Gotta post this one, since it's all I've been talking about for days...

At first, I was skeptical. "Mock" tuna salad? That just sounds impossible. How can the humble chickpea possibly stand up to the sinewy, squeeky goodness of real tuna? What the heck is nutritional yeast, and how could it ever produce the same salty, fishy taste of albacore?  And soy sauce in tuna salad? Now you're just talking crazy.

But I'm happy to say I was wrong. Mock tuna salad, folks. Not half-assed, lackluster, only-sort-of-similar-tasting mock tuna salad. Full-fledged taste and texture spot-on tuna salad. The best part: Veg-friendly, sustainable and mercury-free! Try it, folks.

The recipe:
15 oz. can chickpeas, or about two cups of cooked dry beans, with a little of the cook water leftover
2 celery stalks (however much crunch you like, really)
2T dill relish, or just food process some spears
half of an onion
2 t. nutritional yeast
1 T mayo (adjust to your liking)
1 t. soy sauce
lemon juice to taste
I added some olives because I like 'em.

Squish up the chickpeas with a fork, or food process them lightly. You're not looking for a paste here. Just a good smoosh with the texture intact. Add in the remaining ingredients, give it a good stir, and you're golden! Enjoy on some rice crackers, a sandwich, a bed of cold grains, whatever.

You'd best believe I'm making this at the next Haack family gathering, when we need a little snack before the main event at Gramps' house.

Adobo sauce is the greatest thing since the chickpea

SHOOT! Meant to take a photo, but I ate it all before I could remember! Anyway...

So I've been on a bit of an adobo kick lately. My roommate's brother made homemade adobo for us a few weeks ago and, while I can't claim to have the ambition to make my own, I've been buying the stuff like crazy.

The other day I made another stew sans measuring cups, and it turned out awesome! I'm calling it intercontinental stew, because the other main broth ingredient was Turkish ajvar (paprika-eggplant sauce). The results were awesome, so I'll try to replicate the general recipe here.

-About a pound and a half of whatever beans you have on hand. For me, it was pintos, white beans, black mungs, lentils and chickpeas.
-one small can of chipotles in adobo sauce
-about 2/3 cup of ajvar
-salt and pepper to taste
-3 cloves minced garlic
-one medium onion
-carrots to your liking
-one bunch of spinach
-a sprinkling of dried red peppers
-a dash of sugar

-Soak the beans overnight or do the quick soak method, then cook them fully in 3x the amount of water-to-beans. Once they're done, throw in the remaining ingredients, adding more water if it's too thick. Let it bubble for a bit until the onions are cooked, then add the spinach until it wilts. I served mine over a bed of wheat spaghetti with a dollop of yogurt on top.

Last yam post, I promise...

This blog done died.

Time to revive!

In case you couldn't tell, I'm obsessed with yams. Here's a recipe that garnered a handful of compliments and recipe requests the last time I prepared it for a group of friends.

Enjoy!

3 medium yams, well scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can vegetable broth
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup peanut butter
½ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

1.Place potatoes in microwave-safe dish and microwave on high until fork-tender, about 8 minutes.
2.In saucepot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, cumin, salt, cinnamon, and pepper. Cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in beans, broth, tomatoes, and peanut butter until blended; heat to boiling and cook for 1 minute.
3.Reduce heat to medium-low; add sweet potatoes and simmer briefly. Stir in cilantro.

I usually add more spices and peanut butter than the recipe calls for—add and subtract to your liking!