color. Add wine and reduce by half. Add 1½ cups stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Please feel free to call all your friends at this point and brag about how amazing your kitchen smells.

6. Pour over leeks, without quite covering them.

7. Braise in oven 30 minutes, until tender. Serve alongside your favorite main course (mine is baked chicken breast and rice), and enjoy!

Image by Gudlyf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• balsamic vinegar
• Worcestershire sauce
• tamari (or soy sauce)
• ketchup

Cook onions and mushrooms in a skillet over medium heat until tender, browned and beginning to caramelize. Then drizzle the pan with balsamic vinegar, then Worcestershire sauce, then tamari, then add a squirt of ketchup.

Image by mallydally

• 2 cups salted water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped into 1″ lengths (if you can’t find lacinato kale, curly kale works fine too)
• 1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced (I couldn’t find Meyer lemons in my grocery store, but a normal lemon also worked fine)
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil or olive oil
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions

1) First, toast your pine nuts: Spread pine nuts in a single layer on parchment paper or foil on a pan. Heat in a toaster oven for 3-4 minutes using the toast function- you don’t want the nuts to burn, so keep an eye on them.

2) Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.

3) While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, scallions, oil, pine nuts, and goat cheese.

4) Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed — the water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed). When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice if needed.

Image by anthimeria

Ingredients
3 large beets
4Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 cloves
few allspice balls
large clove garlic
small knob ginger, about 1/2Tbsp (optional, for subtle heat)
1/2Tbsp kosher or sea salt
sage leaves, or other fresh herb (optional)

In a food processor, blend garlic, ginger and salt into a fine paste. Incorporate vinegar. Slice beets very thinly across (see photo) and pack into jars with cloves and allspice. Spoon pickling liquid overtop. Put on some summer tunes, and shake the heck out of those jars. (This tenderizes the vegetables and speeds up the pickling process.) Refrigerate. To keep the brine distributed, dance and shake whenever you feel compelled, preferably often.

These can be eaten straight-away, but are best after they rest for at least a few days, optimally a week. They keep for a couple weeks sealed tightly in the fridge.

Image by Haley GR

Image by su-lin

Catalan Style Swiss Chard
serves 2 as a side dish.

500g Swiss chard
30g pine nuts, lightly toasted
30g black or golden raisins
1 clove garlic, minced or finely sliced
2 tbsps olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soak the raisins in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Wash your Swiss chard and cut the thick stems from the leaves. You can either save the stems for another dish or slice them and boil them and add them later with the boiled leaves (the stems take longer to boil). Chop the leaves into smaller pieces and blanch them in boiling water until tender (you may need to do this in batches). Drain, squeezing out the water, and set aside.

In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pinenuts and soaked raisins and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic and continue sauteing until the garlic is fragrant. Add the cooked Swiss chard and continue sauteing for another couple minutes. Salt and pepper to taste and then serve.

Image by cizauskas

Mushroom Gravy, cooked for a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups vegetable broth
2 TBSP kudzu powder (or arrowroot)
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 TBSP, finely shopped fresh sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Kosher salt *
couple grinds black pepper
6 ounces white wine or beer**
1TBSP marmite
3 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 cup dried nutritional yeast
1/4 cup unflavored soy milk

*Omit salt if using commercial vegetable stock, which already contains a high level of salt.
** For more depth of flavor, use red wine or dark ale. Somewhat hoppy beers okay, as the stock can stand up to a layer of bitterness.

Image by Girl Interrupted Eating

To serve two

1 cauliflower cored and cut into 1/2cm tiny pieces
200g of risotto rice
1.5 pints of chicken/vegetable stock – I used leftover Turkey stock
1 tbsp of butter
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 tbsp of fresh parsley finely chopped
2 tbsp of grated Parmesan

Anchovy Crumbs
2 handfuls of stale bread, torn into pieces
1 small tin of anchovies, oil from tin reserved
1 tbsp of dried chilli flakes

1. Fry the garlic and onion in the butter , but do not allow to colour
2. Add the risotto rice , stir to coat well in the butter for about a minute
3. Heat the stock with the cauliflower in until simmering
4. Add 1/4 of stock to the rice until absorbed add the rest of the stock in ladles full stirring continuously
5. Finely stir in the cauliflower , parsley & parmesan

To make the anchovy crumbs

1. Place the bread in the food processor with the anchovies including the oil , pulse until crumbs
2. Fry in a hot pan until golden brown , add the chilli flakes

Image by FotoosVanRobin
1. Peel potatoes and cut into evenly chips.
2. Set aside in salted water with a splash of vinegar for 15 minutes.
3. Dry well in tea towel.
4. Deepfry at 150°C for about 5 minutes. (they shouldn’t brown, just “cook”)
5. Shake off excess fat, set aside.
6. Heat the oil to 180°C and finish frying for about 3 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Add salt and serve with homemade mayonnaise.

Image by vigilant20
2 Beets
1 Garlic gloves
4 tbsp Veganaise/Nayonaise
Salt to taste
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)

Bake or boil beets until softened. Let cool completely. Peel and grate cold beets, press garlic, grind walnuts or pecans, add veganaise/nayonaise and mix everything. Add salt to your taste.

Image by Andurinha

Image by mallydally

Ingredients

• 4-6 stalks chinese broccoli
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 lb chicken tenders, chopped into chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 2 cups white rice, cooked

Directions

1) Start by boiling about 2 cups of water in a pan. Once boiling, add the chinese broccoli and let blanch for 2-3 minutes, until the green color is really popping. Drain the broccoli, discard the water and dry off the pan with a towel.

2) Return the same pan to medium heat. Once pan is hot, add the oil. Add the chicken chunks one at a time, making sure they are spread out in one layer on the pan. We want to get a nice crust here on the chicken, so do not move them around once they are in the pan. Let cook for about 5-6 minutes, then flip the chicken chunks to get the other side brown. Let cook for another 5 minutes, then remove to a plate layered with a paper towel to catch the grease. Keep pan on the heat.

3) Add the garlic to the same pan and lightly brown, being careful not to burn. Add the blanched chinese broccoli and tomatoes, and saute for a minute.

4) Add the soy sauce and rice vinegar, and add back in the chicken. Cook for another minute to let the flavors meld, then serve over rice. Sprinkle scallions over top, and enjoy!

Image by Laurel Fan
Cauliflower soup from our usual recipe: break up the cauliflower, put it in a pot with a few cloves of garlic, pour milk over to cover, simmer until soft, puree.

Image by lynn.gardner
Used 85% lean organic ground beef, liquid egg whites, whole wheat salt-free seasoned bread crumbs, salt-free ketchup, and Stonewall Kitchen’s blue cheese mustard. While the recipe didn’t say to, I seeded my zucchini before shredding it in my food processor — just cut the squash in half lengthwise and scooped the seeds out with a spoon as if I were seeding a cucumber. I also wrapped the shredded squash in a tea towel and squeezed it until I couldn’t get any more moisture out.

Image by Emily Barney

Green Split Pea Soup

• ham bone, with broth if possible
• 1-2 lb. package green peas
• onion, if desired
• 2-3 medium carrots
• 1-2 stalks of celery
• water to fill crock pot
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Spread out peas on the table or in a wide bowl and pick through to make sure there are no lumps of dirt or other undesirables in the mix.
2. Place ham bone in the crock pot with any leftover ham broth, pour in peas and add water to fill, along with chopped onion, if desired.
3. Turn on crock pot and leave to cook until peas are soft – overnight is good, but you can also usually start this in the morning and come home to a mostly cooked meal.
4. Before serving, chop or shred carrots and slice celery, then stir in and cook until those vegetables are done. This should take 20-30 minutes at the most. Adjust seasoning before serving, though you probably won’t need salt because the ham usually provides that flavor.

Image by mallydally

Ingredients

• 3 bone-in pork chops, 1-inch thick
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, sliced into rounds
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions

1) Pre-heat the oven to 350. Heat up an oven-safe pan (that also has a lid) over medium heat. Pat dry the pork chops with paper towel, to eliminate any excess moisture that will detract from optimal browning. This will give the pork a great, golden delicious sear. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper.

2) When the oil is hot, place the pork chops in the pan, and let sit without moving them for around 5-7 minutes. Using tongs or a spatula, flip the pork chops and brown on the other side for another 3-4 minutes. When pork is done searing, remove from pan.

3) Add sliced onions to the pan, and let soften for 5 minutes, stirring to avoid burning. Your kitchen will start to smell real good at this point. While the onions are cooking, whisk together the white wine and soy sauce in a small bowl.

4) Once onions are cooked and caramelized, nestle the pork chops back into the pan, spooning the onions over the chops. Add the white wine-soy sauce mixture, cover the pan, and transfer to the oven for one hour.

5) Remove from pan, and serve- making sure to spoon the onions over the pork chops.

Image by StimpsonJCat

Cut potatoes in quarts and boil. (Don’t overcook)
Fill mushrooms with creamcheese with herbes (i.e. Boursin)
Chop tomaoes
Chop garlic

Place all in an ovendish
Add herbs: thym, basil,salt & pepper
Sprikle with cheese

Place in oven for 15 minutes.

Image by Average Jane
1 lb. green beans w/ends snapped off
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Salt, pepper and olive oil

Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. pressed garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2-3 tbsp. feta cheese crumbles
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place beans and walnuts on a baking sheet and drizzle and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss lightly. Roast for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Make vinaigrette by combining vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Drizzle in oil and add sliced onion. Remove beans and walnuts from oven, toss with dressing and transfer to serving plate(s). Garnish with feta cheese.

Image by .m.e.c.

Quick Green Bean Casserole
(feeds approx. 4-6 as a side)

Fresh green beans, about 1 1/2 lbs.

Mushroom soup – we use Imagine brand (it’s vegan, but you could use whatever)

Mushrooms, optional (throw ‘em in if you got ‘em!)

Topping:

• 1 – 1 1/2 tsp. margarine or butter
• 1 1/2 – 2 pieces bread
• Salt and pepper
• Small can (approx. 3 oz.) French’s French Fried Onions

Trim ends of green beans and cut into bite sized pieces. Boil in salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain well. If you have mushrooms around the house, sauté them in a little bit of oil or margarine while the beans are cooking. Add the beans to a 8″x8″ baking pan and pour in soup. You want it to be soupy, but the beans shouldn’t be drowning. If you need more liquid, add some vegetable broth or water. If using mushrooms, add to mixture.

For the topping, put the bread, margarine, and salt and pepper to taste in a food processor or blender until coarse. Mix with the French’s onions. Sprinkle on top of the green beans.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425° or until golden brown on top. Let sit for a minute for the soup can “tighten up.” Serve and moan on coach after eating too much.

This recipe is very adaptable. Put in more of what you like and less of what you don’t (or what you have around the house). It would also be delicious with onion rings on top of the bread crumb mixture.

Image by colormecrazyllc

4 Medium Zucchinis
1/3 lbs. Hot Sausage, browned*
2 Medium Chicken Breasts, browned & chopped
1 15oz. jar Alfredo Sauce
1 small onion or 5-6 green onions chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 c Mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp. Basil
1 c White Cheese, shredded
Small/fine Bread Crumbs

Image by 24oranges.nl

Ingredients for four

• cocktail glasses
• 800 g asparagus
• an orange
• 200 g chicken fillet
• 5 dl chicken bouillon
• 2 dle mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp of cream
• sherry
• ginger
• “kerry” (curry powder containing coriander, turmeric, cumin and so on)

Preparation

• Put the asparagus in cold water for 15 minutes before peeling it.

Meanwhile, start on the sauce:

• Whip two table spoons of cream until it’s stiff, then mix in two dl of mayonnaise, a dash of sherry, a bit of ginger, a knife tip of curry powder and a few drops of lemon. Put the sauce in the fridge.

Back to the asparagus:

• Peel the asparaguses (asparagese?) using a sharp knife or a thin-peeler. Be careful to get all the skin off. It’s very hard to see the skin, but remains hard when cooked, so you’ll notice immediately if you’ve left bits in. The skin is slightly smoother and shinier than what’s underneath.
• Cut off about half an inch of the bottoms, which tend to be a bit drier.
• Put the asparagus in a pan of water, making sure the stems are entirely in. Since you’re going to cut up the asparagus later anyway, you can cut the stems in half if need be. Just make sure the tips stay whole. Bring to boil, and let it boil for about 8 to 10 minutes (depending on size and freshness).
• Take the pan off the heater, put a cover on it, and let the asparagi (?) warm for another fifteen to twenty minutes in the hot water. Test if the asparagus is done by sticking a fork in a bottom.

While cooking the asparagus, get started on the chicken:

• If you often need stock, use fresh chicken bouillon (have it ready). Otherwise, cheat and used ready made bouillon.
• Poach the chicken filet in the bouillon for about 15 minutes. Poaching means: heat at a temperature slightly below boiling point.

Putting it together:

• Cut a few slices of orange.
• Cut the asparagus and chicken into smallish parts.
• Put the asparagus and chicken in cocktail glasses, saving the tips for last (mix it up a little). Cover with sauce. Garnish with orange slices and cooked asparagus tips.

Vegetarian variant: use Quorn instead of chicken, and herbal bouillon, and a vegetarian mayo. I’ve tried that once and it tastes similar enough.

Image by leoslo

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 12 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 small head cauliflower, broken into small florets
• 1 bunch scallions, chopped
• 1 cup grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese

Directions

Image by Andrea_Nguyen

Makes 2 quarts

3 1/2 pounds pickling (Kirby) cucumbers
1 large yellow or white onion
5 tablespoons salt2 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons mustard seed (any color)
1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2-inch piece cassia bark or cinnamon stick
4 or 5 Thai or Serrano chiles, split lengthwise to the stem so that it remains intact

1. Trim the ends from each cucumber and then cut crosswise into generous 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a large bowl. Halve the onion lengthwise and then cut into wedges about 1/2 inch wide at the middle. Add the onion to the bowl of cucumber slices.

2. Add the salt and 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar to the vegetables, tossing to coat well. Set aside, uncovered for 3 to 6 hours to draw moisture away from the vegetables. They will sweat, soften, and wrinkle.
3. Drain the vegetables, flush with water, then let drain. Taste for saltiness. If the pickles are exceedingly saltly (you wince), then rinse some more or let them soak in water for a few minutes before rinsing and draining well. You want the vegetables to be salty but not overly so. The tart-sweet brine will curb the saltiness so don’t worry too much about it.

4. Select a 2-quart glass container or 2 one-quart glass containers to hold the pickles. Wash and dry it. Set aside near the stove. If you have a wide mouthed canning funnel, have it handy. If not, you’ll just have to be careful with transferring the pickles to the container.

5. In a 5 or 6-quart pot, combine the remaining 2 cups sugar, vinegar, turmeric, mustard seed, coriander seed, peppercorns, cassia bark, and chiles. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cucumber and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally to ensure even exposure to the seasonings, until the pot is just at the simmering point. Avoid boiling as that will cause the cucumbers to go limp.

6. Turn off the heat. Transfer the vegetables and brine to the glass container. You should fill the container. Push down the vegetables as they have a tendency to bob up. Set aside, uncovered, to cool. Occasionally press down on the vegetables to submerge them in the brine.
When cooled to room temperature, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight before eating. The flavor will mellow and the vegetables will pick up a brighter yellow hue. The pickles keep well for a good 6 months in the refrigerator.

Image by Catfunt
With garlic, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Steamed/simmered for 40 minutes, tightly covered.

Image by wildjinjer
CUPCAKE:
1/2 c. turbinado sugar
1 c. brown sugar, not packed
1 1/2 c. flour
2 TBS. tapioca starch
1 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. butter
1 1/4 c. hot milk

I think maybe the starch makes for a moister cupcake. I used cornstarch last time, but didn’t like the corn flavor.

I blended everything else together before adding the hot milk.

Bake @ 350 Degrees. (8 minutes for mini-cupcakes).
I’m a believer in filling several wells of the cupcake pan with water instead of batter.

cool 1 minute or so in pan, then remove and cool on wire rack. Keep toddlers away from them while they cool. (this is hard.)

I experimented with a couple by putting thin pieces of dried chipotle pepper on the cupcake before frosting it. YUM! It might be even better to put some chipotle in the batter…

FROSTING:
whites of 2 eggs
~ 1/2 c. turbinado sugar
~3/4 c. butter
1/2 c. sour cream
1 large avocado
1 tsp. lime juice

Make swiss merengue buttercream.
blend avocado, sour cream & lime juice until smooth.
add avocado mixture to swiss merengue buttercream & blend thoroughly. I found that the avocado mixture made the buttercream separate into yucky curds until I blended it a great deal.

Note: The frosting is a much prettier green when the frosting is fresh.

Image by I Love Egg
Top Tier: Rose Wine Beet/Chicken/Bean Sprout mix.
Bottom: Canned bean salad, dried bananas, dried fruit.

Rose Wine Tinted Beet Mix Recipe

Ingredients:
-Beetroots(I used pre-boiled refrigerated ones, but canned shout also work. If using fresh ones, boil them before adding to the recipe)
-Bean Sprouts
-Slices of raw chicken thigh
-Rose wine
-Mushrooms
-Bay Leaf (optional)

Directions:
Soak the chicken in the wine for at least ten minutes. While waiting, dump the mushrooms whole in a pan with just enough water to cover the bottom and let them steam, along with the bay leaf. After 10minutes have passed, add the chicken to the mushrooms. Once the chicken is mostly cooked, add the bean sprouts and sliced beetroot pieces. The meal is ready once most of the liquid has boiled away or the bean sprouts have wilted. If the bean sprouts haven’t wilted by the time all the liquid is gone, add a tiny bit more to the mixture until this happens.

Image by anthimeria

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp whole fennel seeds
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 cup onion, diced (about 1 medium)
1 cup fennel, diced (about 1/4 bulb)
1 cup green apple (Granny Smith, Crispin), diced
450 grams dried green split peas, rinsed well
4 cups neutral stock (chicken, vegetable)
3 cups water

Equipment
1 large heavy-bottom soup pot with lid

Method
In soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-low with fennel seeds for about five minutes, until fragrance is released from the seeds. Add the onions and fennel with salt, and sweat until tender and translucent, about five minutes. Do not let the onions or fennel brown. Add the ginger and apples, and continue to cook until softened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the split peas, stock and water. Let this mixture come to a rapid boil, then reduce heat to medium. Simmer, covered, for approximately one hour. When the soup is ready, the split peas will be nearly disintegrated into a pulpy green mush. At this point, you can continue to cook to your desired consistency – for a very smooth soup, continue to cook for approximately 30 minutes.

To serve, ladle into bowls. Makes 8 generous portions and freezes very well. I pour two-cup servings into freezer bags for quick defrosting

Image by FotoosVanRobin
“If you prepare this dish with goosefat, the taste becomes even more special”, it said in the recipe. Well, I did and I hated it! This is exactly why I hate the dutch cuisine. Yuk, yuk, yuk. Tasteless & greasy!
Of course I could have imagined this beforehand. But because I loved the recipe for slowly panfried common beans (here) from the same recipebook I thought I’d give it a try anyway.

1.Clean brussels sprouts and potatoes. Cut the potatoes to a similar size as the sprouts.
2.Preboil both for about 5 minutes. Then drain.
3.Slowly panfry them on a medium high heat in 2 T goose fat for about 10-12 minutes.
4.Add salt and a pinch of chillie flakes.

Blurgh

From : Lekker Hollands by Yolanda van der Jagt.

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

• 2 cups salted water
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 bunch lacinato kale, washed and chopped into 1″ lengths (if you can’t find lacinato kale, curly kale works fine too)
• 1 meyer lemon, zested and juiced (I couldn’t find Meyer lemons in my grocery store, but a normal lemon also worked fine)
• 2 scallions, minced
• 1 tablespoon toasted walnut oil or olive oil
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions

1) First, toast your pine nuts: Spread pine nuts in a single layer on parchment paper or foil on a pan. Heat in a toaster oven for 3-4 minutes using the toast function- you don’t want the nuts to burn, so keep an eye on them.

2) Bring the water to a boil in a covered pot. Add the quinoa, cover, and lower the heat until it is just enough to maintain a simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes, then top with the kale and re-cover. Simmer another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and allow to steam for 5 more minutes.

3) While the quinoa is cooking, take a large serving bowl and combine half of the lemon juice (reserving the other half), all of the lemon zest, scallions, oil, pine nuts, and goat cheese.

4) Check the quinoa and kale when the cooking time has completed — the water should have absorbed, and the quinoa will be tender but firm, and the kale tender and bright green. If the quinoa still has a hard white center, you can steam a bit longer (adding more water if needed). When the quinoa and kale are done, fluff the pilaf, and tip it into the waiting bowl with the remaining ingredients. As the hot quinoa hits the scallions and lemon it should smell lovely. Toss to combine, seasoning with salt and pepper, and the remaining lemon juice if needed.

Image by mallydally

Ingredients

• 4-6 stalks chinese broccoli
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 lb chicken tenders, chopped into chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 2 cups white rice, cooked

Directions

1) Start by boiling about 2 cups of water in a pan. Once boiling, add the chinese broccoli and let blanch for 2-3 minutes, until the green color is really popping. Drain the broccoli, discard the water and dry off the pan with a towel.

2) Return the same pan to medium heat. Once pan is hot, add the oil. Add the chicken chunks one at a time, making sure they are spread out in one layer on the pan. We want to get a nice crust here on the chicken, so do not move them around once they are in the pan. Let cook for about 5-6 minutes, then flip the chicken chunks to get the other side brown. Let cook for another 5 minutes, then remove to a plate layered with a paper towel to catch the grease. Keep pan on the heat.

3) Add the garlic to the same pan and lightly brown, being careful not to burn. Add the blanched chinese broccoli and tomatoes, and saute for a minute.

4) Add the soy sauce and rice vinegar, and add back in the chicken. Cook for another minute to let the flavors meld, then serve over rice. Sprinkle scallions over top, and enjoy!

Image by mallydally

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber, sliced thinly
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp packed, fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1) In a bowl, combine sliced cucumbers and diced tomatoes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

2) In a smaller bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, salt, cilantro, vinegar and olive oil. Pour over cucumbers and tomatoes, toss, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to marinate together (if you can wait that long!).

Image by FotoosVanRobin
1. Clean 500g brussels sprouts (take of outer layer and cut off the stalk) and cut in half.

2. Heat 2T oil in a oven tray, start panfrying the sprouts, when they start to color, transfer to 200C oven for about 15 minutes.

3. When the sprouts are done, toss with fish sauce vinaigrette:
4T (60ml) fish sauce
2T (30ml) water
1T clear rice vinegar
juice of 1/2 lime
2T (30ml) sugar
1/2 clove of garlic, grated
1 red chili, chopped (or more)
1T coriander stems, chopped finely
1,5 T chopped mint

4. Garnish with some deepfried coriander leaves (5-10 seconds at 190C)

There’s also supposed to be puffed rice spiced with Japanese 7-spice powder (shichimi togarashi) but I couldn’t find any puffed rice. I think it’s something for India? So next time I’ll try find it in and Indian shop.

Image by Mr. Muskrat

Ingredients

• 3 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, small spouts left whole, larger spouts halved
• Salt and pepper, to your taste
• 1 cup chicken broth

Directions

Image by nc_hiker
This is an adaptation of a recipe from Nava Atlas in her fabulous cookbook called Vegan Express.

Roast about 8 cloves of garlic (place 8 cloves, drizzled with a touch of olive oil in a little piece of aluminum foil … don’t wrap them up or anything … the foil just acts as a holder for the garlic and oil).

Roast at 425°F for 15 minutes or so … until slightly browned, but not burned. It works well to do this when you’re using the oven for something else.

In a food processor, puree up one box of firm or extra firm silken tofu (12.3 ounces). Add in the 8 cloves of roasted garlic and 1 teaspoon salt. Puree till smooth.

Spread this garlic-y spread on a pizza crust. Top with caramelized onions. Add some roasted red pepper strips for color.

Bake at 425° till crust is done and all toppings are hot.

For gluten free folks, this pizza crust mix, while a bit pricey, is SUPER tasty!

Image by Christaface

Yield: 2 loaves or approximately 24 muffins

3 eggs
1 cup olive or vegetable oil
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 cup dried cranberries, raisins or chocolate chips or a combination thereof (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally. (See those pictures of the cakesinside their non-stick pans? Yup, they’re pretty much hanging out in there for the time being.) Alternately, line 24 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil and sugar, then zucchini and vanilla.

Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.

Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.

Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Muffins will bake far more quickly, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

Image by CreatiVegan.net

♥ 2 eggplants
♥ 150 g vegan salami or seitan
♥ 2 tomatoes
♥ 8 white asparagus
♥ 100 g vegan soy cheese
♥ 100 g tempura flour or chickpea flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
♥ sunflower oil (for frying)
♥ salt

Chop eggplants into 12 slices (long side), sprinkle with salt and let release bitter juice.
Chop tomatoes into 8 slices, vegan salami/seitan into fine slices, vegan cheese into pieces and cut asparagus in half.
Mix tempura flour or chickpea flour with water until thick.
Heat abundant oil. Coat eggplant in temputa/flour and fry both sides until lightly brown. Leave in kitchen paper.
For each sandwich, put an eggplant slice, two tomato slices, some salami/seitan slices, another eggplant, 4 half asparagus, more salami/seitan, another eggplant and vegan cheese on top.
Cook at the oven at 180ºC 8-10 minutes and serve hot.

Image by moirabot
So here’s what you do:

wash, chop and boil 2 medium sized potatos. mash these up, together with a can of black beans or red kidney beans (drained). add in half a cup of vegetable stock, 2 tablespoons of tamari or soy sauce, and a couple of chopped-up chillis or some ground chilli.

get 8 tortillas. with each one: fold the two sides so that they meet in the middle. put a dessertspoonful of the potato and bean mixture on one end of the tortilla, and roll it up. you end up with a tube shaped package filled with mixture, but with the two ends open.

heat up a cup of oil in a frying pan. put the first chimichanga in, seam-side down, and fry until golden. then flip over and fry the other side.

then fry the other seven, and consume! recommended with guacamole and salsa (or just tomato and avocado). also good for lunch the next day.

Image by FotoosVanRobin
Marinate or just set aside:
300g boneless chicken breasts

In a mixture of:
1 T light soy sauce
1½ T Shaoxing rice wine
½ t salt
1 t sugar
1 t sesame oil
2 t cornflour

Then heat some vegetable oil in a wok and stirfry the marinated chicken a couple of minutes until brown. Then add and stirfry some more:
1 T fresh ginger, chopped
1½ T garlic, chopped
2 T shallots, chopped
2½ T black beans, coarsely chopped

Add to simmer another 2 minutes:
100ml chicken stock

When finished, sprinkle with:
2 spring onions, chopped in rings

Served with white rice and chinese broccoli in oystersauce

Image by FotoosVanRobin

THE RECIPE

450g fresh salmon fillets

Rinse and dry the salmon.
Place on a heatproof plate.

2 T black beans, rinsed and chopped
1½ T garlic, chopped
1 T fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated

Mix the above together and divide over the fillets.

1½ T shaoxing ricewine
1 T light soy sauce

Mix the ricewine and soy and pour over the fillets.
Put the salmon in your steamer and steam for about 8-10 minutes. They should/could be slightly underdone. After that, sprinkle with

3 T spring onions, chopped
1 T coriander, chopped

Heat 1½ T peanutoil until steaming and carefully pour over the salmon, or actually over the spring onions and coriander.

Image by sweet mustache

Rice
1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
2 4″ Asian vanilla leaves
2 cups coconut juice

Meat Mixture
1/2 cup diced Asian sausage
1/4 cup Asian ham (I used some pork meatballs, diced)
1/2 cup cooked chicken, diced
2 oz cooked long beans
1/2 cup dried shrimp, soaked in water
2 Salted duck eggs (use only chopped yolks)
2 thin omelets
1 tsp chopped garlic (1 clove)

Seasoning
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp soy sauce

The Rest
5 quail eggs, hard cooked
2 tbsp oil for stir-frying

Cook the rice according to package directions with the coconut juice and vanilla leaves.

Make two thing omeletes (recipe here) and shred. Combine with the other meat mixture ingredients.

Heat the oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat. Add all the ingredients for the meat mixture. Stir-fry until everything is heated through, 4-5 minutes. Add the seasoning and cook for another minute.

Place the quail eggs in the bottom of a rice bowl or mold. Add the meat mixture on top and press it down. Add the rice and press down again.

Flip the bowl over to unmold and serve.

My bowl was too big and I didn’t wait long enough before unmolding, so it didn’t stay together very well. This is what it should look like.

If I were to make this again, I would cut the amount of dried shrimp in half. Too much salty shrimp for me. But everything tasted great.

This is supposed to serve 4.

Image by wiccked

1 ham bone
1 large onion – chopped
1 large carrot – chopped
about 500 g of dried peas – you choose – I chose a bag of Italian soup mix (which has navy beans, soy beans, black-eyed beans, chick peas, lentils, split peas… all sorts of good things) plus a big handful of green split peas to make up the quantity.
2 litres of water
a couple of tablespoons of vegetable stock concentrate
about a teaspoon of crushed garlic.

For the first time ever, I cooked a leg of ham for midsummer.
The juices that were left in the pan were delicious, and I decided then that I had to try making soup with the bone when the ham was done.

Stick the lot in a pot, bring to the boil, simmer for a couple of hours.
Remove the ham bone, and allow that to cool
cut the remaining ham off the bone into chunks and add back to the pot.

Image by sporkist

Ingredients

• 12 ounces shelled, cooked, and cooled edamame, about 2 cups, recipe follows
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh cilantro or parsley leaves
• 1 large garlic clove, sliced
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon brown miso
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon red chili paste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Basic Edamame:

• 1 pound edamame, fresh or frozen, in or out of shell
• 1/4 cup water
• Kosher salt, optional

Image by olgaflickr

1 lb extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
6 cloves garlic, pressed
3-6 dried chili peppers, or red pepper flakes to taste
4 scallions, chopped
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds, divided
3 Tbsp cornstarch

Mix the chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and one tablespoon of the sesame seeds together in a small bowl. If you are using dried chili peppers, rip the stems off and pour the seeds into the sauce, then toss the peppers into the sauce; otherwise, add the red pepper flakes to taste. Set aside.

Chop the tofu into 1″ blocks. Place the cornstarch into a flat-bottomed bowl and add the tofu cubes, tossing them to coat. You may find it easier to do this in two batches. (The tofu cubes are not entirely coated in the photo.)

Heat 1-2 Tbsp oil in a wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add the tofu cubes:

Stir-fry until golden on all sides, then add half the scallions and stir-fry for one minute. Add the sauce to the wok:

Let the sauce simmer down for a minute or two, then stir in the additional scallions and sesame seeds.

Image by Kristin Roach
Nice chunks of colby cheese, spring green mix, bojies mustard, and some mayo (i need to learn how to make vegan mayo sometime). The bread is the standard white bread recipe from Beard on Bread

Image by vigilant20

1/3 cup olive oil
3 or 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (14 ounce) package soft tofu
1/4 cup green onions, chopped, optional
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Lightly brown garlic in oil. Let cool.  In blender, combine tofu and cooled garlic/oil mixture and blend until smooth and creamy.

2. Add water to adjust consistency.  Put tofu mixture in saucepan, add green onions and heat on medium/low for 10 minutes.

3. Add basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Heat for another 3 minutes.  Serve over your favorite pasta.

With green onions, you can also add mushrooms, red peppers, or broccoli.

Makes: 6 servings, Preparation time: 20 minutes

Image by joelogon

1. Cover and microwave soy bean sprouts for 3 minutes (Or 3:33 if you’re particularly lazy. Which I was.)
2. Rinse under cold water, and drain.
3. Add in splash of soy sauce, two splashes of vinegar, sprinkle of sugar, half a takeout container of hot salsa from Baja Fresh, a few pinches of cilantro (also from Baja Fresh), and a few drips of olive oil.
4. Shred a few slices of smoked turkey and add it in.
5. Spice to taste — in this case I used, cayenne, garlic powder, chili powder, onion flakes, cumin, curry, black pepper, red pepper, and the spice flavoring from Shin Ramyun ramen (which I save in a container from the packets, since using a full packet in the soup is too hot for me).
6. Toss, shake and serve.

Image by feministjulie
I could eat this–with tortilla chips–for every meal.

Recipe, as requested

2 fresh ears corn (see below)
1 ripe avocado, cut into smallish chunks
1 plum tomato (or whatever kind of tomato you have on hand), seeded and diced
1/2 small or 1/4 med/large red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 jalepenjo peppers, finely chopped (and seeded if you prefer less spicy- I only seed one of the peppers)
1/3 C. fresh, roughly chopped basil (sweet, chinese or lemon basils will all work well here)
1/4 C. fresh, roughly chopped cilantro
1 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
Juice of 1-2 limes (squeeze in one at a time. if you find it needs more liquid after one, add the second lime, 1/2 at a time, as needed)
Salt and Pepper to taste!

Blanch the corn – bring a large pot of water to a boil. place the (pre-shukked) corn into the boiling water for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and cool. Cut the corn away (if you’ve never done this, cut one of the ends off for a flat surface, hold the corn upright, and run down the sides with a sharp knife).

Mix corn and all other ingredients in a bowl. Serve fresh! Keeps about 1 week at most, but I doubt it will last that long The citrus will prevent the avocado from browning.

[Never thought this recipe would be so popular!

Just to note: this is a *variation* on a corn salsa recipe in the Joy of Cooking, 2000 edition. I discovered a corn salsa recipe there, but mine is somewhat different, as I've tweaked it to my tastes over time. I feel that given how many people are commenting on it, I should reference it's origin to be fair. ]

Image by smiteme

Ingredients

2 medium-to-large white baking potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups diced tomatoes, canned or fresh
2 cups mushrooms, canned or fresh
1/2 cup black olives
8 slices of Lightlife Smart Bacon (or the “mock meat” of your choice)
1/2 cup vegan cheese (any brand or flavor will do), shredded
basil to taste
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
pepper to taste
margarine to taste

Directions

1. Scrub down your potatoes, washing all the dirt and grime off the skins. In an oven (preferably a toaster oven), bake them at (approximately) 425 degrees for 60 minutes.

2. Wait 30-40 minutes before preparing the topping.

3. In a large frying pan or skillet, heat the olive oil on high. Reduce the heat to medium, adding the minced garlic, diced tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, black olives and Smart Bacon. Add the spices – basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper – to taste. Saute, covered on medium-low, until the veggies and bacon are cooked to your liking. Be sure to stir the goods every few minutes.

Note: If you like your veggies well-done, you may want to wait 10 minutes or so before adding the Smart Bacon, as it crisps faster than the tomatoes, mushrooms and olives tenderize.

4. Optional: Reduce the heat to low and sprinkle a little vegan cheese on top of the veggies. Cover and let cook until the cheese is melted.

5. Remove the potatoes from the oven, slicing each in half and emptying its contents onto a plate. If desired, add margarine to garnish.

6. Remove the veggie/bacon mix from the stove and combine it with the potato “meat.” Stuff the potato skins with some of this mix and/or enjoy it as-is.

7. Slip into a carb coma. Awake in time for the next meal. Rinse, repeat.

Image by Laurel Fan
One of my recent favorite recipes with chard: sauteed with plenty of garlic and smoked paprika, and finished with a splash of sherry vinegar.

Image by cartoongoddess
For Pesach. Slice up 2 eggplants longwise, about 1/4 inch thick. Dip first into matzoh cake flour (combined w/ white pepper, garlic powder and a wee bit of salt). Then dip into beaten egg. Fry till golden. Drain on paper towels.

Layer in casserole and slather with either tomato puree or K/P tomato sauce. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Image by Andrea_Nguyen

Bread and Butter Pickles

Vary the spices as you like, though keep the mustard seed and turmeric as they are foundational. For example, use a tablespoon of celery seed instead of the coriander, peppercorn, and cassia bark.

Makes 2 quarts

3 1/2 pounds pickling (Kirby) cucumbers
1 large yellow or white onion
5 tablespoons salt2 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons mustard seed (any color)
1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2-inch piece cassia bark or cinnamon stick
4 or 5 Thai or Serrano chiles, split lengthwise to the stem so that it remains intact

1. Trim the ends from each cucumber and then cut crosswise into generous 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a large bowl. Halve the onion lengthwise and then cut into wedges about 1/2 inch wide at the middle. Add the onion to the bowl of cucumber slices.

2. Add the salt and 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar to the vegetables, tossing to coat well. Set aside, uncovered for 3 to 6 hours to draw moisture away from the vegetables. They will sweat, soften, and wrinkle.
3. Drain the vegetables, flush with water, then let drain. Taste for saltiness. If the pickles are exceedingly saltly (you wince), then rinse some more or let them soak in water for a few minutes before rinsing and draining well. You want the vegetables to be salty but not overly so. The tart-sweet brine will curb the saltiness so don’t worry too much about it.

4. Select a 2-quart glass container or 2 one-quart glass containers to hold the pickles. Wash and dry it. Set aside near the stove. If you have a wide mouthed canning funnel, have it handy. If not, you’ll just have to be careful with transferring the pickles to the container.

5. In a 5 or 6-quart pot, combine the remaining 2 cups sugar, vinegar, turmeric, mustard seed, coriander seed, peppercorns, cassia bark, and chiles. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cucumber and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally to ensure even exposure to the seasonings, until the pot is just at the simmering point. Avoid boiling as that will cause the cucumbers to go limp.

6. Turn off the heat. Transfer the vegetables and brine to the glass container. You should fill the container. Push down the vegetables as they have a tendency to bob up. Set aside, uncovered, to cool. Occasionally press down on the vegetables to submerge them in the brine.
When cooled to room temperature, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight before eating. The flavor will mellow and the vegetables will pick up a brighter yellow hue. The pickles keep well for a good 6 months in the refrigerator.

Image by cizauskas
Add soy milk: simmer and stir.

***********************************************

Mushroom Gravy, cooked for a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups vegetable broth
2 TBSP kudzu powder (or arrowroot)
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 TBSP, finely shopped fresh sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Kosher salt *
couple grinds black pepper
6 ounces white wine or beer**
1TBSP marmite
3 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 cup dried nutritional yeast
1/4 cup unflavored soy milk

*Omit salt if using commercial vegetable stock, which already contains a high level of salt.
** For more depth of flavor, use red wine or dark ale. Somewhat hoppy beers okay, as the stock can stand up to a layer of bitterness.

Image by FotoosVanRobin
Preheat the oven with a baking tray in it at 200°C.
Wash and clean the potatoes.
Cut in wedges about the same thickness.
Set aside in a bowl of warm water with big spoonful of salt (helps against sticking at the baking tray later) and a big splash of vinegar (helps against acrylamide). Just let it sit there for about 10-20 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and dry them in a clean towel. Dry them really well.
Add back in the dry bowl.
Add a little oil. (a teaspoon is enough for 500g potatoes)
Swirl the potatoes around so they all get covered with oil.
Spread over the steaming hot baking tray and put back in the oven for about 45-50 minutes. Turn once.

Image by thebittenword.com

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant, aproximately 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds
• Salt and pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Vegetable oil for frying

Garlic and Cilantro Sauce:

• 2 bunches fresh cilantro, stems removed
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 cups olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 3 tablespoons shaved chives

Directions

Image by sweet mustache
The recipe for the green beans is from this book.

Durango Chicken
1 lb bonless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, divided (4 tbs)
3 tbs olive oil, divided
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp hot sauce (optional)
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth (or white wine)
2 tbs tomato paste
1/3 cup sliced green olives
1 tsp lemon grass powder
Salt to taste

Place 3 tbs of the flour on a paper plate or wax paper. Coat the chicken with the flour. Heat 2 tbs of the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.

Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until chicken is cooked through. About 15 – 20 minutes. Remove and wrap in foil.

Add the last tbs of oil along with the bell peppers. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the last tbs of flour, the chili powder and, if using, the hot sauce and cook for another minute.

Add the mushrooms, broth, tomato paste, olives and lemon grass powder. Simmer until sauce slightly thickens, about 5 minutes. Taste and add salt if desired. Serve the chicken with some of the sauce.

Caesar Scalloped Potatoes
1 tbs butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or Swiss)
4 cups diced potatoes
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt to taste

Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add the flour, stir in for one minute.

Add the milk. Bring to a gentle boil while stirring. Stir constantly until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.

Add the Parmesan, potatoes, mustard, pepper and Worcestershire sauce and mix well.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.

Curried Grean Beans
2 tbs peanut oil
2 tbs red curry paste
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 lb green beans
Cooked rice (I didn’t use this)

In a large saucepan, heat the peanut oil over medium heat. Add the curry paste and stir for 1 minute.

Add the broth, stir to combine with the curry paste. Add the green beans and bring to a slow boil. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes to reduce the liquid

Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook until beans are very well done. Serve over rice (if using).

Comments
The chicken was great. The potatoes were good, but I added more pepper and next time I would use Swiss cheese. The green beans were okay, but it seemed like way too much liquid and the beans were too mushy for my taste.

Image by cizauskas
Recipe for kale and brown rice (without the pig fat).

RICE
1) Separate kale from stems. Chop leaves coarsely. (Save stems to make vegetable stock.) Rinse, drain, and set aside.
2) Rinse 1cup brown rice. Drain.
3) Heat 1 tsp oil in soup pot. Add rice when hot. Stir constantly until fragrant.
4) Add 1 cup vegetable stock, 1 1/2 cups water. Add 1 strip kombu. Bring to a boil.Cover, remove from heat. Let rest for 5 minutes.
5) Return to low heat, covered. Cook for 45 minutes or until all water/stock is absorbed. Remove and discard kombu (or save for vegetable stock). Fluff. Set aside.

KALE
1)Place chopped kale and 1 cup vegetable stock in soup pot. Bring to boi, reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes, depending upon desired tenderness and color. (Can be done while rice is cooking to save time.)
2) Strain stock from kale. (Save the stock!)
3) Toss with 1/4 cup red beans, 1- 2 TBSP Balsalmic vinegar, and, to taste: hot sauce, sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper. Serve over the rice.

Image by chrisfreeland2002

Ingredients
The brine*
5 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon peppercorns (I use a mix of green, white, red & black)
5 cups water
3 T fresh dill

*This will make enough brine for about 4 pint jars, depending on the veg you use in the pickle.

The pickle
1-2 lbs fresh, washed vegetables (enough to fill the 4 pint jars)
4 cloves of garlic
4 teaspoons peppercorns
4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed open
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, divided into 1/8 tsp
4 small heads of dill, totaling about 1/4 cup in all

Prepare your canning jars and lids as instructed by the USDA. Serious stuff here, so really take care to have a clean, sterile environment for your canning.

Cut the vegetables as needed to fit the jars. If you’re pickling okra DO NOT cut them open…the gelatinous goop inside that makes gumbo so thick & rich will make your pickles, well, icky.

To make the brine, boil all its ingredients for 3 minutes.

Into each of your hot, prepared jars put 1 clove of garlic, 1 tsp peppercorns, 1 cardamom pod, and 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes. Then add your veggies, then add 1 head of dill, pushing it slightly down into the veggies so that it’s not alone by itself at the top of your jar. Using a canning funnel, fill the jar with the brine, leaving 1/2 inch of headspace. Wipe the jar and the rim, place the canning lid & ring, and prepare in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

Allow flavors to develop for at least 4 weeks before opening. But as soon as that 4th week is over crack one of ‘em babies open & crunch away! These are great served as part of a ploughman’s plate or cheese spread, or of course just by themselves. They will keep up to a year in a cool, dark place, and up to a month after opening in the ‘fridg.

Image by bourgeoisbee

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don’t overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they’re tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Serves 4.

Image by Antoaneta

INGREDIENTS
1 pound roasted chiogga beets, peeled and finely chopped to yeild 2 cups
1 pound russet potatoes, boiled and riced to yeild 1 cup
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 basic pasta recipe (see below)
1 egg, whisked
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Smoked ricotta salata
Parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large bowl, mix the roasted beets, riced potatoes and ricotta cheese together. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover the mixture and refrigerate.

Using a pasta machine, roll out the pasta to the thinnest setting and then cut the sheets into 4-inch rectangles. Place a scant tablespoon of the beet and ricotta filling on one half of each rectangle, then fold them over like a book to enclose the filling. Using the eggwash as an adhesive, brush on side and press the edges of each ravioli with your fingers to seal.

Bring 6 quarts of water to boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt

In a 14- 16 inch sauté pan, heat the butter over high heat until it foams and subsides. Add a spoonful of the pasta cooking water into the sauté pan and toss gently over high heat for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the pasta evenly among four warmed plates. Finish with poppy seeds, the smoked ricotta salata and chiffonade of parsley.

Basic Pasta recipe
3-1/2 to 4 cups flour
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Mound 3-1/2 cups of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs and the olive oil. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and oil and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.

As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the well shape. The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated.

Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands. Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly reflour the board and continue kneading for six more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. Makes 4 Servings

Image by sweetbeetandgreenbean

garlicy turnip, kohlrabi and purple yam
1/2 lb turnips
1/2 lb kohlrabi
1/2 lb purple yam
6 c water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic

fried sage leaves
~8 fresh sage leaves
1/3 c canola oil
kosher salt

chop up the turnips, kohlrabi and yam into small, about 1/4th an inch slices.  i usually peel the kohlrabi because of its thick outer layer.  but i don’t bother with the others.

bring the water to a boil over high heat in a large pot with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.  once bubbling reduce to medium heat and add in the chopped veggies.  cover and let simmer for 5-7 minutes.  they should be slightly soft but not falling apart.  strain and set aside.

meanwhile, fry your sage leaves to have them ready.  pull your sage leaves off the stem and rinse.  pat dry on a paper towel to get most the water off.

heat up the oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, you should see waves forming in the oil.  carefully drop the leaves separately in the oil and stand back – they will crackle and pop.  fry for about a minute or two, just as they begin to turn light brown around the edges grab them out of the oil with tongs or a slotted spoon.  set them on a plate covered with a dry paper towel to cool and immediately sprinkle with a little kosher salt.

now mince your garlic and have it ready.  heat up the olive oil over in a large pan over high heat for a minute or two.  reduce the heat to medium, toss in the garlic and stir, letting it cook for about a minute on it’s own before you add in the strained vegetables.

i find that picking up the pan and tossing to mix helps keep the veggies intact, as apposed to stirring with a large spoon which might mash them a little.  cook over medium heat for another 5-7 minutes, tossing every minute or so.  at this point all the pieces of veggies should be fall apart soft.

dish out immediately, top with 2-3 fried sage leaves, and let melt in your mouth.

yields 2-4 servings

Image by elana’s pantry
Pasta with Broccoli
1 (7) oz. box Papadini Rotini Hi-Protein Pure Lentil Bean Pasta
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 head broccoli, cut into florets and steamed
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
olive oil to taste
celtic sea salt to taste

1. In a large pot, bring 12 cups of water to a vigorous boil, add 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil and pasta
2. Reduce to a slow boil, stirring frequently and cook uncovered 7-9 minutes
3. Drain pasta in a steel colander
4. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil over a medium flame
5. Add sliced onion, reduce heat and cook onion until caramelized 10-15 minutes
6. Stir in broccoli florets and tomatoes and cook for another minute or two
7. Dish pasta and veggies into bowls; drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with celtic sea salt
8. Serve

Image by little blue hen

Ingredients:
Spray oil or vegetable oil
3/4 cup popcorn kernels, popped via your preferred method
2 cups chopped nuts (optional; I used peanuts, almonds, and pecans)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon kosher or other coarse salt
1/2 cup water

Directions:
1.) Lightly spray or coat two large baking sheets, a large bowl, and two rubber spatulas with oil. Place popped corn (un-popped kernels removed) in the large bowl. Toss with nuts if using.

2.) Measure out baking soda and set nearby. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, salt, butter, and water. Cook over high heat without stirring. Mixture will boil. After about 10 minutes or so, the mixture will turn a golden caramel color.

3.) Remove pan from heat and whisk in the baking soda — it will bubble up considerably. Instead of marveling over how cool it is, immediately pour the caramel over the popcorn and nuts. Carefully use the spatulas to “toss” the popcorn and caramel like a salad.

4.) When popcorn is somewhat evenly coated with caramel, divide the caramel corn onto the baking sheets and break apart into smaller pieces before it cools. Let cool about 15 minutes (to room temperature) before eating. Caramel corn will keep up to two weeks in an airtight container.

Image by SummerTomato

Ingredients:

• 1 large artichoke
• 1/4 lemon
• high-quality olive oil
• coarse sea or kosher salt
• fresh chopped parsley
• lemon oil (optional)

Use a large, sharp knife and cut off the top third of the artichoke. Peel off the smallest bottom leaves, and use scissors to trim the sharp thorn tips off each of the remaining leaves. Use the knife to cut the stem off close to the bulb, making the cut as straight as possible so the artichoke can easily sit upright without tipping over.

Fill a deep stock pot with 1/2 inch of water and bring to boil. Place cleaned artichoke face down in the water, reduce heat to simmer, cover with a lid and set a timer for 20 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.

When the timer goes off, use tongs to turn the artichoke so it sits upright. Gently drizzle olive oil over the artichoke, being sure it drips down between the leaves and into the heart. Sprinkle generously with salt. Add another 1/2 – 1 cup water to the pot so the depth is back to 1/2 inch. Cover again and reset timer another 20 minutes.

After the second timer goes off, use tongs to try and remove an outer leaf. If it pulls off easily, turn off the pot and transfer artichoke to a serving plate. If the leaf does not tear off easily, replace the lid on the pot and steam an additional 5 minutes, no more.

Squeeze lemon slice over the leaves and sprinkle parsley. If you have lemon oil, gently drizzle it over the artichoke. If you don’t have lemon oil but would like some additional lemon flavor, a little lemon zest will create a similar effect; drizzle with some regular olive oil if you don’t use lemon oil. Add a few more sprinkles of salt and serve.

Image by Smaku
A pretty simple and straightforward recipe, but tastes great. Works well by itself or with white rice.

Yields: 15-20 tofu balls depending on size

Ingredients
Two cubes of semi-firm tofu
Half of an onion, finely chopped
5-6 dried shiitake mushrooms
~450g lean ground beef

sauce
Japanese rice wine
water, about equal parts to the rice wine
sugar to taste
2-3 tbspn corn starch dissolved in water

Recipe
1) Prepare your ingredients. Soften dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water. Chop into fine pieces. Finely chop onions. Use about two cubes of semi-firm tofu.

2) In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together with the ground beef.

3) Using your hand, mix thoroughly. Use a plastic glove so you can really dig in there and mix it up so that the firm tofu crumbles into smaller pieces (4).

5) Once mixed, take spatula and scrape around the edge of the bowl making sure to get everything.

6) Roll this into a desired sized ball using the palms of your hand.

7) Fry these in a pan. Some liquid will seep out from the tofu, but don’t worry too much about this excess liquid as some will evaporate and the rest will mix with the sauce.

In a small bowl, dissolve about two-three tablespoons of corn starch in water. In another sauce pan, mix in some sugar (to taste), rice wine, and water. Mix in the corn starch mixture. As the sauce heats up, it will eventually thicken.

9) Once desired thickness is reached (about 7-10 min.), add in the fried tofu balls and make sure you cover each ball with the sauce.

Image by elana’s pantry

Beet Hummus from simplyrecipes.com (slightly adapted)printer friendly
4 medium sized beets, scrubbed, cooked and cubed (learn how to roast beets)
¼ cup raw tahini paste
¼ cup lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, pressed
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth
2. Serve with crackers (Elise suggests topping with goat cheese)

Image by seelensturm
This months entry in Dessert Wars.

Vanilla rice pudding maki filled with green apple and avocado.

Makes 4 small maki rolls

• 1 cup sushi rice
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 sheets nori
• fruit and vegetables (e.g. apple, strawberry, pear, melon, avocado, carrot, cucumber, pumpkin)
• wasabi and maple syrup for serving

Wash the rice until water stays clear. Put rice, milk, sugar and vanilla in a pot and let sit for 45 minutes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, still covered, for 10 minutes.
Let cool the rice in a large bowl, while stirring occasionally and carefully.
For the filling slice fruit and vegetables into fine strips.
Cut nori sheets into halves. Lay a piece of nori on a bamboo mat. Spread and press sushi rice on the nori sheet.
Place fillings on the sushi rice in the lower third. Roll up the bamboo mat while pressing gently to shape the maki rolls.
Continue with remaining rice, filling and nori.
Cut each roll into 8 slices and serve with wasabi and maple syrup (or chocolate sauce).

Image by Maggie Hoffman

For pork
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 pork tenderloins (2 1/4 to 2 1/2 pounds total) See note below.
2 tablespoons olive oil

For glaze
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon Tabasco

For vinaigrette
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

For salad
3 navel oranges
5 ounces baby spinach, trimmed (6 cups leaves)
4 cups romaine lettuce
1 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into thin strips
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup cashews, toasted
2 ripe California avocados

Prepare pork:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon, then coat pork with spice rub.Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until just beginning to smoke, then brown pork, turning, about 4 minutes total. Leave pork in skillet.

Make glaze and roast pork:
Stir together brown sugar, garlic, and Tabasco and pat onto top of each tenderloin. Roast in middle of oven until thermometer inserted diagonally in center of each tenderloin registers 140°F, about 20 minutes. Let pork stand in skillet at room temperature 10 minutes. (Temperature will rise to about 155°F while standing.)

Make vinaigrette while pork roasts:
Whisk together juices, mustard, curry powder, salt, and pepper, then add oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.

Prepare salad ingredients while pork stands:
Cut peel, including white pith, from oranges with a sharp knife, then cut oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss spinach, cabbage, bell pepper, cashews and raisins in a large bowl with about 1/4 cup vinaigrette. Halve, pit, and peel avocados, then cut diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Assemble salad:
Cut pork at a 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Line a large platter with dressed salad and arrange sliced pork, oranges, and avocados in rows on top. Drizzle some vinaigrette over avocados and oranges. Pour any juices from skillet over pork.

Image by cizauskas
Recipe for kale and brown rice (without the pig fat).

RICE
1) Separate kale from stems. Chop leaves coarsely. (Save stems to make vegetable stock.) Rinse, drain, and set aside.
2) Rinse 1cup brown rice. Drain.
3) Heat 1 tsp oil in soup pot. Add rice when hot. Stir constantly until fragrant.
4) Add 1 cup vegetable stock, 1 1/2 cups water. Add 1 strip kombu. Bring to a boil.Cover, remove from heat. Let rest for 5 minutes.
5) Return to low heat, covered. Cook for 45 minutes or until all water/stock is absorbed. Remove and discard kombu (or save for vegetable stock). Fluff. Set aside.

KALE
1)Place chopped kale and 1 cup vegetable stock in soup pot. Bring to boi, reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 5-10 minutes, depending upon desired tenderness and color. (Can be done while rice is cooking to save time.)
2) Strain stock from kale. (Save the stock!)
3) Toss with 1/4 cup red beans, 1- 2 TBSP Balsalmic vinegar, and, to taste: hot sauce, sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper. Serve over the rice.

See full set of photos: here.

***************
Photo by Yours For Good Fermentables.com.
May be reprinted only for non-commercial purposes.
Commercial use requires permission, as per Creative Commons.

Image by flakyredhead
I was flying to NYC in the late afternoon, so I packed a bento to eat on the plane. We were delayed by a couple of hours, so I was very glad that I had a meal with me. I tied it up in a bandana (furoshiki style) and slipped it into my backpack to carry aboard. I spread the bandana as a placemat and thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Not shown is a pair of chopsticks, a fork, and a piggie full of soy sauce to pour onto the broccoli.

Recipe for cheesy macaroni:

2 cups (dry) macaroni
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook macaroni according to package directions in a large pot. Drain. Stir in cheeses until melted and thoroughly blended. While not as creamy as traditional macaroni and cheese, there’s no additional fat. It’s excellent hot and enjoyable chilled.

I packed this bento straight from the fridge and everything was still cool when I opened it up on the plane.

Image by 24oranges.nl

Ingredients for four

• cocktail glasses
• 800 g asparagus
• an orange
• 200 g chicken fillet
• 5 dl chicken bouillon
• 2 dle mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp of cream
• sherry
• ginger
• “kerry” (curry powder containing coriander, turmeric, cumin and so on)

Preparation

• Put the asparagus in cold water for 15 minutes before peeling it.

Meanwhile, start on the sauce:

• Whip two table spoons of cream until it’s stiff, then mix in two dl of mayonnaise, a dash of sherry, a bit of ginger, a knife tip of curry powder and a few drops of lemon. Put the sauce in the fridge.

Back to the asparagus:

• Peel the asparaguses (asparagese?) using a sharp knife or a thin-peeler. Be careful to get all the skin off. It’s very hard to see the skin, but remains hard when cooked, so you’ll notice immediately if you’ve left bits in. The skin is slightly smoother and shinier than what’s underneath.
• Cut off about half an inch of the bottoms, which tend to be a bit drier.
• Put the asparagus in a pan of water, making sure the stems are entirely in. Since you’re going to cut up the asparagus later anyway, you can cut the stems in half if need be. Just make sure the tips stay whole. Bring to boil, and let it boil for about 8 to 10 minutes (depending on size and freshness).
• Take the pan off the heater, put a cover on it, and let the asparagi (?) warm for another fifteen to twenty minutes in the hot water. Test if the asparagus is done by sticking a fork in a bottom.

While cooking the asparagus, get started on the chicken:

• If you often need stock, use fresh chicken bouillon (have it ready). Otherwise, cheat and used ready made bouillon.
• Poach the chicken filet in the bouillon for about 15 minutes. Poaching means: heat at a temperature slightly below boiling point.

Putting it together:

• Cut a few slices of orange.
• Cut the asparagus and chicken into smallish parts.
• Put the asparagus and chicken in cocktail glasses, saving the tips for last (mix it up a little). Cover with sauce. Garnish with orange slices and cooked asparagus tips.

Image by Emily Barney
A quick recipe – lightly fry the squash, mix with a dressing and serve warm or room temperature. The sauce has sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, crushed chillies, rice wine, salted shrimp, etc. Adam got me this cookbook for Christmas, it’s definitely a keeper.

Image by FotoosVanRobin
Simmered for 20 minutes in salted water with a few staranise.

The pods are consumed by using one’s teeth to squeeze the beans out of the pod. The pod itself is discarded.

Nice fingerfood. Or even a whole meal, if your name is Posh Beckham. Haha.

I remember I couldn’t stop eating these when we were having dinner on this boat in Shanghai. Later my colleague told me her mother could make even better soybeans. Preserved in alcohol, I think she said. But when I asked her later, she never did come up with the recipe. I guess I have to google again. Maybe I will find some interesting recipe this time. Anyway, in the meanwhile, the above is quite nice too!

Image by sierravalleygirl
Korean side dish, banchan, featured soy bean sprouts (not mung bean sprouts), sesame oil, garlic, green onion, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. I varied the cooking time a bit to retain more crunchiness to the sprout and used 25% less salt in the boiling water.

Image by rashmi1979

Paneer/ Indian Cottage Cheese is a great option for vegetarian people. In India party or special family dinner can not be complete without paneer dishes. I prepare many dishes of paneer like shahi paneer, malai kofta, palak paneer, rasgulla, paneer tikka etc. I just tried this Garlic paneer roll with garlic herb tortilla and paneer. Its not like paneer tikka roll but it’s taste is really good. Paneer tikka roll is traditional Indian dish but this one is my experiment.

1. 2 zesty garlic herb tortilla/plain tortilla
2. 1-2 tbsp coriander/cilantro chutney
3. 3 tbsp olive oil
4. 8-10 paneer pieces (in 1” size)
5. 2 baby corn (cut in lengthwise)
6. 1 mushroom (cut in thin slices)
7. Garlic salt to taste
8. seasoning salt to taste (optional)
9. White pepper powder – 1tsp

Image by Wokintime

Bok choy is another choy that’s rising to celebrity status, especially after Dr. Oz’s endorsement of bok choy as a cancer starving food.  Although slightly more bitter than its two previously mentioned cousins, baby bok choy is still one of my favorites.  I’ve found many awesome non-asian recipes for bok choy, but Popo always makes it like this, which I like to think of as the Chinese way.

Baby bok choy – so cute!

Directions:  Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet.  Add a piece of ginger (smashed like garlic) to the hot oil and saute for 1 minute.  Add baby bok choy and saute for another minute.  Add 3 ounces of water and cover the pan.  Steam the choy for a few minutes, then uncover.  Add salt, pepper, sugar and soy sauce to taste.

Yield: 1 pound makes 4 servings

Image by Ned Raggett

1 bunch leeks, halved, washed well and cut into 2″ chunks
1 bunch beets, washed and cut into 1″ chunks
1 eggplant, cut into 1″ chunks
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
sea salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil (or heavy duty aluminum foil spayed with cooking oil spray).

Combine the leeks, beets, eggplant and garlic on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir well.

Bake for 25 minutes. Then, remove from the oven and stir well. Return to the oven and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.

Image by karenandbrademerson

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 medium eggplant, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices, lengthwise
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves

Directions

Image by Gudlyf

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups corn kernels
• 1 cup chopped tomatillos (about 8 fresh)
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
• 3/4 cup chives
• 1 avocado, chopped

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• sea salt to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Variations:

• If I had some, I definitely would have added 2-3 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro.
• If you don’t have to cater to a 4-year-old, some chopped fresh jalepeno or even some red pepper flakes would add a nice kick to this dish.

Image by add1sun
OK, so I tend to cook kind of by the seat of my pants, so that means exact recipes are sometimes hard to nail down with me. I tend to read a recipe and use that as a “guideline.” I had peppers and cornmeal that needed using and this is (roughly) what I ended up making – that is, I’m not 100% sure in the numbers here. (And yeah I know the pic isn’t all that good. Shooting food is harder than it looks.)

Recipe is small because I cook for just me, so feel free to double it for “normal.”

Jalapeño Cornbread muffins (makes 6 muffins)

5/8 c. cornmeal
3/8 c. flour
(basically end up with 1 cup of floury stuff – I like it heavier on the cornmeal side)
1 tbsp. sugar
um, some salt, but not too much (1/2 tsp-ish?)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 jalapeños, finely chopped (I could totally do at least 3 but you’ll have to feel out the amount you like over time)
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. of oil or melted butter
1/2 c. buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400F. Mix the “dry” stuff (cornmeal through jalapeños) in a bowl. Beat the egg and add the oil/butter and buttermilk in a separate bowl. Gradually stir the wet into the dry until barely mixed. That is, lumps are totally OK, just get it mixed together so there aren’t huge pockets of flour around. (Please, please don’t overbeat them.) Grease the muffin tin with butter and fill them 2/3-ish full of batter. Cook for about 20 mins, until a knife comes out clean.

Eat them with abandon and lots of butter.

Image by sweet mustache

1 lb green beans, both ends trimmed
2 tbs canola oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp carom seeds (ajawain; optional)
1/8 tsp asafetida (optional)
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tbs fresh lime or lemon juice
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

If using fresh green beans, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the beans, return to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Then drain the beans and cool under cold running water or an ice bath. Drain again before cooking.

If using frozen green beans, just make sure they are thawed.

Combine the oil, cumin and carom and asafetida, if using in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add the ginger and cook, stirring for 1 more minute.

Add the green beans and stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt and stir. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook, stirring 3 or 4 times, until the beans are tender and lightly browned. About 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the lime or lemon juice and sprinkle with cayenne, if using. Stir well and taste for salt. Serve hot.

The only optinal ingredient I used was the cayenne. This was very good. I also used frozen green beans, thawed of course.

Image by CarrieA

14 oz. extra firm organic tofu
2 T peanut oil (use more or less, depending on your pan)
2 tsp. finely minced garlic
2 tsp. finely grated ginger root
1 cup scallions, sliced into 2 inch pieces (This is about 1 bunch green onions. Keep white parts separate from green parts. I used less than this, but only because I didn’t have enough.)
3 T chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 1/2 T soy sauce (I used Tamari)
1 tsp. black sesame seeds (optional)

Image by arvindgrover

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don’t overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they’re tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Serves 4.

Image by megabeth

Broccoli with Pecan Sauce

6 well-packed cups broccoli florets, blanched (1 large broccoli head. See blanching instructions below)
1/2 cup whole pecans
5 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 cup vegetable stock

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Put in the pecans and let them boil rapidly for 3 minutes, drain.

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and stock in a blender.

Crumble the walnuts and add them as well.

Blend, pushing down with a rubber spatula when needed, until you have a smooth paste. Makes about 1 cup. If the sauce seems too thick, just save a tablespoon or two of the water used for cooking the broccoli and thin it out.

Blanching broccoli (from Mahdur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian): The is one of the fasted methods of cooking this vegetable.

Bring 4 quarts of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons salt and stir. Put in the broccoli florets and let the water come to a boil again.

Boil, uncovered, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the broccoli is just tender. Drain. Either use immediately (the broccoli is at its best now) or rinse under cold water to preserve its color, drain, and set aside for later use.

Put the drained broccoli in a serving dish. Pour the sauce over the top, toss gently, and serve immediately.

Image by UCFFool
Prep time: ~10 minutes
Cooking time: ~ 30 minutes
Rating: Good (4)

*Cooking Light Magazine Complete
Cookbook Recipe* — pg. 400

Ingredients:
- 1/2″ thick pork chops
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- peeled boiling onions (10-15)
- 3/4 cup Sherry cooking wine
- 1tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar/vinaigrette
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Archer Farms steam-in-bag broccoli

Recipe:
- salt/pepper the chops to taste
- Cook pork chops and onions with a little bit of oil over med-high heat; 4 minutes on each side
- Add vanilla and wine to pan, reduce to med-low heat, simmer for 20 minutes
- Remove pork/onions and set aside (keep warm)
- Combine brown sugar, balsamic, and cornstarch together, mix, and add to pan
- bring to boil for 1 minute (do not let it thicken too much; pictured), serve over pork chops and onions.

Make broccoli (microwave) as described on packaging.

Image by elana’s pantry

Sauteéd Kaleprinter friendly
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bunch kale, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch strips
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat
2. Reduce heat to medium low and add onion
3. Sauté for 15 minutes until carmelized
4. Add kale and sauté for 5 minutes uncovered
5. Cover pot with a lid and sauté for 1-2 minutes until wilted
6. Add salt and serve

Image by Andrea_Nguyen

Bread and Butter Pickles

Vary the spices as you like, though keep the mustard seed and turmeric as they are foundational. For example, use a tablespoon of celery seed instead of the coriander, peppercorn, and cassia bark.

Makes 2 quarts

3 1/2 pounds pickling (Kirby) cucumbers
1 large yellow or white onion
5 tablespoons salt2 cups plus 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons mustard seed (any color)
1 teaspoon whole coriander seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2-inch piece cassia bark or cinnamon stick
4 or 5 Thai or Serrano chiles, split lengthwise to the stem so that it remains intact

1. Trim the ends from each cucumber and then cut crosswise into generous 1/4-inch-thick slices. Transfer to a large bowl. Halve the onion lengthwise and then cut into wedges about 1/2 inch wide at the middle. Add the onion to the bowl of cucumber slices.

2. Add the salt and 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar to the vegetables, tossing to coat well. Set aside, uncovered for 3 to 6 hours to draw moisture away from the vegetables. They will sweat, soften, and wrinkle.
3. Drain the vegetables, flush with water, then let drain. Taste for saltiness. If the pickles are exceedingly saltly (you wince), then rinse some more or let them soak in water for a few minutes before rinsing and draining well. You want the vegetables to be salty but not overly so. The tart-sweet brine will curb the saltiness so don’t worry too much about it.

4. Select a 2-quart glass container or 2 one-quart glass containers to hold the pickles. Wash and dry it. Set aside near the stove. If you have a wide mouthed canning funnel, have it handy. If not, you’ll just have to be careful with transferring the pickles to the container.

5. In a 5 or 6-quart pot, combine the remaining 2 cups sugar, vinegar, turmeric, mustard seed, coriander seed, peppercorns, cassia bark, and chiles. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the cucumber and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally to ensure even exposure to the seasonings, until the pot is just at the simmering point. Avoid boiling as that will cause the cucumbers to go limp.

6. Turn off the heat. Transfer the vegetables and brine to the glass container. You should fill the container. Push down the vegetables as they have a tendency to bob up. Set aside, uncovered, to cool. Occasionally press down on the vegetables to submerge them in the brine.
When cooled to room temperature, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight before eating. The flavor will mellow and the vegetables will pick up a brighter yellow hue. The pickles keep well for a good 6 months in the refrigerator.

Image by jencu
Brandon LOVES kettle corn at the farmer’s market, and didn’t want to wait until the weekend, so I decided to try to make it at home. It turned out great, and this way it’s organic too (and WAYYYY cheaper)!

Here’s the recipe:
1/2 cup organic popping corn kernels
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup organic white sugar
1/2 tsp salt

In a pot, heat the oil at medium-high until 1 kernel pops. Then dump in all of the ingredients, cover, and shake like you’re in a club. Remove from heat when the popping slows to one pop every 2-3 seconds, but keep DANCING unless you want burnt popcorn! You might want to get someone to take a video of you at this point. When the popping stops, dump out the popcorn into a huge bowl, and stir occasionally so it doesn’t clump (as long as you can keep your family from eating it all before it cools down). Enjoy!

Image by FotoosVanRobin
Blanch
400 gr mangetout (cut in half if you wish)
for just 1 minute, then rinse under cold water and set aside.

Panfry
400 gr button mushrooms
until just golden brown. Set aside.

(But if this seems too much trouble, in the original recipe the mushrooms are added together with the sauce and then simmered for 2 minutes.
Then the mangetout is added and simmered for another 2 minutes. )

Quickly stirfry
4 garlics, chopped
similar amount of ginger, grated.
4 t sichuanpepper, toasted, then grinded

Add
400 gr porkloin, in stripes
and stirfry for about 2 minutes.

Add
4 T oystersauce
3 t chilibeansauce (toban jiang)
2 t black rice vinegar
3 T water
Simmer for a minute.

Add the mangetout and mushrooms.
Sprinkle with
1 T sesame oil.

Serve with rice.
I liked it and will make it again for sure.

Image by NourishingCook

Ingredients:

Preparation:

This easy soup brings out the exquisite sweet flavor of beets. Use water, not stock. Peel beets, chop coarsely and sauté very gently in butter for 1/2 hour or until tender. Add water, bring to a boil and skim. Simmer about 15 minutes. Purée soup with handheld blender. Season to taste, ladle into heated bowls and serve with cultured cream and chives.

Image by Gudlyf

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch chard, coarsely chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• tamari, soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos

In a skillet over medium high heat, saute the onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Add chard and saute until bright green and starting to limp, about 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with tamari, heat through and serve.

Image by Laura Brunow Miner

• 1 lb okra, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• bacon grease (for frying) or oil (for frying)

Image by wEnDaLicious
08.31.09

Creamed Corn

Recipe from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything (10th Anniversary Edition)

Ingredients:
- 6 ears fresh corn or 3 cups frozen corn kernels (no need to thaw)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1-1/2 to 2 cups cream or half-and-half
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
- cayenne, to taste (optional)
- sugar, if necessary
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
- chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish

1) Shuck the corn and strip the kernels from it into a bowl to save the liquid. Put the butter in a skillet or broad saucepan over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the corn and cook, stirring, for a minute or two. Add 1-1/2 cups cream and bring to a gentle simmer; add a good pinch of salt, some pepper, and a pinch of cayenne if you like. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the corn is tender.

2) Taste and add a little sugar if you like. Continue to cook until the mixture is thick, another few minutes, adding a lot more cream if necessary. If you’d like it thicker, combine the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water and stir it into the corn; the mixture will thicken almost immediately. Taste and adjust the seasoning, garnish with parsley, and serve.

Notes:
- Added in some evaporated milk for a hint of sweetness instead of sugar

Image by Gudlyf

Ingredients:

• 2 large carrots, cut on the diagonal into very thin slices
• 2 cups snap peas, halved
• 1/2 cup chopped chives
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

For the dressing:

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon tamari
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sunflower seed butter (but any nut butter will do)
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• crushed red pepper to taste

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and toss all other ingredients together with the dressing. Serve and enjoy.

Image by ontheflyrecipes

1. Separate the meat into two balls and flatten in out into round patties, as thin as possible.
2. Put a touch of olive oil in a frying pan and grill the patties over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes on each side. Add a slice of cheese to each when nearly finished cooking.
3. While the meat cooks, slice the tomato and onion. Separate a few leaves from the lettuce, rinse and shake dry.
4. Cut the avocado in half, seed and peal. Mash the avocado in a small bowl with the cream cheese and garlic powder.
5. When the meat is finished, stack the patties on the bread with a good serving of lettuce, onion and tomato and top off with the avocado mixture.
6. Rinse and dry the frying pan. Return the complete sandwiches to the pan, grill for a few minutes on each side and squish with a spatula.
7. Ready to eat!

Image by FotoosVanRobin

RECIPE (or directions)
First you stirfy some green beans in a couple of tablespoons of (peanut) oil over pretty high heat for about 4-5 minutes or until blistered and done. Take them out of your wok, get rid of some oil, then stir-fry a combination of the following:

* some ground meat (maybe marinated with some soy, ricewine and sesame oil. And/or maybe add a splash of shaoxing in the end. Or use leftover meat, bacon, whatever. )
* garlic, ginger, (spring) onion
* spoonful of XO sauce or soaked and chopped dried shrimp
* spoonful of chopped yacai, zhacai or Tianjin preserved cabbage.
* dried chiles, sichuan pepper

You don’t need it all, any selection of the above makes a nice dish.
Add back the fried beans and warm through.

* Finish with some soy sauce or maybe some chickenstockpowder for saltiness.

Image by elana’s pantry

Mashed Cauliflowerprinter friendly
2 heads cauliflower, washed and cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread (soy free)
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. Steam the cauliflower pieces until very tender
2. Puree cauliflower in a food processor, add in buttery spread and salt
3. Reheat in a casserole dish in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes
4. Serve

Image by massdistraction

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs firm tofu, frozen overnight then thawed
• 1 cup peanut butter, preferably crunchy
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• Annie’s BBQ sauce

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients, ‘cept for the tofu, together.
2. Squeeze the water out of the tofu, cube it and cover it in mixture. Let sit for about an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Lightly oil baking pan/casserole dish. Dump tofu in and spread it around as evenly and thinly as possible.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Take tofu out, turn it over, and bake for another 30 minutes.
7. Take tofu out and pour one bottle of Annie’s BBQ sauce over tofu. Bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Serve with rice, corn bread, corn on the cob, or whatever strikes your fancy.

Image by Ruthieki
This soup was a mainstay in my house when I was growing up. The end result is thick, delicious, and happens to be exceedingly healthy and fat free. The total ingredient cost, assuming you’ve already got the spices, is around three dollars. Also happens to be vegan, but don’t let that scare you off. This soup disappears from the fridge faster than any of the other soups I’ve made this year.

Split Pea Soup
1 package of green split peas (2 1/2 cups)
8 cups water
2 cups chopped onion
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large potato, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp salt

Rinse the peas throroughly, and put them in a large soup pot with the water over high heat. Meanwhile, chop all the vegetables and add them to the peas. Add the spices.

Lower the heat so the soup is just at a simmer, and let it cook, stirring ocassionally, for about two hours. The split peas should completely dissolve and the soup should thicken. Taste, and add salt and black pepper to taste.

Image by FotoosVanRobin

RECIPE (or directions)
First you stirfy some green beans in a couple of tablespoons of (peanut) oil over pretty high heat for about 4-5 minutes or until blistered and done. Take them out of your wok, get rid of some oil, then stir-fry a combination of the following:

* some ground meat (maybe marinated with some soy, ricewine and sesame oil. And/or maybe add a splash of shaoxing in the end. Or use leftover meat, bacon, whatever. )
* garlic, ginger, (spring) onion
* spoonful of XO sauce or soaked and chopped dried shrimp
* spoonful of chopped yacai, zhacai or Tianjin preserved cabbage.
* dried chiles, sichuan pepper

You don’t need it all, any selection of the above makes a nice dish.
Add back the fried beans and warm through.

* Finish with some soy sauce or maybe some chickenstockpowder for saltiness.

Image by mamichan

7 cups great-tasting vegetable broth
2 or 3 pinches crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup whole wheat, barley, or regular couscous
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, cut into tiny pieces smaller than your thumb
1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets, cut into tiny pieces smaller than your thumb
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (opt)
4 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
an ounce or two of goat cheese

In a large pot heat the broth, red pepper flakes, and olive oil. When it comes to a boil remove the pot from the heat and stir in the couscous. Wait two minutes and stir in the broccoli and cauliflower. Wait another two minutes – just long enough for the vegetables to loose their raw edge, and ladle into bowls. Top each bowl with some sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, and a bit of goat cheese.

Serves 4-6.

Image by mallydally

Serves 3 (There are only 3 of us Dashes!)

Ingredients

• 3 bone-in pork chops, 1-inch thick
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions, sliced into rounds
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions

1) Pre-heat the oven to 350. Heat up an oven-safe pan (that also has a lid) over medium heat. Pat dry the pork chops with paper towel, to eliminate any excess moisture that will detract from optimal browning. This will give the pork a great, golden delicious sear. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper.

2) When the oil is hot, place the pork chops in the pan, and let sit without moving them for around 5-7 minutes. Using tongs or a spatula, flip the pork chops and brown on the other side for another 3-4 minutes. When pork is done searing, remove from pan.

3) Add sliced onions to the pan, and let soften for 5 minutes, stirring to avoid burning. Your kitchen will start to smell real good at this point. While the onions are cooking, whisk together the white wine and soy sauce in a small bowl.

4) Once onions are cooked and caramelized, nestle the pork chops back into the pan, spooning the onions over the chops. Add the white wine-soy sauce mixture, cover the pan, and transfer to the oven for one hour.

5) Remove from pan, and serve- making sure to spoon the onions over the pork chops.

Image by harald walker

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 250 grams mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1 can small tomato paste
• 1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tostados
• 1 cup soy cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup plain soy yogurt
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• chili or taco seasonings

Directions:

1. Chop the onions and mushrooms in very small pieces.
2. Saute them in a bot of oil, until soft.
3. Lightly season with a bit of salt and taco or chili seasoning.
4. Remove them from the heat and place in a bowl for later.
5. Saute the zucchini slices in a bit of oil, until they become slightly soft.
6. Mix the tomato paste with the equal amount of water and taco seasonings.
7. Heat tostados 5 minutes at 350 F / 177 C.
8. Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce on the tostadas.
9. Layer the zucchinis on top and in the center a mound of the mushroom/onion mixture
10. Top with the grated soy cheese.
11. Place in oven until cheese melts.
12. Top with soy yogurt, chopped tomatoes and dust with taco or chili powder.

Image by vigilant20

2 tablespoons vegan sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegan margarine
1 can (16 ounces) sliced beets, drained reserving 1/2 cup liquid

Directions:

1. Combine vegan sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Str in beet liquid, the vinegar and margarine.

2. Cook, stirring constantly until thickened and bubbly.

3. Stir in beets. Cook until heated through.

Serves: 4, Preparation time: 20 minutes

Image by elana’s pantry

Gluten Free Pumpkin Custard
½ cup (raw) cashews
1 tablespoon agar flakes
1 pinch celtic sea salt
1 ¼ cups water, boiling
1 ½ cups roasted pumpkin (learn how to roast pumpkin in 10 easy steps!)
¼ cup agave nectar (plus a little more if you want it sweeter)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground cloves
¼ teaspoon lemon zest

1. Place cashews, agar and salt in a Vitamix and process to a fine powder
2. Pour boiling water into Vitamix and process on high speed
3. Add pumpkin, agave and vanilla and process again until smooth
4. Blend in cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and lemon zest
5. Pour custard into ramekins or half cup mason jars
6. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes
7. Serve

Makes 6 servings

Image by elana’s pantry

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Smoked Paprika
1 cup yellow split peas
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 quart vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 cup kale, chopped and steamed
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. In a medium sauce pan, bring split peas, water, bay leaves and paprika to a boil
2. Reduce and simmer for 1 hour, until peas break apart
3. Remove peas from heat, discard bay leaves and place peas in Vitamix
4. Puree peas on high speed, until smooth, then set aside
5. In a large sauce pan, heat oil and sauté onion over medium low until translucent, 10-15 minutes
6. Add garlic and mushrooms and sauté until tender
7. Stir pureed peas, stock, kale and salt into onion, mushroom mixture
8. Warm and serve

Image by sweet mustache
This recipe comes from this book.

1 cup rice, washed (I used basmati)
2 lb green beans
2 tomatoes
1 onion
salt
pepper
1/2 stick butter
water

Dice the onion and tomatoes. Rub the tomatoes and onion between your fingers on a plate with salt and pepper.

Melt the butter in a deep skillet. Put half the butter in a small bowl and set aside. Spead half the onion and tomato mixture over the bottom of the skillet with a spoon.

Sprinkle part of the beans over the onion and tomatoe mixture. Top with the remainder of the onion and tomato mixture, and cover with the remainder of the beans. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Put the rice on the vegetables and pour in enough water to cover. Cook for about 10-15 minutes.

When the rice and vegetables are cooked, drizzle over the remainder of the melted butter and serve immediately.

The green beans shown with the recipe were not the kind you commonly see in the US, so I have no idea if this has the same taste. It is a very simple, yet surprisingly tasty dish. I’m guessing it is the butter.

I used only 1/4 stick of butter and skipped adding the butter after cooking. I also used a half of a can of tomatoes instead of fresh.

Image by cizauskas

Mushroom Gravy, cooked for a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups vegetable broth
2 TBSP kudzu powder (or arrowroot)
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 TBSP, finely shopped fresh sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Kosher salt *
couple grinds black pepper
6 ounces white wine or beer**
1TBSP marmite
3 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 cup dried nutritional yeast
1/4 cup unflavored soy milk

*Omit salt if using commercial vegetable stock, which already contains a high level of salt.
** For more depth of flavor, use red wine or dark ale. Somewhat hoppy beers okay, as the stock can stand up to a layer of bitterness.

Image by Gudlyf

Ingredients:

• half a medium head of cabbage, thinly slice (I used my food processor)
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 3 large scallions, sliced on the diagonal
• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (but I really just sprinkled)
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (again with the sprinkle … or was it a drizzle?)

Heat a skillet over medium heat, add a bit of oil and toss in the cabbage and garlic. Stir until the cabbage begins to wilt, then add the scallions. Add the fish sauce, tamari and vinegar and cook for a few minutes. You want the cabbage to be cooked but still crunchy, so if it’s mushy you’ve cooked it too long (You’re allowed one do-over since you still have half a head of cabbage left!).

Add the hoisin sauce and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and serve.

Image by snarkattack

• Yotam Ottolenghi
• The Guardian, Saturday 2 October 2010
• Article history

Yotam Ottolenghi’s cauliflower cake: Let’s hear it for a vegetable that’s almost as versatile as the potato. Photograph: Colin Campbell for the Guardian

This recipe is part of my ongoing campaign to give cauliflower some well-earned glory. It’s one of the most magnificent of all vegetables and, to me, is as versatile as the treasured potato. Serve as a light supper alongside a makeshift salad of sliced cucumber, dill, mint, a little sugar, cider vinegar and rapeseed oil. Kept chilled, the cake will taste even better the next day. Serves four to six.

1 medium cauliflower, 650g-700g
1 large red onion, peeled
100g olive oil
½ tsp finely chopped rosemary
10 medium free-range eggs
20g chopped basil
180g plain flour
2½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground turmeric
220g grated parmesan, or other mature cheese [see footnote]
Salt and black pepper
Melted butter, for greasing
2 tbsp black sesame seeds (or black onion seeds or plain sesame seeds)

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Break the cauliflower into medium florets, put them in a pot with a teaspoon of salt, cover with water and simmer for 15 minutes, until quite soft. Strain, and leave in the colander for a few minutes to get rid of all the water.

While the cauliflower’s cooking, prepare the batter. Cut a few 0.5cm rings off one end of the onion and set aside (these will go on top of the cake); coarsely chop the rest. Heat the oil in a pan and on a low heat sauté the chopped onion and rosemary for eight minutes. Remove from the heat, leave to cool down, add the eggs and basil, and whisk.

Sift the flour, baking powder and turmeric into a large bowl, and add the parmesan, one and a half teaspoons of salt and plenty of black pepper. Add the egg mix and whisk to eliminate lumps. Add the cauliflower and stir gently, trying to keep some florets whole.

Use baking parchment to line the bottom of a 24cm round cake tin with a loose base. Brush the sides with butter, put in the sesame seeds and toss them around so they stick to the sides. Tip in the cauliflower mix and arrange the onion rings on top.

Bake the cake in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes, until golden brown and set. Serve just warm or at room temperature.

• Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottolenghi in London.

• This footnote was added on 5 October 2010. Vegetarians are advised to check ingredients to ensure non-animal rennet content and use a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese.

Image by cwisnieski

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped yellow onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup good olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups medium-diced carrots (3 to 4 carrots)
• 1 cup medium-diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled (3 small)
• 1 pound dried split green peas
• 8 cups chicken stock or water

Directions

Image by Zlatko Unger

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar or honey

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons canola oil or peanut oil

1/2 pound firm tofu, cut in 1- x 2-inch dominoes

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 pound butternut squash, cut in 1/2-inch dice

Salt to taste

1 1/2 pounds red cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped

Rice, bulgur or buckwheat noodles for serving

1. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, the rice wine vinegar, sugar or honey, sesame oil and cornstarch. Set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates upon contact. Add the tofu, and stir-fry until lightly colored, about three minutes. Remove from the pan, and season to taste with soy sauce.

3. Add the remaining oil to the pan. When it is hot, add the butternut squash. Stir-fry until it begins to color, five to eight minutes. Add salt to taste, the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, and add the cabbage. Stir-fry until the squash is tender and the cabbage is crisp-tender, about six minutes, adding about 1/4 cup water to the pan from time to time if the vegetables begin to stick. Return the tofu to the pan.

4. Stir the sweet and sour mixture, and add to the vegetables. Stir just for a few seconds until they are glazed. Remove from the heat and serve with grains or noodles.

Yield: Serves four.

Advance preparation: You can prepare all of the ingredients ahead, but the stir-fry should be made just before serving.

Image by MotleyOklahoman
The second of our meatless monday meals. This is a preview of summer with it’s corn and tomatoes and a nutty tef crust.

1/2 cup tef flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry dough or unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
hot sauce, to taste
2 cups fresh corn kernels
1 cup half-and-half cream
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried chipotle powder
2 tomatoes, sliced

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Put the tef and whole wheat pastry flours and salt in a food processor and pulse once or twice to mix. Cut the butter into chunks. Add to the flour mixture and pulse to form a crumbly meal. Season water with hot sauce and pulse into flour mixture to make a pliable dough (you might need a bit more water to do this, sprinkle it in by tablespoons). With your hands, form dough into a flat disk. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes, no longer. Roll out between 2 sheets of wax paper to an 11-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie plate.

Combine the corn-and milk in a blender (or use a hand-blender) and blend until smooth. Add the eggs, more Tabasco, and more salt and blend just to mix Sprinkle all but 2 tablespoons of cheese on the pie crust. Pour in the corn mixture. Sprinkle chipotle and remaining cheese over surface. Cut tomatoes into thin slices and arrange around the edge of the filling. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Image by rashmi1979

Cooking time – 25-30min

Serving size – 2

INGREDIENTS:

1. Button mushroom – 4 (cut in slices)
2. Chicken pieces – 15 (bite size)
3. Bay leaf – 1
4. Cloves – 2
5. Water – 2 cup
6. White pepper powder – ½ tsp
7. Salt to taste
8. Garlic -2 cloves (chopped)
9. ¼ medium size onion (roughly chopped)
10. ½ cup milk
11. Dry fenugrick leaves – 1 tbsp
12. Chopped coriander leaves – 1tbsp
13. Croutons – 8-10 or boondi -4 tbsp (optional)
14. Olive oil/butter – 1tbsp
15. Soy sauce – 1 tbsp

METHOD:

1. Take a microwaveable bowl and put chicken pieces, bay leaf, red chili, cloves and salt. Add 2 cups of water and cook them in microwave for 5-6 min
   or
   take a heavy bottomed vessel and put all the above ingredients with water and cook them on high heat for 7-8 min. Keep it aside and let it cool
2. Now heat a deep pan with oil/butter. Add chopped garlic and saute it for 1 min. After that add roughly chopped onion. Fry them on medium low heat for 3-4 min. Now add sliced mushroom and saute them for another 5 min.
3. Pass the cooked chicken with water through a sieve and collect the liquid and chicken separately.
4. Now pour this liquid in sauteed mushroom in a pan. Bring to boil and reduce the heat to medium heat. Cook for 5-6 min. Turn off the stove and roughly blend this soup with hand blender or blender.
5. Again heat this blended soup and add the chicken pieces. After that slowly add milk and keep stirring. Add white pepper powder, dry fenugrick leaves and soy sauce & mix it well. Cook them on medium heat for 5 min. Remove the soup from heat and place in a soup bowl. Garnish with coriander leaves and croutons. Add any seasoning salt according to your taste.

Image by cyberpenguin

Kale-Potato-Leek Soup

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 c. leeks, green parts
1 Tbsp. garlic, peeled & finely minced (about 2 large cloves)
1 large fresh bay leaf
1/4 c. dry sherry
4 c. water
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced (makes about 3 c. diced potatoes)
3 c. kale stems and center “ribs” (left over from kale chips recipe)
1/4 c. fresh dill, finely minced and densely packed
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped and densely packed
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, densely packed
1/2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely minced and densely packed
1/2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped and densely packed
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper, or to taste

Directions: In a large sauce pot, sauté leeks, garlic, and bay leaf in olive oil on low heat for 5 minutes. Deglaze with sherry, reducing liquid’s volume by half. Add water and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low, add kale stems, potatoes, and water, cover with lid, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and easily pierceable with a fork. Then add fresh herbs, cover again, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Discard bay leaf. When almost completely cooled, transfer to blender in batches and purée until smooth. Soup can be served hot or cold. If necessary, reheat soup. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Yield: Serves 4. (Makes 8 c.)

Image by kimll

Ingredients

• 8 small zucchini (about 7-inches long and 1 1/4 to 1/2-inch wide)
• Kosher salt

For the filling:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 6 ounces fresh sausage, such as lamb or mild pork sausage
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup finely chopped peeled and seeded tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
• 1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs, divided
• 1/4 cup grated Gruyere
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions

For the filling:

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and, when hot, add the sausage and saute until golden, using a spoon to break it into small pieces, about 6 minutes. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chopped zucchini and season lightly with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until squash is soft and lightly caramelized, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the basil, thyme, and 2 1/2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs. Season, to taste, with additional salt and pepper, if necessary, and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a baking dish with 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil.

Pat the insides of the zucchini with paper towels and rub the outsides of the zucchini with the remaining olive oil. Spoon the mostly cooled filling into the zucchini. Sprinkle with the cheeses, then top with the remaining bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy on top.

Image by 1JLS

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli florets, roughly chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• Hot water, if needed
• 12 ounces mascarpone cheese, divided

Directions

Image by cizauskas
Mushroom Gravy, cooked for a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups vegetable broth
2 TBSP arrowroot (or kudzu powder)*
1 TBSP olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 TBSP, finely shopped fresh sage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Kosher salt **
couple grinds black pepper
6 ounces white wine or golden ale***
1TBSP marmite
2 TBSP soy sauce
1/4 cup dried nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup unflavored**** soy milk

* A gluten-free starch as thickening agent.

**Omit salt if using commercial vegetable stock, which already contains a high level of salt.

*** For more depth of flavor, use red or port wine, or dark ale. Somewhat hoppy beers okay, as the stock can stand up to a layer of bitterness.

**** Do NOT use sweetened soy milk.

Image by a song under the sugar sugar

Leek, Potato and Pea Soup

A chunky, filling winter soup. These quantities make a large pan of soup – they can easily be reduced by half if desired. 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of sunflower oil

2 medium leeks, sliced widthways into thin round slices

2 or 3 cloves of garlic (optional)

6-8 large potatoes, cut into chunks (about 2 or 3 cm.)

2 tablespoons of white flour

1 cup of frozen peas

5 or 6 cups of water

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the leeks and garlic, if using, in the sunflower oil for a few minutes then stir in the flour. Add one cup of water and stir well to blend. Add the potatoes and the rest of the water (you may need to adjust the quantity slightly – make sure all the vegetables are well covered). Bring to the boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, and then turn down to simmer until the potatoes are just about cooked. Finally add the peas and cook for a further few minutes until tender. Season to taste.

Image by harald walker

Tomato salad with avocado salsa

Image by FotoosVanRobin
Grilled swordfish with warm bok choy salad and rice

I marinated the swordfish for 1.5 hours in a mixture of:
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 1/2 T olive oil
1/2 t salt (probably shouldn’t have been there, but oh well)
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 T chopped fresh coriander
1 T fresh limejuice
1 cm of a rawit pepper, chopped very finely

I think the limejuice kind of cold-cooked the swordfish and that was the reason why this was the best swordfish I ever made. You can easily overcook swordfish (people say swordfish is dry), but when you leave it raw in the middle, it can also be too fishy/slippery. Either way, I still like it, don’t get me wrong. But today, it tasted cooked and succulent at the same time. Better that I ever prepared and better than I ever tasted in any restaurant. So I will try this again for sure.

Image by SweetOnVeg

Ingredients

2 slices of bread/ciabatta

1 avocado (mashed with olive oil & salt)

1/2 sliced tomato

salted potato chips (a little handful of Miss Vickie’s Original)

spinach (scrunch in hands first)

a drizzle of balsamic vinegar

Place everything on toasted bread &/or press on panini grill.

Image by FotoosVanRobin

RECIPE

Heat in a little pan
2 T of olive oil

Then add
3 t grated ginger
2 grated cloves of garlic

Stirfry for 1 minute. Then add mixture of
2 t sugar
2 t sesameoil
2 T light soysauce
1 T lemonjuice

Steam the boy choy.
Add dressing and sprinkle with
1 T toasted sesame seeds

You can steam whole leaves or chunks. Or just blanche them in boiling water if you’re in a hurry.

Wash and quarter fresh brussels sprouts. (Never use frozen – ick.)
Add some good quality olive oil, freshly cracked pepper, and sea salt.
Roast at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
Great served with roasted or smoked pork.

This is the “before” picture. They were eaten up before I could get an “after” shot.

Image by AlyssssylA
Zucchini Fritters, along with thai yellow curry, bean and rice burritos and oreo cookie ice cream are the foods that I could eat every day. In fact, zucchini fritters topped my 10 best ways to eat zucchini list

Zucchini Fritters

* Necessary: Grated zucchini, Sliced or grated onion, egg, flour (white or whole wheat), salt and pepper
* Good to have, but optional: cooked brown rice and/or bread crumbs and/or crumbled crackers. Crumbled feta cheese or some other crumbled or grated cheese.
* Even more optional: dried green herbs (try herbs de provance or thyme), chopped fresh green herbs or green onions.

Grate zucchini and toss with onion. Add in rice or cracker crumbs and salt, pepper and and any other add ins like cheese or herbs. Crack an egg in the bowl and mix around real good. How much egg you need depends on how big your zucchini is (and how big your egg is, while we’re at it) – I would say one 1 cup of zucchini to 1 egg, but that is a very rough guestimate.
When the veggies are all incorporated in the egg then add a tablespoon of flour. Mix around until thats incorporated and then maybe add another. I would guess I usually add 3 tablespoons of flour to one egg, but again, rough guestimate. If you don’t add enough flour the fritter doesn’t hold together as well, but it’s still totally edible.
Heat up your cast iron skillet (what? you don’t have a cast iron skillet?? Get off the damn computer and go buy one. At a thrift store. Seriously.) and melt some fat in it. I like bacon grease, or coconut oil (used here), but if you are seriously in a pinch some vegetable or olive oil will do. When the skillet is good and hot dollop the batter into the hot fat. We’re not deep frying here, just lubing up the pan. When the bottom is nicely browned and the top starting to look dry flip it. Cook till the bottom is browned.
Serve with ketchup, ranch, mustard, chutney or ice cream. Not really, but maybe…

The great thing about this recipe is that really all of it, except the egg and the cast iron skillet, are optional. Don’t have zucchini but do have lots of leftover rice? Rice fritters. Have leftover cooked greens? Greens fritters. Mashed potatoes? Mashed potato fritters! No food in the house except frozen corn and an egg? Sounds like corn fritters to me.
Oh, sweet, sweet fritters

Image by melystu
Pickled roots of Helianthus tuberosa (so-called Jerusalem artichokes).
Recipe from: “Food & Recipes of the Smokies”, by R. Houk, 1996.
Here it is (with my very few edits):
Dig (or buy) root in fall, enough for 3 pints.
Scrape, slice, and soak in cold water for 3 hours. Break large roots into smaller chunks.
Bring to boil: 1 qt. vinegar, 1 c. water, 1½ c. sugar, ¾ tsp mustard seed (or mixed pickling spice), 1 clove garlic, ½ c. salt, 1/4 tsp. crushed hot pepper.
Dry chokes. Place in sterilized jars and cover with boiling liquid. Cover and store in fridge.
Ready to eat in 3 weeks.

Image by thebittenword.com

• 2 medium acorn squashes (about 2 pounds), halved and seeded
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 lb. ground chuck (95 percent lean)
• ground cinnamon
• ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp. course salt
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup bulgur wheat
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp. toasted pine nuts

1. Preheat oven to 400. Place squashes, cut sides down in a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Bake until tender, 35 to 40 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a 4-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add ground beef, a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer beef to a bowl or plate using a slotted spoon, keeping as much of the cooking liquid in the pot as possible.

3. Add onion, and cook until slightly translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add remaining teaspoon salt and the bulgur, and stir to combine.  Add water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.  Take pot off the stove and let sit covered for 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork, and add reserved beef, the raisins, parsley and pine nuts.

4. Scrape out baked squashes, forming 1/4 inch thick bowls, and fold flesh into bulgur mixture. Divide among squash halves, and return to the oven. Bake until warmed through and tops are browned. 12 to 14 minutes.

Image by tuscanycious

Serves 6
Ingredients

• 1 kg Tuscan kale
• 1 large carrot
• 2 stalks white celery
• 3 mid-sized red onions
• 4 cloves garlic
• 200 gr. dried cannellini beans
• 40 gr. maize flour
• 40 gr. tomato purée
• 1 bunch lemon thyme
• 10 gr. Tuscan extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 3-4 leaves of fresh sage

Preparation

Boil the beans in abundant water with the sage, 2 cloves of garlic and rosemary until soft and salt towards the end. Drain them but keep the water, and blend half of them and keep the other half whole. Coarsely chop the carrot, celery, onion and 2 remaining cloves of garlic and sauté in a saucepan with the olive oil. Add the lemon thyme, salt and pepper and cook well over a medium flame. Remove the central stalk from the Tuscan kale, chop coarsely and add to the cooked vegetables. Cook for another 5 minutes and add the tomato purée diluted in a little bean water. Add the rest of the bean water and cook for 1 ½ hrs over a medium flame then add the beans. Add approx 1 litre water, bring to the boil and sprinkle in the flour and cook for about 20 minutes. Serve drizzled with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

There is a simpler version that only uses Tuscan kale and plenty of garlic to flavour the water the maize flour is cooked in. It is garnished with grated parmigiano cheese and extra-virgin olive oil. There is also a modern version, far from tradition but which is enjoyed by those who like strong, tasty dishes. The sliced farinata is placed on a greased casserole and layered alternating with grated sheep cheese and olive oil aromatized with sage and rosemary.  10 minutes in the oven at 200° blends all the ingredients in, enhancing the result.

Image by Gudlyf

Ingredients:

• about 8 cups mixed greens (I used romaine and mesclun mix)
• about 5 red potatoes, chopped into 1-2 inch cubes and boiled until done
• about 5 cups of green beans, lightly steamed
• 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 cans tongol tuna, crumbled
• 1 red onion, chopped and microwaved for 2 minutes to take the edge off
• Kalamata olives to taste
• feta cheese crumbles to taste

For dressing:

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1.5 teaspoons stone ground mustard
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh sage and thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced and microwaved for 1 minute to take the edge off

Whisk together dressing ingredients and toss all ingredients together with the dressing.

Ingredients

Image by ex.libris

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don’t overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they’re tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber, sliced thinly
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp packed, fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

1) In a bowl, combine sliced cucumbers and diced tomatoes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

2) In a smaller bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, salt, cilantro, vinegar and olive oil. Pour over cucumbers and tomatoes, toss, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to allow the flavors to marinate together (if you can wait that long!).

What’s your favorite way to celebrate spring time?

Ingredients

• 12 ounces thickly sliced lean bacon, cut crosswise into thin strips
• 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved, if desired
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Sugar, optional

Directions

Image by miriamwilcox

• 3 cups packed fresh spinach leaves, washed and stemmed
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 3 whole garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Image by stacya
Okay, people, I will share my avocado recipe with you.

————————————————————–

5 avocados, halved, seeded and peeled (sliced into chunks)
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 red onion, diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Serrano pepper

In a large bowl, mix the avocado with the lime juice very well. Add salt, cumin, cayenne – mix well. Then, fold in onions, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and pepper. If possible, let it sit for an hour and then serve. Most of the time, I can’t wait.

Image by mallydally
From my blog, total noms. Check out the recipe here:

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

Ingredients

• 3 medium carrots
• 3 radishes
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Directions

Scrub carrots and radishes. Peel carrots, and shred using a mandoline, or in a food processor fitted with a shredding disk. Julienne radishes into thin matchsticks.

Transfer shredded carrots and julienned radishes into a serving bowl. Pour in rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey and lemon juice, and toss vegetables to coat evenly. Sprinkle with shredded parsley.

Image by I Love Egg
Egg Noodles with Baby Bok Choy Recipe
1. Bring water to a boil, and place egg noodle and bok choy in. Once the noodles are soft enough to eat, drain out the water.
2. Get a pan(or use whatever you used in step one) and place in some sesame seed oil, as well as vegetable oil (sesame seed oil’s for some flavour). Place in the noodles to stir-fry a bit.
3. Toss in some soy sauce and crack en egg over the noodles. Mix everything up together.
4. After the egg’s cooked, it’s all ready to be eaten, or frozen like I did to this one! Just defrost in the microwave the night before.

NB: I only used baby bok choy because it was what was on sale at the store when I popped in bok choy would work as well…and this recipe is open to many more variations (ie. more veggies, different sauces)…I just tossed some stuff together for something quickt o eat

Basic Lumpia Recipe
1. Just grab whatever veggies you like, along with some bean sprouts (or I used soy bean sprouts, because that’s what the store had at the time) and dump them into a pan together( I used a Le Creuset pot). I recommend using some sweet potato cut up into small pieces, which really adds some flavour If you want to add meat, just cook the meat before adding the veggies to it.
2.Once they’re cooked, place the filling into the wrappers, here’s a wrapping tutorial : www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORb9hFPexDY.
3. Fry and serve, and save some to freeze for later on
Variation: Try filling the egg rolls with platain or apples slightly sprinkled with sugar to make “turon”!

Soup Name:  Winter Chicken Soup

Introduction:

What Ingredients are required?

1 fresh whole chicken
1 foot of fresh chinese yam
2 fresh corn
10 dried longans
5-6 dried scallops (conpoys)
1 handful of wolfberries
2 litres of water

How do I prepare it?

Any benefits?

淮山杞子雞湯
Chicken Soup with Wolfberries and Chinese Yam

Recipe:
www.thechinesesouplady.com/winter-chicken-soup/

Image by ontheflyrecipes
Quiche Lorraine made with eggs, half&half, bacon, swiss cheese and spinach.

[Prep: 10-20min/ Bake: 30-45min]

- 2 ready-made frozen pie shells (defrosted)
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups whipping cream or half&half
- 1/2 cup crumbled bacon/bacon bits or cubed ham/chopped up ham slices
- 1 cup shredded, cubed or cut-up slices Swiss cheese
- chopped onion (as desired)
- dash salt, pepper and cayenne pepper/chili powder

1.  If necessary, cook or prepare bacon/ham, cut-up the cheese & chop the onion.
2.  [optional] Place the pastry shells in the oven covered with a piece of aluminium foil and bake at 400F for about 5-10 minutes to help the shell cook.
3.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat eggs, cream and seasonings.
4.  Remove the pie shells from the oven and sprinkle the meat, cheese and onion evenly into the shells.  Pour the egg mixture on top and bake for 30-45 minutes until you can insert a knife in the center and it comes out clean.
5.  Let stand for about 10 minutes and ready to eat!

Notes

• Almost no matter what you do, the upper crust will burn a bit.  It’s never really bothered me, but many recipes advise you to wrap aluminium foil around the edge of the crust while the pie is baking to keep it from burning.  A bit more trouble, but may be worth it.
• There is something just so incredibly fluffy about a restaurant quiche that is hard to replicate at home, but I finally uncovered the secret.  When you beat the eggs, separate the yolks from the whites and beat the whites first.  Whisk or beat the daylights out of them until they get really bubbly and foamy, then whisk/beat in the cream.  Finally gently mix up the yolks and swirl them into the mixture.  Just did this- it works!

Variations

• As I said, you can add all sorts of things to your quiche.  Veggies like spinach, mushrooms and spinach are a good place to start.  You can also try swapping out different cheeses for slightly different flavors.
• From there you can try any assortment of things.  Some popular ones include:
• crabmeat or other seafood
• olives, anchovies & tomatoes
• ground beef & taco seasonings
• An important potential issue you may have is a lack of ready-made pie crust and a strong desire not to bake your own.  Here are some quick ways to make do without the frozen crust:
• Go crustless:
• You can just make it in a pie pan or casserole dish without a crust, but you can also add a bit (like 1/2-3/4 cup) of flour, biscuit mix or some crushed up saltine crackers to the mix to give it some substance.
• Make mini muffin quiches by just spraying a muffin tin with cooking spray and baking.  (might benefit from some flour/biscuit mix mixed in)
• Bake it frittata-style by either cooking the mix in an oven-safe skillet in the oven or by cooking it on the stovetop until it’s heated through.  They say to cook it on the stovetop, just periodically lift the egg away from the edges and let the uncooked egg flow down, but I tried this yesterday without much luck.  It will cook through this way, but it takes a lot of attention, and just didn’t taste very quiche-like to me in the end.
• I read a crazy recipe that claims you can make a quiche/frittata in the microwave by using a 2qt microwave-safe dish and running it on 70% power, stirring every 2 minutes until the egg is set (about 6-10 minutes total).
• Substitue a quick crust:
• Layer the bottom of a casserole dish with refrigerated crescent dough before adding the filling on top.
• Flatten and layer plain bread slices across the bottom of a casserole dish (and maybe coat with a little melted butter).  Or flatten the slices of bread, cut into half or fourths and shove into a muffin tin to make mini quiches.
• If you feel like almost-baking, crush up 1 cup’s worth of saltine crackers, add about 1/4 cup of melted butter/margarine and a splash of water.  Mix and then press into the bottom of a casserole dish or pie pan.

Image by gfroerer
My pride and joy of the evening…. Muscovy Duck Breast stuffed with Wild Brown Rice, Leeks, and Pancetta.

And I made it up myself in a moment of culinary cockiness, despite never having cooked duck before.

1 – 1½ cups cooked wild rice, preferably prepared with fresh or dried herbs (bay leaf, rosemary, sage, etc.)
1 thick slice pancetta, about ¼-inch thick (I used two, but it made the stuffing a bit too salty)
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, chopped fine
1 tablespoon red wine (optional)
Dried rubbed sage
1or 2 Muscovy duck breasts, fresh or defrosted, weighing about 1 pound
Cooking string and olive oil
Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 375F.

Chop the pancetta into a small dice, about the same size as your leeks. Warm an ovenproof sauté pan over low heat and add the pancetta. Cook until the pancetta has firmed up and released a fair amount of liquid fat, but don’t increase the heat; you don’t want the meat to brown. Once enough fat has been rendered out, add the leeks and cook until soft, stirring frequently, about 7-8 minutes.

Transfer the pancetta and leeks to a bowl (leaving grease in the pan), add the rice, and mix thoroughly. If the mixture is too dry, add the red wine. Add sage to taste, and salt and pepper if you need it (but you shouldn’t; pancetta is really salty).

Wash the duck breast and pat it dry with paper towels, then season each side with salt and pepper. Using a (deadly) sharp knife, slice the breast in half leaving one long edge connected, butterfly-style. Like making your duck into a pita pocket, or something. Fill with the stuffing, but be conservative as you want the meat to be able to overlap onto itself on all sides. For one duck breast you won’t need all of it; for this amount of stuffing you could probably make two breasts and feed four or five people.

Let a length of kitchen string soak in some olive oil for a few minutes, then use it to truss up the duck breast, tying it in whatever way necessary to keep things in one piece and avoid spilling stuffing as it cooks. I was about 70% successful on that front.

Heat the pan that’s still greased from making stuffing over medium heat, and add a little butter if it looks to be necessary. No one said this was going to be low-fat, ok? When everything is good and hot, throw in the duck breast and let it brown on one side, which should only take 3-4 minutes. Flip it, let the other side brown, then transfer the pan to a 375F oven. Now, to be honest, I didn’t time how long my duck breast spent in the oven… I just let it cook until I was done making the swiss chard recipe, so probably somewhere between 9-12 minutes. To check for doneness, poke a knife into the thickest part of the meat, and it should be a dark rosy pink on the interior. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

I think this turned out pretty damned good for my first attempt at duck.

Spicy Chicken with Peppers and Basil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbs canola or peanut oil
1 tbs hot chile oil
1/2 to 1 tsp curshed red pepper flakes
1 small to medium onion, tinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs fish sauce
20 leaves fresh sweet basli, torn

Cut the chikcen into bite-sized pieces. Heat a wok or large pan over high heat. When hot, add the canola oil and chile oil. Sprinkle in the crushed pepper flakes. Add chicken and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add onions, bell peppers and garlic. Stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce. Remove from heat and add the basil. Toss the chicken until the basil wilts.

Spinach and White Beans with Garlic
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbs olive oil
1 lb spinach, chopped
15 oz can white (or navy) beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil over moderate heat and cook the garlic until pale golden. Add the spinach and cook until wilted. Add the beans, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Stir for 2 more minutes, or until the beans are heated through.

Flavorful Steamed Rice
3/4 cup long-grained rice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tbs minced ginger
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the rice, let the water return to a boil, and cook for 10 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside.

Add 1 inch of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Set the rice over the boiling water and cover with a clean kithcen towel and a lid and let steam for 20 minutes.

Mash together the garlic and salt to form a paste.

In a large bowl combine the garlic paste, broth, ginger, green onions, lime juice and fish sauce.

Add the steamed rice and toss until well combined. Let cool to room temperature.

Stir in the cilantro just before serving.

We used green bell peppers instead of red for the chicken. Also used malt vinegar instead of balsamic in the spinach. For the rice, we left out the cilantro.

Everything was very good and went well together.

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

Ingredients

• 3 medium carrots
• 3 radishes
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Image by basykes
2 pounds carrots
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange zest (colored portion of peel)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or chives

Slice carrots. Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add carrots and cook until just tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain in a colander; pat dry.

Toast cumin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until browned and fragrant. Let cool completely, then crush by putting in a plastic bag and pounding with a meat pounder or rolling pin, or crush with a mortar and pestle.

Melt butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and cumin; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add honey, orange juice, orange zest and balsamic vinegar; stir well to mix. Cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated and carrots have a syrupy glaze, about 4 minutes. Taste and season generously with at least 1 teaspoon salt. Mound in a serving bowl; sprinkle with parsley or chives.

Image by chatirygirl
Velvety Broccoli and Feta Pasta
serves 2-4

1 pound broccoli
2 tablespoons water
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
1/2 small onion or two shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chopped flat parsley
1 lemon, juiced
1/2 cup feta cheese (low-fat if you want to be good) – divided
1/4 cup water

Cut the broccoli into small florets and steam on the stove or in the microwave with the 2 tablespoons of water. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large sauté pan. Cook the onion and garlic until it just begins to soften then add the broccoli. Cook for several minutes or until the onion turns translucent. Add the parsley and cook until it’s well wilted. Pour in the lemon juice and simmer for about two minutes.

Transfer to a blender and add 1/4 cup of the feta cheese and the 1/4 cup water. Puree until smooth, adding a drizzle of olive oil and a little more water if it sticks and turns to a lump. Puree until as smooth or chunky as you prefer.

Taste and add any necessary additional salt and pepper. Serve with a good ridged pasta like the rotini above.

Image by calamity_hane

Recipe by Hane C. Lee:

15-20 medium shrimp (thawed if frozen), peeled, deveined, and roughly chopped

1/2 lb or so elbow macaroni
2 strips bacon
1 big clove of garlic, minced
1/4 small red onion, minced
small chunk of butter
spoonful of flour
a good glug of brandy
1/2 cup or so of chicken broth
a shot or two of half and half
a big handful of shredded cheddar cheese
a small handful of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Boil macaroni the usual way and drain.

Meanwhile, in a 12-inch heavy skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, turning a few times, until crisp and then drain on paper towels, leaving rendered grease in the pan.

Add garlic and onion to skillet and sautee over medium-high heat until garlic is fragrant and onion softened, just a minute or two. Add butter and swirl around until melted, then add flour and stir constantly until fully incorporated. Add brandy and chicken broth, let it come to a boil, then lower heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced a bit, 10 minutes or so. Stir in half and half and turn off heat. Mix in cheddar cheese and add salt and pepper to taste; then add raw shrimp (it’ll cook in the oven).

Add macaroni to pan and stir everything together. Pour mixture into a buttered casserole and top evenly with Parmigiano Reggiano. Bake for 30 minutes or so, until top is golden and crusty. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Chop or crumble the cooked bacon, sprinkle it over the top, and serve.

Image by mortimer?
with grilled parsnips, potatoes and spinach

Recipe for the fish:
1- grill the fish in a pan with a bit of vegetable oil,
2- add the juice of half a lemon and let it cook for some time,
3- in the meantime, heat at a really low power, two tablespoons of milk with two tablespoons of mascarpone,
4- when it is liquid, add the parsley lead finely chopped
5- add to the cooked fish when serving

Image by chrisfreeland2002
Ingredients
1/2 lb. bacon, cut into lardons
1 T butter
2 leeks, white stalks rinsed and chopped
1 cup mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 lbs. purple potatoes, cubed (I prefer to leave the peel on)
1 T salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp French Four Spice from Penzeys
1 cup white wine
2 14oz cans chicken broth
1 pint heavy cream

Garnish:
1 cup chopped parsley
Sour cream

In a large soup pot, brown the bacon over medium high heat. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 T of the drippings and add the butter. Brown the leeks and mushrooms in the pot until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper and French Four Spice and cook until the potatoes are softened, about 7-10 minutes, stirring often to keep the leeks from burning. Deglaze with the white wine, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Add one can of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pot from burner and allow to cool.

At this point you’ll have a pot full of some pretty ugly looking vegetables. Don’t worry – you’re going to puree them all together into a beautifully smooth soup. Get a blender and a big bowl. Working in batches, puree the potato mixture until smooth, adding in more chicken broth if needed during blending to smooth the mixture. Pour each batch into the bowl after blending.

Rinse out your soup pot and return to stove. Add cream and bring just to a simmer. Whisk in batches of the potato puree until the soup is combined and smooth, adding more chicken broth (or wine, or water) until you reach your desired consistency. Adjust salt and pepper and serve. You can also let the soup cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for up to 2 days, reheating when ready to serve (you’ll want to add more liquid during warming if you refrigerate the soup).

Scoop into large bowls and garnish with the bacon, a dollop of sour cream, and parsley.

Image by cyberpenguin

Ingredients:
4 ears of corn, shucked, cleaned, and rinsed (makes about 2 c. cooked)
1/2 medium-sized yellow onion, unpeeled
8 c. water, lightly salted
1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, washed & well-scrubbed (about 3 medium-sized potatoes) (makes about 2 c. cooked)
1/2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 Tbsp. unbleached, all-purpose flour
1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for preparing the corn for roasting
1 large fresh bay leaf

1/4 c. shallot, finely minced (about 1 medium-sized shallot)
2 c. (16 oz.) low-sodium organic vegetable broth*
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder (to naturally enhance color of soup)

1/8 tsp. ground white pepper, or to taste (If you like your soup a bit spicier, use 1/4 tsp.)

1/8 c. (2 Tbsp.) lite nondairy creamer
1 c. skim milk
1/2 c. vine-ripened tomatoes, cored, seeded, & diced (about 2 medium-sized tomatoes) (about 2 Tbsp. per bowl)
4 Tbsp. flat leaf Italian parsley, finely minced (about 1 Tbsp. per bowl)

Directions: Using an oil diffuser (like Misto) or a silicon brush, lightly coat the shucked corn with a small amount of olive oil. (It’s very important to do this; otherwise the corn will dry out in the oven.) Roast the corn and the onion half on a large (12″ x 17″) aluminium foil-covered tray (i.e., for easy cleanup) for 15-20 minutes on 600°F (i.e., the broil setting). Flip/rotate vegetables half-way through cooking. Remove onion from oven after 15 minutes and place onto a heat-proof plate. Corn should be ready either at the same time as the onion or 5 more minutes after that, until grill marks appear.

Meanwhile, bring 8 c. lightly salted water to a rolling boil in a large (6-8 qt.) pot, about 8 minutes. Then gingerly place potatoes into the pot of boiling water using a heat-proof slotted spoon. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover tightly with a lid, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until almost tender when pierced with a knife. When finished, do not drain water! Allow to cool for at least 10-15 minutes, then drain potatoes into a heat-proof colander, with a large, deep bowl placed directly underneath to catch the starchy potato water. (If there’s debris in the water, strain potato water into a mesh sieve potato instead. Of course, this all depends on how well you scrubbed the potatoes. ) Reserve liquid and set this bowl aside. When cool enough to handle, place potatoes on a cutting board and cut into 1″ cubes. (You can peel the potatoes if you like, but I don’t. There are lots of nutrients in the peel. You won’t be able to see bits of the peel in the soup anyhow, as it will be pulverized in the food processor later.) Transfer potatoes into another (different) large bowl and set aside.

By now, the corn and onions should be ready. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for a 10-15 minutes. When vegetables are cool enough to handle, prepare the corn: Place a corn cob holder into the flat side where the stalk has been removed (for stability). (You can also level off the other end for increased stability.) Holding the corn cob holder with a firm grip, slice off the corn kernels from the cobs, using a sharp knife. (Be careful when doing this!) Reserve 1/2 c. kernels for garnish. Next, dice the onions. Place the kernels, the cob, and the diced onion into the same bowl as the potatoes. Set aside.

In the now-empty pot you originally used to boil the potatoes, make the roux: Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium-low heat, then rapidly whisk in flour, stirring until the mixture forms a smooth paste, about 1-2 minutes. Add the olive oil, bay leaf, carrots, celery, and shallots and sauté for 3 minutes on low heat until vegetables are almost tender and shallots are translucent. (If roux starts to brown or burn while you’re sautéing the vegetables, deglaze with a little vegetable broth and stir continually.) Then add 5 c. of the reserved starchy potato water, vegetable broth, and corn cobs into the pot. (Cobs are cooked in the soup for added flavor. Don’t worry, you won’t be eating the cobs as part of the soup; they’ll be removed later. ) Turn up the heat to high, cover with a tightly fitting lid, and bring to a rolling boil, about 8 minutes. Then reduce heat to low, carefully empty the bowl containing the corn kernels, onion, and potatoes into the pot, and simmer, uncovered, for an additional 10-15 minutes. Check on soup every 5 minutes or so, and stir. If soup cooks down too fast, add more potato water, about 1/2 c. at a time, as necessary. During the last 2-3 minutes of cooking, lift the lid, add the fresh thyme leaves, and stir continually, just until soup thickens. Cook soup until desired consistency has been reached. Season with turmeric, allspice, nutmeg, paprika, black and white pepper, and salt. Taste, and adjust seasonings. Turn off heat and let rest for 10 minutes. With a two-pronged carving/serving fork, stab the corn cobs to remove from the pot, then discard. Also discard bay leaf.

When soup has completely cooled, stir in creamer and skim milk. Either use an immersion blender or transfer soup in batches to a blender, and then purée the soup until the texture is smooth and creamy.

Garnish with reserved kernels, diced tomato, and parsley. Serve hot or warm with some crusty, rustic bread or slices of toasted Parmesan garlic bread. Bon appétit!

Yield: about 8 c., or approximately 4 servings.

Image by anthimeria

Ingredients
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup spelt or other whole grain flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp fine sea salt (increase to 1 tsp for savoury version)
1 Tbsp cocoa, non-Dutch processed (I like Nativas Naturals raw cacao or Scharffen Berger cocoa)
2 medium red beets, roasted to tender (about 1 cup)
1.5 cups warm water
2 Tbsp honey (omit for savoury version)
1 large egg, beaten
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Equipment
blender
large metal or glass mixing bowl (beets will stain plastic)
spatula
whisk
heavy non-stick frying pan or griddle
baking sheet
tin foil

Method
To roast the beets: preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub beets well and remove ends. Wrap individually in tin foil (as you would a baked potato) and roast for approximately one hour, until a sharp knife is easily inserted. This can be done in advance – just store the wrapped beets in the fridge.

To make the pancake batter: in bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, sea salt and cocoa until very well incorporated.  Set aside.

In another bowl, dissolve honey into warm water. Add honey-water mixture and beets to blender and puree until very smooth and liquefied - there should be no beet pieces remaining.

Add the beet puree, egg and butter to the dry ingredients, stirring well to incorporate until an even bright magenta batter is achieved.

Drop 1/4 cup spoonfuls onto a heated griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook for two minutes per side until pancake is cooked through and forms a light brown crust. You will know when to flip because tiny bubbles will crack at the pancake’s surface.

Serve plain (the pancakes are slightly sweet from the honey and beet) or with maple syrup. For a savory version, see headnote. Makes 8 large pancakes. Leftovers can be refrigerated or frozen and reheated.

Ingredients

16 ounces dried beans OR 6 cups cooked beans OR 3 pounds cooked beans OR 4 16 ounce cans of beans (I used dried black beans)
3 14 to 16 ounce bricks of tofu, firm or extra firm
12 ounces of tomato paste (6 ounces will suffice if you’d like to make a lower-sodium recipe)
4 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
4 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
1 cup green peppers, chopped
4 cups mixed vegetables (i.e., corn, peas, carrots, etc.)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup or so of raw sunflower seeds to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Sort, rinse and soak dried beans overnight. When done soaking, rinse and add to a large pot. Or, if you’re using canned beans, pace the beans in a colander, rinse, and then add them to a large pot.

2. Cover the beans with water; the water level should rise above the beans by 1/4 inch. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, and then reduce the heat to low. Cook, covered, for about two hours, or until the beans are soft and tender. (The cook time will be much shorter if you’re using canned beans.) Add in the liquid smoke, stirring liberally.

3. Remove the cover from the pot and continue to cook until most of the water has evaporated. You can also remove the pot from the heat and let the beans sit until most of the excess water has evaporated. Let cool.

4. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

5. Using a hand masher, mash the beans until at least half of the beans are broken up. Set aside.

6. In a separate bowl, mash the tofu bricks with a hand masher. The tofu should be small and crumbly when done.

7. Add the tomato paste to your crumbled tofu and mix until tofu and tomato are evenly blended.

8. Toss in the blackstrap molasses, flour, garlic and oregano, stirring liberally until blended.

9. Add the peppers and mixed vegetables to the tofu, stirring until mixed.

10. Now it’s time to unite the tofu and beans in heathen vegan matrimony. Hopefully you heeded my advice to use a large pot for the beans; if so, dump the tofu mix to the now-cool(er) bean pot, stirring until seamlessly blended. (If not, it’s time to dirty another, even larger pot or bowl. I pity the fool who has to wash extra dishes!)

11. Add your loaf mix to one or two large, lightly greased glass baking pans.

Optional: Garnish with raw sunflower seeds – or any nuts or seeds you might have on hand.

12. Cook at 350 degrees for about an hour and a half, or until the edges are nicely browned.

13. Let cool and enjoy!

Image by wiccked
The Gravy

Ingredients:

1 large onion.
6 large mushrooms
3 large eggs
1 cup grated tasty cheese.
about half cup pouring cream
sheet of frozen shortcrust pastry

Method:
Thaw the pastry, and line quiche dish with it. Prick base and bake according to instructions. Leave to cool once cooked.
Thinly slice mushrooms and onions. Spread musrooms and onions in cooled quiche case. Sprinkle with half of the grated cheese.
Beat the eggs in a medium sized jug. Add the cream, beating it into the eggs. Pour the egg and cream mixture carefully over the onions and mushrooms, being careful not to overflow the case. Sprinkle more grated cheese on top.
Bake at 200 C for about 20 minutes, then reduce heat to about 180а C for a further 30 – 40 minutes. Quiche is baked when firm to the touch, and nicely browned on top. If filling is not set, but top is becoming too brown reduce heat further.
This makes a lovely firm quiche. All of my kids love my quiche, included the inherited ones, who don’t like *hers* because *hers* is sloppy.
Serve warm with salad.
Serves 6.

Zesty Cucumber Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cucumber, sliced thinly
• 1 plum tomato, diced
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp packed, fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 English cucumbers or 4-5 pickling kirby style cucumbers, thinly sliced (Four Leaf Farm)
• 2-3 carrots, thinly sliced (Maple Springs Farm)
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (Brinkley Farm)
• 1 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp dark (or roasted) sesame seed oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 tsp sugar, preferrably turbinado
• 1 TB roasted sesame seeds

Combine all and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Korean-style Pickles

• 1 English cucumber or 4 pickling kirby cucumbers (Four Leaf Farm)
• 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp Korean chili pepper or red pepper flakes
• pinch or two of salt

Mix all and refrigerate overnight.

Suggested uses:

• spring rolls
• sandwiches
• with noodles, 2 ways:
• use the brine of sesame cucumber pickles, dilute it a bit and add a hard boiled egg (this is very similar to Korean cold noodles- naeng myun)
• use in place of standard cucumbers in cold noodles with peanut sauce (the pickles are a nice contrast to the creaminess of peanut sauce).

Image by rashmi1979

Servings: 3

Cooking time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1. White button mushrooms – 5-6
2. Green peas – 1 cup (frozen or fresh)
3. Onion Paste ( 1 medium sized onion)
4. 3 tbsp butter/olive oil
5. Cashew nut paste-2 tbsp
6. ½ tsp garam masala
7. Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
8. Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
9. Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
10. Cumin powder – 1 tsp
11. Bay leaf – 1
12. ½ cup milk
13. Salt to taste
14. Sour cream – 2-3 tbsp
15. ½ tsp turmeric powder (optional)
16. Mint leaves (for garnishing)

METHOD:

1. Wash all mushrooms under running water. Wipe them softly and cut into slices. Now heat a greased pan and saute the mushroom slices till they turn light brown.
2. Now again heat a deep pan with butter/olive oil. Add cumin seeds & bay leaf to heated oil. When they crackle, add onion, ginger, garlic paste & salt and fry on medium heat for 5-6 min.
3. Now add cashew paste and all spices (cumin, coriander,garam masala powder). Keep stirring otherwise cashew paste would stick to the bottom and get burnt. Cook them on medium low heat for 4-5 min.
4. Add green peas and fry for another 2-3 min on medium high heat. After that add sauteed mushroom slices in this mixture and mix well. Keep stirring it and slowly add milk. Reduce the heat to medium and cover the pan. Cook them for 4-5 min on medium heat. If gravy becomes thick then you can add little water to make it thinner.
5. Remove the pan from heat. Place mushroom peas curry in serving bowl and garnish with sour cream and mint leaves. Serve it with fried rice, roti, naan or parantha.

Image by esimpraimA couple of weeks ago I caught this episode of Good Food with Evan Kleiman where she made these leek fritters I knew I had to try immediately. I only wish I could go around getting all my produce at the farmers market and then have a convenient area to cook right away. Instead, I usually have to haul my stuff on the ten minute walk home, but it’s so worth it. These fritters are easy to make and very tasty. As you can see in the video, no measurements are given, but it is pretty easy to eyeball. They don’t really need anything than a spritz of lemon juice, but I imagine a nice yogurt dipping sauce would be fantastic with these.

Leek Fritters
(From Good Food with Evan Kleiman)

2 leeks, washed and chopped
1 egg lightly beaten
1 slice of bread soaked in water and then
Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Breadcrumbs as needed

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the leeks. Cook until the leeks have softened and sunk to the bottom. Drain well and pat dry.

In a medium bowl, mix together the leeks, egg, soaked bread, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper and add breadcrumbs as needed until the mixture comes together.

In a large skillet, heat an inch of olive oil over medium high heat. Form the leek mixture into balls and pat down. Fry the patties for 3-4 minutes per side until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.

Image by Andrea_Nguyen
Serves 2 to 4

Salt
Water
2 artichokes
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
2 large cloves garlic, smashed

Kimchi Sour Cream
1 1/2 teaspoons mature (stinky) kimchi juice
2 pinches sea salt
2 pinches sugar
Smidgen of crushed garlic
1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Canola or olive oil

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. While you wait for that, remove any hard or dead looking leaves from the artichokes. Cut off the stem from each artichoke, setting them aside. Trim 1/2 inch from the top of each artichoke, then use scissors to remove the tips of any thorny leaves. Now split each artichoke in half. This makes cooking them much faster.

When the water comes to a boil, add the artichoke halves and stems. Throw in the bay leaf, peppercorns, and garlic. Cover and vigorously simmer until tender. I estimated 30 to 45 minutes for my artichokes but the cooking time depends on the size and variety of artichokes. Check the cooking progress every fifteen minutes or so.  When done, a leaf should pull away easily but the artichoke should not be mushy.

Use tongs to remove the artichokes from the pot, placing them on a plate, cut side down, to drain and cool.  The artichokes can be prepped up to 2 days in advance. Return them to room temperature before grilling.

2. To make the kimchi sour cream, stir together the kimchi juice, salt, sugar, garlic, fish sauce, vinegar, sour cream, and mayonnaise. Let sit for 5 minutes then taste and adjust the flavor. Cover until you are ready to serve. Makes about 1/4 cup.
3. Use a spoon or grapefruit knife to remove and discard the furry choke at the center of each artichoke half. Transfer artichokes to a bowl or plate and pour oil over them, making sure you get some between the leaves. Grill them over medium-hot (medium-high) heat, turning frequently, until they have heated through and picked up a tiny bit of char, 5 to 10 minutes. (If you sometimes mistakenly undercook the artichokes like I do, this grilling time is great for finishing the cooking process.) Transfer to a platter and serve warm or at room temperature with the kimchi sour cream.

Image by formalfallacy @ Dublin (Victor)
A nice vegetarian/vegan dish for those cold and short winter/autumn days.
It is very easy to make. You cook everything in one pot. Very quick and simple, no messing!.
It should take around 40 minutes, including preparation and cooking time.

Ingredients for 2
- Green lentils. Half small cup of coffe per person. Green Lentils are available in any Indian or eastern shop . “Lenteja Pardina” in Spain pardina the best lentil one for this type of dish .
- 1 or 2 potatoes
- 1 dry bay leaf
- 1 Carrot
- 1 Green pepper
- 1 tea spoon of Smoked Spanish Papikra – sweet (Pimenton Dulce)
- Vegetable stock (stock cubes are fine)

Process
- Put some olive oil in pot/pan, heat it up
- Add some crushed garlic and stir (The oil will get the flavor f the garlic)
- Add some sweet Spanish paprika (Pimenton Dulce). Stir for few seconds. 1 tea spoon.
- Add the lentils, stir. Here you need to make sure that the paprika does not burn, or it will get a bitter like flavor. Just add the lentils, stir a couple of times and add the rest
- Quickly add the (whole) carrot, chopped potatoes, chopped peppers and cover it with stock (the water must be cold)
- Add the bay leaf
- Bring it to the boil and then reduce the heat. Let it simmer for 20-30 min (till the potatoes and lentils are soft). It could take a bit more, check every now and then

Some tips:
- The trick is to cut the potatoes small/big enough so the will cook when the lentils are cooked.
- “Quick” to cook lentils will not work as the potato takes also some time to cook
- The carrot is shown on the picture whole, but you could cut it for serving. You should also cook it whole so everything is cooked at the same time.
- Traditionally this dish has also some chorizo, ham or other types of cured meats.

Some Links:
Lenteja Pardina DOC (spanish)
lentejapardinatierradecampos.es/

Image by CarrieA

Image by ontheflyrecipes
Blackened Flank Steak and Sauteed Spinach

Blackened Flank Steak

- 1lb flank steak
- Worcestershire sauce
- garlic and onion powder
- cajun seasoning or chili powder
- black pepper
- olive oil

1.  Moderately tenderize your steak with a hammer or by vigorously stabbing it with a fork on each side.
2.  Drizzle Worcestershire sauce on both sides of the steak and spread with a fork to coat fairly evenly.
3.  Lightly sprinkle with garlic, onion and cajun/chili powder, then coat with a hefty dose of black pepper.  (both sides)
4.  Meanwhile, heat a skillet over high heat and add oil to the pan.  When the oil is just about to smoke, throw in the steak and scorch each side for about a minute.  Turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook for 5 minutes on each side (medium rare) or until the steak reaches your desired level of doneness.
5.  Cut in long slices against the grain and you’re ready to eat!

Notes

• I have trouble finding flank steaks in the US anywhere but Super Target.  This may be an anomaly, but if not, a skirt steak or a flank steak masquerading as a “London broil” will also do.
• A fillet knife makes slicing this steak a breeze, but I’ve found that a big bread knife is pretty good for slicing beef too.
• I often find when blackening that a ton of my pepper and spices come off in the pan and burn up.  If you dust some more pepper while it’s cooking, you’ll still have a mess, but you won’t lose too much flavor.  Some other ways I’ve seen to keep better hold of your spices include:
• Rubbing the spices into the meat
• Lightly coating the meat in oil first
• Mixing oil/butter in a bowl with the spices before coating, then using the same mixture to baste the meat throughout cooking
• Coating the meat in raw egg white before seasoning

Image by malloreigh

1/4 Cup pecans
1/4 cup cranberries
2 tbsp sugar
2 shakes salt
2 fresh beets
1 bunch of Kale
1 shallot
Dash Soy sauce (about 1 tbsp)
Juice of half a lemon (about 2 tbsp)
Dash white wine vinegar (about 1 tbsp)

Heat up a skillet and toss in your cranberries and pecans. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 shakes of salt along with a few shakes of rosemary powder. stir around until the sugar has coated the pecans and cranberries and has dissolved. Let cool.

Finely dice the Kale and flash steam for one minute. Cut your beets into thin slices using a knife or mandolin. Once you have flash steamed the kale put it in the fridge until cooled (or the freezer for a faster chill time).  Add your beets and mix around to create a vibrant melange of green and pink.  Cut your shallot into rings, add the shallot, soy sauce, lemon and white wine vinegar.

Add the Pecan mixture to the salad, mix together and serve!

Image by norwichnuts

Recipe:

Cook one large yam and one potato. Peel. Puree and add 3 tbsp Smart Balance, egg replacer for 2 eggs and clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and 4 tbsp brown sugar. Turn ouit into baking pan and smooth top- sprinkle with chopped pecans and more smart balance- bake 40 minutes.
Great as a side dish or for holidays.
Feeds 6-8.

Image by haleysuzanne

Guacamole

• 2 avocados, cubed, one set aside
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 serrano pepper, minced
• small handful of cilantro, chopped
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• pinch of cumin
• pinch of ground ancho chili (optional)

In a medium bowl, or serving bowl, mash one half of the avocado cubes with a fork.  Squeeze half the lemon juice over this.  Add in the onion, tomato, serrano, cilantro, and garlic.  Mix all of this well with the mashed avocado.  Add in the remaining avocado cubes.  Squeeze the remaining lemon juice over this. Season with the salt, garlic salt, black pepper, cumin, and ground ancho chili.  Toss all of this together very well, in effect dressing the larger cubes of vegetable with the mashed avocado.  Chill well and serve.

Serves 6-8.

4-6 beets (5 baseball sized beets, adjust up or down depending on how big your beets are) – red, golden or chiogga
1 tbs red wine vinegar (or balsamic, but not so great with golden beets – it muddies the color)
1 tbs olive oil
salt
pepper
1/4-1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 – 1/3 cup toasted, chopped walnuts (or pecans, or even almonds)
2 oz more or less of crumbled goat cheese (or feta, if you are in a pinch)

Trim tops off beets but don’t cut into the flesh (use those greens in something else, they’re tasty!). Scrub the beets well and place in a preheated 400 degree oven. Bake whole and uncovered for about an hour, or until they are soft (ish – they never get soft like potatoes). Let cool a few minutes and then slip the skins off. Cut into wedges or slices.
Mix beets with onion and vinegar, oil and salt and pepper. Arrange on a plate, bed of greens or bowl and top with crumbled cheese and walnuts. Wait for your friends to praise you

Image by thebittenword.com

2 pounds slender asparagus, trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425.  Peel bottom half of each asparagus stalk.  Toss asparagus with oil, salt, and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast until tender and golden, about 15 minutes.

Image by SummerTomato

Roasted Curried Cauliflower Recipe

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 1 large cauliflower (or several small ones), ~2 lbs
• Curry powder
• Olive oil
• Kosher or sea salt

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Break cauliflower into medium-small florets and place into large bowl or baking pan. Be sure the pieces are as evenly sized as possible, or they will cook unevenly. The smaller you make the pieces, the quicker they will cook and the more caramelized they will become, which I consider a good thing.

Drizzle cauliflower pieces generously with olive oil and season well with salt and curry powder. Distribute evenly in a single layer at the bottom of a baking pan. If necessary, use a second baking pan to be sure the pieces aren’t too crowded.

Cover the pans with foil and place into the oven. Roast, covered for 10-15 minutes. The cauliflower should be slightly soft and start looking translucent. If not replace foil and cook another 5 minutes.

When the cauliflower has finished steaming, remove the foil and toss with tongs. Continue to roast, stirring every 8-10 minutes until the tips of the cauliflower begin to brown and become crisp as pictured. Approximately 30-35 minutes.

Adjust salt to taste (you will probably need another sprinkle) and serve.

Image by holytoastr

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 medium shallots or new red onions, thinly sliced
fine grain sea salt
2 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch thick coins
a good handful of dill, chopped
1/4 cup Marcona almonds or toasted almond slices

In your largest skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and cook until it starts to take on a hint of color. Stir in the shallots and a big pinch of salt, and cook until they start to soften, a couple minutes. Add the zucchini, stir to get it coated with a bit of oil, and arrange the coins in as much of a single layer as your pan permits. Dial the heat up a bit if needed, add another pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally until the zucchini browns – ten minutes or so. Remove from heat and fold in the dill and almonds before serving. Taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Serves 2 – 4.

Prep time: 5 min – Cook time: 15 min

Image by sweet mustache
Some baked sweet potatoes.

Peel the sweet potatoe and cut into small sticks (sort of like french fries).

Put the sweet potatoes on a cookie sheet and sprinkle with olive oil, ginger and paprika (or whatever you think would be good). Mix everything with your hands. Put in a 450 degree oven for about 20 mintues (more if you want them crispy). Serve hot.

There are a lot of variations on this dish and they all taste great.

Image by LydiaL

For the crust

• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the filling

• 1 1/2 cups solid pack pumpkin
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, cut into bits and softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon if desired

For the topping

• 2 cups sour cream
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon bourbon liqueur or bourbon, or to taste

• 16 pecan halves for garnish

Image by mallydally

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Serves 6

Ingredients

• 6 large leeks
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• About ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup sliced shallots
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1½ to 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Peel any bruised outer layers from leeks. Trim roots, leaving root end intact. Trim off tops on diagonal, leaving two inches of green. Cut in half lengthwise. Clean very well in water to remove internal grit. Pat dry with towel.

3. With cut sides up, season with 2 teaspoons salt and a few grindings of black pepper.

4. Heat pan over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Pour in ¼ cup oil and wait 1 minute. Place cut side down in pan without crowding them. (Make in two batches, and use more oil, if necessary.) Sear them 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, and turn over to cook 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them, cut side up, to a gratin dish that will fit leeks and chicken, or use two dishes.

5. Pour ¼ cup oil into pan and heat over medium heat. Add shallots, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook about 5 minutes, until just beginning to color. Add wine and reduce by half. Add 1½ cups stock, and bring to a boil over high heat. Please feel free to call all your friends at this point and brag about how amazing your kitchen smells.

6. Pour over leeks, without quite covering them.

7. Braise in oven 30 minutes, until tender. Serve alongside your favorite main course (mine is baked chicken breast and rice), and enjoy!

Image by Ruthieki
This cabbage salad with ramen noodles is a longstanding favorite in my family. I often make this for pot-lucks, where it is always a hit and I am usually besieged with recipe requests. As an added bonus, the ingredients to this recipe are very inexpensive and easily found at most grocery stores.

Cabbage Salad
Serves 6

Ingredients
1/2 head red cabbage (or green, or a combo)
4 green onions
1/2 cup roasted almonds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 package of ramen noodles (I like chicken flavored)

Dressing:
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup vinegar
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
Secret ingredient: the flavor packet from the ramen.

Directions:
Chop the cabbage and green onions fine. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a separate bowl, and pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture.

Chop the almonds, and toast them with the sesame seeds in a frying pan for a few minutes

Crunch up the ramen noodles, and immediately before serving, toss the noodles, nuts and seeds into the salad.

If you are bringing this salad to a party, pack the ramen and nuts together in a ziplock, and wait to toss them into the salad until right before the salad is served. The noodles get soggy if they sit in the dressing too long, which ruins the salad, in my opinion.

This recipe is easily scaled up or down, and the amounts listed above are approximate. Experiment! Enjoy! Chomp!

Image by jamiefrater
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of spinach
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 green onion
• 1.5 tbs of soy sauce
• sesame oil and sesame seeds

Image by Ruthieki
I love this soup so much. It’s rich and satisfying but not TOO unhealthy, and the inclusion of dillweed and caraway seeds makes it taste super special. This recipe is adapted from the original Moosewood Cookbook.

Cauliflower Cheese Soup (Serves 8-10)
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large cauliflowers, one chopped, one cut into neat and uniform little florets
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. salt
6 cups water
3 cups grated cheddar cheese
2 cups milk (whole milk tastes best, but you can substitute low-fat)
2 tsp dill
1 tsp caraway seeds (so good and really important, don’t leave these out!)
black pepper, to taste.