Tonight, I needed to throw together something before I left for work (I am working 2-6pm on Mondays, and two of the kids have dance classes at 6:30 that evening, so I need to make sure dinner is squared away and will be ready and waiting when we get home). I decided to see if I could come up with something healthy and nutritious for my family using only ingredients from the 99-cents store and a few herbs and spices I had on hand. Most of the family has been nursing a nasty cold/cough, so soup seemed like a no-brainer.
Here's what I did (I am posting the cost of ingredients, too, which I figured based on the total cost of the product. So, for instance, if I got 8 potatoes for a dollar, but only used two, my potatoes in this recipe cost $0.25. Got it?):
1 TBS olive oil -- 10¢
1/2 large onion-- 25¢
3 stalks celery -- 25¢
1/2 bag baby carrots -- 50¢
4 cloves garlic -- 10¢
1/2 of a 16oz bag frozen mixed vegetables -- 50¢
1 14-15oz can diced tomatoes -- 79¢
6 cans water -- nc (no charge)
2 potatoes (pkg. of 8) -- 25¢
1/2 small head cabbage -- 50¢
herbs (sage, oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary)
optional - 1 spoonful bouillon (not sure of cost ~ was already in my cupboard)
So, without accounting for the few ingredients of whose cost I am uncertain, that comes up to a whopping $3.24 for the family meal this evening. If you estimate another dollar for the seasonings, it's still under five bucks. A couple of us had dinner rolls with our soup. Since there are 12 in a package, they cost us all of a little over eight cents apiece. Even if we each had one, that adds only another $0.41. So, let's add that and our dollar for seasonings. Wow. That's a grand total of $4.65 for the entire meal.
Want to know how to make it? It is so easy.
In a large souppot, heat 1 TBS olive oil. Add onion, celery, carrot and garlic, all roughly chopped. Sprinkle with a little salt and cook, stirring, over low heat until onions are just starting to soften. Add a good sprinkle each of sage, oregano and thyme, and just a couple of pinches of rosemary. Stir in about 1 TBS dried parsley and a bit of black pepper. (Sorry, I didn't measure the seasonings. Just start small and adjust later to suit your taste.) Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-6 minutes. Add tomatoes and water (and, if using it, the bouillon). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer. While it is simmering, peel and dice your potatoes and roughly chop the cabbage. Add potatoes, cabbage and mixed veggies to the pot and bring up to a boil once more. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until all veggies are cooked through. Add more water as needed to achieve desired consistency. Taste, and adjust seasonings.
That's it! You're done. Really.
Now, for us, this was perfect tonight, because we all just needed a kind of light soup. If you need something a bit more substantial, I recommend adding a handful of cooked beans and/or cooked pasta (or rice). That might drive up your cost to a whopping...what? Six bucks? I think that would still be good for a family meal.
There were four of us eating this tonight (the little one doesn't eat vegetable soup. She had ramen. *sigh*), and I have leftovers enough for at least two lunches tomorrow, even after some of us had seconds, so it really did make a good-sized pot of soup.
For the record, this recipe isn't all that different from others I have posted here. However, this is the first time I have bothered to sit down and figure the cost. I was impressed. Might have to include that info with more of my recipes. I know we are not the only ones striving to be frugal these days.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Tiny Food is Better
It's undeniably true. There is just something about tiny food that makes it better. It looks appealing, affords the diner an opportunity to sample many different foods because portions are small, and it just makes eating more fun. Appetizers, tapas, hors d'oeuvres...Tiny food comes in many shapes, but all of them are tiny. You might find miniature versions of larger dishes (think individual quiche, two-bite brownies...) as well as "baby" versions of fruits and vegetables (carrots, potatoes, bananas). There are also some foods that are just small. Kumquats come to mind. They look like tiny little oranges. Adorable.
Tonight was Sandwich Night. We've been trying to have a sandwich night once a week for two reasons: 1) we have a couple of very hectic days each week thanx to my new job and the kids music and dance lessons, and 2) we like sandwiches. So far, we have done grilled cheese (with tomato soup) and vegetarian cold cut subs. Last week, Hallie asked if we could have finger sandwiches this week, and I agreed. It's funny ~ I used to make them all the time, and then, at some point, I just stopped. I don't know why. We all always liked them so much.
Now, usually, I would make three types of sandwiches: cucumber, watercress and egg salad. We talked about it, and it seemed most people in our family prefer the watercress and egg salad sandwiches. I actually love cucumber sandwiches, but I can't eat them (cream cheese) and I was in the mood for egg salad, anyway. So, we settled on watercress and egg salad.
I searched several stores, but was unable to turn up any watercress. We were just about to scrap the idea when something occurred to me: we have a TON of lettuce growing in our garden. It's true. We have 5 or 6 varieties (I'll admit, I am not even sure what they are. I think I bought two mixed batches of seedlings ~ one labelled "gourmet" and the other something like "spring mix") , and they are growing like wildfire down there. so, we agreed it would be a good idea to choose one of the darker, flatter varieties and use that in place of watercress. If you can find watercress, use it. It is so good. If not, try some interesting lettuce. It's worth a shot, anyway.
Here's what you'll need to make your own finger sandwiches:
Sliced bread, wheat and white (I use a whole grain white, but I am sure that doesn't matter)
Softened cream cheese or neufchatel
Watercress (or something similar)
Cucumbers, peeled and sliced in rounds
Egg salad
To make watercress sandwiches:
Lay out six slices of white bread. Spread each slice with a layer of cream cheese (I like it fairly thick). On three of the slices, carefully cover the cream cheese with a single layer of watercress (or whatever you are using instead). Top each of those slices with one of the other three slices (that have just cream cheese). Cut off crusts.* Cut each sandwich into three strips, then cut each strip in half. Voila! Finger sandwiches.
To make cucumber sandwiches:
Follow the same procedure as you did for the watercress sandwiches, using cucumber slices instead of watercress. Try to keep the cucumbers in a single layer ~ do not overlap them. Cut as above.
To make egg salad sandwiches:
Use your favourite egg salad recipe. However, when preparing egg salad for finger sandwiches, use a fork to make sure the eggs are well mashed, with no excessively large pieces of egg white remaining. Also, since it is likely these sandwiches will be made ahead of time, do not make your egg salad very creamy. I used four eggs and just maybe a couple of tablespoons of mayonaise and a touch of mustard. You should season it however you like, but avoid making the salad itself too wet or you bread will get soggy. I also recommend adding dill to your egg salad. If you haven't tried this, you definitely should. I usually make my egg salad sandwiches on wheat. They look pretty and are a nice contrast to the watercress and cucumber on white. Assemble the sandwiches and cut as above.
* I find it is easiest to cut the sandwiches neatly with a good bread knife. Chilling them a bit before cutting can help, too, and it is a good idea to wipe the knife blade after each cut.
Now, you need some tiny little accompaniments. I recommend baby carrots, tiny pickles, small fruits like kumquats, grapes, cherry tomatoes, etc. Today, I was lucky enough to find a bag of mixed miniature potatoes (you know the "gourmet variety" pack that includes red and blue potatoes, as well as the usual type) at the 99-cents store, of all places.
BTW, while we are on the subject:
1 dozen eggs - 99-cents store
Whole grain white bread - 99-cents store
Wheat bread - 99-cents store
Neufchatel - 99-cents store
Lettuce - my backyard
So, yeah, this was a darned cheap meal for the five of us. And we have leftovers for lunches, as well as most of two loaves of bread, some cream cheese and about half a dozen eggs, so I would say we made out like bandits.
Anyway...I was talking about potatoes. I had picked up these potatoes (remember where I got them?), and they were tiny, so I thought they would go nicely with our lovely little sandwiches.
Here's what I did:
Scrub potatoes, cutting larger ones in half.
Heat a large skillet (with a lid) over low heat. Add 1-2 TBS olive oil. When oil is hot, add rinsed potatoes and sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to coat, then cover with the lid. Let the potatoes cook while you peel and roughly chop 2-3 cloves of garlic. Add the garlic to the potatoes and sprinkle liberally with dill (fresh or dried). Stir again to coat the potatoes with the seasonings. Cover and cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir, and add about 1/4 cup water if the potatoes are starting to stick to the pan. Replace cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adding just a bit of water as necessary to keep potatoes from sticking, until potatoes are done. Make sure to cook off any residual water at the end by removing the lid and cooking until water has evaporated. Transfer to a serving dish. If desired, toss with a touch of honey mustard and/or balsamic vinegar (I didn't this time, but it sure is good that way).
There you have it. Tiny dinner. Because tiny food is better.
Tonight was Sandwich Night. We've been trying to have a sandwich night once a week for two reasons: 1) we have a couple of very hectic days each week thanx to my new job and the kids music and dance lessons, and 2) we like sandwiches. So far, we have done grilled cheese (with tomato soup) and vegetarian cold cut subs. Last week, Hallie asked if we could have finger sandwiches this week, and I agreed. It's funny ~ I used to make them all the time, and then, at some point, I just stopped. I don't know why. We all always liked them so much.
Now, usually, I would make three types of sandwiches: cucumber, watercress and egg salad. We talked about it, and it seemed most people in our family prefer the watercress and egg salad sandwiches. I actually love cucumber sandwiches, but I can't eat them (cream cheese) and I was in the mood for egg salad, anyway. So, we settled on watercress and egg salad.
I searched several stores, but was unable to turn up any watercress. We were just about to scrap the idea when something occurred to me: we have a TON of lettuce growing in our garden. It's true. We have 5 or 6 varieties (I'll admit, I am not even sure what they are. I think I bought two mixed batches of seedlings ~ one labelled "gourmet" and the other something like "spring mix") , and they are growing like wildfire down there. so, we agreed it would be a good idea to choose one of the darker, flatter varieties and use that in place of watercress. If you can find watercress, use it. It is so good. If not, try some interesting lettuce. It's worth a shot, anyway.
Here's what you'll need to make your own finger sandwiches:
Sliced bread, wheat and white (I use a whole grain white, but I am sure that doesn't matter)
Softened cream cheese or neufchatel
Watercress (or something similar)
Cucumbers, peeled and sliced in rounds
Egg salad
To make watercress sandwiches:Lay out six slices of white bread. Spread each slice with a layer of cream cheese (I like it fairly thick). On three of the slices, carefully cover the cream cheese with a single layer of watercress (or whatever you are using instead). Top each of those slices with one of the other three slices (that have just cream cheese). Cut off crusts.* Cut each sandwich into three strips, then cut each strip in half. Voila! Finger sandwiches.
To make cucumber sandwiches:
Follow the same procedure as you did for the watercress sandwiches, using cucumber slices instead of watercress. Try to keep the cucumbers in a single layer ~ do not overlap them. Cut as above.
To make egg salad sandwiches:
Use your favourite egg salad recipe. However, when preparing egg salad for finger sandwiches, use a fork to make sure the eggs are well mashed, with no excessively large pieces of egg white remaining. Also, since it is likely these sandwiches will be made ahead of time, do not make your egg salad very creamy. I used four eggs and just maybe a couple of tablespoons of mayonaise and a touch of mustard. You should season it however you like, but avoid making the salad itself too wet or you bread will get soggy. I also recommend adding dill to your egg salad. If you haven't tried this, you definitely should. I usually make my egg salad sandwiches on wheat. They look pretty and are a nice contrast to the watercress and cucumber on white. Assemble the sandwiches and cut as above.
* I find it is easiest to cut the sandwiches neatly with a good bread knife. Chilling them a bit before cutting can help, too, and it is a good idea to wipe the knife blade after each cut.
Now, you need some tiny little accompaniments. I recommend baby carrots, tiny pickles, small fruits like kumquats, grapes, cherry tomatoes, etc. Today, I was lucky enough to find a bag of mixed miniature potatoes (you know the "gourmet variety" pack that includes red and blue potatoes, as well as the usual type) at the 99-cents store, of all places.
BTW, while we are on the subject:
1 dozen eggs - 99-cents store
Whole grain white bread - 99-cents store
Wheat bread - 99-cents store
Neufchatel - 99-cents store
Lettuce - my backyard
So, yeah, this was a darned cheap meal for the five of us. And we have leftovers for lunches, as well as most of two loaves of bread, some cream cheese and about half a dozen eggs, so I would say we made out like bandits.
Anyway...I was talking about potatoes. I had picked up these potatoes (remember where I got them?), and they were tiny, so I thought they would go nicely with our lovely little sandwiches.
Here's what I did:
Scrub potatoes, cutting larger ones in half.
Heat a large skillet (with a lid) over low heat. Add 1-2 TBS olive oil. When oil is hot, add rinsed potatoes and sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to coat, then cover with the lid. Let the potatoes cook while you peel and roughly chop 2-3 cloves of garlic. Add the garlic to the potatoes and sprinkle liberally with dill (fresh or dried). Stir again to coat the potatoes with the seasonings. Cover and cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir, and add about 1/4 cup water if the potatoes are starting to stick to the pan. Replace cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally and adding just a bit of water as necessary to keep potatoes from sticking, until potatoes are done. Make sure to cook off any residual water at the end by removing the lid and cooking until water has evaporated. Transfer to a serving dish. If desired, toss with a touch of honey mustard and/or balsamic vinegar (I didn't this time, but it sure is good that way).There you have it. Tiny dinner. Because tiny food is better.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Red Beans & Rice
Today, I went back to work. Every Monday, I will be teaching three drama classes, back-to-back, after school at an elementary school. On Wednesdays, I will be teaching at a different elementary school. I am very excited about this opportunity, of course, but it does present some challenges on the homefront. Mondays will be particularly challenging, as I will be teaching from 2:30 until 5:30 (arrive around 2-ish to set up, and leave around 6, after students are picked up), then picking up kids and racing Justice and Kaia over to the dance studio for their classes. This means that, somehow, I have to manage to prepare dinner...while I am not home.
Crockpot to the rescue! (Sorta)
I decided I really wanted to make red beans & rice. I don't know why, exactly. I had just been craving it lately. Today was a very rainy day, and my first day back at work...and my first day in a new job. So, I wanted something warm and comforting, that would be waiting at home for me when I got here. Oh, and I wanted to feed the family, too. I had red beans in the cupboard, and so, the matter was settled.
Now, there was only one problem. I had made red beans and rice before, but I had never found a recipe I really loved, so I decided to hunt around on the internet a bit. I knew mine would not be authentic, because I am fairly certain no one has made a passable vegetarian andouille sausage, but I thought I might give it a shot, anyway.
I found this recipe, and it sounded pretty good:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/authentic-louisiana-red-beans-and-rice/
I made a couple of simple adaptations to compensate for the lack of andouille sausage, and I also adapted it so that I could put it in the crockpot before I left for work and it would be ready when we got home. I tried cooking beans int he crockpot once before, and they took way longer to cook than the recipe I followed had indicated they would, so I decided to start this dish on the stove and transfer it to the crockpot later. Below, I have given instructions for a traditional stovetop method as well as my crockpot adaptation. You might be able to do all of the cooking in the crockpot, but I didn't want to take a chance on it not being ready when I got home.
I also cut down the amount of oil in the original recipe, and made my own "Cajun seasoning," as I didn't have any on hand. Since not everyone here likes things quite as spicy as I do, I left out the cayenne (since there was already some in the seasoning mix) and just let people add hot sauce to their bowls if they wished. Oh, and I used brown rice, because I just prefer it to white. So, I guess mine is a bit different. It might not be authentic, but it sure is tasty.
Here's what I did:
1 pound dry red beans
6 cups water
a couple of large pinches of baking soda
3 TBS cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning*
a few drops of Liquid Smoke
2-4 vegetarian sausage patties, cooked and crumbled
4 cups water
2 cups jasmine brown rice
1TBS olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
Rinse beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight. (Or use quick-soak method: rinse and sort beans, place in a large pot and cover with water. I add a little baking soda to my soak water when cooking dry beans. I have heard this can help minimize the...ahem..."musical" quality. Bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes, then turn off and let stand for 1 hour. Proceed as directed for the rest of the recipe)
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes.
Rinse soaked beans, drain, and transfer to a large pot with 6 cups water. Stir cooked vegetables into beans. Season with bay leaves, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Stir in a few drops of liquid smoke. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
I wanted to use my crokpot, so, after soaking, I cooked my beans for the first hour on the stove, then I transferred them to my crockpot and left them on low for 5-6 hours. They were perfect when I got home. I found it was good to use the back of the spoon to mash some beans (not too many) against the side of the pot, then stir. The mashed beans thickened the broth a bit.
Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a saucepan, bring water, rice, oil, salt and garlic to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 16 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 5-10 minutes. (I did this before I left for work and stored it in the fridge. When we were ready to heat, we just heated our rice briefly first. I am guessing, because beans that have been in the crockpot for 5-6 hours are so hot, you might not even need to heat the rice, but I did it, anyway, because I like my food piping hot.)
To serve, place a scoop of rice in a bowl. Top with a generous amount of beans. If desired, stir in crumbled sausage and/or hot sauce.
Absolutely scrumptious. Definitely going to make this again.
* To make your own Cajun Seasoning:
In a small container (jar, ziplock bag, small dish with a lid, etc.) place:
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Cover (or zip the bag) and shake to thoroughly mix. There ya go ~ Cajun seasoning (or something like it, based on what I read on the internet. It worked in my recipe, anyway). Use what you need in your recipe and store the rest in an airtight container for future use. Yum-yum!
I also tried to make corn muffins. I say I tried because I failed. I completely forgot to add the baking powder, so they didn't rise much. They are like hockey pucks. Not the texture, but the shape. Tasty little hockey pucks. Kaia ate one, anyway. They do have an excellent flavour, so I will make them again (with the baking powder this time). Here's the recipe I used:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/basic-corn-muffins/
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, mix together corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg, oil and milk; stir gently to combine. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Luckily, after my corn muffin fail, I realized we had some leftover pizza dough. A little flattening onto a baking sheet, a smear of garlic butter, a sprinkle of herbs (oregano and basil), a light scoring with the pizza cutter and about 10 minutes in a 450 degree oven later, they were breadsticks. Hallie, Justice and their friend Maya gobbled them up, and Hallie proclaimed them: "Way better than store bought."
So, all's well that ends well. We had an excellent hot dinner at the end of a busy, cold, rainy day.
Crockpot to the rescue! (Sorta)
I decided I really wanted to make red beans & rice. I don't know why, exactly. I had just been craving it lately. Today was a very rainy day, and my first day back at work...and my first day in a new job. So, I wanted something warm and comforting, that would be waiting at home for me when I got here. Oh, and I wanted to feed the family, too. I had red beans in the cupboard, and so, the matter was settled.
Now, there was only one problem. I had made red beans and rice before, but I had never found a recipe I really loved, so I decided to hunt around on the internet a bit. I knew mine would not be authentic, because I am fairly certain no one has made a passable vegetarian andouille sausage, but I thought I might give it a shot, anyway.
I found this recipe, and it sounded pretty good:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/authentic-louisiana-red-beans-and-rice/
I made a couple of simple adaptations to compensate for the lack of andouille sausage, and I also adapted it so that I could put it in the crockpot before I left for work and it would be ready when we got home. I tried cooking beans int he crockpot once before, and they took way longer to cook than the recipe I followed had indicated they would, so I decided to start this dish on the stove and transfer it to the crockpot later. Below, I have given instructions for a traditional stovetop method as well as my crockpot adaptation. You might be able to do all of the cooking in the crockpot, but I didn't want to take a chance on it not being ready when I got home.
I also cut down the amount of oil in the original recipe, and made my own "Cajun seasoning," as I didn't have any on hand. Since not everyone here likes things quite as spicy as I do, I left out the cayenne (since there was already some in the seasoning mix) and just let people add hot sauce to their bowls if they wished. Oh, and I used brown rice, because I just prefer it to white. So, I guess mine is a bit different. It might not be authentic, but it sure is tasty.
Here's what I did:
1 pound dry red beans
6 cups water
a couple of large pinches of baking soda
3 TBS cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning*
a few drops of Liquid Smoke
2-4 vegetarian sausage patties, cooked and crumbled
4 cups water
2 cups jasmine brown rice
1TBS olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
Rinse beans, and then soak in a large pot of water overnight. (Or use quick-soak method: rinse and sort beans, place in a large pot and cover with water. I add a little baking soda to my soak water when cooking dry beans. I have heard this can help minimize the...ahem..."musical" quality. Bring to a boil. Boil for two minutes, then turn off and let stand for 1 hour. Proceed as directed for the rest of the recipe)
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat, cook onion, bell pepper, garlic, and celery in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes.
Rinse soaked beans, drain, and transfer to a large pot with 6 cups water. Stir cooked vegetables into beans. Season with bay leaves, thyme, sage, parsley, and Cajun seasoning. Stir in a few drops of liquid smoke. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
I wanted to use my crokpot, so, after soaking, I cooked my beans for the first hour on the stove, then I transferred them to my crockpot and left them on low for 5-6 hours. They were perfect when I got home. I found it was good to use the back of the spoon to mash some beans (not too many) against the side of the pot, then stir. The mashed beans thickened the broth a bit.
Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a saucepan, bring water, rice, oil, salt and garlic to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 16 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, for 5-10 minutes. (I did this before I left for work and stored it in the fridge. When we were ready to heat, we just heated our rice briefly first. I am guessing, because beans that have been in the crockpot for 5-6 hours are so hot, you might not even need to heat the rice, but I did it, anyway, because I like my food piping hot.)
To serve, place a scoop of rice in a bowl. Top with a generous amount of beans. If desired, stir in crumbled sausage and/or hot sauce.
Absolutely scrumptious. Definitely going to make this again.
* To make your own Cajun Seasoning:
In a small container (jar, ziplock bag, small dish with a lid, etc.) place:
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
Cover (or zip the bag) and shake to thoroughly mix. There ya go ~ Cajun seasoning (or something like it, based on what I read on the internet. It worked in my recipe, anyway). Use what you need in your recipe and store the rest in an airtight container for future use. Yum-yum!
I also tried to make corn muffins. I say I tried because I failed. I completely forgot to add the baking powder, so they didn't rise much. They are like hockey pucks. Not the texture, but the shape. Tasty little hockey pucks. Kaia ate one, anyway. They do have an excellent flavour, so I will make them again (with the baking powder this time). Here's the recipe I used:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/basic-corn-muffins/
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup milk
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, mix together corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add egg, oil and milk; stir gently to combine. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
Luckily, after my corn muffin fail, I realized we had some leftover pizza dough. A little flattening onto a baking sheet, a smear of garlic butter, a sprinkle of herbs (oregano and basil), a light scoring with the pizza cutter and about 10 minutes in a 450 degree oven later, they were breadsticks. Hallie, Justice and their friend Maya gobbled them up, and Hallie proclaimed them: "Way better than store bought."
So, all's well that ends well. We had an excellent hot dinner at the end of a busy, cold, rainy day.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Pizza Night!
Tonight, we decided to have a make-your-own-pizza night here at the Ross abode. Justice is at a birthday party, so we saved a lump of dough for her, and she can make hers when she gets home, and I am not much of a pizza-eater, so I will probably be hitting the leftovers, instead. However, Shane, Hallie and Kaia had a lot of fun making theirs.
I have been looking for a good pizza crust recipe, and I decided to give this one a shot ~
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1626,136191-245196,00.html
Everybody seems to like it, so I think it's a keeper :) I didn't follow the method outlined in the recipe. Instead, I proofed the yeast (mixing it with warm water and sugar, then I added the water (or milk, if you use it) and oil to that bowl, then I gradually stirred in the flour and salt. So, I just followed a different process for mixing the ingredients. After rising, I divided the dough into four equal parts for the pizza-makers and let them go to town with sauce, cheese and toppings of their choice.
I also made the sauce, putting away some for future use (I'll freeze it in small portions). I didn't follow a recipe, but what I did was mix a large can of crushed tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste with a little water, a good drizzle each of olive oil and red wine vinegar and a little sugar. Then, I seasoned it with garlic powder, oregano (lots of oregano), a little basil and rosemary, salt, black pepper and just a couple of dashes of cayenne. You just have to taste and adjust seasonings until it tastes right to you.
Kaia and Hallie made their pizzas inside cake pans, so they would be more like "pan pizza," and Shane went with the traditional pizza pan. Hallie skipped the tomato sauce in favour of garlic butter.
When your pizzas are assembled, bake at 450 degrees (F) for about 12 minutes.
Here's what they turned out:
Hallie's Greek pizza, with garlic butter, green peppers, black olives, artichokes, fresh garlic, feta, parmesan and oregano:
Kaia's super-professional-looking cheese pizza, complete with a sprinkling each of parmesan and oregano, to make it especially good (this is a departure form the usual sauce and mozzarella only plan for her ~ and she LOVES it):
Shane's pizza, with veggie sausage, green peppers, garlic, and peperoncini:
I have been looking for a good pizza crust recipe, and I decided to give this one a shot ~
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1626,136191-245196,00.html
Everybody seems to like it, so I think it's a keeper :) I didn't follow the method outlined in the recipe. Instead, I proofed the yeast (mixing it with warm water and sugar, then I added the water (or milk, if you use it) and oil to that bowl, then I gradually stirred in the flour and salt. So, I just followed a different process for mixing the ingredients. After rising, I divided the dough into four equal parts for the pizza-makers and let them go to town with sauce, cheese and toppings of their choice.
I also made the sauce, putting away some for future use (I'll freeze it in small portions). I didn't follow a recipe, but what I did was mix a large can of crushed tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste with a little water, a good drizzle each of olive oil and red wine vinegar and a little sugar. Then, I seasoned it with garlic powder, oregano (lots of oregano), a little basil and rosemary, salt, black pepper and just a couple of dashes of cayenne. You just have to taste and adjust seasonings until it tastes right to you.
Kaia and Hallie made their pizzas inside cake pans, so they would be more like "pan pizza," and Shane went with the traditional pizza pan. Hallie skipped the tomato sauce in favour of garlic butter.
When your pizzas are assembled, bake at 450 degrees (F) for about 12 minutes.
Here's what they turned out:
Hallie's Greek pizza, with garlic butter, green peppers, black olives, artichokes, fresh garlic, feta, parmesan and oregano:
Kaia's super-professional-looking cheese pizza, complete with a sprinkling each of parmesan and oregano, to make it especially good (this is a departure form the usual sauce and mozzarella only plan for her ~ and she LOVES it):
Shane's pizza, with veggie sausage, green peppers, garlic, and peperoncini:
Iced Green Tea Latte
Hello, I'm Sam, and I am a way-too-expensive-coffee/tea-aholic.
Really. It's ridiculous. For years, I laughed at people who spent $3-5/cup on coffee and tea drinks at various coffee shops. Then, somehow, I became a junkie. I mean, I didn't just like the stuff. Some days, I woke up thinking about how quickly I could get done whatever was needed so that I could get to my coffee shop of choice (those who know me know which one that is) and get my fix. I don't know why, but paying four bucks for an iced coffee instead of making it at home made it so much better.
Then, at a certain point, I discovered Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk, and I was able to make iced mochas at home that totally blew away the ones to which I had become addicted. I had a new addiction, but at least it was less expensive than the previous one. So, I stopped buying coffee at coffee shops ~ with the exception of the occasional treat. Everything was going along swimmingly until, one day, I happened to find myself with a few free moments, and guess what familiar coffee shop happened to be right there...Yeah. So, I decided to try something else. I wasn't in the mood for coffee, anyway, so I asked if they could make me an iced green tea latte with soymilk. They could. They did. Oh. My. Goodness.
It was GOOOOOOOOD. So began a new addiction. But, but...(I told myself)...it's good for me! There's all of that calcium in the milk...and...and....everyone KNOWS green tea is good for you...
Spoken like a true junkie.
Well, now that we are all trying to find ways to carve out a little savings wherever we can, I decided to see if I could make an iced green tea latte at home that would satisfy my craving, save me a little money, and maybe be even better for me.
The first adjustment I would make would be to use almond milk, which I prefer to soy. If I used a vanilla soymilk, it would probably taste just like the one to which I have grown accustomed. However, I feel that, being vegetarian, I probably consume enough soy. Not to mention, I simply prefer almond milk. So, I bought some Matcha Green Tea Powder (holy crap! That stuff is expensive!!!) and got to work. The girl at the tea shop tried to tell me that the tea powder would not dissolve in cold milk ~ that I would have to heat it to a certain temperature and should buy a bamboo whisk or (better yet!) an electric tea frother (for, like, twenty bucks), because nothing I had at home could possibly mix this. But, see, I had SEEN people at my favourite coffee shop mix this stuff in a shaker. I thought I would give that method a shot first, seeing as I already owned one of those. Granted, mine is a plastic cocktail shaker I found in the bargain bins at Target several years ago, but I thought it might do the job.
I am drinking it as I write this, and, you know....it's darned good. So, I thought I would share.
If you decide to try it for yourself, here's what you'll need:
1/2-3/4 tsp Matcha Green Tea Powder
1 cup milk of choice (I used almond, original flavour)
a few drops of vanilla extract (unless you are using vanilla-flavoured milk)
sweetener of choice, if desired
ice
a cocktail shaker
a tall glass
Here's what you'll do:
Place milk, tea powder, vanilla and sweetener in your cocktail shaker. Add ice. Add a lot of ice. Cover. Shake. Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake. Keep shaking until the powder is dissolved (it just took a moment or two for mine). Pour into a tall glass and enjoy.
Now, here's the scoop:
Flavour:
I would say this is not identical to the one I usually buy, but it is at least as good. Every bit as creamy and satisfying, but not too sweet ~ and I get to control how much tea I use, so it is always made exactly to my liking.
Value:
I paid about $20 for a tiny little tin of powdered tea (going to shop around for better deals) which claims to make eleven 1 tsp. servings. If I use 1/2 tsp for each glass, I get 22 servings. If I use 3/4 tsp. for each glass I get...uh...16 1/2? The milk cost about $3 ($2.99) for a half gallon (that's 8 servings). So, let's say, one tin of tea makes about 16 servings, and it would take two containers of milk to make that same number (that's about six bucks). So, for somewhere in the neighbourhood of $26 (vanilla and sweetener are used in such small amounts that I think their cost is negligible), I can make 16 lattes. That's about $1.63/serving which, if I am not mistaken, is cheaper than it would be to have them made for me at a coffee shop. I saved a trip to a coffee shop (gas) and a plastic cup. So, I think this is a win/win situation.
Off to enjoy the rest of my latte while dreaming of all the fabulous things we will do with the money we're saving.
Really. It's ridiculous. For years, I laughed at people who spent $3-5/cup on coffee and tea drinks at various coffee shops. Then, somehow, I became a junkie. I mean, I didn't just like the stuff. Some days, I woke up thinking about how quickly I could get done whatever was needed so that I could get to my coffee shop of choice (those who know me know which one that is) and get my fix. I don't know why, but paying four bucks for an iced coffee instead of making it at home made it so much better.
Then, at a certain point, I discovered Silk Dark Chocolate Almond Milk, and I was able to make iced mochas at home that totally blew away the ones to which I had become addicted. I had a new addiction, but at least it was less expensive than the previous one. So, I stopped buying coffee at coffee shops ~ with the exception of the occasional treat. Everything was going along swimmingly until, one day, I happened to find myself with a few free moments, and guess what familiar coffee shop happened to be right there...Yeah. So, I decided to try something else. I wasn't in the mood for coffee, anyway, so I asked if they could make me an iced green tea latte with soymilk. They could. They did. Oh. My. Goodness.
It was GOOOOOOOOD. So began a new addiction. But, but...(I told myself)...it's good for me! There's all of that calcium in the milk...and...and....everyone KNOWS green tea is good for you...
Spoken like a true junkie.
Well, now that we are all trying to find ways to carve out a little savings wherever we can, I decided to see if I could make an iced green tea latte at home that would satisfy my craving, save me a little money, and maybe be even better for me.
The first adjustment I would make would be to use almond milk, which I prefer to soy. If I used a vanilla soymilk, it would probably taste just like the one to which I have grown accustomed. However, I feel that, being vegetarian, I probably consume enough soy. Not to mention, I simply prefer almond milk. So, I bought some Matcha Green Tea Powder (holy crap! That stuff is expensive!!!) and got to work. The girl at the tea shop tried to tell me that the tea powder would not dissolve in cold milk ~ that I would have to heat it to a certain temperature and should buy a bamboo whisk or (better yet!) an electric tea frother (for, like, twenty bucks), because nothing I had at home could possibly mix this. But, see, I had SEEN people at my favourite coffee shop mix this stuff in a shaker. I thought I would give that method a shot first, seeing as I already owned one of those. Granted, mine is a plastic cocktail shaker I found in the bargain bins at Target several years ago, but I thought it might do the job.
I am drinking it as I write this, and, you know....it's darned good. So, I thought I would share.
If you decide to try it for yourself, here's what you'll need:
1/2-3/4 tsp Matcha Green Tea Powder
1 cup milk of choice (I used almond, original flavour)
a few drops of vanilla extract (unless you are using vanilla-flavoured milk)
sweetener of choice, if desired
ice
a cocktail shaker
a tall glass
Here's what you'll do:
Place milk, tea powder, vanilla and sweetener in your cocktail shaker. Add ice. Add a lot of ice. Cover. Shake. Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake. Keep shaking until the powder is dissolved (it just took a moment or two for mine). Pour into a tall glass and enjoy.
Now, here's the scoop:
Flavour:
I would say this is not identical to the one I usually buy, but it is at least as good. Every bit as creamy and satisfying, but not too sweet ~ and I get to control how much tea I use, so it is always made exactly to my liking.
Value:
I paid about $20 for a tiny little tin of powdered tea (going to shop around for better deals) which claims to make eleven 1 tsp. servings. If I use 1/2 tsp for each glass, I get 22 servings. If I use 3/4 tsp. for each glass I get...uh...16 1/2? The milk cost about $3 ($2.99) for a half gallon (that's 8 servings). So, let's say, one tin of tea makes about 16 servings, and it would take two containers of milk to make that same number (that's about six bucks). So, for somewhere in the neighbourhood of $26 (vanilla and sweetener are used in such small amounts that I think their cost is negligible), I can make 16 lattes. That's about $1.63/serving which, if I am not mistaken, is cheaper than it would be to have them made for me at a coffee shop. I saved a trip to a coffee shop (gas) and a plastic cup. So, I think this is a win/win situation.
Off to enjoy the rest of my latte while dreaming of all the fabulous things we will do with the money we're saving.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Curried Pumpkin Soup
This is one of those foods that has become a comfort food for me in recent years. There's just something about soup, isn't there? Whether I am feeling sick, lonely or just a little blue, soup seems to cure what ails me. Add the creamy smooth texture of this, and the warming, just slightly spicy curry, and this is the perfect thing to make me feel like all is right in the world...at least, for a few minutes.
I first had curried pumpkin soup at the home of a friend, and I fell in love with it, but, alas, it was made with dairy ingredients, so I put aside thoughts of steaming delicious bowls of pumpkin soup for a time. At least, I tried to... I really, really wanted more, but I didn't want the allergy symptoms that would go along with it. So, I did a lot of searching and cross-referencing recipes I found on the internet, made substitutions and, eventually, worked out a vegan version that I think is pretty darned tasty. Shane and the older girls love it, too, but Kaia thinks we are a little crazy for wanting anything pumpkin-flavoured that isn't sweet.
Here is the recipe I have come up with:
Curried Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons margarine or vegetable oil
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons curry powder
* 4 cups vegetable broth (I use a "chicken" style broth for this recipe)
* 1 large can pumpkin (or two smaller ones ~ total of about 28-30 ozs, I think)
* 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (about a regular-sized can) + 1 cup water
* 2 tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
* salt and pepper to taste
* hot sauce
Directions
Place margarine or oil in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and curry powder. Cook, stirring for a minute or two. Gradually add 1 cup of your vegetable broth and cook, stirring, until mixture starts to bubble. Whisk in the rest of the broth, a little at a time, and cook until it starts to thicken. With a spoon, stir in pumpkin, coconut milk and water. Season with soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Taste, and adjust seasonings. If desired, add a dash of hot sauce (or put the hot sauce on the table and let people add it to their bowls). It is now ready to serve, and can be removed from the heat, but you can keep it warming on the stove a little longer if you like.
Sometimes, I make it in the crockpot and leave it on low for a few hours. The method is pretty much the same for the crockpot, but you might not need quite as much water. You could also make it in a pot, then transfer it to a crockpot to keep warm, if, like us, you have folks coming home at different times and you want them to have a nice, hot bowl of soup when they arrive.
I first had curried pumpkin soup at the home of a friend, and I fell in love with it, but, alas, it was made with dairy ingredients, so I put aside thoughts of steaming delicious bowls of pumpkin soup for a time. At least, I tried to... I really, really wanted more, but I didn't want the allergy symptoms that would go along with it. So, I did a lot of searching and cross-referencing recipes I found on the internet, made substitutions and, eventually, worked out a vegan version that I think is pretty darned tasty. Shane and the older girls love it, too, but Kaia thinks we are a little crazy for wanting anything pumpkin-flavoured that isn't sweet.
Here is the recipe I have come up with:
Curried Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons margarine or vegetable oil
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 tablespoons curry powder
* 4 cups vegetable broth (I use a "chicken" style broth for this recipe)
* 1 large can pumpkin (or two smaller ones ~ total of about 28-30 ozs, I think)
* 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (about a regular-sized can) + 1 cup water
* 2 tablespoons Bragg's Liquid Aminos or soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
* salt and pepper to taste
* hot sauce
Directions
Place margarine or oil in a large pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and curry powder. Cook, stirring for a minute or two. Gradually add 1 cup of your vegetable broth and cook, stirring, until mixture starts to bubble. Whisk in the rest of the broth, a little at a time, and cook until it starts to thicken. With a spoon, stir in pumpkin, coconut milk and water. Season with soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Taste, and adjust seasonings. If desired, add a dash of hot sauce (or put the hot sauce on the table and let people add it to their bowls). It is now ready to serve, and can be removed from the heat, but you can keep it warming on the stove a little longer if you like.
Sometimes, I make it in the crockpot and leave it on low for a few hours. The method is pretty much the same for the crockpot, but you might not need quite as much water. You could also make it in a pot, then transfer it to a crockpot to keep warm, if, like us, you have folks coming home at different times and you want them to have a nice, hot bowl of soup when they arrive.
No-Tuna Salad
I just whipped this up for lunch, and it was so satisfying, I decided to share. I have been making this, I guess, since I was a teenager. It was one of those things that made the transition to vegetarianism easy for me, because it was familiar. It hearkened back to childhood comfort foods, and, sometimes, that's just what I needed. The funny thing is, I don't remember ever being a huge fan of tuna salad as a kid, but sometimes I get a craving for this vegetarian knock-off. and it is so easy to make.
You will need:
1-1 1/2 cups cooked (and drained) chickpeas*
Old Bay Seasoning
1-2 TBS mayonaise (can use vegan mayonaise, if you wish)
1/4-1/2 tsp. prepared mustard
1/2-1 whole rib celery, diced fine
approximately 1 tsp. sweet pickle relish, or several finely chopped sweet pickle slices
salt and pepper to taste
*canned chickpeas are fine, just rinse and drain them
Place chickpeas in a bowl with a good sprinkle of Old Bay Seasoning (if I had to make a stab, I would say maybe 1/8 tsp ~ just start with just a little, and add more later, if you like) and mash roughly with a fork. No, I don't mean you should beat up your beans and talk mean to them. Just don't mash them too much ~ leave a few lumps. Stir in mayonaise, mustard, celery and pickles. Taste and adjust seasonings. (Did you notice that I didn't mention the salt and pepper? You might not need them. Use them if you do, or leave them out, if you prefer.)
That's it. Really. It's that simple. I think this should just serve as a jumping-off place. If your mom always put onions and chopped eggs in her tuna salad, so that's what your used to, go ahead and throw them in (try a little mashed tofu instead of eggs, if you are trying to make a vegan version). If you've only ever used dijon mustard in tuna salad, have at it. Make it creamier (or less creamy) according to your preference. The keys are to make sure the chickpeas are well-drained and mash them and the Old Bay Seasoning together as a base for your salad. From that point, you can make it any way you prefer, really. I have heard some people say they add a sprinkle of dried kelp to give it a fishy flavour, but I like it just the way it is.
The picture here shows it on a tiny piece of toasted homemade rosemary wheat bread. It's not the best bread I have ever made, but it toasts up nicely and has a good flavour, so we are using it, anyway. I recommend trying this on buttered bread with a nice, crisp lettuce leaf...or, you know, however you might eat tuna salad, if you were eating it.
Monday, January 16, 2012
"Chicken Tacos"
Just a quick and easy throw together, but so tasty (and so pretty!) that I decided to post it. I used Trader Joe's CHICKEN-LESS strips, but you could use your favourite brand, or even your own homemade seitan strips, if you happen to have made seitan recently. You could probably use tofu, too, if you prefer.
Okay, here's what you need:
Corn Tortillas (you know how many your family will need)
Lettuce
Tomato
Salsa
1-2 tsps. olive oil
1 package vegetarian chicken strips
1/2-1 tsp taco seasoning
1/4-1/2 cup water
Refried beans (or whole beans, if you prefer. I think black beans would be good)
I cup brown rice
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2-1 TBS olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and quartered.
Optional ingredients: avocado (or guacamole), Greek-style yogurt (or sour cream), thinly sliced scallions, cilantro, shredded cheese
Rinse rice well, and place in a sauce pot. Add 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2-1 TBS olive oil and quartered garlic to the pot and stir. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to simmer and cook for the amount of time designated on your brown rice package (this can vary, depending ont he type of rice you use).
While rice cooks, dice tomatoes. Wash, dry and break lettuce into small pieces. Heat beans.
In a non-stick skillet, heat oil over low-medium heat for 1-2 minutes. While it is heating, slice "chicken" strips thinly (they are already strips, but I find it's better if they are thinner for this dish). Add strips to skillet and toss to coat with oil. Cook, stirring, for 5-8 minutes, until strips are heated. Add taco seasoning and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and cook, stirring, until water evaporates (you can leave it a little juicy).
Heat your tortillas on a hot, lightly oiled skillet, flipping to heat both sides.
To serve, place a few pieces of lettuce on each tortilla. Top with a spoonful each of rice, beans, strips, tomatoes and salsa. If desired, add optional toppings.
I enjoyed mine with a glass of wine from a bottle I got for $2 at fresh & easy, The Big Kahuna Tempranilla, which was not the worst wine I have ever had.
NOTE: The package of "CHiCKEN-LESS" strips says it contains 3 servings, but last night 3 of us ate this (Kaia are only rice and beans, no strips, and Shane is skiing in Banff, so I have no idea what he ate last night) and we have enough left over to have it again for lunch, so I think it's enough to serve a fairly average-sized family (what's that? 4-5 people?), considering the fact that you use all those other ingredients, too. Stretching out servings of the more expensive ingredients with cheap stuff like rice and beans is one of my best Mama-fu moves.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Vegetarian Sliders
I stumbled upon this recipe (for vegetarian meatballs, but we weren't looking for meatballs, so we flattened them) while searching for a veggie burger Kaia would eat that was not soy-based. I don't have anything against soy. I just think we eat plenty of it already, so it's nice to have options. I also like that this recipe gets her to eat walnuts, which she will not eat any other way, and eggs, which she will only occasionally eat hard-boiled...but just the yolks. She gives the whites to Hallie.
Anyway, I don't know where I got the recipe, but here it is. I have actually changed it a bit from the original. The method is different, and I use more nuts, and grind them. You can substitute non-dairy cheese (use one you like, and which melts well) or you can try leaving out the cheese and adding about 1/4 nutritional yeast (I think you might have to add a few extra breadcrumbs, too). I have tried both variations, and they work fine, but, I have to admit, these are best with real cheese. I can't eat them that way, but the are best. Not sure if you could use an egg substitute, too, and make them vegan. Possibly, but they do use a lot of eggs, so I am not sure how well it would work.
Well, anyway, here goes:
Ingredients
* 4 eggs, slightly beaten
* 1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
* 2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Italian blend or Mexican blend all work well)
* 1 generous cup walnut pieces, ground in the food processor (measure before grinding)
* 1 cup dry Italian style breadcrumbs
* 2-3 vegetarian bouillon cubes, or the equivalent (enough to make 2-3 cups vegetable broth. Or use 2-3 cups of vegetable broth instead of water in step 5)
Directions
1. Mix ingredients together in order.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Form into 1-1/4 inch balls and place on baking sheet sprayed with Pam, flattening (like a cookie ~ not too flat)
4. Bake in 400 degree oven until brown, about 20 minutes (turn after 10 minutes to brown evenly).
5. (May be frozen now. In fact, I often freeze about 1/2 of the recipe and serve the other half right away. That way, I've got the jump on another good dinner down the line.) Place burgers in rectangular baking dish or casserole and cover with 2-3 cups boiling water and 2-3 cubes or envelopes vegetarian brown broth.
6. Your tiny burgers will probably float on top of the liquid.
7. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour (1-1/2 hrs if frozen).
8. As meatballs (just form little balls, instead of patties), may be prepared in a crockpot on high setting for 1 hour (or 1-1/2 if frozen).
Serve on tiny buns with tiny pickles, tiny bits of lettuce and sliced cherry tomatoes. Aw, aren't they cute? And yummy, too.
Anyway, I don't know where I got the recipe, but here it is. I have actually changed it a bit from the original. The method is different, and I use more nuts, and grind them. You can substitute non-dairy cheese (use one you like, and which melts well) or you can try leaving out the cheese and adding about 1/4 nutritional yeast (I think you might have to add a few extra breadcrumbs, too). I have tried both variations, and they work fine, but, I have to admit, these are best with real cheese. I can't eat them that way, but the are best. Not sure if you could use an egg substitute, too, and make them vegan. Possibly, but they do use a lot of eggs, so I am not sure how well it would work.
Well, anyway, here goes:
Ingredients
* 4 eggs, slightly beaten
* 1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
* 2 cups grated cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, Italian blend or Mexican blend all work well)
* 1 generous cup walnut pieces, ground in the food processor (measure before grinding)
* 1 cup dry Italian style breadcrumbs
* 2-3 vegetarian bouillon cubes, or the equivalent (enough to make 2-3 cups vegetable broth. Or use 2-3 cups of vegetable broth instead of water in step 5)
Directions
1. Mix ingredients together in order.
2. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Form into 1-1/4 inch balls and place on baking sheet sprayed with Pam, flattening (like a cookie ~ not too flat)
4. Bake in 400 degree oven until brown, about 20 minutes (turn after 10 minutes to brown evenly).
5. (May be frozen now. In fact, I often freeze about 1/2 of the recipe and serve the other half right away. That way, I've got the jump on another good dinner down the line.) Place burgers in rectangular baking dish or casserole and cover with 2-3 cups boiling water and 2-3 cubes or envelopes vegetarian brown broth.
6. Your tiny burgers will probably float on top of the liquid.
7. Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour (1-1/2 hrs if frozen).
8. As meatballs (just form little balls, instead of patties), may be prepared in a crockpot on high setting for 1 hour (or 1-1/2 if frozen).
Serve on tiny buns with tiny pickles, tiny bits of lettuce and sliced cherry tomatoes. Aw, aren't they cute? And yummy, too.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Our Daily Bread
Have you ever bothered to read a bread label? I think the last time I did, I recognized maybe the first five ingredients. Call me crazy, but I like to actually know what I'm eating. I have found a few good brands. Trader Joe's carries a Whole Wheat Tuscan Pane bread that has, I think 4 ingredients. I will have to look it up to confirm, but I believe they are: Wheat Flour, Water, Yeast & Salt. That sounds pretty much like what I put in my own bread, so I am comfortable buying it. Ideally, I would always make my own bread, but that's not always practical. Bread is not exactly a quick and easy throw together...is it?
let me preface this by saying Mom's homemade bread is the best. Amazing. Can't touch this. I have fond memories of bowls of bread dough rising ont he radiators under tea towels, homemade dinner rolls, hot, perfect scones (fried yeast bread ~ not dry little biscuity scones, which still seem foreign and odd to me). I like to make Mom's bread with the girls. It's a great way for us to connect with our food, and with each other. There's something about kneading dough and forming loaves that makes me feel a part of an ages old tradition, that sets my place firmly in the universe. We are breadmakers. We bake bread and eat it slathered with butter alongside a big. steaming bowl of navy bean soup. This bread is a way of life...and it involves a pretty much day-long commitment. Don't let that put you off making it ~ it is as fabulous as it sounds.
The fact remains, however, that i don't always have an entire day to set aside for breadmaking (as much as I would like to), so I have found some alternatives. Now, I know, bread is like a dirty word int he dieting world ~ especially white bread ~ but there is something whole and good and comforting about it. I know I should learn to make a decent...oh, I don't know...sprouted 9-grain bread of some sort...but, sometimes, I just want a big slab of crusty white bread. Sue me. And, I figure, by making it at home, I am keeping it a little more "real," as it were. Right? I have made peace with bread. Like chocolate and coffee: I like it, and that's okay. I don't always, however, have time to make it. Luckily for me, I have discovered a couple of fabulous recipes that allow me to have delicious homemade bread, in short (ish) order.
The first is my beer bread recipe. I have adapted it over time, and have experimented with different beers. I like Pabst Blue Ribbon. Yes, in general. I like to drink it, but here I meant that I like to use it in beer bread. It is inexpensive and seems to work well. This is a quick bread recipe, so, as the name implies, it mixes up quickly and easily, and is ready in less than an hour, so it is a great one to make when you, say, you just realized that pot of chili or soup would be even better with a big hunk of homemade bread. Beer bread, IMO, is especially delicious with chili.
BEER BREAD
Ingredients
* 3 cups self rising flour
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 12 ounces warm beer
* 3 tablespoons melted butter
Directions
1.Make sure beer is room temperature.
2.Mix flour and sugar.
3.Add beer, stirring just until blended.
4.Pour into well greased loaf pan.
5.Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.
6.Brush with melted butter.
Serve hot!
Can be baked in 2 quart casserole dish as well.
If you don't have self-rising flour, you can make it like this:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt.
Okay, so that's my go-to recipe for nights when I want to throw together bread while dinner cooks. If I want to spend a little more time, but can't quite make the commitment to kneading (yeah, I'm lazy), I rely on a recipe I discovered many years ago in the New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook. Well, sorta. Mines slightly different, maybe, but not significantly. Here's what I do:
QUICK ITALIAN BREAD
In a large bowl, combine:
3 cups warm water
2 envelopes baking yeast (or about 2 TBS)
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS oil
Let sit for about 5 minutes. Whisk in 4 cups unbleached flour and 1 tsp. salt, then stir in 4-5 cups more flour (just enough for dough to form and not be too sticky). DO NOT KNEAD. However, you might find it easier to mix in the flour by hand, as the dough gets stiff. Just proceed gently and cautiously ~ you do not want tough bread. The key is to avoid overworking your dough. Just incorporate the flour. I often find I can't quite work in 4 cups, and that's okay.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rise until dough has doubled in size.
Punch down dough and divide into two balls. Flatten each ball into a long rectangle-ish/oval-ish shape. Take hold of one of the long sides and gently roll it to form a long, thin loaf. Pinch edges to seal (you know ~ make it sort of look like a baguette).
Dust a cookie sheet with cornmeal (or lightly oil it, if you don't have cornmeal). Place the loaves, seam side down, on the cookie sheet and slash tops in 3 places. Let rise 30 minutes.
Pour boiling water into a 9"x13" pan, and place in the bottom of a cold oven (I put it on the lowest rack inside my oven). Put the loaves in the oven, close the door and turn heat to 400℉. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until crust is nicely golden, and bread makes a hollow sound when you knock on it. Brush tops with butter or margarine, if desired, and let cool on a rack.
This makes EXCELLENT garlic bread, and is great for sopping up sauce (yum!). The kids love it sliced thickly and smeared with butter. If you have never baked bread, give this recipe a try. It has never failed me.
Enjoy!
let me preface this by saying Mom's homemade bread is the best. Amazing. Can't touch this. I have fond memories of bowls of bread dough rising ont he radiators under tea towels, homemade dinner rolls, hot, perfect scones (fried yeast bread ~ not dry little biscuity scones, which still seem foreign and odd to me). I like to make Mom's bread with the girls. It's a great way for us to connect with our food, and with each other. There's something about kneading dough and forming loaves that makes me feel a part of an ages old tradition, that sets my place firmly in the universe. We are breadmakers. We bake bread and eat it slathered with butter alongside a big. steaming bowl of navy bean soup. This bread is a way of life...and it involves a pretty much day-long commitment. Don't let that put you off making it ~ it is as fabulous as it sounds.
The fact remains, however, that i don't always have an entire day to set aside for breadmaking (as much as I would like to), so I have found some alternatives. Now, I know, bread is like a dirty word int he dieting world ~ especially white bread ~ but there is something whole and good and comforting about it. I know I should learn to make a decent...oh, I don't know...sprouted 9-grain bread of some sort...but, sometimes, I just want a big slab of crusty white bread. Sue me. And, I figure, by making it at home, I am keeping it a little more "real," as it were. Right? I have made peace with bread. Like chocolate and coffee: I like it, and that's okay. I don't always, however, have time to make it. Luckily for me, I have discovered a couple of fabulous recipes that allow me to have delicious homemade bread, in short (ish) order.
The first is my beer bread recipe. I have adapted it over time, and have experimented with different beers. I like Pabst Blue Ribbon. Yes, in general. I like to drink it, but here I meant that I like to use it in beer bread. It is inexpensive and seems to work well. This is a quick bread recipe, so, as the name implies, it mixes up quickly and easily, and is ready in less than an hour, so it is a great one to make when you, say, you just realized that pot of chili or soup would be even better with a big hunk of homemade bread. Beer bread, IMO, is especially delicious with chili.
BEER BREAD
Ingredients
* 3 cups self rising flour
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 12 ounces warm beer
* 3 tablespoons melted butter
Directions
1.Make sure beer is room temperature.
2.Mix flour and sugar.
3.Add beer, stirring just until blended.
4.Pour into well greased loaf pan.
5.Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.
6.Brush with melted butter.
Serve hot!
Can be baked in 2 quart casserole dish as well.
If you don't have self-rising flour, you can make it like this:
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt.
Okay, so that's my go-to recipe for nights when I want to throw together bread while dinner cooks. If I want to spend a little more time, but can't quite make the commitment to kneading (yeah, I'm lazy), I rely on a recipe I discovered many years ago in the New Farm Vegetarian Cookbook. Well, sorta. Mines slightly different, maybe, but not significantly. Here's what I do:
QUICK ITALIAN BREAD
In a large bowl, combine:
3 cups warm water
2 envelopes baking yeast (or about 2 TBS)
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS oil
Let sit for about 5 minutes. Whisk in 4 cups unbleached flour and 1 tsp. salt, then stir in 4-5 cups more flour (just enough for dough to form and not be too sticky). DO NOT KNEAD. However, you might find it easier to mix in the flour by hand, as the dough gets stiff. Just proceed gently and cautiously ~ you do not want tough bread. The key is to avoid overworking your dough. Just incorporate the flour. I often find I can't quite work in 4 cups, and that's okay.
Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rise until dough has doubled in size.
Punch down dough and divide into two balls. Flatten each ball into a long rectangle-ish/oval-ish shape. Take hold of one of the long sides and gently roll it to form a long, thin loaf. Pinch edges to seal (you know ~ make it sort of look like a baguette).
Dust a cookie sheet with cornmeal (or lightly oil it, if you don't have cornmeal). Place the loaves, seam side down, on the cookie sheet and slash tops in 3 places. Let rise 30 minutes.
Pour boiling water into a 9"x13" pan, and place in the bottom of a cold oven (I put it on the lowest rack inside my oven). Put the loaves in the oven, close the door and turn heat to 400℉. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until crust is nicely golden, and bread makes a hollow sound when you knock on it. Brush tops with butter or margarine, if desired, and let cool on a rack.
This makes EXCELLENT garlic bread, and is great for sopping up sauce (yum!). The kids love it sliced thickly and smeared with butter. If you have never baked bread, give this recipe a try. It has never failed me.
Enjoy!
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