Last month, my husband and I took a quick trip into Chicago and we ate at the Chicago Diner and Veggie Bite. Both were delicious and amazing! I highly recommend both places if you're ever in Chicago. The diner was fantastic and we ate there for dinner and breakfast. Veggie Bite was a lunch stop when we first got into the city. I had my fill of vegan junk food (hot dog and chili cheese fries), but the diner was filling delicious satisfying much healthier food. :)
For quite some time now, I've been a tofu scramble snob, basically only using minor variations of my own recipe. For breakfast at the Chicago Diner, I had the tofu scramble, and it was different than what I was used to, but it was pretty tasty. I thought I could make a similar one at home if I tried, and then I remembered Vegan Dad.
Vegan Dad has a scramble recipe that's gotten rave reviews online, and this morning I had a scramble and sausage craving. OH MY GOODNESS, this is better than anything! I don't think I'll ever make another tofu scramble! Seriously, you must try this: clicky clicky clicky!
I don't have any adequate photographs, so you'll just have to check out his blog and his post. Honestly, it was a little creepy how much this resembled semi-runny eggs. I got over that pretty fast, though. :)
In case you're curious, for sausage, I made the tempeh and white bean sausage patties from "Vegan With a Vengeance" with minimal modifications. (I mash mine up really well before turning into patties, though, and use matzoh meal for bread crumbs.)
Stainless Steel Cooking Tip!
I have one non-stick pan left (mentioned in another post). I have every intention of not buying another teflon/non-stick pan once this one wears out (the coating flakes off), because of the reports about the questionable safety of these coatings. Cast iron can be a great nonstick substitute, but I don't feel comfortable using it on my cooktop. I've read this magic trick with stainless steel (which we use regularly) and I finally tried it today, and I've GOT to share it with you!
Basically, you shake some salt onto the stainless pan, and put your oil on top of the salt, and heat as normal. Somehow this makes the stainless function almost like a non-stick pan. (I'm sure a high-fat food wouldn't stick, but tofu still has to be gently worked off. But it's MUCH neater than the tofu messes I've made in that stainless pan before.)
My scientific hypothesis regarding how this works is that the water-soluble salt gets coated with the oil, and then "rolls" around the pan (since salt won't dissolve in oil), like little ball bearings if you will (nerdiest cooking analogy ever? perhaps), and the food kind of skates around the pan on these oil-salt beads. even once everything was stirred together, nothing stuck to the pan.
My hypothesis requires further testing, however.
One word of caution: because you're heating oil that seems to be more "mobile" than ordinary oil, and adding wet tofu, this oil splashes a LOT more than any other time i've put tofu in oil. So just be careful. :)
Maybe I'm the last person on earth to discover this, but here it is, documented for all eternity. Make fun of me if you must. :)
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Seitan Nuggets with Maple Mustard
Recently, my husband and I made a spur of the moment trip to Chicago. I was really excited to check out the Chicago Diner and we ended up having both dinner and breakfast there. It was fantastic! We had these great seitan nuggets (we had great food period, but I'd never had seitan nuggets before) and they were inspiring. I tried to make my own version here. They went over so well that my husband asked me to make them again a couple days later!
ingredients:
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
a few dashes of black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sage
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
a dash worcestershire sauce
directions:
In a bowl, mix the flours and spices. In a small bowl, mix all liquid ingredients and pour at once into the flour and spice mix. stir until combined and knead for about 5 minutes.
While the gluten rests, preheat oven to 350f. fill a 9x13 glass dish with water and about a tbsp sea salt. Dissolve what you can but the rest will dissolve eventually.
Break off tablespoon-sized pieces of the gluten and flatten them as much as possible. They'll expand when they cook, so don't make them too huge if you don't want giant nuggets.
Once you've made a pile of flat nuggets, drop them into the salt water (it's okay if they touch, but try and spread them out evenly), and cook for about 40-45 minutes. When they're done, you can drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water so they're cool enough to handle (or just use tongs, which is what I did).
Dip them in bread crumbs (i seasoned mine with thyme, salt, and pepper), spray lightly with cooking oil, and bake at 400 for 15 minutes on each side, or until they're as crispy as you like them. I ran out of bread crumbs halfway through the second batch pictured here, so I used matzo meal, which made them lighter in color, but just as tasty.
For the sauce, I mixed dijon mustard with maple syrup about half and half, until I liked the taste. The other ramekin is ketchup. :)
ingredients:
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour
a few dashes of black pepper
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sage
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp soy sauce
a dash worcestershire sauce
directions:
In a bowl, mix the flours and spices. In a small bowl, mix all liquid ingredients and pour at once into the flour and spice mix. stir until combined and knead for about 5 minutes.
While the gluten rests, preheat oven to 350f. fill a 9x13 glass dish with water and about a tbsp sea salt. Dissolve what you can but the rest will dissolve eventually.
Break off tablespoon-sized pieces of the gluten and flatten them as much as possible. They'll expand when they cook, so don't make them too huge if you don't want giant nuggets.
Once you've made a pile of flat nuggets, drop them into the salt water (it's okay if they touch, but try and spread them out evenly), and cook for about 40-45 minutes. When they're done, you can drain them in a colander and rinse with cold water so they're cool enough to handle (or just use tongs, which is what I did).
Dip them in bread crumbs (i seasoned mine with thyme, salt, and pepper), spray lightly with cooking oil, and bake at 400 for 15 minutes on each side, or until they're as crispy as you like them. I ran out of bread crumbs halfway through the second batch pictured here, so I used matzo meal, which made them lighter in color, but just as tasty.
For the sauce, I mixed dijon mustard with maple syrup about half and half, until I liked the taste. The other ramekin is ketchup. :)
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
All About Tofu
Tofu gets a bad rep. People fear it. People judge it. People make fun of it. After talking to a friend of mine about her sad experience attempting tofu taco "meat" I decided to talk about tofu here, because I have lots to say about it.
I used to joke about tofu, too. It's sort of a boring block of flavorless... jello. It's mysterious. And I haven't had much luck in finding tips and tricks all in one place, so I hope I can fill in the gap a bit.
Tofu's a great food. It's made from soybeans, and as far as prepared foods go, it's one of the least processed foods of all processed foods. You can even make your own, if you're so inclined. It's low in fat, free of trans fat, cholesterol free, low carb, high protein, and is a decent source of iron and calcium. (nutritional info)
There are rumors that tofu will cause men to grow breasts, women to ovulate constantly, (hormone imbalances), thyroid problems, and a host of other scary things. These are scare tactics, and I highly suggest people do their own research before listening to anyone who says a food will cause men to grow breasts. Check out The Safety of Soy. Go on, I'll wait.
So now that you know tofu is nothing more than a bean (a soybean, to be specific), and is nothing to be feared, let's talk a little about how to make it not suck. Tofu is great! Tofu is healthy! Tofu is fun! Tofu is flexible, versatile, and awesome.
Types of tofu. I'm going to abbreviate this, because I'm a simple girl. There are two distinct types of tofu: fresh, and not fresh. Fresh tofu is packaged in water and is sold in the produce/refigerated section of the market. There are lots of brands, like China Rose, Nasoya, and House. Not fresh tofu is packaged in an aseptic container (much like a juice box), and is shelf-stable. The only brand I've ever seen is Mori-Nu. Mori-Nu tofu resembles custard, doesn't have air holes (no spongy texture), and is really only good for pureeing in sauces, puddings, cakes, and so on. Fresh tofu is the type of tofu that's best for marinading and eating in chunks, slices, and crumbles.
Both types come in different densities, from soft to extra firm. In general, soft tofu is best for pureeing, or when you don't care if it keeps its shape. Firm or extra firm tofu is best for slicing, dicing, and serving whole. I always buy the firmest tofu I can find. Keep in mind that extra firm tofu in one brand might not be as firm as another brand, so there's some experimentation and experience that happens, too.
For ease, when I talk about tofu, I'm talking about fresh tofu, unless I specifically state Mori-Nu, or tofu an an aseptic package.
Texture of tofu. There's nothing wrong with busting open a package of tofu, and using it the way you bought it. Tofu is great as-is, and it has nothing to be ashamed of. However, something magical happens when the whole package gets thrown in the freezer, it's allowed to freeze solid, thaw, and be used in recipes. Freezing tofu changes the texture so it's more chewy, and it increases the size of the little holes in the tofu, which helps it absorb more of that awesome marinade you're using.
When I get home from the store, I throw most of the tofu right into the freezer, which keeps it longer, and when I want tofu, I take it out in the morning and leave it on the counter/in the sink (a LOT of condensation happens), and it's ready for dinner. I prefer un-frozen tofu for tofu scramble, but for almost anything else, I like my tofu frozen. If you lack forethought, like I often do, you can defrost the tofu in the microwave for 4-5 minutes. Just be careful that it doesn't get too hot to handle. And don't try to cut frozen tofu: your knife and the ice crystals will just tear it up and break the tofu.
Getting ready to cook tofu. Tofu needs to be pressed. This means the water needs to be expelled from the little holes in the tofu (think of tofu like a big sponge), to make room for marinades and sauces. There are lots of instructions out there about how to properly press tofu, but I'm impatient, so I'll tell you how I do it.
I get out two small plates, sandwich the tofu brick between the flat sides (the sides you eat from), and gently press evenly over the sink. Lots of water will come out, and eventually it'll slow down. Don't squash your tofu (frozen tofu can handle squashing a lot better than unfrozen, just FYI), and take care not to break the block up, but just gently press evenly with your hands until the bulk of the water is removed (you won't get it all). Some people rig up elaborate tofu-pressing devices, with stacks of plates and cans and heavy objects, with a tofu block wrapped in towels, and leave it for an hour... but I'm much too impatient for that. I find this works just fine. Now the tofu is ready to be marinaded or otherwise cooked.
Cooking tofu. When marinading tofu, longer is better, but even just a half hour to an hour is enough to soak up flavor. Then it can either be baked or pan fried. When I bake tofu, I've discovered that my Sil-pat baking mat is fantastic: tofu never sticks! It's amazing. But if you don't have a Sil-pat or don't want to use one, any baking dish lightly sprayed with oil works fine. spray the tofu before you flip them, so the other sides don't stick! I bake tofu at 350f for about 10-15 minutes per side, depending on how crispy I want them.
For pan frying, I admit I have some trouble with this. We use stainless steel cookware, and tofu always sticks to it. I've destroyed so much tofu on these pans, that I tend to avoid using tofu in them at all, which limits my tofu flexibility. I have a background in chemistry, and after reading many articles talking about the potential toxicity of non-stick cookware (example here), I'm really really leery about non-stick cookware, as convenient as it is for tofu. So, I admit (somewhat shamefully) that I have one lone non-stick frying pan that I'm going to use until the coating starts to peel off, and then I will throw it out and never use non-stick again. In the meantime, I do use it for tofu (and not much else), because it gets a nice crispy outside and keeps the inside chewy. (Baking tofu makes the tofu crispy throughout.)
If you have cast iron cookware, I'm jealous, because cast iron makes tofu awesome. It browns the outside nicely, and well-seasoned cast iron can be just as non-stick as Teflon or other non-stick surfaces, without the cancer. I have a great new cast iron pan, but I bought it about a month before we bought a nice new cooktop stove, and I'm paranoid about destroying the cooktop, so I have not use my cast iron since the stove arrived. But I highly recommend cast iron for tofu!
Enjoying tofu. Well, that's about all I can think of for now! If you have any tofu tips, tricks, or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you. Tofu is a great food, and it should be celebrated, not feared!
I used to joke about tofu, too. It's sort of a boring block of flavorless... jello. It's mysterious. And I haven't had much luck in finding tips and tricks all in one place, so I hope I can fill in the gap a bit.
Tofu's a great food. It's made from soybeans, and as far as prepared foods go, it's one of the least processed foods of all processed foods. You can even make your own, if you're so inclined. It's low in fat, free of trans fat, cholesterol free, low carb, high protein, and is a decent source of iron and calcium. (nutritional info)
There are rumors that tofu will cause men to grow breasts, women to ovulate constantly, (hormone imbalances), thyroid problems, and a host of other scary things. These are scare tactics, and I highly suggest people do their own research before listening to anyone who says a food will cause men to grow breasts. Check out The Safety of Soy. Go on, I'll wait.
So now that you know tofu is nothing more than a bean (a soybean, to be specific), and is nothing to be feared, let's talk a little about how to make it not suck. Tofu is great! Tofu is healthy! Tofu is fun! Tofu is flexible, versatile, and awesome.
Types of tofu. I'm going to abbreviate this, because I'm a simple girl. There are two distinct types of tofu: fresh, and not fresh. Fresh tofu is packaged in water and is sold in the produce/refigerated section of the market. There are lots of brands, like China Rose, Nasoya, and House. Not fresh tofu is packaged in an aseptic container (much like a juice box), and is shelf-stable. The only brand I've ever seen is Mori-Nu. Mori-Nu tofu resembles custard, doesn't have air holes (no spongy texture), and is really only good for pureeing in sauces, puddings, cakes, and so on. Fresh tofu is the type of tofu that's best for marinading and eating in chunks, slices, and crumbles.
Both types come in different densities, from soft to extra firm. In general, soft tofu is best for pureeing, or when you don't care if it keeps its shape. Firm or extra firm tofu is best for slicing, dicing, and serving whole. I always buy the firmest tofu I can find. Keep in mind that extra firm tofu in one brand might not be as firm as another brand, so there's some experimentation and experience that happens, too.
For ease, when I talk about tofu, I'm talking about fresh tofu, unless I specifically state Mori-Nu, or tofu an an aseptic package.
Texture of tofu. There's nothing wrong with busting open a package of tofu, and using it the way you bought it. Tofu is great as-is, and it has nothing to be ashamed of. However, something magical happens when the whole package gets thrown in the freezer, it's allowed to freeze solid, thaw, and be used in recipes. Freezing tofu changes the texture so it's more chewy, and it increases the size of the little holes in the tofu, which helps it absorb more of that awesome marinade you're using.
When I get home from the store, I throw most of the tofu right into the freezer, which keeps it longer, and when I want tofu, I take it out in the morning and leave it on the counter/in the sink (a LOT of condensation happens), and it's ready for dinner. I prefer un-frozen tofu for tofu scramble, but for almost anything else, I like my tofu frozen. If you lack forethought, like I often do, you can defrost the tofu in the microwave for 4-5 minutes. Just be careful that it doesn't get too hot to handle. And don't try to cut frozen tofu: your knife and the ice crystals will just tear it up and break the tofu.
Getting ready to cook tofu. Tofu needs to be pressed. This means the water needs to be expelled from the little holes in the tofu (think of tofu like a big sponge), to make room for marinades and sauces. There are lots of instructions out there about how to properly press tofu, but I'm impatient, so I'll tell you how I do it.
I get out two small plates, sandwich the tofu brick between the flat sides (the sides you eat from), and gently press evenly over the sink. Lots of water will come out, and eventually it'll slow down. Don't squash your tofu (frozen tofu can handle squashing a lot better than unfrozen, just FYI), and take care not to break the block up, but just gently press evenly with your hands until the bulk of the water is removed (you won't get it all). Some people rig up elaborate tofu-pressing devices, with stacks of plates and cans and heavy objects, with a tofu block wrapped in towels, and leave it for an hour... but I'm much too impatient for that. I find this works just fine. Now the tofu is ready to be marinaded or otherwise cooked.
Cooking tofu. When marinading tofu, longer is better, but even just a half hour to an hour is enough to soak up flavor. Then it can either be baked or pan fried. When I bake tofu, I've discovered that my Sil-pat baking mat is fantastic: tofu never sticks! It's amazing. But if you don't have a Sil-pat or don't want to use one, any baking dish lightly sprayed with oil works fine. spray the tofu before you flip them, so the other sides don't stick! I bake tofu at 350f for about 10-15 minutes per side, depending on how crispy I want them.
For pan frying, I admit I have some trouble with this. We use stainless steel cookware, and tofu always sticks to it. I've destroyed so much tofu on these pans, that I tend to avoid using tofu in them at all, which limits my tofu flexibility. I have a background in chemistry, and after reading many articles talking about the potential toxicity of non-stick cookware (example here), I'm really really leery about non-stick cookware, as convenient as it is for tofu. So, I admit (somewhat shamefully) that I have one lone non-stick frying pan that I'm going to use until the coating starts to peel off, and then I will throw it out and never use non-stick again. In the meantime, I do use it for tofu (and not much else), because it gets a nice crispy outside and keeps the inside chewy. (Baking tofu makes the tofu crispy throughout.)
If you have cast iron cookware, I'm jealous, because cast iron makes tofu awesome. It browns the outside nicely, and well-seasoned cast iron can be just as non-stick as Teflon or other non-stick surfaces, without the cancer. I have a great new cast iron pan, but I bought it about a month before we bought a nice new cooktop stove, and I'm paranoid about destroying the cooktop, so I have not use my cast iron since the stove arrived. But I highly recommend cast iron for tofu!
Enjoying tofu. Well, that's about all I can think of for now! If you have any tofu tips, tricks, or suggestions, I'd love to hear from you. Tofu is a great food, and it should be celebrated, not feared!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Manicotti
I've been somewhat MIA because I haven't been feeling well and it's kept me out of the kitchen. I have a back problem that causes me lots of pain (especially when standing), and I also found out I have fibromyalgia. Now I have better drugs, and I'm able to stand for longer, and hopefully that will lend itself to more kitchen experiments.
Also, in terms of new news, my husband and I have decided to move out of state, so we're busy freecycling, selling, and packing things. We normally keep a well-stocked pantry, so at this point we're not grocery shopping and we're having whatever's in the pantry. It should make for some interesting recipes. I hope.
So today I found a box of manicotti noodles, and one lone box of Mori-Nu tofu. So I tried to make it not suck:
ingredients:
manicotti noodles (1 lb)
1 box Mori-Nu tofu
1 cup (roughly) cooked kale or spinach
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Put the noodles on to boil and ready the food processor. In the food processor, put the tofu, kale, nutritional yeast, spices, and lemon juice, and puree until no tofu chunks remain (you may want to puree the tofu first and then add everything else).
Put a small amount of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9"x13" glass baking dish.
When the noodles are done, rinse them with cool water so they can be handled. Using a fork, stuff some filling into each noodle. When all the noodles have been stuffed, cover the noodles with the remainder of the sauce. (Rinse the jar with a little water and add that to the pan too.)
Cover with foil. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before devouring!
Also, in terms of new news, my husband and I have decided to move out of state, so we're busy freecycling, selling, and packing things. We normally keep a well-stocked pantry, so at this point we're not grocery shopping and we're having whatever's in the pantry. It should make for some interesting recipes. I hope.
So today I found a box of manicotti noodles, and one lone box of Mori-Nu tofu. So I tried to make it not suck:
ingredients:
manicotti noodles (1 lb)
1 box Mori-Nu tofu
1 cup (roughly) cooked kale or spinach
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp basil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 jar of your favorite tomato sauce
directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Put the noodles on to boil and ready the food processor. In the food processor, put the tofu, kale, nutritional yeast, spices, and lemon juice, and puree until no tofu chunks remain (you may want to puree the tofu first and then add everything else).
Put a small amount of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9"x13" glass baking dish.
When the noodles are done, rinse them with cool water so they can be handled. Using a fork, stuff some filling into each noodle. When all the noodles have been stuffed, cover the noodles with the remainder of the sauce. (Rinse the jar with a little water and add that to the pan too.)
Cover with foil. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before devouring!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
waffles
plain old waffles!
we make waffles pretty much every weekend and every weekend i say "i'm going to write down this recipe!" but today's were pretty special, so i'm finally doing it. no picture, because we ate them too fast. but this is what i do every weekend, although sometimes i halve the recipe if we don't want waffles on sunday, too, or i don't want leftovers. i love to put extra waffles in the fridge to have for breakfast or snacks during the week. the batter keeps well for a few days too, so you can just fire up the waffle maker over the next few days if you want fresh waffles on a bleary monday morning.
ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups soy milk
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla
directions:
combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. combine the wet ingredients in a small bowl or large measuring cup and add to the dry, mixing well until only very small lumps remain. cook as per your waffle maker's directions.
variations:
* mix and match your flour!! today i used half quinoa flour and half white flour. sometimes i use one cup of whole wheat flour and the rest white. the quinoa mix is my new favorite.
* decrease sugar to 1/4 cup or replace with 1/4 cup agave nectar. (i like my waffles sweet.)
* replace some of the nondairy milk with fruit juice.
* add a teaspoon of cinnamon.
this recipe makes 6 or 7 belgian waffles. i bet it makes twice as many regular waffles.
we make waffles pretty much every weekend and every weekend i say "i'm going to write down this recipe!" but today's were pretty special, so i'm finally doing it. no picture, because we ate them too fast. but this is what i do every weekend, although sometimes i halve the recipe if we don't want waffles on sunday, too, or i don't want leftovers. i love to put extra waffles in the fridge to have for breakfast or snacks during the week. the batter keeps well for a few days too, so you can just fire up the waffle maker over the next few days if you want fresh waffles on a bleary monday morning.
ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups soy milk
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla
directions:
combine all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. combine the wet ingredients in a small bowl or large measuring cup and add to the dry, mixing well until only very small lumps remain. cook as per your waffle maker's directions.
variations:
* mix and match your flour!! today i used half quinoa flour and half white flour. sometimes i use one cup of whole wheat flour and the rest white. the quinoa mix is my new favorite.
* decrease sugar to 1/4 cup or replace with 1/4 cup agave nectar. (i like my waffles sweet.)
* replace some of the nondairy milk with fruit juice.
* add a teaspoon of cinnamon.
this recipe makes 6 or 7 belgian waffles. i bet it makes twice as many regular waffles.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
iron skillet pot pie
i recently bought a cast iron skillet because i've heard such great things about them, and that they can be as great as nonstick, when properly seasoned. i have one nonstick pan i'm phasing out of use, so this cast iron skillet will be its replacement. i love that they can go in the oven, too!
this is a veggie pot pie base covered in biscuits and baked in the oven. i will tell you up front you'll have to find your own biscuit recipe, and i highly recommend the one from the joy of vegan baking, because it's the absolute best biscuit recipe i've ever found. the whole book is fantastic. that said, here's how to make the rest of the pot pie:
ingredients:
2 cups cold water
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme
6-8 white mushrooms, chopped
1 medium potato, peeled and diced,
1 cup chopped carrots (i used baby carrots)
1 cup frozen peas
2 cubes vegetable bouillon, or use 2 cups broth instead of water.
directions:
gently warm the cast iron skillet to low and then medium-low heat. mix the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and set aside. in olive oil, sautee the garlic and mushrooms until the mushrooms release their juices. add the thyme, potato, and carrots and saute until the potatoes start to turn a little golden. add the water or broth with cornstarch mixture, and stir until it starts to boil (you may need to increase the heat for this, or just be patient), then add the bouillon, if using it. once the mixture starts to thicken, add the frozen peas and turn down (or off) the heat.
make your biscuit dough and drop biscuit-sized lumps evenly over the skillet, and bake the biscuits in the skillet, on the pot pie mix, according to the recipe's directions (keeping in mind that most skillets can't be used over a certain temp in the oven). you may need to adjust the cooking time by a couple minutes.
enjoy!
variation: my husband loved this, but said it needed corn. i suggest adding a cup of frozen corn to this mix, which i will do next time.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
zucchini waffles
my mother-in-law's garden is overflowing with delicious vegetables!
she told me i can use zucchini and summer squash any way i'd use any other squash i decided to put that challenge to the test. yellow zucchini keep these waffles from getting too dark or greenish, and they crisp up on the oustide and stay moist on the inside. they're so delicious!
this recipe makes a LOT of waffles, so you might want to halve it. i love leftover waffles for breakfast or snacks the next day, so i'm happy to have leftovers, or you can do what we also do, and store extra batter in the fridge for fresh waffles all week long.
ingredients:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
pinch nutmeg
pinch salt
1/3 cup brown sugar (or regular for less color)
2 cups vanilla soymilk
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
2 cups pureed yellow zucchini
directions:
mix all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and add the liquid ingredients, mixing well until only tiny lumps remain. fold in the pureed zucchini and mix just until blended.
cook according to your waffle maker's directions.
in my experience, waffle batter will keep for about 5 days in the fridge.
note: i pureed my own zucchini by washing the zucchini, chopping off each end, and throwing chunks into my food processor. since zucchini isn't really that moist (at least ours isn't, it's been a really dry summer), i added 2-3 tablespoons of water to keep the blades going. you may need to adjust the liquid in your batter accordingly if you do this too, or don't have to do it.
note #2: this recipe works great with pumpkin! you just might want to add a touch more oil, up to 1/3 cup.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Pesto Alfreda Sauce
i'm slacking with the photos here! i need to fix that.
we have a very wonderful basil plant this year, and for awhile, it was growing like crazy. when i decided to try and make a pesto, i realised i simply couldn't stomach all of the oil that usually goes into it. (won't you be glad when i can finally stop cooking low-fat and stop catering to my gall bladder?) so i decided to try my hand at an alfredo sauce with a basil twist.
ingredients:
1/4-1/2 cups Earth Balance margarine (your preference, more or less)
2 cups soymilk
1 package Extra firm tofu (Mori-nu)
a handful of fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp onion powder
2-3 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
pinch of nutmeg
3 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
directions:
melt the margarine over med-low/med heat in a medium sauce pan. while it's melting, blend the tofu in a food processor with the basil leaves and all remaining ingredients until smooth and creamy (and green). add to the melted margarine and continue to heat until thick and saucy.
this was great on pasta, but also on a "white" (or green) pizza later in the week. next time i make it, i may omit the basil, or cut it in half. it was a little powerful with tofu basil ricotta on top, and i've learned too much basil isn't always a good thing. still, it was really delicious, and it was awesome to prove that dairy is not required to make a delicious creamy sauce like this.
we have a very wonderful basil plant this year, and for awhile, it was growing like crazy. when i decided to try and make a pesto, i realised i simply couldn't stomach all of the oil that usually goes into it. (won't you be glad when i can finally stop cooking low-fat and stop catering to my gall bladder?) so i decided to try my hand at an alfredo sauce with a basil twist.
ingredients:
1/4-1/2 cups Earth Balance margarine (your preference, more or less)
2 cups soymilk
1 package Extra firm tofu (Mori-nu)
a handful of fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp onion powder
2-3 tsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
pinch of nutmeg
3 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
directions:
melt the margarine over med-low/med heat in a medium sauce pan. while it's melting, blend the tofu in a food processor with the basil leaves and all remaining ingredients until smooth and creamy (and green). add to the melted margarine and continue to heat until thick and saucy.
this was great on pasta, but also on a "white" (or green) pizza later in the week. next time i make it, i may omit the basil, or cut it in half. it was a little powerful with tofu basil ricotta on top, and i've learned too much basil isn't always a good thing. still, it was really delicious, and it was awesome to prove that dairy is not required to make a delicious creamy sauce like this.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
low-fat cooking
i'm thinking i will start sharing some general cooking tips, tricks, and ideas in between recipe posts.
because of some previously-mentioned gall bladder pains, i've started being more careful about the fat added to dishes. while most of what i cook is naturally low-fat, i thought i'd give you all some tips for cutting down on the fat in foods. i promise you probably won't miss it! not only are these tips good for lower fat cooking, but they will often save money and are just generally healthier.
so i hope your gall bladder isn't as angry as mine. but if you're looking to cut down on fats, maybe this will give you some ideas when you're in the kitchen.
because of some previously-mentioned gall bladder pains, i've started being more careful about the fat added to dishes. while most of what i cook is naturally low-fat, i thought i'd give you all some tips for cutting down on the fat in foods. i promise you probably won't miss it! not only are these tips good for lower fat cooking, but they will often save money and are just generally healthier.
- when sauteeing garlic (or anything else), just cut the oil in half. a little oil helps bring out flavors and aromas in many herbs and spices (and garlic), but if a recipe calls for 8 tbsp, i bet you could get away with 4. or less. once the cooking gets started, add a little water or broth to keep foods from adhering to the pan and keep the foods moving.
- invest in a high quality food-grade oil spritzer. misting oil until your pan is lightly coated is better than pouring oil from the bottle into the pan. you can also mist oil onto the top of food before it's flipped, and will cut down on sticking. this also saves money since you wont need to buy any more of that spray-oil in the aerosol cans!
- when baking, substitute unsweetened apple sauce or mashed banana for oil. not only are you ditching the fat, but you're adding healthy fruits! and we all need to enjoy more fruits. if you're leery about giving up all the oil, try switching just half of it out. it'll cut the amount of fat in your cupcakes in half!
- switch to a non-trans fat variety of your favorite margarine and shortening. my favorite is Earth Balance. you're still eating fat, but it's tasty and delicious fat that won't cause nearly the same damage as trans fats.
- just forget about it. pancakes don't need butter. fresh veggies don't need butter! mashed potatoes should be drowned in nearly-fat-free mushroom gravy, not butter! try it. if you make tasty, delicious, fresh food, i promise it won't need to be drowned in fat.
so i hope your gall bladder isn't as angry as mine. but if you're looking to cut down on fats, maybe this will give you some ideas when you're in the kitchen.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Quick and Healthy Sugar Free Breakfast Cookies
i tend to change this recipe a little each time i make it, but i've decided i like how this came out.
ingredients:
2 medium bananas, mashed
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup flax seed meal
3 cups oats
1/4 cup olive oil (this can be decreased to limit fat, just increase water content)
1/2 cup dried berries (I use mixed, or cranberries)
1/2 cup slivered almonds or chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp agave nectar
directions:
Preheat oven to 350f.
Mix everything into a big bowl! (Mash the bananas first, and add everything else to save on dishes.) Shape dough into bars on a greased cookie sheet, making the bars about 1/3-1/2 inch thick. Make into cookie shapes for breakfast cookies, rectangles for bars, or pack into a cookie sheet and cut after they’re done baking. I prefer breakfast cookies, but these will make traditional “bars” really well.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges brown.
Makes about a dozen large breakfast cookies, or six bars.
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