the last sad denizens of my fridge were black beans, rice, half a sweet potato and chopped onion. i made a tasty cumin flavored black bean soup over rice, and baked the last few sad freezer tortillas into some tasty tortilla chips. leftovers never tasted this good. i'm slowly but surely eating through the contents of the freezer.
feeling proud of myself!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Saturday, December 26, 2009
memorable holiday foods
1) hard cider. my roommate and i accidentally ordered two bottles of this great hard cider from a local cafe, thinking we were ordering two glasses. Mind you these were about the size of wine bottles. needless to say, we got very cheery and had a tipsy walk home.
my next crazy project will be to make hard cider, a la the instructions from thepauperedchef.com. hilarity should ensue
2) homemade eggnog, cooked lightly to be careful about salmonella since these eggs were from costco and who knows how old. the milk tasted a bit scalded but the overall effect was good.
3) meringues made with leftover egg whites. my sister and i covered the kitchen with white froth and the meringues turned out excellently
4) sour cream pancakes. i did not know such a thing could be done. pancakes with only 7 tablespoons of flour (and a cup of sour cream).
5) popovers for breakfast this morning, another first.
6) homemade tomato soup for christmas eve dinner, made from frozen tomatoes from my parents garden.
7)and not food related, but i'm proud of myself for exercising at least 45 minutes every day for the past week. even in the sodden rain on Christmas day.
my next crazy project will be to make hard cider, a la the instructions from thepauperedchef.com. hilarity should ensue
2) homemade eggnog, cooked lightly to be careful about salmonella since these eggs were from costco and who knows how old. the milk tasted a bit scalded but the overall effect was good.
3) meringues made with leftover egg whites. my sister and i covered the kitchen with white froth and the meringues turned out excellently
4) sour cream pancakes. i did not know such a thing could be done. pancakes with only 7 tablespoons of flour (and a cup of sour cream).
5) popovers for breakfast this morning, another first.
6) homemade tomato soup for christmas eve dinner, made from frozen tomatoes from my parents garden.
7)and not food related, but i'm proud of myself for exercising at least 45 minutes every day for the past week. even in the sodden rain on Christmas day.
leftover fun
What do you cook when you have just random bits and pieces in your fridge?
I had a leftover bag of veggies scavenged from a vegetable tray that included cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and peppers. Pickings were slim in the fridge today--mostly leftovers and odd bits from last weeks meals before Christmas. Both my roommate and I left for a few days at Christmas, so we haven't had a chance to replenish the larder.
I decided to make a fresh tomato sauce with the tomatoes, some chopped onion and my last clove of garlic. Meanwhile, I cooked the last few ounces of spaghetti in the house and sauteed the broccoli and cauliflower. The result was a tasty meal that would have only been improved by the addition of some shredded cheese.
Later, I went to the coop to redeem a $25 gift card. I got the fixings for a light but indulgent meal of fresh bread, local goat cheese and olives, as well as salt, red pepper flakes, vanilla beans (!) and a hunk of parmigano reggiano cheese to improve future pasta endeavors. I should have gotten eggs too, as that's my new favorite food to make when I'm by myself. Eggs would be great with some sauteed kale on the side and a sprinkle of freshly grated cheese. Oh well.
Leftover endeavor part two is to use up the last black beans, rice and old old corn tortillas from the freezer without the addition of tomatoes. Should be interesting trying to make that tasty or at least palatable. I can always fry the tortillas but frying things seems to be cheating.
I had a leftover bag of veggies scavenged from a vegetable tray that included cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower and peppers. Pickings were slim in the fridge today--mostly leftovers and odd bits from last weeks meals before Christmas. Both my roommate and I left for a few days at Christmas, so we haven't had a chance to replenish the larder.
I decided to make a fresh tomato sauce with the tomatoes, some chopped onion and my last clove of garlic. Meanwhile, I cooked the last few ounces of spaghetti in the house and sauteed the broccoli and cauliflower. The result was a tasty meal that would have only been improved by the addition of some shredded cheese.
Later, I went to the coop to redeem a $25 gift card. I got the fixings for a light but indulgent meal of fresh bread, local goat cheese and olives, as well as salt, red pepper flakes, vanilla beans (!) and a hunk of parmigano reggiano cheese to improve future pasta endeavors. I should have gotten eggs too, as that's my new favorite food to make when I'm by myself. Eggs would be great with some sauteed kale on the side and a sprinkle of freshly grated cheese. Oh well.
Leftover endeavor part two is to use up the last black beans, rice and old old corn tortillas from the freezer without the addition of tomatoes. Should be interesting trying to make that tasty or at least palatable. I can always fry the tortillas but frying things seems to be cheating.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
I'm tired of reading articles about chefs who cook a single meal for under $25. My weekly grocery budget is $25. Which is why I made fried rice out of my leftover Chinese food and why dried beans, sweet potatoes and cabbage are always on my shopping list. End of rant.
Tonight I was going to make sweet potato pie after reading a long article about pies of the Triangle. Alas, I didn't have enough butter to make a crust...so I ended up making cinnamon spiced mashed sweet potatoes. I added a hint of lemon juice for a little zing.
I still have two or three more pounds of sweet potatoes left, so I am trying to be inventive. Possibly sweet potato latkes for Hanukkah? There was an interesting lime-flavored sweet potato salad on Serious Eats earlier...Sweet potato biscuits? Or I could revive the sweet potato gnocchi recipe from summer!
Finals are nigh which means...I cook a lot instead of studying. Good times.
My current list of food projects includes
+baking bread
+opening the scary door into making candy with caramels (need to buy a candy thermometer)
+start a jar of vanilla extract, which means...a trip to the liquor store!
+roasted cauliflower something
Tonight I was going to make sweet potato pie after reading a long article about pies of the Triangle. Alas, I didn't have enough butter to make a crust...so I ended up making cinnamon spiced mashed sweet potatoes. I added a hint of lemon juice for a little zing.
I still have two or three more pounds of sweet potatoes left, so I am trying to be inventive. Possibly sweet potato latkes for Hanukkah? There was an interesting lime-flavored sweet potato salad on Serious Eats earlier...Sweet potato biscuits? Or I could revive the sweet potato gnocchi recipe from summer!
Finals are nigh which means...I cook a lot instead of studying. Good times.
My current list of food projects includes
+baking bread
+opening the scary door into making candy with caramels (need to buy a candy thermometer)
+start a jar of vanilla extract, which means...a trip to the liquor store!
+roasted cauliflower something
Saturday, November 28, 2009
day after thanksgiving locavore feast
the menu:
lentil, butternut squash, cheese and arugula salad
cranberry sauce
oven roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes with rosemary and sage
mushroom gravy
sunflower and poppy seed rolls
sauteed kale with garlic and lemon
pumpkin pie w/ homemade crust
yummy rolls
the salad
excellent variety of foods, beautiful composition. the majority of the ingredients were from the farmer's market and several were grown/processed by our family. this was actually a fairly light meal, which was welcome after the huge vegan thanksgiving feast at Cafe Parizade yesterday, sponsored by the Triangle Vegetarian Society.
the standouts were the salad and the rolls. i was a bit worried that the yeast wasn't good. i rose the rolls in the fridge overnight and wasn't sure if they were rising rapidly enough. the poppy and sunflower seeds (and the addition of some wheat germ) were a great contrast. i made cloverleaf shapes so they were easy to pull apart and butter.
the salad, in addition to being BEAUTIFUL had a great balance of flavors. my sister said this was the most complicated salad she had ever made. me too, actually. this recipe came from gourmet magazine and is actually the first "composed salad" i've made in a while. the cheese we ended up using was a raw milk "Pheta" (never realized feta was a trademark) from our local Chapel Hill Creamery. we cooked the lentils the night before, then roasted the butternut squash with cumin, paprika, salt, and pepper.
recipes forthcoming.
my copilot.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A cupcake to be reckoned with
What do you do with a surfeit of canned pumpkin?
Pumpkin cupcakes of course! I snagged the recipe from Very Small Anna. So as not to steal her spotlight, you should vote for them in this month's Cupcake Hero competition!
I can tell you right now, these delectable little cakes are moist and spicy and they give way to reveal a gooey, nutty brown butter caramel on the inside. The only change I made was to replace her chocolate ganache with Isa Chandra XXX's famous vegan chocolate icing. This stuff really takes the cake! (please excuse the pun)
I only have a few suggestions to improve on this already amazing recipe. Use cupcake liners so none of the deliciously crumbly cake gets stuck to the cupcake tins. Second, let them cool completely before removing! I got excited and caused a few of them to disintegrate. Be patient! It's worth the wait!
Pumpkin cupcakes of course! I snagged the recipe from Very Small Anna. So as not to steal her spotlight, you should vote for them in this month's Cupcake Hero competition!
I can tell you right now, these delectable little cakes are moist and spicy and they give way to reveal a gooey, nutty brown butter caramel on the inside. The only change I made was to replace her chocolate ganache with Isa Chandra XXX's famous vegan chocolate icing. This stuff really takes the cake! (please excuse the pun)
I only have a few suggestions to improve on this already amazing recipe. Use cupcake liners so none of the deliciously crumbly cake gets stuck to the cupcake tins. Second, let them cool completely before removing! I got excited and caused a few of them to disintegrate. Be patient! It's worth the wait!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Breakfast Today: In Praise of the Crockpot
I love my crockpot. It's tiny and cost something like $4 on clearance at Walmart. My crockpot and I are best friends because I am a poor, busy college student. Cook dry beans overnight from 99 cents a pound, what? Anyways, I'm cooking some pinto beans right now as I go to bed and when I wake up...tasty breakfast awaits. I'll probably make huevos rancheros or something.
Last year, LittleGinger and I tried to start a new tradition after I bought a 5 pound bag of pintos: Pinto Bean Night. It was going to be a thing. Sadly, it never came into its own. However, we did come up with some inventive ways to use pintos.
That said, my favorite recipe is simple and easy: Towards the end of cooking, dice an onion and add to the crockpot with your pintos. When pintos and onion are tender and fragrant, add garlic powder and dump in equal amounts of vinegar and olive oil (maybe a quarter cup of each). Salt and pepper liberally. The pinto bean liquor tastes dreamy and is great with bread to soak it up. I used to eat this as a midnight study snack in a mug with some toast, and drink the broth. Yum.
So breakfast today: a warm mug of tender, tangy garlic pinto beans.
Last year, LittleGinger and I tried to start a new tradition after I bought a 5 pound bag of pintos: Pinto Bean Night. It was going to be a thing. Sadly, it never came into its own. However, we did come up with some inventive ways to use pintos.
That said, my favorite recipe is simple and easy: Towards the end of cooking, dice an onion and add to the crockpot with your pintos. When pintos and onion are tender and fragrant, add garlic powder and dump in equal amounts of vinegar and olive oil (maybe a quarter cup of each). Salt and pepper liberally. The pinto bean liquor tastes dreamy and is great with bread to soak it up. I used to eat this as a midnight study snack in a mug with some toast, and drink the broth. Yum.
So breakfast today: a warm mug of tender, tangy garlic pinto beans.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
pumpkin fest!
Today we made awesome pumpkin chocolate chip scones and pumpkin olive oil bread with dried fruit, chocolate chips and pecans. After an adventure waiting for the city bus, we finally made it back to PapaSmurf's place with our ingredients.
Us and the scones. Photo courtesy of Ryan Jones.
The first recipe was adapted from recipegirl.com's Whole Wheat Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread. We made our version with 100% whole wheat flour, adding dried apricots, figs and cherries, chocolate chips and pecans. Ours made two loaves. The olive oil gives the bread a nice crumb, and a very crispy crust for how long we baked it.
The pumpkin chocolate scones were glazed with a powdered sugar and milk glaze flavored with pumpkin pie spices. They look like something suckers would pay $3.87 for at Starbucks...suckers.
Photos are forthcoming!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones
2 c flour (we used white whole wheat)
scant 1/2 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
6 T butter
3 T milk
1 egg
1/2 c chocolate chips (optional but AWESOME)
Mix wet ingredients. In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Mix butter into dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add wet ingredients to dry. Shape with hands into balls, flatten into discs, and cut disc into quarters or eights. Bake at 450 F for about 15 minutes or until golden.
Spicy Glaze
1 c plus 3 T powdered sugar
2 T milk
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Mix glaze ingredients until blended. Drizzle artfully onto cooled scones. Glaze will harden. Feed to monkey. Haven't you always wanted a monkey?
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Olive Oil Bread with Dried Fruit, Nuts and Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 c white sugar
1 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 c water
1/2 c each dried chopped fruit, chocolate chips, chopped nuts
Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes or until done in center in greased and floured loaf pans.
Both recipes can be easily veganized with egg replacement and vegan margarine instead of butter for the scones.
Us and the scones. Photo courtesy of Ryan Jones.
The first recipe was adapted from recipegirl.com's Whole Wheat Olive Oil Pumpkin Bread. We made our version with 100% whole wheat flour, adding dried apricots, figs and cherries, chocolate chips and pecans. Ours made two loaves. The olive oil gives the bread a nice crumb, and a very crispy crust for how long we baked it.
The pumpkin chocolate scones were glazed with a powdered sugar and milk glaze flavored with pumpkin pie spices. They look like something suckers would pay $3.87 for at Starbucks...suckers.
Photos are forthcoming!
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones
2 c flour (we used white whole wheat)
scant 1/2 c sugar
1 T baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
6 T butter
3 T milk
1 egg
1/2 c chocolate chips (optional but AWESOME)
Mix wet ingredients. In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Mix butter into dry mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add wet ingredients to dry. Shape with hands into balls, flatten into discs, and cut disc into quarters or eights. Bake at 450 F for about 15 minutes or until golden.
Spicy Glaze
1 c plus 3 T powdered sugar
2 T milk
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Mix glaze ingredients until blended. Drizzle artfully onto cooled scones. Glaze will harden. Feed to monkey. Haven't you always wanted a monkey?
Whole Wheat Pumpkin Olive Oil Bread with Dried Fruit, Nuts and Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 c white sugar
1 c pumpkin puree
1/2 c olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 c water
1/2 c each dried chopped fruit, chocolate chips, chopped nuts
Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 F for 45-50 minutes or until done in center in greased and floured loaf pans.
Both recipes can be easily veganized with egg replacement and vegan margarine instead of butter for the scones.
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