and now for the bonus round

So, last night Blogger was being mean (or it might possibly have been Comcast, who apparently felt like last night was a good time to mess up our whole connection) and I couldn't post pictures of dinner or Angst or rice wrapped in grape leaves.  Every Wednesday morning at work, we have a sales meeting where we each share one thing we learned this past week.  You know what I learned this week?

I suck at telling unillustrated stories.

You want me to rant about the squandering of our planet's resources?  Provide an in-depth discourse about why I don't eat honey?  Shame the fast food industry for profiting off of our fast-forward culture and increasing the chances of your average American growing obese?  Shall I regal you with stories of how people have committed petty crimes to violate their parole so they can return to prison just so they don't have to decide between 7 different kinds of bread?  Or how pasta can feed an army of undernourished poor for pennies a serving?

I can do all of that without a single picture (though they make it more fun, you must admit), but tell you a story about pasta with broccoli and new concentrated liquid bouillon and a fuzzy fan?  Nope, can't do it without pictures.  I use the photos as a kind of outline - they remind me where the story is going next.  Without them, I totally lose my train of thought and the entire post derails in mere paragraphs.

So, I've fixed last night's post - feel free to check it out.

Tonight, I made Moroccan Chickpeas and Zucchini from Appetite for Reduction.

In lieu of the prescribed [gross] onion, I sliced up the other half of the huge shallot Mister picked out on our team trip to Whole Foods last week.  In other news, I'm super proud of him for only picking up three things that weren't on the list I gave him for his Superfresh run today.

I was also a bit generous with the "pinch" of cinnamon to be added to the mix.  It came out perfectly, actually, but when I first did it and all I could smell was cinnamon (above 5 cloves of garlic, 1 Tbsp grated ginger, a sliced shallot, cumin, and coriander!), I panicked a little.  See, when the recipe says to add a pinch of something powdery (like cinnamon), I just flip up the top of the spice jar and shake some in - no need to actually "pinch" it with my fingers - you'll never get that off.  Regardless, sometimes I forget how eager cinnamon can be to escape the little plastic jar in which it lives as well as what a pungent little spice it is - a little dab'll do ya, as they say.

Angst was so excited about dinner tonight that I had to put him in the bathroom.  He's getting very vocal in his old age and there comes a point where Mister and I just can't listen to him squeaking while we're talking.  Once we'd finished, I retrieved him and gave him plenty of love.  Fortunately, he likes the bathroom, so he probably just fell asleep and forgot he was stuck...

Or maybe he'll just hate me until I give him breakfast in the morning when he's had a long lonely night to remember how much he loves me and misses me when I'm gone.

a menu for Mister (+1)

With some favorite cookbooks nearby for inspiration, I made Mister a present last night: his very own menu.  I put my mind to making a whole week of meals that are Mister-approved: pasta, Italian-inspired, our favorite rice-n-beans recipe, and the chickpea stew that never stops being a near-existential experience.  I was so pleased with myself by the time I got to the end that I interrupted Mister at his computer to proudly display my masterpiece; he was thrilled and recognized that I did it just for him.  Here is Mister's Menu:

1. Penne with Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce from Vegan Italiano.

2. Chickpea Stew with Fried Polenta from Vegetarian Times Complete Cookbook.  I have managed to hold off temptation for a few weeks, but now it is time to make this hearty, satisfying dinner and experience some mid-winter zen.

3. Seitan Cacciatore from The Accidental Vegan.

4. Cajun Red Beans and Rice, also from The Accidental Vegan but with a twist this time... you'll just have to wait and see.

5. Lemony Garlic Chickpea Patties from Vegan on the Cheap, served with Greek-seasoned roasted potatoes.  They're like big falafel I get to use my burger press to make; best of all worlds, especially with the potatoes.

6. Pasta Con Broccoli from Appetite for Reduction.  Yes, I just made this a couple of weeks ago, but it's really good and Mister really enjoyed it.  I really enjoy having Italian pasta dishes that don't include red sauce once in a while.  Unfortunately, it appears that since we've overcome our Spinach Famine, we are now experiencing a vegetable broth drought.  There was not a single drop to be found in Superfresh or Essene, which means at some point this week, I'll have to try Whole Foods.

Tonight, I asked Mister what he wanted me to make first and I didn't have any trouble getting a response.  In my brain, I had silently placed a bet with myself that he would start the week with the very first item on the menu, because although he loves the whole menu, I think he'd be most enthusiastic about simple pasta with red sauce.

I won!  He absolutely chose Penne with Roasted Red Pepper Marinara Sauce to start the week.  I made a few tweaks to the sauce; despite many Americans finding dozens of creative ways to avoid adding salt to their diets, I was very surprised that the recipe I followed didn't add even a little bitty pinch of salt, so I took it upon myself to "write in" about a teaspoon.  Also, to balance out the oregano that I really had to pep myself up to add, I sprinkled in a generous teaspoon of marjoram and a glug of balsamic vinegar.  I don't normally simmer my marinara as long as I did tonight, but ice cold water takes longer to bring to boiling (more in a minute).  I'm glad I did, though, because at the beginning, the sauce was watery and thin, but after about 30 minutes of simmering, uncovered, it had reduced enough to be slightly more opaque.

As you can see, I also subbed rotini primavera for the penne in the title.  I don't know what's so special about rotini primavera, but it's the only dried pasta I can find in a 12 oz box - even regular rotini is 16 oz.  This was actually a much bigger decision than it needed to be due to the conversation in my head:

"I only need 12 oz."
"But I can get 16 oz for the same price, making this the greater value."
"We might be moving soon and I don't want to pack a bunch of half-used boxes of pasta."

Eventually, it was that line of logic that deposited the smaller box of pasta (for the same price) into my basket.

So, when I got up this morning, I went to the coffeemaker, presuming to make coffee and learned something.  I'm happy to learn something new every day, but I do think sometimes it's a little too early to start the lessons.  Here's what I learned before coffee or tea or breakfast: we take for granted that when we pop the faucet, water will come pouring out of the nozzle.  This is not always true.  This was not true in my home this morning.  I flipped up the magic wand that would fill my waiting coffee pitcher with water to make Mister's favorite beverage and nothing happened.  Kind of like when I turned the key to my car's ignition on the morning of my wedding, but that's another story from another time.

Apparently, the water pipes froze in our single-digit temps last night and it took until late afternoon to get the cold water back.  There's still no hot water, which is why I'm sitting at my computer typing away instead of cleaning up the huge mess I made of the kitchen even though I knew there was no hot water.  A few times, during the baking process (yes, baking...that's the +1) I had to rinse my hands off.  Let me tell you what it felt like: Right now, the temperature in Philadelphia is 17 degrees Fahrenheit with a "real feel" of only 8 degrees.  The water coming out of my tap feels the way it would feel if you could turn Outside into liquid form and pump it through some pipes.  It was like rinsing my hands under melting ice cubes.  I don't see this improving any time soon, either, since tonight's low is also in the single-digits (I've already washed the apple I'm having with tomorrow's breakfast because I don't think there will be water in the morning).

If you ask me, all this cold is perfect weather for baking...

Cinnamon-Date Scones

So, I cranked up my oven, pushed my sleeves up at least halfway to my elbows, and tied on my apron to make a good old-fashioned flour mess in my kitchen.  The minute I saw the recipe, waiting to be tested for the upcoming UV2 cookbook for which I have the privilege of testing, I knew I'd have to jump on it before everyone else did.

I haven't had a date in years.  Wait - that didn't come out the way I meant it.  The last time I ate a date, I was living in my parents' house and my aunt was still married to my uncle.  I remember this because every Christmas, when she came to visit with us and brought her two beautiful collies, she also brought a Hickory Farms gift box full to overflowing with edible treasures: summer sausage, port wine cheese, gobs of these little hard candies dressed up in wrappers that looked like strawberries, and dates.  They were so strange and rare that although my mother can attest to what a picky child I was, I couldn't resist trying the dates and I found that I liked them very much.

Unfortunately, back in the real world, they're a little expensive to be a regular part of my cupboard neighborhood, but I decided no amount of expense would prevent me from picking up just enough for this recipe.  In the searching, I discovered that they aren't as expensive in some places as they are in others... and that brought me joy.

so did this

With a rustic, crunchy outside but a soft and cupcake-like interior, these scones will find their way to our table again.  I envision us, sitting at the table beside the big, bright window in what I hope is our next home, celebrating the first snowfall in our new home by brewing a pot of tea or coffee and sharing a pile of these sweeties.  Throughout a soft and not-too-sweet body, there are little bites of sweet, moist dates, adding a little wow factor to what would be a perfectly palatable scone with just the cinnamon.  Maybe on a future making, I will include a scant handful of cinnamon chips or sprinkle the tops with coarse cinnamon sugar for a little extra oomph.

Trust me, folks - you can't wait until this cookbook hits the shelves.

refriedillas and via-to-go

Was that even English?  I'm looking at the title of my own post and thinking it looks like a jumble of letters, but if you take your time and read it more than once, it will make sense...especially in the context of the post!

Today was awesome.  For one thing, I've been waiting for today all week.  For another thing, almost everything about today was pretty darn good - the sun was out and the weather was gorgeous (if not a little on the windy side).  I got up shortly after Mister left for work with an enthusiastic kitty waiting to say hello (actually, he was yowling outside the bedroom door) and had a delightful breakfast:

Apple Almond Oatmeal
serves 1 (but easily multiplied)

1 small apple, diced
1/2 cup dry oatmeal
1 cup nondairy milk (I used So Delicious Coconut Milk)
1 tsp Earth Balance
1 tsp Cinnamon sugar
1 tsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp sliced almonds

Melt the Earth Balance in a large skillet with sloped sides.  Saute the apples 2-3 minutes, until golden and tender.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and stir well to coat evenly.  Add a couple of Tbsp of the milk, then sprinkle the oats over the apples and stir to combine.  Pour in remaining milk and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, stir in maple syrup and almonds.  Cook 3-5 minutes on low, stirring often, until all liquid is absorbed.

I hope you like oatmeal, because it's only October!  No fear - I have some other tricks up my sleeve, so you won't spend the winter learning 1001 Ways to Cook Oatmeal.

Since we leave for California on Thursday, it's a short cooking week and I was able to buy all of my groceries at Whole Foods, affording me some free time to play my piano before heading out to teach other people how to play the piano.  It's a pity how infrequently the teacher practices...  Regardless, although I had plenty of time to finish everything I had written on my to-do list last night, tomorrow is supposed to be another spectacular day for roaming around the city I love, so I saved some "errands" for tomorrow.  You know, really burdensome things like shopping for make-up and playing at Williams Sonoma.  I'll be crying all the way down Chestnut Street.

Before I got on my train this afternoon, though, I stopped at the adorable hidden-under-the-stairs Starbucks at Market East and bought myself a present: Cinnamon Spice Via.  Okay, two presents - as long as I was there, I treated myself to a short peppermint Americano.  The short size is probably one of Starbucks's best kept secrets - 8 oz of your favorite drink; a little less costly, and more importantly when relying on public transportation schedules, a little less bladder-filling. 

I can't wait to try the Via, but I will.  Tomorrow, I will drink hazelnut coffee with my Mister like I do every Sunday.  Monday, though, I will have a new weapon to battle the coffee at my office (which is much better than the coffee at our old building, but still tastes like a paper cup, even when you drink it from a mug).

Dinner was Big Quesadillas with Refried Beans, Spinach Arugula, and Avocado from Vegan Express.  I've renamed it Refriedillas because the linguist in me cannot deal with quesadillas that aren't even made with quesas falsas.  For you non-Spanish-speakers out there, quesa=cheese, and there wasn't even fake cheese on this tasty little fold-over dinner.  I realized I should have taken a picture before I folded them over after I folded them over and effectively sealed them shut.  A few tweaks to the recipe resulted in a very tasty and filling dinner - I spread the refried beans over the entire tortilla because I didn't see how it would seal shut otherwise - tomatoes are not known for their adhesive qualities.  Also, I placed a layer of avocado inside each 'dilla rather than on top of them because although I know I need to work on presentation, Mister is more interested in practicality and loves food he doesn't need to use utensils to eat.  Maybe it would have been prettier to place them artistically on top of the 'dillas with a nice splat of salsa...but I'm pretty sure we both would have taken the slices off and discarded them rather than finding a way for them to fit into the 'dilla.

They were tasty and super-quick, therefore a good "back pocket" recipe.  I really ought to start storing those somewhere - a "back pocket" file or something.  We'll put that in the category of "cool things I want to do with my next kitchen."

breath-freshener or dinner?

Sometimes I run on auto-pilot when I start cooking.  Even if it's a recipe I've never made before, sometimes I just gather the ingredients and engage in the chopping, skinning, dicing, scooping, measuring, mixing, saute-ing or baking without pausing to examine the melange of ingredients I'm assembling and manipulating.  Sometimes I forget to be mindful of what I'm eating until I'm halfway through it and wondering exactly what it is that is causing this or that taste to stand above the rest. 

Sometimes.

Then, some other times, I pay very close attention to every detail, somehow just knowing that I will want to remember this later.  Sometimes I sniff or taste the ingredients as I add them, savoring my self-education and the opportunity to reflect on why this flavor goes with this one or why that scent is so enticing (or nauseating).

Sometimes, just as I stir in the last ingredient, a small handful of dried mint, and its scent wafts upwards into my increasingly sensitive and observant nostrils, I remember that one of the first ingredients was cinnamon and I think to myself:

"Really?  Cinnamon and mint?  Is this a good idea?  Is dinner going to taste and smell like I just gargled with Scope and then popped a piece of Big Red in my mouth?"

Tonight I made Vegetable Biryani from La Dolce Vegan.  It was almost nothing like my other recipe.  It was far faster, since it cooks on the stovetop, not in the oven.  It was a little more integrated and a little creamier - my Moosewood recipe doesn't have red lentils and the rice is cooked separately, and then a little rice-vegetable-rice Oreo situation occurs in the construction.  There is also no mint in my other recipe.  I had really mixed feelings about adding it, but in the end, I wanted to be faithful to the recipe.

Although mint and cinnamon co-existing in this recipe still strikes me as bizarre, and although I still have a little trouble smelling mint as I draw the forkful of savory Biryani to my mouth, it was actually quite outstanding.  I will absolutely make this again, but I will add a little more variety (and nutrition) to the table by serving a side dish or two.

I love my tastebuds

I have had a couple of great-tasting days! I have finished my bars, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow (I've gotten myself into a habit now), although I'm thinking of "sharing" one of Mister's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Clif bars.

Yesterday I had my Chocolate Coffee Jocalat bar. I have to say, this was my second experience with these bars and I can see why people love them! This one was deliciously rich...I couldn't necessarily taste the coffee, but I think it served to enhance the very dark, bittersweet chocolate taste. It was dense and satisfying, with just the right amount of nuts, and tasted like clean food should. Furthermore, all of the ingredients are organic, and if that isn't enough, the coffee used is Fair Trade Certified. Even though it had only dates in it with three different kinds of nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, and cashews), it still counts as a fruit serving. A chocolate fruit? Don't mind if i do!

Today's grand finale reached its culmination in the Cinnamon Roll Larabar. This was incredible. When I opened the wrapper, it smelled like the inside of my cinnamon jar. Cinnamon is both a favorite scent and a favorite flavor of mine, so this bar was the perfect way to end this week's parade of alterna-fruit-servings. Again, it was the perfect combination of nuts and sweet cinnamony goodness. It tasted just like the wonderful gooey stuff between the rolls of a cinnamon roll, but there really wasn't any taste of the roll itself. I'm okay with that.

Last night I just heated up some of the leftover Mediterranean Risotto and finished the Killer Wheat Bread (be careful, it contains wheat!). I think the problem is the sun-dried tomatoes...I cut the quantity by more than half and they're still too strong...Next time, we'll try something in place of them, or just leave them out in favor of the olives and roasted peppers.

Upon his return from work, hubby gave me a present!

I am so loved!

On a related note...kind of...we've hit a serious cool-down here in Philadelphia (which Mister and I are absolutely relishing). I had strawberries and yogurt earlier this week, but today I happily had my very first oatmeal of the season! It was wonderful - I cooked the oats in unsweetened soymilk and threw in a handful of dried cranberries about halfway through. I didn't take any pictures because I can barely see in the morning (squint squint), so aiming a camera is pretty much out of the question. Anyway, my recent reading has inspired me to get a little more creative in my oatmeal preparation this fall and winter.

Ordinarily (as in, for the past two winters), I cook my oatmeal (real oats, none of that instant crap - it's hard to get whole grains when they're ground to oblivion) in apple juice and water with some cinnamon sprinkled in. Every once in a while I got fancy (read: I ran out of apple juice) and made my oatmeal with almond/soy milk and swirled in this delightful pure maple syrup, given as a gift from my husband's boss, in a real mason jar! Well, taking a cue from Chocolate Covered Katie I think I'm going to do something completely out of character tomorrow morning:

I'm going to cook my oatmeal in soymilk and then throw in a truffle or two and stir until it melts! In my head, that tastes so good...

Finally, for dinner tonight I reprised Nava's BBQ-Flavored White Beans and Sausage with Spinach. It was just as good (and fast to make) this time, and instead of roasting some potatoes I heated up the leftover coconut rice and served the BBQ beans over that. Also, this time I used Tofurky Italian Sausage, rather than their Bratwurst. It has a bit of kick to it, I'll tell you that! It was almost too exciting - I think without being served on that creamy rice to calm it down, it would have been too much for my poor little tastebuds.

while I bake a birthday cake...

I'll tell you about dinner! Bananas and their cousins, Plaintains, attract fruit flies faster than any food I've seen, so I wanted to get them out of my kitchen as quickly as possible. I would have made the Cuban-Style Black Beans with Rice and Plaintains for dinner last night but I had my heart set on doing one of my own recipes in order to redeem myself for the Red Rice and Beans disaster.

So, tonight I rescued the plaintains from the microwave prison in which I've been hiding them in an ardent attempt to prevent the aforementioned fruit flies from invading my home. By the way - it appears to have worked. Shows you how frequently I use my microwave, though. Anyway, I "topped and tailed" them, skinned them and cubed them, then sauteed them until they were just a little browned and crispy. I discovered that the 1 cup of broth I was cooking the black beans and peppers in reduces to a nice thick sauce in the time it takes me to (once again) completely underestimate the amount of time it will take to cook brown rice.

I have a love-hate relationship with brown rice but we'll save that tale of woe for another time.

Anyway, it was a tasty and different little dinner. I was looking for something a little more piquant, but then again, I left out the three different members of the onion family written into the recipe in favor of a dash of onion powder. I more or less have a hate-hate more relationship with onions, but we'll definitely save that rant for later. I felt like I had been quite liberal with my salting, especially considering that I was using canned black beans and vegetable broth, but it tasted just a little too bland. I think, though, the bland may have been coming from the cooked-in-water brown rice and the dish just wasn't powerful enough to overcome that.

In other news, I am currently baking the Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake from La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer. It smells so good. Mister and I are not big fans of cake, but that seems to be attributed mainly to the lack of good icings out there. Have you noticed that? How a too sweet icing can absolutely ruin a perfectly good cake? So I'm trying to decide if I really feel like risking the corruption of what presently smells like a great cake to coat it with Maple Icing from How It All Vegan (it's just a Sarah Kramer kind of night!).

The part of me that hates cakes with icing is battling with a long-ago memory of Mister making me a cake for my birthday and stating that birthday cakes require icing...and it is his birthday...

post script: the cake is way too pretty to ice:

sweet (and savory) success

I am back and thrilled to report that tonight's dinner was such a success that someday I will be able to forgive myself for last night's dinner. After much deliberation, and eventually deciding based on an intense desire to stay away from rice tonight, I decided to cook the Pomegranate Saute on Cinnamon Bulghur.
It was extremely flavorful, which was a welcomed change from the profoundly bland meal we ate last night. It also came together in a little less than one hour - another substantial difference from yesterday's cooking time. I was very pleased with the combination of sweet and savory - one of my favorite combinations. I'm not terribly sodium-conscious, but I try to pay attention because I'm sure one day it will be an issue. Something I remembered from a magazine article about the Satisfaction diet (in which you seek to be satisfied with less food by incorporating more of the essential tastes) is that vinegar, in the right quantity, can have the same enhancing effect on food as salt. I stopped trying to decide between salt and soy sauce and picked up the red wine vinegar. It worked better than I could have imagined! Anyway....

Pomegranate Saute on Cinnamon Bulghur
serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups water
1 cup bulghur
1 scant tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 large cloves of garlic, pressed/minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 cup corn
15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
14 oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
12 oz soy sausage crumbles
6 oz apple juice
2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed (optional)

Bring water, salt, and cinnamon to a boil. Add bulghur; cover and simmer on low for 20-25 minutes, until all liquid has absorbed.
Meanwhile, saute peppers and garlic in oil over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally, until pepper is tender and garlic has browned slightly. Add soy crumbles and stir to break up. Increase heat to medium and brown soy crumbles slightly. Add corn, chickpeas, and undrained tomatoes. Stir to combine and bring to boiling. Add apple juice, pomegranate molasses, and red wine vinegar. Simmer on low, uncovered, for 15-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Put peanuts in a plastic bag and crush with the back of a spoon.
To serve, lay a bed of bulghur and spoon saute with juices over top. Garnish with peanuts, if using.

By the way, if anyone is interested in learning more about the Satisfaction diet, I find it fascinating and would be happy to expound. Just leave me a comment and let me know.