tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63349735994237701322024-02-18T19:55:08.575-08:00girl eat worldUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-31362034501532192462014-05-28T13:06:00.002-07:002014-05-28T13:06:55.821-07:00broiled miso tofu with mushrooms and carrotsOne of the most common complaints I hear is about cooking tofu, and it makes sense. It's pretty much flavorless on its own, and it can go from nice squares to a scrambled mess in almost an instant.<br />
<br />
But broiling fixes these things. You can marinate it ahead of time, but even ten minutes is okay if you toss it briefly in a flavorful sauce and drizzle the remainders on top of it. You at most move the tofu minimally, flipping it, or you can simply not touch it at all, leaving it in its original shape rather than a gelatinous puddle.<br />
<br />
It's fast. It's easy. And, best of all, it's crazy delicious.<br />
<br />
Seriously.<br />
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<br />
~*~<br />
<br />
Serves 2-4<br />
Time: ~30 minutes<br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
1 block firm tofu</div>
<div class="p1">
1/8 cup soy sauce</div>
<div class="p1">
splash canola oil</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated</div>
<div class="p1">
3 cloves garlic, grated</div>
<div class="p1">
2 heaping spoons miso (~6 tbsp)</div>
<div class="p1">
juice 1/2 lemon</div>
<div class="p1">
~2 tbsp soy sauce</div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
~2 tbsp water to thin sauce</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
2 large carrots, cut into even-sized pieces</div>
<div class="p1">
2 1/2 cups of small button mushrooms, whole (about the size of gumballs, if possible)</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
_____________</div>
<br />
Adjust your oven rack so it is in the middle of the oven, and set the oven to broil.<br />
<br />
Slice your block of tofu into evenly-sized cubes and lay it into a flat-ish container (tupperware or a pot would work well). In a small bowl, whisk together 1/8 cup of soy sauce and canola oil, then pour it over the tofu. Let it make friends with the tofu for at least ten minutes. If you marinate it overnight, just use the soy sauce, and pour canola oil over tofu when you are ready to cook it.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Tofu soaks.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
Spritz a baking sheet with cooking oil. Once your tofu has soaked, pick it up and lay it onto the baking sheet, shaking off excess marinade.<br />
<br />
Into the remaining excess marinade, grate ginger and garlic cloves. Add in miso, lemon juice, and additional soy sauce. Whisk the mixture to remove lumps and make it smooth. Add enough water to thin it out just a little bit, so it's more liquid than solid (it should go from the thickness of a thick smoothie to the thickness of a yogurt drink).<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Secret ingredient.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
Wash your veggies and, in two batches, toss them in the marinade.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Veggies taking a dip.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
Using a slotted spoon, lift veggies out, shaking off excess marinade, and lay them in a single layer in between the tofu pieces, not covering any of the tofu.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All sauced.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
Pour the rest of the marinade over the tofu and veggies, then pop it in the oven.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Close-up.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
Check every 5 minutes or so--it should take about 20 minutes. It's done when you can stick a fork into one of the carrots easily and the miso on top of the tofu has turned a darker shade of brown, and the mushrooms are well-caramelized. If you check and your tofu is burning on top, you can flip the pieces.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All done!</span></div>
<br />
<br />
When it's done, lay tofu and veggies over rice and garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Moo circling like a shark. Too bad there were no leftovers.</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-44062633727212225802014-03-09T15:45:00.002-07:002014-03-09T18:02:16.606-07:00vegan black bean nachosI know, I know...what kind of idiot needs a recipe to make nachos? Isn't it just melted cheese and chips?<br />
<br />
Well, it can be. But sometimes we like to make it more interesting.<br />
<br />
See, if you're like me, you like black beans. But I find most of the black bean recipes out there rather tiresome. I can only eat so much black bean soup, and there aren't that many ways to jazz up a can of plain ol' black beans.<br />
<br />
But nachos? There's a way. The black beans are earthy without being overbearing. As someone who is always trying to find new ways to eat canned beans without being consistently disappointed, this was a resounding success.<br />
<br />
I would have totally added avocado, or maybe even made guac, but the sad fact is that I think you could actually kill someone with the avocados here at this time of year. They're literally hard as rocks.<br />
<br />
Can you tell I'm missing California (mostly just being 30 minutes from Mexico?)<br />
<br />
Anyway, this is perhaps the world's easiest weeknight dinner, and while it's not a health food, it's March. You've got time to go to the gym later.<br />
<br />
Plus there's no antidote for the clouds of Portland like a bright, sunny, fresh salsa.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Just look at those colors!</span></div>
<br />
<br />
~*~<br />
<br />
Serves 4 (halve it for a single serving)<br />
<br />
tortilla chips, amount to your liking (I use plain salted, but you could get interesting with types and flavors)<br />
cheese*<br />
1 can black beans<br />
1 can corn (or you can use fresh if you've got it)<br />
<br />
salsa<br />
<br />
2 cups cherry tomatoes, diced<br />
1/4 red onion, finely diced<br />
2 tbsp cilantro, finely diced<br />
juice of 2 limes<br />
1 tsp sea salt<br />
<br />
*I obviously used vegan cheese. I use the Trader Joe's vegan style mozzarella as the two base layers because it melts well, and even though its texture is...interesting in other applications it's actually not noticeable at all in nacho form. I then sprinkled some Daiya on top. You can experiment with different brands. If you're using normal cheese I'd advise pepper jack, cheddar, and/or mozzarella.<br />
<br />
_______<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Set your oven to broil.<br />
<br />
Make your salsa: combine all the ingredients and let them sit for a while to give the flavors time to make friends. (You can add some of your corn in here too!) If you don't like the bite of raw red onion, dice that up first and let it sit with the lime juice to mellow out the flavor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdWNtpeIOEY_cpf9Y-gOuNJedwCc3RxYn6QzJpm07TAIWyMu6gZ99wXppzRgaJO7jWRkT1-wHmZepTULSK65RHmf2LWbFHm0_rKIZNYIjhbw7QX252Mih4fUu7T2B_59PtxF3myjqxtA/s1600/DSCN3575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwdWNtpeIOEY_cpf9Y-gOuNJedwCc3RxYn6QzJpm07TAIWyMu6gZ99wXppzRgaJO7jWRkT1-wHmZepTULSK65RHmf2LWbFHm0_rKIZNYIjhbw7QX252Mih4fUu7T2B_59PtxF3myjqxtA/s1600/DSCN3575.JPG" height="261" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Spread out your tortilla chips on a cookie sheet or other baking pan. Sprinkle on your first layer of melty cheese. Broil until it's melted (mine only took about 30 seconds, so watch carefully!)<br />
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<br />
I find that this first cheese-melting under the broiler provides a nice layer for the beans and corn to sit on without making the chips on the bottom too soggy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxvJSetDF23MuZ-JKGQ8A14UkYpk75BkcFX49IQhun2vOAjV4MQ1Zf2Hxwe8p7KMmwH0RqsraxGZGJSZf871rQc9V2U8kK2rUsRyUpdexRE1PHWIveQUliY8NaD021Hbpjb4v-v1yI0w/s1600/DSCN3581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxvJSetDF23MuZ-JKGQ8A14UkYpk75BkcFX49IQhun2vOAjV4MQ1Zf2Hxwe8p7KMmwH0RqsraxGZGJSZf871rQc9V2U8kK2rUsRyUpdexRE1PHWIveQUliY8NaD021Hbpjb4v-v1yI0w/s1600/DSCN3581.JPG" height="320" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
Drain your beans and corn well--we don't want any excess liquid to sog up our chips!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGRQVVhendKT_3NfcY7-Y7BYoB2yPHe_8KVT5XvQX2ievxdygt3ONGAcioQJbp7HH2e0JT1PIbGQ1L5J5LsqELFTnQLxtF2Re-yhw9nM5srb39M4aL2srvhJyY9_4SxySZRE7A1uyglU/s1600/DSCN3585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEGRQVVhendKT_3NfcY7-Y7BYoB2yPHe_8KVT5XvQX2ievxdygt3ONGAcioQJbp7HH2e0JT1PIbGQ1L5J5LsqELFTnQLxtF2Re-yhw9nM5srb39M4aL2srvhJyY9_4SxySZRE7A1uyglU/s1600/DSCN3585.JPG" height="211" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Add on your black beans and corn along with any other toppings. Add one more layer of your base cheese and sprinkle on your top cheese. Broil again until melted. Watch carefully!<br />
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<br />
Scoop nachos out and onto a plate. Sprinkle with salsa and eat immediately.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-2851848326920640212014-02-18T21:48:00.000-08:002014-02-19T21:10:57.416-08:00ratatouilleSo, before you ask...no. This is not the dish from the movie. Though I have watched the movie an embarrassing number of times.<br />
<br />
I haven't had that Thomas Keller rendition, but honestly, I think this is better. Simple, unassuming, delicious. This dish is proof that vegetables don't have to be boring.<br />
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Making ratatouille is mostly a question of technique. The key lies in "sweating"--over low heat, getting all of the water out of the veggies and releasing flavors without caramelizing and locking them in.<br />
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When you cook this way, something magic happens. The eggplant unravels softly into something far and away from horrid dining hall renditions of eggplant--delicate, mild, but delectable. Everything just sort of melds together in such a lovely way. Your ratatouille will be done in an hour--most recipes get it done in 30 minutes--but if I've got longer I just let it stew away to get all those flavors out.<br />
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It's the best to make when you've got gorgeous seasonal summer vegetables, but for those of you in frigid climates like me who say, "I just want some vegetables, dammit!"--well, it's okay if you use the stuff in the stores. It still tastes good. I won't tell if you don't. If you've got good tomatoes, add a few, but I refuse to add those horrid zombie tomatoes that are in PNW stores in February. It doesn't bear thinking about.<br />
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I eat it by the bowl on its own, but it's the best thing in the world on a sandwich with a meat--t(of)urkey works well--and a cheese, and it ages well (everyone can love that, right?)<br />
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Plus it's so beautiful!<br />
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~*~<br />
<br />
Serves 4-5<br />
Time: ~1 hour<br />
<br />
2 large eggplants<br />
1 tsp sea salt<br />
1 large onion<br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
3 small-ish yellow/green zucchini squash<br />
2 red bell peppers<br />
1 tbsp fresh thyme<br />
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (just a little bit)<br />
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped<br />
1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley<br />
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Heat a pan with 1 tbsp vegetable oil over <u>medium-low</u> heat. (Not too hot! We don't want to caramelize!) Don't use any more oil--it doesn't look like much, but we don't want the veggies to get too oily.</div>
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Wash, peel, and cut up your eggplant into even-sized pieces. Add them to the pot with salt.</div>
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Stir every few minutes, scraping up any bits that have stuck.</div>
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At around 15 minutes the eggplant pieces should all have turned brown and the volume should have shrunk. You should see that the outside is softening but should <u>not</u> look hard, browned, or caramelized.</div>
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Thinly slice an onion and add it to the pot with minced garlic. Stir, continuing to stir every few minutes to avoid further sticking. Add a little more salt.</div>
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After about 20 minutes your onions should be translucent and softened. Wash your peppers and zucchinis, seeding the peppers and discarding the ends of the squash. Cut your zucchini squash into thin half-rounds and your bell peppers into strips.</div>
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Add in your rosemary, thyme, and oregano, and stir to mix. Continue stirring every 5 minutes or so and scraping up stuck bits.</div>
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After a further 25 minutes, once all the vegetables are soft, your ratatouille should be done! Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.</div>
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Add your chopped parsley.</div>
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And serve!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ta-da!</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-82846005164418295312014-02-15T23:23:00.000-08:002014-02-16T11:42:10.340-08:00focaccia, in about 2 secondsOkay, so not two seconds. But it feels like it.<br />
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This isn't so much of a recipe as it is my favorite party trick. 'Cause you put in pizza dough and some stuff, and you get bread. And as someone who has gone to great lengths to make bread (ask my boyfriend about the hoagie roll disaster of 2011--or, more positively, my uncanny success with challah) I can appreciate a quick solution to the yeast-driven woes of those of us who grew up with homemade bread and now find anything else unsatisfactory. (Damn you, parents with breadmakers!)<br />
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And it's a pretty solution at that.<br />
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~*~<br />
<br />
1 ball pizza dough*<br />
~1/4 cup olive oil or more, be generous**<br />
1/2 tbsp coarse sea salt (this is a great place to use a yummy, fancy sea salt)<br />
<br />
toppings<br />
<br />
cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise<br />
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped<br />
kalamata olives, sliced lengthwise<br />
<br />
other potential toppings<br />
<br />
artichoke hearts, finely sliced<br />
caramelized onions<br />
sundried tomatoes (packed in olive oil)<br />
anchovies<br />
anything that won't burn to a crisp<br />
<br />
*Different pizza doughs will do different stuff. They have different water and yeast contents. I know that Trader Joes' plain pizza dough has worked for me, but I'm sure others would. The general rule is to make it thinner than you think, to allow room to rise while baking and still be thick and crusty instead of too-fluffy and not foccacia-y. And, of course, keep an eye on it--mine was done at 1 hour but yours may be done earlier or later! Once it is golden brown on top, you should be good to go!<br />
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**Use this much olive oil. Don't skimp. Seriously. This is what makes focaccia so delicious and crusty and golden and glorious. Use more than you think you need. You can see in the pictures that mine had it pooling in the holes--this is ideal.<br />
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________<br />
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Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.<br />
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Let your dough come to room temperature.<br />
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Spread a thin layer of olive oil in a 9 inch pie pan. Place your dough in the pan and flatten it, pressing it out towards the edges. Flip it a few times so both sides have a thin coating of olive oil.<br />
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Using your fingers, press divots into the dough. Use the photo above as a reference. You want to make as many of these as you can without making your dough into one big hole--the surface is supposed to be craggy and uneven.<br />
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Press in your toppings at even intervals. Take your 1/4-cup of olive oil and spread it evenly around.<br />
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Sprinkle on herbs and salt.<br />
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Bake until the top is golden brown. Mine took ~1 hour.<br />
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Dip in balsamic and olive oil, or use it to scoop up some soup. Yum!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-57399596597442824532014-02-12T00:12:00.000-08:002014-02-12T11:24:57.097-08:00apple crispThe kitchen is my favorite place to be at a party. It sounds weird, I know. Most social and normal people like to be in the living room. But generally being in the kitchen entails being near both the food and the drinks--my two favorite things! I'm like a badger or something, pacing around the resources. I usually meet kindred spirits in the kitchen.<br />
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And, at the parties I like to be at most of all, there's some cooking going on. And most times I either volunteer to help--or end up cooking for myself since I have lactose issues. Either way, I somehow get roped into things. (Not that I'm complaining--I love it!)<br />
<br />
At one particular party, I was doing my usual skulking around the kitchen when the host asked me to make a dessert. And when someone asks slightly-tipsy you to make a dessert in their house (unfamiliar territory) and you have no smartphone (unlimited recipes), you make crisp.<br />
<br />
Because crisp is easy. It's flexible, unlike the vast majority of baking, and has the added bonus of being absolutely delicious. You can use...well, just about any fruit in the world. You just...bake it until it's done!<br />
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This is the best thing in the world to eat for breakfast if you've got leftovers--and if you're like me and brazenly eat cookies for breakfast most days, this provides you with a socially acceptable alternative.<br />
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~*~<br />
<br />
Adapted from nowhere in particular--a little of this, a little of that. Crisp wasn't my idea, ok?<br />
Total time: 1 hr 10 minutes<br />
<br />
3 apples, peeled, cored, and diced (enough to fill a 9" pie pan--use firm, flavorful apples, not mealy ones)<br />
zest 1 lemon<br />
juice 1/2 lemon<br />
1 tbsp cinnamon<br />
1 tbsp sugar*<br />
1 tbsp flour<br />
pinch nutmeg<br />
1 vanilla bean, seeded**<br />
<br />
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats***<br />
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (if you use salted, omit the salt)<br />
1/8 tsp salt<br />
1/2 cup sugar (brown is preferable, but I used white sugar, replacing a tbsp with a tbsp of maple syrup for that caramel flavor and it turned out great)<br />
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*I don't use very much sugar, to let the pleasant tart-sweet flavor of the Opal apples we have here shine, but if you're using particularly sour apples (like Granny Smith), I'd add another spoon or two of sugar to the apple mix or use agave, which is sweeter than sugar. Or, you can dial back the lemon juice. Taste your apples and decide for yourself.<br />
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**I use vanilla beans whose seeds I have already used. You can seed your beans and keep them, then use the empty pods to flavor different dishes. (Just don't eat them by accident!) I tuck one into the apple mixture to give it a nice flavor and smell. If you just have a regular one, mix in the pulp and use the bean, or if you're strapped for beans, add a 1/2 tbsp of vanilla extract.<br />
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*** Most crisps call for less oatmeal and add flour to the streusel topping, but I find that all the flour doesn't add anything texturally and generally prefer more oatmeal anyway. Let me know what you think if you try it out!<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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Core, peel, and dice your apples into small cube-like pieces. Lay them out in an even layer in a pie dish spritzed with a little spray canola oil or butter. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon, flour, sugar, and nutmeg. Mix. Tuck in your vanilla bean (see note above).<br />
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Now make your crumbly topping. Melt butter in microwave (mine's usually done in 45 seconds to 1 minute). Add in oatmeal, salt, and sugar. The mixture may look a little wet at this point, but don't worry--it will dry out and get crunchy in the oven. Spread it over your apples and stick it in the oven.</div>
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Bake for about 1 hour--until juices are bubbly and look dark brown, and the top is crunchy. Test to make sure that you can easily put a knife through the apple pieces.</div>
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Now hide it from your friends...and enjoy. You could put some ice cream on it, but then you might just die from the awesomeness.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-57933588459332345562014-01-25T15:49:00.002-08:002014-01-25T15:54:58.984-08:00dover sole & kale saladThe French language makes it possible for things to have fancy-sounding names to us humdrum English speakers, but really, they're pretty simple. Sole meunière? It's just sole fried in butter with a squeeze of lemon and some herbs.<br />
<br />
I'm not knocking the French, though, because this is so delicious it almost makes you want to just keel over. Dover sole is wonderful, light, and flaky, and takes very kindly to being cooked this way.<br />
<br />
I know that a French cook would probably die at the thought of putting Old Bay in the flour...which I did...so we're not gonna call it sole meunière. That lets me off the hook, right? At any rate, I think it adds a little oomph.<br />
<br />
This recipe is so quick it'll make your head spin! And yet, it's worthy of a date-night dinner. It's a lot of butter, so perhaps not a diet food, but the kale salad balances it out, right?<br />
<br />
RIGHT?!<br />
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<br />
~*~<br />
<br />
Serves 2<br />
Total time: 30 minutes<br />
<br />
4-5 filets Dover sole<br />
5 tbsp butter<br />
~1/2 cup flour<br />
pinch each of salt, pepper, and Old Bay seasoning<br />
<br />
kale salad<br />
<br />
1 bunch lacinato or dinosaur kale<br />
1 tbsp olive oil<br />
handful walnuts, crushed<br />
1/2 organic Opal apple, diced*<br />
<br />
dressing<br />
<br />
juice of 1/2 lemon<br />
~1 tbsp mustard<br />
~1 tbsp honey<br />
~1 tbsp capers<br />
salt and pepper<br />
1/2 cup olive oil<br />
<br />
*I've become an apple snob since moving to the PNW. You can use whatever you want. If it's not organic, you should probably peel it.<br />
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________<br />
<br />
Heat a skillet to medium-high heat.<br />
<br />
I like to do the salad first, since the fish cooks so quickly and the skillet needs time to get to temperature.<br />
<br />
Wash your kale. Tear off bite-sized pieces off of the stems. If the stems are supple enough to come off when you tear, then you can use them, but once they become hard and woody on the way down the stalk...we don't want those.<br />
<br />
Add them to your mixing bowl with your tbsp of olive oil. Massage the kale. Yes, rub the oil into the leaves. There is some debate surrounding the efficacy of this in reducing the sometimes bitter taste of kale--I just do it because it makes it less toothy and dry and it becomes all oiled up and lovely...just generally more palatable.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Kale. Mmm.</span></div>
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Chop up your apple and add it in with your kale. Toss in walnuts and whatever else you're adding.<br />
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In a small glass or jam jar, add in dressing ingredients <b><u>except</u></b> olive oil. If you've got a lid, you can just put the olive oil in and shake the jar with the lid on. If you don't (I couldn't find mine) then stir with a spoon or a whisk as you slowly add in the oil to create your emulsion.<br />
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Yay! Wait to dress your salad until the last possible moment before you eat!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Salad at the ready!</span></div>
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Spread flour on a plate and add in spices, mixing well. Lay out sole filets on flour one at a time and flour both sides. Your skillet should be ready.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPRaDYQb2W1KpzPa5tDxl3ORCaFOSwUNEAl2nG0jpscz9ApjrcGu91leMxKSD8QcH0x9_B1EknPu6sRSQZhISrd1RmQBKkJBB0xftAfglZppOlmHpne3-x2PDA0CIX4UY0AwmYsPMtZA/s1600/sole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqPRaDYQb2W1KpzPa5tDxl3ORCaFOSwUNEAl2nG0jpscz9ApjrcGu91leMxKSD8QcH0x9_B1EknPu6sRSQZhISrd1RmQBKkJBB0xftAfglZppOlmHpne3-x2PDA0CIX4UY0AwmYsPMtZA/s1600/sole.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Floured.</span></div>
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Add in your butter. Wait until it melts and the foam begins to turn brown. You should be able to smell a faint nutty smell.<br />
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<u>Turn down the heat</u> to medium-low (this is critical so your butter and fish don't burn!) Add in your filets with space in between them, doing this in batches if necessary. I add a little extra salt and pepper on each side when I cook them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Butter and fish.</span></div>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Cook 2-3 minutes on each side, until the flour coating has turned a light brown.</span><br />
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Remove to plate and serve immediately with your salad. Don't forget to pour the brown butter in your skillet all over your fish. (If you don't, Bearcat and I will judge you forever!)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Just look at that withering stare.</span></div>
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Bon appétit!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-62774543847696830432014-01-17T21:31:00.000-08:002014-01-18T11:43:41.330-08:00beet ginger apple juiceTo the man who checked me out at Trader Joe's the other day: Yes. I am deranged for having left San Diego. Maybe even a little self-loathing and masochistic.<br />
<br />
I mean sure, we avoided the polar vortex, but sitting in front of a light box every day in order to be happy is a little too Philip K. Dick-universe for me.<br />
<br />
So what do you do when you want, more than anything, to believe that you're somewhere sunny? Juice! Make your own, with whatever happens to be on hand. I found a nice stall with a $1 10 pound bag of beets, which is way more than any normal person needs.<br />
<br />
Alors...jus!<br />
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~*~<br />
<br />
2 beets, washed, peeled and chopped (preferably organic)<br />
1 cup water or more if needed<br />
1 apple, cored and cubed (preferably organic)<br />
1 knob ginger<br />
1 squeeze of lemon juice<br />
<br />
Don't wear white clothes (or light colored clothes you really care about) while doing this. And...it may look like you murdered someone, but the red will come off your hands in a few washings!<br />
<br />
Wash, peel, and dice all your ingredients. Put into a blender and blend with water. Strain through cheesecloth, discarding pulp.<br />
<br />
This mixture...well, let's just say it's not for the faint of heart (or you just gotta really like beets, like me!) I think it's really yummy, and I don't add any sugar. If you don't want straight up beet juice, mix one part this mixture with one part orange juice or apple juice.<br />
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Enjoy!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-90263816984547489232014-01-06T18:55:00.000-08:002014-01-07T10:36:41.513-08:00DIY almond milkThe unfortunate reality of processed food is that it usually has a whole lot of crap in it.<br />
<br />
For example, my soymilk that I buy at the store has a whole bunch of sugar. It's also fortified with vitamins and has extra protein, which is great, but sometimes I just want to make something so that I know exactly how much of everything has gone into it, y'know? And while I am part hummingbird, I've been trying to consume a little less sweet stuff.<br />
<br />
So here's something for those of you who are trying to incorporate DIY into your diets...or if you're just looking for something fun and easy that you can make yourself that's good for you.<br />
<br />
It is a zillion times better than the store kind.<br />
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Note: Almonds are expensive. At the end of this process you're going to end up with a bunch of crushed almond. So, what do you do with it? I like to eat it as is, as breakfast cereal, but sometimes I roast it in a 300 degree oven, checking every 15 minutes until it is golden brown. I then grind it up into almond powder. You can use this to bread just about anything and to thicken sauces. You can also replace about half of your flour in cookie recipes with this almond flour and it is decidedly delicious. Experiment!<br />
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~*~<br />
<br />
Makes ~3 cups almond milk<br />
<br />
2 cups almonds<br />
8 cups water<br />
<br />
optional flavorings, add as many or as few as you like<br />
<br />
1 tbsp chai tea (if you add tea leaves, blend them with your almonds)<br />
1 vanilla bean, seeded<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
pinch nutmeg<br />
pinch cardamom<br />
2 tbsp cocoa (for chocolate almond milk)<br />
<br />
Rinse almonds. Place in container to soak with 4 cups of water overnight, or for two nights for a creamier milk.<br />
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Once your almonds are soaked, rinse them off and put them in your blender.<br />
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Add 4 cups of fresh water.</div>
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Pulse a few times to break up the almonds, then blend for a few minutes.<br />
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Bust out your cheesecloth, an old, clean t-shirt, or some layered paper towels.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcpQpzy-qCL2mTg8sf5F0Lyj3nc5C823wtXyGKZgHuLAtv1t6AphmHzZeMXmD3YK7vhgR6NzLC3ggvmEUP8GT2J6fEB2rwwmQnECWgUeF5OzlsCM4z4GNWtlfjMuqgbyXvnCbPSlQtkA/s1600/DSCN2767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcpQpzy-qCL2mTg8sf5F0Lyj3nc5C823wtXyGKZgHuLAtv1t6AphmHzZeMXmD3YK7vhgR6NzLC3ggvmEUP8GT2J6fEB2rwwmQnECWgUeF5OzlsCM4z4GNWtlfjMuqgbyXvnCbPSlQtkA/s1600/DSCN2767.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cheesecloth is pretty cheap at the store--you get a bunch of it and can wash it and reuse it.</span></div>
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Strap it over your container, or lay it over a mesh strainer, and strain your almond mixture. If you let it drain naturally, that's great, but I get impatient and smoosh it down, probably sacrificing some of the almond milk as I go. I scoop out the crushed almond meal periodically and save it in a separate container.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">P.S.: This container was not super ideal for this process, but I had already started and it was too late. If you use a wider-mouthed container, you'll have to scoop out the pulp less often and it will be way less annoying.</span></div>
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Et voila! Here is your almond milk. You can add seasonings to your taste, and sweeten it with sugar, honey, or agave.</div>
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Store for up to 2 days in the fridge. I have usually drunk it by that point because it is so good, but if you'd like to store it longer, bring it to a boil and it will keep a few days more. It separates naturally in the fridge, but with a good stir it will be back to normal.</div>
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Yum!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-45319773947039503282013-12-04T00:45:00.000-08:002013-12-04T15:12:56.561-08:00chicken and sage risottoThe Italians have always been in the business of selling us things that are simple, delicious, and that we are usually too lazy to make ourselves. Risotto is one such thing.<br />
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It doesn't take long. It's not even particularly hard. It does, however, involve a concerted effort on your part, and you can't skip any steps.<br />
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The only gripe I really have with it, and that you might if you're a multi-tasker like me who likes to walk away and do other stuff while your food cooks, is that you have to stand over the stove most of the time, with at most a one or two minute break where you can run off and do whatever it is you have to do. But I promise it's worth it.<br />
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The lovely thing about risotto is that while you have to cook it a certain way, it is immensely flexible. Use rehydrated dried porcinis and mushroom stock. Use bacon. Use spring vegetables and veggie stock. Use shrimp or other seafood and fish stock. The possibilities are pretty much endless.<br />
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Here, I used chicken, 'cause I had it, and fried up a few sage leaves to go with it.<br />
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And it was awesome.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiswsZ9BTO0brPIZ3ViC2lRUkE913S_IKfxv7MBDy-hr7hlYwi_4tcnHlHbDjOezvf3woD7boxbUH6kHjX6gRnqzzqGZeUGYbx3FLT5Fdw86rS3ZgEAXJW3QS36Ay3a_jqnXlN5WhfxU/s1600/DSCN2650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiswsZ9BTO0brPIZ3ViC2lRUkE913S_IKfxv7MBDy-hr7hlYwi_4tcnHlHbDjOezvf3woD7boxbUH6kHjX6gRnqzzqGZeUGYbx3FLT5Fdw86rS3ZgEAXJW3QS36Ay3a_jqnXlN5WhfxU/s320/DSCN2650.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Serves 2<br />
Total time: ~45 minutes<br />
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1 boneless skinless chicken breast<br />
1 cup arborio rice<br />
1/2 onion, diced<br />
2-4 cups of liquid: half of white wine, half of chicken or veggie stock, or whatever strikes your fancy<br />
4 tbsp butter<br />
few sprigs thyme<br />
5 sage leaves<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Onions and rice in.</span></div>
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Melt 2 tbsp butter in skillet over medium heat. If you like your onions soft, add them first and cook until translucent, then add arborio rice. If you like your onions slightly crunchy (this is what I do, and I think they add a nice textural balance when you're not using any other vegetables) add them and the arborio rice to the butter simultaneously, stirring to coat the rice. Toast onions and rice for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper, but be careful if you've got salty broth. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOY5z4qVt-zuJaYGUsvoRx_gQWyx5sFMEcYCKfsixF89wcmPhOqSf1bT35NVugWWKNOix3F4hAT0DCZ7POJ3ndk7clwUfsEzSAhS8E-kG_EYVxCzt1waFuNzea6gO587GZSkA7QezElw/s1600/DSCN2610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNOY5z4qVt-zuJaYGUsvoRx_gQWyx5sFMEcYCKfsixF89wcmPhOqSf1bT35NVugWWKNOix3F4hAT0DCZ7POJ3ndk7clwUfsEzSAhS8E-kG_EYVxCzt1waFuNzea6gO587GZSkA7QezElw/s320/DSCN2610.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Stirred.</span></div>
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Now comes the subjective part. The amount of liquid you use will depend on the surface area of your pan, the heat of your stove...numerous factors. I usually just add a glug of wine, then alternate--stock, wine, stock, wine. The more wine you add, the tangier and more citrusy your risotto will be (not a bad thing) and the more stock, the earthier. Find your happy balance. Alternating keeps both pretty even.</div>
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Anyways, add a glug (about 1/4 cup) of liquid and stir. Stir every 30 seconds or so until the liquid has all evaporated.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52OhlqWOncjeYjigptzGsNIrvEwXdsgX8EwwSTSA3A5RR-8v9t3hjbjcZVPbcf3FsNuYYYVhDnsty4BUCxFtfyBdHranO0Z1_rXZMslBA27uU5L-E6GwdPmB6s74_BygMm7j8pshkyXk/s1600/DSCN2612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52OhlqWOncjeYjigptzGsNIrvEwXdsgX8EwwSTSA3A5RR-8v9t3hjbjcZVPbcf3FsNuYYYVhDnsty4BUCxFtfyBdHranO0Z1_rXZMslBA27uU5L-E6GwdPmB6s74_BygMm7j8pshkyXk/s320/DSCN2612.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Juicy.</span></div>
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Once it has evaporated, add some more liquid. If you add too much at once your risotto will not cook the way it should--I know it's tempting to dump all your liquid in, but you must persevere.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYqwZGHdZhd0FF-TlxEbY5wJU6E1Rsv62esbBS9MfjCKKuaa5A8hcKyJyg6LJTffV5yj4MBldNWRROELHRQo6LPcGscdE6dbPjCJZMhgslo_-Ly8hOcqS3ttm3ZU8WhfzyGKJAzwzcLI/s1600/DSCN2613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYqwZGHdZhd0FF-TlxEbY5wJU6E1Rsv62esbBS9MfjCKKuaa5A8hcKyJyg6LJTffV5yj4MBldNWRROELHRQo6LPcGscdE6dbPjCJZMhgslo_-Ly8hOcqS3ttm3ZU8WhfzyGKJAzwzcLI/s320/DSCN2613.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Nifty mid-pour photo. I should probably invest in a tripod.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">More cooking...</span></div>
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Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking and burning.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGpWhzGRYVZ5oFyHlKp1c0MyqlSj_GbJD9oVRzmcVpbeGgeK_u5Dn-XE6Qfo0Lq_Ja8CGDo64sjTjrTtDfp8HZAfyCCjHKstfwnw5D3VQg6q0gDcVyxY0zMCWzKSeU-f1G8PUNNy1hxU/s1600/DSCN2624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGpWhzGRYVZ5oFyHlKp1c0MyqlSj_GbJD9oVRzmcVpbeGgeK_u5Dn-XE6Qfo0Lq_Ja8CGDo64sjTjrTtDfp8HZAfyCCjHKstfwnw5D3VQg6q0gDcVyxY0zMCWzKSeU-f1G8PUNNy1hxU/s320/DSCN2624.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">And more cooking. I wish you could see the rice plumping up more dramatically, but from squinting at the pictures I don't really think you can. Oh well. Just know that it happens!</span></div>
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After about half an hour, give your risotto a taste. It should be al dente, not too hard. Once it reaches this point, melt 1 tbsp of butter in a separate pan. I let the butter brown before I add my chicken. Be careful not to burn it!</div>
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Once butter is browned, toss in diced chicken.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLMftraWm_C47P14CcH586Yuz7RaBmzNtv2d9FREbRtdgCJfFZJ1j02d5qgn1Cxt2FwHI1RHV4gPIK56kZqiIYX0rHr5sBUIqzXuzDlv21qQTgmqbZlAsQ8NoDjRVls-x3kun6-GrCBg/s1600/DSCN2633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQLMftraWm_C47P14CcH586Yuz7RaBmzNtv2d9FREbRtdgCJfFZJ1j02d5qgn1Cxt2FwHI1RHV4gPIK56kZqiIYX0rHr5sBUIqzXuzDlv21qQTgmqbZlAsQ8NoDjRVls-x3kun6-GrCBg/s320/DSCN2633.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All those brown butter bits! Yum.</span></div>
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Your chicken should cook for a good 8 minutes--pink chicken is a no-go. If you're worried, cut into your largest cube to check for doneness. Once it's done, toss it into your risotto along with a splash more of liquid, and stir to meld all those yummy flavors.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEeg5tQvAZ85UVh7e9BetZj8umCNObFes-iWFnP3iIpqOw-MZ15PObosBHiGXLhTXDo_Wo3WanLH6143NP3dmm-7gpEOI8cJH4RTnAe8Kwfug8aUFexqzO_cC4MXUgTbn_8Phvlv7YRs/s1600/DSCN2642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimEeg5tQvAZ85UVh7e9BetZj8umCNObFes-iWFnP3iIpqOw-MZ15PObosBHiGXLhTXDo_Wo3WanLH6143NP3dmm-7gpEOI8cJH4RTnAe8Kwfug8aUFexqzO_cC4MXUgTbn_8Phvlv7YRs/s320/DSCN2642.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Fried sage is one of my favorite things ever--if you haven't tried it you simply must. It makes a great crispy topper and really ties all the flavors together. It's as easy as it seems--just toss them in and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until crisp.</div>
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Once almost all of the liquid is gone from your risotto, add in your last tbsp of butter for creaminess. You can even add a touch of cream if you'd like, but I think it's just fine without. Plate and top with sage.</div>
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Bam. Easy, gorgeous weeknight dinner in under an hour.</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-36372195437749246282013-11-24T23:35:00.000-08:002013-11-25T10:14:47.081-08:00vegan banoffee pie cupsI am currently in a phase where I am having pangs of nostalgia for London. I mean, sure, there's some things I <i>don't</i> miss about London, like the cheapest meal you can find being $12 or more (damn you, exchange rate!) But there are some things...like the bakeries, that I just can't seem to shake out of my brain.<br />
<br />
I got to try a great many things that I loved. Unfortunately, I didn't get the chance to have banoffee-anything, though, primarily because the feature ingredient is made using condensed milk. So, like so many things, I am left to dare to dream up my own version.<br />
<br />
Now here's the thing about desserts--they're often a total pain in the butt, and they can be really clunky. I mean, I already put all this effort into making dinner and now I have to fumble around with pastry and wash twice as many dishes? Or, in the opposite situation, I put three hours into making a gorgeous berry pie and now you want me to make dinner?<br />
<br />
Dessert shouldn't have to be a headache. If you can minimize effort and still create the <i>feeling</i> and nostalgia of the dish? Well, that's our goal. Why bake a graham cracker crust if you don't need to? And if the final product is cute and extremely, ever so wonderfully, portable? We don't have much to complain about.<br />
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This is the perfect thing to have at your next dinner-or-any-kind-of-party. Your guests will feel spoiled but you'll have plenty of time to put on your party dress, because it's so easy!<br />
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~*~<br />
<br />
Serves: ~4, will depend on size of your containers<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2012/08/30/coconut-whipped-cream-a-step-by-step-photo-tutorial/">here</a>, <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Coconut-Dulce-de-Leche-240759">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.ohladycakes.com/2013/07/banoffee-pie.html">here</a><br />
<br />
~4 ripe bananas<br />
<br />
whipped cream<br />
<br />
1.5 cans coconut cream (available at Trader Joe's)*, chilled<br />
1 vanilla bean, seeded<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/4 cup sugar**<br />
<br />
caramel<br />
<br />
3/4 cup brown sugar<br />
remaining 1/2 can coconut cream<br />
1 whole can coconut milk<br />
1 vanilla bean, seeded<br />
pinch of salt<br />
<br />
crust<br />
<br />
9 double graham crackers (18 squares)<br />
1 heaping handful pecans<br />
3 tbsp canola oil<br />
<br />
*Trader Joe's now has coconut cream, which is basically like the solidified cream at the top of your normal coconut milk can...but a whole can of just that stuff! If you don't have access to it, you can take a few cans, refrigerate them overnight, and scoop off that top creamy layer instead. Just accept that you'll have to make a few coconut curries after you've made this!<br />
**I didn't add any, and I found that while the cream was a bit too savory on its own for me, it balanced the sweet filling really nicely when the whole thing came together.<br />
<br />
Additional note: I must be too used to meringues, because I was expecting some sort of magic expansion to happen...but when you whip up the coconut cream, the amount you put is pretty much equal to the amount you get out! So if you need extra, which you might, crack open another can and make some more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlfXPbt_5orglPykyViTzE1x5OwoZN8hauZN_Px7TjXuwSEUZwPQajM5-wyeoyYJ3Du7c7LM1HwdVUAmRBfkM6-uXvhndxH5zDaPYvzPnTrMim7DHAbpfX0BymyI_LVuNc02egdBsw6A/s1600/caramel+and+whip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzlfXPbt_5orglPykyViTzE1x5OwoZN8hauZN_Px7TjXuwSEUZwPQajM5-wyeoyYJ3Du7c7LM1HwdVUAmRBfkM6-uXvhndxH5zDaPYvzPnTrMim7DHAbpfX0BymyI_LVuNc02egdBsw6A/s320/caramel+and+whip.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Caramel, cooking, and coconut cream, whipping.</span></div>
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Chill your coconut cream (or coconut milk cans) for your whipped cream in the fridge for at least an hour prior to using, or pop in the freezer 10 minutes before you begin (don't forget it there for too long!)<br />
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Start by cooking your brown sugar in a dry pan until it starts to melt. When it is mostly melted, add a whole can of coconut milk. Your sugar will seize up and harden into clumps, but don't worry--once your coconut milk comes back up to temperature, those lumps will melt! Stir frequently and let your caramel cook. When you've taken all of your coconut cream out that you're using for your whipped cream, add the rest of the can to your caramel and stir.</div>
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In the meantime, whip your coconut cream using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla bean seeds, vanilla extract, and sugar, if using.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOUOl00OUqImGj71W59ZSYRJzCQ5zYBXoPguRKxS7srrKrcA4V_F3fPsqrYlCvCvkDrwFEQBJNAghCHBB8ZdgpeobJKKHd7PxQhvGsHlBzLmGAOmagL_WytW7EF9jNyVC9a5JeCyFWow/s1600/crust.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOUOl00OUqImGj71W59ZSYRJzCQ5zYBXoPguRKxS7srrKrcA4V_F3fPsqrYlCvCvkDrwFEQBJNAghCHBB8ZdgpeobJKKHd7PxQhvGsHlBzLmGAOmagL_WytW7EF9jNyVC9a5JeCyFWow/s320/crust.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Crusty.</span></div>
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Break your graham crackers into manageable-sized pieces and grind them in your food processor. Add in your pecans and canola oil, pulsing until the mixture just comes together.</div>
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Once your caramel has turned dark brown, and has cooked for about 40 minutes, remove it from the stove and let it cool.</div>
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Cut your bananas into thin slices.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Some assembly required.</span></div>
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Start your layering. Press some of your crumb base into the bottom of your cup. Add a layer of banana slices. Spoon over some caramel, then add more banana slices. Repeat until you are almost at the top. Lay down a layer of whipped cream, another banana layer, then a final layer of whipped cream. Add a banana slice as your garnish.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YfM-TDESZSu-sAT-WbvFk7EvdYm48S5Tq_qxGfF__Jd5-F5dMHwE9urI-Hvy5fxrBxddFhBz3NMsGMIi1IFM2ADNE0OgPVmDUA7dPomq6xDnVBYpjakj_GDiYGSpnWHWUeh-uORefS4/s1600/DSCN2442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_YfM-TDESZSu-sAT-WbvFk7EvdYm48S5Tq_qxGfF__Jd5-F5dMHwE9urI-Hvy5fxrBxddFhBz3NMsGMIi1IFM2ADNE0OgPVmDUA7dPomq6xDnVBYpjakj_GDiYGSpnWHWUeh-uORefS4/s320/DSCN2442.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's divine. Enjoy!</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-87919062642374163852013-11-20T10:22:00.000-08:002013-11-20T11:57:44.806-08:00stout braised short ribsLike so many things that are luxurious and delicious, short ribs are made to seem like they are difficult to cook. Usually we're suckered into paying $25 a plate for 'em, or something similarly outrageous.<br />
<br />
But short ribs no longer have to be relegated to the birthdays-only corner of your world. Secret's out: not only are they a breeze to cook, they aren't even that expensive to make! I went to Whole Paycheck and bought the happy "Step 4" meat, and it cost about half of one of those restaurant plates (and lasted us two meals).<br />
<br />
All you need is time. While you do have to prep early, and the TLC in that early preparation is very important, aside from that you are pretty much just putting stuff in a pot and shoving it in the oven to let the appliance do all the work.<br />
<br />
I'm here to convince you that this is a perfect dish to cook on a weekend, or even a weeknight if you're home just a little early. You can make it in bulk, since it matures very well, or even make it ahead of time when you've got a spare moment.<br />
<br />
Now you can laugh at the menus and splurge on the regular, with no great damage done to your wallet.<br />
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~*~<br />
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Inspired by <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/12/braised-beef-short-ribs/">Smitten Kitchen</a> and the stout pulled pork at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesPig">The People's Pig</a>.<br />
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Serves 2-4<br />
Time: ~3 hours<br />
<br />
1.5 lbs short ribs (about 5 pcs)<br />
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
1 large onion, diced<br />
2 stalks celery, diced<br />
1 large carrot, diced<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
1 sprig thyme<br />
1 large 650 mL bottle chocolate (or regular) stout (or 1.5 regular sized bottles)**<br />
1 can tomato puree<br />
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**Note: This dish comes out and bludgeons you with stout flavor--as a result, it is slightly bitter. I like it, but if you are particularly bitterness-averse, I'd recommend that you alter the recipe. You can balance it out with some salt, honey, brown sugar, or lemon juice; use a beer that is less bold than a stout; or replace part or all of the beer with stock. You can also cook the recipe all the way through, as is, then (if you find later that you were more bitter-averse than you thought) pull the ribs out and experiment with the sauce as you like to remove the bitterness. Then, add the ribs back in and reheat.<br />
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, put in a few tbsp of oil (enough to just coat the bottom). Place your short ribs on a plate and lightly coat each side with cocoa powder, then sprinkle a pinch of salt overtop. When a drop of water causes oil to sputter, place your short ribs into the pan. If your pan is too small, work in batches--do not crowd the meat. Brown each side of each piece until a dark brown crust forms. Each batch takes around 15 minutes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNinVU0Kxs10NNcs6-Ka5Adz5zIZpivicqNjGFG6tr-7I3UYeoEsVozU5bM3Puuwq7hm6_Tvk_IXS3PBn-X88kM3cPzu9JHsRELvpwLQzHKxXMizVZDEIqJTeXeV_WgWB49asR9zzIImI/s1600/short+ribs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNinVU0Kxs10NNcs6-Ka5Adz5zIZpivicqNjGFG6tr-7I3UYeoEsVozU5bM3Puuwq7hm6_Tvk_IXS3PBn-X88kM3cPzu9JHsRELvpwLQzHKxXMizVZDEIqJTeXeV_WgWB49asR9zzIImI/s320/short+ribs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Clockwise from top left: ribs, ribs + cocoa, in the pan, browned.</span></div>
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Do not rush! This is what builds the flavor of your dish.<br />
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Once short ribs are browned on all 6 sides, remove to plate and let them rest. Add diced onion, celery, carrot, and garlic into the pot. Stir together and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon in order to lift up all the caramelized bits. Let vegetables cook around 10 minutes, until softening.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Clockwise from top left: resting ribs, cooking veggies, tomato and stout in, then ribs in, ready to go!</span></div>
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Open up your stout and pour in about a cup. Scrape the bottom thoroughly again in order to remove any caramelized bits left behind. Add the rest of your stout, thyme, and tomato sauce. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Bring mixture up to a simmer and let cook about 10 more minutes.<br />
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Nestle your short ribs in your braising liquid, along with any juices that may have collected on the plate. They should just barely be peeking their little heads out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJfP36n7HQdn_r6G_HvOcQe-HImeGUECztI6ImLnghKm8KXJH8ueJMqWrGbewWeZTdTqctWTke16ykXhhP6t2uJQAZW9aq3tE9XL-EGqIcTWz1bT3z4Vm9wdlkimpHAo1m31lDXa9LqM/s1600/DSCN2330.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHJfP36n7HQdn_r6G_HvOcQe-HImeGUECztI6ImLnghKm8KXJH8ueJMqWrGbewWeZTdTqctWTke16ykXhhP6t2uJQAZW9aq3tE9XL-EGqIcTWz1bT3z4Vm9wdlkimpHAo1m31lDXa9LqM/s320/DSCN2330.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All nestled again, a close-up this time for good measure.</span></div>
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Cover and place in oven. Bake for 2.5 to 3 hours or until meat falls off the bone and gives way easily to a fork.<br />
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(Right now your house smells amazing!)<br />
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Pull pot out of the oven and let short ribs sit (yes, this is difficult, but use your self-control!) for <i>at least</i> five minutes, ideally 20, until the fat has separated and floated to the top. If you are making ahead, you can stick them in the fridge at this step, then, when you're ready to re-heat, scoop off the solidified fat.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmiOQAvh-1R402L96FG7bigMUXf5uVRGyLPepcFLPr8CQkMH8mh9Rff9uKTSA84Ljo3DY_nAyxq2BujKJp0fvuBlMDrmTXa3zCW6ZSp-hg-SBGnJi3t_-6CQk8YQuyLJ2zpJqU_JzZRY/s1600/DSCN2333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmiOQAvh-1R402L96FG7bigMUXf5uVRGyLPepcFLPr8CQkMH8mh9Rff9uKTSA84Ljo3DY_nAyxq2BujKJp0fvuBlMDrmTXa3zCW6ZSp-hg-SBGnJi3t_-6CQk8YQuyLJ2zpJqU_JzZRY/s320/DSCN2333.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />You can see the oil settled on top.</span></div>
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Using a spoon, skim off as much of the oil as you can, while spooning up as little of the liquid as you can. I removed about 3 tbsp from mine. Reheat if it has cooled significantly.<br />
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This dish is immensely versatile, so serve with sauce over whatever you feel like or whatever you can dream up--mashed sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa, couscous, plain pasta, grits, or just stick your face right in there and enjoy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzp3VF6w6ZxCzBY5PBRg_MtKqoJ6SdTg8Pbcr2PgQcGCObRcZhHmQQTFb8qPvxnuPkqnsC8T0Mn00-mTm4yNLlfHLo614B4xr6FTr6R0snHTVqjbjY9YlADRebLts7HcBkEdCyvn84ijA/s1600/DSCN2344.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzp3VF6w6ZxCzBY5PBRg_MtKqoJ6SdTg8Pbcr2PgQcGCObRcZhHmQQTFb8qPvxnuPkqnsC8T0Mn00-mTm4yNLlfHLo614B4xr6FTr6R0snHTVqjbjY9YlADRebLts7HcBkEdCyvn84ijA/s320/DSCN2344.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-87696085660689288552013-11-19T14:37:00.000-08:002013-11-20T00:24:18.712-08:00vegan ranch dressing<div class="p1">
Ranch being a buttermilk-based phenomenon, it is something I pine over frequently. Vegan ranch dressings are never around when you want them--for example, when I've got a slice of pizza in front of me, or happen to be eating barbecue. Plus, I mean...buttermilk, sour cream, and mayonnaise? I like them separately, but all at the same time is a little crazy.</div>
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I knew we could do better!</div>
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<div class="p1">
I finally cracked and made one. And let me tell you--it wasn't too far off. I started with the base in the recipe, but it wasn't...piquant enough for me. Blitzing in some whole cornichons solved the problem, adding a nice tang.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
The vegenaise is definitely key--without it the dressing is still yummy but lacks some of its body and richness. I am a dill fan so if a whole handful seems excessive to you, you can cut back and taste it before you add more.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
For anyone who's trying to eat something less fatty, trying to feel less bad about the amount of ranch you put on things (uh, hello, that's me), or trying to skip out on the dairy products, this is a winning substitute. It even has a little protein! Now your sad vegan friend who has been coerced into coming to your Super Bowl party will have their very own dressing in which they can dip their vegetables.</div>
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<span id="goog_379724041"></span><br />
~*~<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/06/02/crazy-good-ranch-dressing/">here</a><br />
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<div class="p1">
1 block silken tofu</div>
<div class="p1">
1 handful dill</div>
<div class="p1">
1 clove garlic</div>
<div class="p1">
1/2 tsp onion powder</div>
<div class="p1">
1/2 tsp garlic powder</div>
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1/2 tsp paprika (optional--gives it a pinkish tinge, if you don't want that then skip it!)</div>
<div class="p1">
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar</div>
<div class="p1">
3 cornichons (a tbsp of capers or some more vinegar would do as well)</div>
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1 heaping spoon vegenaise<br />
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Drain most of the water off of your silken tofu and scoop it into the bowl of your food processor. Add dill, garlic, onion powder, garlic powder, apple cider, cornichons, paprika (if using), and vegenaise.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Lots of dill!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5U7yF3xlPr9Mx_SJ6YB7CJ3fkXx2AJpqarbpVlYx4Yngl1mK8uzPwOR32OL-F71m_bM-RD2NUPxhM2rHLVHOgaZrH7YSk8UMXFUtabGLoWyN8SgJpq8g_fKnwsnijPOpSonpiIheNYh0/s1600/DSCN2287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5U7yF3xlPr9Mx_SJ6YB7CJ3fkXx2AJpqarbpVlYx4Yngl1mK8uzPwOR32OL-F71m_bM-RD2NUPxhM2rHLVHOgaZrH7YSk8UMXFUtabGLoWyN8SgJpq8g_fKnwsnijPOpSonpiIheNYh0/s320/DSCN2287.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">That's my sous chef Moo in the corner...</span></div>
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Blend. You may need to stir one or twice to get everything to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.<br />
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Wasn't that easy?<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-23601838901552172982013-11-12T15:37:00.000-08:002013-11-19T14:40:13.196-08:00lemongrass tofuWe've been a little meat-heavy over here at GEW, and so I thought today it would be appropriate to direct lunch in a different...direction.<br />
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Tofu is one of those things that is cooked so wretchedly a lot of the time that there was a long period of my life where I had almost entirely lost patience with it.<br />
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Then, I went to Taiwan, and there, they treated it <i>right</i>. When made with love, tofu really can be delicious.<br />
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Because you do the prep-work for this dish overnight, it takes about 25 minutes to make the next day, which is about all the time I really want to spend making lunch anyway. Blending the lemongrass into a pulp and cooking it makes it edible, instead of the horribly woody chunks you sometimes encounter in unfortunate soups. And with the addition of the cornstarch-boosted sauce at the end, it feels like something you'd eat in a nice Asian café...though it's so yummy you may not even think of it as your usual "healthy" or penitent meal.<br />
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~*~<br />
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Serves 2<br />
Total time: ~10 minutes prep, ~25 minutes to cook<br />
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1 package extra firm tofu, cut into wide slices<br />
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5 stalks lemongrass</div>
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1 inch long piece of ginger</div>
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juice of 1/2 lime</div>
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3 cloves garlic, peeled</div>
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1 tbsp brown sugar</div>
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1 tbsp rice wine vinegar</div>
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2 tbsp soy sauce</div>
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1 tbsp fish sauce (optional, this makes your dish non-vegetarian!)</div>
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<div class="p1">
~1 tbsp water</div>
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sauce<br />
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1 tbsp cornstarch<br />
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp water<br />
1 tbsp soy sauce<br />
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar<br />
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sides<br />
<br />
bok choy<br />
4 cloves garlic<br />
1 tsp soy sauce<br />
handful green beans<br />
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The night before you want your tofu, ready your ingredients. To prepare lemongrass, peel off the outermost 2 leaves or any brittle outer leaves. You should be left with a sleek stalk, and the bottom few inches should be white. Cut off this whitish part. Save the tops for soup, keeping in the fridge or freezer. Cut the reserved pieces in half and add to the food processor. Add in peeled ginger, lime juice, garlic, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce if using, and water to help it blend. Pulse until lemongrass is in filament-like fragments--you want it as finely chopped as possible. Stir and pulse again if needed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Just a little more pulsing to go... </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Appropriately mummified tofu.</span></div>
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Drain your tofu. Lay your tofu brick on a cutting board and wrap it tightly but gently in paper towels or a clean dish towel. Wait for a few minutes, allowing some of the liquid to come out of the tofu. Once dried, cut tofu into slices that are about 3 centimeters thick and lay into a tupperware container. Pour sauce over tofu, being sure every piece is covered. Gently slide tupperware back and forth a few times to spread liquid around, then close and refrigerate overnight.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I keep my slices pretty thick so they're less likely to break. If they do break, though, it's not the end of the world...they will still be delicious!</span></div>
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When you are ready to eat, heat oil in a hot pan or wok. Toss in beans, add salt and pepper. Let them cook until starting to shrivel and brown, about 5 minutes. Add 4 cloves minced garlic and tsp soy sauce. Be careful, as adding soy sauce may make the mixture slightly explosive. Cook green beans until done, about 5 more minutes. When the beans are done, you can remove them to your plate and wilt your bok choy in the same pan, which takes 4-5 minutes.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Side-veggies, at the ready.</span></div>
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As you're working on your beans, heat a griddle pan to medium-hot, until water that is sprinkled on it disappears immediately (very hot, but not burn-your-food hot). Place 2 tbsp of oil or ghee in pan. Once oil shimmers or ghee turns clear, lay down your slices of tofu carefully, so they do not break. Add in some of the lemongrass pulp, then discard the rest of the marinade. Shift slices a little in the pan so that they do not stick. Let the slices cook on one side until they have acquired brown grill marks or caramelized, about 7-8 minutes. Turn them over carefully, so as not to break them, and cook a further 7-8 minutes until the other side has grill marks as well. I like to drizzle over a little more soy sauce while the second side is cooking.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">In the pan...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">One side done...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ready for sauce.</span></div>
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Once tofu is done, remove it to plate. In order to make your sauce, add 1/2 cup of water to loosen lemongrass pulp. Add soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Mix your cornstarch in with your 2 tbsp of water in a cup, stirring to remove lumps. Pour this into the pan and stir, letting cook for about 2 minutes. When the sauce has thickened, pour into cup. Add to your tofu as you like.<br />
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Bon appétit!</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-73375449867509556952013-11-11T16:38:00.001-08:002013-11-11T16:38:22.063-08:00sweet potato shepherd's pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I take pride in regularly attempting to ruin my boyfriend's Netflix recommendations. See, I like cartoons and nature shows, whereas he's more of the blood-and-guts type. After I watched a few episodes of What Not To Wear, a whole stream of terrible reality shows invaded the queue.</div>
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He surprised me by actually watching one of them--Extreme Cheapskates. Yes, this show is about as disastrous as you'd imagine, but one of the couples had a clever name for a very sensible idea--a "fiscal fast," where you spend a few days trying not to spend any money and using up what's in your house.</div>
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Now, they do it for a whole week. This is perfect for people who have vast pantries with hidden things, but in my apartment with relatively little storage space it didn't make much sense to do it for that long--we'd be eating straight ketchup by day 4. I knew I could do it for at least a day or two, though, so I set about cleaning out my freezer.</div>
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Grass-fed ground beef? Check. Frozen corn? Check. Things were looking promising until I remembered that I didn't have any regular potatoes.</div>
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My bag of sweet potatoes caught the corner of my eye. Checking the internet, it seemed like people had done this before. That gave me all the confidence I needed.</div>
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And let me tell you, it paid off. It turned out so much more spectacular than I imagined! It was even followed by a request to make it again, and soon, which means it wasn't just crazy old me who enjoyed it.</div>
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I don't say this often--because I am frequently a purist--but I like this <i>so</i> much more than the original! It will definitely be a staple in this apartment as the frigid Oregon winter encroaches, and it should be in yours, too!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qhX2GZ7rtq6CnOH997I6AfJUrOmFtwYHBskSL09wq45OYbnnRXMaVB19EujUlc8GD4l8fNck2sFvGpTa8AZwGc8TE6flfZPYzwvfu_YTpJXH_WoZHefb1sr94WlU-aqNVPd7Q_ZCgkQ/s1600/DSCN2271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qhX2GZ7rtq6CnOH997I6AfJUrOmFtwYHBskSL09wq45OYbnnRXMaVB19EujUlc8GD4l8fNck2sFvGpTa8AZwGc8TE6flfZPYzwvfu_YTpJXH_WoZHefb1sr94WlU-aqNVPd7Q_ZCgkQ/s320/DSCN2271.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yum-o!</span></div>
<br />
~*~<br />
<br />
Serves 2-3<br />
Total time: ~45 minutes<br />
<br />
4 small or 2 large sweet potatoes<br />
4 tbsp salted butter<br />
2/3 cup, divided, + 1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth<br />
1 lb grass-fed ground beef<br />
1 rib celery, diced<br />
1 large carrot, diced<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 cup frozen corn<br />
1 tbsp flour<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.<br />
<br />
Wash sweet potatoes. Pierce skin with knife several times on either side of each potato. Place on a plate and cover with 2 wet paper towels. Microwave for 6 minutes. Turn sweet potatoes over and microwave for another 6 minutes.<br />
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Once sweet potatoes are done, cut in half and use a spoon to scoop out the insides into a bowl. Add 3 tbsp of butter and 1/3 cup of broth. Whip, whip, whip away! If you need your mixture to be warmer to melt your butter, you can zap it occasionally in the microwave or do this in a pot over the stove. Once butter and broth have soaked into the potatoes, add your next 1/3 cup of broth and whip until you have a light, airy mixture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBheV1uUYydB_MyKCg3xTQZA36EKLETpEIFXdBmQSSmDQAoJE7PDeM9saf4b7dFdyufWngYXEo5yf1nUGemubOU-GCrSfNWdzadG3mdzZ4bORUKfxbCLCbcoHRynD3srJWeyNfg9WxJas/s1600/DSCN2246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBheV1uUYydB_MyKCg3xTQZA36EKLETpEIFXdBmQSSmDQAoJE7PDeM9saf4b7dFdyufWngYXEo5yf1nUGemubOU-GCrSfNWdzadG3mdzZ4bORUKfxbCLCbcoHRynD3srJWeyNfg9WxJas/s320/DSCN2246.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Unmashed...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDwv_BAg_8iHAbJAUMNLjELOTC_cFX_N6J62o1w2qItgbgF65R-BvVwVMFZQigfBFKYCER2GYlg2J8qavjDhppORFTdXqKEyqSU5fU2Z8g4cj3WEP5dk2sIkcP7GqmK_ut15XJOq8nKU/s1600/DSCN2247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDwv_BAg_8iHAbJAUMNLjELOTC_cFX_N6J62o1w2qItgbgF65R-BvVwVMFZQigfBFKYCER2GYlg2J8qavjDhppORFTdXqKEyqSU5fU2Z8g4cj3WEP5dk2sIkcP7GqmK_ut15XJOq8nKU/s320/DSCN2247.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Whipped into shape!</span></div>
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In an oiled pan over medium-high heat, cook garlic, celery, and carrot until they begin to soften. Add your ground beef, then add salt & pepper. Cook beef until brown.<br />
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Add a handful of frozen corn or whatever veggies you like to your beef mixture.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSTAqojU1X9V7tDLmYeWvg5n6p_3zQfCQ9lYxQwk1-kPXnVjr7X3LcoN7YcXA9GqQuUe93jtEgOnCpK67ABdWSHeIdLJgOxBwmF7k0CzgT8GA2nGRpGKaZNIlauzqlGIfWqIWtsyHPn0/s1600/DSCN2255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSTAqojU1X9V7tDLmYeWvg5n6p_3zQfCQ9lYxQwk1-kPXnVjr7X3LcoN7YcXA9GqQuUe93jtEgOnCpK67ABdWSHeIdLJgOxBwmF7k0CzgT8GA2nGRpGKaZNIlauzqlGIfWqIWtsyHPn0/s320/DSCN2255.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Corn is pretty much required in shepherd's pie!</span></div>
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Create a well in the center of your beef mixture (push the beef to the sides of the pan so that there is a clearing in the middle). Put in 1 tbsp salted butter in the center and 1 tbsp flour, stirring to remove lumps and mix the flour into the butter. Let cook for 2 minutes, then mix to distribute it through your filling. Add your extra 1/2 cup broth and stir. Once broth has soaked in and a gravy-like sauce forms, about 2 minutes, you can take your pan off the stove.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Almost there...</span></div>
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Spray a thin coating of cooking oil onto a loaf pan. Load in your beef mixture. Lightly spread your mashed sweet potato over top. Bake for 15 minutes until bubbling slightly.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Before baking...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjhiFm0LfGPtk990PYvPy2CGQAR49Zz7QTbjk46_irOcildA0cCJ9FGWEcIDG_uGn7Q9GXnWl67wdN50sbqlPg6vVhdxzGR16OxXL-IcWqr-aLnhXhKD9EY-VyTbrl1QLvaeiKGt0aJ8/s1600/DSCN2268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCjhiFm0LfGPtk990PYvPy2CGQAR49Zz7QTbjk46_irOcildA0cCJ9FGWEcIDG_uGn7Q9GXnWl67wdN50sbqlPg6vVhdxzGR16OxXL-IcWqr-aLnhXhKD9EY-VyTbrl1QLvaeiKGt0aJ8/s320/DSCN2268.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All done!</span></div>
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Let it set for 5 minutes, then scoop away!<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-46259846675263250582013-11-10T11:46:00.002-08:002013-11-10T14:18:35.006-08:00three bean lamb chiliI think it's some sort of taboo to post two recipes centered around the same ingredient in a row, but I just can't hold this one back from you. It's really that good!<br />
<br />
We'll do something non-lamby tomorrow. I promise!<br />
<br />
I like chili a lot, but the unfortunate truth is that there are a lot of really sub-par chilis out there. Too heavy, too ketchup-y, too little vegetable matter...maybe I'm just picky. Most leave me wanting something more. I've been tweaking my recipe for a while now, and I think this one came out the way I've always wanted it to--just pure satisfaction!<br />
<br />
The key is in the lamb. Get the best lamb you can find--you've probably got someone selling it at your local farmer's market. If not, grass fed beef is usually available, and you can get it at Whole Foods in a pinch. You really can taste the difference in grass-fed anything, I promise. The meat is more of a seasoning--because of all the beans--but it's an important one nonetheless. Don't skimp!<br />
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The peppers add a brightness, the spices all the flavors that should be in a chili without being overly one-note. Add your desired toppings--sour cream, cheese, chives--if you'd like, but you might find, like me, that it's perfect just the way it is, scooped up with a wedge of sourdough bread.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QlywQty_zmI8hgwd3xgBsmshkQ0BEMlPQcAlOsEIR9uUaR35MBOy8LsFfShyphenhyphenRGY8YWRAXiCxzVVwGHIYXpWRxkq7a13eX7sJ2ECn24oj7ouJhFqMjP9ONAWbAGxxnhmuTpjKljU0-1Y/s1600/DSCN2238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QlywQty_zmI8hgwd3xgBsmshkQ0BEMlPQcAlOsEIR9uUaR35MBOy8LsFfShyphenhyphenRGY8YWRAXiCxzVVwGHIYXpWRxkq7a13eX7sJ2ECn24oj7ouJhFqMjP9ONAWbAGxxnhmuTpjKljU0-1Y/s320/DSCN2238.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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~*~<br />
<br />
Time: ~1.5 hours<br />
Makes ~8 servings<br />
<br />
2 tbsp bacon fat or vegetable oil<br />
1 lb ground lamb<br />
2 small onions, diced<br />
1 red bell pepper, diced<br />
1 orange bell pepper, diced<br />
2 poblano peppers, diced<br />
3 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 tbsp red chile or paprika<br />
1 tbsp cumin<br />
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce<br />
1 tsp onion powder<br />
1 tsp garlic powder<br />
1 28 oz (big!) can diced tomatoes, or 2 standard-size cans<br />
1 can black beans<br />
1 can kidney beans<br />
1 can pinto beans<br />
<br />
<br />
Brown your lamb over medium-high heat in your bacon fat/vegetable oil, stirring to break the lamb into bite-sized chunks. Once lamb is browned, add onions, garlic, and peppers. Stir to coat.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Isn't it pretty?</span></div>
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Let your veggies cook until they are just becoming translucent, about ten minutes. Add in your spices and worcestershire sauce, and stir.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The cast of characters...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacOGpsOc1lPq75OuAeWirPERbEMuFbMaG_WmSnkhMll18bq1uwvWvSMK6auGnyggsU6wwoFy7KP32SXW15eOrZ7eHFBFpzXCdoeBuKmYoChnoU6lwrYaUJuZ3wHk4f4jJu8si4J0Em24/s1600/DSCN2183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgacOGpsOc1lPq75OuAeWirPERbEMuFbMaG_WmSnkhMll18bq1uwvWvSMK6auGnyggsU6wwoFy7KP32SXW15eOrZ7eHFBFpzXCdoeBuKmYoChnoU6lwrYaUJuZ3wHk4f4jJu8si4J0Em24/s320/DSCN2183.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Looking yummy!</span></div>
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Let the mixture cook for a further 5 minutes, then drain your beans and add them. Add in your whole can of tomatoes. Add in one further bean can full of water, about 1.5 cups.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87zDumxPpGSrXpwB5aipxkYelrUhfuX1pp8ilZjnUhrqZagkV5kU6r1VnhQezCFNNQYPlNl1iUaemYYteCodlZVP-1ByTqGZRxJy9K1SVe1ewJWkv91D-N-hfqfv47EHkuTD_eoM7WNE/s1600/DSCN2178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87zDumxPpGSrXpwB5aipxkYelrUhfuX1pp8ilZjnUhrqZagkV5kU6r1VnhQezCFNNQYPlNl1iUaemYYteCodlZVP-1ByTqGZRxJy9K1SVe1ewJWkv91D-N-hfqfv47EHkuTD_eoM7WNE/s320/DSCN2178.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The three different kinds of beans each add something special to the mix.</span></div>
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Stir, turn the heat down to medium, and cover the mixture, letting it cook for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes or so to make sure it doesn't stick. Uncover, and cook for 30 more minutes, stirring frequently, again, so it doesn't stick.<br />
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Serve with your favorite bread. Enjoy!<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-61755340083007148642013-10-28T12:24:00.003-07:002013-10-28T12:24:34.670-07:00lamb and lentil tagineI had a crisis this week.<br />
<br />
Most of the time I don't use cookbooks all that often--I love them as gifts and to read because I like looking at the gorgeous pictures and getting general ideas, but on a weeknight when I'm hungry I'm more of the type of person to type whatever I feel like into the search bar and ask the great wide internets about my recipe thoughts.<br />
<br />
But there's one cook book that I have that I really love. And this past week I really wanted something from it, couldn't find it, and, in a moment of tearing apart my apartment, realized that it was back in California.<br />
<br />
Reality crushes again.<br />
<br />
That something that I wanted was a rich, lamb-y, lentil-y dish that I like to call a tagine. I don't have a tagine, so it's not really...authentic, but "stew" conjures images of something watery, and this is anything but. The internet tells me that covering is the main requirement of a tagine, to keep in the moisture; I cover this for most of its cooking time, so tagine it is. It is rich, it has body, and it will totally rock your world in a way that stews usually don't.<br />
<br />
After some tinkering, I have finally recreated it, so I felt that it was my duty to share. Some of you may look at me like I'm crazed when you see how much cinnamon goes into it, but don't worry! This is what gives the tagine its great earthy flavor.<br />
<br />
I made an <i>inhumanly large batch</i> with the intent of freezing portions for easy lunches--you can halve this recipe and still feed 4-5 people.<br />
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And with the smell that this will send down your hallway, you just might have to.<br />
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~*~<br />
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Serves <b>7-8</b><br />
Total time: 1.5 hours<br />
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2 lbs lamb shoulder or lamb shoulder chop<br />
1 whole onion<br />
2 cups dry brown lentils<br />
1 can garbanzo beans (optional)<br />
3 tbsp cinnamon, 1tbsp set aside<br />
1 tbsp cumin<br />
1 tbsp red chile or paprika<br />
1/2 tsp turmeric<br />
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg<br />
1/2 tsp ground coriander<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
2 tbsp olive oil<br />
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Note: If you are using whole spices, so much the better! Aim for these amounts using a spice grinder (a grater for your nutmeg). Feel free to toast cumin and coriander first in a dry pan before grinding.<br />
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Cut your onion into manageable-sized pieces and place in food processor. If you don't have one, finely dice and set aside, then add it to the lamb with spices.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Onion!</span></div>
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Place all of your spices (except for the 1 tbsp of cinnamon you have set aside) in with the onion. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil--feel free to use more if your mixture is not grinding very well. Pulse until you have a fine paste.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">An all-star cast of spices...turmeric not pictured. (He was late to the photoshoot!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dried mild red chile from Santa Fe--paprika will do fine in its place.</span></div>
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In a large bowl or container, cut your lamb into chunks, as close to bite-sized as you can get. There are bones, so be careful--I put them in, but you don't have to if you don't want to. Once your lamb is all cubed up, spoon the onion paste into the bowl and toss the lamb to coat. Sprinkle your extra 1 tbsp cinnamon over the lamb and toss again. Let the lamb marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 1 hour.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Plain lamb.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Paste-y lamb.</span></div>
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In the meantime, rinse lentils very thoroughly (at least 3 washes) and pick through them for any stones or debris.<br />
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Heat some vegetable oil in a large dutch oven. Cook lamb and onion mixture, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add lentils and 4 cups water. Bring back to a bubble, then cover, reducing heat to medium-low, allowing tagine to simmer.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Initial browning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ready for cover!</span></div>
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Uncover after 45 minutes, add drained garbanzo beans, and allow tagine to cook uncovered for a further 25 minutes. Stir frequently at this stage, as it has a nasty habit of sticking. Don't let it burn!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">What it looks like when you've just uncovered it...</span></div>
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Taste and add salt as needed. Test lentils and lamb for doneness, then serve! Goes well with a side of hummus and lavash bread.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-89600072652617231552013-10-22T11:53:00.000-07:002013-10-23T09:53:02.144-07:00zucchini lasagnaA friend of mine has a large, green problem.<br />
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Apparently, the zucchinis just won't stop!<br />
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And what do you do with a 5lb zucchini? Zucchini thrives in fresh dishes like pastas, which don't last too long and won't use up too much of our yummy green friend.<br />
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This dish plays with that concept--replacing pasta with vegetable--and can be made in large quantities and frozen for lunches (I'd even contest that it's better the second day!) The zucchinis lose a lot of their volume through the grilling/sautéing process, and this is a great recipe for producing in bulk. Lasagna is also a flexible dish, and you can modify/add as you like!<br />
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A fun way to make it vegan and add a little protein is by making tofu ricotta. I found a new recipe that I absolutely adore, because it perfectly replicates the texture of ricotta, tastes really good, and is a great way to sneak in some protein to an otherwise not-so-filling dish. You could use regular ricotta if you want, but I encourage you to try it out if you're feeling adventurous--it's awesome.<br />
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My non-vegan food and non-vegetable-loving boyfriend actually ate this. If that's not a stamp of approval, I don't know what is!<br />
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~*~</div>
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Tofu ricotta adapted from <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/tofu-ricotta">here</a></div>
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Serves 3-4</div>
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Total time: 1.5-2 hours, but if you use a real grill or a larger griddle pan, it'll go faster!</div>
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1 1/2 lb zucchini (about 5 medium), sliced thin</div>
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sauce</div>
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1 can tomato sauce/pureed tomatoes</div>
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3/4 onion, diced</div>
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2 cloves garlic</div>
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tofu cheese</div>
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1 package tofu</div>
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3 cloves garlic</div>
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1/4 onion, diced</div>
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2 1/2 tbsp white miso</div>
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1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice</div>
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1 tbsp tightly packed minced parsley</div>
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optional additions<br />
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1 can artichoke hearts, dried and rinsed</div>
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panko bread crumbs<br />
vegan or regular mozzarella</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sliced zucchini!</span></div>
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Grilling away...</span></div>
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Slice zucchini into thin planks using a knife or a mandolin (cut off top and bottom and slice downwards with your knife). Using a grill, a griddle pan, or a skillet, sprayed with cooking oil, cook zucchini on medium heat until there are light brown grill marks on either side or until golden brown. Squidge each slice down with the back of a fork to coax out some of the liquid.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">In progress!</span></div>
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While your zucchini slices are grilling, cook onions and garlic in 1 tbsp of cooking oil until translucent and just turning golden brown. Pour in can of tomato sauce and turn down heat to low simmer until ready to use.</div>
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Making sure to check on your zucchini and replace cooked planks with new ones, you can start on your tofu cheese.</div>
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Drain your block of tofu, and crumble it onto a paper towel. Pat dry, changing paper towels at least twice, removing as much liquid as possible. Place in food processor with miso, lemon juice, parsley, onion, and garlic, and pulse until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The basics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Crumbled.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Pulsed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ready!</span></div>
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Once all your zucchinis are done, you can start building your lasagna. I used a 9.5 inch pie pan, but you could use a loaf pan, a square pan...use your imagination!</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Building begins.</span></div>
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Spoon out a thin layer of tomato sauce. Lay down a layer of zucchini slices. Spread a layer of tofu cheese or regular ricotta. If using them, spread a layer of artichokes. If you want an extra-cheesy dish, feel free to sprinkle some layers of vegan/regular mozzarella down on top of your ricotta.<br />
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Repeat until pan is almost full. For the final layer, spread the rest of your zucchini. You can spray the top with cooking oil, salt and pepper, and bake as-is, or add some bread crumbs on top for extra flair.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Add some cheese.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Done!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dems layers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">With crumbs!</span></div>
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Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbling. Let set for at least 15 minutes, or overnight in the fridge, before serving--or, if you're impatient like me, serve it in a bowl as soon as you're hungry.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">All done!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-63251688675340151362013-10-20T17:22:00.002-07:002013-10-21T08:26:45.864-07:00roasted butternut squash and apple salad<div class="p1">
This salad features two ingredients that are absolutely everywhere this time of year--squash and apples. While squash can look like a troublesome ingredient, it's completely worth the extra effort.<br />
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When you're tired of stuffing squash in pastries, pastas, and eating it as a side dish, a nice salad can be a refreshing new twist. This recipe is simple, but delicious, and really lets the ingredients shine through.<br />
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~*~</div>
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Serves 2-4</div>
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1 butternut squash, peeled and diced + seeds</div>
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2 tbsp brown sugar</div>
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1 apple, peeled and diced</div>
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juice 1/2 lemon or lime</div>
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3 cups mixed greens</div>
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pepitas (optional)<br />
goat cheese (optional)</div>
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<div class="p1">
dressing</div>
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<div class="p1">
whole grain mustard</div>
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red wine vinegar</div>
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honey</div>
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olive oil</div>
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Squash at the ready!</span></div>
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Cut off top and bottom of butternut squash. Stand it up and, using a sturdy chef's knife, peel skin off in downwards strokes. (This is a bit of a project, so enlisting someone else to do this part may be a good idea...) Once peeled, cut in half. Scoop out stringy insides and seeds. Slice and dice squash into bite-sized pieces.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Peeled...</span><span id="goog_973814470"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Gizmo being helpful, as usual.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cut in half.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Getting there...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">All cubed up!</span></div>
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Toss diced squash with ~3 tbsp of olive oil, a dash of salt, and 2 tbsp of brown sugar or honey to bring out the sweetness. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Ready to bake!</span></div>
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You could just use pepitas if you're in a rush, but squash comes ready with some awesome seeds, so if you've got the time, you can roast these too. Just sort the pulp from the seeds (it gets messy but just digging in is the best way) and rinse them. Lay them flat in a pan, toss with 1 tsp of oil or some cooking spray and a pinch of salt, and roast them in the oven for 12 minutes. Test for doneness--they should be crispy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Squash, all baked</span>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PrA7QqiVqdXRALyWWAA4NfV4TEnSvOHl0AGgLhoNowSbJlG-E6rR8Q2x1XYuko40c3-1gAJ8KgtdJi8s8Dym9jG0MJHl1Lb5WsS7FIRT2X7hbzLaZUDE8-IHoxFdNJYzRX-GBJXJHME/s1600/DSCN1979.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PrA7QqiVqdXRALyWWAA4NfV4TEnSvOHl0AGgLhoNowSbJlG-E6rR8Q2x1XYuko40c3-1gAJ8KgtdJi8s8Dym9jG0MJHl1Lb5WsS7FIRT2X7hbzLaZUDE8-IHoxFdNJYzRX-GBJXJHME/s320/DSCN1979.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Seeds, done!</span></div>
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Once your squash and seeds are done, pull out of oven and let cool. Peel, core, and dice your apple, then squeeze lemon over it to prevent browning.<br />
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Mix one tbsp mustard, one tbsp honey, and 2 tbsp honey. Mix together and taste, adjusting proportions if needed. Whisk in 1/2 cup of olive oil.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dressing.</span></div>
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Combine ingredients in salad bowl, crumbling goat cheese in if desired.</div>
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Toss everything together, and serve.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-66703316168089339532013-10-14T20:39:00.000-07:002013-10-14T20:50:38.050-07:00bacon pancakesMartha is the grand authority on so many things--and it appears bacon pancakes is one of them. I love using yogurt in pancakes (because honestly, who has buttermilk just lying around in their fridge?) and the fact that I had maple yogurt? It was like the world made sense. You could even boost the flavor a little more by adding another spoon of maple syrup to the batter.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3sXpyv5Nqp6efvkvih21ZamOb1RHkuYK5orWAmZQj-kFIm6oqOGHOf9F5j3Q_zlQBYPZxOq7pcOymHbl4zyIbqNBbZsTdXhI0VxOAzM59jyWz51sLTHzN-481oHgRHrgPYSr8gnsWv0/s1600/1381458_10152013164545039_542976484_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK3sXpyv5Nqp6efvkvih21ZamOb1RHkuYK5orWAmZQj-kFIm6oqOGHOf9F5j3Q_zlQBYPZxOq7pcOymHbl4zyIbqNBbZsTdXhI0VxOAzM59jyWz51sLTHzN-481oHgRHrgPYSr8gnsWv0/s320/1381458_10152013164545039_542976484_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Aren't they just gorgeous?</span></div>
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If you needed any more reason to make these immediately, the pancakes come out like fluffy, decadent clouds. And they're pure genius! I mean, it takes the best parts of breakfast--eggs, yogurt, bacon, pancakes, jam...and puts them <i>together. </i>It almost makes you think there's a glitch in the matrix or something, because it's so overwhelmingly awesome.<br />
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~*~<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/326883/bacon-pancakes">Martha Stewart</a><br />
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Makes about 5 medium sized pancakes (I like littler ones, but you could feasibly make two giant ones)<br />
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5 half-strips of bacon<br />
1 cup flour<br />
2 tbsp brown sugar<br />
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1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder</div>
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1/2 tsp baking soda</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
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1 & 1/4 cup maple yogurt (full fat) (plain would work too)</div>
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2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted</div>
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1 large egg</div>
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strawberry jam (optional)</div>
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Mix your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, trying to whisk out any lumps in your flour. Whisk in yogurt, egg, then butter.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Batter up!</span></div>
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Fry up your bacon in a skillet until golden brown. Remove from skillet and drain off excess fat. Add a little bit of canola oil if you need to to keep your pancakes from burning.</div>
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Pour in your pancake batter to desired size. Lay a strip of bacon down on the surface. Flip when bubbles erupt through to the top and the bottom size is a light golden brown.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG09cuyzHWwXNIGscH2JFB6n_VBlQkO3QtuVVsWKzypzC4wzSYNX1qhR0ArCAMVZpHfW8JU-l5ViAzZvpxGnit1-m0rFOnRYg80mEK37BAGs4hTtX_Q82vj5c4hrK3ieFYpjPHW_guGpw/s1600/DSCN1959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG09cuyzHWwXNIGscH2JFB6n_VBlQkO3QtuVVsWKzypzC4wzSYNX1qhR0ArCAMVZpHfW8JU-l5ViAzZvpxGnit1-m0rFOnRYg80mEK37BAGs4hTtX_Q82vj5c4hrK3ieFYpjPHW_guGpw/s320/DSCN1959.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Flipped.</span></div>
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Flip again when there is no more gooey batter oozing out and the bottom side is also golden brown.</div>
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Enjoy the glory. (Don't forget your jam!)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-9623846921536137862013-10-11T10:17:00.001-07:002013-10-11T20:55:59.824-07:00white miso grilled salmon + pear and sorrel salad<div class="p1">
As much as Bobby Flay irritates me (am I the only one?), I have to admit that he does have some good ideas. He introduced me to the idea of grilling peaches--if you haven't done this, you need to--and he cottoned on to poblanos and tomatillos long before I did (and now they are almost always in my fridge!) And, my greatest confession--I don't really know my way around the grill too well. But he does.</div>
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So...this recipe was inspired by one of Mr. Flay's, who I begrudgingly admit is pretty awesome at cooking stuff on a mesh of bars over fire.</div>
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White miso may be an expensive ingredient to buy initially, but it quite literally can be used anywhere--marinades, salad dressings, soups, sauces, noodles...when I was traveling recently I even went to a bakery that had red miso bread. (Yes, it was fabulous!)</div>
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It's savory, salty, and almost indescribably delicious. </div>
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And when whacked around with a few other choice ingredients and allowed to meld into some fresh PNW Coho salmon...well, it doesn't really get much better than that.</div>
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~*~</div>
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/miso-ginger-marinated-grilled-salmon-recipe/index.html">Bobby Flay</a></div>
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Serves 2</div>
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<div class="p1">
2 filets salmon (I used center-cut coho--really the only requirement is that it be a piece of relatively equal thickness so it cooks evenly)</div>
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3 tbsp white miso paste</div>
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2 tbsp rice wine vinegar</div>
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1 tbsp soy sauce</div>
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1/2 tbsp honey</div>
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~1 tbsp freshly grated ginger</div>
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1 grated garlic clove</div>
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1/3 cup white wine or mirin (optional)</div>
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1 tbsp butter (optional)</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
pear & sorrel salad:</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
2 ripe pears</div>
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1 bunch sorrel (arugula would do fine, too)</div>
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juice of 1/2 a lemon</div>
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whole grain mustard</div>
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rice wine vinegar</div>
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honey</div>
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olive oil</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
In a small dish, spoon in your miso, soy sauce, vinegar, and honey. Cut a piece of ginger about the size of a ping-pong ball from your branch and peel it (small knife works best). Using a microplane, grate your ginger and your garlic in. Stir it all up.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The raw materials.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Place your salmon in a container--a medium-sized tupperware does fine--and pour the marinade over it. Make sure it coats the fish on all sides. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 day.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgrFegg2LnDp6jwPvHWEt8LrxLxIuRXdCAV0Wb1AZTHucxCYoT0-1K-1k7CnOdBsoe8FnOabBA5NdQ4sH0-qMJvxCvjTwXzMrabc5M9o8tWmWK9zN6ogsOPfIKho_Ta-fhqXls7MXaG4/s1600/DSCN1903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdgrFegg2LnDp6jwPvHWEt8LrxLxIuRXdCAV0Wb1AZTHucxCYoT0-1K-1k7CnOdBsoe8FnOabBA5NdQ4sH0-qMJvxCvjTwXzMrabc5M9o8tWmWK9zN6ogsOPfIKho_Ta-fhqXls7MXaG4/s320/DSCN1903.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Salmon takes a bath.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
In the meantime, prep your salad. Slice pears in half, cut off stem and bottom and slice out core with a small knife. Slice and place in bowl, then juice 1/2 lemon over slices to keep pears from turning brown. Chop sorrel into bite-sized pieces over top of the pears.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_uGvE4Lz5Do2stkdVO-9vrFz7AThTsJxZXGF7jicG5kd_259G55Ao9Z7gdu4_ZJVbwBJau8vvVh8I4-qFvnzpNHRGlxmd4CMDBTQ2i5ABprz_nd7thDO36-zpmRFdfuuDpVXt3qqv_o/s1600/DSCN1907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_uGvE4Lz5Do2stkdVO-9vrFz7AThTsJxZXGF7jicG5kd_259G55Ao9Z7gdu4_ZJVbwBJau8vvVh8I4-qFvnzpNHRGlxmd4CMDBTQ2i5ABprz_nd7thDO36-zpmRFdfuuDpVXt3qqv_o/s320/DSCN1907.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Pears getting the citrus treatment!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T56mrbWMUupcSSE-z6WelfhFVM1y7vPW6l7ogrWrAUt8PGWedxlOao5IpNVugIxvn6q9U0seS18gKlCBLqJ5wWtbEnBGNw8ionz9QY9c9dw62FOzvA8Z1fZ2IDU5HeGelA8z7gGKaj0/s1600/DSCN1906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_T56mrbWMUupcSSE-z6WelfhFVM1y7vPW6l7ogrWrAUt8PGWedxlOao5IpNVugIxvn6q9U0seS18gKlCBLqJ5wWtbEnBGNw8ionz9QY9c9dw62FOzvA8Z1fZ2IDU5HeGelA8z7gGKaj0/s320/DSCN1906.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="p1" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Sorrel...snappy, lemony, and perfect for cutting through the fattiness of the fish.</span></div>
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<div class="p1">
To prepare vinaigrette, mix about a tbsp of mustard and honey. Add about 1.5 tbsps of rice wine vinegar. Adjust the proportions to your liking. Use a tbsp of hot water if needed to facilitate mixing. While adding 1/2 cup of olive oil, continue to stir vigorously until everything is well mixed. Pour over salad at last possible moment, and toss well before serving.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UwhnEkdNBzyxmXVu2l3qBVIC1iUgl9b7EHdNEXjUL75W_OuAJNJ90Mo9oYMqbMJUVhh9zQ0PtSbAC6vEZR6lcMmEeTk_ErfMVqsd0pWPd6e96ADeohVT4D5bx0gPJgcA1PeP4pQGlqk/s1600/dressing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8UwhnEkdNBzyxmXVu2l3qBVIC1iUgl9b7EHdNEXjUL75W_OuAJNJ90Mo9oYMqbMJUVhh9zQ0PtSbAC6vEZR6lcMmEeTk_ErfMVqsd0pWPd6e96ADeohVT4D5bx0gPJgcA1PeP4pQGlqk/s320/dressing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Dressing at the ready.</span></div>
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<div class="p1">
Once you're ready to cook your salmon, pull it out of the fridge. You can salt and pepper your fish if you'd like, but be careful since miso is a little salty on its own. I didn't bother.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
If you've got a grill, grill your salmon skin side down first, with the cover closed, for 4 minutes, then flip and finish it in another four.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
If you've got a griddle pan like me, or a regular non-stick pan, get your pan nice and hot. Add in a tablespoon of oil so your salmon doesn't stick. Start your salmon skin-side down and let it cook for 4 minutes. Scrape in your remaining marinade on top of your fish. Turn over (you can use a fish turner if you have one--I just delicately use a spatula and a fork) your fish and let it cook for another 4 minutes. Turn it back onto its front side, let the skin crisp up for one more moment, then lift it onto your plate.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOmYYprJD-oEhiFqFLUNS4UO-3_Ku-ahGXyb-ckx_unjTsu3Ojl1K9F5XpdrNQ465gIdw7L6jpeEIQRThlGK2IUlC1N0qeMPS260M84uf3TDZrocZsBZGABCDGcm8GATDsolJPTVQTmY/s1600/salmon+cook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGOmYYprJD-oEhiFqFLUNS4UO-3_Ku-ahGXyb-ckx_unjTsu3Ojl1K9F5XpdrNQ465gIdw7L6jpeEIQRThlGK2IUlC1N0qeMPS260M84uf3TDZrocZsBZGABCDGcm8GATDsolJPTVQTmY/s320/salmon+cook.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="p1">
Now, you could serve up your salmon and salad and eat it as it is, but if you're like me and you looked sadly at your pan thinking it's a shame to waste all that caramelized miso, follow these next steps:</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Pour in 1/3 cup of wine and stir up the juices at the bottom of the pan--in a griddle pan it's a little hard, but try to gather all those tasty bits together as best you can. After letting the alcohol cook for about 30 seconds, add the butter. Stir until butter is melted, then pour your sauce into a small bowl. Serve up your fish with salad and sauce either on top or on the side. (It packs a big flavor punch, so drizzle sparingly. If you're a miso fiend like me, go crazy!)</div>
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<div class="p1">
Delicious!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-20860286924997880012013-10-09T10:21:00.000-07:002013-10-28T12:25:26.658-07:00sausage and pumpkin baked pasta<div class="p1">
To me, there is nothing more comforting than baked pasta. It's supremely easy, with so many different ways to make it new and exciting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBkeW1mm1ewfOAXbx8MHJsOo25fVEMztYi7p4etQ-spynU9jbcmpBRjX8CFWlJ7ONrheiZPofRuZ7HLAXqppoOEDFHr7pKtI6ZT5wZ0fE9V8fPRs3Jsd4PQzZ0QmYs0WD1_1PaaD3aMWs/s1600/DSCN1894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBkeW1mm1ewfOAXbx8MHJsOo25fVEMztYi7p4etQ-spynU9jbcmpBRjX8CFWlJ7ONrheiZPofRuZ7HLAXqppoOEDFHr7pKtI6ZT5wZ0fE9V8fPRs3Jsd4PQzZ0QmYs0WD1_1PaaD3aMWs/s320/DSCN1894.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Just looking at it makes me feel cozy!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
After I saw Leave a Happy Plate's recipe, I couldn't get the combination out of my head. Perhaps this had to do with the fact that I've had a can of pumpkin lying around forever. And now was a great chance to use it! Spicy sausage, pumpkin, cheese...it sounded promising. Plus, I think I'm finally succumbing to the fact that fall is here. Denial can only sustain itself for so long.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z8khMVsn6ohFxLQMxlWanps2Dd56MaQuPDKcevGMioh8e0cDdeNbwRrvmNzo28poSKqfEmjH7RkeUmbKEi_o7gg8qT3Pdb9bQQARTIF-tj1OaY67THGCQhnitPCZG0vZEJPaB1moiLQ/s1600/DSCN1856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4z8khMVsn6ohFxLQMxlWanps2Dd56MaQuPDKcevGMioh8e0cDdeNbwRrvmNzo28poSKqfEmjH7RkeUmbKEi_o7gg8qT3Pdb9bQQARTIF-tj1OaY67THGCQhnitPCZG0vZEJPaB1moiLQ/s320/DSCN1856.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The dreaded can.</span></div>
<br />
While pumpkin may seem an odd flavor to shove into a pasta, baking in this recipe has the effect of taking a bunch of rowdy, quarrelsome children and making them sit in a corner and make nice with each other. In the oven, something magical happens, and the assertive sweetness of pumpkin dims, the tomato fades into the background, and the cheesiness and creaminess of the pasta is amplified. The poblano and sausage provides some smokiness. When you take it out, you get a totally comforting, totally typically fall dish, and the head-scratch-worthy combination of flavors is getting along like they've always been the best of friends--we just never knew about it.</div>
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~*~</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Inspired by/adapted from <a href="http://www.leaveahappyplate.com/2013/09/creamy-baked-pasta-with-sausage-fennel.html">Leave a Happy Plate</a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
4 spicy Italian sausages (or sausages of your choosing), cut into bite-sized pieces</div>
<div class="p2">
1/2 lb mini farfalle pasta (regular size farfalle or macaroni elbows would work nicely too)</div>
<div class="p2">
1/2 red onion, diced</div>
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1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced</div>
<div class="p2">
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced</div>
<div class="p2">
2 tsp worcestershire sauce</div>
<div class="p2">
1 tsp fresh rosemary</div>
<div class="p2">
2 tsp fresh thyme</div>
<div class="p2">
1 cup water</div>
<div class="p2">
1/2 a can of pumpkin or about 1.5 cups roasted pumpkin</div>
<div class="p2">
1 tbsp tomato paste</div>
<div class="p2">
3/4 cup Daiya vegan shredded cheddar cheese (I like it because it melts into the dish really nicely, but you could use regular cheddar if you want)</div>
<div class="p2">
2 tbsp butter</div>
<div class="p2">
salt & pepper</div>
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<div class="p2">
Preheat oven to 365 degrees and put on some water for your pasta.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-FB9U3NwV2_PlG-wZL1_QJe_C1JuOQbyYrI83OiV8PNtAyST1x9AfndWDbGhF5beVL8zugw_HKoDCexm9kPMntkm5MLUIPSizqan_q7CTz0-3be-W-JOy18EpXiDDKFnC4Ed101LH40/s1600/DSCN1862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX-FB9U3NwV2_PlG-wZL1_QJe_C1JuOQbyYrI83OiV8PNtAyST1x9AfndWDbGhF5beVL8zugw_HKoDCexm9kPMntkm5MLUIPSizqan_q7CTz0-3be-W-JOy18EpXiDDKFnC4Ed101LH40/s320/DSCN1862.JPG" width="225" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Slice and dice.</span></div>
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Brown sausages. Remove from pan and add in red onion, poblano and red bell pepper. Once onions are translucent and pepper is soft, add sausage back in.</div>
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<div class="p2">
Once liquid from veggies is almost gone, add in pumpkin and tomato paste. Stir in 1/2 a cup of water. Add worcestershire sauce, rosemary, and thyme.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkxYzPFFhHMfGBYFI24JtlH3UabnD7JVS-56KUBcFe3HgvB39YQ63_1uJYtX7O38rF9dI09n_aBWCcQDUjCrR1-qyZZgZaMeXBJeRcMc0474HCECsE2X4epcFsNsETjHCrLadPwVq248/s1600/DSCN1872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLkxYzPFFhHMfGBYFI24JtlH3UabnD7JVS-56KUBcFe3HgvB39YQ63_1uJYtX7O38rF9dI09n_aBWCcQDUjCrR1-qyZZgZaMeXBJeRcMc0474HCECsE2X4epcFsNsETjHCrLadPwVq248/s320/DSCN1872.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="p2">
Start your pasta. I used mini-farfalle, which take about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on your sauce--taste for salt and add some if needed. Once the pasta is still just a little bit al dente, mix it into your sauce. Mix in your Daiya cheese and your butter. Add water, if necessary, until consistency of sauce is smooth but not too watery.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE33cbDCumcpWR8uK7lLkshaq8J3aqdO6OzCAxAqmXbykd_lKYoCNWriMhzQ3LNVvPFyWVYUMqPhVybsD6QsAijLUNJOdff64GpG0ATBP_veU-Zq29fyN4VVUsMqhKMUtEvD5Ebu3iMW8/s1600/DSCN1884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE33cbDCumcpWR8uK7lLkshaq8J3aqdO6OzCAxAqmXbykd_lKYoCNWriMhzQ3LNVvPFyWVYUMqPhVybsD6QsAijLUNJOdff64GpG0ATBP_veU-Zq29fyN4VVUsMqhKMUtEvD5Ebu3iMW8/s320/DSCN1884.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="p2">
If you have a skillet, put it right in the oven. Otherwise, transfer to a baking dish. Bake 15-20 minutes, until bubbling merrily. Serve hot.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-49527394188536844712013-10-07T12:41:00.001-07:002013-11-20T00:22:57.554-08:00eggless banana chocolate chip cookies One of the things I hate the most is when you're a good distance of the way through a recipe--like, you've sifted your dry ingredients together and preheated your oven and all that--and you realize you're missing something important. I mean, you can leave out cinnamon, but eggs? Kind of essential.<br />
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Of course, there's no one to blame but you. So you resign yourself to going online and you pore over recipes but you're always skeptical of the vegan ones and honestly, how can you make baked items taste right without eggs?!<br />
<br />
Okay, so maybe I'm the picky one. But this time we had bananas on hand that were a little past their prime, I didn't really want banana bread (I'd been nursing a chocolate chip cookie craving for a few days), and chocolate and banana are resplendent together, as anyone who has had a banana-and-Nutella <i>anything</i> knows.<br />
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I'd always read that bananas were a decent egg replacement. So, even though I had eggs in my fridge, I decided to try my hand at this whole substitution thing anyway...just for funsies.<br />
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And you know what? While it's not entirely vegan (I mean, this is me we're talking about--you expect me to skip out on butter?) this non-traditional substitute really holds its own against the original.<br />
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Scratch that...it's <i>awesome</i>. The smell alone is worth making it. It only dirties one mixing bowl (no stand-mixer needed) and a few measuring cups and spoons. With the addition of a tablespoon of oil to make up for the fat that the original recipe's extra yolk provides, the cookie doesn't lose any of its body and still yields a lovely, gloriously chewy bite. Plus, it perfumes your whole house with a heavenly banana-chocolate scent.<br />
<br />
So in the end, I'm a convert. I might actually prefer this one (after all, when one is tired of plain old chocolate chip, something that's new but still satisfies that craving is always a good thing!) I'm currently plotting a fully-vegan version, so stay tuned.<br />
<br />
~*~<br />
<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2009/03/crispy-chewy-chocolate-chip-cookies/">smitten kitchen</a><br />
<br />
Makes around 36 1.5" cookies<br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, melted</div>
<div class="p1">
1 cup white sugar</div>
<div class="p1">
1/2 cup brown sugar</div>
<div class="p1">
1 tbsp vanilla extract</div>
<div class="p1">
1 whole banana, mashed</div>
<div class="p1">
1 tbsp oil</div>
<div class="p1">
1 heaping tbsp espresso powder/instant coffee (if you don't have any, cocoa powder works fine too)</div>
<div class="p1">
1 tsp cinnamon</div>
<div class="p1">
2 cups all-purpose flour</div>
<div class="p1">
1/2 tsp baking soda</div>
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1/2 tsp salt</div>
<div class="p1">
2 cups chocolate chips</div>
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pqmAFPFfvKNoYzEAHHk0YwA36VmNIqL-jun4zmUEwKTeIL2_S-R263jMpjbdMxu49jwxM2xteH3mRAsCg_lzI1Hzd2tBMQEivSUbymqU-rinJMhJTY7KOQUwJItgHiZafc9x_E4lWn4/s1600/butter+vanilla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8pqmAFPFfvKNoYzEAHHk0YwA36VmNIqL-jun4zmUEwKTeIL2_S-R263jMpjbdMxu49jwxM2xteH3mRAsCg_lzI1Hzd2tBMQEivSUbymqU-rinJMhJTY7KOQUwJItgHiZafc9x_E4lWn4/s320/butter+vanilla.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Melted butter and the jar of vanilla I made this one time that I will be probably be using for the rest of my life.</span></div>
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Melt your butter in the microwave (about a minute should do it if you melt it all at once), or on the stove if you don't have one. Cream together your melted butter and sugar, til they look something like this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUObrq-Qq5Yja0KnKdNhpxMqNjjNnTj_vRAOHZrpInFj4VpyPmZH0vlF2RwpuLVhNyOOZOHYoxjWhPMcHmFRrkGqQH2YFr5oua8hgyuZK5WdMti_ay-eqMEj3Qi06PInEloTu2qFt_F0/s1600/DSCN1784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVUObrq-Qq5Yja0KnKdNhpxMqNjjNnTj_vRAOHZrpInFj4VpyPmZH0vlF2RwpuLVhNyOOZOHYoxjWhPMcHmFRrkGqQH2YFr5oua8hgyuZK5WdMti_ay-eqMEj3Qi06PInEloTu2qFt_F0/s320/DSCN1784.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I would stop here and just eat this, but since consuming melted butter and sugar isn't really socially acceptable, we'll keep going.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Add in your coffee, banana, cinnamon, oil, and vanilla. You can pre-macerate your banana, but mine was really soft so I just tossed it in and mashed it with my spatula.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRa9lIB9ohjtvLU0tOcTH7mZuHgAhX6NC_Yh7k-bI73wRQAyIUT6t6dCFeL84Ewf0e1vH52585VDBhSppQJF5KOe0sGid2uNaLz_k28oSCKOhJMrEszBdwvE-UH8NXyJilLn6fb-qzlI/s1600/DSCN1787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDRa9lIB9ohjtvLU0tOcTH7mZuHgAhX6NC_Yh7k-bI73wRQAyIUT6t6dCFeL84Ewf0e1vH52585VDBhSppQJF5KOe0sGid2uNaLz_k28oSCKOhJMrEszBdwvE-UH8NXyJilLn6fb-qzlI/s320/DSCN1787.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Make sure your wet ingredients are well stirred and smooth, then add in your dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt). Stir vigorously until everything is well combined.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFhNHmxp8UFyl8XiZraYUoxGcL6w8Hh-VTU-yW4YvDwwU-Pu6ESiOwe5oGy1f_n6n3WMptqWs0jGURxjA5EkZgX_bBk4yCCM0UlOh0Ak7juRl2WmL5ncU2O8iGNC70E6LScgd-ozkMm8/s1600/batter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFhNHmxp8UFyl8XiZraYUoxGcL6w8Hh-VTU-yW4YvDwwU-Pu6ESiOwe5oGy1f_n6n3WMptqWs0jGURxjA5EkZgX_bBk4yCCM0UlOh0Ak7juRl2WmL5ncU2O8iGNC70E6LScgd-ozkMm8/s320/batter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Now it looks all pretty.</span></div>
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Now add in two cups of your favorite chocolate chips. I like semi-sweet, but you could get creative and do peanut butter chips or even butterscotch.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiHO4J2tzdodnZK4qdo7oygikF5TQvShqb1nSRI-tTFWEIY9Eu5q0DZO42n_7N1G21Xrwsik6iV0LT6A0S00gBNYLCpcfpG3G3N9mVg_3KmTla0ewZWqtcG-ho_7-7nhyphenhyphenCnbnmVcSMTI/s1600/DSCN1800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRiHO4J2tzdodnZK4qdo7oygikF5TQvShqb1nSRI-tTFWEIY9Eu5q0DZO42n_7N1G21Xrwsik6iV0LT6A0S00gBNYLCpcfpG3G3N9mVg_3KmTla0ewZWqtcG-ho_7-7nhyphenhyphenCnbnmVcSMTI/s320/DSCN1800.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
<div class="p1">
The batter is so good that you'll be hard pressed to continue with this whole baking nonsense (and it's egg-less, so no worries re: potential sickness!) But again, for posterity, we'll pretend that it's not totally normal to eat a whole bowl of batter yourself and we'll persevere.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
I like to use a little melon-ball-sized scoop--you could eyeball the amount if you don't have one, or make giant ones if you feel like. The cookies should be an inch or more apart. Just remember that if you change the size, you'll need to sit by the oven and watch, because your baking time will be different.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4Riz49dfWTk7RLUkWDTed7mllsFqRNMQnmMpRP_AGS8dTt13ND2GCXrxU0DONzPdCNZE54FWjr0lPHJdN-wdPbT9LxsV3DuTCcd8aA_VIh_S4oycMONga9hTWmPc2zNGUCMjYgTaZUM/s1600/DSCN1804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4Riz49dfWTk7RLUkWDTed7mllsFqRNMQnmMpRP_AGS8dTt13ND2GCXrxU0DONzPdCNZE54FWjr0lPHJdN-wdPbT9LxsV3DuTCcd8aA_VIh_S4oycMONga9hTWmPc2zNGUCMjYgTaZUM/s320/DSCN1804.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNf1HYBMRYvlnr6nRbNGvHDbZ1FG9MOKzcV30GFCZsK4zL0ChLoaJXEHYRrS470pzuZfbWX2jfieDMEAe3SUGDGQVsUYm5kZ5AcpTPlZG00TAOgFwg0rHNiqrEDTBLgDksvG8IxpuGHI/s1600/DSCN1802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmNf1HYBMRYvlnr6nRbNGvHDbZ1FG9MOKzcV30GFCZsK4zL0ChLoaJXEHYRrS470pzuZfbWX2jfieDMEAe3SUGDGQVsUYm5kZ5AcpTPlZG00TAOgFwg0rHNiqrEDTBLgDksvG8IxpuGHI/s320/DSCN1802.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
Bake for 11-13 minutes or until light brown around the edges. Let cool for a moment (they need to firm up a little, as they'll still be a little soft--if you try to move them now all you'll get is a crumbly mess!) Then move to a cooling sheet and let stand for another 5 minutes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGL6RE_bOQtb3oM4gvtC_6AaJzwjPVu5xq9g-q5jEKrwkl_RM5-P8DaZv6B5AosFIVyXzNuxH5naAloTkxd4O0y0FpaRTyoKL1ZODRI6gGbxfUtbw7J4b86ASrkC2NmZdEETRuoh8Uhk/s1600/DSCN1808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOGL6RE_bOQtb3oM4gvtC_6AaJzwjPVu5xq9g-q5jEKrwkl_RM5-P8DaZv6B5AosFIVyXzNuxH5naAloTkxd4O0y0FpaRTyoKL1ZODRI6gGbxfUtbw7J4b86ASrkC2NmZdEETRuoh8Uhk/s320/DSCN1808.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Each batch had 12 cookies--only this many from the first batch made it to this picture. You do the math.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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If you, like most normal people, can't consume (or convince others to help you consume) 36 cookies at once, you can shape out the balls, freeze them on a sheet, toss them in a bag once they're frozen and then cook them whenever you want--just add a little more time to your overall bake time.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But I have a feeling that your classmates, neighbors, etc. wouldn't necessarily hate you if you made them all.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Just sayin'.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6334973599423770132.post-60810810000823702392013-10-06T18:26:00.000-07:002013-10-06T22:48:31.518-07:00chanterelle and brown butter angel hair pastaI know that chanterelles aren't the most accessible of fungi for those not living in the Pacific Northwest, but given the fact that I just moved here I definitely felt obligated to make the first post in this funemployment-fueled blog about them.<br />
<br />
Because really, there's no mushroom better than the glorious golden chanterelle. And Portland is currently inundated with them.<br />
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Also inspired by a friend who said the other day that he'd never cooked a mushroom, this recipe is dead easy and showcases the firm, buttery, wonderful qualities of this fungus. It can be made vegan or vegetarian, too, so...what's not to love?<br />
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~*~<br />
<br />
Serves 2<br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
2 strips bacon or 2 tbsp vegetable oil<br />
1-1.5 lbs of chanterelle or other mushroom (maitakes or porcinis would work fine)<br />
2 servings angel hair pasta (reserve 1 cup of pasta water)<br />
1/2 a red onion<br />
1 clove elephant garlic or 3 cloves regular garlic<br />
2 tbsp of butter or vegetable oil<br />
1-2 tbsp flour<br />
4 sprigs thyme, 2 sprigs oregano<br />
salt & pepper<br />
parmesan or vegan parmesan (optional)<br />
<br />
To clean chanterelles, wet a piece of paper towel and gently wipe off any dirt or pine needles. Chop chanterelles into roughly equal-size pieces--try to expose as much surface area as possible.<br />
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Start off your two strips of bacon in a pan at medium heat, or heat up your vegetable oil. If you used bacon, once it's done, remove it from the pan and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the pan just to make sure there's enough fat in which to sauté your onions. If you're going the veggie route, just heat up your oil in a pan.<br />
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Chop up your onion and move it to your pan. In the meantime, start your water for your pasta.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIeJPFtI7O4QWwxbj0NKCLAJRtOTtsjbmPuOlu0hpg_smPsqWmg4GUawh-AARVLI24LG1-UJyS0sUyOroryTfiOEizkSh1AgMXRbYroCe-4a4DlagGVKtAU701m9Nn2XU85rzc1cNP-4/s1600/DSCN1751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigIeJPFtI7O4QWwxbj0NKCLAJRtOTtsjbmPuOlu0hpg_smPsqWmg4GUawh-AARVLI24LG1-UJyS0sUyOroryTfiOEizkSh1AgMXRbYroCe-4a4DlagGVKtAU701m9Nn2XU85rzc1cNP-4/s320/DSCN1751.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKiixQBiJuprrYvqlkCWbXFzWgN4JPXLRPNJR1oCGAWMkFUyHFYCg_NKUQ5Ma0CHAt8c5X1RlcjN2pFj7BVCXx9yxuFq8eldijzRxDZBqX3SQrCwqgtq9Ev8SXVsH-7-kf-zZD-uEJnc/s1600/DSCN1753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKiixQBiJuprrYvqlkCWbXFzWgN4JPXLRPNJR1oCGAWMkFUyHFYCg_NKUQ5Ma0CHAt8c5X1RlcjN2pFj7BVCXx9yxuFq8eldijzRxDZBqX3SQrCwqgtq9Ev8SXVsH-7-kf-zZD-uEJnc/s320/DSCN1753.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I had elephant garlic on hand, so I decided to use it. It's a milder garlic with more chive-y spice to it. Photographed to show its indeed-elephantine proportions:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivW9kyblGQjs_pRKVaubLoQBkgEHHClMAnrhP0t4ahu_g9Z7gX7dbSjOku4KQrbS1BxwfMxqYJUWfKIOv2m3wEZqPqIpycyBc-9YgfmbYUyqucHAvv9DhYifA4u5pxpOCeDfFNAdTvef8/s1600/DSCN1757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivW9kyblGQjs_pRKVaubLoQBkgEHHClMAnrhP0t4ahu_g9Z7gX7dbSjOku4KQrbS1BxwfMxqYJUWfKIOv2m3wEZqPqIpycyBc-9YgfmbYUyqucHAvv9DhYifA4u5pxpOCeDfFNAdTvef8/s320/DSCN1757.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yep...it's about three inches long.</span></div>
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In my book, more garlic is always better, but you can dial it back if you'd like. I sliced mine into thin but wide slabs but if you'd rather have garlic be a...er...<i>background</i> flavor, you can mince it more finely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8zWJivGz4TQT5c2hLxXDnQsi2-OPbmbl3hVIhn69-lg8tXZT6VNyLyv7fxT5QJCQo7kbgf59WXIRvmcaJMCIVGd7Vh9OILsSqy_JY8CXa79txTX7gKlWYxst6VehrgEnU_7TZC1Gvxc/s1600/DSCN1758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp8zWJivGz4TQT5c2hLxXDnQsi2-OPbmbl3hVIhn69-lg8tXZT6VNyLyv7fxT5QJCQo7kbgf59WXIRvmcaJMCIVGd7Vh9OILsSqy_JY8CXa79txTX7gKlWYxst6VehrgEnU_7TZC1Gvxc/s320/DSCN1758.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Definitely more slabs than slices. What can I say? I'm definitely not a vampire.</span></div>
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Now your chanterelles can go in!<br />
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Don't forget to add salt and pepper to your liking. We want the water from the mushrooms to come out and evaporate--they'll need to cook until there's no liquid left in the pan and they look soft, about 10 minutes.<br />
<br />
Angel hair only takes about 5 minutes, so you need to time the arrival of your pasta correctly! You can even wait until your sauce is done until you put the pasta in since it cooks so quickly.<br />
<br />
Now that the mushrooms are cooking, you can begin the brown butter process. Basically, what you want to do is create a thickener for your sauce. Tomatoes are acidic and would overwhelm the delicate mushrooms, but cream can muddy the subtle flavors, too. This is a nice way to make a sauce without having to change your flavor profile. (Also, it has the added bonus for me of being cream-free, and since I'm severely cream 'n' cheese intolerant, that would be a big thumbs up!) If you are okay with cream, skip these steps and add it in once your mushrooms are done, and voila! Otherwise:<br />
<br />
(This could potentially be made vegan-style, with oil instead of butter, but I've never tried it before--anyone who's determined can give it a whirl and let me know!)<br />
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Anyway, if you're committed to following the way I did it...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjfiVF8RIm8zvAzSA6SgofMFvWZjRP40v1qf7i_rFikNKOBTnh7UL_CkOjadlLBXPw7FaDRiGUquJU18ypgnRFetbNLSy9vLVB4Eudika8BnhEAuaEAZZ3DuJailYpw3BEQqiO72vqmU/s1600/brown+butter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQjfiVF8RIm8zvAzSA6SgofMFvWZjRP40v1qf7i_rFikNKOBTnh7UL_CkOjadlLBXPw7FaDRiGUquJU18ypgnRFetbNLSy9vLVB4Eudika8BnhEAuaEAZZ3DuJailYpw3BEQqiO72vqmU/s320/brown+butter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Start by melting about 2 tbsp of butter. When that's good and melted, add in 1 to 2 tbsp of flour, enough to thicken the butter but not so much that the flour soaks up all of it. It's going to look totally weird, but don't panic--give it a good stir. It should look like the second frame.<br />
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If you're a wanderer like me, multitasking and doing other things while you cook, stay put. You need to stir it until it begins to look like the third window--a nice, nutty brown. If you smell it at this stage, it'll actually smell a little bit like peanut butter. Once it's at this stage, you've cooked out the raw taste of the flour and the butter will have taken on a wonderful nutty quality.<br />
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Now you can put a little bit of water in the pot, just to make it easier to pour out into your mushrooms to make your sauce. It'll sputter and start to separate a little--don't panic, just keep stirring and it will look like the fourth frame, similar to a nice, brown, nutty gravy-like sauce. If this whole process worries you, when I put the water in my boyfriend shouted from the living room, "What smells so good?"<br />
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(I'm trying to inspire feelings of faith here. Hopefully you're feeling more optimistic!)<br />
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Now that you've got that ready, you can pour your brown butter sauce into your mushroom mix. If your pasta is done or currently cooking, reserve or siphon off 1/2-1 cup of the pasta water. The water is nice and starchy from the pasta, so it will serve as another way to make your mushroom sauce a little thicker.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bhyphenhyphen93iEzGe3jEYdbtsahVmx89rZfTl7sWcbnmFl6NG7WqHlCWOUy5ZG-c6gLEf6MwxV6YOIXaDyc2myWufo80IEFWl7-gpsMd-90EzphA4YSnxGjNMZ5_Ufx5KhLZ1s3kdmVcj6cI5E/s1600/DSCN1775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4bhyphenhyphen93iEzGe3jEYdbtsahVmx89rZfTl7sWcbnmFl6NG7WqHlCWOUy5ZG-c6gLEf6MwxV6YOIXaDyc2myWufo80IEFWl7-gpsMd-90EzphA4YSnxGjNMZ5_Ufx5KhLZ1s3kdmVcj6cI5E/s320/DSCN1775.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now's the part where you make a judgment call--add the water a little bit at a time until you have the desired consistency--half a cup should do fine. When your pasta is done, place it in the pan so it has a chance to soak up some of the sauce.<br />
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Toss quickly, then plate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JY7NmWqcf7uHBJ0Y0BlbdHeri-hjlqU-dea6yYF6VuLTGUC1EWnv7mybV5vzo7Q05mdyqt8W2Bt_2625Wnzl04QdWOAIdWbN2pTspRszHFk9MUxu1yY_qMpHDcYidr6ufb-EqRcrM38/s1600/DSCN1764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3JY7NmWqcf7uHBJ0Y0BlbdHeri-hjlqU-dea6yYF6VuLTGUC1EWnv7mybV5vzo7Q05mdyqt8W2Bt_2625Wnzl04QdWOAIdWbN2pTspRszHFk9MUxu1yY_qMpHDcYidr6ufb-EqRcrM38/s320/DSCN1764.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">My toppings with my reserved pasta water.</span></div>
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Top with fresh herbs (pull the leaves off the stems and rub them between your fingers to release those aromatic oils) and some bits of bacon, if you went the carnivore route. If you're so inclined, you may sprinkle on some dairy or non-dairy parmesan cheese.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFvjTfhZwBdQZgaQlVvknsNyK2A1FEnwvgN-ag8uw-_Zy1VnyWkwrfJjZcIgXMXbUdc7U7NGTTiygt0cCx2PIWaP15_1J3xTHofiU9ycEKpz5u133W6eVZmkb3jWMiaz3Dp3AF05gYis/s1600/DSCN1779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFvjTfhZwBdQZgaQlVvknsNyK2A1FEnwvgN-ag8uw-_Zy1VnyWkwrfJjZcIgXMXbUdc7U7NGTTiygt0cCx2PIWaP15_1J3xTHofiU9ycEKpz5u133W6eVZmkb3jWMiaz3Dp3AF05gYis/s320/DSCN1779.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Beautiful, innit? Best served hot, so consume fresh. Enjoy!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0