sunday, lazy sunday

I set my alarm for noon today.  I still hit snooze several times before convincing myself to get up.

I sat around in my bathrobe for hours, drinking cup after cup of amazing coffee.

That's right - Dark Chocolate Ecstasy.  You can't tell me that's not a killer name for a coffee.  It made the kitchen smell amazing, so Mister and I made and drank two pots.

I've been peeing almost all day, but it was totally worth it.

All day, or more likely between each new cup o' joe, I asked myself with a touch of anxiety, "Isn't there something I should be doing?"  Each time, the answer was the same - NO.  I did all the food shopping yesterday and we can wait a few more days for laundry, so no, there was nothing that needed doing.  It was great to just relax and enjoy my day off.

I'll admit, though, I'm still a little jittery from all that coffee - it's a bit more than I usually drink in a day and it was nearly as consistently administered (via hand to mouth) as it would have been if I had that sought-after IV drip of caffeine.  Mister just brewed a pot of decaf, but I am definitely done with coffee... until tomorrow.

Between being overly lazy and overly caffeinated, I definitely had the energy to cook dinner.  I made Mexican Rice and Bean Bake from Vegan on the Cheap, although I really ought to put "bake" in quotation marks (like I just did) because I haven't baked this since the first unnecessarily time-consuming time I made this.  I find it comes together much more quickly and with less gnashing of teeth when I cook the rice separately from the rest, adding it in once it's fully cooked.

While the rice was cooking, I minced a dark green poblano chili because I think it's wasteful to get those expensive little cans of flavorless and mushy diced chilies.  To soften the pieces up a little, I sauteed them with olive oil and garlic for at least 5 minutes, probably longer, before adding in everything else.

That smelled so good and only got better with the gradual addition of salsa, beans, sweet white corn, and then finally, the cooked rice.

I haven't made this in a long time and now I'm kicking myself because I did not remember it tasting as incredible as it did tonight.  I'm not in the habit of buying/using white corn, but it added a neat "surprise" to the dish.  It was crunch and sweet when you were not quite expecting something like that to be part of the dish, providing a nice contrast against the otherwise savory nature of this recipe.

Last night we had Pasta Florentine from The 30 Minute Vegan.

It was tasty and I always enjoy the nooch-heavy "cream" sauce, but aside from that, it was nothing special and I couldn't think of a single clever thing to say about it.  So you just get a half-decent picture.  Lucky you!

naked burritos & a skinny margarita?

Count me in.  The clouds finally loosed their chokehold on the Philadelphia region today and allowed temperatures to struggle into the 80s under a humid but sunny sky.  I can't say if it was a gorgeous day, since I was stuck inside a cube farm for the few hours I wasn't in conference/training rooms, but I sure enjoyed the walk to and from the train station!  If ever there was a nice night for commercialize, fake "mexican," tonight was that night.

I really wish refried beans didn't look like the lovechild of Vomit and DogFood, because they taste so good!  They made a fabulous and binding middle layer between the seasoned rice and lightly spiced vegetable melange.  This dish is so easy to make - my only complaint is related to my stovetop, in fact.  I didn't realize this when we were moving in because the difference is really minute, but this stove is definitely smaller than my old one - I can't use the front and back burners on the same side without my relatively small pots bumping into each other.  If I had to guess, I'd say that probably isn't very good for the enamel or whatever.

Crowded stovetop aside, the meal comes together in no time at all and tastes great.  The sweet crunch of the corn and carrots is calmed by the spinach but completed by the squishy, savory refried beans.  The rice, lightly seasoned, provides a simple but flavorful base, as well as adding some neat texture.

Speaking of texture (how'd ya like that segue??), I stopped for another smoothie on my way to the train.  This was actually quite intentional - I ate the tiniest bit I could for breakfast so that I wouldn't be shaky-hungry while trying to apply my makeup, then planned to get another smoothie at Market East.  However, as I walked up Chestnut Street, I found a little cafe that looked like it was just waiting for me to try one of their smoothies.

I walked into Munchie's Cafe and decided to order the Blue Moon Smoothie.  Turns out, they were definitely not waiting for me to come in and order something.  Considering their very poor customer service, I think it's a miracle anyone goes in there - I won't again, regardless of how tasty my smoothie turned out to be.  A person should not have to wait 10 minutes for a blended beverage when she is the only person in the cafe.

The Blue Moon smoothie is made up of bananas, blueberries, apple juice, and ice.  Although I really want to give Munchie's some kudos for reusing plastic containers, I think it might be in the best interest of their non-dairy-consuming customers' peace of mind and continued patronage not to keep the blueberries in a Dannon yogurt container.  I can't say I was too happy to see the girl who was making my smoothie approaching the blender with that container after I specifically asked if that smoothie was non-dairy.

I think I can say that I get it.  I get the smoothie obsession.  I understand its ability to take over an otherwise normal person's breakfast schedule, especially if a person who doesn't get enough sleep is pressed for time in the morning... I understand the appeal, too, of the Magic Bullet and may have to shell out the big bucks to buy one of my very own so I have complete control over my smoothies and no reused yogurt containers come near them.

In the past year, I've fallen in love with matcha green tea and smoothies.  I have to say, I'm a little nervous about trying out the green juice at Pure Fare, especially since other people who like tea and smoothies seem pretty into it...

reviving the classics

There are certain things we hold in higher esteem purely because we consider them to be "classic."  What does that mean, though?  How does, say, a recipe come to hold that special place in our hearts?  Is it a tradition behind the recipe?  Is it the author of the recipe?  Is it the publisher of the cookbook?  Also, what makes a cocktail a classic?  Philadelphia has seen a huge trend in "Old-School" bartending in recent years - everyone wants the "classic" cocktails.  Maybe it lends a certain sophistication?  But how did we decide which combinations of spirits were worthy of that title?  Is there something special about a gimlet or a martini or a manhattan that makes them stand out against a vanilla vodka & ginger ale?

The past two dinners have fit a classic-with-a-twist mold:

Everything about that picture makes me smile a big, Mediterranean smile - grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, and a bowlful of basil... you know it has to be good.  Last night, I made Mediterranean Pasta with Artichokes, Olives, and Tomatoes, from the April/May 2007 Body+Soul magazine, which should give you a hint as to why I consider this a classic.

Well, you know, besides the hint of how incredibly mouth-watering that looks.  This recipe comes to us courtesy of my dear Martha Stewart (I cannot believe she is nearly 70 years old - she looks terrific).  Martha is kind of like Betty Crocker, Donna Reed, and a little Dale Carnegie all rolled into one very successful woman.  She has built an empire around the many things she is good at and has earned the respect of many, so I consider things I learn from her to be classic.  Of course, the twist here is that it's hard for someone to be the inventor of "classic" things (it seems) when the person is still living. 

Tonight's dinner came to us originally from a classic red-and-white-checkered-tablecloth-covered Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, and by cookbook, I mean a three-ring binder with dividers for the different kinds of pilafs and puddings and pasta salads.  I really don't know how you expect to get much more Old School than that.  Anyway, I updated the culturally insensitive recipe for Spicy Black Beans and Rice and made Spicy Black Bean Burritos.  After sauteing my black beans and "mexican-style" tomatoes (AKA diced tomatoes with zesty jalapenos) for about 10 minutes, I added in the rice upon which I was supposed to serve this culinary treasure, along with a healthy dose of unspecified salt.  After allowing as much of the liquid to boil off as I could without testing the non-stick nature of my pan, I plopped the mixture onto a couple of whole wheat tortillas and handed Mister the hot sauce.

It's an easy "classic" and tastes so good that I had to force myself to stop after two so Mister and I can enjoy snacks with our movie tonight.  I did customize one last classic - the margarita.  I thought it would be Mexican fun to have a margarita with dinner, so I mixed together a bit of Skinnygirl Margarita with a Berry Lemonade Honest Kids juice drink - classic and classy.

It's pretty, though - pale pink with a bit of mist around the glass and a clear, small straw to help me be moderate...

Speaking of pink (the color of every Easter dress I wore for the first 15 years of my life), have a beautiful and blessed holiday tomorrow!

sunshine on a cloudy day

As if to contrast the oppressive heat and glaring sunlight we "enjoyed" this weekend, I woke up to a dismal, humid, rainy Monday.  It should never rain on Monday - it's like the weather sticking its tongue out at you and saying "yeah, you thought it was hard enough getting up and out on a Monday morning..."

Off I went though, but I sprinkled my day with little drops of sunshine in the form of an email exchange with my sister regarding my upcoming trip to her home in Arizona.  It appears, from a link she sent me, that Arizona or at least Tucson is much more veg-friendly than I thought it would be.  I'm getting more excited by the day, especially now that I have such great dining experiences to look forward to. 

Inspired by the Southwest Adventure looming in the near future, I had Mexican on my mind.  I wanted to go to the Chipotle near my work for lunch, but did not have enough time, so I went to the cafe located inside my building.  Today, of course, seemed to be Anti-Veg Day because everything they were serving had meat.  Normally, I can at least count on one vegetarian soup alongside whatever fleshy treasure they're serving the "normal" folk, but today my choices were chicken or beef.  Unless you're inclined to think similarly to a more recently hired employee in my workplace, chicken is actually considered meat.  Even the pizza was meat-lovers.  I kid you not.  So, my lunch was a container of week-old "vegetable crudites" and a big banana.

To make up for it, I made Naked Burritos for dinner.

If you're feeling a little twinge for Mexican-inspired food, click here for the recipe.

We followed up with this tasty treat for dessert:

I have to admit...it smells kind of awful.  If you can get past that, though, there is a pleasant and surprising interaction between the creaminess of the coconut and the puckering tang of the lime, which is quite pronounced!  I don't think this will be a favorite, but I know we'll have it again, and I'm just happy to chalk up one more successful nondairy-frozen-dessert-that-Mister-likes experience.

And, since I'm always thinking ahead (or maybe just because I really like breakfast - having some, that is), I made granola.  I have come to realize that granola is my summer equivalent to my tasty cold-weather breakfast - various incarnations of oatmeal.  My standby recipe is taken from the brain of Sarah Kramer in La Dolce Vegan and it's a good transition from winter into spring: Apple Cinnamon, much like my oatmeal.  However, as summer approaches and as I let my eyes drift to a sunny southwest place where I've never actually been, I wanted something a little more...well, summery.

Summertime Granola
2 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup sliced/slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried pineapple pieces
2 Tbsp raw sesame seeds
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup light agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine everything but the pineapple pieces in a large bowl and mix well
Spread evenly in a 9x13 baking pan and pat down lightly
Bake 15-20 minutes, stirring every 7-10 minutes
Remove from oven.  Stir again and cool slightly before mixing in pineapple pieces

Yield: about 4 cups.

MoFo no mo'

Happy November! I can't believe October is gone already - it passed so quickly, especially with all the fun writing and great reading out there in the blogosphere. I am so glad I participated in VeganMoFo 2009; it was such a good experience. I feel like my blogging is much more interactive now, mainly because I discovered from comments people left that someone really was reading my blog and it wasn't just my little online journal of cooking adventures. I'm sad to see it end, but I have greatly increased my repertoire of blogs to read, and after a month of being very conscientious about blogging damn near every day, it was very liberating to take last night off.

So....last night we finally actually did something to acknowledge and celebrate two beautiful years of marriage. We did not get a couch this weekend, and therefore did not watch a movie (a very specific one) like we had intended, but we looked at couches and had dinner at a cute Italian place just down the street, La Fourno.

When I first started getting into cooking with seasonal foods, I had a little "cheat" card at the front of my (overstuffed) recipe box to tell me what fruits and vegetables were in season. There were two reasons I did this - first, I figured seasonal produce would probably taste better since it had a better chance of being ripe. Second, I figured it would save us some money, rather than paying $8 for a bunch of asparagus in December. When I stopped using the recipes I had tucked away in that heavy little box, I stopped referring to that card, quite by accident. What I'm getting at is this:

I don't know when melon season is, but the best honeydew ever adorned our salad.

Oh! And it was made with a mixture of romaine and arugula, so I made good on my promise to eat raw arugula in a salad sooner than I expected! Anyway, the salad was the evening's special and when the waiter described it Mister and I were unanimous (not hard to do with only two people...) about starting our meal sharing that salad and the fabulous bruschetta they serve. As I mentioned, the base was a bed of romaine and arugula and decorated with halved grape tomatoes, cubed honeydew, and mandarin sections, then finished with a peppery vinaigrette. I don't know where they got that honeydew, but it was seriously the best I have ever had.

Tonight, at Mister's choosing, I made Risotto Mexicano. Things were going well, the peppers, garlic, and tomato were simmering away and the beans were heating. The rice was almost ready to join the party and Mister came in to see how it was going.

Mister: What's it doing?
Me: Simmering.
Mister: Then what?
Me: Then I put the spinach in.

This is where I realize I forgot to buy the spinach. Angst is very disappointed.

Me: Then we eat it.
Mister: What's it go in?
Me: Bowls.
Mister: Do we have chips?
Me: Do you want chips?

Mister heads out to the convenience store down the street on a quest for tortilla chips, spinach, and one ripe banana. He returns with tortilla chips, three not-even-close-to-ripe bananas, and some weird sour gummy candy (no spinach). The chips were organic blue corn Tostitos. I don't know if the organic or blue corn really make a difference, but they taste good and purple food is fun.
The forks are just there for decoration. We ate our whole bowls with the chips.

rice reincarnated

Today was so much fun! In the end, the farmer's market was a bust, I gave up on the Italian Market (I wasn't de-stressed enough yet to deal with the crowds and chaos), and the ultimate in self-pampering became the only thing I accomplished today. Aside from my deep desire to spend some quiet time at Cafe Fulya, I really don't feel bad about the three hours I spent in Salon Sugar today, letting Candi KaBoom do amazing things to my hair.

The salon itself is painted in shades of pale and hot pink, and there are pink and black vinyl curlicues reaching out along the walls from behind the ornate gold mirrors. There aren't words to describe how awesome this place is or how happy I am with my hair!
Also, I have finally fixed the Red Rice and Beans recipe. Also, that's a crappy name for dinner, so I gave it a spiffier title. Without further ado, I give you...

Risotto Mexicano (pronounced meh-hee-KAHN-oh)
serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups V8 Hot & Spicy
2 Tbsp canola oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed/minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2-3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
15 oz black beans, rinsed and drained
5 oz baby spinach

Bring water to a boil in medium saucepan. Stir in rice, then cover and reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer 10-15 minutes. When almost all the water has been absorbed, stir in the V8 juice. Cover and simmer 10-15 more minutes.
Meanwhile, dice the pepper and tomatoes, but keep separate Heat oil on medium heat in a deep pot. Add garlic and pepper; cover and saute 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in chili powder, tomatoes, and black beans. Simmer, uncovered, 1-2 more minutes. Pour in rice and V8 - it should not have been completely absorbed by the rice yet. Simmer, uncovered, about 10 minutes, until rice is tender and most liquid is absorbed. Stir in spinach until wilted. Remove from heat and serve.