tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18745351834126237822024-03-21T21:12:14.054-05:00Moore food please!libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-74767781254952878942013-05-06T21:28:00.000-05:002013-05-06T21:29:49.881-05:00Curry, Carrot Salad & Some Disappointing Naan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Last week was Zack's "birthday week." You may be unfamiliar with this particular holiday - essentially it is the week surrounding his birthday (a hubby declared holiday) during which he spends a lot of time saying things like "It's my birthday week! I can eat this meat-stuffed-with-cheese-wrapped-in-carbs-and-deep-fried if I want!" Which is all well and good, but after a week of eating heavy foods, I was looking forward to something a bit lighter. When Z suggested curry, I was all about it.</div>
<br />
We used the recipe from <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/703206539">Jamie Oliver's Meals in Minutes</a>. The summary of this book says that it is about putting "delicious plates of food on the table in no time." Maybe we're just not as fast as a professional chef, because the minutes ended up exceeding an hour and the kitchen pretty much looked like it had exploded by the time we were done. That aside, the curry was delicious!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7306/8716265764_9239519545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7306/8716265764_9239519545.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It started neatly enough</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7394/8716261762_5c9a8b7f2d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7394/8716261762_5c9a8b7f2d.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sauteing veggies for the curry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7307/8715146235_d717b6a022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7307/8715146235_d717b6a022.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ingredients for carrot salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7387/8715143517_9096d4431f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7387/8715143517_9096d4431f.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7365/8715141107_8033ee5977.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7365/8715141107_8033ee5977.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to eat!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The curry was delicious - the butternut squash made it slightly sweet and creamy. Neither of us like cauliflower, but you couldn't really taste it in this dish. It was a little spicy from the red chile, but not overwhelmingly so. The carrot salad on the other hand was super spicy! It had both red chile and freshly grated ginger. The greek yogurt helped to cut the fire. We tried INDIANLife naan bread as a side, but it wasn't very good. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We will definitely make this curry and salad again, but probably on a weekend when we have a little more time to cook and clean up.<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7305/8716259752_da2caf178b_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7305/8716259752_da2caf178b_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gratuitous close up, just 'cause </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Lala Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457600503223809633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-53965246842558571952013-04-26T16:06:00.000-05:002013-04-26T19:48:38.477-05:00Shrimp and Okra Gumbo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
This week I broke out the always reliable <a href="http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/p/homesick-texan-cookbook.html">Homesick Texan cookbook</a> to try my hand at some gumbo. Growing up my grandparents lived outside of New Orleans so I've often had a touch of Louisiana in my family dinners, but other than previously posted <a href="http://moore-food.blogspot.com/2010/08/shrimp-etouffee.html">Shrimp Étouffée</a> I haven't really tried much of it on my own. All in all, it was really time consuming but, in my opinion worth it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8680038610_6f3b4a9c40_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8380/8680038610_6f3b4a9c40_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chopped bell pepper and celery. Frozen okra.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8118/8680037700_13cb3eb3ff_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8118/8680037700_13cb3eb3ff_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh garlic and thyme, with bay leaves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8678926255_e63f39c812_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8678926255_e63f39c812_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30ish minutes for the roux, constant stirring.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8678924799_068375cfe9_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8386/8678924799_068375cfe9_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veggies cooked in the completed roux.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8678924313_6163625141_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8388/8678924313_6163625141_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everything in the pot to simmer.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
For about two hours we grew hungry over the smell coming from the simmering pot before I added the shrimp. In that two hours the okra pretty much dissolved in a way that you would never know that it was there in the first place. I would have rather had some say intact, maybe I need to use fresh next time.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The end result is not the prettiest of our meals, but I thought it was quite delicious. Laura, on the other hand, didn't quite agree since the shrimp texture and cooked down veggies aren't so much her thing. I might have to save this for bachelor weekends (when I would add some andouille).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8125/8680034384_7e45997dc0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8125/8680034384_7e45997dc0_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tastier than it looks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-61550578925745313572013-04-22T20:45:00.000-05:002013-04-23T19:39:17.233-05:00We're back! Now with 100% more salad.<span style="font-family: inherit;">Oh my gosh ya'll - we're no longer living in an internet black hole and once again have high speed internet! So after a 2+ year hiatus </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">Moore Food Please</i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> is back. We're easing back into food blogging (as to not sprain anything), so tonight's recipe is a simple one that mostly consists of chopping and mixing. No hardcore cooking required. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Chickpea Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8672935605_20de87a4ef_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8672935605_20de87a4ef_c.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Chickpea Salad:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed & drained</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup corn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 pint grape tomatoes, halved</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 organic cucumber, peeled & diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 organic green bell pepper, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 small red onion, finely diced </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Dressing:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3 T organic lime juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">zest of 2 organic limes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 T extra-virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 garlic cloves, minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 tsp honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1/8 tsp ground coriander</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 T fresh cilantro</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dressing recipe adapted from: </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: xx-small;"> </span><a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cilantro-Lime-Vinaigrette-103849" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cilantro-Lime-Vinaigrette-103849</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Instructions:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8385/8674041502_ae58172302.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;">Wash and chop your veggies. Put them in a big mixing bowl, like so.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"></span>
<br />
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8256/8672938267_60e5f00af6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8256/8672938267_60e5f00af6.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;">Gather your dressing ingredients and put them in the blender. Blend for about a minute or until the cilantro is minced.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8674039418_a62553c6a0.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;">Pour the dressing over the salad and mix.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8674038396_177500c01b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8379/8674038396_177500c01b.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">Serve and enjoy!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Lala Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457600503223809633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-75676752313461063952010-12-14T17:37:00.000-06:002010-12-14T17:38:32.887-06:00Sour Cream Cheesecake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5257784283_78df556005_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5257784283_78df556005_z.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>My mom and aunt have had a bet on the University of Texas vs. Texas A&M football game for as long as I can remember. Most likely longer than I could remember since I am pretty sure the bet is older than I am. Well my cousin and I picked up that bet when we both ended up attending these two fine institutions of higher learning. Okay one fine institution and tamu, but that isn't why I'm here today. Today I'm here to talk about the practice cheesecake I made before I see my cousin over Christmas and have to make her one for real.<br />
<br />
This year the Aggies ended a losing streak and won, so I have to produce a cheesecake for my cousin. Now, I have very little baking experience so I decided to go with what seemed to be a pretty straight forward <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/sour-cream-cheesecake-recipe/index.html">Alton Brown recipe</a>. And while it is pretty easy to follow, some of the hardware needed proved difficult to get my hands on.<br />
<br />
The biggest difference in this recipe than what I'm used to is that it called for using a solid 9 by 3 inch cake pan rather than a springform pan. We don't have this size pan, and several stores I checked did not either. So I just followed the recipe but baked it in a springform pan and cut out the water bath.<br />
<br />
I do want to try using the water bath cooking method. While the final flavor of the cheesecake was excellent, the texture was a bit soft for my taste. It didn't run all over the plates or anything, but it could have been firmer, and I think cooking it to the recipe should achieve that.<br />
<br />
But enough words, have some pictures.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5258395164_be6f47ac1f_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5258395164_be6f47ac1f_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">butter for the crust</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5048/5258396244_b02bf2760f_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5048/5258396244_b02bf2760f_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the crust is ridiculously easy and I will never do store bought again</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5125/5258397090_87f03c21c0_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5125/5258397090_87f03c21c0_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">why yes, that is 2.5 bricks of cream cheese. mmmmm fat</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5258398736_1347d18208_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5202/5258398736_1347d18208_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nobody tell Laura I used her mixer</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5210/5257791099_a7613a0c76_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5210/5257791099_a7613a0c76_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pre-bake</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5282/5258393028_01d4147db4_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5282/5258393028_01d4147db4_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">no crack! #happydance</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5257784283_78df556005_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5042/5257784283_78df556005_z.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the left over crust bits really add a lot to the final product</td></tr>
</tbody></table>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-58340067980171148982010-09-11T19:11:00.000-05:002010-09-11T19:14:18.419-05:00Tahini Lemon Rice & Beans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/4981053626_eb1107077a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/4981053626_eb1107077a.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Okay, I admit it. I've been a total slacker. Lately, I've been letting my house hubby make the dinners. But as he is now (semi)gainfully employed, I figure it is time for me to start pulling my weight around the house. Plus the college foozball season is upon us, so if I want to eat in the next 12 weeks, I had better get cooking.<br />
<br />
Tonight I made Tahini Lemon Rice & Beans from Lauren Ulm's<i> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Yum-Decadent-Animal-Free-Entertaining/dp/0757313809/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284247408&sr=1-1">Vegan Yum Yum</a></i> (pg 81). Zack bought the cookbook as an "us" present in celebration of our one year anniversary. If the other recipes are as good as this one, I'm looking forward to trying the rest. This dish was quick, healthy and delicious.<br />
<br />
I used a short-grain brown rice and a rice cooker. I'd like to take a moment to express how much I adore my rice cooker. It is the only way I have ever, EVER, been able to make decent rice. Without the cooker, the water inevitably evaporates before the rice is cooked or the rice turns to a sticky mush. This way is pretty much idiot proof. Just put in the rice and water and flip a switch and you can concentrate on the rest of dinner. Awesome. <br />
<br />
Sooo while the rice was cooking I whipped up the dressing which was mostly lemon juice, soy sauce, tahini and olive oil. With that done I sauteed some kale and warmed black beans and shredded carrots. Then I added the cooked rice to the sauteed veggies and mixed in the dressing. Viola!<br />
<br />
I really enjoyed this dish! It would make a great dinner for a week night when you're tired and don't feel like anything labor intensive. As a bonus, we finally discovered a way that Zack enjoys greens. Now if I can only figure out sweet potatoes... <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/4980439239_e0cd16d2e7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/4980439239_e0cd16d2e7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the sauce prior to whisking</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/4980444941_e924f4c59a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/4980444941_e924f4c59a.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pre-washed/chopped kale cuts down on prep time</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/4981056140_1061a521b4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4131/4981056140_1061a521b4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sauteed veggies and rice</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4109/4980453071_ab041da5ef.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4109/4980453071_ab041da5ef.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the final yummy product</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Lala Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457600503223809633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-88356151891586612292010-08-31T13:33:00.000-05:002010-08-31T13:58:26.642-05:00Cajun-Creole-Spiced Tempeh Pieces with Creamy Grits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4943632978_7f74d9c2f6_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4943632978_7f74d9c2f6_z.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Last night at the Temporary Moore Home I cooked up some grits. Now growing up in Texas we didn't see a lot of grits about. We all heard of them, but very few people I knew had actually eaten any. When I moved to SC and fell in love with a Carolina girl, I was introduced to the southern staple. Most of the time that I have had them I don't really care for them, but I have found that when they are cooked right they make an outstanding compliment to a variety of dishes.<br />
<br />
The recipe came out of <i><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/246894148">Vegan Soul Kitchen</a></i> by Bryant Terry and is a vegan reinterpretation of the southern classic, shrimp and grits. The shrimp is replaced with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempeh">tempeh</a> and the creamy part of the grits is from almond milk and creamed cashews rather than heavy cream. Both the tempeh and the grits required a good deal of time, start to finish took me about 2 hours, but the payoff in flavor was well worth it.<br />
<br />
First I sliced the tempeh into bite size pieces and simmered them in a vegetable stock for 30 minutes. While it was simmering, I<i> </i>sautéed leeks with some minced garlic, made the cashew paste and measured out the spice mixture. I also quartered a pint of cherry tomatoes, mixed them with a bit of lemon juice and salt Once the tempeh was done simmering, I drained it and let the pieces dry for half an hour while I got the grits underway. The extra flavor in the grits came from using some vegetable stock in place of some of the cooking water. Once the grits had absorbed the liquids I added almond milk and let that get absorbed. Finally I added a little more water with the cashew paste and let the grits simmer for about 40 minutes until soft but not runny. I asked my beautiful southern bride be the expert on final grit constency.<br />
<br />
Finally, while the grits were finishing up, I fried up the drained tempeh in a small amount of extra virgin olive oil for about 6-7 minutes. The frying gave the tempeh a nice crunch on the outside while the simmer gave it a great deal of flavor from the broth. Once fried, the tempeh was combined with the <i></i>sautéed leeks and the cherry tomatoes.<br />
<br />
The dish was one of the better dishes I have made yet, and we will definitely revisit it in the future, but will be saved for days when we have the time to put into it. The leftovers made a great lunch the next day as well, always a bonus.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4943634872_fcd3e6f85c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4943634872_fcd3e6f85c_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tempeh before the simmer</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4943058901_7845a00a3d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4943058901_7845a00a3d_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the cashews await the blender blade</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4943653510_fa7f0bc16d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4099/4943653510_fa7f0bc16d_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">nine, yes NINE spices awaiting the fried tempeh</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4943071541_6281274651_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4943071541_6281274651_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think we're gonna need a bigger pan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4943074905_5b4a17c192_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4096/4943074905_5b4a17c192_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">creamy grits</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4943663946_cb54241d1c_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4943663946_cb54241d1c_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fried tempeh given a good shake with the spices then tomatoes and leeks stirred in</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4943665802_85e8d2dec3_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4095/4943665802_85e8d2dec3_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">serve tempeh over grits with some scallion for garnish and nom away</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157624844431582/with/4943665802/">more pictures here</a></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-72085009224021606102010-08-04T16:03:00.000-05:002010-08-04T16:03:12.874-05:00Shrimp Étouffée<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4826432417_0ffdbfc6fb_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4826432417_0ffdbfc6fb_z.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I assure you that we are still alive and well(ish), life has just kept us from the blog lately. We recently moved cities and are sorta settled in a family house while I look for work and Laura gets settled in her new job. For a bit of comfort recently, I decided to try my hand at a dish that my family has been cooking for years now, Shrimp Étouffée. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89touff%C3%A9e">Wikipedia has a good article on Étouffée if you want to bone up</a>.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This dish is rather simple, but easy to mess up if you aren't paying attention. It starts with a full stick of butter, mmmmmm. Sorry, just the thought of all that buttery goodness made me zone out there for a moment. Once the butter is melted sauté 1 cup chopped onions, 1 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper and 2 cloves crushed garlic. Once the onions become limp add 1.5 cups of water and let simmer for about 20 minutes.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Next, add 1.5lbs of shrimp and cayenne to taste (we like it hot and went with 1/2 teaspoon). Let this simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the shrimp is cooked. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in 3 tablespoons of water and add to the skillet. Serve over cooked rice.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For some added taste of home for me, we paired it with a simple cucumber salad that my family likes to make. The salad combines sliced cucumber (thin is good for this, but it is up to you), mayonnaise (we went with Vegenaise and I swear you can't tell the difference), green onion and ground black pepper (or cracked pepper is nice as well). The salad is best if you can soak the sliced cucumbers in water with some salt for a few hours before mixing the rest of the ingredients.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Finally we added some Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, because who in their right mind doesn't like them? All in all this was just what this homesick boy needed.</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4826425559_cfe39664d4_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4826425559_cfe39664d4_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>mmmmmmmmm butter</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4826427271_a6b092eb01_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4826427271_a6b092eb01_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>sauté goodness</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4826423693_bc270c319d_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4826423693_bc270c319d_z.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">still needs pepper</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4826419881_bf89a2c902_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4076/4826419881_bf89a2c902_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">really, don't fear it!</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4827037414_4107c059c8_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4827037414_4107c059c8_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">a taste of home</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-19962391132147447402010-05-27T19:47:00.000-05:002010-05-27T19:50:21.186-05:00Avocado & Smoked Gouda Sandwiches<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3399/4645546555_0d03511b1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3399/4645546555_0d03511b1a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This avocado and smoked Gouda sandwich is one of my favorites. It's a perfect simple meal for a hot day! <br />
<u>Ingredients:</u><br />
sourdough bread <br />
sliced tomato(es)<br />
sliced avocado<br />
sliced red onion<br />
romaine lettuce<br />
smoked Gouda<br />
spicy mustard<br />
vegenaise or mayo<br />
<br />
<br />
Lightly toast the sourdough bread under a broiler. Add the gouda, broil for a few more minutes until the cheese is slightly melted. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4646168834_e34ea78e1d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4646168834_e34ea78e1d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Top one side with tomatoes, vegenaise, salt & pepper.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3333/4646166274_ea73b7148c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3333/4646166274_ea73b7148c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Top the other half with spicy mustard, onion, avocado slices and lettuce.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4646171318_cb7cc6ca49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4646171318_cb7cc6ca49.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Smoosh the sides together and enjoy! Lala Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457600503223809633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-24515475161615095592010-05-25T19:00:00.000-05:002010-05-25T19:00:16.558-05:00Chickpea Fattet Tostadas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4639912003_d736a92bfc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4032/4639912003_d736a92bfc.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>After last night's flavor debacle, we decided to try something else from <i><a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/gourmet-vegetarian-slow-cooker-simple-and-sophisticated-meals-from-around-the-world/oclc/401140200">The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker</a></i> and this time it worked out great. Tonight's dish was very simple and actually didn't need the slow cooker at all. The only part of the recipe that called for the cooker was to cook the dried chickpeas. I didn't want to let them go all day, so I just did the quick cook method that took about an hour. Rather than sitting in the slow cooker all day, I just boiled the dried chickpeas for a couple of minutes and let them sit in the hot water until they were ready.<br />
<br />
I had never made hummus before, so we just followed the recipe from the book. In the future I'll cut back on the amount of garlic, but otherwise it was tasty. One downside to making our own hummus is that our little food processor is loud and makes our dog cower under our feet.<br />
<br />
The dish was very good and much more filling than we had expected. We will definitely do this one again.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4640525434_0c14c261f2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4041/4640525434_0c14c261f2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>just before the poor dog was under foot</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4640528400_c993d486e2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4640528400_c993d486e2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>pita is hard to slice</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4640531088_49da912faf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4640531088_49da912faf.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>hummus all done</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4639926699_4b12c75e5a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4639926699_4b12c75e5a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>pita toasted under the broiler, hummus, romaine lettuce, roasted pine nuts, a touch of fresh mint and Greek-style yogurt: easy peasy</i></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-64727784261219692082010-05-24T18:40:00.000-05:002010-05-24T18:40:07.251-05:00Greek Lemon, Artichoke and Egg Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4637329720_a64d2303ba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4637329720_a64d2303ba.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>The downside to trying new things is that occasionally those new things aren't as good as one would hope. This evening we made another dish from <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/gourmet-vegetarian-slow-cooker-simple-and-sophisticated-meals-from-around-the-world/oclc/401140200">The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker</a>. We checked the book out from the library a while back and enjoyed it so much that I put it on my wish list and my parents gave it to me for my birthday.<br />
<br />
This dish was pretty simple in that I sautéed the artichokes, celery and onion in olive oil. I added the vegetables to the slow cooker with rice and water and let them cook for the afternoon. When it was about time to eat we whisked eggs together with lemon juice to go into the soup.<br />
<br />
This all smelled delightful, but the final dish was far too tart with the 1/2 cup of lemon juice that it called for. Also, rather than being a soup, it became more of a slush. We think that our slow cooker may go a lot hotter than what the recipes expect it to. Every time we use it it seems to over cook even at the low end of cooking times.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4637311192_713cf61d0d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4637311192_713cf61d0d.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>artichoke, celery and onion ready for the pan</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3414/4636709445_ab899c06cc_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3414/4636709445_ab899c06cc_b.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> ready for the soup</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4636712819_b73ff5b072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4636712819_b73ff5b072.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>at least the bread was good</i></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-73294269524705236242010-05-23T21:22:00.000-05:002010-05-23T21:26:35.311-05:00Arepas with Avocado-Tempeh Filling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4633285275_6e80d6a9bd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4030/4633285275_6e80d6a9bd.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> Tonight we made stuffed Venezuelan sammies from Terry Hope Romero's <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/viva-vegan-200-authentic-and-fabulous-recipes-for-latin-food-lovers/oclc/227029199&referer=brief_results"><i>Viva Vegan</i></a>! Terry co-authored several of my favorite cookbooks, including <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/title/veganomicon-the-ultimate-vegan-cookbook/oclc/154699307"><i>Veganomicon</i></a>, so I expected good things. And this recipe did not disappoint! Arepas are akin to corn bread or just really, really thick tortillas. They have a crunchy crust and a moist and dense center. <br />
<br />
The recipe called for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempeh">tempeh</a> filling to be made in advance so that the flavors have time to meld. We planned on having the arepas for dinner, so I made the filling in the morning and let it marinate in the fridge. After briefly boiling the tempeh, I sprinkled it with soy sauce and cut it in cubes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3392/4633890758_683cf4b17b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3392/4633890758_683cf4b17b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Next I whisked <a href="http://www.followyourheart.com/products.php?id=3">Vegenaise</a>, lime juice and fresh ground pepper together and then stirred in the shredded jicama and tempeh cubes..This was the first time I've ever made anything with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%ADcama">jicama</a> and the first grocery store we went to didn't carry it. Once you peel it, it looks a lot like a potato but smelled like a green bean. I wish I would have thought to try a bit of it on it's own, but I didn't. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4633911866_e61ace15bd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4633911866_e61ace15bd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Making the Arepas was pretty simple. The dough was made out of masa harina flour, salt and water. It was supposed to be strictly Venezuelan or Colombian style masa harina, but the kind we bought was of non-specific origin. The dough was kneaded and then patted out into 6 disks about 4 inches in diameter.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4633941542_4c2e69c219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4059/4633941542_4c2e69c219.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />
They were then fried in a bit of canola oil before being baked for an additional 15 minutes in a 350 oven. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4633363953_5b6c09ba9e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4633363953_5b6c09ba9e.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
After baking we sliced the arepas were sliced in half, spooned on the prepared filling and topped it with sliced avocados. The traditional way to assemble these includes splitting them three quarters of the way and stuffing the filling inside like a pita, but we found the sammich construction a bit easier.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/4633972652_62dde65dfc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/4633972652_62dde65dfc.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The results were yummy! The only way I can think to describe the filling is as a tangy slaw. I love the jimaca and lime combo with the mild tempeh and warm arepas. The arepas themselves were nice, but on their own seemed a bit bland. Maybe adding a bit more salt would help this? Zack thinks they would be good withbutter and honey as a breakfast. We give it four stars!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157623997963057/">More pics here</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Lala Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457600503223809633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-61859779889050234252010-05-23T10:37:00.000-05:002010-05-23T10:51:37.691-05:00Road Trip for Hash (no, not what you are thinking)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2344/2302877993_ba2ff88de7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2344/2302877993_ba2ff88de7.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Occasionally we at Moore Food, Please like to let other people feed us. Yesterday, Laura and I went to visit our friend Mandie in Pacolet, South Carolina and attend her family's Hash. In case you are unfamiliar with Pacolet, it is the town near Spartanburg with a big horse in the middle of a river (pictured to the left).<br />
<br />
Now those of you, like me, who are not native to South Carolina may be wondering just what a "hash" is. Well the best I could tell when I got here was that it was a bunch of stuff mashed up into some kind of delicious meat paste. Wikipedia has an article on it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hash_%28food%29">here</a>. Mandie's family makes a big production out of the meal and pretty much the entire town of Pacolet, SC comes by to partake.<br />
<br />
A hash is not normally very vegetarian friendly, but Mandie did a wonderful job of preparing vegetarian dishes for those who don't drool at the idea of meat paste.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4630559926_2686980399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4630559926_2686980399.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Yup, we ate at the "Eatin' Shed"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4630484500_0f7e49a3ee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4062/4630484500_0f7e49a3ee.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Hash is typically cooked in a large single pot, this family doesn't screw around when it comes to their pot.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4630493360_c74f341982.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4630493360_c74f341982.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>A family member stirring the pot (insert dumb joke here).</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4630504602_63c4506dc8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4630504602_63c4506dc8.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The desserts were delicious!</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157623990609747/">See more pictures of the day trip</a></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-31353776990972762682010-05-19T17:29:00.000-05:002010-05-19T17:32:54.184-05:00Dinner on the cheap - Ramen Bowls!You know it. You love it. You probably ate nothing but it in college...it's ramen! Times are tight, so we've been looking for creative ways to eat on the cheap. Zack discovered the <a href="http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/">Budget Bytes</a> blog a few months ago before the layoffs. It's a lovely little blog by Beth M., a money conscious foodie. It must have been fate! Or google. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <br />
This ramen bowl was our first experiment with a Budget Byte's <a href="http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2010/03/quick-ramen-bowl-101-each.html">recipe.</a> It was easy to do, yummy and of course, cheap! We bought the ramen on sale for .17¢ each. As with most of our recipes, I added way more veggies than required. We included shredded carrots, sliced mushrooms and baby spinach. In lieu of the flavor packet we added soy sauce and a splash of fish sauce.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4612648538_6fee6e1f8d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4612648538_6fee6e1f8d.jpg" width="320" /></a> </div><br />
Zack dislikes runny egg yolks so I opted for making egg-ribbons similar to egg-drop soup. Apparently I haven't mastered egg-ribbon making. It ended up more like broth with little chunks of egg floating in it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4612665794_3ba7f77f6d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4612665794_3ba7f77f6d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
We bought a jar of chili-garlic sauce to add some heat. It was yummy but very similar to sriracha sauce. If you have sriracha at home, just use it instead. Overall I would say this is a 4 star dish. It would be perfect for an evening when you are really tired and don't feel like making anything elaborate.Lala Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457600503223809633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-6609149911582618632010-05-02T08:07:00.000-05:002010-05-02T08:11:06.798-05:00Birthday Baking FAIL<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4569640656_12eaf9d657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4569640656_12eaf9d657.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
As you may know, things have been kind of stressful and grim for us these past few months. So for Z's upcoming birthday, I wanted to do something completely frivolous and fun. A few years ago I saw a blog post for this <a href="http://archive.offthemeathook.com/2008/02/11/super-tall-amazing-rainbow-birthday-cake.aspx">Supertall Amazing Rainbow Cake</a> and I knew that would be just the thing. It was gonna be AMAZING! And a surprise.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Zack went to visit some friends Friday night, so I got to baking. Flour, egg whites and sugar flew. The mess was epic. The cake was a <a href="http://southernfood.about.com/od/coconutcakes/r/r80105g.htm">coconut cake</a> from a recipe I found on about.com. I separated the batter into different bowls and added the food coloring. I didn't know how much to add, so I just sort of dropped the coloring in and mixed until it looked nice. Then I poured it into the cake pans and baked it according to the instructions. Simple enough.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3045/4566490641_17e8a50d81.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3045/4566490641_17e8a50d81.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Now, lets talk frosting. And egg whites - evil, evil egg whites. The icing was going to be a nice, fluffy and supposedly simple egg white and sugar mix. I threw out two batches. The egg whites would not turn into fluffy peaks no matter how long my Kitchen Aid abused them. My last attempt finally yielded something fluffy and yummy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4567126928_5669a7909c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4567126928_5669a7909c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I stacked the layers, adding frosting and shredded coconut in between them. Then I frosted the exterior and dusted it with the remaining coconut. Voila! A giant Baked Alaska. Wait, what? <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4567136964_bdfecb935c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4044/4567136964_bdfecb935c.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
A few things: I should have made a double recipe so that layers would be nice and thick, to contribute to the whole "Supertall" aspect of the cake. But time was short and I was out of eggs! Baking tip #1, be prepared. That means have extra in case you eff it up the first time! Also, the cake pans I used weren't exactly the same size. For this recipe you either need a ridiculous number of cake pans, or time enough to bake everything in separate batches. Our neighbors graciously let me borrow a few of theirs so I could bake the cake all at once. Despite the slight roundness of the cake, I was still pretty dang proud...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4568978455_81e5e40dd2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4568978455_81e5e40dd2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
...That is until the next morning. When this is what I find. All of the lovely, fluffy icing had disappeared into a cobwebby vestige of its former glory. Cursing ensued. Lots and lots of cursing. But I was determined that 3 hours of baking would not go in vain. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3475/4569625286_0727bc9ef7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3475/4569625286_0727bc9ef7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
We were brave and tried a slice. It actually tasted pretty good. Nice and coco-nutty. The frosting had been absorbed by the cake, so it was very moist. And it looked pretty on the plate, even without frosting.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4569016287_2433264433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4569016287_2433264433.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Next year, I'll be keeping it simple. Patti, I hear you have a cheesecake recipe?Lala Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457600503223809633noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-9876322373253301202010-04-11T19:50:00.000-05:002010-04-11T19:50:35.087-05:00Linguini with Lemon-Roasted Asparagus and Goat Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2269/4512231547_4c21870872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2269/4512231547_4c21870872.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I love asparagus! Really, I do. As a child, my experience with it was limited to the canned stuff smothered in cheese. I happen to be a fan of cheese, but canned asparagus is just unpleasant (think mouthful of snot). So I was surprised when I had fresh asparagus for the first time as an adult. Ever since then, I've been happily experimenting with any new recipe I come across. I saw this liniguini recipe last week on CRAFTzine.com and knew we'd have to try it soon. Bonus: asparagus is in season so it's fresh and cheap!<br />
<br />
<br />
This was a really simple and delicious recipe. The veggie prep included washing and cutting the asparagus and slicing shallots. The citrus marinade took only a couple of minutes, mostly spent mincing garlic cloves. I zested and juiced a lemon and mixed it in with olive oil, garlic, and dijon mustard along with some salt and pepper. The marinated veggies roasted for seven minutes which was exactly the amount of time the pasta needed to cook. Then we tossed it all together and topped it with goat cheese and parsley. Yum! And it was all done in less than thirty minutes (Suck it, Rachel Ray). <a href="http://cdn.makezine.com/make/craft/2010/04/Recipe_Asparagus_Linguini.pdf">Download the recipe in PDF here</a>. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4512188425_ffe8760da8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4512188425_ffe8760da8.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Zack chopping veggies</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2154/4512858316_1a74f80148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2154/4512858316_1a74f80148.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>cry face. shallots ain't no joke.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2390/4512227079_c94f011ace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2390/4512227079_c94f011ace.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>citrus-y goodness</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2037/4512236301_762623140f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2037/4512236301_762623140f.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>roasted veg</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2754/4512256707_3b40e99699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2754/4512256707_3b40e99699.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ta-da! </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Lala Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457600503223809633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-49929656751354332812010-04-10T19:16:00.000-05:002010-04-10T19:18:52.692-05:00Salmon & Couscous Packages<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2094/4508705579_0da65b5b05_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2094/4508705579_0da65b5b05_b.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Spring time is here and it is time to step away from the heavy dishes. Tonight we dined on a recipe from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Diabetes-Seafood-Cookbook-Healthy-Low-Fat/dp/1580403026"><i>The Diabetes Seafood Cookbook</i></a> (don't worry neither of us have contracted diabetes just yet). The recipe was cooked in foil pouches like we had last week, but rather than a stew the couscous soaked up all the liquid. Laura and I are both big fans of dill and this dish delivered on that taste. The one thing we didn't like was the finished couscous. The liquid used for cooking was white wine and wine flavored couscous just isn't all that tasty. Next time we try this recipe we will either use just water or veggie broth in place of the wine.<br />
<br />
We give this one 3 stars for now, but we did end up throwing out the couscous.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2344/4508708421_2f8523c8d5_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2344/4508708421_2f8523c8d5_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>dill and sour cream, what more could you ask for?</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4508711685_07b232df7b_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4508711685_07b232df7b_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> couscous underneath fish on top (wine to come)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2771/4509366294_c3b1eefc12_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2771/4509366294_c3b1eefc12_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>the recipe side was cucumber with sour cream, we decided to add some more dill (it was a good call)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2394/4508722885_73c5295d28_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2394/4508722885_73c5295d28_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> fish = good; couscous = bad</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157623827212626/">more pictures here</a> </i></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-1306597112407836082010-04-06T19:20:00.000-05:002010-04-06T19:20:27.998-05:00Minted Potato and Chickpea Curry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4498618400_0611b357d1_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4498618400_0611b357d1_b.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Tonight's dinner comes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gourmet-Vegetarian-Slow-Cooker-Sophisticated/dp/158008074X"><i>The Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker</i></a> page 25. An upside to unemployment is that I can watch a slow cooker all day long, but this dish didn't need any babysitting at all. The chickpeas cooked all day in the cooker and most the rest of the ingredients were added about an hour before eating.<br />
<br />
The dish was good, but could be better. First the potatoes needed more than the hour the recipe called for. Next time, we will either cut them into smaller pieces or give it more time. Also, to give it a bit more flavor we really should have gone with fresh tomato rather than canned. We omitted the fresh cilantro since neither of us care for the stuff. Next time we may try adding dry parsley with the spices to make up for the lack of cilantro. The fresh mint and jalapeno were particularly nice in the final dish.<br />
<br />
We give this one 3.5 out of 5 stars, for now.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4498596674_2d627104ff_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4498596674_2d627104ff_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>the ingredient list was smaller than most of our dishes</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4498599590_b46701de14_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4042/4498599590_b46701de14_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> sloooooow cookin'</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2723/4498621848_8b1010ba1e_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2723/4498621848_8b1010ba1e_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>we served it with brown rice</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157623791132958/"><i>more pictures here</i></a></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-4483319044722160012010-04-06T11:27:00.000-05:002010-04-06T13:47:39.680-05:00Ramen Radiator<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2703/4496791685_e3625a6c85_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2703/4496791685_e3625a6c85_b.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Moore Food, Please is back from our short break, work woes have kept us busy and too exhausted to post recently. We do have a few dishes from the last few weeks to write about and hopefully we will have them all up soon.<br />
<br />
Last night we tried a recipe from the Alton Brown book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Im-Just-Here-Food-Version/dp/158479559X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270570454&sr=8-2"><i>I'm Just Here for the Food: Version 2.0</i></a> and it was yummy. The recipe was Ramen Radiator (page 169). The recipe reminded me of the "silver turtles" I used to make when I was in scouts as a kids. The cooking method had us wrap everything up in aluminum foil and let the liquid cook the goodies with steam in the oven.<br />
<br />
We will definitely revisit this recipe, with a few minor changes. The final dish was a little sweet for our taste, so we will probably omit the honey, cut back on the mirin and slightly increase the amount of soy sauce. We give this one 4 out of 5 stars, and with a little work it could easily become 5.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4497383972_28f6af8c55_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4497383972_28f6af8c55_b.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>cremini mushrooms were caramelized in olive oil and toasted sesame oil</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2759/4497391348_c26feb61f5_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2759/4497391348_c26feb61f5_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>the goodies that were going into the pouches</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4497399136_82390520be_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4497399136_82390520be_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>what isn't visible is the half "load" of ramen noodles under the fish</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4497418184_f83fe0f69b_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4497418184_f83fe0f69b_b.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>we decided to eat like grown ups for once</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4497430698_04160437ed_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4497430698_04160437ed_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>mmmmmmmm</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157623788097416/">more pictures here</a> </i><i> </i></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-19939859542303902192010-03-08T19:54:00.000-06:002010-03-08T19:54:09.218-06:00Baked Penne with Sausage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4417921199_b0912173ee_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4417921199_b0912173ee_b.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Tonight was comfort food night at the Moore house. We got the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Williams-Sonoma-Comfort-Food-Homey-Hearty/dp/0848733045/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268098022&sr=8-1">Williams-Sonoma Comfort Food</a> cookbook from work (working in a library has its advantages) and it is just stunningly beautiful. Most of the dishes are not even remotely vegetarian friendly and a lot of them would be difficult to impossible to create meatless versions. We did decide to try the baked ziti with sausage recipe with vegetarian sausage. The sausage was okay, but in the future we will use faux sausage crumbles rather than links. We also switched out the ziti with penne because we found a whole grain penne.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://moore-food.blogspot.com/2010/01/zack-and-laura-dish-week.html">Baked spaghetti has been a staple</a> in our house, so we decided to try another approach with it. And this recipe did have some additions that we will reuse in the future, namely red pepper flake in the sauce. We both agree that most anything can be made tastier with red pepper flake. Also the addition of roasted eggplant was much needed.<br />
<br />
We give this one 4 out of 5 stars. The added plus is that we have plenty of left overs for lunches this week. Oh good God, I just said that. My life is sad sometimes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4417927409_58eb1b3b68_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4417927409_58eb1b3b68_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Stay away from the Tofurky Italian Sausage (the dish was good despite this part)</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4417943929_fa194110e4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4417943929_fa194110e4_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> sauce with roasted eggplant and sausage</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4418726764_976a5ebed8_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4037/4418726764_976a5ebed8_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> pre-bake</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2721/4418773694_7103af1dec_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2721/4418773694_7103af1dec_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157623457930515/">more pictures here</a></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-7866168112227415302010-03-07T19:08:00.000-06:002010-03-07T19:12:23.750-06:00Lime and Honey Glazed Salmon with Warm Black Bean and Corn Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/4415625566_2d1fd25f19_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2591/4415625566_2d1fd25f19_b.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Once again, we went to the cookbook, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Ray-365-Repeats-Deliciously/dp/1400082544/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268009762&sr=8-1"><i>Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats</i></a>, and once again it payed off. Say what you will about how annoying she can be, Rachael can cook and her recipes rock the house. The name of this dish explains it rather well, but it doesn't tell you just how tasty the salad is. I thought the fish was great, but Laura thought it was a bit too "fishy." Next time I will cook her piece a bit longer and hopefully it will be more to her liking. We did mess up in that we accidentally doubled the lime juice in the fish glaze which took away from the honey flavor, I will try and not do that again.<br />
<br />
Overall we give this one 4 out of 5 stars (with 5 stars easy on the salad).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4414846869_3b30bb3a21_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4414846869_3b30bb3a21_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Spice mixture for the salad: garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, salt and pepper.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2703/4415621452_53926af260_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2703/4415621452_53926af260_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We fear the non-stick pan, so this got a little messy</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4415636838_3a76e73f35_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4415636838_3a76e73f35_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Salad is made of onion (we used yellow rather than red), red bell pepper, corn, black beans, baby spinach and fresh cilantro</i></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-57038991900016379072010-03-01T19:54:00.000-06:002010-03-01T20:02:00.638-06:00Mushroom and Sun-dried Tomato Risotto<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I have to start this out by saying Mmmmmmm! Risotto is delicious. Mushroom and sun-dried tomato risotto is the most delicious thing. Ever. That being said, you have to have time. And patience. But mostly time (and a really supportive pair of shoes). This recipe was from </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1569243581/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267493238&sr=8-1" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i>Vegan With a Vengeance</i></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">. The recipe was simple to follow, but it required a lot of time standing over the stove with almost constant stirring. This is best done with another person so you can stir in shifts . Do not, under any circumstances, send your husband to the store for a bottle of wine while you make it, or you can end up tired and cranky. I'm just saying. The payoff is worth it, as it is creamy mushroom deliciousness. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">We subbed dried porcini mushrooms instead of the ones the recipe called for. It was a definite 5 out of 5 stars. We'll be making this one again as soon as I'm fully recovered.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4326795928_e80854bd53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4326795928_e80854bd53.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4326065405_394b723b49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4326065405_394b723b49.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4326792958_563c44cf19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4067/4326792958_563c44cf19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4326072863_6f9029b635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4023/4326072863_6f9029b635.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> <i>mmmmmmmm</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157623338328088/">more pictures here</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Lala Librarianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02457600503223809633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-80798458789480930392010-02-28T17:57:00.000-06:002010-02-28T17:57:38.079-06:00Vegetable Lasagna with Garlic Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4396602622_4eea08fb0a_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4396602622_4eea08fb0a_b.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Cheesy goodness was on the menu tonight. We tried a new <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/calorie-commando/vegetable-lasagna-recipe/index.html">vegetable lasagna recipe that we found online</a>. It was pasta free and called for thinly sliced zucchini, chopped eggplant and chopped yellow squash. All three were roasted in a mixture of olive oil, garlic and dried thyme.<br />
<br />
We switched out the portobello with baby bella and the button mushrooms with cremini. In the future we will use all cremini and saute the whole batch. Also, I didn't let the tomato sauce simmer quite long enough and it was still a bit too liquid which made for a messy final dish. Despite that, it was quite tasty and we will definitely make it again. We give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4395831609_a43773dee3_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4395831609_a43773dee3_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>yellow squash</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4395839319_a5de7dac8f_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4014/4395839319_a5de7dac8f_b.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> lightly roasted zucchini</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4395843771_4384349778_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4021/4395843771_4384349778_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>mushrooms, mmmmm</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2745/4396615540_07ba1f1970_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2745/4396615540_07ba1f1970_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> Parmesan </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2698/4396639952_46c0d58e3a_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2698/4396639952_46c0d58e3a_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>final result</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157623404506679/">more pictures here</a> </i></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-28451164243635243222010-02-21T20:35:00.000-06:002010-02-21T20:35:11.073-06:00Mushroom Polenta "Lasagna" with Sesame Asparagus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/4377681944_68a91f5cf0_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2433/4377681944_68a91f5cf0_b.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Tonight's main dish was from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rachael-Ray-365-Repeats-Deliciously/dp/1400082544/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266805920&sr=8-1">Rachael Ray 365: No Repeats</a> page 300. We have made this once before we started the blog and really liked it, so we decided to revisit and it was still just as good. We made a slight alteration to the mushroom portion of the recipe. We used baby bella rather than portobello mushrooms, and it was just fine. The recipe uses prepared polenta in place of pasta. The next time we make this, I may try to make the polenta myself. Also, next time we plan to make it in a larger pan to try and thin the layers out a little bit. We ended up having to cook it much longer than the recipe called for. Hopefully the changes we make next time will cut down on the cooking time.<br />
<br />
The side dish was the sesame asparagus we made <a href="http://moore-food.blogspot.com/2010/01/chickpea-cutlets-with-mustard-sauce.html">last month</a> from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1569243581/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266805967&sr=1-1">Vegan with a Vengeance</a>. I am proud to say that I did not burn the sesame seed oil and garlic this time around. We also followed the recipe better and did not end up burning holes in our mouths with too much red pepper flake. Trust me on this one, one teaspoon is plenty for this dish. While the cookbook suggests this as a side to Asian type meals, it paired well with the main dish which also included some red pepper flake.<br />
<br />
This was a great dish, despite taking much longer than the recipe suggests. We give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2761/4377660446_000c86b2c4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2761/4377660446_000c86b2c4_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>This one calls for a lot of ingredients</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4376915929_db303aec60_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4376915929_db303aec60_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> mushrooms, onion, garlic and rosemary</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2705/4376920233_315996502b_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2705/4376920233_315996502b_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> bre-bake</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4376960207_e9be54cbe5_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2803/4376960207_e9be54cbe5_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> mmmmmmm</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157623358172773/">more pictures here</a> </i></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-40506476073517044632010-02-15T20:20:00.000-06:002010-02-15T20:20:27.729-06:00Chickpea and Spinach Curry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4360529829_48038bd280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4360529829_48038bd280.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Night two for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1569243581">Vegan With a Vengeance</a>, with my first attempt at a curry. We made a few alterations to the recipe. First was using ground ginger since the fresh ginger we had wasn't so fresh any more. Second was using ground cardamom in place of cardamom pods, which our usual grocery store didn't seem to have. Upon spice testing toward the end of the cooking process, we added a little more curry powder as well as salt.<br />
<br />
The dish was good, but a little more bland then the copious amounts of spice would suggest. My coworker of Indian heritage, told me today that she lives off of curry, so I'm hoping she can give me some good tips on uping the heat of the dish. In the future, we will definitely make sure we have some fresh ginger also more tomato and tomato juice. We give this one 3 out of 5 stars with high hopes of a better dish on the next attempt.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4361247882_1e68083ae5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4071/4361247882_1e68083ae5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>mustard seed and onion</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4360512601_9708f5f8c0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4058/4360512601_9708f5f8c0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> spices and tomato added</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2738/4360515999_69e38c363e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2738/4360515999_69e38c363e.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> cooking down the spinach</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2681/4360526749_5239c4cb3b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2681/4360526749_5239c4cb3b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> simmer with the chickpeas</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4361278998_17178164b1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4361278998_17178164b1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> we went with a bed of rice</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157623443512358/"><i>more pictures here </i></a></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1874535183412623782.post-28587743541957337132010-02-14T19:02:00.000-06:002010-02-14T19:14:44.936-06:00Jerk Seitan with Coconut Rice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4357274990_d51f24acdd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4357274990_d51f24acdd.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Tonight we revisited <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Vengeance-Delicious-Animal-Free-Recipes/dp/1569243581/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266193747&sr=1-1"><i>Vegan with a Vengeance</i></a> with delicious results. The main dish was jerk seitan (page 159). The recipe says to marinade the seitan for an hour, but I went ahead and set it up around noon and let it sit for about six hours. The only other variation we took from the recipe was to add more cayenne just before cooking, about a teaspoon or so more which gave the final dish a bit more heat.<br />
<br />
The seitan was simple and flavorful with the large amount of spices used in the marinade. An onion and green bell pepper were sauteed for about 10 minutes before adding the seitan to the skillet. The seitan cooked for about ten minutes and then for a few more minutes when we added the marinade to the skillet. Total cooking time for the main dish was about 25 minutes.<br />
<br />
The coconut rice recipe is from the same book (page 109). This too was simple and delicious. The jasmine rice cooked in coconut milk and water with a cinnamon stick and a little salt. Shortly before finishing, we added the zest of one lime to the party. Side note: we finally got around to getting a <a href="http://us.microplane.com/microplaneclassicserieszestergrater.aspx">Microplane zester/grater</a> and it is awesome.<br />
<br />
Last but not least, we decided to add a simple greens salad much like we had with <a href="http://moore-food.blogspot.com/2010/01/salmon-cakes-with-salad-greens-and-rice.html">Salmon Cakes</a> last month. We used salad greens tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, kosher salt and pepper. We also added some tomato and cucumber.<br />
<br />
This dinner will be revisited in the future because it was so tasty. We give it 5 out of 5 stars.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4356524557_4c36255ff2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4356524557_4c36255ff2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>ingredients for the marinade</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/4357181685_8126a63971.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2744/4357181685_8126a63971.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>onion and bell pepper</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4357938686_c9b86881de.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4357938686_c9b86881de.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> the seitan patiently awaits its turn</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4357205341_e294903d6b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4357205341_e294903d6b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> finished rice topped with toasted coconut</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4357219205_485cffa91e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4357219205_485cffa91e.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i> pair with Shiner Bock for the yummy</i><br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gregorbug79/sets/72157623309834535/">more pictures here</a> </i></div>libraryguyzackhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03171031262924541374noreply@blogger.com0