vegetarian « DinnerCakes

Little Bit of Indian Spice – Indian Cauliflower Stir-Fry with Chickpeas

January 12th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

Are you getting tired of cauliflower yet? No? Good, because strap in for some more of its nutritious deliciousness.

I was feeling very ambitious last week while at the local asian supermarket. I was buying ingredients for a drunken noodle recipe I was preparing for someone as a New Years meal before the festivities and decided to purchase a few vegetables that I can’t get at my regular grocer: chinese eggplant. I’m really not a huge fan of eggplant in general, actually. However, about a year ago I took a cooking class and learned to make an amazing sezchuan stir-fry with chinese eggplant so I felt bold. The results were…. disappointing.

It can be very frustrating to put a lot of time and effort into something only to end up with failure. But, as the saying goes, you learn more from failure than success. Fortunately Heather came to my rescue a few days later with this recipe from the New York Times. My indian food repertoire is quite limited so I was excited to try this and it didn’t hurt that I’ve been having good luck with cauliflower lately.

I’m not a fan of spicy food. In fact, I’m quite the wuss in that area so I dialed down the heat and added a bit of my own variation to the spices. On top of that I felt it needed some protein so I included chickpeas. Overall, I was quite satisfied with this recipe and may bring back a bit more of the spice when I do it again.

Indian Cauliflower Stir-Fry with Chickpeas
adapted from New York Times

2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 large head of cauliflower; broken into florets
1 cup dried chickpeas; cooked and drained (or one can of cooked chickpeas)
1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 can diced tomatoes
1 serrano chile; seeded and minced
1 1/2 teaspoon ginger; minced
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic; minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon tumeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ancho chili
1/2 teaspoon hot curry
1/2 cup cilantro; chopped
lime

Steam the cauliflower for 10 minutes until just tender. Remove from heat and immediately rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Then cut the florets into equal sizes; probably quartering the larger florets and halving the medium sized ones. Set aside.

Combine the minced ginger and garlic with a pinch of salt and mash it together by scraping your knife against it several times into you have something similar to a very chunky paste. Don’t try to overdue it. Just scrap it a few times. Set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add the additional table spoon of oil with the cumin, coriander and curry for about 20 seconds then follow with your ginger-garlic paste, chile and bell pepper; sauteing for approximately one minute. Add your chickpeas and stir-fry for one minute. Follow with the rest of the rest of the spices, cauliflower and tomatoes; stir-fry for five minutes until fragrant and some of the juices have reduced down. Add the cilantro, toss and cook for 30 seconds and then serve.

Add a spritz of lime before eating.

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Back To Healthy Eating – Roasted Cauliflower and Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic

January 6th, 2009

by Chef Edwin

Ahhh, the holidays are over. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years: the trifecta of bad (but delicious) eating. It’s no mystery why so many people list “lose weight” or “get back into shape” as one of their New Years resolutions. All things considered, life is pretty good for most of us. We don’t have to hunt or forage for food, worrying whether or not we’ll have enough to last the winter. The amount of physical labor required by us on a regular basis is almost non-existent, maxing out at carrying groceries up some flight of stairs for some. In comparison, life is good, but life is also sedentary and this does lend itself to its own set of problems.

So, the punch line to this little diatribe of mine (since I’m sure you’ll nodding away right now) is to eat well and inject some exercise in your regular routine. We try to keep it pretty healthy here at DinnerCakes (when it’s not baking, as Heather shudders reading this) so I strongly recommend you try some of our recipes if you haven’t already. We’ll keep pumping them out and welcome any feedback you may have, whether it be on issues with a meal, requests for a particular type of recipe or simply to let us know how things are working out.

Anyway, back to the recipe! Since my first experiment with cauliflower was so successful, I decided to try another. This is a simple roasted dish that would work well as a side. While cauliflower is in season right now, the asparagus is not. That aside, this is a great dish.

Roasted Asparagus with Cauliflower with Lemon and Garlic
Cauliflower cooks a bit slower than asparagus, so be sure to cut into small florets (smaller than the pictures here).
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bunch of asparagus; chopped into threes
1 head of cauliflower; chopped
3 garlic cloves; minced
Juice of one lemon

Preheat the oven to 450°.

Chop the vegetables and toss all the ingredients into a bowl until coated. Transfer to a glass baking pan and roast for 15-20 minutes; until the vegetables are soft. The cauliflower will still be crisp to the bite.

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Cream Cheese Spinach and Artichoke Dip

January 2nd, 2009

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

Happy New Year! Edwin and I hope you had a safe New Year’s Eve.

I enjoyed a fun gathering of a few friends at my apartment. Two of these friends had been staying with my husband and I for the last few nights, so I wasn’t interested in spending a lot of time in the kitchen preparing food on New Year’s Eve. On nights like that it helps to have some quick and reliable recipes for finger foods to set out.

I never liked spinach and artichoke dip until one day in college I ordered an amazing sandwich at a now-closed restaurant in Charlottesville, VA – sliced chicken with spinach and artichoke dip (spread on the sandwich as if it was mayo). It was surprisingly delicious and I miss ordering it!

Since I began experimenting with spinach and artichoke dip, I’ve received a lot of good feedback about this recipe, particularly because it isn’t mayonnaise based and contains a lot of the good stuff (spinach and artichokes). The great thing about it is that you can modify it to best fit your palate and it will still be delicious. I tend to use a little more spinach and artichokes (because I have to trick myself any way possible into eating more vegetables). I’m also heavy handed with the garlic powder and red pepper flakes.

Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1 cup frozen chopped spinach
1 cup artichoke hearts
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tsp crushed red peppers
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
Sour dough boule (optional)

Cook spinach according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Rinse, drain and chop artichoke hearts (sometimes when you buy them in a jar they’ve been sitting in flavored oil, make sure you rinse them unless you want that taste to carry over).

Boil artichokes in 1/2 cup water on medium for 5 minutes. Add spinach for an additional minute. Drain well.

In a microwave safe bowl, microwave cream cheese for one minute until soft. Stir until smooth. Combine cream cheese and spinach/artichoke mixture in a medium sized bowl, stirring well. Add Parmesan cheese and spices to taste, stirring until thoroughly combined.

Add dip to a serving bowl of your choice. I like to buy a sour dough boule, cut a hole in the top, pull out the bread inside and cube it all for dipping. I pour the dip into the bread bowl and arrange the bread cubes around it.

Total prep and cook time is about 20 minutes (if you’re slow like me).

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Even Healthier Mashed Potatoes – Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

December 22nd, 2008

by Chef Edwin

I really enjoyed last week’s experiment with a lentil loaf, but having been so successful forced me to ask what an appropriate accompaniment to it should be. Mashed potatoes were the obvious choice, but was there anything I could do differently? That’s how we roll here at DinnerCakes.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with white potatoes. As I’ve mentioned before, they are fat free, cholesterol free, low in sodium and high in vitamin C. However, they also have a somewhat high glycemic index and, well, they aren’t exactly low on the calorie scale either (a fact that is always on my mind this time of year). Enter the cauliflower. This sucker is the ultimate competitor for the white potato. It too is fat free, cholesterol free, low in sodium and has even more vitamin C than the white potato, providing you 100% of your daily vitamin C need with just 100 grams. And to top it all off, less than half the calories of the white potato. K.O.

Cauliflower mashed potatoes is a pretty well known substitute and is incredibly easy to make. It’s so easy that I’m almost ashamed to write about it (almost). With a food processor and some common kitchen ingredients, you’re good to go. Without a doubt, I will be doing these again.

Cauliflower “Mashed Potatoes”

1 head of cauliflower
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 milk/cream/water (optional)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons parsley

Cut the cauliflower into florets and steam for until tender; approximately 10 minutes. Don’t worry about overcooking. Once ready, transfer to a food processor along with the butter, thyme and parsley. Chop until smooth. If you like a creamier consistency, considering adding milk, cream or even water a bit at a time, continuing to process.

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Something to Sink Your Teeth Into – Vegetarian Lentil "Meat" Loaf

December 18th, 2008

by Chef Edwin

There are days when soup simply won’t do. Days when the hunger is ravenous and you really need something to sink your teeth into. It is on these days that I often find my vegetarian repertoire unable to meet my needs and I find coming back to my carnivorous ways. (What? I’m not strictly vegetarian. It’s allowed.) “No more!” I exclaimed last week. It was time for a better solution; something hearty and filling. Of course what better to be a part of said solution than lentils in the form of a tasty “meat” loaf.

I loved Mom’s meat loaf as a kid, always taking a thick slice to go with my extra large helping of mashed potatoes and corn. (Corn goes with everything. It’s been proven.) Delicious. It’s been a while since I’ve had that glorious loaf of meat and it occurred to me that this might be part of the problem with my current diet: not enough comfort food. There was (is?) a significant lack of balance.

The term lentil loaf does not sit well with me. There are just too many… connotations with the word ‘loaf,’ however that is exactly what this is. I scoured the wonders of the internet for inspiration, including my personal hero, Alton Brown, to concoct this delicious recipe. I was very pleased with the result. The only significant issue is the texture. This recipe is not as solid as a traditional meat loaf, but won’t fall apart as you cut into it with your fork. Perhaps another egg would help…

Vegetarian Lentil “Meat” Loaf
adapted from Alton Brown and My Vegan Cookbook.
3/4 cup green lentils; cooked and drained
1/2 cup brown rice; cooked and drained
3 cloves garlic; minced
1 yellow onion; chopped
1 large carrot; chopped
1 red bell pepper; chopped
1 egg
1/4 cup bread crumbs, corn meal or vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 325°.

While the lentils and and rice are cooking saute the garlic, onion, carrot and bell pepper in a pan on medium heat until onions are translucent; approximately 5 minutes. Let cool then chop in a food processor into finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl and chop the lentils (once they’ve cooled) in the food processor into a paste.

Combine all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl then move to a glass baking pan, forming it into a loaf. Bake for 45 minutes until heated through.

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Onion Takes Center Stage – Vegetarian Roasted Stuffed Onions

December 15th, 2008

by Chef Edwin

Think back to the past few weeks in the kitchen and ask yourself which vegetable was used most often. Chances are it was the onion. These suckers are the fundamentals of many recipes, adding a subtle but crucial flavoring to much of what we eat. Plenty of dishes start with the sauteing of onion, celery and carrots, forming what is called by its French term “mirepoix.” Yes, I have worked with many an onion in my time and look forward to many more in the future. Thank you onion, for your awesomeness.

As amazing and functional as the onion is, it’s often not the star of the show. The onion serves as the background, the ingredient that helps other ingredients shine. In some meals people may not even know the onion is there. There are cases, however, in which the onion does take center stage, and these roasted stuffed onions are a perfect example.

Vegetarian Roasted Stuffed Onions
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

6 large red and yellow onions
2 celery ribs; chopped
2 garlic cloves; minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon butter
8 ounces baby spinach; coarsely chopped
2 cups italian bread; cut in 1/2 inch cubes and lightly toasted (croutons work in a pinch)
8oz can of lima beans; drained (optional)
1/2 stick of butter; melted
1/2 stock of any kind (turkey, perhaps?) or water

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Onion shells: Cut 1/2 inch off the top of each onion and just enough from the bottom so it stands upright. Hollow out the onions using a melon baller; leaving all but 2 or 3 layers. I find the easiest way to do that is scooping out a bit from the center then working out to the edge. Once you’ve got the proper diameter, dig down a bit more and work out again. Repeat until near the bottom.

Place the onions in a glass baking ban with 1/2 cup of water, tightly covered with foil. Roast until the onions are tender, 25-30 minutes. Remove and let cool

Stuffing: While the onions are roasting, take about 2 cups of the scooped out onion and coarsely chop. Saute in a large pan over medium heat with oil, garlic, celery, salt and pepper for about 5 minutes; until soft. Combine with lima beans, butter and stock in a mixing bowl. Let cool enough to handle.

Remove the onions from the baking pan and pour out any excess water. Stuff the onions with your filling until it is heaped up on the top. Take any leftover stuffing and place in the baking pan as “bedding.” Trust me, it’ll still be delicious. Bake onions for about 20 minutes or less, until heated through.

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Butternut Squash and Onion Soup (That Won't Ruin Your Diet)

December 12th, 2008

by Heather (Ghost Baker)

A friend recently sent me a recipe for roasted butternut squash and shallot soup she found from Cooking Light. I love butternut squash soup, but I love it the way you should never have it – with heavy cream and sherry.

Cooking Light outlines a healthier way to enjoy this soup, but unfortunately the recipe was a little expensive and called for ingredients that I don’t usually keep on hand, such as shallots, fresh ginger root and fresh chives. Ginger root is not expensive but I don’t love an overpowering ginger taste, shallots may be a little sweeter than regular onions but they’re also more expensive, and fresh chives are also expensive, especially if they’re only acting as a garnish.

I tried to minimize the cost of this recipe and make it a little more manageable for the average pantry. I found the onion taste to be a tad strong, but my husband had no complaints. Yet you do have to like onions to enjoy this recipe. There are other milder versions of this soup, as well as versions that incorporate nuts and apples. These sound absolutely delicious, and I’m excited to try them, but for this particular recipe I was trying to keep it simple.

I served this as the main course for dinner for my husband and I, so we had two full bowls with a little bit leftover. This would also be great as a side to have with a grilled cheese sandwich; I had a piece of bread with my soup and I enjoyed dipping the bread into the soup. If you have other vegetables in your kitchen that you would like to use, such as carrots, that would make an excellent addition as well.

Butternut Squash and Onion Soup
inspired by Cooking Light

4 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 thinly sliced scallions
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons (1-inch) slices fresh chives
black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine butternut squash cubes, oil, salt, minced ginger, minced garlic, chopped onion and minced ginger in a jelly-roll pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Cool 10 minutes.

Pour half the squash mixture and half the broth into a blender. Remove the center piece of the blender’s lid to allow heat to escape; lay a folded paper towel over the opening. Blend mixture until smooth, then pour into a large saucepan. Pour the remaining squash mixture and broth into the blender and repeat previous process. Cook over medium heat for five minutes or until thoroughly heated. Top with scallions and pepper as desired.

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Beauty Underneath – Celery Root Bisque with Butternut Squash

December 6th, 2008

by Chef Edwin

If spaghetti squash is the oddest vegetable I’ve ever worked with, then celery root is by far the ugliest. Harsh, I know, but look at it. Knobby, rough texture, no vibrant colors. But like Mom always said, it’s what’s underneath that counts; and underneath is a cream colored flesh with a slight nutty flavor.

I’ve never done anything with celery root before but have had this quiet desire to coax a soup out of one some day. When I saw some on sale at the local Whole Foods I felt it was time. This is a very winter soup with the addition of butternut squash and sweet potatoes. The celery root is faint, but present.

The best way to remove the rough outer skin is simply with a quick pass or two through with a vegetable peeler. From there you can remove any deeper blemishes with a paring knife. For some reason this really dried my hands out and I haven’t figured out why. Keep that in mind while your handling it.

Celery Root Bisque with Butternut Squash
An easy way to clean leeks is to soak then in water while chopping the other vegetables. When ready to use, just scoop them out.
1-1 1/4 pounds celery root; peeled and chopped
3/4 pounds butternut squash; peeled and chopped
1 large sweet potato; peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves; minced
2 large leeks; sliced (to the greens)
1 yellow onion; chopped
8 cups of water
1/2 cup heavy cream; approximately (I used half & half simply because I had it)
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon or more to taste

Sweat the leeks, garlic and onion with some oil in a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven for 10 minutes. Once the onions are translucent, add the remaining vegetables with the water and bring to a boil. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat and let cool.

Either blend in batches with a standard blender or all at once with an immersion blender, adding cream until you get a nice creamy texture. Add the salt to taste. Optionally, a bit of ancho chili pepper for a kick.

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A Veggie Side That's Easy AND Delicious – Roasted Sesame Broccoli

November 25th, 2008

by Chef Edwin

Sometimes I forget that most people don’t have the fondness for vegetables that I do. I think this is largely in part to their childhood memories at dinner. Many a vegetable has been overcooked in the mad dash ritual of the family dinner. What at one point was vibrant and full of flavor can easily become dull and tasteless. Of course this is not an attack on our loving Moms and Dads (mine rock), but life can get hectic when you’re balancing a career, home life and the numerous extracurricular functions of your children.

Quality food doesn’t have to be difficult or overly time consuming. You can still have delicious tasting veggies with minimal effort that won’t leave you shaking yourself (or your child) in rage.

This is a simple roasted vegetable recipe. With the sesame and soy sauce, it’s easy to peg this as an Asian-only side dish; but I disagree. Serve these vegetables alongside grilled fish or a lightly breaded chicken breast with lemon – add some brown rice and you’ve got yourself a flavorful and healthy meal.

Oh, and did I mention roasting preserves more of the vegetables’ nutrients than boiling? Man, this dish rocks all kinds of worlds!

Roasted Sesame Broccoli
This dish works with both the broccoli florets and the stalks. I like a little of both for variety, making the florets that much more enjoyable in contrast. Go with whatever you like. Consider adding sesame seeds before serving, though I find this purely decorative.

One broccoli bunch or approximately 4 cups, with or without stalk; sliced (see below)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 475°F.

To slice the broccoli, cut up into the florets, not all the way through. Then split by pulling the broccoli apart. For the stalks, cut into 1/4 inch slices. Combine the broccoli, olive oil, sesame oil and soy sauce in a mixing bowl. Place in a baking sheet as a single layer (this will help you get a good browning). Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove when the tops are crispy. Serve immediately.

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Tofu, No It Doesn't Suck (Tofu Spinach Manicotti)

November 20th, 2008

by Chef Edwin

So it occurred to me recently that I really don’t know that many vegetarian main course dishes. To be fair, I know a lot of soups, salads and roasted vegetable varieties (or, at least I eat a lot of roasted vegetables). But when you take all those away I realize that I have a rather slim repertoire.

Time for change. Time for something new, something inventive. And by new and inventive, I mean new and inventive for me. Tofu and I don’t really get along that well. To be honest, I’ve never had much luck with the stuff. It always struck me as something created to mollify wistful former carnivores who haven’t quite been able to let go. Psh. When prepared properly, fruits and vegetables (with the occasional accompaniment of grains or legumes) offer a myriad of flavorful meals to enjoy. But hey, gotta keep an open mind. Try new things. Expand horizons.

This is a pretty classic tofu dish. I scoured the web for a handful of vegetarian recipes and let them flow into me as inspiration (deep, huh?). It is from this very zen moment that I was able to craft today’s recipe: Tofu Spinach Manicotti. No applause, please.

The dish was good. Not knock-my-socks-off great, but definitely something I’ll do again. Next time I’ll sweat or saute the bell pepper and perhaps add some onion into the mix as well. I’m a saucy guy, so if you’re not as big on tomato sauce, cut back on the amount.

Got a tofu dish you’re proud of? E-mail me and I’ll be sure to try it out.

Tofu Spinach Manicotti
5 ounces firm tofu
3 ounces chopped spinach; thawed
3/4 cup ricotta cheese (I used fat free)
1/3 cup mozzarella and a sprinkling on the side (part skim for me)
1 clove garlic; minced
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups tomato sauce; approximately
7 manicotti shells

Prep:
If making tomato sauce from scratch, make it first. Set aside and let it cool. Boil the manicotti as directed on the packaging. Drain and set aside. Toss with a bit of oil to prevent sticking.

Filling and Baking:
Crumble or chop the tofu into small pieces (think cottage cheese). Combine with the spinach, ricotta, mozzarella, garlic bell pepper and salt. Poor about a cup and a half of the tomato sauce into a 9″x13″ baking pan. Stuff the manicotti noodles with the filling and line in the pan. Cover the noodles with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with some additional mozzarella. Place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

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