Tag Archives: vegetarian

May 10, 2013 · 8:12 pm

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower|Spoonwithme-com (8)

It’s just a typical afternoon.  5:00, and thinking about dinner.  It begins with an innocent little peek into the fridge.  I have all the ingredients for that Indian dish I like to make.  Great, let’s have that over rice.  Simple. Hmmm, rice is great, but it would be even better with that spiced rice I like to make.  Oh, I know, I know! I could make that dal recipe the mister likes so much.  I haven’t had naan in forever!  Let’s search in all my cookbooks to find a good recipe.  Darn it, I need yogurt for that.  I must have yogurt.  Now.  Wonder if it will work with soy yogurt.  Can you go to the store, dear?  The kitchen transforms from immaculate–who am I kidding– the kitchen transforms from relatively clean to spinning in chaotic fury within 30 minutes.  Two and a half hours later, dinner is served.

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower|Spoonwithme-com (2)

I don’t know about you, but when I think Indian food, I know I’ve got my work cut out for me.  I expect to be chopping vegetables, toasting spices, making special pastes, and frying potatoes or cauliflower.  It’s usually worth the effort, but always takes way longer than anticipated.  Indian food is one of those cuisines that I crave on a regular basis.  Maybe it’s the collection of Madhur Jaffrey cookbooks on my bookshelf, or the lack of a go-to Indian place in our neighborhood, but “restaurant” usually isn’t on my radar.

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower|Spoonwithme-com (3)

There could be a way to satisfy those Indian food hankerings without spending hours in the kitchen.  Whaaat?!?  Roasting is the tired cook’s secret weapon for busy weeknights or otherwise un-motivated evenings.  Add oil, some spices and shallots, put it in the oven, then fuhgettabowdit for a while.  The shallots will sweeten without a long saute, and take on a roasty, toasted spice flavor just by using the heat of the oven. This ain’t traditional, but it works. Just sayin’.

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower|Spoonwithme-com (6)

You can eat it simply, over a bowl of basmati rice with a dollop of yogurt or raita, or…use it as a garnish for the curried coconut tomato soup (next post!).  And…I imagine some freshly baked garlic naan would go perfectly with the mix.  But…this is meant to be a simple meal…so don’t get carried away, now!

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower|Spoonwithme-com (9)

Indian-Spiced Roasted Cauliflower

Serves 3-4 as a side dish, or 2-3 as a main dish

  • 1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 large shallot, very thinly sliced
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat the oven to 425˚F.  Whisk the olive oil, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne, mustard seeds, tomato paste, sugar, and salt together in the bottom of a large bowl.  Toss the cauliflower and shallot with the spice mixture until thoroughly coated.    Roast the cauliflower in the oven for 25 minutes, or until soft and golden brown in places.  Add the cilantro, squeeze the lemon to taste over top of the roasted cauliflower.  Toss to combine, and serve while hot.

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April 10, 2013 · 9:04 pm

Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Walnut Crumble

Crumbly Banana Bread

Nothing makes teachers act like kids more than a snow day. It’s a dirty little secret that teachers hope for snow days with even more fervency than students.  A couple nights ago, Facebook was abuzz with weather-related status updates.  SNOW DAY!  WOOHOO!…Finally got the call!  No school tomorrow!…Very happy camper right now…  And then there was my status:  Saaaaahhhhnnoooooooowwwwww daaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy! Yesssss!  I was the teensiest bit excited.  Now, what does one do in winter conditions with time off and a bowl full of spotty bananas?  Do I even need to say it?

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Smitten Kitchen’s Jacked Up Banana Bread is my go-to recipe.  For years, I actually followed the recipe as written–besides replacing the flour with whole wheat pastry flour, and the bourbon with other various liquors.  I had never thought to drastically change it, because I knew I had found everything I was looking for in banana bread. It was moist.  Sweet, but not too sweet.  Spiced and fragrant, with an underlying boozy hum.  I was completely satisfied with the recipe, and not tempted to change a thing.

Smashed Bananas--SpoonWithMe.com

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But then…  My eyes began to wander.  Visions of coffeecake crumble danced in my head, and I just couldn’t shake the thought.  Banana bread and coffeecake in one?!?  Do you think?  Nawwwww!  Deb’s recipe is perfection.  You can’t!  But you must!

Mixed Up--SpoonWithMe.com

Walnuts--SpoonWithMe.com

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I started tinkering around, trying to create a nutty crumble to complement, but not over-shadow the banana bread perfection.  I finally arrived at the perfect intersection between coffeecake and banana bread: a fragrant crumble with toasty, wal-nutty clumps on top, and my favorite (almost) original “Jacked Up” banana bread underneath.

Unbaked--SpoonWithMe.com

Banana bread up close--SpoonWithMe.com

You won’t even need to summon the snow gods to make this banana bread.  Just a little bit of time, and few spotty bananas!

Sliced Banana Bread--SpoonWithMe.com

Whole Wheat Banana Bread with Walnut Crumble

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Makes one loaf

For the Banana Bread:

4 ripe bananas, smashed with a fork

1/3 cup melted salted butter (or earth balance vegan butter)

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon brandy or bourbon (optional)

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

pinch of ground cloves

1 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour

For the Walnut Crumble:

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup walnuts

3 1/2 tablespoons cold butter (or Earth Balance vegan butter)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Process:

  1. Spread the walnuts on a cutting board and smash them using the bottom of a measuring cup or jar. Combine all walnut crumble ingredients in a medium bowl. Using clean hands, blend the ingredients together until the butter is completely incorporated.  Squeeze handfuls of the crumble in your hands, then break apart the bigger clumps to form pieces resembling a coffeecake topping.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.  Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter.
  3. Put the bananas in a large bowl, and use a fork to mash them.  Mix in the melted butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, brandy, and the spices.  Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the top and mix it in.  Add the flour, and mix until just incorporated.
  4. Pour into the buttered loaf pan.  Spread the crumble topping evenly over top.
  5. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool before slicing and serving.

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February 10, 2013 · 9:24 pm

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes (vegan)

Buckeyes

Chocolate and peanut butter fell in love on an unsuspecting day, not much different than today.  The weather was cold, but not too cold.  The sky a nondescript dusty blue.  These were the olden days, the golden days, before Reese’s were even a gleam in the eye of a lucky entrepreneur.

Peanut Butter Balls

Rolling the Peanut Butter

Chocolate and peanut butter just couldn’t get enough of each other.  They had a little fun, took a little roll in the hay, and created a love child.  Yes, that’s right, a peanut butter love child dipped in chocolate.  I hate to be the one to have told you this, but I thought you should know. This is just what happens when two foods with perfect genes fall in love.

Chocolate Chunks

Chopped Chocolate

The first time I made buckeyes, I knew they would be good.  I mean, how could you go wrong with two foods so meant for each other?  I didn’t, however, expect them to be this good.  I’m not really a sweet eater most of the time.  I’m normally a savory kind of gal, so a couple bites of most desserts usually does it for me.  I’ve never felt such a compulsion to keep going back to the fridge as I did with these buckeyes.

Undipped

I’m reminded of sneaking bites of dough while mom was occupied with pressing the Hershey’s Kiss into the middle of her peanut butter cookies.  The cookies were always good, but I always thought the dough was even better.  This peanut butter filling has the same sweetness and little hum of vanilla as the cookie dough, with a little bit of saltiness and a more concentrated peanut butter flavor.

I heart Buckeyes

Some combinations seem to have been written in the stars.  I have a chocolate peanut butter lover at home as well.  If you do too, look no further. Heart-shaped boxes filled with waxy chocolates are over-rated.  Buckeyes are where it’s at.

Lovey Buckeyes

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Buckeyes

Adapted from The Splendid Table

Makes about 60

Although this recipe has been adapted to be dairy-free, real cream cheese and butter can be substituted.  Be sure to use emulsified peanut butter for this recipe.  The oil-on-top type won’t work as well here.  

For the centers:

  • 1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, at room temperature (or real cream cheese)
  • 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
  • 10 tablespoons vegan butter, such as Earth Balance (or real unsalted butter)
  • 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the coating:

  • about 4 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions:

Make the centers: Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a mixer.  Blend together at medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.  Refrigerate the mixture for at least 30 minutes, or until chilled but still pliable.

Form the peanut butter balls:  Scoop a tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture and roll it into a ball with your hands.  Place it on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.  Repeat for the rest of the peanut butter mixture.  Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.  (Leftover filling can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to a week).

Prepare the chocolate:  Bring an inch or two of water to a boil in a small/med saucepan.  Place the chocolate in a metal mixing bowl on top of the pan of boiling water.  When the chocolate begins to melt, whisk it until smooth.

Dip the buckeyes:  Spear a peanut butter ball with a toothpick, and twisting it into the chocolate, without submerging it completely.  Place it on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.  Carefully  twist the toothpick to remove, and smooth over the hole with your fingers.  Repeat with the remaining peanut butter balls.  To create hearts, use the end of an oval-handled utensil such as a spoon, to stamp the two sides of the heart.  Fill with melted chocolate using the back of a spoon,  a squeeze bottle or piping bag.

Refrigerate until the buckeyes firm up.  They can be stored in single layers separated by wax paper in an  airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

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January 21, 2013 · 9:15 pm

Commonweal’s Healing Spiced Tea

Two for Tea (1)

When I was a kid, tea was a grand event for the girls in my family.  Our favorite place was filled with victorian things: pearls and lace, fancy crystal goblets, antique silverware, among other things mauve and shiny.  We wore hats, the kind with nets and feathers.  Big and small brims, some with flowers.  Our sugar came in little cubes, which we stirred into tea poured from individual pots with tiny tarnished silver spoons. We cousins couldn’t withhold our giddiness, when, the waitress presented us with a tower of mini cucumber sandwiches and decorated truffles.  Our toothy grins beamed between daintily sipping and using words like “dahhhling”.  There was no place else we’d rather be.

Ginger Root

As an adult, I often find myself careening through the land of “shoulds”.  You know, whatever I’m doing, I really “should” be doing something else, especially if what I’m doing is relaxing or fun.  I love anything that pulls me back to the days before I cared about what I “should” be doing, and actually enjoyed what I was doing.  Food and drink-wise, something has to be either ridiculously indulgent, ridiculously healthy but just what I’m craving, or ridiculously comforting, in order to distract me enough to fully enjoy the present moment.

Sliced Ginger (1)

In a way, Commonweal’s tea shares some traits with chai, but presents itself in a different way.  Chai is the extrovert of spiced teas, with a pepper and ginger bite.  He lays everything out on the table, and will tell you everything about him upon nary an invitation.   On most days, chai calls to me, especially if it’s loud and spicy.  At nighttime, I want comfort.  Commonweal’s Healing Tea is chai’s quiet but intriguing introverted cousin.  She’s no less complex than chai, but unfolds her complexity slowly. First comes the slight ginger bite, rolling into the spices, and then a bit of almond milk, vanilla, and maple syrup, which seem to wrap around your tongue like a hug.

Whole Spices

When I finally made it for a friend one night after dinner, we both melted into the couch, very likely letting out an audible “Ahhh”.  Mugs held in both hands close to our faces, we huddled over our respective teas, as if they were little campfires to warm our hands and faces with.  We didn’t have any feathered hats, or little silver spoons, but we had time set aside to sip and chat.  Teatime was yet again a special event, and thankfully, the “shoulds” were nowhere to be seen.

Tea from the Top (1)

Commonweal’s Spiced Healing Tea

Adapted from The Cancer Fighting Kitchen By Rebecca Katz

Makes 8 cups

The name “Commonweal” reminds me of something regal, like high tea in Great Britain.  Actually, it refers to the Commonweal Cancer Program, a retreat for cancer patients and caregivers.  Katz makes this tea for attendees to sip all day long.    I like to store any extra tea, sans the maple syrup and almond milk, in mason jars in the refrigerator.  Leftovers can be stored for up to two weeks, and heated up with the milk and maple syrup.  After steeping the tea, the whole spices can be kept refrigerated and used to make a smaller batch of tea (using 6 cups water, and fresh ginger slices).  

  • 1/3 cup peeled sliced ginger, 1/4″ thick
  • 10 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons coriander seeds
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cardamom pods
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 1  1/2 cups almond milk (more or less to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 to 3 cups maple syrup

Put the ginger slices and water in a medium saucepan over high heat.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the coriander, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, and cloves, and simmer for 20 minutes more.  Pour the tea through a fine mesh strainer into another saucepan.  Add the almond milk, vanilla extract, and maple syrup to taste.

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November 22, 2012 · 10:52 am

Spiced Apple Croustades

Thanksgiving is a day where you can eat dessert during dinner (sweet potato pie, anyone?), and still eat bonus dessert after dinner is all over.  It’s a time to eat slowly, and together, with friends and family.  Is your time spent laughing and joking, as was par in my family, or participating in more “mature” grown-up conversation?  Growing up with my comedian of a brother, there really was no other option.  Either way, Thanksgiving is sacred time.  Not sacred in the traditional sense, but sacred as in upheld; a time when cell phones are off, no television commercials blaring in the background, and no reason to run off to the next errand.  A time for the face-to-face conversation with people who hopefully uplift you, or if not, at least people who help you grow.

Thanksgiving also marks the starting point to the holiday finish line.  It’s really the calm before the holiday storm, although it may not feel calm now. Ovens on full whack,  family members stuffed into small kitchens, dishes full of Thanksgiving feast components…  Soon enough, there will be concerts to hear, and parties to throw and attend, and gifts to buy…  And more gifts to buy (as I’ve been reminded by all the gurus of black friday advertising).  After the turkey is roasted, and all food is magically hot and ready to put on the table at the same time (ha!), you can let out a big breath and enjoy just being for a little while before the real craziness ensues.

Speaking of all the upcoming festivities,  now’s the time to put a few tricks up your sleeve. You’re going to need a few show-stoppers in your repertoire.  The kind that people ooh and ahh over, and think you spent hours on.  The kind you want to set on the table underneath a silk scarf, and reveal like a rabbit in a hat.

I first laid eyes on these fancy little croustades in the October issue of Bon Appétit. After a little bit of customization (the original recipe needed a few tweaks to turn out right), I was thrilled with the results.  With a medium amount of effort (ie: not this, but certainly not that)  They emerged from the oven in their own little packages, tops all crackly and crisp, filled with gooey spiced apple.  A dusting of powdered sugar put them over the top, and they tasted as good as they looked.  I served them with chinese five-spice coconut milk ice cream (that’s a whole other subject, for another time), and decided to field test them for you, eating one during breakfast time, snack time, and dessert time.  I’m happy to report with confidence that these croustades are equally suited for breakfast (think apple turnovers) as they are for dessert.

Happy cooking, eating, and conversation today, and remember to keep this little gem in your repertoire for when you need a fancy little bite to add to your upcoming festivities.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Apple Croustades

Loosely Adapted from Bon Apetit

Makes 12 Croustades

The apples mixture can be made and refrigerated a day in advance, so all that will be left to do is to layer the phyllo and assemble the croustades.  It’s hard to find dairy-free desserts at this time of the year, with everything filled with heavy cream and butter.  If you’re lucky enough to be a butter-eater, by all means enjoy, but for my dairy-free friends, the results are equally good with Earth Balance.  Oh, and do be sure to thaw your phyllo dough in the refrigerator overnight, as phyllo doesn’t take kindly to thawing in most other ways.

Filling

3 pounds apples, a mix of tart and sweet

1/4 cup unsalted butter or Earth Balance vegan butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons of cornstarch mixed to a paste with 2 teaspoons water (optional)

Pastry and Assembly

12 13×18-inch sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed (from a 1-pound package)

1 stick butter or Earth Balance Butter, melted and cooled, plus more for pans, at room temperature

1/3 cup (approximately) sugar

All-purpose flour (for pan)

powdered sugar for dusting

Equipment

Standard muffin pan

Preparation

For the filling:

Peel half the apples.  Core and chop all of the apples into 1/2” pieces.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the apples, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and kosher salt.  Stir to coat.  Reduce heat to medium and cover the pan.  Cook, stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes, or until the apples are soft but not mushy.  If much liquid remains, add the cornstarch mixture and stir well.

Set aside to cool completely.  Filling can be made and refrigerated a day in advance.

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 375˚F.

Butter the muffin cups and dust with flour, tapping out excess.

Unroll the phyllo onto a work surface and cover with a damp kitchen towel (squeeze out as much moisture from the towel as you can).

Carefully transfer 1 sheet of phyllo to a clean work surface.  Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of the phyllo with a thin layer of butter, and sprinkle with a generous teaspoon of sugar.  Top with another sheet of phyllo, brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar.  Repeat 2 more times, for a total of four layers of phyllo.Cut the layered phyllo in half lengthwise, then cut both pieces in half crosswise, for a total of four pieces.  Set aside, covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying.

Repeat the process of layering and cutting two more times with the remaining phyllo, butter and sugar, for a total of 12 rectangles.

Arrange the phyllo into each muffin cup, gently pressing the dough down the sides.  Fill each cup with 1/4 cup apple filling.  Gather the edges of the phyllo and press toward the center to make a purse.

Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown on top, 27-35 minutes.  Allow to cool slightly.  Dust with powdered sugar.  To remove from pan, run a paring knife around the edge of each croustade, and lift them out of the muffin cups onto a serving plate.

Croustades can be returned to the muffin pan and re-warmed if needed.

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