Something Old, Something New

When I made the Quinoa with Caramelized Onions earlier in the week (something old), it made a ton. I knew I needed to find something to make with it that would compliment the flavor without copying it. Another Jack Bishop recipe, Spicy Pan-Glazed Tofu (something new), was a perfect match. Now, I have to be honest. I'm still struggling with tofu. I like it crumbled and squeezed dry, then cooked, but slab o'tofu still leaves me cold. It has the texture of over-fried eggs. Plus, I made roasted Brussels sprouts again, which eclipses every other food group in my kitchen. Plus, I pretty much had a toast orgy when I got home tonight. I was starving, it was cold, and toast just sounded good. So, my appetite didn't exactly have a razor-sharp edge by the time I got dinner on the table.

With that said, though, I can still be objective about this. The warm, cinnamon undertones of the quinoa dish, and the sweetness of the caramelized onions, called out the sticky, warm notes of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar in the tofu glaze. In this preparation, the tofu is sliced, patted dry, and pan-fried to develop a golden brown crust. The glaze ingredients are then poured into the pan with the tofu, where the crispy cutlets absorb the flavor but still retain their chewy texture and crisp exterior. I turned my back at a crucial moment, though, and let the syrupy glaze absorb completely into the tofu. I think I would have liked this better had I had some of the glaze to drizzle over the tofu. I really liked the glaze, and I can see using it over a crumbled tofu/browned mushroom mixture, or even to glaze braised and browned tempeh.

And I just need to work on my tofu attitude.

Have you met quinoa?

If you've never cooked with quinoa, Bishop's Quinoa Pilaf with Caramelized Onions and Toasted Pecans is a great way to start. Quinoa is considered a "supergrain" with unbelievable amounts of nutrients and protein. It cooks pretty easily and typically doesn't take too long. I don't know what happened with my dinner tonight, because it took me over an hour to get the quinoa tender and to absorb all the water. Of course, what happened is really a no-brainer; I apparently wasn't cooking at a high enough heat. I'm still in a bit of a learning curve with my Le Creuset cookware. Too high a temp and things scorch, too low and they don't get done--and the range between the two is very narrow. (I never cook above level 5--of 10 levels--when using my Le Creuset.) But, I digress.

Another thing I really like about quinoa is the way it looks after it's cooked. The grains plump up, and you can see an opaque spiral running through them. They just look very cool. The grain is also versatile, able to take on many flavors and feel right at home with all of them. One word of caution: If you're going to use quinoa, don't ignore the directions to rinse it well prior to using. The grain has a natural protective coating of a substance called saponin, which is very bitter. A good 30-seconds of rinsing is a great investment into your finished product.

This recipe starts with diced onions and bell peppers cooked for five minutes. Ummm...that doesn't really caramelize them. So, I threw them in the pan and gave them about 20 minutes, which is what it took for them to brown and take on the sweet flavor characteristic of caramelized onions. Warm spices--cinnamon and ginger--are added and toasted just long enough to bring out their fragrance. The quinoa is then added to the pan and toasted for about a minute before the water is added and the whole mixture sets to simmer. After 20-30 minutes, you should be able to fluff it up, add some toasted pecans and chopped parsley, and sit down for dinner. We were going to have this with some roasted broccoli, but it took so long to cook that we had broccoli as an appetizer while we were waiting for dinner. I love roasted veggies, but that should probably be another post entirely!

Let's Thai again!

After the long, dark work week, it seemed like a good day to start off with a hike. Actually, "starting off" isn't technically correct. It was more like a "hang out for a few hours then go for a hike, then drive home really fast to take a shower so you can go to that work-related event, then leave there and drive really fast some more to meet the kids at church." At any rate, we got to spend a couple of hours at the absolutely beautiful Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area. This is a beautiful desert riparian area, and for a while, we were hiking there every weekend in preparation for our upcoming trips to San Francisco and Kauai. Things happened, though, and we haven't been for awhile. Lucky for us, the creek was still running after the rain a few weeks ago and the desert was awash in green. We took the relatively flat Metate Trail (named for the large metate left behind by the indigenous people who once lived in this area) so we could always be within earshot at least of the creek.

Tonight I'm very sore, but it was a beautiful spot to get back in touch with what's real--and to have a better picture of nature than the Ikea rock prints on my wall at work.





All that hiking made us hungry, so we eventually got to each a good dinner (although I admit to vegan Boca burgers for lunch). This is another Jack Bishop recipe--Potatoes and Chard with Green Curry Sauce. I served this over Sticky Rice, but it would have also been just fine as a stew. We really liked this recipe, also. There were gentle hints of coconut, ginger, and garlic backed by the slow burn of the green chili paste and the bright finish of lime juice and cilantro. The technique is a little different. Instead of just dumping a can of coconut milk into the pot with the other liquid, the cream is skimmed off the top when the can is opened. This is why he cautions not to use the "lite" coconut milk. The cream is reduced with the garlic and ginger infusing it with flavor. Finally, the potatoes and water are added, then left to cook until tender. Finally, ribbons of chard are added to the pot, and a few more minutes of cooking time ensues. Finally, the dish is finished with the cilantro and lime juice.

This dish makes plenty, and I suspect the leftovers will be out of this world after the potatoes further soak up the delicate flavors of this dish. I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow--if I can wait that long!

Excuse me, waiter! There's a chard in my taco!

Wow--what a week! There are lots of changes happening in the work place, and they have been accompanied by long, long days. The worst part is, I had this absolutely great menu plan for the week, but nothing got cooked. If I ever doubted how much of a negative impact fast food has on my body, I put the doubts to rest this week. I've stayed vegetarian, but that doesn't always mean healthy. After all, french fries and a diet coke are vegan!

Last night, the walls were closing in, so I decided to load up the briefcase and come home. Foolishly, I thought I'd get some work done here. Why, I don't know, because when I'm that burned out, my self-discipline flies out the window. Instead, I pulled myself into the kitchen and happily rinsed, chopped, minced, and diced my way to a really good dinner.

I'm still cooking out of Jack Bishop's A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen. I really like the way this book is arranged by season. It helps me as I try to reduce my carbon footprint, as the seasonal vegetables tend to be grown more closely to home. This book has been on my shelf for a couple of years, and was untouched until recently. Frankly, it looked too "vegetarian" for me. It features the kind of food I was always afraid I'd have to eat if I became a vegetarian. Apparently, the only thing I had to fear was fear itself. Tonight, we had Soft Corn Tacos with Garlicky Greens, accompanied by Mexican Citrus Salad and a crock of frijoles refritos.

This was really good. Who knew? I was surprised at how flavorful and satisfying the tacos were. The chard has a nice, earthy taste, which is livened up by carmelized onions, minced garlic and jalapenos. The rustic flavor of warm corn tortillas complimented it perfectly. We topped it with a jarred salsa from Trader Joe's, but any favorite salsa would work. The citrus salad wasn't anything special, but it was an easy and quick side with a nice flavor. It is short week to use a sharp knife to trim the vibrant citrus of it's pith and rind and cut it into slices. I arranged the slices on a platter before sprinkling them with lime juice, coarse salt, a whisper of chile powder, and chopped jalapeno. I loved the way this meal looked on the plate. It was like a rainbow had landed on the table.

I would suggest a bit of pre-prep work if this is to be a weeknight dinner. If the chard is prewashed and chopped, the whole thing could go together in 30-40 minutes. I hadn't cleaned and chopped my chard, so I did that while the onions were cooking. Otherwise, I would have done the citrus salad during that time. As it was, I did the salad first, then started the main.

Given the array of power-packed fruits and vegetables, I'm going to send this one to Sweetnicks for the ARF/5-a-Day roundup. Check it out weekly for lots of good ideas on ways to incorporate more antioxidant rich fruits and veggies into your diet.

Encore, please!

I really want to like this Jack Bishop recipe. But I don't. Certainly, it's okay. But it's not stellar. It doesn't transport me. It just leaves me flat. Full, but flat. Part of it is ingredient error. I used Muir Glen brand diced tomatoes, and the pieces are too big. I should have chopped them up a bit, but I didn't. When I want beans and tomatoes, I want BEANS and tomatoes, not beans and TOMATOES. So, it's my own fault that I didn't fix that. But as usual, I was in a hurry. I also really like to follow a recipe without a riff the first time. After all, the author got paid MONEY to write their cookbook. I get paid bupkiss to cook from it. So, they must know more than me, right?

It seems like I've had a lot of uneven success with Jack Bishop recipes. When they work, they are sublime simplicity. They are always quick, and I like his balance of healthy ingredients when they work, and going with the less-healthy-but-better-in-this-dish when they don't. However, he just isn't one of those cookbook authors who I feel I could pull anything they have published and cook from it, ending with a happy dance. I feel that way about Ina Garten. I feel that way about anything Cook's Illustrated publishes. So far, I feel that way about everything I've cooked from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman. Robin Robertson never steers me wrong, either. So why is it that Bishop, a noted cookbook author, doesn't always get it right? I don't know, but I think I must turn my recipe instincts on when cooking from his cookbooks.

But wait! There's more! We haven't talked about this recipe yet. One of my issues with this was the bread crumb topping. It's not that I don't treasure bread crumbs, for I love all things yeast-based. But I had a concern about topping a 6-serving dish with breadcrumbs, then eating two servings. What, I asked, would happen to the toasty layer of bread crumbs on the remainder of the dish as it sat in the refrigerator? Here is where I must admit that I'm not a big fan of insanely, considering it nothing but soggy bread that sat too near leaking tomatoes. I could see a bread crumb version of this salad forming on top of my casserole, rendering the leftovers inedible. So, I made our servings in two ramekins (just purchased in the Crate and Barrel after-Christmas sale, thank you very much), topped them with bread crumbs, and broiled them. I then toasted the rest of the bread crumbs in a skillet and toasted them, storing them in a plastic bag after they cooled.

Well, let me tell you, the thick layer of bread crumbs in the original servings were panzanella-ish on the bottom, although nice and crisp on the top. We ate it. It was fine. I wasn't excited about eating it again. But I did--I took it for lunch today. (Yes, this is a stealth blog entry--I made this two days ago, but had to choose between sleep and posting.) It was better today, scattered with the fully toasted bread crumbs. However, it still isn't grabbing me. However, I have a plan. I think I know what to do with the remainder that will be really, really yummy. You'll have to check back, though, to find out. I think it will be tomorrow's lunch, maybe even tomorrow's breakfast. See you then!

Soft Corn Tacos with Garlicky Greens

8 large corn tortillas (at least 8 inches in diameter)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced

4 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 medium jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded if desired, and minced

1 1/2 pound chard, stems and thick center ribs discarded, leaves washed, shaken to remove excess water, and chopped

Salt

1/2 cup prepared salsa, at room temperature

1. Move an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Wrap the tortillas in aluminum foil and place them in the oven. Warm for 15 minutes. Remove the packet from the oven and set aside until ready to eat.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep stockpot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and chile and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the damp chard, sprinkle with salt to taste, and stir to coat the chard with oil. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, ,until the chard has wilted, about 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer to evaporate any excess liquid in the pot, 1 to 2 minutes. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt to taste.

3. Transfer the chard mixture to a serving bowl. Spoon the salsa into another bowl. Unwrap the tortillas and place them in a cloth-lined basket. Let everyone assemble his or her own tacos, spooning some greens into the center of a warm tortilla, topping the greens with a little salsa, and then rolling up the tortilla to enclose the filling.

This recipe was discussed here.

Quinoa Pilaf with Caramelized Onions and Toasted Pecans

Copyright: Jack Bishop, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Sweet onions, buttery nuts, and warm spices give quinoa plenty of flavor. Serve with some steamed green beans or Baked Chard Stems with Tomatoes, Garlic and Parmesan (page 102).

1/4 cup chopped pecans

3 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil

2 medium onions, diced

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

1 tsp ground cinammon1 tsp ground ginger

1-1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed in a fine strainer under cold running water

3 cups water

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the pecans in a large saute pan over medium heat. Toast, shaking the pan occasionally to turn the nuts, until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Set aside on a plate.

2. Add the oil to the empty pan, raise the heat to medium-high, and heat briefly. Add the onions and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon and ginger and stir-cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the quinoa and stir-cook until toasted, about 1 minute.

3. Carefully add the water to the pan--it will sputter--and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley and toasted pecans and adjust the seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

This recipe is discussed here.

Mexican Citrus Salad

Copyright: Jack Bishop, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

2 large navel oranges
1 large red grapefruit
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro leaves (optional)

1. Using a sharp knife, trim thick slices from the ends of the oranges and grapefruit so they sit flat on a work surface. Slice downward around the oranges and grapefruit to remove the colored peel and bitter white pith. Slice the peeled fruit crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds.

2. Arrange the sliced oranges and grapefruit on a serving platter. Drizzle the lime juice over them and sprinkle with the chili powder and salt to taste. Garnish with the cilantro, if desired, and serve.

This recipe was discussed here.

Potatoes and Chard with Green Curry Sauce

Copyright: Jack Bishop, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Serves 4 as a main course

The green curry paste is cooked in a rich coconut cream to intensify its flavor. Choose a firm potato that will hold its shape when braised. I've made this recipe with baby Yukon Golds as well as small red potatoes. Either way, cut the potatoes into halves or quarters (or more pieces if necessary) that measure roughly 3/4 inch thick. Two tablespoons of curry paste make this dish very hot--just the way I like it on a cold winter night. Use regular rather than light coconut milk and carefully open the can without shaking it, then spoon off the thick cream from the top. Serve with Sticky White Rice (page 435) or Simplest Rice Pilaf (page 436).

1 Tbs roasted peanut oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs minced gingerroot
1 14-oz can unsweetened coconut milk, with 1/2 cup thickened coconut cream spooned off and reserved
1-2 Tbs green curry paste
1/2 cup water
2 lbs small potatoes, scrubbed and halved or quartered, depending on size
4 oz chard, stems and thick center ribs discarded, leaves washed, shaken dry to remove excess water, and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tbs fresh lime juice

1. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, no more than 1 minute. Add the 1/2 cup thickened coconut cream and the curry paste. Simmer briskly until the liquid in the coconut cream evaporates and the mixture forms a very thick paste that sizzles in the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the remaining coconut milk, water, potatoes, and 1/2 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are almost tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chard, cover, and cook, stirring once, until the potatoes and chard are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt to taste, and serve.

This recipe was discussed here.

Greek Salad with Marinated Radishes and Feta Cheese on Grilled Bread

Copyright: A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Marinated Radishes:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano leaves

1 medium garlic clove, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

18 medium radishes, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)

Grilled Bread:

8 small slices country bread, cut 1 inch thick (about 12 ounces)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salad:

12 cups packed tender lettuces torn into bite-sized pieces

2/3 pound cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups), halved

18 kalamata olives, pitted and quartered

15 fresh mint leaves, roughly torn (optional)

7 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/2 cups)

For the radishes: Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste togethe rin a bowl large enough to accommodate the salad ingredients. Whisk in the oil until the dressing is smooth. Add the radishes and toss to coat. Marinate the radishes, turning them occasionally in the dressing, while you prepare the other ingredients, about 20 minutes.

For the bread: Light the grill. Lightly brush both sides of the bread slices with the oil and sprinkle with salt to taste. Grill, turning once, until the bread is streaked with grill marks, 1 to 2 minutes. (Or just use a grill pan, like I did.)

For the salad: Add the lettuce, tomatoes, olives, and mint, if using, to the bowl with the radishes and toss until the lettuce is coated evenly with the dressing. Add the feta and tos sjust until it is evenly distirbuted in the salad.

To serve: Place 2 toasts, straight sides next to each other, on each large individual serving plate. Divide the salad among the plates, mounding it high on the toasts. Serve immediately.

This recipe was discussed here.