Caprese Pasta Salad

I am a planner. It is hard for me to be spontaneous and do things on the spur-of-the-moment. But yesterday we enjoyed a leisurely and delicious brunch with friends. The conversation and the food were both excellent, and then suddenly the topic of dinner came up. And just like that, we were hosting an impromptu dinner party. And it was fun! The planner in me had a moment of panic, but then I just went with the flow.

Having established plans to have people to dinner, the next thought that popped into my mind was of course what to make. M. is all about the grill these days. I am loving grilled veggies myself, but M. is loving experimenting with different preparations of meat. So he and our friends were browsing the meat counter at a local butcher's shop. Bored, I browsed around the perimeter of the store looking to see what I could entertain myself with while they shopped. Frozen tortellini, marinated fresh mozzarella balls, sundried tomatoes.... an idea for a pasta salad loosely based on a Caprese salad began to take shape.

This salad was delcious. The creamy cheesiness of the pasta compliments the tangy vinaigrette nicely, and the addition of the fresh parsley wakens what would have been an otherwise bland salad. The amounts in the recipe are based on my recollection of what I did. Feel free to adjust them to your tastes (more vinegar, less mustard etc) and enjoy the results.

We sure did.

Caprese Pasta Salad
original recipe
Serves 6 as a side salad

1 lb frozen (or fresh) tortellini
1/8 pound sundried tomatoes, sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 a head of Italian parsley, washed and chopped
1/2 pound marinated mozzarella balls, quartered (bocconcini)

Dressing -
1/4 cup basalmic vinegar
1 tablespoons dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil
splash of red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Boil water for pasta. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Rinse and drain.
2. Assemble salad ingredients. Add pasta to salad bowl.
3. Mix vinaigrette. Adjust to taste.
4. Add vinaigrette to salad. Mix until dressing is thoroughly incorporated.
5. Chill until ready to serve.

Sesame Brown Rice Salad with Shredded Chicken and Peanuts - Cooking Light June 2007

Yes. I am still vegetarian. Yes, I know that the title of this post contains a salad made with chicken. I approached this recipe with a plan, and it was a success. Stay with me.

One of the best skills a vegetarian can acquire is learning how to adapt a recipe. In the beginning, one sees a recipe calling for chicken, beef or some other meat and tosses it aside thinking that it simply cannot be made. Eventually, one learns to be creative. I looked at this recipe in this month's Cooking Light and thought that it would be delicious made with my favorite tofu recipe. And it was. It was delicious, and even M. the non-vegetarian praised the final dish. As previously discussed, he's quite fond of the vegetarian cooking despite being a decided omnivore. But only rarely does a dish make him stop and say with frank appreciation, "This is GOOD!". This salad achieved that lofty status.

And so it is with pride that I offer my recipe for Sesame Brown Rice Salad with Sweet Ginger Tofu and Peanuts. Take it, share it and enjoy!


Sesame Brown Rice Salad with Shredded Chicken and Peanuts
Cooking Light, June 2007

1 cup long-grain brown rice
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons canola oil
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Transfer rice to a large bowl; fluff with a fork. Cool. Add chicken, carrot, onions, 2 tablespoons peanuts, 2 teaspoons cilantro, and salt to rice; toss to combine.

Combine juice and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle oil mixture over rice mixture; toss to combine. Place 1 1/2 cups salad on each of 4 plates. Sprinkle each serving with 1 1/2 teaspoons remaining peanuts and 1/4 teaspoon remaining cilantro.

CALORIES 393 (30% from fat); FAT 13.3g (sat 2g,mono 6.3g,poly 4g); PROTEIN 27.8g; CHOLESTEROL 60mg; CALCIUM 44mg; SODIUM 424mg; FIBER 4g; IRON 1.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.2g

Sweet Ginger Tofu

The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen - Peter Berley

Yield: 4 to 6 servings (I don't think we've ever gotten six servings out of this delicious tofu!)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
2 Tbs minced gingerroot
2 Tbs light sesame oil -- (note: I only use 1 Tbs)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 pound firm tofu -- rinsed, patted dry, and sliced 1/2 inch thick

Preheat the oven to 350F In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, honey, ginger, oil, and garlic. Lay the tofu slices in a baking dish that can hold them in a single snug layer. Pour the marinade over the tofu. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the tofu is nearly dry and well browned. Serve hot or cold.

The New Digs

We are so excited about our new apartment that I can't resist posting a couple peeks. And I also know my mom is dying to see some pictures. So, two birds with one stone yada yada ... Feel free to skip this post if it doesn't interest you - I would totally understand although I do love looking at pictures of bloggers' homes myself.


This is one view of the living room. I took it crouched from one corner, so that's why the angle is a touch off. It's a hard room to photograph, since it is open along one side.


Here's a view from a more central position.













Two views of the kitchen/dining room. One came out a bit blurry - sorry about that!






























A couple pictures of the space fast becoming one of our favorites. M. has done all the work on making this a garden. We arrived to one Japanese maple tree and a few planted bulbs, he's done the rest. The large metal ladder is an old-school clothes line tower. A rope would run from the building out to the ladder, but since each apartment needed their own line it had to be tall enough to accommodate the three floors of the building. All the buildings have them, I don't know if they are a Brooklyn thing or common to many cities, but it was a new concept to us.































And, finally perhaps the room most important to those of us who love food but aren't gifted with high speed metabolisms - the home gym. There was a point in time I made it to the gym quite frequently, however in the past couple years my schedule has made that very difficult. As a result, I'm excited to have a means to get moving right here at home. And I'm proud to say I've used the elliptical a fair amount since it arrived, and plan on using it more and more as my schedule eases this summer.











Hope you enjoyed the peek into our new space. Now my kitchen is set up, there will be many cooking and more traditional posts to come. And, with our new grill, the world of outdoor vegetarian grilling is now beckoning. So, make sure to come back and see what's cooking! :)

A Sleepy Sunday Morning...

Hello internet folks!

I'm back, and as determined to get back into the blogging world as ever! It has been a very long month. While I "know" moving is hard, it really is amazing how long it takes to get life back into order. And we're still not all the way there - we ran out of steam for one last room. Isn't that always the way?

Anyways, there wouldn't have been much to report in the past month. Not too much cooking happened around the move - although we did discover an amazing pizza at our new local delivery restaurant. :)

To celebrate my return to civilization, I treated myself to an indulgent Sunday brunch. I included an order of parbaked frozen croissants in my latest online grocer order, and tried the first one today. It bakes for about 7-10 minutes, and contained every bit of the buttery deliciousness I wanted. The jam is a new favorite of mine. How can you go wrong with Raspberry Peach Champagne Jam - there's a hint of a special occasion in the name alone!

I enjoyed this treat outside on our new patio with a fresh latte by my side. This experience gave me the strength and motivation to update my blog with the several new posts I have waiting in the wings so stay tuned . . .

Superwoman I am not.

Welcome to our home. Wouldn't you like to stay a while?

Yep, us neither. We move on May 4th, have a busy four day weekend of unpacking planned and then hopefully life will return to normal.

Just a few short weeks ago, I approached the task of moving, working full-time, tutoring multiple children and keeping my blog updated with the utmost confidence. "I am SUPERWOMAN!" I thought. I was positive that I could do all of those things, and keep cooking interesting meals, all while writing interesting and witty blog posts.

You can see how well that turned out.

Yep, we're living in boxes. In the morning, we hop out of bed and scoot around boxes. In the kitchen, I half-heartedly attempt to use up random food as I dodge boxes. The only one happy is Helios. He is a cardboard-loving cat, and there is plenty of cardboard for him to love these days.

So that's my story... I'm looking forward to the summer when I can devote more time to my neglected blog. I hope you'll hang in there with me!

M&M Cookie Deliciousness!

Where does the time go? I've actually been quite busy in the kitchen. I've baked several delicious things lately, and made several excellent meals (if I may say so myself! :) ). Still, as always, life gets in the way. It's report card season again, and that plus preparations for packing, moving and M.'s recent birthday have kept me busy. I doubt it'll get much better in the next few weeks as we get ready to move. But I'll try to keep up!

Here's something I made to take to New Jersey for Easter. I'd originally thought of making a cake, but having an interview in the city before leaving for the weekend made manipulating a cake on the subway seem unappealing. M&M cookies popped into my head, and were a nice easy cookie to make.

I found a recipe on Allrecipes.com and then made my own changes to it. I did go back to try to link to the original recipe, but I couldn't find it again. My searches for M&M cookie came up empty. A little strange but ... oh well!

Here's the recipe. I would definitely make this cookie again. It was easy, had a nice chewy yet crisp proportion and was completely addictive!

M&M Cookie
originally found at allrecipes.com

1 cup Brown Sugar
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients into a medium mixing bowl.

In large mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter with electric mixer or stand mixer. Add eggs, mixing for a minute after each one. Add vanilla, and beat for a minute before scraping down sides and beating again.

Add dry ingredients by half cupfuls until just mixed. Stir in 3/4 cup M&Ms.

Chill for 20 minutes ago, or until cooled and firm. Use dough scoop or tablespoon to measure out dough on to a cookie sheet. Press several of remaining 3/4 cup of M&Ms into top of cookies. Bake for 9-11 minutes (nine will be chewier, eleven will be crispier).

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. Will keep for several days in airtight container.

Movin' Movin' Movin'

The Veggie Kitchen will be moving in about a month. As you can see, Helios is tired already. What does that mean right now? Not much. I'm hoping to keep cooking through at least the next couple of weeks. Perhaps the meals will become a bit more eccentric as I use up the wonderful treasures I found in my pantry organization session yesterday (four pounds of red lentils anybody? Anybody?). But this impending move has greatly affected my spring break. We're hoping to move in May sometime, and since April 1st has passed the May apartments are springing up like flowers! I've met with 2 brokers, and I've seen two apartments. Tonight M. and I are seeing three more. And I'm awaiting a possible call to see a fourth in the next hour! It's exhausting this moving thing, and we haven't even started yet.

So, in my downtime between brokers and phone calls and internet searches, I decided to make an old favorite. This recipe comes from one of my favorite blogs and I remember loving it the first time around. Unfortunately this time around wasn't such a big hit. And I don't think that's the recipe's fault, instead I think it is what happens when you A. double a recipe, B. use up older ingredients and C. find out after you've added it that your nutmeg (because you're out of ginger apparently) doesn't smell great. I had hoped this vegan cake would go to M.'s office tomorrow, since he has a vegan coworker who misses out on the usual baked goods I send in. But now I'm not sure. We'll see... perhaps allowing the cake to cool a bit will help.

So, my changes were to use all whole wheat flour since I'm out of all-purpose. I subbed nutmeg (both the not so great and then more fresh grated to try and mask the not so great nutmeg) and a splash of cardamom (because I'm just loving cardamom right now).

If this cake sounds at all appealing to you I urge you to try it, since I think my less then spectacular results were a result of the ingredients.

Coconut Chai Breakfast Cake
Susan V. of Fat Free Vegan

1 cup strong chai tea
1/3 cup uncooked quick (not instant) oatmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger (use more for a spicier cake)
3/4 cup vegan sugar (I used demerara)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked coconut, 2 tbsp reserved

Prepare the chai ahead of time by steeping two teabags (I used decaffeinated Tazo Chai) in one cup of boiling water until cool.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

Combine the dry ingredients (oatmeal through sugar) in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the chai, applesauce, vinegar, extracts, and all but 2 tablespoons of the coconut. Mix well, and pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the reserved coconut and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Carrot Cake - Cooking Light April 2007

I just can't get enough of baking these days. I tell myself I'm "using up ingredients before we move" but I think some baking bug has just grabbed me lately. Luckily for M.'s coworkers, the bug is showing no sign of slowing down. For some reason I was totally in the mood for carrot cake this weekend. Not a craving I have very often, but it was a craving I simply had to cater to. So, I took my trusty copy of April's Cooking Light in one hand and my trusty hand mixer in the other and I made some carrot cake!

I did make one major change. I do not care for nuts in baked goods. I barely care for nuts, but if I do choose to enjoy them, they must be solo. So, I left out the pecans. Otherwise I followed the recipe as is, and was thrilled by how easy and tasty it was. The finished cake was moist, spicy and had all the elements of the finest carrot cake for a fraction of the fat. The icing was perhaps a touch runny as opposed to the more typical buttercream-like texture, however it tasted great. And the feedback I got from M.'s coworkers indicated that they agreed. :)

Sorry about the poor lighting on the pictures. I guess it was darker in my kitchen then I thought...

Carrot Cake
Cooking Light - April 2007

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/4 ounces)
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
2 cups grated carrot
1 1/2 cups canned crushed pineapple, drained
Cooking spray

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Additional grated carrot (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare cake, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, coconut, pecans, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Combine oil and eggs; stir well. Stir egg mixture, grated carrot, and pineapple into flour mixture. Spoon batter into a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To prepare frosting, combine butter and cream cheese in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla just until smooth. Spread frosting over top of cake. Garnish each serving with grated carrot, if desired.

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

CALORIES 322 (29% from fat); FAT 10.4g (sat 4.2g,mono 3.2g,poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 4.1g; CHOLESTEROL 40mg; CALCIUM 29mg; SODIUM 403mg; FIBER 1.4g; IRON 1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 54.4g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2007

Cinnamon-Cardamom Squares

I love any opportunity to bake. When a good friend offered to cook an Indian feast for M., me and a few other friends, I welcomed the chance to try a new recipe. The recipe for Dorie Greenspan's Cinnamon Squares practically jumped at me when I took From My Home to Yours down off the shelf. I looked at a couple others, but I kept returning to the Cinnamon Squares. I had all the ingredients, and I even thought that if I added a touch of cardamom to the recipe, it would compliment our Indian feast perfectly.

And the results were divine. The cake is spicy and flavorful with a strong cinnamon and cardamom taste. Still the combination of the flavors remain balanced, especially in contrast to the chocolate. The chocolate frosting compliments the cake perfectly, and the touch of espresso added a new richness and dimension of flavor to the combination of flavors. The cake was easy to prepare, and the results were easy to transport to the dinner. This will be one for the tried-and-true files!

Cinnamon-Cardamom Squares
adapted from Dorie Greenspan's From My Home to Yours
serves 9


For the Cake
1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 T plus 2 1/2 t cinnamon (I used 1 T plus 2 t cinnamon, and 1/2 cardamom)
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder (I used freshly ground espresso beans)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
pinch of salt
3/4 cup whole milk (I used 1%)
2 large eggs
1/2 t vanilla
1 stick plus 2 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 oz bittersweet chocolate finely chopped (or 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips)

For the Frosting
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/2 T unsalted butter, cut into four pieces

Getting Ready
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 inch square baking pan, and line bottom with parchment or wax paper. Place pan on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake
Stir two tablespoons of the sugar, 2 1/2 of the cinnamon (or cinnamon/cardamom) and the espresso together in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar, the baking powder, salt and the remaining 1 T of cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture, and whisk gently until you have a homogenous batter. Now, using the whisk or rubber spatula, fold in the butter with a light touch until the butter is absorbed. You'll have a smooth satiny batter.

Scrape half of the batter into the pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle the chocolate over the batter, and dust with the cinnamon-cardamom-sugar mixture. Cover the rest of the batter, and smooth the top again.

Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until cake is puffed and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. A thin knife inserted into the middle will come out clean. Transfer cake to a cooling rack, and let it rest for 15 minutes before unmolding it onto another rack. Peel off the paper, invert it onto the first rack, and cool to room temperature right side up.

To Make the Frosting
Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, and fit the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring gently and often, just until they melt. Be careful not to overheat mixture, the chocolate should be smooth, very shiny, thick and spreadable.

Using an offset metal icing spatula, or table knife, spread frosting in generous sweeps and swirls over the top of the cake. Allow frosting to set at room temperature. Cut cake into 9 squares, each with about 2 1/2 inches on a side.

Deep down,, I harbor a love of lo mein noodles. Chock full of veggies and tasting sweetly reminiscient of soy sauce and sesame oil, they remind me of my childhood when "take out" Chinese Food from the local Chinese restaurant was a real treat. But in this grown up world of trying to eat healthily, lo mein is an indulgence that I rarely treat myself to.

This recipe attracted me simply because it seemed to be the best of both worlds. Made with real lo mein noodles, it seemed closer then any "fettucine" fried noodle stand-in. And, because it came from Cooking Light, I knew it would be healthier. And these noodles were surprisingly tasty. The bath of sesame oil and soy sauce after the noodles cook gave them the authentic mouthfeel of the higher fat lo mein noodles I recall so fondly. And the addition of the edamame and the greens makes the dish both filling as well as good for you.

M. actually made this one. He reported that once the prep was finished, it came together quite quickly. We made a couple subs - dried shitaake for the wood ear mushrooms and lacinato kale for the mustard greens. But otherwise, the reecipe was executed as written. The bok choy dish on the side was M.'s creation. He prepared a stock of veggie broth, garlic, shallots, ginger, and a few other ingredients. After simmering the ingredients for about an hour, he used them to bathe and cook the bok choy (as well as season the salmon M. prepared for himself on the side).

Vegetable Lo Mein with Edamame and Mustard Greens

Mustard greens' peppery bite contrasts with tender, fresh Asian egg noodles. If you can't find them, substitute fresh pasta such as vermicelli or spaghetti. The leftovers are tasty served warm or cold.



1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup dried wood ear mushrooms
2 quarts water
3 cups chopped mustard greens
1 (14-ounce) package fresh Chinese egg noodles
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce, divided
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 1/4 cups (1/4-inch-thick) red bell pepper strips (about 1 medium)
3/4 cup chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans), thawed
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Combine 1/2 cup boiling water and mushrooms in a bowl; cover and let stand 15 minutes. Drain mushrooms in a sieve over a bowl, reserving soaking liquid. Remove and discard stems. Chop mushroom caps; set aside.

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add greens, and cook for 1 minute or until greens wilt. Remove greens from water with a slotted spoon. Plunge the greens into ice water; drain and squeeze dry. Set greens aside.

Return water in pan to a boil. Add egg noodles, and cook for 2 minutes or until done. Drain and rinse with cold water, and drain well. Place noodles in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce and sesame oil, tossing to coat, and set aside.

Heat canola oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger; stir-fry 5 seconds. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, onions, and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes or until bell pepper is crisp-tender. Stir in greens and edamame; stir-fry 30 seconds. Stir in reserved mushroom soaking liquid, noodle mixture, remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, and hoisin sauce; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

CALORIES 339 (26% from fat); FAT 9.8g (sat 1g,mono 4.1g,poly 3.2g); PROTEIN 15.8g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 73mg; SODIUM 710mg; FIBER 4.9g; IRON 2.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 47g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2007