Doctor: "No more red meat for you!"
Husband: "But I want a burger"
Me: "I can make a veggie burger or a turkey burger."
Husband: "Nooooo, veggie burgers are icky corn"
Me: "... You like mushrooms, though."
Mats:
2 Portobello Mushroom caps, stems and gills removed (scrape them gently with a spoon, they'll fall right off. Just don't gouge too deeply)
2c red cooking wine
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Burger buns, toasted
Remove the stems and gills from the mushrooms. Gently wipe the caps with a damp (wet it and wring it out) paper towel to remove any dirt.
Using a fork, gently prick the mushrooms all over, topside and underside. You're looking to just break the skin, not pierce it deeply.
Lay the mushrooms underside up in a shallow baking dish.
In a small saucepan, combine the red wine, minced garlic and minced shallot with 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp dried thyme. Bring to a full boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour the red wine mixture over the mushroom caps. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, discard the excess marinade and grill the mushrooms for 5 minutes. I used my pannini maker and set the lid so it was *just* touching the tops of the caps. You don't want to squish them.
Toast the burger buns, place the mushroom caps on top with any 'fixings' you like - I put slices of tomato and some baby spinach on them.
Fennel 'Fries'
Mats:
3 Yukon Gold potatoes
2 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 Tb olive oil
Heat the oven to 400.
Wash the potatoes and slice into thick chunks. I went for something that looks like steak fries - about as long as my finger, 1 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick.
Toss the potatoes, fennel, garlic powder, salt and olive oil together in a large baking dish. Spread the potatoes so they're only a single layer deep.
Bake at 400 for 35 minutes or until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Snap peas in carrot "butter"
Finally, a winner. It's been an unimpressive last week, recipe-wise. This one, however, is quite good.
Mats:
1 onion, finely diced
2 tsp corn or canola oil
1/2c vegetable broth
1 tsp corn starch
2 Tb carrot puree (baby food works the best)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1Tb white cooking wine
8 oz baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
3c sugar snap peas
1/2 box pasta. Not the twirly kind, something noodle-y like elbow macaroni
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add onion, saute for 5 minutes or until onion begins to soften and turn translucent.
In a small bowl, whisk the vegetable broth, white wine and corn starch together. Add to the saucepan.
Bring just to a simmer, then add the carrot puree, salt and pepper. Whisk well, then remove from heat.
In a small pot, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil.
Add the baby carrots and boil for 1 minute.
Add the sugar snap peas, cover, and boil for 3 minutes.
Drain the veggies in a colander and blot with paper towels to remove all the moisture you can.
Toss the pasta, veggies and sauce in a serving bowl and serve.
Mats:
1 onion, finely diced
2 tsp corn or canola oil
1/2c vegetable broth
1 tsp corn starch
2 Tb carrot puree (baby food works the best)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1Tb white cooking wine
8 oz baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
3c sugar snap peas
1/2 box pasta. Not the twirly kind, something noodle-y like elbow macaroni
Cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
Add onion, saute for 5 minutes or until onion begins to soften and turn translucent.
In a small bowl, whisk the vegetable broth, white wine and corn starch together. Add to the saucepan.
Bring just to a simmer, then add the carrot puree, salt and pepper. Whisk well, then remove from heat.
In a small pot, bring about 2 inches of water to a boil.
Add the baby carrots and boil for 1 minute.
Add the sugar snap peas, cover, and boil for 3 minutes.
Drain the veggies in a colander and blot with paper towels to remove all the moisture you can.
Toss the pasta, veggies and sauce in a serving bowl and serve.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Lactose-free Fettuccine Alfredo
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)