Hi Fam! Made this lentil loaf the other night, and it was delish! Sort of a veggie take on the old      American favorite. We didn’t have all the ingredients, so improvised by using a multigrain hot cereal mix instead of the oats (the texture was somewhere in between rolled oats and Scottish oats), using catchup instead of tomato paste, and adding quinoa for the nutritional value/fun of it, and it turned out great! Here’s the recipe, but I don’t think you can really mess this up by tinkering around with it. I’m trying it with black beans next time.

Lentil Loaf
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes

Tomato Topping
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp onion flakes (or 1/2 tsp onion powder)
1 tsp garlic salt
 
Loaf
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 block extra firm tofu
1 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
1 tbsp Tomato Topping (recipe above)
3 tbsp yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup lentils, cooked and drained (I used black lentils!)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground mustard

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Mix the tomato topping together first because you're going to need a tablespoon to mix into the lentil loaf. The rest will be set aside to coat the loaf when its assembled.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a skillet on medium heat. Add chopped onions and the peppers. Let cook until onions are transparent, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Cool.

3. In a food processor, chop oats for 5 quick pulses. Set aside.

4. Drain tofu well and press with hands until all excess water comes out. In a mixing bowl, mash tofu with a fork or use grater to coarsely grate. In the same mixing bowl combine cooked onions and peppers, 1 tablespoon of tomato mixture, oats, corn meal, lentils, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, cumin, chili powder, parsley, salt, sugar, garlic salt, onion powder, ground mustard and mix until well combined.

5. Spray a large sheet of foil with cooking spray to form loaf on, place on cookie sheet. On top and in the middle of tin foil form loaf mixture into loaf that is 2 1/2 inches high and 4 1/2 inches square. Coat top and sides with tomato mixture. Cook loaf for 20 minutes, then cover with tin foil and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before cutting.

Hey Fams!

I thought I already posted about our mini-Christmas feast, but it appears I did not. I don't have the recipes with me at the moment, but here's a teaser:

*Vegan mac and 'cheese' that tastes like the real thing, but is actually good for you
*Kale and potato gratin that is my new favored alternative to green bean casserole (though I still love that stuff)
*Cranberry and banana bread sans egg, butter or milk!
*More on the wonders of the cashew as a cheese alternative 
*Plus, musings on accidental consumption of fish sauce-spiked orange juice.

Happy almost-Friday!

African Peanut Soup throwin' me for a loop

A friend and I made the dish to end all dishes last night, and I must share. I have a hunch some of you (I’m lookin’ at you, Sharon and MaryAnn) might already be familiar with this one.
    The backstory is this: On a rare sunny winter day in Portland, we took a pseudo-hike up Mt. Tabor, taking a new route to avoid the crowds of people going thataway. After a breathtaking view of Mt Hood to the mountain’s East (I really need to invest in a camera) and a great sunset over the city skyline to the West, we decided to make our way down for a bite. It being New Year’s Day, hardly anything was open. We settled for Laughing Planet, a hippieish chain joint with decent burritos. By now the temps had dropped and we were cold, so we ordered the African peanut soup along with our burritos. 
    Woah buddy, family! It was amazing. After devouring the bowl, we vowed to attempt a reenactment. The resulting homemade version was as good as the restaurant version, and super easy. Here’s what we did, an adaptation of the endless recipes you’ll find online.
   
    4 cups veggie broth
    2 large cloves garlic, minced
    1 onion, chopped
    1 green pepper, slivered (by this I mean ¼ inch thick slices, about 1.5 inches long)
    1 carrot, slivered 
    1 small yam and 1 sweet potato, slivered
    2 large tomatoes, or a can of diced tomatoes
    about 1.5 cups of chickpeas or whatever legume you have on hand
    About a tablespoon sweet curry powder
    A few dashes of cinnamon
    A few dashes of ground cayenne or red pepper flakes
    A few dashes of turmeric
    A few dashes of cumin
    A tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar
    About ½ T of brown sugar
    About ½ teaspoon ground ginger
    1/2 cup (more if you like it richer) natural peanut butter
    an avocado for garnish
   
   
    Saute the onions and garlic ‘til soft, then add the other veggies with enough broth to just cover them, simmering for a few minutes until they’re about ½ cooked. Add the peanut butter and stir, then add the remaining ingredients and simmer ‘til the veggies are all soft. Serve over quinoa, brown rice, or with a big hunk of bread to dip. Garnish with ½ avocado sliced thinly on top of each bowl.

Spinach Salad with Warm Dressing and Tofu

Too good of a recipe not to share immediately (literally just had this for dinner):

For Christmas, Michael gave me a new recipe book: 'How to Cook Everything Vegetarian' by Mark Bittman (who is quickly becoming my culinary idol). I can't recommend this book enough. It's not so much a cookbook as it is one giant cooking lesson and motivational reminder as to why it's important to each home-cooked, health-conscious meals. Mark doesn't just provide epic dishes, he explains the hows and whys of a recipe. He also provides a number of alteration and add-in suggestions, encouraging the reader to make each recipe his or her own. Can you tell I'm in love? Anyway, here is the first of many fabulous recipes inspired by this lovely little cookbook:

Spinach Salad with Warm Dressing and Tofu

Salad:
spinach leaves
shelled edemame
grilled, baked, or browned tofu patties

Dressing:
3 TBS neutral oil
1 TBS peeled, minced ginger
1 TBS minced garlic
1/2 cup sliced scallions
a bit of grated carrot
1 TBS sugar
2-3 TBS rice wine vinegar
2 TBS water
1 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
lots of hot red pepper flakes
black pepper

Once oil is hot, cook ginger and garlic over medium-high heat for about one minute. Add scallion and carrot, cooking another minute. Stir in sugar, vinegar, and water. Turn down heat and stir until mixture becomes a little syrupy (a couple minutes). Stir in soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. While dressing is still warm, toss with spinach and edamame. SErve salad with slices of tofu on top.

Delightful! :)


Hmmm as I write this I am also reminded of a great Vietnamese salad I learned how to make on my trip this summer. I'll post it soon when I don't have so much last minute grading to do. Love you all!

The Company We Keep

 It’s become somewhat of a tradition to have at least one big family-style dinner each week at my house or the home of one of our friends. The habit began as an excuse to get together on weekdays, despite schedules that rarely permit all of us to be in one room at once. Now it’s become a weekly-anticipated event. We have fun dreaming up themes, taking turns cooking the main dish, and deciding what each person will contribute to the meal. 
    The best part is, my friends are good cooks (including one bona fide chef!) with wide-ranging specialties. I bring the bean-centric, heavily Middle Eastern fare, Molly reps the down-home Appalachian comfort food, Micah makes a mean slaw, Dawn’s got a flare for Asian and bananas foster, Zach is all about the Latin American stuff, and Nicole can’t really cook but always brings a bottle of wine.
    Last Friday, we ventured to Zach’s for an enchilada feast complete with chicken and squash-kale enchiladas, spicy slaw, homemade refried beans, guacamole and flan for dessert. Every time we gather around the table, I think to myself that the company we keep amplifies the enjoyment of a good meal. 
    After a beautiful Sunday of respite from the Portland wintertime drizzle, we’re back to the doldrums again for as far into the future as the weatherman can predict. In response, this week’s meal will be a hearty chili with cornbread and warm apple crumble. Comfort food, and the kind of good company that does good things for the soul. 
    Speaking of big, collaborative, merry dinners, I’ll be thinking of you all on Thanksgiving and wishing we were all gathered ‘round the same table, toasting to another year of good fortune.
    I snapped some photos with a friend’s camera, so I’ll post enchilada glamor shots when I can manage to commandeer his memory card! Love from 45 degrees North!

Sharon's faux pho, a.k.a. "Pure Health Soup"

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp sesame oil + 2 tbsp for later
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp tumeric, ginger, curry powder, cayenne pepper
Juice ¼ lemon
4 carrots sliced
1 zuchinni cut in half, peeled and sliced
1 cup bok choy (I try and use baby)
Some onion if on hand
1/3 red pepper cut in pieces
3 cans or 2 boxes chcken/veggie broth
Scallions sliced
Bean sprouts

Udon or rice noodles

Heat oils and spices in soup pan.. Add spices and stir until fragrant. Add carrot and onion (if using). Stir for a few minutes and then add the bok choy, soy sauce, rice vinegar , lemon, and stir a couple more minutes. Add broth and zuchinni and remaining sesame oil and let simmer for 30 min, mostly covered. Do not let boil.

Taste and add S&P if needed…perhaps a splash more soy, sesame, etc to taste.

Cook noodle according to instructions.

Place some cooked noodles in bowl and cover with soup. Garnish with scallions and bean sprouts.

Tastes and feels like you are eating pure health!!!

Heavenly harvest: Corn and squash chowder

Hello family!
    Allow me to reinvigorate this blog with my most recent foodie foray. After the eggs and cheese in my fridge are exhausted (and after my birthday, because I want to go to my favorite pizza place to celebrate with a gooey pie and a cheese platter) I’m dipping my toes into veganism for a month! To prep, I’ve been experimenting with vegan recipes and I just hit a jackpot.
    The last corn of the season was on sale at the farmer’s market, and the rainy day gave me a serious hankering for hearty, creamy soup. So I bought 10 ears and some peppers, then set my sights on corn chowder.
    The result (which will not be pictured because I currently am without camera or computer) was the most decadent (and vegan!) corn chowder ever.

    Here’s the estimated recipe:
    -10 ears corn
    -4 poblano peppers
    -2 red peppers
    -an onion 
    -1 delicata squash
    -2 cups coconut milk (the drinkable stuff from a carton, not the stuff you use for curry)
    -3 cups almond milk
    -water to desired consistency
    -salt to desired ... saltiness
    -about 2 T red chili flakes
    -1 t chili powder
    -garlic powder to taste
    -turmeric for a little color
    -savory to taste
   
    Saw the raw corn off the cob and throw it in the pan along with the minced onion, peppers and cubed squash (no need to peel delicata – the skin is edible). Add the liquids and bring to boil. Simmer until all vegetables are cooked, then if you have an inversion blender, blend until the broth becomes thick, but chunks of veggies still remain. If you’ve got a regular blender, put about 1/3 of the broth in to puree. Add the spices and cook another few minutes, then serve with a sprinkling of chili-dusted popcorn or roasted pumpkin seeds on top.