Indian Split Pea and Butternut Squash Soup
The turmeric, split peas, and butternut squash make this soup a beautiful bright yellow color. It’s very nutritious as well. I don’t know where I got this recipe from. If anyone knows the source please let me know.
Instructions
- 2 1/4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed (6 cups cut into 3/4” cubes)
- 1/2 cup yellow split peas
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup coconut, shredded, unsweetened
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. oil
- 1 tsp. black mustard seeds
- water
Cook the squash. yellow split peas, and salt in a pot with 2 cups of water for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile soak the coconut in boiling water, then puree in blender for 3 minutes. Add the coconut, cumin, turmeric, and more water to the squash. Cook for another 30 minutes. Toast the black mustard seeds in the oil. Mix into the soup and serve.
My Notes
I made this in my crockpot last night. My squash only weighed about 1.5 pounds, and I wanted to use up all my split peas (about a cup). I also cut the coconut to 1/4 cup, increased the salt to 1 tsp., and doubled the mustard seeds to 2 tsp. I used 4 cups of water, and I made 7 cups of soup. I put all the ingredients in the crockpot except the mustard seeds and oil, and cooked it on low overnight. In the morning I used my stick blender to puree it, and added the toasted mustard seeds. This soup tastes like a split pea soup with Indian spices. I can’t quite taste the squash, which is not surprising since I halved the squash and doubled the peas. The coconut didn’t get blended very well, so it definitely adds its own texture to the soup. I think if I make this again I will try to stay closer to the original ratio of squash and peas, and use 1 Tbs. each of oil and mustard seeds. I’d also throw some hot chilis in with the black mustard seeds, and some curry leaves. It needed more spice I think. I might also increase the cumin a bit. The salt level, however, was perfect I thought.
Rating: B
Cabbage greens with pasta
At the last farmer’s market of the year Rick offered me some “cabbage leaves.” He said after he harvests the main cabbage the plants develop loose little heads below the cut–sort of a mini, loose cabbage. He sold me a huge bag of them, which I cooked up and had in the fridge all week. I’ve been enjoying the pre-cooked cabbage greens in this dish.
- whole wheat penne pasta, 2 ounces measured dry, 4 ounces measured cooked
- 1.5 cups steamed or boiled cabbage leaves
- 1 Tbs. reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 heaping Tbs. nutritional yeast
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1/2 cup cannellini beans, rinsed well (optional)
This is obviously another variant of beans and greens, but it’s a simple one since no pan is required once the greens are cooked–just mix and serve. It has a mild but rich and savory gravy from the yeast and oil and soy sauce. Plus by using raw olive oil the omega-3 fatty acids are not destroyed. I also tried using the oil to saute some onions, but the fruity olive flavor disappeared, and the dish didn’t taste as rich. I tried bumping up the seasonings by adding garlic powder and paprika, but it again drowned out the subtle but delicious yeast gravy flavor. The simplest combination is the best I think.
Rating: B
Pumpkin Pudding
Yields: 4 cups
Serving size: 1/2-1 cup
Servings: 4-8
Blend in food processor:
- 3/4 lb firm silken tofu
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 cups canned pumpkin puree, preferably organic
- 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
- 1 1/2 Tbs. blackstrap molasses
Serve immediately.
My notes:
This is based on a recipe from my mom. It originally called for 1/4 cup oil, but I think it’s unnecessary. Don’t use regular tofu, as it will give the pudding a gritty, lumpy texture. We made the pudding today without the vanilla and with fresh nutmeg, and we were a little short on pumpkin, and it was better than usual (says Derek). We suspect it could have used less brown sugar, perhaps only 3/4 cup. Derek’s mom thinks the dish would be improved if it were a bit thicker, possibly by using more pumpkin.
Rating: B+
Update Jan 2007: I made this today and it didn’t turn out nearly as well, but I don’t know why. I started out by using only 3/4 cup sugar, but it tasted way too spicy and dark–not orange and bright and pumpkin-y like last time. So I added the last 1/4 cup of sugar and it did taste brighter, but still more spicy and dark than last time. I’m not sure what the difference is. I used a different brand of pumpkin puree (organic, but not 365 brand like last time), and I only used 1.75 cups (one 15 ounce can). I also used a different brand of molasses (but still blackstrap), different spices (I think Derek’s moms were from Penzey’s whereas mine were from the co-op). Also, last time I used fresh grated nutmeg, and didn’t measure it, I might very well have used less than 1/4 tsp. Maybe 1/4 tsp. is really too much, which is what made it taste so overspiced? It didn’t taste like too much nutmeg though, just too much spices overall, and a bit powdery as well. I wonder if the oil would help with the powdery-ness of the spices. Also, I added the vanilla this time, not sure how that would affect things.
New rating: B
Also, I calculated the nutritional content this time:
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Serving Size: 1 cup |
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| Amount Per Serving | |||||
| Calories | 328 | ||||
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| Total Fat | 2.4g | ||||
| Saturated Fat | 0.4g | ||||
| Cholesterol | 0mg | ||||
| Sodium | 353mg | ||||
| Carbohydrate | 69.9g | ||||
| Dietary Fiber | 4.1g | ||||
| Sugars | 57.7g | ||||
| Protein | 6.7g | ||||
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Yikes! That’s a lot of calories for something I think of as a healthy dessert. It’s almost entirely from the sugar. I’ve really got to cut that back, and apparently cut back on the spices too, and maybe the molasses? As it is, you might as well have a piece of chocolate cake!
Barbecued Tempeh
This recipe makes an excellent sandwich filling, that is savory and just a bit spicy. However, don’t expect a traditional barbecue sauce. It’s based on a recipe in the Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley.
Makes 8 servings (each serving is a 1/4 block of tempeh). As a main dish, 2 servings might be more appropriate.
Ingredients
- 1 pound tempeh (2 8-ounce packages)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. chipotle powder
- 2 tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. thyme leaves, dried
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour all the ingredients except the tempeh in an 8×11 baking pan, and mix well.
- Slice each block in half crosswise. Then very carefully slice through the width of each rectangle to make the pieces thinner. The resulting pieces should be about 4in x 5in x .25in (check this!). If you’re not going to use these for sandwiches, you can cut them into smaller finger sized pieces.
- Place the tempeh pieces into the baking pan, and tilt the pan to coat the tops of all the pieces. Ideally the tempeh will form a single layer and will be covered by the marinade.
- Put the pan in the oven, uncovered, and bake for about 45 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated, and just left a sticky but slightly wet goo. You may want to flip the tempeh halfway through if the top is getting dry.
My Notes
We often don’t have the thyme leaves, and it doesn’t taste any different. I think to taste the thyme we might need to double the amount. This recipe calls for 1/2 the oil and soy sauce, and 3/4 of the maple syrup of the original recipe, but I think it’s plenty rich, salty, and sweet. I might even experiment with reducing the oil a bit more. I also eliminated the bowl used to mix the sauce–why dirty another bowl when you can mix it just fine in the baking pan? I love it on Ezekiel bread with a bit of soy mayonnaise and topped with sauerkraut. Add a side of vegetables or fruit and it makes a filling and delicious lunch.
Update Feb 2007: I used 3 blocks (1.5 pounds) of tempeh rather than two, but kept the oil, soy sauce, and maple syrup amounts the same. I multiplied all the other ingredients by 1.5. The tempeh didn’t really fit in the 8×11 baking pan–if I make 3 blocks again I will use a 9×13 pan instead. The tempeh turned out pretty well. Both Derek and I thought it was plenty sweet and plenty rich, but I (but not Derek!) thought it could possibly be a tad saltier. It really didn’t take that long to cook. I flipped it after 15 or 20 minutes, and after another 15 minutes it was pretty much done. With the modifications, each 1/4 block has about 167 calories.
Rating: B+
Derek: A-
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Serving Size: 1/4 block |
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| Amount Per Serving | |||||
| Calories | 197 | ||||
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| Total Fat | 12g | ||||
| Saturated Fat | 1.7g | ||||
| Cholesterol | 0mg | ||||
| Sodium | 369mg | ||||
| Carbohydrate | 17.9g | ||||
| Dietary Fiber | 7.4g | ||||
| Sugars | 6.9g | ||||
| Protein | 12.2g | ||||
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Waldorf Slaw
This recipe got 5 stars by two individuals on the Cooking Light website.
2 cups chopped Braeburn, or other crisp apple (about 1 large apple)
1 cup chopped peeled Bartlett pear (about 1 pear)
1/2 cup raisins
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
1 (16-ounce) package cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw
1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.Combine mayonnaise, buttermilk, rind, juice, salt, and pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle mayonnaise mixture over cabbage mixture, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Yield: 10 cups (serving size: 1 cup), About 100 calories per cup.
My Notes
The dressing did not taste quite like I expected–neither very creamy nor very tangy. It’s not bad, but a bit bland perhaps. I think it could use more lemon juice and maybe a little apple cider to make it taste a bit more like my Last Supper Salad dressing. The raisins and nuts are sparse, but when you get one it’s a pleasant, sweet surprise. I added a bit of cinnamon to this recipe, which makes it less waldorf slaw like and more apple salad like, but helps add a bit of flavor. Overall, not a bad recipe, but not great either.
Oops, I I think it’s possible that I mistakenly used low fat sour cream instead of mayonnaise?
Rating: B-
June’s Bran Muffins
This bran muffin recipe is rich, dense, and filling. It’s from my friend June, and all the notes below are hers.
The basic bran mix is a “refrigerator” muffin mix, given to my mom by a dear friend years ago. You can bake off what you want. It’ll keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks, and lends itself easily to different added ingredients, which keeps it interesting. Also the muffins freeze beautifully once baked. I use all organic ingredients, except the buttermilk, as I haven’t been able to find that organic yet.
Make 26-27 muffins
Dry Ingredients:
3 cups bran (I usually do 1.5 raw wheat bran and 1.5 oat bran)
.25 cup wheat germ
1 t. salt
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 c. soy flour
2.5 t. baking soda
Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup honey
.5 cup blackstrap molasses
.5 cup oil
Optional (barely): 1 cup raisins (I always put these in unless I know I am going to want to make the banana variety, in which I don’t like the raisins. If I am going to make the banana muffins, I take that batter out, set it aside and add the appropriate amount of raisins to the remainder)
Directions:
Mix the dry together with a whisk. Mix the wet ingredients together. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until combined.
Portion size = 2.5 oz batter per muffin
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Variations
Zucchini Muffins
22oz bran muffin mixture (with raisins…mmm)
8 oz shredded zucchini
1.5 t. dried lemon peel
This zucchini version yields a much lighter, moister, and less sweet muffin, but still pretty satisfying.
Carrot Cake Muffins
22oz bran muffin mixture (again raisins…mmmmmmm)
8oz shredded carrot
1 t. cinnamon
Pearl sugar or any coarse sugar to sprinkle on top before baking. Cinnamon sugar works too.
Banana Walnut Muffins
22 oz bran muffin mixture
8oz banana
1/2 to 1 cup walnuts (I really like walnuts…)
Notes: Don’t be afraid to experiement. If you want more banana go for it, just remove another ounce or two of muffin mix and add in some more banana. This batter is pretty darn forgiving.
My Notes:
These muffins turned out larger than the AMA recipe I’ve used before. They’re slightly less salty (a good thing) and slightly sweeter tasting. They’re also much more substantial seeming and more filling, which is great, but I don’t understand it because the stats are pretty similiar (see below). I will make these again, and I might consider adding some ginger or other spice as well. A tip: measure the oil first in a 1/2 cup measure, then use that cup to dole out the molasses and honey.
Rating: B+
These muffins:
The AMA muffins I posted before:
The major difference is that this recipe has slightly more bran, plus has wheat germ and soy flour, and double the honey. Finally, it uses all baking soda (no powder).
I improvised a version of these muffins, but they came out way too wet, and the flavor is a bit muddy. I think I had too much liquid, and I didn’t cook them long enough. They dried out a bit after sitting overnight, and despite their weaknesses they still called to me. Derek couldn’t stand them though.
- 1.25 cups bran (should have stuck with 1.5 cups)
- 1/8 cup wheat germ (I’d omit this next time)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup white flour (should have used 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup wheat flour (should have used 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda (I’d increase this to 2 tsp.)
- 2 tsp. baking powder (I’d decrease this to 1/2 tsp.)
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 ounces grated carrot
- 4 ounces chopped apple (with peel)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. ginger
Here are three recipes from Cook’s Illustrated (I have no idea why they thought they needed 3 different recipes–isn’t their philosophy that there exists one perfect recipe for every dish?). They say too much bran produces a dry, crumbly muffin, too little and you don’t really have a bran muffin anymore. The right proportion of bran to flour turned out to be 1 to 1. Because these muffins can easily overcook, baking time is also crucial. If a few moist crumbs cling to a toothpick withdrawn from the center of a muffin, they’re done.
Makes about 20 muffins
| 2 1/2 | cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons, (see illustrations below) |
| 4 1/2 | teaspoons baking soda |
| 1 | tablespoon baking powder |
| 2 | teaspoons ground cinnamon |
| 1/8 | teaspoon table salt |
| 3/4 | cup vegetable oil |
| 2 | teaspoons honey |
| 1/4 | cup molasses |
| 1 | cup light brown sugar plus 2 tablespoons, packed firm |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 3/4 | teaspoon maple extract |
| 1 1/2 | teaspoons butter extract (or flavoring) |
| 3 | large eggs , lightly beaten |
| 2 | cups buttermilk |
| 1 | cup toasted wheat germ |
| 1 | cup wheat bran (not the cereal) |
| 1/2 | cup whole dates ,plumped with scalding water, drained, and coarsely chopped |
| 1 | cup dark raisins , plumped with scalding water and drained |
And a second one, makes 12 muffins:
| 1 1/4 | cups bleached all-purpose flour |
| 1/4 | cup whole wheat flour |
| 1 1/4 | teaspoons baking powder |
| 1/2 | teaspoon baking soda |
| 3/4 | teaspoon table salt |
| 1 1/4 | teaspoons ground cinnamon |
| 3/4 | teaspoon ground allspice |
| 1/2 | teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg |
| 7 | tablespoons unsalted butter , softened |
| 1/2 | cup dark brown sugar plus 2 additional tablespoons |
| 2 | large eggs |
| 2 1/2 | teaspoons vanilla extract |
| 3 | tablespoons unsulphured molasses |
| 1/4 | cup sour cream |
| 1 | cup buttermilk plus 3 additional tablespoons |
| 1 1/2 | cups wheat bran |
| 1 | cup raisins |
And the most recent recipe, makes 12 muffins:
| 1 | cup raisins |
| 1 | tsp. water for plumping the raisins |
| 5 | ounces All-Bran Original cereal |
| 1 1/4 | cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces) |
| 1/2 | cup whole wheat flour (2 1/2 ounces), |
| 2 | teaspoons baking soda |
| 1/2 | teaspoon table salt |
| 1 | large egg |
| 1 | large egg yolk |
| 2/3 | cup packed light brown sugar (4 2/3 ounces) |
| 3 | tablespoons mild molasses (or light) |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 6 | tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), melted and cooled |
| 1 3/4 | cups plain whole-milk yogurt |
Mock Turkey Salad
Derek suggested that we serve this tofu ’salad’ at Thanksgiving. I call it mock turkey because it has poultry seasoning in it. My mom calls it mock chicken salad. Whatever you call it, it’s tasty, but pretty calorie dense. The recipe is from my mom.
Defrost 1 pound of firm tofu (that’s been in the freezer for at least a week), squeeze out the water, and cut into long strips. Preheat the oven to 350?.
Mix together:
- 1 Tbl. vinegar
- 1-2 Tbs. smooth, natural peanut butter
- 2 Tbs. soy sauce
- 2 Tbs. tomato sauce
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
Add the marinate to the tofu, and very gently use your hands to squeeze in the mixture evenly, without breaking up the tofu pieces too much.
Oil a cookie sheet with 1 Tbs. of olive oil. Spread the tofu evenly on the cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes, flipping the tofu halfway through. You don’t want the tofu to brown too much, or it will come out hard rather than chewy.
When the tofu is done, put it in a bowl and add:
- 4 Tbs. vegan mayonnaise
- 2 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley (or 1 Tbs. dried)
- 1/2? cup chopped celery (optional?)
vegan mayonnaise (makes extra)
blend:
- 4 ounces firm tofu
- 1 Tbs. oil
- 1/2 Tbs. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. sweetener
- 3/4 tsp. mustard
- 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
My Notes:
I used nasoya firm tofu. I’m not sure if it hadn’t been in the freezer long enough or what, but it didn’t hold together very well, and the pores seemed awfully small. I baked my tofu for 30 minutes at 375, and some of it got too brown and hard. I think this recipe works better if the tofu stays softer and chewier, so I reduced the temperature to 350. Rather than use the mayo recipe above, I used the simpler one I posted in a previous mayo thread. I think that was a mistake. This one is a bit sweeter and has lemon juice and mustard, which goes better with the saltiness of the tofu I think.
I gave some to a friend recently and she went back for seconds, so she must have liked it. She did suggest, however, adding more vegetables to it. I had added celery, but maybe I’ll also try adding radishes or red bell peppers?
Rating: B
Derek: A
This recipe makes only about 2.5 cups. I usually double it to get 5 cups. It has about 300 calories per cup.
Ode to Grapefruit
I woke up this morning and the first thought to enter my mind was that grapefruit is woefully underappreciated, and I needed to help remedy this situation by offering rhapsodic praise to this most perfect of all fruits. I searched for “ode to grapefruit” on google and was surprised to find that others have already composed such an ode, such as the one from this site:
O, Noble Sphere of Lustrous Yellow,
Sparking Thoughts both mild and Mellow
of tangy taste and dizzy haste
to stuff my face and wipe the trace
of juice that squirted up my nose;
Of all the citrus fruits serene,
Orange, Lime, and Tangerine,
the One to Beat (O Noble Fellow)
Is the One that’s Large and Yellow.
RMC July 1992, erroneously attributed then to E. Fruitbat of the Texas Grapefruit Growers’ Association.
I thoroughly enjoyed this poem, but must dispute the final two lines. Clearly there has been a typographical error, and it should read “the One to Beat (O Regal Buddy) / Is the One that’s Large and Ruddy.” Oh, and the first two lines as well should probably have red: “O, Noble Sphere of Lustrous Scarlet / Sparking Thoughts both Virgin and Harlot”.
Grapefruit even provoked a young, stuttering and therefore almost completely silent James Earl Jones to find his voice again. So, among grapefruit’s other achievements, without this remarkable fruit clearly star wars could never have been.
Despite all the grapefruit genuflecting, I felt like nothing on the internet quite conveyed my own perspective, so I sat down to write one more ode to grapefruit:
Twenty-seven ruby grapefruits fill my fridgerator.
Certain proof at last of an intelligent creator.
Product review: energy bars
Odwalla chocolate chip peanut: one of my favorites. I love the flavor and the texture is good as well. A bit high in sugar (14g) and calories (250), but has 8g of protein and is pretty filling. Doesn’t contain soy isolate, just soy nuts! Rating: A-
Luna key lime pie: the lime has that metallic taste that I always get if I leave a squeezed half of lime sitting in a glass of water overnight. The bar in general seems insubstantial, and sugary, especially the white coating. Lots of protein, but not so much fiber. Lots of vitamin and minerals added. Only 180 calories, which is lower than most bars. Rating: C
Optimum Cranberry, Ginger, and Soy: This bar tastes a lot like the optimum cereal with ginger. The ginger flavor (plus cloves and cinnamon) is quite nice, and just a bit spicy even. It’s quite high in sugar though (21g), and contains soy protein concentrate. Although it doesn’t have nutrients added, it is quite high in calcium (25%) and iron (15%). With 5g of fiber, 6g of protein, and 3g of (unsaturated) fat the nutrient balance isn’t too bad either. Rating: B
Lara cinnamon bar: This is one of my favorite lara bars. It’s very tasty, but unfortunately I don’t really find any of the lara bars too filling. I consider them more like dessert. This one has 210 calories, 20g of sugar, and 4g each of protein and fibe, plus 12g of fat from nuts. Rating: B
Kashi TLC Trail Mix granola bars: Kashi TLC bars are much closer to traditional granola bars I ate when I was a kid. The taste isn’t bad and I quite like the texture–lots of hard crunchy things stuck together with a sticky, gooey sweet substance. These bars are much smaller than most others I’ve tried: only 140 calories, with 5g of fat, 6g of protein, and 4g of fiber. The vitamin and mineral content is quite low, but so are the sugars (6g). They contain soy protein isolate. They come in a box with maybe 8 or so bars, and so end up being quite a bit cheaper than the ones you buy individually. Rating: B-
Kale and Tahini Sauce
When I lived in Austin I used to love the steamed kale and tahini sauce from Casa de Luz, a local macrobiotic restaurant. I even volunteered to help in the kitchen once, just to learn how they make it, but unfortunately I either didn’t pick it up or my memory has faded. I have no idea how they ensure that the steamed kale comes out bright green but still tender. When I try steaming curly kale it is either bright green but incredibly chewy and tough, or soft but a putrid color. So until I figure out the secret, I resort to boiling my kale. I know it’s not as nutritious but in my case it tastes so much better. Unfortunately, I also can’t replicate the sauce. My mom even bought me the Casa de Luz cookbook which has about 5 tahini sauce recipes in it, but none seem quite as I remember.
To prepare the kale I washed 2 heads curly kale, and tore it into small pieces. I boiled it in lightly salted water until it was tender, but still bright green, then drained it well.
This recipe is called Eric and Daniel’s Tahini dressing:
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/2 cup apple cider
- 1/2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 Tbs. rice vinegar
- 1/2 Tbs. shoyu
- 1/8 cup poppy seeds
- 1/4 cup filtered water
Blend together and serve.
My notes: The kale had a nice color and texture but the flavor was kind of watered down. Definitely very mild. Really too mild in my opinion. I didn’t have any poppy seeds so I left them out. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. The tahini sauce was way too thin. I shouldn’t have added the water I think. The flavor seemed pretty good though, at least when I just tasted a bit. On the kale, on the other hand, I could barely taste the sauce until I added many spoonfuls. But perhaps this was just because it was too watered down. I suspect, however, that even a less-watery version of the sauce would need more acidity. I also didn’t like the addition of shoyu. It gave the sauce more of the dark, carmelized, flavor of soy sauce, and detracted from the medium earthy bitterness of the tahini. Clearly this recipe needs lots more work. If anyone has a good tahini sauce recipe that calls for apple juice or apple cider (as opposed to the more traditional Middle Eastern lemon juice based sauce) I’d love to have it.
Rating: B-
Pasta with spinach, white beans, and red peppers
I was looking for a recipe with spinach and red peppers, both of which I have oodles of, and I found this recipe online. It looked suspiciously like one of those “easy but tasteless” recipes, but I figured I had enough produce to spare I could take the chance.
- 4 ounces whole wheat pasta, measured dry
- 1 cup raw spinach
- 1 cup red bell peppers diced
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 Tbs. tomato paste
- 2 Tbs. parmesan cheese grated
- 2/3 cup cooked white beans
Directions:
1. boil water & pasta
2. in pan toss all other ingredients with a little pasta water
3. spice with hot peppers flakes, cumin, oregano, or saffron
The dish looked very pretty–it had that pale red color of typical cream-based red sauces, or maybe a pimento-based sauce. But the mouthfeel was bad: the sauce tasted powdery for some reason? I used canned beans, and rinsed them well, but they were very mealy tasting. Blech. Also, I didn’t think it had nearly enough spinach. I added more oregano and pepper flakes to spice it up and now it’s certainly not bland, but still somewhat unappetizing to me. I took the second half for lunch today and I ate most of it but I really didn’t enjoy it.
Rating: D
Better Chocolate Flavor in Desserts
Cook’s Illustrated reports that for the best chocolate flavor in desserts you should make a “pudding” by cooking cocoa powder with water, fat, and sugar, rather than mixing the cocoa powder into the dry ingredients. They say that “adding hot water to cocoa solids before incorporating them into the recipe causes a ‘blooming’ effect, enhancing the chocolate flavor in the final dish.” But adding sugar and fat increases this effect. This is because the sugar molecules bind more tightly to the water molecules, and the cocoa solids from the cocoa powder dissolve in the fat, which is a better carrier for cocoa flavor than water.
The specific instructions for making the “pudding” for a chocolate cake or other dessert:
Combine 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, and 1/2 cup hot water in medium heatproof bowl; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 inch of simmering water and stir with rubber spatula until chocolate is melted, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup sugar to chocolate mixture and stir until thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.
