Chocolate-Cherry Breakfast Bread

Last night I attempted to make my very first yeast bread. I picked this recipe from desertculinary.blogspot.com because it looked very tasty and delicious. I think that I had a little bit of trouble with my yeast, because the bread did not rise as much as I thought it would in the second phase, despite my waiting a little longer. I might have kneaded the dough for too long or something. Who knows! The rolls still taste good, although they are a little too dense. I will eat them, but probably no one else will. Sad.

Chocolate-Cherry Breakfast Bread
2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspooon salt
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
1) In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, cocoa, yeast and salt.
2) Stir in water with wooden spoon until the dough begins to come together. Mix in the melted butter.
3) Scoop dough to a work surface dusted with flour. Knead the dough, adding the rest of the flour a tablespoon at a time, until dough is smooth and elastic - it should be a littly tacky.
4) Pat dough into a large square. Add chocolate chunks and dried cherries in the center. Bring the edges of the dough into the center and press to seal. Continue kneading until the chocolate and cherries are evenly distributed.
5) Place dough in a large bowl coated with nonstick spray, turn to coat. Cover and let rise until doubled - roughly 60-90 minutes.
6) Punch down dough and place on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 12 even sized pieces. Roll each round into a tight ball and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes - until almost doubled in size.
7) Preheat oven to 375.
8) Remove cover and bake for 18-25 minutes, until they are golden and the center springs back with lightly touched in the center. Remove and carefully set rolls on a wire rack to cool completely.

Things That Get Baked

On Saturday I made Peach and Vanilla Yogurt Scones and Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies while Mike played Tekken Tag Team. I got these recipes from everbodylikessandwiches.blogspot.com . They are both pretty good, although I would make changes to both, I think. The Peach and Vanilla Yogurt Scones need more of a kick to them--maybe more vanilla, and I like my scones to be harder than the yogurt allows these to be. I also should probably not have used two peaches, instead of the suggested one, but I love peach! The Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies are quite tasty--I like them more than the scones. I already had added some pumpkin pie spice to this batch, and I think I will add more next time. I just want the pumpkin flavor to come through a bit more. I will also add a little more oats because I want more oats in an oatmeal cookie! Overall, these cookies are very tasty and Garnet, Mike, Audrey, and I have thoroughly enjoyed them.

Peach and Vanilla Yogurt Scones
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup chilled butter, diced
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt [I used fat-free]
2 tablespoons milk
1 peach, diced [I used two--probably a bad idea]

1) Preheat the oven to 425.
2) In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Add the butter. With your hands, combine the flour and butter together until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are no larger than peas.
3) Add the vanilla extract, yogurt, milk, and peaches and stir into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon. When the mixture comes together, knead the dought a few tims, and then flatten dough into a disc about half an inch thick. Cut into 8 pieces, place on a cookie sheet. Baking for 10-15 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies
2 cups flour
1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cooked and pureed pumpkin (I use canned)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Combine dry ingredients (flour through salt). Set aside.
3) Cream butter. Gradually add both sugars and cream until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
4) Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition.
5) Stir in chocolate chips.
6) Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet, leaving room for cookies to spread. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until tops of cookies are dry and spring back when touched lightly. Remove from baking sheet and cool on racks.
Makes about 25-30 cookies, I think.

A Mum Casserole

On Friday night I was craving something simple and easy and like my mum would make. I attempted to make a pasta-casserole-thing like she used to make when she was going back to school: vegetables, ziti, cheese. I added veggie crumbles from Yves because I am trying to get more protein and I thought Mike might like them. This dish turned out pretty well. There is way too much of it for two people, but we are working on eating the leftovers. I will probably make something like this again, but experiment with different fillings.

My Pasta-Casserole-Thing
8 oz whole wheat penne/ziti
4 garlic cloves
1 white onion
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
8 oz of baby bellas or other mushrooms of your choice
1 package of Yves ground round veggie crumbles
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can of yummy marinara sauce
some grated cheese of your choice--I used a mozzarela-provolone blend

1) In a large pot of salted water, cook the pasta. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 375.
2) Chop up garlic, onion, peppers, and bellas and cook in some olive oil in a large saucepan until everything is starting to soften.
3) Add in the veggie crumbles and cook for another 5-6 minutes.
4) Dump all of this into the large pot, and add the diced tomatoes and marinara sauce. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, until everything is very hot.
5) Add the pasta and stir. Pour into a large baking dish (I used 9X13) and bake for about 20 minutes. Top with the cheese and bake for about another 5 minutes or until cheese is all melted and bubbly. Eat, but you will probably burn your mouth.

Norwegian Apple Cake

Today I had to go to the doctor's and getting my first physical in years. I had to get a bunch of blood drawn and other unpleasant things, so I decided to reward myself with a cake. The cake I ended up making, however, is not so bad for you. It is amazingly delicious. I got the recipe from Bunny Pie. At the suggestion of everybodylikessandwiches.blogspot.com, where the recipe was also posted, I added cinnamon and vanilla. It was very simple to make and Audrey and I both thoroughly enjoyed it. I will definitely make this again.
A warning: Before adding the apple, the cake seems very very dry. After adding the apple, you might think, like I did, that there is not enough batter for the amount of apples. However, don't distress--it all works out in the baking process.

Norwegian Apple Cake
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 rounded cup diced apples
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degress
2) Mix together the sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder.
3) Break an egg into the center of the mixture and stir together to mix well.
4) Mix in the apples and nuts and pour into a greased 8" pie pan or 8X8 cake pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

White Bean and Mushroom Ragout

For dinner last night I made this dish from Moosewood's Simple Suppers. This time I was fully prepared for mediocrity, as is the norm from this cookbook. Therefore, I was not afraid to make some changes. My changes weren't huge: I doubled the amount of garlic, used both rosemary and thyme, and used one portobello mushroom and about 8 regular white mushrooms (they were what I had on hand and needed to use up). I also did not serve this over polenta as suggested--Mike and I ate it with some crusty white junk bread from Stop and Shop. Yum. My changes definitely made this a repeat recipe.

White Bean and Mushroom Ragout (the original recipe)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme, rosemary, or sage
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds (optional) (I didn't have any)
10 ounces moonlight or cremini mushrooms
1/4 dry red or white wine (I used white--some cheap chardonnay)
1 15-ounce can of cannellini beans, drained
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or basil (I used parsley)
salt and pepper
Polenta (optional)
grated parmesan cheese (optional) (I left this out, obviously)

1) In a saucepan on medium heat, warm the oil and add the onions, garlic, herbs, and fennel. Sprinkle lightly with salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are softened and starting to brown. While the onions cook, rinse and quarter the mushrooms.
2) When the onions are soft, stir in the mushrooms and wine, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, and parsley, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes, until hot and juicy, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3) (OPTIONAL) While the ragout simmers, prepared the Polenta. Serve the ragout on the Polenta and sprinkle with cheese if you like.
Serves 4.

Sweet Potato and Barley Chili

I was very skeptical about this recipe, but very intrigued. I had never had tomatillos before and was somewhat put-off by the idea of sweet potatoes and spicy stuff together. However, it is delicious and there are plenty of leftovers for me and Mike to eat. Hooray. I serve this with crusty pumpernickel bread from the Shaw's bakery that I stuck in the oven for a few minutes. I will definitely make this again at some point, especially as it gets colder. Oh, and I used regular sweet potatoes, not boniatos.

Sweet Potato and Barley Chili
If you don't much like beans or lentils, this is the chili for you. Boniatos are white-fleshed sweet potatoes; they are less sweet and somewhat drier than orange sweet potatoes. Now grown in Florida as well as Central America, boniatos are sold in Latin American markets and some supermarkets, as are chipotle peppers. If you can't find boniatos, orange sweet potatoes will do fine.
1/2 cup dried pearled or hulled barley
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cups (about 12) chopped husked tomatillos
2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch squares
1 large boniato or 2 small sweet potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups water or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 chipotle peppers, dried or canned in adobo sauce
fresh-ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons sour cream (optional) [As always, I left this out]
1) Bring the barley and 1 1/2 cups lightly salted water to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer the barley, covered, for 1 hour. Drain the barley, if any water remains. [My barley cooked faster than an hour--more like 45 minutes]
2) In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until they brown at the edges. Add the garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Cook for 3 minute smore, stirring frequently.
3) Add the tomatillos, bell peppers, boniato or sweet potatoes, water or stock, and salt. Chop the chipotle pepper(s) if they are canned; keep them whole if they are dried. Add them to the chili. Let the chili simmer for 25 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
4) Remove the chipotle(s) if they were dried. Seed them, chop them fine, and return them to the chili (add the seeds if you want more heat). Add the black pepper and the barley. Stir well, taste, and adjust the seasonings. Serve the chili in bowls, with dollops of sour cream on top, if you like.
Serves four.
Oh, from Vegetarian Planet again. I can't help it--this book has so many great recipes! But the next thing I cook will be fom Cooking Light, I believe.

Five-Spice Biscotti and other things

I ate at Boca Grande for the first time yesterday. People have been telling me that it is better than El Pelon, but I disagree. I got a black bean, rice, and cheese burrito just like I would at El Pelon. I like Boca Grande--it is very tasty--but I like El Pelon's salsa better. However, I do like Boca Grande's hot sauce more than I like El Pelon's. Both are waywayway better than Ana's. Anyway, I made Five-Spice Biscotti. These are yummmmmy. They are from Vegetarian Planet, big surprise. Oh, and yay for Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks and Magic Hat Jinx beer. I love fall.

Five-Spice Biscotti
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
1/4 teaspon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
3 1/3 cups unbleached white flour, or a bit more
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup almonds [I didn't have this much and I still think there are too many almonds in the biscotti]
1) Preheat the oven to 350. Grease two baking sheets. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and spices. Add the melted butter, and stir well.
2) In another bowl, mix together the 3 1/3 cups flour, the baking powder, the baking soda, the salt, and the almonds. Add half of this mixture to the egg mixture. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Add the second half of the flour mixture and stir until a smooth dough forms, adding a tablespoon or two of flour if the dough seems too tacky. (With floured hands, you should be able to form a small piece of dough into a ball.)
3) Place half the dough on one of the greased baking sheets. Form it into a large log, then flatten the log until it is 5 to 6 inches wide and 10 inches long. Do the same with the second half of the dough, using the second baking sheet.
4) Bake the logs for 35 minutes, until the logs are firm but give slightly when pressed with a finger. Remove the baking sheets from the oven, and reduce the oven temperature to 325.
5) While the logs are still warm, carefully transfer them with a large spatula to a cutting board. Cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick diagonal slices. Lay the cookies on their sides on the baking sheets, and bake the cookies 15 minutes more.
6) Let the cookies cool. Stored in an airtight container, they will keep well for 2 weeks.
Makes about 20 biscotti.

Mushroom, Onion, and Tomato Pizza

On Thursday I made up my own pizza, and it worked pretty well. The only problem was that I used store-bought dough and it didn't stretch very well and was pretty thick. The pizza topping I made was delicious, though. I used:
1 portobello mushroom, sliced thin
4 regular white mushrooms, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 a white onion, sliced thin
1 tomato, chopped
salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup packaged grated mozzarella-provolone blend
1 ball of pre-made dough
1) Add some olive oil to a skillet on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onion is starting to soften.
2) Add the mushrooms and some salt and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are soft.
3) Add the chopped tomato and cook until it's warm, basically.
4) Put all of this on the pizza dough, hopefully stretched better than mine was and top with the cheese. Bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the crust is golden brown.
Eat.

stacked tortillas

On Wednesday, Mike decided to make Stacked Tortillas from Vegetarian Planet (and I helped). They were pretty good, but we burnt the tortillas and both of us decided that we really dislike zucchini unless it is in bread. I made Mike a second serving and fried the tortillas--he liked this much better. Still, the idea is a good one (it is basically tostadas) and I will probably play around with this recipe some. Oh, and we only made a few tortillas and saved the rest of the filling to make more later.

Stacked Tortillas
1 tablespoon canola or corn oil
1 red onion, slide thin
1 large portobello mushroom (both cap and stem), sliced thin
2 carrots, cut into thin julienne strips [We used pre-grated carrots because we are lazy]
1 medium zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced thin diagonally
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh-ground black pepper to taste
5 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese (about 1 1/2 cups) [We just used a reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend]
12 corn tortillas
1 cup salsa of your choice
4 tablespoons sour cream [We left this out]
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1) Preheat the oven to 400. In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onion, and saute it over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrroms, carrots, and zucchini, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes more or until the vegetables are just tender. Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the salt and pepper.
2) Place the tortillas directly on the oven racks, fitting as many on as possible without overlapping them. Bake the tortillas for 2 to 3 minutes or until they have hardened. Remove them to a plate, but keep the oven on.
3) Place four tortillas on a large baking sheet. Arrange a spoonful or two of vegetables on each tortilla, then sprinkle a small amount of grated cheese over the vegetables. Place another tortilla on top of the cheese. Add another spoonful or two of vegetables, then some more grated cheese. Top each stack with a third tortilla.
4) Place the four tortilla stacks in the oven for 10 minutes, or until they are hot and the cheese is melted. Place one stack on each dinner plate, top with the salsa, sour cream, and scallions, and serve.
Serves 4.

Mexican Brownies

This past weekend I also made Mexican Brownies from Vegetarian Planet. I liked them a lot--didn't love them, but did like them. Mike said that they were too death-by-chocolatey. I brought Caity, Jess, Matt, Derrick, and Joe some (as well as some of the coffeecake) and Jess loved them. She said she doesn't normally like brownies, but really liked these. Caity loved the coffeecake. Garnet ate some of the brownies too and also thought they were amazing. They are very very dense and not super sweet. The cinnamon really brings out the darkness and depth of the chocolate. If you like milk chocolate brownies, these certainly are not for you. I will probably make them again, but I will experiment with ways to make them a little less dry and a little more gooey.

Mexican Brownies
7 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces, or chocolate chips [I used regular bittersweet baker's chocolate]
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped almonds, lightly toasted (optional) [I didn't use these]
1) In the top of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set on top of a saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter over simmering water. Take the mixture of the heat, and let it cool for 5 minutes. [Or just use the microwave like I did]
2) Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350. Butter an 8-by-8-inch baking pan. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, sugar, and flour. Mix well.
3) With a whisk, beat 1 egg into the cooled chocolate. Add the second egg and the vanilla, then beat again. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour mixture and, if you like, the almonds. Stir until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake the brownies for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are firm but still moist inside.
4) Let the brownies cool for at least 1 hour before removing them from the pan. Transfer them to a plate, and serve them. They keep well, indiividually wrapped, in the refrigerator, for a week.
Makes twelve brownies.

Things Made This Weekend (So Far)

I have made a lot of stuff this weekend, but none of it has been particularly time consuming. All of it has been very tasty. Per usual, it is from the two cookbooks I own (I am planning on buying more!): Simple Suppers and Vegetarian Planet.
On Friday night Mike and I were feeling sick, so I made Mushroom Tortellini Soup from Simple Suppers. It was pretty damn good, but I would have liked it if the soup was a little thicker. We ate it with good Peasant Bread from Trader Joe's. Ryan ate some and he really liked it too.

Mushroom Tortellini Soup
1/2 ounce dried porcini or portabella mushrooms [I used a whole package, 3/4 oz]
2 cups boiling waiter
2 cups diced onions
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 quart mushroom or vegetable broth
1 9-ounce package of fresh or frozen tortellini of your choice [I used portobello mushroom ones]
salt and peper
1) Place the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Set aside until the mushrooms soften, about 15 minutes.
2) While the dried mushrooms are soaking, in a soup pot on medium-hight heat, cook the onions in the olive oil, stirring frequently, until softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the thyme and add the broth.
3) Remove the mushrooms from the soaking liquid, rinse if needed to remove grit, chop, and add to the soup. Pour the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or paper towel if it is gritty and add it to the soup. Bring it to a boil.
4) Add the tortellini to the boiling soup and cook until al dente: for fresh tortellini, 3 to 4 minutes; for frozen tortellini, 8 to 9 minutes. Add salt and peper to taste.
Serves about 4.

Last night Mike decided he wanted to eat falafel, so I made Falafel Burgers from Vegetarian Planet. I had also promised to make the Carrot Coffeecake with Poppyseed Streusel from the same cookbook. Both of these recipes were very tasty. I will definitely make the falafel burgers again, and I prefer them to the Southwestern Falafel that I made before. The coffeecake is delicious, but not as sweet as a lot of coffeecakes are, so some people might not like it.

Falafel Burgers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups minced onions
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 3/4 cups (1 15-ounce can) cooked and drained garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) or peanut butter
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup chickpea flour or unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon (optional)
1) In a skillet, combine 1 tablespoon of the olive oil with the onions over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and carrot, and cook 2 minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.
2) Add the drained chickpeas, and mash them wiht a potato masher or chop them in a food processor until they are broken down and unidentifiable. Add the tahini or peanut butter and the parsley. In a smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the mixture to the large bowl, and stir well.
3) With floured hands, form four patties from the chickpea mixture, then lightly dust the burgers with flour. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Turn hte heat to medium-low, and add the patties. After about 1 minute, or when they have just begun to brown, flip them. Cook them about 2 minutes more on the other side. Then flip them back onto the first side, and cook another minute. They should be a deep golden brown on both sides. (They burn easily, so wath them well.) Remove the burgers from the skillet, and squeeze a bit of lemon juice onto each. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 large burgers.
I served these on kaiser rolls with a little tomato and mustard.

Carrot Coffeecake with Poppyseed Streusel
3 large carrots (about 3/4 pounds), peeled and chopped
2 cups plus 3 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup canola or corn oil
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/4 cup sour cream [I used the fat free kind]

Streusel:
1/2 cup poppy seeds
2 tablespoons butter, softened, plus a bit for greasing the pan
1 1/3 cup walnutes
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
3 tablespoons unbleached white flour

1) Preheat the over to 350. Grease a tube or Bundt pan.
2) In a food processor, grind the carrots for 1 to 2 minutes, almost to a puree. Transfer them into a small bowl, and set it aside.
3) Grind the streusel ingredients in the food processor for 1 minute.
4) In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom (if you like), baking powder and soda, and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, ground carrots, poppy seeds, and sour cream. Add the liquid mixture to the dry, stirring with a wooden spoon. Transfer half the batter to the cake pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel onto the batter, then pour the remaining half of the batter over the streusel. Top with the remaining streusel.
5) Bake the cake for 1 hour or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in its pan for 30 minutes before inverting it onto a serving dish. Serve at room temperature.

Soba with Toasted Sesame Seed Sauce

For last night's dinner I made Soba with Toasted Sesame Seed Sauce from Didi Emmon's Vegetarian Planet, which is obviously my favorite cookbook. I actually made it on Wednesday night because it is supposed to be served room temperature or cold and I have a problem waiting for foods after I make them. It was quite tasty. Not the best thing ever, but I did really like it. I probably won't make it again because I'd rather go out for Japanese-style food or have Mike make me sushi.

Soba Noodles with Toasted Sesame Seed Sauce
1/2 cup white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons Chinese Black Vinegar or balsamic vinegar [I used balsamic]
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark sesame seed oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced [I used ground ginger]
5 scallions, chopped fine (all parts)
3 cups broccoli or asparagus, blanched
8 0z soba noodles
1) Preheat the oven to 375. Place the sesame seeds on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven until the edges are a deep golden brown (about 10-12 minutes).
2) Cook the soba noodles in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Drain, rinse with cool water, and drain again. Set aside.
3) In a large bowl combine the vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seed oil, garlic, ginger, and scallions. Add the sesame seeds and the soba noodles and stir well. Add the broccoli or asparagus and stir again. Let the dish sit for at least 30 minutes before eating. Serves four.

Tortilla Soup and Black Bean Quesadillas

On Sunday afternoon Lauren and Fi came over to my new apartment and ended up staying for dinner! Yay. So I made Tortilla Soup from Moosewood Simple Suppers and some black bean quesadillas of my own invention for Lauren, Fi, Mike, and myself. The Tortilla Soup was super yummy and easy and definitely one of the best recipes I have made from Simple Suppers. I also really liked how my quesadillas turned out.

Tomato Tortilla Soup
3 cups diced onions
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 quart vegetable broth
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce or more to taste
1 1/s cups crumbled corn tortilla chips
1) In a soup pot on medium high heat, cook the onions in the oil for 5 minutes or until softened. 2) Add the cumin and oregano and stir for a minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, and chipotles, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3) Pulverize the tortilla chips in a blender. Add about 3 cups of the hot soup to the blender and puree until smooth. To make pouring easier, add another cup of hot soup and whirl on low speed. Stir the puree into the simmering soup pot. Serve hot.
Serves 4 to 6.

Black Bean Quesadillas
You could use any kind of beans here, really.
1 15 ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
your favorite salsa
8 small flour tortillas (6-8 inches)
shredded cheese [I used the Mexican blend from Kraft because it was in my fridge]
cooking spray/olive oil
1) Mash the beans with a fork or in a food processor with as much salsa as you would like, so that a spreadable paste is formed.
2) Spread some paste on four of the tortillas.
3) In a pan on medium-high heat, pour some olive oil and place the tortillas with bean spread down. Top each with cheese and another tortilla. Cook until golden brown, flip, and cook until the other side is golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Serves four.

Speedy Burgers and Gunsmoke Slaw

Last night I cooked more from Veggie Planet, which is my new favorite cookbook. I made "Speedy Burgers" and took the dressing from a recipe for "Gunsmoke Slaw," but changed the contents of the slaw itself--I used a bag of Broccoli Slaw and the remaining half of a red pepper instead of what the recipe calls for. Everything was sooooo good. The burgers were some of the best veggie burgers I have ever had and I have had a lot. I was very proud of myself. Mike loved everything too. Plus, one of my new roommates and his friend came over and saw me cooking them and we talked about different vegetarian recipes, so I think I will like this new roommate and his friend very much. I just ate another burger for lunch and added some arugula to the slaw and ate some of that too. Yum.

Speedy Burgers
Here black beans, chopped fennel or celery, and almonds are mixed together in minutes, thanks to the food processor. Chopped fresh cilantro adds a bright note, and the cloves and ground coriander provide some earthiness. From start to finish, you'll need no more than 20 minutes to make these burgers. These took me a little longer than 20 minutes and I didn't have cloves, but they were still yummy.
4 slices stale or toasted bread [I used German Dark Wheat bread from Arnold, which I love]
1/2 cup whole or slivered almonds
1 teaspon ground coriander seeds
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspon ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup coarsely chopped fennel bulb or celery
3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves and stems
1 1/2 cups (1 15 ounce can) cooked, drained, and rinsed black beans
1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ or untoasted rolled oats
1/2 teaspon salt, or more, to taste
fresh-ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, or more, as needed
1) Break the bread into pieces, and whirl it into crumbs in a food processor. You should have 2 cups crumbs. Transfer them to a large bowl. put the almonds into the processor, and run the machine until they are chopped fine.
2) In a dry skillet over medium-high heat, toast the chopped almonds with the coriander, shaking the pan constantly, for 1 minute or until the almonds taste lightly toasted. Transfer the coriander and the almonds to the bowl of bread crumbs. Add the cloves to the bowl.
3) Chop fine the onion, the fennel or celery, and the cilantro in the food processor. Add the beans, and run the machine in 1-second spurts until the beans are mixed in and mostly chopped (not pureed) [Mine were a little too pureed and it was fine]. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the bell pepper, garlic, wheat germ or rolled oats, salt, and pepper, and stir well (I use my hands), With well-floured hands, form six patties from this mixture.
4) Heat a large skillet or a griddle over medium-high heat, and add 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Cook the burgers about 3 minutes per side. (You may need to cook them in batches. If so, add a little oil to the pan before cooking the second batch.) Serve the burgers in bulky or kaiser rolls or in hamburger buns.
Makes 6 burgers.

Gunsmoke Slaw
This is dynamite stuff! The smoky chipotles, the cider vinegar, and the tang mustard really get these vegetables jumping. But you can control the smoke and heat by starting with a small amount of chipotles and adding more as you see fit. I just made the dressing part and poured it over pre-packaged Broccoli Slaw with chopped peppers. I bet this salad would be good too, though.
2 tablespoons smooth Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 tablespooons chopped chipotle pepeprs (dried and soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, or canned in adobo sauce)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup canola or corn oil
2 seedless oranges
1/2 green cabbage head, cored and sliced as thin as possible
2 carrots, grated
5 scallions, both green and white parts, minced
1) Make the vinaigrette: Mix the mustard, garlic, sugar, and salt in a food processor, then blend in the chipotles and cider vinegar. Or mince the garlic and chipotles, and whisk them together in a bowl with the mustard garlic, sugar, salt, and vinegar. While running the processor or whisking, add the oil in a slow, steady stream.
2) Section the oranges with a paring knife: First cut away the peel and the pith, then cut out the flesh by sections, leaving the membranes. Put the cabbage into a large bowl and add the grated carrots, oranges, and scallions.
3) Pour the vinaigreete over the vegetables and toss well. Taste, and add more adobo sauce or salt, if you like. Let the slaw sit for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before serving. The slaw will keep for 4 to 5 days, covered, in the refrigerator. [I didn't let it sit that long]
Serves 6 to 8

Penne with Red Pepper Sauce and Broccoli

This recipe, which I made last night, is from Didi Emmon's Veggie Planet and it is yummy. I added more cayenne pepper because I like everything spicy. I didn't have enough broccoli, which is sad, because broccoli is definitely the best part of this dish and one of my favorite vegetables.

Penne with Red Pepper Sauce and Broccoli
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1/4 whole almonds
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspon salt, or a bit more, to taste
fresh-ground black pepper to taste
1 or 2 pinches cayenne
4 cups broccoli florets
1 pound dried penne pasta
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup basil leaves cut into thin strips [I didn't have the basil, but I wish I did]
1) Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions, and saute them for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften. Lower the heat a bit, and add the garlic and red peppers. COntinue to cook the vegetables, stirring often, for 15 minutes.
2) In a food processor or blender, chop the almonds fine. Add the pepper-onion mixture, the vinegar, and the remaining olive oil, and blend all to a puree. Add the salt, black pepper, and cayenne, and blend briefly to incorporate them.
3) Arrange a vegetable steamer over water in a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, and add the broccoli. Cover the pan, and cook the broccoli over medium heat for 5 minutes or a bit longer, until it is as tender as you like. Keep it warm.
4) Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until it is just tender. Drain the pasta, and return it to the pot. Add the red pepper sauce, the Parmesan cheese, the broccoli, and the basil. Heat the contents over medium heat until the pasta is very hot, and add more salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. Serve the pasta immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Vietnamese Noodle Salad

I am not quite willing to give up on Moosewood's Simple Suppers yet. So last night, in my new big kitchen, I made Vietnamese Noodle Salad. It was quite tasty--not completely awesome, but I think adding some rice wine vinegar would help. My changes: I could not find Chinese chili paste, so I used a whole bunch of Sriracha sauce instead. Yummy and spicy. I left out the peanuts and the tofu because Mike hates both and I am not the biggest fan either. Overall, I really liked the recipe and I will probably make it again but add some rice wine vinegar and some bean sprouts for crunch--which is what the peanuts would have added, but with fat.

Vietnamese Noodle Salad
4oz rice noodles
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chinese chili paste, or to taste
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt [I used more than that]
1 cucumber
1 carrot
4 scallions
1/4 package firm tofu
peanuts to taste

1) In a large saucepean, bring salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook until tender, about five minutes. Strain, rinse with cool water, and strain again.
2) In a large bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, sesame oil, chili paste, cilantro, and salt.
3) Chop the cucumber and carrots into matchsticks [I just chopped them]. Chop the scallions. [The recipe says to cut the tofu into matchsticks too].Toss the cucumber, carrots, scallions, peanuts, and rice noodles with the dressing in the large bowl. Serve at room temperature or cold. Serves 3-4.

Southwestern Falafel with Avocado Spread

I am moving out tomorrow and Mike is working late, so Katie and I are having a special fun night. We are watching hours and hours of Rome, which is now on DVD. I also made Southwestern Falafel with Avocado Spread from Cooking Light because I have been wanting to try it and Katie loves avocado. These sandwiches were quite yummy, although the patties didn't hold together as well as I would have liked. So tomorrow I am moving and I will have a much bigger kitchen, but I will most likely not cook anything for a couple days, especially since I am starting my new job on Monday too.

Southwestern Falafel with Avocado Spread
Patties:
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup finely crushed baked tortilla chips (about 3/4 ounce)
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil

Spread:
1/4 cup mashed peeled avocado
2 tablespoons finely chopped plum tomato
1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons fat-free sour cream
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 (6-inch) pitas, each cut in half crosswise

1) To prepare patties, place pinto beans in a medium bowl; partially mash with a fork. Add Monterey Jack cheese and next 5 ingredients (through egg white); stir until well combined. Form into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) oval patties.
2) Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties; cook 3 minutes on each side or until patties are browned and thoroughly heated.
3) To prepare spread, while patties cook, combine the avocado, plum tomato, red onion, sour cream, lime juice, and salt. Place 1 patty in each pita half. Spread about 2 tablespoons avocado spread over patty in each pita half.
This made us two very big sandwiches.

Paximade and Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Although I have not been to Veggie Planet in Cambridge, I have always heard really good things about it. Thus, I bought the cookbook yesterday and made yummy and delicious things today. I loved all of them. I made Paximade, a Greek bread, and Pumpkin Bread Pudding. Yum yum yum. Everyone should buy this cookbook.

Paximade
This Greek bread, perfumed with anise, tastes almost like a cake, although the sugar content is much lower. You can keep this bread for days, toasting it for breakfast morning after morning.
2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspon salt
1 teaspoon anise seed; or 2 star anise, ground in a spice mill
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole or low-fat milk [I used skim]
1) Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 9-by-5-by3 inch loaf pan. Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the anise to the flour mixture.
2) In a large bowl, beat the butter and the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add an egg, beat well, then add the other egg. Beat until the mixture lightens in color, about 1 minute. Add the milk and the sifted flour mixture alternately, the flour in three parts and the milk in two. Fold with a rubber spatula until they are incorporated. Spoon the batter into the loaf pan.
3) Bake the bread for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan 10 minutes before inverting the loaf onto a rack. When teh bread has cooled completely, wrap it well in plastic. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. (After the second day, toast the bread to revive it). Makes 1 loaf.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
About 1/2 a baguette, cut into 2-inch-thick slices [I used challah. Yummy.]
3 extra-large eggs
3 1/2 cups whole or low-fat milk [I used skim.]
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg [I used the preground stuff.]
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, or 2 teaspons ground ginger
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup baked pumpkin flesh or canned pumpkin puree [I used the canned stuff, obviously.]
3/4 cup brown sugar
1) Preheat the oven to 350. Cover the bottom of a 10-by-13 inch baking dish with a single layer of the sliced bread. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, white sugar, and pumpkin. (If you are using fresh pumpkin, the pumpkin will be somewhat lumpy.) Pour this mixture over the bread slices. Push down the bread slices so they soak up the liquid. Let them soak for 10 minutes.
2) Bake the pudding in the lower third of the over for 45 to 50 minute, until a knife inserted into the pudding comes out clean. Let the pudding cool for 10 minutes.
3) Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the pudding. Place the pudding under the broiler, keeping the oven door slightlyopen. Keeping close watch, broil the sugar until it begins to bubble. Remove the pudding and let cool.

Rarebit Risotto and Chive and Garlic Bread

I have not had very much luck with the Moosewood Simple Suppers cookbook. I did not have any luck last night, either. I also think that I don't like risotto very much. Mike does not either, I believe. Katie likes risotto but doesn't like mustard, so this didn't go over so well with her either. I really like all the ingredients in it, but somehow it ended up being bland. I am not going to get rid of this cookbook yet, but I will not be making any more risotto ever. Maybe someone who enjoys risotto more would like this.

Rarebit Risotto
1 quart vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
12 ounces beer (1 bottle)
3 cups chopped broccoli
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 cups loosely packed grated sharp Cheddar cheese (I used low fat)
2 cups chopped tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes (I used cherry tomatoes)
black pepper to taste

1) In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil and then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
2) Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan on medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the rice and stire until well coated with oil. Add the beer and stire until the rice has absorbed the liquid, a couple of minutes.
3) Ladle in the simmering broth a cup at a time, stirring often. Let the rice absorb most of the broth before adding the next cup, usually about 5 minutes between additions.
4) While the risotto is cooking, steam the broccoli until bright green and just tender. Set aside.
5) When the last of the broth is absorbed, the kernels of rice should be al dente and the risotto moist. Add the mustard and cheese to the risotto and stire until the cheese is melted.
6) Stir in the broccoli and tomatoes, season with black pepper, and serve hot. Serves four (I think this is seriously overestimating people's appetites).

I also made Chive and Garlic Bread from Cooking Light. Actually, the bread was supposed to be knots, not bread, but I was lazy. This was okay. I was not a fan because I thought it was a little too greasy and fat-tastic, but Katie loved it. I think I would like it more if it was crunchier and that the fact that packaged bread dough was used was in direct correlation with its mediocrity.

Chive and Garlic Knots
1 1/2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated French bread dough
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or green onions
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray

1) Preheat oven to 350°.
2) Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic; sauté 30 seconds or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; stir in garlic powder.
3)Unroll the French bread dough onto a lightly floured surface; brush dough with garlic mixture. Sprinkle the dough with chives and cheese.
4) Cut the dough crosswise into 12 strips. Shape each strip into a knot. Place the knots onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
5) Bake at 350° for 17 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

NoHo Star

Today, Esther and Cathy, my bosses at MSPP, took me and the other interns out for lunch at NoHo Star. It was acutally kind of funny because I had just watched Rachael Ray eat there on $40 A Day. I had the Mexican Vegetarian Salad with a Grilled Cheddar Stuffed Poblano Pepper. It was ok, but nothing super special. I really liked the pepper but I was not a big fan of the dressing on the salad and thought it should have been spicier. I had Indian Pudding for dessert, which was spectacular. I had never had Indian Pudding before and it was a dessert right up my alley--not too sweet, very warm and gooey, reminiscent of pumpkin pie and gingerbread. It just had this whole yummy New-England-y flavor. I will definitely eat Indian Pudding again and will probably try to make it myself. Maybe this Cooking Light recipe or this Epicurious one.
On Sunday I made Portobello Mushroom Philly Cheesesteaks again, at Mike's request. Landau was around for dinner too. We were all big fans. I made Mike an omelette with the leftovers in it for breakfast on Monday and he was very happy. Tomorrow Cathy and I are going to eat at Harry's Burritos to celebrate my last week in New York and my birthday (yay for a week of celebration). I wonder how it will stand up to El Pelon, because in my opinion, thusfar, nothing can.