Peanut Butter Ramen

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic (or 1 t squeeze bottle garlic)
1 teaspoon ginger (I use the refrigerated squeeze bottle kind) 
1 healthy teaspoon green curry paste
4 cups vegetable broth (I use the Orrington Farms vegan no-chicken broth)
1 can lite coconut milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (to taste)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
juice of 2 limes

2  "bricks" of ramen

any variation of the following:
a handful of mushrooms, sliced very thin
handfuls of fresh spinach
broccoli, barely steamed
shredded carrots
cubes of tofu (I use the Trader Joe's packaged teriyaki tofu)
seven-minute eggs

at the table:
sriracha
peanuts, scallions, cilantro, mint, whatever you like

1.  Heat a large, heavy pot; add oil, then garlic, ginger, and curry paste. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2-3 minutes.
2.  Add three cups of broth and the coconut milk. Stir, reduce heat to low, and simmer.
3.  In a medium bowl, whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, lime juice, and remaining cup of broth.
4.  Add the peanut butter mixture to the broth. Stir. Add a handful of sliced mushrooms at this point if you like.
5.  Simmer 5-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning, adding salt, sugar, or lime to taste.
6. Cook the ramen in a separate pan, undercooking slightly. (Maybe 90 seconds to two minutes in the boiling water.)
7. Scoop noddles into your bowl, add whatever veggies, tofu, whatever. Ladle broth over. Add egg, if using. Top with whatever you like. 

This makes enough for three nice bowls for dinner and enough leftover broth for someone to have a decent bowl tomorrow. However, they'll have to make fresh noodles and reassemble whatever veggies/tofu they like.

Instant Pot Risotto

I joined the Instant Pot cult in December and have been cooking up a storm ever since. I love it.

Made risotto tonight and was absolutely stunned by how good it was. I did some research online but ended up consulting three recipes passed on by friends to get the right proportions. The first try was really good with a few tweaks, reflected here. So good I was asked if I would ever go back to making it the "real" way. Honestly not sure.

2 Tbs olive oil
2 Tbs butter
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 lb mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. arborio rice
1/3 c. white wine
3/4 tsp kosher salt
some black pepper (about four hearty turns of the grinder)
4 c. veggie stock (I heart Orrington Farms vegan broth in "chicken" flavor. Super neutral.)
1 c. frozen peas, thawed
parmesan or pecorino romano, about 1/4 c. at the end and more at the table

Using the "sauté" function, heat the olive oil and butter.
Sauté the mushrooms and shallots for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the rice and sauté for another minute or two.
Add the salt, pepper, and white wine and cook it down until you hear the rice sizzling a bit.
Add the stock all at once and put on the top. Make sure vent is CLOSED. Cancel the sauté function and set to "pressure cook" for 5 minutes. (It will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure, then five minutes at high pressure.)
Let it release naturally for 10 minutes, then turn the vent to let it release all the way.
Open, stir vigorously for a couple turns, then stir in the peas and about 1/4 c. cheese.
Add a little more hot water water or broth if you like it soupier.
Serve with more cheese and black pepper at the table. 

Vegan option: Use additional olive oil in lieu of butter. Use some miso, nutritional yeast, or vegan parm for the umami in lieu of cheese. 

Granola, Plain and Simple

I don't want coconut or nuts or fruit bits in my granola. Even if I did, I'd add them later. 

Photo represents the one time I added a little quinoa to the mix.

Preheat oven to 300 or 325 depending on whether you like your granola a bit toasty.

Whisk well:
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/3 c. brown rice syrup or honey or maple syrup (or any combination)
1/4 c. vegetable or olive oil (or combination)
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of cinnamon (optional)
1 egg white (optional)

Add and stir well:
3 c. old fashioned rolled oats (not quick, not steel cut)

Spread onto a parchment-lined pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, checking often and stirring a bit halfway through. Remove when it's golden brown. Let cool. Break up chunks and store in an airtight container at room temperature. 

Chimichurri

Put this on veggie cubanos or Italian subs or empanadas. Your life will be bueno.

1 c. (packed) flat-leaf parsley, trimmed, washed, spun dry
1/4 c. (packed) cilantro trimmed, washed, spun dry
3 or 4 cloves garlic
2 t. dried oregano
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. red pepper flakes or more to taste
fresh ground pepper
1/3 c. olive oil
2 T. red wine vinegar

Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor.

Chickpea & Quinoa Stew

Kim made this for her triumphant return to Book Group after living in London for three years. It's adapted and converted from Deliciously Ella Every Day by Ella Woodward. 

Original recipe or
How I made it:

1 1/2 lbs butternut squash or sweet potato, peeled, trimmed and cubed in 1-inch cubes
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 t. ground turmeric (original recipe calls for 3 t. but I found that a bit much.)
1 t. ground coriander
1 t. chili powder
1 t. ground of fresh ginger
1/2 t. Aleppo pepper
1 14 oz can lite coconut milk
1 T. tomato paste
1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1 1/4 c. boiling water
1 14 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 bag pre-washed spinach (7-8 oz., more if you like)
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Roast butternut squash on a sheet pan lined with parchment, drizzled with olive oil and salt, for approximately 30 minutes or until just tender.
2. In a large dutch oven, add garlic, turmeric, coriander, chili powder, Aleppo pepper, ginger, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Heat through and add butternut squash.
3. Add the rinsed quinoa and boiling water. Simmer on low for 15 minutes.
4. Add chickpeas. Simmer on low for 15 more minutes or until quinoa is fully cooked and plumped. 
5. Add spinach and simmer on low until wilted, about 5-10 minutes.
6. Season to taste. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt and naan. 

Vegan Babies aka Banana-Chocolate Brownie Bites

My continued search for vegan brownies for my vegan girl took a turn for the better this week when I hit on these delish brownies. This recipe is a mish-mash of several things I've tried or seen online.

Pulverize in a food processor or blender, until very, very smooth:
1 15-oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 Tbs. ground flax seed whisked with 2 T. water
4 Tbs. cocoa
1 ripe banana
1/2 c. sugar (I used Turbinado)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules (optional but adds nice flavor)

Scrape into a bowl and fold in:
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Add:
3/4 cup chocolate chips (mini preferred)

Scoop into mini muffin tins that are well greased.
Bake for 23 minutes at 350 degrees.
Cool for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

Makes 24 minis.

Easiest Sticky Cinnamon Rolls Ever

Charlie gets the credit for discovering these which are from the book Teens Cook which, if you're looking for a good tween/teen cookbook, I definitely recommend. The best thing is that they are a no-rise dough so you can have them on the table in an hour. I have only modified the recipe slightly, with the addition of some salt to the dough and a reduction in the butter.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

The Dough
1 c. cottage cheese
3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. milk
1/2 t. salt
2 T. baking powder
4 1/4 c. all-purpose flour plus some for dusting

Put the cottage cheese in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add sugar, eggs, oil, milk, and salt and puree until smooth.
Put the mixture in a large bowl and stir in the baking powder. Add 3 1/2 cups of the flour and stir until it forms a dough. Using your hands, add the remaining dough a little at time until the dough is smooth and not too sticky. This is not so much kneading as a "smush and fold" technique. 
Spread some flour on a clean, flat surface and roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 16x20 inches.

The Filling

2 c. brown sugar

3 T. cinnamon

6 T. butter

1/4-1/2 c. honey

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Melt the butter.

Assembly & Baking

Melt the butter and brush over the entire surface of the dough. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking pan. (If you wanted more of a classic sticky bun situation, you could sprinkle nuts in the pan at this point.)

Drizzle the honey over the buttered dough. Now I admit, I didn't measure out the honey at all. I just squeezed it right out of that little bear in sort of a loose grid pattern. Seemed like maybe 1/4 cup total but the recipe calls for 1/2 cup if you want to do it their way.

Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the dough. Roll the dough, as tightly as you can, the long way.

Using a serrated bread knife, cut the roll into 1 inch slices. Arrange them into the pan, right up next to each other, and sprinkle with any remaining butter and cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until done.

Remove from the pan and turn out onto a platter.

Eat while warm.

Stuffed Portabellas aka Leftover Magic

Okay, you have to believe me when I say that I am a better cook than a food photographer and therefore, these taste way better than this looks. looked before I removed the photo because it looked so very awful.

Stuffing for caps, mix together all ingredients:
2 cups of grain/carb (brown rice, orzo, cous cous, bulgur, leftover pilaf, what have you)
2 cups sauteed veggies (onion, garlic, fresh spinach, grated carrot, etc.)
1/2 t. basil
1/2 t. oregano
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1 T. olive oil
salt and pepper liberally
Optional: 1/2 c. crumbled feta or 1/4 parmesan or romano (decrease salt if using romano) or whatever cheese you like

4 big portabella mushroom caps, stems removed, brushed clean with a damp paper towel

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

optional: bread crumbs

Generously, oil a Pyrex baking pan with olive oil. Lay the caps smooth side down in the oil. Splash the caps with some nice balsamic vinegar. Mound 1 cup of the stuffing on top of each cap, flattening the stuffing and pressing all over the cap. At this point, feel free to sprinkle on some bread crumbs or a bit more romano cheese for extra crispy topping.

Bake at 375 for about 25-30 minutes or until the top is nice and crispy and the mushroom is cooked through and releasing its juices.

Adventures with Pesto

Perfect on a radish.

Pesto is a glorious thing and I make it all summer. My Grandma Nance made it and served it with "the homemades" -- big flat ribbons of homemade egg pasta. Pesto is basically a way to spoon summer onto anything you like.

However, when I recently promised Becky I would share my pesto "recipe" with her, I realized I don't actually have one.  I use whatever green I have (basil, lemon basil, mint, parsley, baby spinach, arugula, or some combo of two of those things), and stuff it into the food processor. Throw in garlic, or none, or, once a year, garlic scape if you are lucky enough to have some. Turn the machine on, drizzling olive oil in while the blades work their magic. 

I like pesto quite smooth so the food processor works best.

Then the nuts. Usually pine nuts, but maybe pistachios, or even almonds. And oh, if it's parsley I'm mixing up, lemon zest tastes right. Then I fold in a few heaping tablespoons of pecorino-romano if it's classic pesto (basil, spinach, or arugula.) But I just saw this recipe on Food52 which called for feta...


So basically, you can't go wrong. And if I needed a recipe, I'd start with my favorite guy, Mark Bittman's, with a little less olive oil than he calls for, and then start improvising as soon as you can.

Deviled Eggs

Deviled eggs are the best, especially for a summer party. My Grandma Eulie made great ones but I've added balsamic and truffle salt, two ingredients not too likely to be found in mid-70s Paw Paw, Michigan. Here's the recipe my friend Lydia goes crazy for...

Vintage egg plates make a difference

18 eggs, hard-boiled
1/2-3/4 c. mayo
2 T. yellow mustard
splash of the very best, sweetest balsamic vinegar
1/4 t. truffle salt
Cayenne to taste
White pepper to taste
Sea salt to taste
Paprika, for the classic garnish. Hot paprika, chives, fancy grey or red salts, black sesame seeds, what-evah... also fun.


Boil the eggs. Cool and peel under cold water. Chill.


Cut eggs in half the long way and throw the yolks in your Kitchen-Aid with the whisk attachment. Add your mustard, balsamic, and half cup mayo. Start on low and eventually work up to your highest speed, adding the remaining mayo to desired creaminess. Stop and season to taste. Whip until very smooth and fluffy.


Using a pastry bag or gallon ZipLoc with the corner cut off, fill the whites in a pretty, swirly pattern. Garnish. Serve, preferably with a cold cocktail.

Chilaquile Casserole

It's Mother's Day and that means one thing: brunch. Amy Spar, domestic goddess and queen of Lunch Bunch and other fabulous things, turned me on to this brunch gem in 2006 and happy people have been inhaling it ever since. It's maybe the most adaptable recipe ever since there are infinite combinations of things to put in and on it, and can be eaten around the clock. It's become a staple for our post-triathlon brunch and Christmas Day breakfast, too. It's also worth noting that this is Amy's go-to-dish whenever someone has a baby and she brings them dinner. I think you're getting the picture. Amy got the recipe from Mollie Katzen’s Still Life with Menu.  

12 corn tortillas

1 4-ounce can diced green chiles

2-3 c. jack cheese

6 eggs

2 c. buttermilk

salt & pepper

Optional fillings: mushrooms, peppers, beans, spinach, tofu etc.

Optional toppings: enchilada sauce, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, sliced avocado, bean & corn salad, etc.

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 9x13 pan.
2. Tear 6 tortillas into bite-sized pieces and spread them in pan.
3. Spread ½ the cheese and ½ the chiles over the tortillas, as well as any additional fillings.
4. Tear the other 6 tortillas and spread them on top.  Follow with remaining chiles and cheese.
5. Beat the eggs with the buttermilk and salt and pepper.  Pour over casserole evenly.
6. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
7. Serve hot or warm with toppings.

Chocolate Waffle Cakes from Waffleizer

Most of you already know that my son is crazy for waffles and anything related to waffles, waffle irons, and Belgium, so you can imagine my delight at finding a website for all things waffleized. Waffleizer.com will show you how to waffle up a whole bunch of stuff, none better than these truly delicious little chocolate cakes. Just think, no pans to wash and really, really happy children.

When this posted on facebook, a (grown) friend asked if she could move in with us. Such is the power of the chocolate waffle.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter

1/4 cup dutch-process cocoa powder

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Optional: 1/2 ounce cocoa nibs, broken down into bits in a food processor, or in a plastic bag with a blunt object (meat tenderizer, rolling pin, old waffle iron, etc.)

Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Let cool slightly.

2. Put eggs, vanilla, and sugar in the bowl and mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale, 4 to 5 minutes. Mix in butter, salt, cocoa powder, cocoa nibs (if using -- I didn't) and the flour.

3. Heat a waffle iron until hot. (I found this recipe worked best with a regular, not Belgian, waffler.) Lightly grease iron with a neutral oil, such as canola. Spoon about 1 tablespoon batter onto center of each waffle-iron section to make 1 1/2-inch rounds. Close cover; cook until set, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool. Repeat with remaining batter, coating grids with oil after each batch.

4. Dust with powdered sugar. I suggest eating them with ice cream and some nice hot fudge sauce, too.

Eulie's Chocolate Snack Cake

This is another one from the Grandma Eulie archives. When you drink about 14 cups of coffee a day, like she did, you might need a little something to go along with it. Hence, her arsenal of not-too-sweet, no-frosting, all-in-one-pan snack cakes. This is a gem. She apparently adapted it from a recipe on the Gold Medal package, sometime in the mid-1970s.

NOTE: You may mix in entirely in the pan, making this a one pan wonder, to boot.

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup cocoa

1 t. baking soda

1/2 salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 t. vinegar

1 t. vanilla

1 cup water

Mix dry ingredients well, then add liquids. Bake in an 8x8 ungreased pan. 35-40 minutes or until a wooden pick (seriously, who keeps wooden picks around?) comes out clean. No temp specified, but I think I do about 350.


*Because this is a "wacky" cake, there is no egg in it.  Vegan by accident. Lovely.*