I didn't use to care for eggplant, but now I love it. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare it. I love these pickled slices in sandwiches, especially falafel ones, along with pickled red cabagge (same pickle recipe, just sub the eggplant with thinly sliced red cabagge).
1 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
Divide the eggplant between two medium mason jars (I use the 1-pint size ones).
Place the rest of the ingredients in a large microwaveable dish. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, or until the mixture boils and the sugar dissolves. Pour over the eggplant until it completely submerges the eggplant slices. Put on the lids and park the jars in the fridge. The eggplant will be ready in 2 days. Keeps in the fridge for 2 months.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Easy Weeknight Pasta III: Pasta Primavera
I have been intrigued by this technique I heard about in a foodie podcast of cooking pasta like it was risotto. So I tried it, and ended up with what I think is the easiest weeknight pasta ever.
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb small pasta shapes (I used campanelle)
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable stock, warm
1 cup artichoke heart chunks
1 cup asparagus chunks
1/4 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons pesto
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1- In large pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until slightly browned.
2- Add pasta and saute for a couple of minutes. Add wine and stir, until absorbed by the pasta.
3- Add stock and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly. The pasta will absorb most of the liquid and release enough starch to make a creamy sauce.
4- Turn heat to low, add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook on low for 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb small pasta shapes (I used campanelle)
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable stock, warm
1 cup artichoke heart chunks
1 cup asparagus chunks
1/4 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons pesto
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1- In large pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until slightly browned.
2- Add pasta and saute for a couple of minutes. Add wine and stir, until absorbed by the pasta.
3- Add stock and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly. The pasta will absorb most of the liquid and release enough starch to make a creamy sauce.
4- Turn heat to low, add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook on low for 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Chocolate Oreo Covered Strawberries
Yum. Please bear in mind that I kinda threw these together, so the amounts are approximate. I did not use the expensive long stemmed strawberries for this. I imagine they are pretty pricey, so I just used regular strawberries that had no stems, and used a fork for dipping. They looked and tasted fancy.
12-15 Oreos
12-15 strawberries (the larger the better)
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
Crush the oreos with a big mallet or rolling pin and put on a plate. Set aside.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Set aside.
Wash the strawberries. For each strawberry, pat dry with a paper towel, insert fork on the stem end, dip to cover in the melted chocolate, roll on Oreo crumbs to cover, and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. When all berries are covered, place pan in freezer for about 10 minutes or until chocolate is set.
I know for a fact that the covered berries will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 24 hours. We ate all of ours by then, but I can't imagine they would last fuzz-free much longer than that.
12-15 Oreos
12-15 strawberries (the larger the better)
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
Crush the oreos with a big mallet or rolling pin and put on a plate. Set aside.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Set aside.
Wash the strawberries. For each strawberry, pat dry with a paper towel, insert fork on the stem end, dip to cover in the melted chocolate, roll on Oreo crumbs to cover, and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. When all berries are covered, place pan in freezer for about 10 minutes or until chocolate is set.
I know for a fact that the covered berries will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 24 hours. We ate all of ours by then, but I can't imagine they would last fuzz-free much longer than that.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Christmas Eve Tourtiere
Whenever we get to spend Christmas in Austin, we have the good fortune to dine on Christmas Eve with our dear neighbors, the Fykes. Christmas Eve tradition in the Fyke household involves tourtiere, a meat pie from their native Canada. This year, I was inspired to concoct a vegan version of it.
2 cups cooked farro
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large jar sliced shiitake mushrooms, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons sage, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 package refrigerated pie dough (enough for a 9" double crust pie)
1- In a large bowl, combine the farro, beans, and mushrooms and set aside.
2- In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the onions until lightly caramelized (about 10 minutes in medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
3- Add broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch to the onions. Simmer while stirring constantly until the gravy thickens (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool. Add allspice and sage.
4- Add gravy to the farro mixture and mix until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
5- Preheat oven to 425. Assemble the bottom crust of the pie on a greased 9" pie plate. Pour the filling mixture and top with the top crust. Crimp to seal and cut some vent holes (I used a small cookie cutter). Brush with remaining olive oil.
6- Cover the edges of the crust with tents made out of foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil tents, lower the heat the 375, and bake for another 25 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
2 cups cooked farro
1 can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 large jar sliced shiitake mushrooms, drained
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons sage, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 package refrigerated pie dough (enough for a 9" double crust pie)
1- In a large bowl, combine the farro, beans, and mushrooms and set aside.
2- In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the onions until lightly caramelized (about 10 minutes in medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook for another 5 minutes.
3- Add broth, soy sauce, and cornstarch to the onions. Simmer while stirring constantly until the gravy thickens (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool. Add allspice and sage.
4- Add gravy to the farro mixture and mix until well-combined. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
5- Preheat oven to 425. Assemble the bottom crust of the pie on a greased 9" pie plate. Pour the filling mixture and top with the top crust. Crimp to seal and cut some vent holes (I used a small cookie cutter). Brush with remaining olive oil.
6- Cover the edges of the crust with tents made out of foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil tents, lower the heat the 375, and bake for another 25 minutes or until the crust is golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
P. Terry's Veggie Patty Look-Alike
My husband and I love this delicious patty from one of our favorite eateries in Austin, P.Terry's Burger Stand. This was quite easy to reverse engineer, once I found the ingredients on their website. I think the secret is the cheese. It adds great texture and binding.
2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice
2 cups black beans
1 cup old-fashioned oats
10 oz mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
Combine the rice, beans, and oats in a food processor bowl and pulse a few times until beans are roughly choppped. Pour into a large bowl and set aside.
Heat oil in a skillet and cook onions and mushrooms on medium heat until onions are transluscent (5-7 minutes). Add to food processor bowl and pulse until roughly chopped. Add to rice mixture in larger bowl.
Add seasonings, cheeses and parsley, and mix well. Refrigerate until chilled.
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a baking sheet. Form 8 patties with the chilled mixture and place on baking sheet (I like to shape them with a 6-oz ramekin and flatten them on the baking sheet; makes them really pretty and uniform). Bake for 30 minutes, flipping after the first 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice
2 cups black beans
1 cup old-fashioned oats
10 oz mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
sea salt and pepper to taste
Combine the rice, beans, and oats in a food processor bowl and pulse a few times until beans are roughly choppped. Pour into a large bowl and set aside.
Heat oil in a skillet and cook onions and mushrooms on medium heat until onions are transluscent (5-7 minutes). Add to food processor bowl and pulse until roughly chopped. Add to rice mixture in larger bowl.
Add seasonings, cheeses and parsley, and mix well. Refrigerate until chilled.
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a baking sheet. Form 8 patties with the chilled mixture and place on baking sheet (I like to shape them with a 6-oz ramekin and flatten them on the baking sheet; makes them really pretty and uniform). Bake for 30 minutes, flipping after the first 15 minutes. Let cool completely.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Salsa Ajilimojili
Ajilimojili is a traditional Puerto Rican sauce made with garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. It is used as a table condiment for everything, especially the traditional holiday roasted leg of pork. Of course, when I sit at the Puerto Rican holiday table, I want nothing to do with the pork. Thankfully, ajilimojili elevates any meat-free side dishes (like salad, plantains, and arroz con gandules) to much more celebratory good eats.
My mom's recipe is spectacular, and for hers she uses these really tiny sweet peppers called "ajies dulces", which are readily available in Puerto Rican grocery stores (or in her backyard garden). I have searched for them here in the continental US, with no success. But, the light bulb went off on my last trip to PR, when I studied the peppers closely and decided they reminded me of pepperoncini peppers! I promptly made a batch of the sauce upon my return, and it is quickly becoming a fridge staple.
And yes, I can say "ajilimojili" ten times really fast.
Salsa Ajilimojili
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon sliced pepperoncini peppers, chopped and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
the juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Put all ingredients in a blender. Grid until desired consistency (I like to pulse it so I can get it somewhat smooth, but with a few garlic chunks left).
My mom's recipe is spectacular, and for hers she uses these really tiny sweet peppers called "ajies dulces", which are readily available in Puerto Rican grocery stores (or in her backyard garden). I have searched for them here in the continental US, with no success. But, the light bulb went off on my last trip to PR, when I studied the peppers closely and decided they reminded me of pepperoncini peppers! I promptly made a batch of the sauce upon my return, and it is quickly becoming a fridge staple.
And yes, I can say "ajilimojili" ten times really fast.
Salsa Ajilimojili
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon sliced pepperoncini peppers, chopped and drained
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
the juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Put all ingredients in a blender. Grid until desired consistency (I like to pulse it so I can get it somewhat smooth, but with a few garlic chunks left).
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Stuffed Butternut Squash
I made this for my office slow-cooker cook-a-thon. A melon baller made it quite easy to carve a cavity for the stuffing in the squash.
This recipe fits on a 6-quart slow cooker
1 small butternut squash
1 5-oz bag dried apple slices
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup cooked short grain brown rice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup cooked sliced mushrooms
1 cup cooked cannellini beans
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1/4 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
1- Grease the insert of the slow cooker with some cooking spray or oil.
2- Cut the squash in half legthwise, then cut each half in half (right where the seeds are, so that 2 of the quarters are have all the seeds).
3- On the quarters that have the seeds: Remove the seeds and discard (or save for roasting).
4- On the quarters that do not have the seeds: Carve out some of the squash flesh so that the piece of squash can hold the stuffing. I scooped out about 1" in width and about half the height of the squash. Transfer the flesh balls that were scooped out into the slow cooker insert.
5- Add the apples, onions, and 2 tablespoons of oil to the squash pieces in the insert. Toss well and season with salt and pepper.
6- In a large bowl, combine the rice, cranberries, mushrooms, sage, and beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scoop the stuffing into the squash cavities.
7- Arrange the squash pieces skin side down inside the slow cooker insert on top of the apple mixture. Drizzle the remaining oil on top of the squash.
8- If the cooker has a warm setting, cook on low for 3 hours then let sit in "warm" for another 5 hours. Otherwise, cook on low for 4 hours, or until the squash is fork tender. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes, then serve.
This recipe fits on a 6-quart slow cooker
1 small butternut squash
1 5-oz bag dried apple slices
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup cooked short grain brown rice
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup cooked sliced mushrooms
1 cup cooked cannellini beans
1 tablespoon chopped sage
1/4 cup vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
1- Grease the insert of the slow cooker with some cooking spray or oil.
2- Cut the squash in half legthwise, then cut each half in half (right where the seeds are, so that 2 of the quarters are have all the seeds).
3- On the quarters that have the seeds: Remove the seeds and discard (or save for roasting).
4- On the quarters that do not have the seeds: Carve out some of the squash flesh so that the piece of squash can hold the stuffing. I scooped out about 1" in width and about half the height of the squash. Transfer the flesh balls that were scooped out into the slow cooker insert.
5- Add the apples, onions, and 2 tablespoons of oil to the squash pieces in the insert. Toss well and season with salt and pepper.
6- In a large bowl, combine the rice, cranberries, mushrooms, sage, and beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scoop the stuffing into the squash cavities.
7- Arrange the squash pieces skin side down inside the slow cooker insert on top of the apple mixture. Drizzle the remaining oil on top of the squash.
8- If the cooker has a warm setting, cook on low for 3 hours then let sit in "warm" for another 5 hours. Otherwise, cook on low for 4 hours, or until the squash is fork tender. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes, then serve.
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