Friday, October 26, 2007

The Replacements


One of the things I have been learning in my readings is about replacements (and not the group from the early 90's either). Just about everybody knows about replacing regular milk with soy (if you are going vegan) but I was stumped with what to do for eggs. I'm not vegan but I do need to watch my cholesterol and fat I did find a few good replacements for eggs.

1 small banana: This is a good sub for eggs especially in cakes or even in pancakes
2 Tbs of cornstarch can sub for one egg to help bind ingredients
1/4 cup of smooth blended tofu (also blend with liquid ingredients) can be used as well

There are also faux egg concoctions available if you are opposed to eating eggs but the whole point of this is to eat well and cheaply without investing in all those substitutes. Anytime you see eggs listed in any of my recipes you can try one of the subs listed above.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Carmelized Oranges

I just realized that I haven't posted any dessert recipes yet. What is dinner without dessert? This is one of my favorite desserts because it looks so much fancier and time involved than it actually is. It is a great dessert to finish off an elegant meal.

Ingredients:
6 large oranges
5 Tbsp water
1/2 cup superfine sugar

Directions:
Pare wide strips of peel off of two of the oranges. Cut these into thin sticks and save a few for garnish. Peel the rest of the oranges and get rid of all the white stuff. Cut the fruit horizontally into 1/2 inch pieces then put aside on a plate (draining off any excess juice).

Fill a sink 1/2 way with cold water then start making the caramel. Add the sugar and 3 Tbsp water to a heavy pan and boil stirring consistently until the sugar is completely dissolved then boil, without stirring, until it is a dark caramel color. Pop the pan halfway into the cold water to stop it from cooking more.

Next add orange rind and 2 Tbsp water to the pan and simmer stirring occasionally for about 9-10 minutes (you want the orange rind to be almost see through). Coat the orange slices completely then put in the fridge for an hour or two to chill.

You can serve this with whipped cream or, even better, custard.

Friday, October 19, 2007

Mediterranean Frittata

I love this frittata! It is so much easier to make than an omelette and so much tastier too! To make it even cheaper use canned mushrooms and regular tomato instead of sun dried (skip the the soaking part).

Ingredients:
6 sun dried tomatoes either dry or oil packed
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1/4 cup rough chopped mushrooms
6 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.Soak the sun dried tomatoes in a bowl of water for about 15 minutes. Keep the water and cut the tomatoes into thin strips

2.Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan and stir in the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5-6 minutes (until onions are a golden brown).

3.Add the mushrooms and tomatoes then season with salt and pepper and cook another 2-3 minutes

4.Break eggs into a bowl and stir in 3-4 Tbs of tomato water and mix light with a fork. Add cheese and stir until cheese is mixed in completely.

5.Raise the heat and pour the eggs into the sizzling oil. Mix the eggs quickly with the other ingredients then stop stirring and lower the heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the bottom is fluffy and golden brown on the bottom.

6.Place a large plate over the top of the pan and with oven mitts firmly flip the frittata onto the plate then slide it back into the pan and cook another 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and enjoy!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Updated Potato Pancakes

Growing up potato pancakes were just left over mashed potatoes that my dad then fried up in a pan and served with gravy (usually after holidays to get rid of the left overs). I never thought to actually make them as a meal on their own until I got this recipe. This goes great with the homemade applesauce I posted yesterday.

Ingredients:
4 medium potatoes
1 white or yellow onion
1 carrot
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup flour
1 egg
oil for frying
salt
pepper

Directions:
1 - Peel and shred potatoes, carrot and onion. Crush and add garlic.
2 - Stir in egg and flour, add salt and pepper til it looks right.
3 - Fry 1/4 cup scoops (flatten when you put the pile in the pan) in hot oil (a few tablespoons) on both sides til golden brown. Drain on paper towels or newspaper.
4 - Serve with applesauce and sour cream

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Easy Applesauce

This is the best time of year to get fresh picked apples from the farmer's market. A good friend of mine gave me this great applesauce recipe that is easily customizable. It goes great with potato pancakes or as a side dish for your favorite fall recipes. When picking apples you want to pick the ones that soften well when cooking such as McIntosh, Cortland, or Empire. Stay away from the Red Delicious and the Fuji varieties (Granny Smith doesn't do too well either). This recipe shouldn't cost you much at all especially when apples are in season and it tastes great and is better for you than the store bought varieties (and cheaper too!)

Ingredients:
4 medium apples
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
water

Directions:
1 - peel and seed apples. Chop roughly.
2 - put apples in small saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Stir in sugar and cinnamon.
3 - cook uncovered and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples break down and soften, stirring occasionally.
4 - Mash up some of the apples as they soften, depending on how lumpy you want your applesauce.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Lentil Salad

Here is one of my all time favorite side dish/ snack/ all around good food recipes. It is deceptively easy and tastes so freaking good.
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups brown lentils, rinsed
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
salt and pepper
Directions:
1 - In a small saucepan, cover lentils with water by one inch. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially uncovered, until lentils are tender but still holding their shape. (20 to 25 minutes) Drain well.
3 - In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil. Add lentils, cucumber, parsley and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat with dressing.
4 - Cool to room temperature or serve chilled

Friday, October 12, 2007

Sexy Veggie


This week's hot vegetarian is actor Josh Hartnett.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Absurdly Easy Tomato Sauce


I made the easiest (and tastiest) tomato sauce last night. I always thought that it was a difficult thing to do but I guess not. It also uses cherry tomatoes so I finally found a use for those besides plopping them on salads.
Ingredients:
3 Tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic lightly smashed
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped Kalmata olives
1 Tbs each finely chopped basil, thyme, and rosemary
1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes halved

Directions:
Heat the oil on low in a large frying pan/ skillet and add the garlic. Let the garlic infuse the oil with flavor before digging out the three smashed chunks (leave all the finely chopped garlic in there). Turn the heat up to medium/ medium high and add the olives and the herbs and cook for about a minute or two then add the tomatoes. Stir occasionally and let it turn to a pulpy sauce (about 15-20 minutes) and serve over pasta.

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Right now I am making some slow roasted tomatoes in the oven. I took a few meaty beefsteak tomatoes and cut them in half and put them in a deep, lined casserole dish. I drizzled the tomatoes with olive oil, sprinkled a dash of salt and sugar on each piece, placed a few thin slices of garlic and some fresh basil and rosemary on them too. I then drizzled each tomato with balsamic vinegar and more olive oil and let them roast in a 350 degree oven for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. . .the smell is driving me crazy and I can't wait for them to come out of the oven!

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Protein From Rice


One of my mother's biggest concerns when I told her that I was dating a vegetarian and was eating a mostly vegetarian diet was that I wasn't getting enough protein. She thinks unless you eat a big hunk of beef a day then you will become anemic in no time. I was happy to find out that brown rice (one of my favorite all around foods that works for just about any time of day) contains 4.9 grams of protein. That is a good source for the 56 grams of protein men are supposed to get a day (and women are supposed to get 46). The next time you are whipping up that stir fry or making burritos skip the bleached white rice and use a good, hearty brown rice.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Bean and Corn Salad


I just found this recipe and it sounds really yummy! I can't wait to make it!

Mix together in a large bowl:

* 2 cups cooked black beans
* 1 1/2 cups cooked corn kernels (either fresh, frozen or canned)
* 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
* 1/2 medium red onion chopped
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

Dressing:

* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* Salt to taste

Mix dressing, add it to salad, stir to combine well, and enjoy! NOTE: A nice alternative is to use fresh lime juice instead of lemon, and substitute fresh coriander for the parsley.

Original Recipe found here

Vegetarian Leftover Soup

This is a really cheap meal because it is all about the leftovers. All I do is take a can of vegetable stock (for soups) and start heating it on the stove. Today I added in the leftover rice from last night's stir fry, chopped up a carrot, diced half a zucchini, half an onion chopped, some beans from two days ago and the leftover basil from my pasta primavera. For extra flavor I tossed in some fresh cracked pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Fifteen minutes later I had a great, quick, and cheap soup for lunch.

Einstein's View


"It is my view that the vegetarian manner of living, by its purely physical effect on the human temperament, would most beneficially influence the lot of mankind."

-Albert Einstein