Black bean enchilada casserole
May 21, 2023 at 11:57 am (Beans, Mexican & S. American, Monthly menu plan: dinner, unrated, Website / blog)
I really love enchiladas, but they are a lot of work to make! I decided to try getting similar flavors by making a much simpler enchilada casserole instead. I first came across this recipe for vegetarian enchilada casserole from Cookie and Kate, but it has a whole roasting step that looked a bit time-consuming, and calls for salsa. But I can’t buy decent salsa here, and so I thought it made more sense to go with an enchilada sauce. Next I found this recipe from Feasting at Home, which includes instructions for a very simple, no-cook enchilada sauce. Everyone liked it, even Alma! A few months later I wanted to make it again, but hadn’t written down what I did, so I had to go hunt for the recipe again. It turns out I didn’t have any corn in the freezer, so I added some red bell pepper, zucchini, and spinach instead. Again, everyone liked the recipe. Read the rest of this entry »
Simple miso soup
May 21, 2023 at 10:43 am (Alma's faves, Japanese, Monthly menu plan: dinner, My brain, Silken tofu, soup, unrated, Website / blog)
I never remember the ratios for miso soup, so I’m going to record them here. This is a guess at what is needed for 3 bowls of soup:
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of dashi (more precisely, 720ml, which is slightly under 1 cup)
- 3 Tbs. (about 75g?) of light-colored miso (awase/yellow or shiro/white)
- 1-2 tsp. dried wakame, soaked in cold water for about 5 minutes, then drained well (about 5-6 pieces per bowl, maybe 3g?)
- 1/2 package silken tofu, diced very small (1/2 cup?, 5 ounces or 150g)
- 1-3? Tbs. thinly sliced scallions (or up to 1/2 cup?)
Roasted cauliflower with lemon and smoked paprika
July 24, 2022 at 10:29 pm (Beans, Derek's faves, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Quick weeknight recipe, River Cottage) (British)
Years ago a friend invited Derek and I over to her house for dinner, and everything she made was absolutely delicious. That doesn’t happen very often! It turns out that most of the recipes she made came from the cookbook River Cottage Veg from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (whew, that’s a mouthful). I recently I saw the cookbook on sale on Kindle and I snapped it up. Over the past few weeks I’ve tried three recipes. My favorite if the three was for a very simple vegan roasted cauliflower with lemon and smoked paprika. You basically toss a head of cauliflower florets with olive oil, 1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (he says hot but I used mild), and the juice of 1 lemon. The cauliflower is roasted at 220 C for 25 to 30 minutes. You also cut a second lemon into slices and roast it with the cauliflower. I’m not exactly sure why. It wasn’t clear to me if that actually added any flavor. He says to squeeze the juice from the roasted lemon segments over the cauliflower, but (1) they were hot! and (2) when I tried no juice came out. I actually started this meal by making my mom’s recipe for roasted chickpeas. While they were roasted I cut up and seasoned the cauliflower then dumped it on top of the chickpeas in the oven. Everyone liked it. We had neighbors over for dinner and they enjoyed it as well. They brought over a beet risotto, which at first I thought would be an odd combination, but the two dishes actually went really well together. We roast cauliflower pretty often. Normally I use curry-ish spices (cumin, coriander, turmeric,…) but I think I might start alternating that spice mix with this lemon/paprika combo.
The other two recipes I’ve tried so far from the River Cottage Veg have had more mixed success: Read the rest of this entry »
Summer Rolls / Spring Rolls
July 24, 2022 at 4:32 pm (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Cruciferous rich, East and SE Asia, Monthly menu plan: dinner, My brain, Quick weeknight recipe, Salads, Spring recipes, Summer recipes, Tofu, Winter recipes) (kid-approved, preschooler-approved)
Summer rolls (the non-fried rolls, which we usually just refer to as spring rolls) are delicious, healthy, fresh, kid-friendly, and most importantly, a perfect springtime antidote to winter-induced “vegetarian mush syndrome.” It’s amazing how quickly spring rolls can be made. If I restrain myself, and prepare only a few items for fillings, I can have dinner on the table in under 15 minutes. (Of course, depending on how many fillings you make it could take hours!)
Spring rolls are versatile as well. Although they’re typically served as appetizers, I generally use them as a main course. My sister was visiting recently and when I told her I was making spring rolls for dinner she was skeptical that they would be filling / satisfying enough for a main course, but after she tried them she was pleasantly surprised. Spring rolls also work well as a light snack, and they can be made the night before and packed in a lunch box. You can also prep some fillings and sauce and leave them in your fridge for several days, making yourself a spring roll whenever you need a quick bite to eat. Alternatively, if you have leftover filling and don’t want to make spring rolls again, just throw them in a salad. Read the rest of this entry »
My favorite vegetarian sheet pan dinners
March 21, 2022 at 10:10 pm (Alma's faves, Beans, Cruciferous rich, Monthly menu plan: dinner, My brain, Quick weeknight recipe, Root vegetables, Seitan) (kid-approved)
When I’m feeling beat at the end of the day I often turn to a sheet pan dinner. It just feels easier than making a “recipe”. Just throw a bunch of ingredients onto a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and spices, and bake until crispy. The main challenges/drawbacks are:
- We usually don’t have that many leftovers. One baking sheet of food usually just makes enough for one meal for the three of us. Probably I should double the ingredients and just put half in the fridge so that I can bake a second pan for lunch the next day. Or bake two pans at once?
- Sometimes different ingredients cook at different times, so I have to regularly check the oven and take out / rotate anything that is getting overdone. I try to prevent this by cutting the quicker cooking items into large chunks or putting the slower cooking items on the edge of the pan, but I usually can’t quite make everything cook at the same time. Still, it’s a relatively mindless activity, so even though it’s technically “work” it doesn’t feel hard.
- It can be hard to find a combination that feels satisfying, and like a full meal. Most sheet pan suppers I see online incorporate meat or fish. Figuring out satisfying vegetarian combinations seems harder.
I don’t actually have that many variations I make. I most often make cauliflower, chickpeas, and seitan. I’ll give a rough recipe for it below. I’d really like to find more combinations we like. There are lots of recipes for vegetarian sheet pan dinners online. Perhaps I will try to make one each week for the next couple of weeks and see if I can find any combos I particularly like. Read the rest of this entry »
Quick weeknight thai curry
March 2, 2022 at 10:37 pm (B_(3 stars, like), Cruciferous rich, Deborah Madison, East and SE Asia, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Seitan, Tofu, Vegetable dishes)
For a while now I’ve been wanting to add a thai curry to our monthly menu rotation. But Alma won’t yet eat thai curry, and my existing recipe is a little bit complicated when I’m in a rush. When I saw this “Bare-bones tofu curry” in Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen, I decided it was worth a try. Read the rest of this entry »
Beet and potato gratin with rosemary and walnuts
September 20, 2020 at 11:29 pm (B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Derek's faves, French, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Root vegetables, Winter recipes)
I first made this beet and potato gratin recipe back in 2010. I have since forgotten where the recipe originated. I’ve modified the recipe quite a bit in the intervening years. (The original recipe is at the end of this post if you want to see it.) Here is my current recipe. It has more cheese and less butter and cream than the original, and I’ve added walnuts and rosemary and omitted the breadcrumbs. The recipe is not really hard, but it is somewhat labor-intensive. I used to make it only about once a year, but as of 2023 I’m planning to make it maybe three or four times a year. Read the rest of this entry »
Pesto pasta: Arugula, chive, parsley pesto with farfalle and mixed vegetables
May 5, 2020 at 9:05 pm (Cruciferous rich, Derek's faves, Fall recipes, Italian, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Pasta, Quick weeknight recipe, Spring recipes, Website / blog, Winter recipes)
Alma loves pesto pasta. I usually just buy a jar of pesto and steam a bunch of veggies (often broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and bell peppers, but possibly other veggies like cauliflower or mushrooms or seasonal veggies like asparagus) and call that dinner. But when we have extra time I like to make my own pesto. Here’s a version I made with a big bag of arugula and random herbs from our CSA farm. Read the rest of this entry »
How to make a stir fry
February 4, 2020 at 9:39 pm (B_(3 stars, like), Cooking tips, Derek's faves, East and SE Asia, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Other)
I’ve always been terrible at stir-frying. You can see many of my previous stir-fry posts for evidence. When I try to wing it, it just doesn’t taste right. And when I try to follow a recipe, most of the time the result is disastrous. I’ve tried many recipes for “stir-fry sauces” over the years and they are almost always terrible, or full of processed store-bought sauces with very strange unpronounceable ingredients. So when one of Derek’s students made us a pretty yummy stir-fry , I asked him to come over and show me how to make it. It was a while ago now, so I’ve probably forgotten part of what I learned, but I’m going to try to record my lessons here. Read the rest of this entry »
Zucchini scallion chickpea-flour pancakes (with dal)
August 18, 2019 at 10:31 pm (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), breakfast, Derek's faves, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Peter Berley, Summer recipes, Website / blog)
Below I give my current version of Dreena Burton’s zucchini scallion chickpea-flour pancakes, as well as some notes on Peter Berley’s curried chickpea pancakes with scallions and cilantro. Read the rest of this entry »
Instant Pot Mushroom Risotto
August 4, 2019 at 9:14 pm (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Fall recipes, Grains, Instant Pot, Italian, Jill Nussinow, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Spring recipes, Winter recipes) (preschooler-approved)
Making risotto on the stovetop is a pain, but in the instant pot it’s truly hands off. I’ve been making risotto much more often since I got my Instant Pot. This recipe is our favorite so far. I like to serve this risotto for dinner with lemon juice, parmesan, lots of basil, and green beans. I eat the green beans mixed into my risotto. I like the textural contrast they provide, as well as the pop of color. They also balance out the meal by providing a little more fiber, protein, and vitamins. I think it makes about 6 servings. Read the rest of this entry »
Ravioli with chard, hazelnuts and caramelized onions
May 1, 2019 at 11:11 am (101 cookbooks, A (4 stars, love, favorite), Dark leafy greens, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Pasta, Spring recipes)
I absolutely love this 101cookbooks recipe for hazelnut & chard ravioli salad. I adore the combination of the sweet caramelized onions, earthy slightly bitter chard, crunchy nutty hazelnuts, bright acidic lemon juice and zest, and creamy ravioli. I follow the recipe as written except that I use much more chard and I sauté my chard. Read the rest of this entry »
Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
February 17, 2019 at 11:50 pm (A (4 stars, love, favorite), Instant Pot, Italian, Menus, Monthly menu plan: dinner, One pot wonders, Pasta, Quick weeknight recipe, soup, Spring recipes, Website / blog, Winter recipes) (preschooler-approved)
I am a member of the Instant Pot Vegan Recipe group on Facebook, and almost every week someone raves about this recipe for Lasagna Soup from Vegan Richa. I like lasagna, but it always takes so long to make. A fast version in the pressure cooker? Sounds good to me!
I’ve made the recipe a couple of times now, with a few modifications (see below). The recipe is pretty fast. You basically just have to chop the onions and other veggies and measure out all the ingredients. Everyone liked it pretty well (even 4-year-old Alma who is normally very suspicious of new “mixed” dishes and Derek who typically disdains soup). It’s surprising how filling it is given that it only calls for 5 ounces of noodles for 2 to 3 servings. Normally Derek alone will eat at least 4 ounces of noodles! The first time I made it I think we even had a little bit of leftovers! I guess the lentils and veggies and broth make it filling. Read the rest of this entry »
Simple chard or turnip green quiche
October 8, 2018 at 10:52 am (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Dark leafy greens, Derek's faves, Fall recipes, Monthly menu plan: brunch, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Spring recipes, Website / blog) (preschooler-approved)
This is the only quiche I make regularly. I probably make it once every couple months. In the fall I use chard and in the spring when I can get them I use turnip greens / turnip tops or other dark leafy greens. Both Alma and Derek like this recipe a lot.
Instant Pot Refried Beans
June 28, 2018 at 10:32 pm (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Beans, Instant Pot, Mexican & S. American, Monthly menu plan: brunch, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Website / blog) (toddler-approved)
I used to make refried beans on the stovetop, but now that I’ve gotten an Instant Pot I wanted to figure out how to make them in the electric pressure cooker instead. I started with this recipe for creamy-dreamy pinto beans from Julie and Kittee, but I changed a few things.
First of all, if I’m going to the trouble of making refries I’m going to want to use more than 2 cups of dry pintos! I figured the maximum that would fit in my 6-quart Instant Pot would be 4 cups, so I doubled the recipe. Also, I wanted to take out some of the beans as whole beans before making refries, so I soaked my beans overnight and reduced the cooking time, so that the beans would come out soft but not falling apart. Then I tweaked the seasoning a bit. Below is my modified recipe.
These days I usually serve my refries with salsa and homemade plantain chips. Alma, at 3.5 years, is a big fan. I’ll try to add a post about how I make the plantain chips next. Read the rest of this entry »
Beluga lentil and beet salad with walnuts
May 27, 2018 at 11:03 pm (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Beans, Fall recipes, Instant Pot, Monthly menu plan: dinner, My brain, Salads, Spring recipes, Winter recipes) (toddler-approved)
This is not really a recipe so much as a dinner idea. I basically serve beluga lentils and sliced cooked beets on a bed of salad greens, and drizzle with Annie’s tahini dressing. I usually also roast some walnuts (or sometimes pepitas) to sprinkle on top. Occasionally we will skip the Annie’s and use feta instead, or add both.
I make this salad at least once a month, and everyone is always happy. When I tell Alma (at 3 years old) what we’re having for dinner, she says “oh, yum, I like that.” Derek is less excited about the idea (it sounds too boring) but once he actually eats it he’s always happy. I like it too. Plus it’s relatively easy to make and can be (mostly) frozen for a quick weeknight meal. Both the lentils and beets freeze well, as does Annie’s dressing. (You could even toast your walnuts and freeze them I suppose, although I haven’t tried it yet.) So all I have to do is pull out all the frozen components the night before, and then wash some salad greens. Read the rest of this entry »
Baked Cauli-tots
May 15, 2017 at 8:44 pm (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), breakfast, Cruciferous rich, Derek's faves, Monthly menu plan: brunch, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Root vegetables, Website / blog) (toddler-approved)
There are a million recipes online for cauliflower “tots”. They’re a fun change of pace from simple roasted cauliflower, and they’re easy to make in advance when you need a quick breakfast. Serve the cauli-tots with some already cooked beans and some fresh fruit and they’ll make a great breakfast. Read the rest of this entry »
Restaurant-style sesame noodles
April 30, 2017 at 9:58 pm (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Chinese, Derek's faves, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Pasta, Sauce/dressing, Tofu, Website / blog) (preschooler-approved, toddler-approved)
I already have two sesame noodle recipes on my blog. The first recipe is from Madhur Jaffrey’s World of the East cookbook, and uses tahini. The second recipe is from Nancie McDermott’s Quick and Easy Chinese cookbook, and uses peanut butter. But lately we haven’t been making either of these recipes. Instead we’ve been making a version of the takeout-style sesame noodles recipe from Sam Sifton on the New York Times website. It uses both tahini and peanut butter. It’s clearly the winner. We make a whole meal out of it by adding pan-fried tofu, steamed broccoli, toasted sesame seeds, and various raw veggies. The last few times we’ve made this for dinner, Alma has scarfed it up. We just have to be careful not to make the sauce too spicy for her.
Homemade Progresso-style Lentil Soup
April 19, 2017 at 2:54 pm (B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Beans, Derek's faves, Fall recipes, Monthly menu plan: dinner, My brain, soup, Winter recipes) (toddler-approved)
The first food that Derek ever cooked for me was a bowl of lentil soup. He very carefully opened up a can of Progresso lentil soup, and then worked long and hard to “cook” it. And cook it he did, not in the microwave but in a real pot on the stove! It was piping hot and delicious.
Both of us still love Progresso vegetable classics lentil soup, but we can’t get it here in Germany. It’s probably for the best though, as I try not to buy canned foods, plus the sodium levels are through the roof. Still, we miss it, and so I decided to try to make it myself. I looked online for a copycat recipe, but couldn’t find anything that seemed promising. So I just took a look at the ingredient list and nutritional label and gave it a crack. I haven’t had the real thing in years, so I could be off, but to both Derek and I my soup tasted just like the real thing.
The first time I made it Alma wouldn’t touch it (too brown and goopy I guess), but at some point she finally tried it and really liked it. Then the next time I served it she again rejected it. I reminded her that last time she had scarfed it up and that she had even chastised me for finishing all the leftovers. She tried it again and again happily polished off her bowl. Now, however, at almost 5 years old, she isn’t so excited again.
Read the rest of this entry »
Vegetarian Okonomiyaki (Japanese Cabbage Pancakes)
February 5, 2017 at 1:50 pm (101 cookbooks, A (4 stars, love, favorite), Alma's faves, breakfast, Cruciferous rich, Derek's faves, Fall recipes, Japanese, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Peter Berley, Quick weeknight recipe, Spring recipes, Winter recipes) (toddler-approved)
I was looking for a green cabbage recipe that a toddler would like, and I came across this pretty simple (albeit quite Americanized) vegetarian Okonomiyaki recipe on the 101 cookbooks blog. Alma generally likes pancakes, so I decided to give it a try. Below is a doubled version of the original recipe, with a few modifications. Derek and I like them a lot, and it’s a relatively quick recipe, so suitable for a weeknight dinner or a Sunday lunch.
One thing I was concerned about in terms of making this recipe kid friendly is the name. Luckily Alma doesn’t know the word “yucky” yet (she’s only learned the German “bäh” at daycare so far). But if she did I’d be worried about her thinking the name was Okonomi-yukky. Maybe if you’re serving this to kids for the first time you should call it Okonomi-yummy instead.
Broccoli, feta, lime frittata
December 10, 2016 at 3:28 pm (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), breakfast, Cook's Illustrated, Monthly menu plan: brunch, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Necessarily nonvegan, Uncategorized) (toddler-approved)
The frittata is called the lazy cook’s omelet. Sounds perfect, no? I like omelets but I’m definitely lazy. I’ve tried various frittata recipes before, but neither Derek nor I ever like them. They’re always a bit too dry and rubbery. Or over-browned. Or just meh. But I’ve always thought that maybe my technique was just wrong. So I decided to give it another go, when Cook’s Illustrated came out with a new frittata series this year. And I thought it came out pretty well! Definitely better than my previous attempts. It makes excellent leftovers, cold or warm.
And Alma really likes it (at least as of September 2017). I’ve since made it several times and she always really enjoys it. The magic of feta cheese perhaps? Read the rest of this entry »
Tassajara warm red cabbage salad with sunflower seeds and raisins
July 2, 2016 at 2:56 pm (101 cookbooks, Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Cruciferous rich, Derek's faves, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Other, Quick weeknight recipe, Spring recipes, Winter recipes) (toddler-approved)
I’m trying to get more “purple” in, and wanted to use red cabbage, but never know what to do with it. I tried this Tassajara warm red cabbage recipe by way of 101cookbooks. Heidi says her version is less cheesy, less fruity, and less rich, but it still tasted plenty cheesy, fruity, and rich to us. Both Derek and I enjoyed it. Now that Alma is two, she likes it too. It’s a pretty sweet-tasting (and hence toddler-friendly) dish, due to the use of the raisins and balsamic vinegar, plus all the natural sugars in the cabbage and onions.
Read the rest of this entry »
Quinoa Spinach Croquettes, Toddler Approved
February 17, 2016 at 2:59 pm (Alma's faves, breakfast, Dark leafy greens, Grains, Monthly menu plan: brunch, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Necessarily nonvegan, Vegetable dishes, Website / blog) (toddler-approved)
Last month I made broccoli cheddar quinoa bites, and liked them. So I decided to try this recipe for Quinoa quiche muffins with spinach and cheese. Although the author calls them muffins or mini quiches, the recipe is actually pretty similar to the previous recipe, except that it calls for spinach instead of broccoli, has more eggs, and uses feta in addition to cheddar. It also calls for sautéed onions and herbs. Like before, I made them on a cookie sheet instead of in a muffin tin, to save on cleanup time. Although they are called “quiche muffins,” the way I made them they didn’t have the texture of a typical quiche or of a typical muffin. The texture is more grainy and crumbly, similar to the texture of these five-grain croquettes.
Alma really likes this recipe, and Derek and I enjoy it as well. The croquettes freeze well, and along with a piece of fruit they make an easy quick breakfast. I’ve made this recipe at least 5 times since I originally posted it (often with a slight variation), and it’s always a hit. It also works well as a take-along snack—just bring the frozen croquette with you and it will probably be defrosted by the time you get there. It’s fine room temperature. Just don’t give it to your toddler inside without a plate because it can be a bit crumbly. Read the rest of this entry »
Pea, leek, white bean and sauerkraut soup
February 8, 2013 at 5:06 pm (B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Beans, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Peter Berley, Quick weeknight recipe, soup, Spring recipes, Winter recipes) (preschooler-approved)
I was in California last week visiting my friends Spoons and Kathy, and I noticed that they had a copy of Peter Berley’s newest cookbook, The Flexitarian Table. My friends said they never use it and that I could take it with me to Germany. Yay! I already have two of Peter Berley’s older cookbooks, and they are two of my favorite, so I was very interested in trying out his new cookbook, especially since it’s geared at mixed vegetarian/omnivore families (like us). Although the cookbook isn’t actually vegetarian, every menu has a vegetarian option, so it’s very vegetarian friendly. This recipe for navy bean, fresh pea, and leek soup caught my eye because it calls for sauerkraut, and (under my mother’s telephonic tutelage) I just finished making a big batch of sauerkraut right before I left for California. On my return, faced with a near-empty fridge brandishing two quart jars of sauerkraut, I decided to give this recipe a try. Read the rest of this entry »
Roasted winter squash and seitan with curry butter and apple cider
November 11, 2012 at 1:46 pm (B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Derek's faves, Fall recipes, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Peter Berley, Quick weeknight recipe, Vegetable dishes, Winter recipes)
This recipe is from the autumn section of Peter Berley’s Fresh Food Fast. It’s paired with a recipe for stuffed lettuce, kind of like cabbage rolls except with romaine lettuce leaves instead of cabbage. I haven’t tried the stuffed lettuce yet, but I’ve made this squash recipe many times. It’s very easy and always a hit. I usually make it with red kuri squash, which has a nice flavor and texture and a thin skin that doesn’t need to be peeled. When I make it with red kuri squash, I call it curried kuri. Read the rest of this entry »
Sardinian chickpea, fennel, and tomato soup
February 11, 2012 at 10:18 pm (B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Beans, Della Croce, Derek's faves, Fall recipes, Italian, Monthly menu plan: dinner, One pot wonders, Quick weeknight recipe, Root vegetables, soup, Spring recipes, Winter recipes) (kid-approved)
This recipe from The Vegetarian Table: Italy (by Julia Della Croce) is for a Sardinian version of pasta e fagioli. It didn’t look too exciting to me. I like all the ingredients, but there didn’t seem to be anything to give it punch. But a friend told me it was one of his favorite recipes from the cookbook, so I figured I’d give it a try. It turned out it was delicious—much more than the sum of its parts. I have no idea why. Even Derek, who complained bitterly about me making soup again, liked it a lot. Alma, at age 8, also enjoys it. Read the rest of this entry »
Lemon mint lentil potato ragout
December 27, 2010 at 1:15 pm (AMA, Beans, Beans and greens, B_(3 stars, like), Dark leafy greens, Derek's faves, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Root vegetables, Starches) (kid-approved)
The lentils and potato in this stew create a hearty, filling base, while the lemon, mint, and feta add brightness and lots of flavor. A little spinach adds more lovely green color, and more nutrients. I liked how you can’t tell whether the green bits are chopped spinach or mint. The many flecks of green made the stew quite attractive, and the potato slices provided nice textural and visual contrast. Based on a recipe in the AMA Family Health cookbook. Read the rest of this entry »
Vegetarian tortilla soup with miso
May 19, 2009 at 4:57 pm (A (4 stars, love, favorite), Cruciferous rich, Mexican & S. American, Miso, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Peter Berley, Quick weeknight recipe, soup) (preschooler-approved)
I’ve tried to make vegetarian tortilla soup before, and although I don’t know exactly what the chicken-based version tastes like, I know that I’ve never achieved it. Recently, however, I tried a recipe for tortilla soup from Peter Berley’s cookbook “Fresh Food Fast.” The key innovation is that he uses a miso broth instead of a simple vegetable broth. I thought it would be strange—miso soup with lime in it?—but it was delicious, and tasted like (what I imagine) tortilla soup is supposed to taste like. It definitely tasted more Mexican than Japanese. Everyone in our family really likes this soup, including five-year-old Alma.
Annie’s tahini goddess dressing, a copycat recipe
December 17, 2008 at 5:20 am (A (4 stars, love, favorite), Alma's faves, Derek's faves, Monthly menu plan: dinner, My brain, Quick weeknight recipe, Sauce/dressing) (toddler-approved)
Both Derek and I love Annie’s goddess dressing. It’s a tahini-based dressing that’s savory and rich, and very satisfying. Annie’s is not sold in Germany, so I’ve decided to try to figure out how to make something similar myself. I searched around on the web for a while, and came across this taste test from the San Francisco Chronicle that shows that Annie’s Goddess dressing is indeed better than knockoffs by other companies. The result of the taste test didn’t surprise me, but it did worry me a bit—if big food companies can’t replicate Annie’s dressing, why do I think I have a shot?
I looked around some more on the web, trying to find a copycat recipe. Although I found tons of posts where people were asking for the recipe, I could find only one post on recipezaar where someone actually attempted to replicate the original. Although the recipe is rated well, it doesn’t seem to follow the constraints given by the Annie’s ingredient list; I decided not to follow this recipe, but rather to try to figure it out on my own. I looked at the order of ingredients in the ingredient list (ordered by weight) and the nutritional information to try to figure out how much of each ingredient to use. My first few tries were pretty awful, but after ten attempts, I think I finally nailed it! Now we can have Annie’s goddess dressing in Saarbruecken whenever we like. Or maybe I should call it Fannie’s (Fake-Annie’s).
Simple Greek-Style Green Beans
January 23, 2008 at 3:45 pm (Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Derek's faves, Monthly menu plan: dinner, My brain, Quick weeknight recipe, Summer recipes, Vegetable dishes, Winter recipes) (toddler-approved)
This is a quick but still very tasty recipe for when you’re in a rush. For an even faster recipe leave out the onion and/or garlic, and substitute onion or garlic powder. My 18-month-old (now 2-year-old) always scarfs it up. Read the rest of this entry »
Pan-fried Brussels Sprouts
January 9, 2008 at 8:39 am (101 cookbooks, Alma's faves, B plus (3.5 stars, like a lot), Cruciferous rich, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Quick weeknight recipe, Vegetable dishes)
This is my favorite way to cook brussels sprouts. (I still haven’t mastered the art of roasting brussels sprouts in the oven.) Derek and Alma love them too. Even after all these years if I don’t follow the recipe carefully and just try to wing it I still struggle to get them perfectly cooked. But even if they’re a tad under- or over-cooked we still like them. These days Derek usually makes the brussels sprouts for dinner along with scrambled tofu and either brown rice or quinoa. (Or instead of brussels sprouts he’ll pan-fry broccoli or bok choy.) I want to try to make some sort of nut sauce to go with this meal, but I haven’t tried that yet. Read the rest of this entry »
Pasta Puttanesca
September 13, 2007 at 11:05 pm (A (4 stars, love, favorite), Alma's faves, Derek's faves, Italian, Jack Bishop, Monthly menu plan: dinner, My brain, Pasta, Quick weeknight recipe, Starches) (toddler-approved)
Pasta puttanesca makes a great pantry-only dinner, when you have nothing fresh in the fridge, but want a delicious homemade dinner. Derek claims that the tastiness to work ratio is unusually high. Below I’ve included our current version of this recipe, which is based on a recipe from Jack Bishop’s The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook. Read the rest of this entry »
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos
December 24, 2006 at 5:34 am (A (4 stars, love, favorite), Alma's faves, Beans, Derek's faves, Fall recipes, Mexican & S. American, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Other, Root vegetables, Winter recipes) (toddler-approved)
This recipe is a long-time favorite. We often make these burritos for company. We serve them with salsa and a salad and either guacamole or diced avocado. It makes a great autumn or winter meal. This recipe is adapted from a recipe from the cookbook Sara Moulton Cooks At Home. The burritos freeze well, so we usually make a quadruple recipe and freeze a bunch of burritos.
Alma as a toddler loved these burritos, and now at almost 6 she still loves them! But she still asks us to leave the scallions out of hers. Read the rest of this entry »
Stuffed Hashbrowns
October 4, 2006 at 6:21 am (A (4 stars, love, favorite), Alma's faves, breakfast, Cruciferous rich, Derek's faves, Mom’s recipes, Monthly menu plan: brunch, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Quick weeknight recipe, Vegetable dishes)
When I was a kid I always asked my mom to make me “hashbrowns.” She’d tell me to grate a potato, and then she’d make either a simple paper-thin pancake of grated, lightly fried potatoes, or more often a hashbrown “omelet” filled with steamed vegetables and folded in half. I could never get enough, and neither could any of my siblings. Stuffed hashbrowns make a delicious, nutritious, and filling breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We eat them most often for Sunday brunch.
When my mom made hashbrowns, it always looked so simple. She would lift the hashbrown out of the pan with her spatula and flip it in one gold brown crisped circular disk of potato. But when I started trying to make them myself, I discovered that it’s harder than it looks. My hashbrowns always fell apart! I’ve gotten better at it over the years, but I’m still not nearly as good at it as my Mom is. Someday I will discover her secrets. Read the rest of this entry »
Hearty greens and beans with pasta
May 18, 2006 at 4:30 pm (A (4 stars, love, favorite), Alma's faves, Beans, Beans and greens, Cook's Illustrated, Cruciferous rich, Dark leafy greens, Derek's faves, Monthly menu plan: dinner, Pasta, Starches) (toddler-approved)
A big bowl of pasta, hearty greens, and beans can really hit the spot on those days when you’re just hungry. Plus, beans and greens are two of the most nutritious foods you can eat. And beans, pasta, and greens make a great one-dish meal. Yet there are numerous pitfalls that a chef trying to make this dish for the first time can fall into. Especially a vegetarian chef! Over the years, I’ve made variants that are quite bland, versions that are bitter, and even dishes in which the greens are either undercooked and crunchy or an overcooked putrid green color. Below are my notes on how to make an excellent vegetarian version of beans and greens with pasta. Read the rest of this entry »
The captious vegetarian 