Tomato Feta Frrrrrriiiiitattattattattattattatta

HEY! Did you know that gouda is good-a, but feta is betta?

LAME!! When someone makes "cheesy" jokes about cheese, that's how you know they have a problem.

I.LOVE.CHEESE. But I'm a dietitian, you say. SCREW THAT. I LOVE CHEESE! I love mozzarella, and brie, and parmigiano reggiano, and comte and paneer and feta. Oh, how I love feta. I also love tomatoes. And creamy dreamy eggs. So I was pretty stoked when I found a recipe that used these three ingredients, it was super easy to make AND I didn't have to make a run to the grocery store! I served this frittata alongside my version of Barley Kale Gratin and I'm *pretty* sure my husband licked his plate afterward. Ladies: you were warned.

How's that for delicious beauty?

Tomato Feta Frittata

Serves 2 as a side, 1 as an entree. (Can be easily doubled/tripled to feed a larger crowd)

(Based upon the recipe in Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone")


3 eggs
1/2 T fresh parsley, minced (could sub with dill, chives, thyme, marjoram, etc)
pinch salt
1 tsp olive oil or butter
1/2 medium tomato, sliced moderately thinly
1/4 C feta cheese crumbles

In a non-stick skillet (or generously oiled stainless steel one) heat olive oil/butter on medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk eggs in a small bowl with salt and parsley. When olive oil/butter is hot, add eggs and stir until they're nearly set. Leave on the stove for 2-3 minute to set the eggs in the bottom of the pan. Place slices of tomato (usually 3-4 will fit comfortably in a small pan) on top and sprinkle feta on top of the tomatoes. Place under broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese, lightly cook the tomato, and finish the eggs. Slide onto a plate and serve. Best served hot or warm.

Barley Kale Gratin: Soul-Warming Goodness

Let's play a game of word association. If I say "kale" what do you say? If you were a child you'd likely spout something like:

Green
Slimy
Bitter

or, worse:

What's kale?

Now, let me throw "barley" atcha. If you were my brother (much older, mind you), you'd surely say "eeeeewwwww"

SIGH...

Let's try this again, but I'll ask you after you've warmed your bellies with a bowl of Barley Kale Gratin. Seriously. Give it a try. Kids and adults need not be afraid.

Green goodness. Nom nom nom.

Barley Kale Gratin

yields 6 moderate or 8 smaller portions 

(based upon the recipe in Deborah Madison's "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone")

1C barley
3C water
1 package frozen kale, defrosted (or 1 large bunch cleaned, stems removed, chopped and steamed--see why I prefer frozen!?)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
3T olive oil
3T flour
~3C liquid (any combination of chicken/veg stock/water and milk)
1 C grated cheese, divided (orig recipe calls for swiss but I used parmesan)

Boil 3 C water in a medium pot and add barley. Simmer uncovered for ~20 minutes until cooked (should be soft yet a bit chewy). Drain excess water if necessary. Meanwhile, prepare fresh kale or defrost frozen kale. Puree in food processor and add to cooked barley. In a larger pot, sautee onions in olive oil on medium heat. When soft, whisk in flour to make a roux (pronounced "roo") which will be used to thicken the sauce. Stir flour/oil/onion for a few seconds to lightly toast the flour. SLOWLY add 3C liquid, whisking vigorously to prevent lumps from forming. Sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If too thick add more liquid, if too thin keep simmering to evaporate more water. Add barley/kale mixture and stir to combine. Once warmed through, turn off heat, add 1/2 C of the cheese and season to taste with salt/pepper. Pour into greased baking dish and top with remaining shredded cheese. Broil for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

This dish is VERY hearty and makes a great meal in and of itself. Or, serve a smaller portion alongside this Tomato Feta Frittata.

Hummus: Scary No More

I don't know about you, but for YEARS I had a fear of making hummus. A FEAR. Irrational, perhaps!? I just thought it was too complicated to make, or required expensive ingredients, or wasn't going to taste good, or...or...BAH! Most of the time I ended up either leaving the job to Sabra (at $4 a tub this wasn't frequent...and btw who the heck gets 8 servings out of one of those things?!?! Preposterous!!) or leave it all together. Such a sad thing, because after searching for a hummus recipe using white beans (aka cannellini, aka white kidney) I come to find that it's actually 1) incredibly easy to make 2) incredibly inexpensive and 3) requires some seriously humble ingredients. Thank goodness for my awesome Cuisineart food processor which makes the task of producing a tub of this filling, wholesome, Middle Eastern staple insanely easy. Good-bye, fear. Hellooooo YUM!

Serve it with crudite (the French word for veggies) for a fab appetizer, or throw in some falafel and/or pita and make it a hearty vegan meal. I typically serve it with raw or nearly-raw (ie lightly steamed/blanched) cut-up veggies like carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, celery, broccoli, cauliflower or leaves of endive or stalks of asparagus if I really want to be fancy schmancy! Hummus makes for a great filling for sandwiches/wraps, and I've been known to make a sandwich with hummus, sliced avocado, and fresh tomato. Throw in some sprouts and you got a party in your mouth!

Hummus is actually quite versatile but whatever you do, DO NOT serve it with fruit. TRUE STORY: Just days after giving birth, I asked my husband for something to eat for breakfast. He comes back with (I kid you not) a plate of hummus and... strawberries. I questioned him and he seriously had no idea why that wasn't a good breakfast. "Hummus is good, and strawberries are good. What's the problem?" Needless to say, I opted for a bowl of cereal instead. MEN! ;)

I digress. Back to the beans. So turns out, making this on your own does require a bit of money up-front. A large jar of tahini (ground sesame seeds, found in the ethnic section of the grocery store), will run you about $10 but the amount of hummus you can make with it and a bag or few cans of beans is INSANELY HUGE. WAY more than three piddly tubs of the store-bought stuff. You're welcome.

The other great thing about hummus (as if!) is that there's a lot of flexibility in the ingredients/proportions. If you find it's not garlicky or lemony enough, add more! If the consistency is too dry, add some water and/or olive oil. If you like it spicy (or not), herby, roasted red bell peppery be my guest! Below is the basic recipe, which can be adjusted as your taste buds see fit. Of course, to make classic hummus you can substitute the white beans with chick peas (aka garbanzo beans/ceci beans)

Hot dang this stuff is delicious!

White Bean Hummus

(based on the recipe from foodnetwork.com)

3 C cooked white beans (2, 15-oz cans or 1/2# dried beans, cooked***)
2-3 cloves garlic
handful of fresh parsley
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 C tahini
olive oil

Throw all of the ingredients in a food processor and whiz until beautifully smooth. Add olive oil (and/or water, even) if the consistency is a bit thick/dry. It should be scoop-able, neither runny nor super chunky. Now, wasn't that EASY?! Throw it in a festive bowl, swirl some olive oil on top with a shake of paprika and BAM!


***Turns out, dried beans are WAY WAY WAY cheaper and lower in sodium than canned beans (duh!) and it's actually not that much of a hassle to prepare a large quantity ahead of time and freeze small portions for later use. The general method to cooking beans that are tender and flavorful is to:
1) pick through them to remove any stones and other debris
2) give 'em a good rinse in a colander/strainer
3) throw them in a pot of cold water and let them soak 6-8 hours (ie overnight)
4) replace the soaking water with fresh water making sure they are covered by at least an inch of water and add several solid pinches of salt
5) bring pot to a boil and lower heat to maintain a simmer. Cook for 20-30 minutes (some beans take longer) or until tender
6) drain, cool and package into small containers/bags to be stored in the freezer

Dairy-Free Carrot Ginger Miso Soup

The other day I looked through my near-empty fridge, belly grumbling, when all I happened upon was some miso paste and old baby carrots that frankly really didn't look appetizing. Not good. I could have just made plain miso soup, but that's boring. Knowing myself (ye who never throws out food and ye who is fairly creative when it comes to cooking), I then remembered this fabulous carrot ginger soup I used to make back-in-the-day. I looked at the carrots, and then the miso. Back at the miso, and then the carrots. I think I heard the Southwest airlines "ding!" go off in my head (I've been traveling waaaaaay too much, obviously), and voila--the soup was born. But wait! There's more! I also happened to have a can of light coconut milk which I thought would add a nice creamy deliciousness to the soup, and boy was I right.

I present to you:

(Dairy-Free) Carrot Ginger (Miso) Soup

1 T powdered ginger

1 T olive oil

1# carrots, peeled and roughly chopped (I use one bag of baby carrots)

2 small/medium onions, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)

2 T miso paste (technically optional, but delicious)

4 C liquid (veg stock, water, or perhaps halfsies with white wine)

2 C water

1 can light coconut milk (technically optional, but delicious)

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil and add onions. Sautee for a few minutes on medium heat until translucent, then add the powdered ginger and miso paste. Cook for another minute or two, add the carrots and cooking liquid. Add enough water to bring the liquid to the top of the vegetables. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for at least 1 hour, until the carrots are very tender. Blend with a stick blender in the pot (one of my most favorite kitchen gadgets!) or let cool a bit and blend in a blender. Once thoroughly blended, add the coconut milk and stir. Season to taste (the miso should add enough salt to season the soup properly).

Serving suggestion: Top with nice ripe slices of avocado and a drizzle of flax oil for an added nutritional boost!

How's *that* for a bowl of beauty and deliciousness?!

White Bean and Tomato Stew

As a Vegetarian Through Poverty (if I can't afford to real [ie organic] meat, I don't eat meat at all), I usually have a fair stash of canned beans in my pantry. A long time ago, I made the more authentic version of this recipe which includes slab bacon, but I omitted the chicken. The bacon lent a beautifully smokey and complex flavor to the dish, but I find that even without it, the beans and stewed tomatoes work really well together. Even such a simple dish has a well-developed flavor, in part due to the stewed tomatoes. If you cook this dish for a few hours (which is highly desired), the beans become very buttery, almost sinfully so.

Broiled Salmon atop a bed of White Bean and Tomato Stew, garnished with Garlic Green Beans.
Very colorful and nutritious!

White Bean and Tomato Stew

recipe loosely based on this one


Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2, 15-oz cans cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
2, 14-oz can stewed tomatoes, with juice

In a medium sauce pan on medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions until soft and lightly browned. Add the beans and canned tomatoes. Simmer on medium-low heat for at least an hour to tenderize the beans and develop a more complex flavor. Serve immediately or refrigerate and reheat a few days later.

This dish is great served with a nice wedge of cheese and hunk of crusty bread!

Chickpea and Spinach Stew, Nina Style

Once upon a time, I was a poor college student (in a sense, I still am...wah wah). As I couldn't afford to eat meat, my main sources of iron were things like dried beans and cooked spinach. One day, I happened upon a recipe in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone called Chickpea and Spinach Stew. I had chickpeas, I had spinach. I had dinner! Woo hoo!

I modified this recipe by using frozen chopped spinach and canned chickpeas, because they saved on time, were very inexpensive, and I already had them!

Chickpea and spinach stew with garlic mayonnaise and broiled tilapia make for a very satisfying meal!

Chickpea and Spinach Stew 

(based on the recipe by the same name by Deborah Madison)

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 pinches red paper flakes

• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 2 T dried parsley)

• 1 cup peeled, diced tomatoes, fresh or canned (I use 1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid)

• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 bag frozen chopped spinach

• Garlic Mayonnaise (add minced garlic to mayo to taste)

In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, and parsley. Saute for 2 minutes, then lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft, about 12 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, chickpeas, and frozen spinach. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Serve in pasta plates, add a dollop of garlic mayonnaise to each, and garnish with fresh parsley (if desired). (The mayonnaise sounds strange, but it adds a nice hearty consistency to the dish and is really delicious--try it!)

PS: This dish is even better the second day! As such, it can easily be prepared a few days in advance and reheated. It is a great entree, or a wonderful accompaniment to broiled or grilled fish.

Vegan French Apple Tarte will Tantalize your Tastebuds

French food sans animal products doesn't exist, right? I mean, the base of any good French dish is usually butter, or cheese, or milk/cream...so when March 14th (3/14) rolled around a few weeks ago, I set out to celebrate Pi Day by making (what else??) a PIE. I wasn't so certain I was going to be able to stick to my vegan-for-Lent diet that day. Luckily, I was proven wrong. Not only was this one of the most beautiful French Apple Tartes I've ever made, it was also the most delicious--and completely dairy-free. The crust itself was simply DIVINE, but the filling and beautiful concentric circles of caramelized apples on top put this pie at the top of my list to make again.

Vegan French Apple Tarte

Is this not the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?!

Ingredients:

For the crust (based on this recipe)

1 1/2 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 T sugar

1/2 C oil

2 T non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Pat into pie plate (I used a removable-bottom tarte pan). Prick with a fork and par-bake in a 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes.

(PSST: this is the most fabulously easy and divinely delicious pie/tarte crust recipe I think you will EVER come across. Keep it handy!!)

For the filling (loosely based on this recipe)

6 large apples, cored and sliced (peeling is optional)

4 large apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced (reserve for the top)

1/2 C raisins (optional)

3/4 C maple syrup

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 T cornstarch

1/2 C water (or apple or orange juice)

In a skillet, cook apples with raisins, syrup, lemon juice, and cinnamon until apples start to release their juices. In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch into water/juice. Once apples are starting to turn soft, add cornstarch slurry. Continue to cook until the mixture is very thick, but not globby. If it is to runny, continue to cook to evaporate more water. If mixture is extremely thick, thin it out with a little water or juice. Once mixture is to desired consistency and apples are almost completely cooked, remove from stove. With a potato masher, mash the mixture until it turns into a thick chunky apple sauce. Cool the filling until it is room temperature.

Once filling is cooled, pour into par-baked pie crust and smooth out the top. Take thinly sliced apples and arrange in concentric circles on top of filling. Brush apples with non-dairy milk and sprinkle liberally with granulated sugar (or thin out a bit of apricot jam and glaze the apples with that). Bake in oven at 400 degrees F for 30-40 minutes, until crust is light brown and apples are caramelized. If after 40 minutes the apples on the top aren't caramelized sufficiently, turn on the broiler for a few minutes (be careful--they will burn easily!)

Once baked, cool to room temperature. Serve with (soy) ice cream on the side and enjoy a delicious Pi Day treat!