Homemade Cake Mix

Mix in a zip-lock bag and store in pantry for up to 3 months.   Use as you would use store-bought cake mix.


Vanilla cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon potato flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Chocolate cake:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Kale Salad

The trick here is the hot grains.  They wilt the kale just a bit without taking away too much of the crunch.  This makes the kale a lot more palatable to pickier eaters.  

6 cups shredded raw kale
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups cooked grains, hot (I usually use a combination of quinoa and brown rice)
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 large clove of garlic
1 pinch Herbes de Provence
salt and pepper to taste
crumbled feta cheese (leave out if making a vegan salad)

In a large bowl toss kale, beans, grains, cherries, and pumpkin seeds until well mixed.

Whisk vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper until emulsified.  Add to kale mixture and toss to combine.  Serve immediately, or refrigerate up to 3 days.

Southwestern variation: Replace the balsamic vinegar with apple cider vinegar; replace cherries with sun-dried tomatoes; replace the garbanzo beans with pinto beans; replace the Herbes de Provence with cumin and oregano; replace optional feta cheese with shredded Monterrey Jack; garnish with crushed tortilla chips; garnish with crushed tortilla chips.

Raw Oatmeal Parfait

I am so addicted to this breakfast, I prepare 5 jars on Sunday night for the whole work week.  And I miss it on Saturday.

1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt (I've been using strawberry, and I don't foresee a change there)
1/4 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/2 cup frozen berries
2 tablespoons lowfat cottage cheese
2 tablespoons granola

In a large mason jar, combine oats, yogurt, milk, chia seeds and almond butter and mix well. 
Layer berries and cottage cheese.  Refrigerate overnight.  Top with granola.

Pickled Eggplant

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.

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.

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.

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.