I love Fettuccine sauce. I love butter and cheese. Both my digestive track and my diet do not love these things. So when I found a recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo that had no dairy, I was pretty eager to give it a shot. I was a bit suspicious about the ingredient list and the final product was... a disconcerting color. It was green. Yellow-green, actually, like split-pea soup. I hesitantly ate it and it was actually pretty decent. It tasted nothing like Alfredo sauce, but it was still a tasty, creamy sauce for my pasta with a good mouthfeel and a savoury side.
Mats:
8 oz pasta. Fettuccine is traditional, but any long, flat pasta will work. Or gnocchi.
2 Tb olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tb flour
1 1/2c plain soy milk
1/4c white wine
1tsp yellow miso. My store didn't have any, so I substituted 1/2 tsp sugar.
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tb nutritional yeast
Optional tasty stuff: 8 oz Portobello mushrooms, stems removed and caps cut into 1/2 inch thick strips. 8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch thick strips.
In a medium pot, cook the pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine soy milk, white wine, miso, nutmeg, tumeric, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.
In a small pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Finely dice the garlic and add to the pot, stirring constantly. Cook for 30 seconds or until the garlic begins to sizzle.
Add the flour to the garlic-oil and whisk constantly. (This is a Roux!) Cook for 2 minutes while whisking about. The flour should start to turn a light brown.
Turn the heat down to the absolute minimum
Add half the soy milk mixture to the roux, and keep on whisking.
Whisk until there are no more lumps, then add the rest of the soy milk mixture. Keep whisking.
Add the nutritional yeast. It's what makes the sauce vaguely cheesy. Whisk!
Once there are no more lumps, set the sauce aside.
If you're adding optional tasty stuff, heat about 2 Tb olive oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the optional tasty stuff and saute. Chicken will take about 7 minutes to cook, mushrooms will only take about 4.
Combine pasta, sauce and optional tasty stuff in a serving bowl and enjoy.
Sauce notes: Mine turned out a bit on the runny side, so I added a teaspoon of cornstarch to thicken it up. And then I whisked some more. Also, solids tend to accumulate at the bottom of the pot, so when you're pouring it out, make sure you stir it really well, and scrape all the solids into the serving dish.
Interesting side note: Apparently tumeric is a pH indicatior - it turns yellow in acidic solutions and bright red in basic ones.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Chorizo and Potatoes
This makes a thick, chunky stew, great for filling burrito shells or just eating plain. DON'T skip the step where you drain the potatoes; they won't fry up right if they're a soggy hash.
Mats:
6 oz chorizo sausage, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
4 boiling potatoes (red ones generally are the best), peeled and grated
3 15-oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 avocado, sliced
1/2c crumbled feta cheese
In a large pan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced chorizo, diced onion, 2 of the minced garlic cloves and cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the grated potatoes. Use a colander and press the potatoes repeatedly. Pick up a (small) handful and squeeze it between your hands, trying to get every drop of moisture you can out of the potatoes.
Then add the potatoes to the chorizo mixture and cook 10 minutes, stirring often. The potatoes should begin to brown.
Add the canned tomatoes and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the oregano, sugar, chili powder and the other 2 cloves of minced garlic.
Cover, turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes or until sauce is very thick. Stir occasionally, making sure things don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
If you're serving in tortillas, heat the wraps first so they're nice and supple. Top with sliced avocado and some crumbled feta cheese.
Mats:
6 oz chorizo sausage, diced
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic
4 boiling potatoes (red ones generally are the best), peeled and grated
3 15-oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1 avocado, sliced
1/2c crumbled feta cheese
In a large pan, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced chorizo, diced onion, 2 of the minced garlic cloves and cook 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, squeeze as much liquid as you can out of the grated potatoes. Use a colander and press the potatoes repeatedly. Pick up a (small) handful and squeeze it between your hands, trying to get every drop of moisture you can out of the potatoes.
Then add the potatoes to the chorizo mixture and cook 10 minutes, stirring often. The potatoes should begin to brown.
Add the canned tomatoes and stir well, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the oregano, sugar, chili powder and the other 2 cloves of minced garlic.
Cover, turn heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes or until sauce is very thick. Stir occasionally, making sure things don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
If you're serving in tortillas, heat the wraps first so they're nice and supple. Top with sliced avocado and some crumbled feta cheese.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Mu Shu Wraps
A nice stir-fry served with tortilla or mu-shu wraps, instead of rice. I first made this with thin-slice hickory smoked tofu, but I didn't like it very much, so I'm leaving it out from here on.
Mats:
2 eggs
2 Tb oil
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms (5 large)
4c baby bok choy
1c carrots
3 green onions
2 cloves garlic
1 Tb rice wine vinegar
1 Tb soy sauce
tortillas, or mu-shu wraps
Hoisin sauce
Heat a large pan or wok. over high heat. Spray the bottom with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small dish, scramble the eggs. Pour into the hot wok and swirl around, coating the bottom of the pan in as thin a layer of egg as possible. Cook for 2 minutes.
Loosen the egg pancake from the pan with a spatula and flip. Cook another 1 minute
Slide the egg out onto a cutting board and slice into thin ribbons - 1/4 inch thick and 2 or 3 inches long.
Slice the mushrooms into thin strips, 1/4 inch thick
Slice the bok choy into bite sized ribbons, cut the carrots into thin strips (matchstick size), chop the green onions into 1/4 inch rounds.
In the wok, heat 2 Tb oil. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often for 6 minutes.
Add the sliced bok choy, carrots and onion, stir fry on high for 3 minutes or until they bok choy starts to wilt.
Add the eggs and stir until well mixed
Add the vinegar and soy sauce and toss until everything is coated. Remove from heat
In a separate pan, warm the tortillas or mu-shu wraps so they don't crack when bent.
Spoon the stir fry into the tortillas, add Hoisin sauce as a garnish.
Mats:
2 eggs
2 Tb oil
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms (5 large)
4c baby bok choy
1c carrots
3 green onions
2 cloves garlic
1 Tb rice wine vinegar
1 Tb soy sauce
tortillas, or mu-shu wraps
Hoisin sauce
Heat a large pan or wok. over high heat. Spray the bottom with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small dish, scramble the eggs. Pour into the hot wok and swirl around, coating the bottom of the pan in as thin a layer of egg as possible. Cook for 2 minutes.
Loosen the egg pancake from the pan with a spatula and flip. Cook another 1 minute
Slide the egg out onto a cutting board and slice into thin ribbons - 1/4 inch thick and 2 or 3 inches long.
Slice the mushrooms into thin strips, 1/4 inch thick
Slice the bok choy into bite sized ribbons, cut the carrots into thin strips (matchstick size), chop the green onions into 1/4 inch rounds.
In the wok, heat 2 Tb oil. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often for 6 minutes.
Add the sliced bok choy, carrots and onion, stir fry on high for 3 minutes or until they bok choy starts to wilt.
Add the eggs and stir until well mixed
Add the vinegar and soy sauce and toss until everything is coated. Remove from heat
In a separate pan, warm the tortillas or mu-shu wraps so they don't crack when bent.
Spoon the stir fry into the tortillas, add Hoisin sauce as a garnish.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Summer Tomato Salad
This one is good for summer picnics - the dressing is effectively a vinaigrette, which travels well and doesn't spoil in the heat, like cream or mayonnaise based dressings. Try to pick up some different varieties of tomatoes if you can, grape tomatoes are all well and good, but if you can find Campari or yellow 'Summer poppers' (as my mum calls them), your salad will be prettier and taste delicious.
Mats:
1/4c lime juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tb lime zest
1 tsp ground cumin
5c tomatoes (cut into bite-sized pieces)
15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2c fresh basil
9 oz farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 1/4c corn kernels
Combine lime juice, olive oil, lime zest and cumin in a large bowl.
Add tomatoes, chickpeas and basil, then toss so all the pieces are coated with dressing
Cook pasta 8 minutes or until 'al dente'. Add the corn to the water 2 minutes before the end of cooking time.
Drain, toss with the tomato mixture.
I like to chill the salad in the fridge and serve it cold, but room temperature is fine too. And yummy.
Mats:
1/4c lime juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tb lime zest
1 tsp ground cumin
5c tomatoes (cut into bite-sized pieces)
15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2c fresh basil
9 oz farfalle (bowtie) pasta
1 1/4c corn kernels
Combine lime juice, olive oil, lime zest and cumin in a large bowl.
Add tomatoes, chickpeas and basil, then toss so all the pieces are coated with dressing
Cook pasta 8 minutes or until 'al dente'. Add the corn to the water 2 minutes before the end of cooking time.
Drain, toss with the tomato mixture.
I like to chill the salad in the fridge and serve it cold, but room temperature is fine too. And yummy.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Mexicali Chop
This one gets listed in three parts - it's a salad with lots of parts.
Tortilla strips:
Mats:
1tsp oil
3 6-inch tortillas
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350.
Brush oil on tortillas, then slice into 1/4 inch thick strips.
Spread strips onto a baking sheet
Mix the spices together, then sprinkle them on the strips
Bake 15 minutes or until crunchy
Dressing
Mats:
2/3c olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3c lime juice
1/4c chopped green onion
1/4c fresh cilantro
Heat oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, sugar and salt in a saucepan for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the garlic begins to sizzle.
Move oil mixture to a food processor/blender.
Add the rest of the Dressing ingredients and blend on low for 2 minutes
Salad
Mats:
1 head red leaf lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
2 medium tomatoes, chopped to 1/2 inch
1 avocado, peeled and diced to 1/2 inch
3 celery stalks, sliced to 1/4 inch
1 cucumber, diced to 1/4 inch
1 cup corn kernels (thawed if you're using frozen ones)
1 can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jarred, roasted red pepper, sliced to 1/4 inch
1/3 cup red onion, chopped to 1/4 inch
Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl with dressing. Top with the tortilla strips and serve.
Tortilla strips:
Mats:
1tsp oil
3 6-inch tortillas
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350.
Brush oil on tortillas, then slice into 1/4 inch thick strips.
Spread strips onto a baking sheet
Mix the spices together, then sprinkle them on the strips
Bake 15 minutes or until crunchy
Dressing
Mats:
2/3c olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/3c lime juice
1/4c chopped green onion
1/4c fresh cilantro
Heat oil, garlic, cumin, coriander, sugar and salt in a saucepan for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the garlic begins to sizzle.
Move oil mixture to a food processor/blender.
Add the rest of the Dressing ingredients and blend on low for 2 minutes
Salad
Mats:
1 head red leaf lettuce, washed and torn into bite-sized pieces
2 medium tomatoes, chopped to 1/2 inch
1 avocado, peeled and diced to 1/2 inch
3 celery stalks, sliced to 1/4 inch
1 cucumber, diced to 1/4 inch
1 cup corn kernels (thawed if you're using frozen ones)
1 can pinto or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 jarred, roasted red pepper, sliced to 1/4 inch
1/3 cup red onion, chopped to 1/4 inch
Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl with dressing. Top with the tortilla strips and serve.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Corn and Quinoa Salad
Quite light and an interesting, tart flavor. Use real maple syrup if you can get your hands on it. Most pancake syrup for sale is just colored corn syrup, which tastes vastly different from the good stuff. You can use either fresh corn on the cob or frozen corn kernels. If the corn is very fresh, you can skip the blanching and just use raw corn instead.
Mats:
1c quinoa (Red if you can get it)
1c red cabbage, sliced very thin
1c cucumber
1 1/2 c grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 1/2c corn
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
In a small pot, combine the quinoa with 1 1/2c water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. When time's up, remove the cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add the corn kernels and cook for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse with very cold water.
In a large-ish bowl, mix the corn, tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage and cooked quinoa together.
In a small bowl (or a blender/food processor), combine the oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and 1 tsp salt. Whisk well (or process for 1 minute).
Pour the dressing on the quinoa mixture and chill in the fridge. Serve cold.
Mats:
1c quinoa (Red if you can get it)
1c red cabbage, sliced very thin
1c cucumber
1 1/2 c grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 1/2c corn
1/3 c olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
In a small pot, combine the quinoa with 1 1/2c water and 1 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. When time's up, remove the cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
Bring a small pot of water to boil. Add the corn kernels and cook for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse with very cold water.
In a large-ish bowl, mix the corn, tomatoes, cucumber, cabbage and cooked quinoa together.
In a small bowl (or a blender/food processor), combine the oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard and 1 tsp salt. Whisk well (or process for 1 minute).
Pour the dressing on the quinoa mixture and chill in the fridge. Serve cold.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Jazzed up Ramen
Ah ramen - the super-cheap staple of life. This recipe takes a product about as exciting as cardboard and makes it a decent, easy meal. It doesn't matter what 'flavor' ramen you choose, you'll be ditching the seasoning. Have you looked at the ingredients in those packets? It's mostly palm oil, salt and MSG. Even in my most desperately hungry college days, I never could put the whole pack in my cup'o'ramen.
Mats:
1 pack ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded.
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into very thin ribbons, 1/4 of an inch thick or less
1/2 c broccoli, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1/2 c onion
4tsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 Tb unsalted nut of choice - almonds, cashews and peanuts work equally well.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Turn the heat off, add the block of ramen to the pot and let it sit for 2 minutes. Drain and set noodles aside.
In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar with 1/2c water.
In a medium sauce pan, heat 2 tsp oil on high. Add the onion and garlic, stir fry for 1 minute.
Add the pepper and broccoli, stir fry for another minute.
Add the soy sauce mixture, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
Add the ramen noodles and mix thoroughly.
Top with your nut of choice
Mats:
1 pack ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded.
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into very thin ribbons, 1/4 of an inch thick or less
1/2 c broccoli, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1/2 c onion
4tsp soy sauce
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 Tb unsalted nut of choice - almonds, cashews and peanuts work equally well.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Turn the heat off, add the block of ramen to the pot and let it sit for 2 minutes. Drain and set noodles aside.
In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar with 1/2c water.
In a medium sauce pan, heat 2 tsp oil on high. Add the onion and garlic, stir fry for 1 minute.
Add the pepper and broccoli, stir fry for another minute.
Add the soy sauce mixture, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
Remove from heat.
Add the ramen noodles and mix thoroughly.
Top with your nut of choice
Monday, July 9, 2012
Pasta-less lasagne
This came out rather well, though initially a bit undersalted when I first made it. I've adjusted the recipe to give it a bit more of a kick.
Mats
12 Cabbage leaves (Napa or Savoy)
1 1/2 tsp oil
3 leeks
1/2 c veg. broth
3 slices lemon
1 1/2 tsp oil
3 cloves garlic
15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
3 Tb parsley (fresh)
8 oz ricotta cheese
3 Tb pine nuts
Heat oven to 350. Coat the bottom of an 8-in baking dish (Pyrex) in cooking spray.
Bring a medium pot of water and 2 tsp salt to a full boil. Add cabbage leaves and boil for 5 minutes.
Remove the cabbage from the water and rinse under very cold water. Set aside on paper towels and pat dry
Slice the tough upper green parts off the leek, and the little root part at the bottom. Cut in half lengthwise. Rinse the leeks under cold water - they often have grit and sand between the layers of leaves, so fan them out to get all the dirt off.
Place the flat side down and slice into 1/2 inch chunks
Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a small saucepan
Add the chopped leeks, vegetable broth and lemon slices.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. When done, the liquid should all be absorbed. Discard the lemon slices.
In a small pan, heat the other 1 1/2 tsp oil. Crush/finely mince the garlic and add to the oil
Saute for 3 minutes, then add the canned tomatoes, basil and oregano.
Cook on medium-low for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone.
Take 3 of the cabbage leaves and lay them flat in the bottom of the Pyrex. Top with 1/3 the leek mixture, 1/3 the tomato mixture and 1/3 of the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Snip 1 Tb fresh parsley over the cheese. Sprinkle 1 Tb pine nuts over top.
Layer another 3 cabbage leaves over the mixture, making sure the stems are at the opposite end as the first layer.
Gently press down to squish the filling.
Repeat the filling process, then the layering.
Overall, you should have four layers of leaves and 3 layers of filling.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until top begins to brown.
Mats
12 Cabbage leaves (Napa or Savoy)
1 1/2 tsp oil
3 leeks
1/2 c veg. broth
3 slices lemon
1 1/2 tsp oil
3 cloves garlic
15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
3 Tb parsley (fresh)
8 oz ricotta cheese
3 Tb pine nuts
Heat oven to 350. Coat the bottom of an 8-in baking dish (Pyrex) in cooking spray.
Bring a medium pot of water and 2 tsp salt to a full boil. Add cabbage leaves and boil for 5 minutes.
Remove the cabbage from the water and rinse under very cold water. Set aside on paper towels and pat dry
Slice the tough upper green parts off the leek, and the little root part at the bottom. Cut in half lengthwise. Rinse the leeks under cold water - they often have grit and sand between the layers of leaves, so fan them out to get all the dirt off.
Place the flat side down and slice into 1/2 inch chunks
Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a small saucepan
Add the chopped leeks, vegetable broth and lemon slices.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. When done, the liquid should all be absorbed. Discard the lemon slices.
In a small pan, heat the other 1 1/2 tsp oil. Crush/finely mince the garlic and add to the oil
Saute for 3 minutes, then add the canned tomatoes, basil and oregano.
Cook on medium-low for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is gone.
Take 3 of the cabbage leaves and lay them flat in the bottom of the Pyrex. Top with 1/3 the leek mixture, 1/3 the tomato mixture and 1/3 of the ricotta cheese. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Snip 1 Tb fresh parsley over the cheese. Sprinkle 1 Tb pine nuts over top.
Layer another 3 cabbage leaves over the mixture, making sure the stems are at the opposite end as the first layer.
Gently press down to squish the filling.
Repeat the filling process, then the layering.
Overall, you should have four layers of leaves and 3 layers of filling.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until top begins to brown.
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Hoisin Chicken with Green Beans and Cashews
This one definitely gets the seal of approval (unlike several other recipes this week, which were disasters).
Mats
4tsp Hoisin sauce
2 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1 Tb soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tb fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
8 oz chicken, cubed
12 oz green beans (frozen work just as well as fresh. Just defrost it first)
1/3 cup roasted, unsalted cashews. If you can't get them, raw cashews toasted in a dry pan for 10 minutes works perfectly
Whisk together the Hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl until there are no lumps left from the cornstarch.
In a large skillet, add 1 Tb oil and heat on medium high heat. Crush the garlic and ginger into the hot oil and stir-fry for 30 seconds
Add the cubed chicken and cook for 6 minutes, making sure to move the chicken around constantly.
Add the whisked Hoisin sauce to the chicken and stir so all the pieces are coated
Add the green beans and continue to stir-fry for 2 minutes
Serve over rice (brown rice is especially yummy)
Mats
4tsp Hoisin sauce
2 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
1 Tb soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tb fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic
8 oz chicken, cubed
12 oz green beans (frozen work just as well as fresh. Just defrost it first)
1/3 cup roasted, unsalted cashews. If you can't get them, raw cashews toasted in a dry pan for 10 minutes works perfectly
Whisk together the Hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl until there are no lumps left from the cornstarch.
In a large skillet, add 1 Tb oil and heat on medium high heat. Crush the garlic and ginger into the hot oil and stir-fry for 30 seconds
Add the cubed chicken and cook for 6 minutes, making sure to move the chicken around constantly.
Add the whisked Hoisin sauce to the chicken and stir so all the pieces are coated
Add the green beans and continue to stir-fry for 2 minutes
Serve over rice (brown rice is especially yummy)
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Lemonade Stand Pie
This one is a tasty summer treat that my family wolfs down any time I bring it. Never fails to get rave reviews :) It's incredibly refreshing on a hot summer day like we've been having recently.
Mats
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream.
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate
8 oz Cool Whip
2 pre-made graham cracker crust.
Soften the ice cream and lemonade concentrate by letting them sit outside the freezer for about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine ice cream, lemonade and Cool Whip
Mix thoroughly together. Electric mixers work well here.
Pour the filling into the crust
Freeze for at least 4 hours.
If you're feeling fancy, you can decorate the top with fresh mint leaves or fruit - Raspberries, sliced strawberries and blueberries go well. Just don't freeze the fruit with the pie.
Mats
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream.
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate
8 oz Cool Whip
2 pre-made graham cracker crust.
Soften the ice cream and lemonade concentrate by letting them sit outside the freezer for about 15 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine ice cream, lemonade and Cool Whip
Mix thoroughly together. Electric mixers work well here.
Pour the filling into the crust
Freeze for at least 4 hours.
If you're feeling fancy, you can decorate the top with fresh mint leaves or fruit - Raspberries, sliced strawberries and blueberries go well. Just don't freeze the fruit with the pie.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Moroccan Harira
This is a thick, savory soup flavored with cinnamon and cilantro - somehow my partner caught bronchitis in the middle of summer (I don't know how he managed that one) so I made this soup to help him feel better.
Mats:
1/2 c green lentils
1 Tb olive oil
1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
1/2 c chopped parsley
3/4 c chopped cilantro, divided into 1/2 and 1/4c
1/2 tsp chopped fresh ginger (ground powdered will work fine too)
1 Tb ground cinnamon
1 15oz can chopped tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
2c chicken stock
1/2 c vermicelli - it's a very thing spaghetti. Regular spaghetti will work fine too.
2 Tb flour
2 Tb lemon juice
1 Tb tomato paste
Process:
Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion, parsley, 1/2c cilantro, ginger and cinnamon; saute 5 minutes.
Stir in the drain tomatoes, saute for 5 more minutes.
Add chicken broth, reserved tomato liquid, chickpeas, lentils and 3 cups water.
Add 1/2 tsp salt and ground black pepper.
Stir, cover, and boil for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally
In a separate bowl, combine 1c water, flour, lemon juice and tomato paste. Mix with a whisk or fork until there are no more lumps.
Add the 1/4 c remaining cilantro to the flour mixture.
Once the 45 minutes are up on the main pot, stir in the flour-water mixture.
Snap the vermicelli pasta in half and add to the pot.
Boil uncovered for 4 minutes.
Serves 4.
This one went over very well. It's a nice, warming alternative to chicken soup (made that the previous day).
Mats:
1/2 c green lentils
1 Tb olive oil
1 large onion, diced (2 cups)
1/2 c chopped parsley
3/4 c chopped cilantro, divided into 1/2 and 1/4c
1/2 tsp chopped fresh ginger (ground powdered will work fine too)
1 Tb ground cinnamon
1 15oz can chopped tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained
2c chicken stock
1/2 c vermicelli - it's a very thing spaghetti. Regular spaghetti will work fine too.
2 Tb flour
2 Tb lemon juice
1 Tb tomato paste
Process:
Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion, parsley, 1/2c cilantro, ginger and cinnamon; saute 5 minutes.
Stir in the drain tomatoes, saute for 5 more minutes.
Add chicken broth, reserved tomato liquid, chickpeas, lentils and 3 cups water.
Add 1/2 tsp salt and ground black pepper.
Stir, cover, and boil for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally
In a separate bowl, combine 1c water, flour, lemon juice and tomato paste. Mix with a whisk or fork until there are no more lumps.
Add the 1/4 c remaining cilantro to the flour mixture.
Once the 45 minutes are up on the main pot, stir in the flour-water mixture.
Snap the vermicelli pasta in half and add to the pot.
Boil uncovered for 4 minutes.
Serves 4.
This one went over very well. It's a nice, warming alternative to chicken soup (made that the previous day).
Turning over a new leaf
I've been a bad, bad, negligent blogger for.... pretty much the entire lifetime of this blog. That is going to have to change, along with the myriad other things I have to change about my lifestyle.
My partner got the dreaded "o-word" from the doctor: obese. Hence the complete and total overhaul of our diets that I'm now on the crusade for. Combined with exercise, we're both looking at dropping some pounds to get us back on track for a healthy lifestyle. Our new bathroom scale arrived the other day, for accurate, day-to-day measurements. I picked up a kitchen scale, to accurately weigh my foods and count calories per serving so we can eat well together. I renewed my subscription to Vegetarian Times magazine; though neither of us are actually going full-on vegetarian, I still love many of the recipes in there and we're working on cutting back the meat in our diets to about twice a week. My floor mat is set up with a new set of dumbbells for a light work-out each morning. And because my partner is slightly number-crazy, we've put together a spreadsheet to tabulate daily calorie intake and graph our weight loss progress. I think I stopped listening when he started going on about fitting exponential regression lines... but it's still there :)
Let the cooking fun and games begin!
My partner got the dreaded "o-word" from the doctor: obese. Hence the complete and total overhaul of our diets that I'm now on the crusade for. Combined with exercise, we're both looking at dropping some pounds to get us back on track for a healthy lifestyle. Our new bathroom scale arrived the other day, for accurate, day-to-day measurements. I picked up a kitchen scale, to accurately weigh my foods and count calories per serving so we can eat well together. I renewed my subscription to Vegetarian Times magazine; though neither of us are actually going full-on vegetarian, I still love many of the recipes in there and we're working on cutting back the meat in our diets to about twice a week. My floor mat is set up with a new set of dumbbells for a light work-out each morning. And because my partner is slightly number-crazy, we've put together a spreadsheet to tabulate daily calorie intake and graph our weight loss progress. I think I stopped listening when he started going on about fitting exponential regression lines... but it's still there :)
Let the cooking fun and games begin!
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