I still haven’t found “the” salsa – a recipe for homemade salsa that tastes as good as my favorite Mexican restaurant but this is a good recipe for a basic fresh salsa.
Salsa Mexicana
from Rick Bayless
A late night viewing of an episode of Rick Bayless’ Mexico One Dish at a Time was enough to give me a serious craving for salsa and guacamole – and a theme for the week, Mexican!
Roasted Garlic Guacamole
from Rick Bayless, care of Bravo TV
Did you know that you can “roast” garlic in a small frying pan on top of your stove? I had no idea. I’ve always seen recipes that instructed you to chop the top of a head of garlic off, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil, and bake for a good hour. It has always seemed like such a pain that I’ve rarely done it. Roasting on top of the stove takes ten minutes tops depending on your burner hat (I kept it fairly low so as not to burn the garlic while prepping other ingredients). The roasted tomatillo salsa uses a broiler method, take unpeeled cloves and place them 1-2″ from the broiler for about 8 minutes, turning halfway.
To conclude my week of soups, how about soup for breakfast? Last Saturday the temperature dipped below freezing for the first time this fall and I shivered my way to the farmers market. It takes some time to adjust to cold weather; to remember to bring mittens and wrap a scarf around your neck before you leave the house. I was unprepared for the cold snap and by the time I got home I was feeling sorely abused by mother nature. The solution to my winter woes? Soup of course. I brought two cups of water to a boil, added sliced swiss chard fresh from the market and finely diced cubes of tofu. I took the pot off the heat and covered it. Four minutes later I lifted the lid, whisked two heaping tablespoons of brown rice miso in and began to slurp my way towards warmth. For more ideas on miso soup check out 101 Cookbooks or the New York Times.
The only vegan cookbook my public library has is The Vegan Cook’s Bible. Sounds authoritative doesn’t it? Perhaps the only cookbook you could ever need. The first 120 pages are devoted to the properties and nutritional benefits of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, herbs, etc. Nothing earth shattering. Natural foods are good for you, go figure. But did you know you should also eat cold water fish such as cod, sardines, and salmon for good health? (Pause to flip back to the cover, The Vegan Cook’s Bible, hmm)
The author is not vegan and while that isn’t enough to prejudice me against her book the recipes are the final straw. Nothing looked appetizing and the ingredient combinations often seemed bizarre. I had nearly all of the ingredients on hand so I tried the Sweet Potato Curried Cauliflower soup. I left out the dates and substituted minced ginger for candied (I didn’t want a sweet soup) and the result was less than spectacular. The spices were overpowering and yet the whole thing fell flat. With the multitude of (great) vegan cookbooks on the market today you’ll be wise to skip this one.
from Epicurious
This is a great summer corn soup. Sure, the corn season has passed but if you have corn cut off the cob stashed in your freezer this is a great soup to use it in if you’re feeling nostalgic for summer. It’s creamy and delicious without cream, butter, or vegan substitutes. While the roasted corn guacamole on top is delicious the roasted kernels quickly become impacted in your molars. Next time I’ll be skipping the guacamole and just savoring the soup.
from PPK
If there is anything enjoyable about having a cold it is surely soup. When the sinus pressure began to build I checked the fridge for the necessary ingredients and on a Sudafed run we picked up the mushrooms. Slurping noodles and sipping hot broth is quite comforting and this soup is delicious. The brown rice miso creates an almost creamy broth with a bit of a wine flavour. C actually tried the broth and thought it would be excellent with wild rice.
A few notes for next time:
- If using noodles cook them seperately and add to the bowl not to the pot. The spaghetti absorbed all of the broth in my leftovers and the soba the recipe called for would do the same if not more so.
- As C suggested, the miso broth would make excellent vegan wild rice soup. Next time I will double the mushrooms and cook a batch of wild rice separately, then add the wild rice to my bowl and pour the broth over top.
from Martha Stewart
I rarely feel the need to tell friends and family about the latest, greatest thing but this soup I could go out and proselytize for…or just write a positive review on my little blog but you must try this soup! It hasn’t gotten much comment love over at MarthaStewart.com and it deserves so much more. It’s the perfect time of year to make this soup when coworkers are dumping tomatoes in the breakroom and the temperature has dropped low enough that the thought of turning your oven on for a whole hour doesn’t give you heat rash.
I pretty much follow the recipe but here are a few notes:
- Watch the roasting carefully, the skins of the tomatoes are removed at the end but if everything underneath is burnt to a crisp you won’t have much left for soup (not that this has ever happened to me).
- Try using baby carrots, it seems like full sized carrots are always bitter and you can taste it in the soup if they are. Or skip them, who likes carrots anyway?
- More garlic never hurts.
- I haven’t tried this yet but I think it would be delicious over rice. Blend the roasted tomatoes, carrots, and garlic with just enough water to get the job done then put in a pan with the eggplant and chickpeas to simmer down a bit.
Last night was a bit hectic. There was the trip to the vet with a very uncooperative cat, then a grocery store run to replenish our empty cabinets, and then dinner. What to have for dinner? My idea was shot down and C decided to make pasta. “No butter please,” I requested (he can sneak it into anything). He obliged and whipped up this tasty sauce (rough recipe below). C isn’t about to go vegan (but is cool with the tofu) and it has been a worry for me how we can keep having enjoyable dinners together while respecting each other’s dietary habits. I think pasta may be the answer, or at least one solution. It’s quick for nights when we’re both starving and very adaptable since anything can be added to the pasta once cooked (his and hers alfredo and marinara for example). I wonder what tricks other couples and families have to accommodate everyone at the table.
Fresh Tomato Sauce
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 6 Roma tomatoes diced
- black pepper, heavy pinch
- salt to taste
- pinch of oregano
- a few sprigs of basil
- 8 oz. spaghetti
While water is boiling, heat a pan with 3 tbsp oil. Add yellow onion and cook until soft, add garlic and cook until aromatic (3o seconds or so), throw in diced tomatoes, cook until soft and broken down. Check pasta for doneness. Add salt, pepper and herbs to taste. Serve and enjoy.
from Cooking Light
For the polenta you can either use premade polenta in a tube or cook up a batch of your own and pour into a lightly oiled glass for a tube shape or into a lightly oiled jelly roll pan. I like to do this in the morning to give the polenta enough time to cool and set. I really like the Quick Microwave Polenta recipe over at the Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. It’s fast and simple, although I recommend giving the polenta a few more stirs while it is cooking to prevent lumps.
The original recipe calls for about 7 cups of vegetables for 4 people but no matter how many vegetables go on the jelly roll pan they cook down to a significantly smaller amount. I used two zucchini, one yellow squash, one medium sized eggplant, and six shallot-sized red onions and we still had just enough vegetables for the two of us. Feel free to use any vegetables you like as long as they have similar roasting times.
The Roasted Vegetable cookbook by Andrea Chesman has a chart of cooking times, temperatures, and preparation for vegetables on pages 5 and 6 (which you can view on Amazon using the Look Inside! feature) if you’re looking for a general reference.
You can also sauté the polenta on the stove top while the vegetables or still roasting to save some time but I do like the crisp texture of broiled polenta better.
Yield
2 servings
Ingredients
- 2-3 medium yellow squash and/or zucchini, cut into 1″ chunks
- 1 medium sized eggplant, cut into 1″ chunks
- 1 red onion, cut into 1″ chunks
- olive oil to coat
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (red wine vinegar is also good)
- black pepper, to taste
- 1 (16-ounce) tube polenta or one recipe Quick Microwave Polenta
- salt, to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 475°.
Arrange vegetables in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan, drizzle with olive oil and toss. Bake at 475° for 25 minutes or until tender, stirring after 15 minutes. In a large bowl combine basil, vinegar, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Scoop roasted vegetables into bowl, stir and cover to keep warm.
Preheat broiler. Place polenta slices on a baking sheet lighted coated with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Broil 7 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Spoon roasted vegetables over polenta. Enjoy!
Vegan Mo Fo, that is, the third annual Vegan Month of Food, begins tomorrow. Modeled on the National Novel Writing Month (NaNOWriMo) it is a community challenge to post on one’s respective blog on topics of vegan cooking and eating. I’ve never participated in something like this before and a project that would effectively double the posts on my year and a half old blog is a little daunting to say the least.
First, I must confess that I’m not a vegan, in fact, I am semi-vegetarian at best. Once upon a time (college), I was a vegan and with the exception of the social challenges the diet presented it was a happy, healthy time in my life that I would love to return to. I ate more fruits and vegetables (and really enjoyed, even craved them), I could run miles upon miles, I felt more flexible, even my eyes were bluer. Vanity aside, the ethical and environmental issues of being an omnivore have been weighing on me more and more. With each semi load of chickens that passes my office window on the way to the processing plant and each report of climate change increasing I feel the need to do my part and eat a diet that acknowledges our effect on the world and on other living beings.
I’d like this challenge to be the springboard to go vegan once again knowing that I’m armed with the recipes, tools, and tricks to maintain the diet as an adult with a job and a husband, not just a term paper due and a cafeteria with frozen vegan meals. This month my goal is to try a lot of new recipes, new products, and cooking techniques and at the end of the month have a solid repertoire of recipes both my omnivorous husband and I can enjoy. I’m also looking forward to participating in the larger blog community and collecting oodles of bookmarked recipes to try.
