quinoa with grilled zucchini and garbanzo beans

Here is another take on quinoa salad. I really liked this, but it made A LOT of quinoa. So if you are making it for two, I would make half the recipe. You will have plenty for dinner and leftovers. Also, do not forget to add the lemon juice. It brings a nice bright contrast to the headiness of the spices.

Quinoa with Grilled Zucchini and Garbanzo Beans
from Bon Appetit, August 2008

1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric, divided
1 teaspoon smoked paprika,* divided
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds medium zucchini (about 5), trimmed, quartered lengthwise
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Combine garbanzo beans and lemon juice in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil; press in garlic and stir to combine. Let marinate at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add 2 cups water, quinoa, and coarse salt; bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 16 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare barbecue (medium high heat). Place zucchini on rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle with ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Toss to coat evenly.

Place zucchini on grill; sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Grill until tender and browned on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to work surface. Cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces. Add zucchini, green onions, and parsley, then garbanzo bean mixture to quinoa. Toss to blend. Season with salt and pepper.

Can be made two hours ahead; let stand at room temperature.

*Sometimes labeled Pimentón Dulce or Pimentón de La Vera Dulce.

- e

butter lettuce with ruby grapefruit and avocado

my dad got me the green's restaurant cookbook for my birthday and we broke it in last night with this delicious salad. it's perfect for this time of year when grapefruits are still in their prime. plus it has avocado which, in my book, means it can't be bad. below is the recipe as printed which, with two heads of lettuce, would make a ton of salad so cut down as you see fit.

butter lettuce with ruby grapefruit, avocado and grapefruit-chili vinaigrette
(from everyday greens)
ingredients:
2 heads butter lettuce
2 ruby grapefruits
1 avocado, sliced
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, toasted
salt and pepper
grapefruit chili vinaigrette (recipe follows)

wash and dry the lettuce.
remove 1 teaspoon of zest from one of the grapefruits and set aside. trim the peel and white pith from the grapefruit. segment the grapefruits over a bowl to catch the juice for the vinaigrette. reserve 1/3 cup segments for the vinaigrette as well.

make the vinaigrette (see below)

place the avocado slices in a small bowl and toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and spinkle with a little salt and pepper.

combine the lettuce, grapefruit sections and 1 tablespoon of the pumpkin seeds in a large bowl. gently toss with the vinaigrette and divide onto chilled plates. tuck the avocado slices between the leaves and garnish with the remaining pumpkin seeds and serve.*

grapefruit-chili vinaigrette
(makes about 1/2 cup)
ingredients:
1/3 cup grapefruit sections
1 tablespoon fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 jalapeno chili (red or green), seeded and coarsely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon grapefruit zest

combine everything but the zest in a blender, puree until smooth, then whisk in the zest.

*i suppose if you're feeling fancy you can do that whole chilled plate, tuck the avocado thing...i just threw it all in a bowl, tossed and served onto our dinner plates. not fancy, still yummy.

-d

apple zucchini muffins

apparently erin and i had a psychic muffin moment. much like she had a freezer full of bananas to use, i had apples in the fridge that needed to be baked into...something. i too considered a bread of some sort but chose muffins because they are easy to make and easy to bring to work for a snack. this recipe is based on one from our moosewood restaurant new classics cookbook, i just made a few tweaks here and there to make it vegan. it uses no butter or oil so they are pretty healthy as far as muffins go.

apple zucchini muffins
(adapted from moosewood restaurant new classics)
makes 12 muffins
ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose if that's what you have)
1/2 cup oat bran
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 6 tablespoons water
3/4 cup vanilla soy yogurt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup grated zucchini (1 medium zucchini)
1 cup peeled apple, chopped (about 1 apple*)

preheat oven to 350 and prepare a muffin tin with liners.

in a large bowl, sift togethers flour, oat bran, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

in a separate bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water. add soygurt and brown sugar and mix to combine. fold in zucchini and apples. stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just blended.

spoon batter into muffin tin. bake for 15 minutes, rotate the muffin tin, and continue to bake 10 - 15 longer until a paring knife inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

cool on a wire rack, enjoy!

*unfortunately for me this only used one of my three apples. look out for more apple-y baked goods to come...

-d

banana bread muffins

I often buy too many bananas and feel bad about throwing them away (I live in Boston and composting just is not an option at the moment) so I throw them in the freezer instead. This banana hoarding has been going on for some time now, and frozen bananas are starting to take over my freezer. So I decided to do something about it and make some banana bread. The easy out, I know, but I always love banana bread. AND, I like trying new recipes for banana bread - with or without nuts, using different spices, sometimes adding sour cream or creme fraiche - so this time I settled on the Silver Palate's version. I miraculously had all the right ingredients, but did not have an hour to wait for a loaf to bake. And thus, the muffins were born. I might also add that the muffin is slightly more portable than a slice of bread. The addition of whole wheat flour makes them seem healthier somehow, and I was very pleased with the result!

Banana Bread Muffins
adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook

makes 12 muffins

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 large, ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup shelled walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (plus extra for sprinkling on top)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with muffin papers.

Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt together, stir in the whole wheat flour, and add to the creamed mixture, mixing well.

Fold in the mashed bananas, vanilla, walnuts and cinnamon.

Divide among muffin tins. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the extra chopped walnuts and a little cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tops are puffed and brown and a cake tester inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool in the tins.

- e

olive, walnut and cranberry tapenade

today was a gorgeous day here in san francisco, high sixties and perfectly sunny with a light breeze. we celebrated by heading over to golden gate park for our first picnic of the year!

i found this tapenade recipe in my tassajara cookbook. it's supposed to be made with pomegranate seeds but pomegranates are nowhere to be found right now so i substituted coarsly chopped dried cranberries. this has a really nice blend of flavors and was a delicious topping for hearty seedy crackers. in addition, we had the last of our farmers market strawberries with some kiwi and our favorite picnic wine in a box - bandit!

olive, walnut and cranberry tapenade
(adapted from the tassajara cookbook)
ingredients:
1 cup unseasoned green olives, such as picholines*
2/3 cup toasted walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries, coarsly chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
lemon juice
salt

finely mince the olives. in a bowl, combine the olives, walnuts, cranberries, cilantro, garlic and olive oil; stir to mix. add few drops of lemon juice. taste and add salt if necessary.

*i don't know what kind of olives mine are because they're not labeled but they're my new obsession. i suspect they are castelvetranos.

-d

san francisco eats, part deux

Here's a little recap of the rest of our san francisco weekend, before i headed back to winter in boston:

EOS Wine Bar in Cole Valley. They have, maybe, the best brussels sprouts ever, previously discussed by Darcy.

The Squat and Gobble for breakfast. Standard fare made well, and great tofu scrambles!

Magnolia in the Haight. Lovely little snacky plates (including fried spring onions and a pickle assortment), in addition to full meals. And great beer. Oh, and if you have ever wondered what a BU was in reference to beer, it's a Bitterness Unit. Thanks to d for solving that mystery!



Little Star Pizza for a late night pizza craving:



Frjtz where we had, you guessed it, made to order, hand cut fries with delicious dipping sauces. We opted for the thai chili (like sriracha ketchup) and an olive tapenade. Yum.



and a delicious dinner of homemade falafel and pita (from Smitten Kitchen) with a variety of accompaniments, including Kris' delish sundried tomato hummus and Darcy's equally tasty tabbouleh and tahini dressing.




Oh, and no trip to San Francisco would be complete without a visit to the Ferry Building, and a few of my favorite places on earth: Acme Bread Company (for their olive bread; really, it's all delicious, but this one takes the cake), Cowgirl Creamery (for just about anything. This time it was their Mt. Tam Triple Cream) and Ciao Bella (where we picked up a pint of Lemon Passion Vodka sorbeto to go with farmers market strawberries. Again, yum).

All around a tasty weekend! AND your yumcoast duo will be reunited very soon in Boston for more eats, drinks and fun!

san francisco adventures, day 1

Darcy and I spent most of the day eating. Surprising!

We started the day at Cafe du Soleil, with ginormous lattes, hummus/avocado and tapenade/feta tartines:




Pie at Mission Pies - vegan brandied apple and raisin, and shaker lemon:





Guacamole, tacos and agave wine margaritas at The Little Chihuahua!





And finally, we had dinner at Firefly in Noe Valley. Unfortunately no pics from dinner. We didn't want to be THOSE people.

grilled leeks

i mentioned yesterday that we put grilled leeks in our st. patrick's day shepard's pie. well, i think they deserve the spotlight for a moment. we never really cooked with leeks until very recently, but they looked too good at the farmer's market to pass up so we had them as a side dish. they were so simple to prepare it almost seems too easy for the wonderful result we got. the fussiest part of this recipe is just making sure that you clean your leeks really really well. and leeks can hide a lot of dirt inside so you have to take some time to make sure you get it all out but after that it's easy peasy. we grilled these in the grill pan and then drizzled them with a little balsamic vinaigrette. there's really not much of a recipe to this but here's a little guideline.

grilled leeks
ingredients:
two large leeks
olive oil
salt (i used rosemary salt but it's not really necessary)

trim the dark green tops off the leeks along with the hairy bits at the bottom (but leave the rooty base so they won't come apart when you halve them). cut each leek in half and clean it by carefully pulling the layers apart and rinsing out all the dirt. fill up a bowl with water and swish them around to loosen dirt and wash again.

brush your grill pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. brush a little oil on the leeks and sprinkle with a little salt (if using) and place them in the pan. cook until they begin to soften and grill lines appear. flip and cook a few minutes on the other side until tender.

drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy! erin posted a simple vinaigrette recipe for her roasted pear salad:
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper

whisk all ingredients together.

-d

mixed vegetable tart

Did you spend all day yesterday cooking for other people and not have a chance to eat anything? Only to wake up today and realize that you a) have nothing to eat and b) lack the will to make anything requiring more than an ounce of effort? Do you happen to have puff pastry and a random assortment of vegetables and cheeses in your fridge? If you answered yes to any or all of the above, this tart is the only thing between you and bad chinese take-out. Go gather your ingredients and make it. You won't be sorry, I promise. AND, you will have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. How could you say no!



As with most fridge clearing recipes, this is not the time for exact measurements. But here is how I assembled my flaky vegetable tart

1. Roll out your prepared puff pastry into a nice rectangle, fold the edges in about an inch and crimp with a fork.

2. Make a mixture of creme fraiche and grainy mustard (again, if you have it). I'd say about 1/4 cup creme fraiche and a tablespoon or so of mustard.

3. Finely slice and onion, and caramelize over medium heat. Throw in some thinly sliced zucchini and red bell peppers, maybe some mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with fresh thyme, and saute until vegetables are soft but not mushy.

4. Smear the creme fraiche mixture on the puff pastry, staying inside the lines. Top with vegetables. Grate some gruyere over top (or maybe some parmesan, or any other cheese you might have).

5. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is puffed and golden brown. Sprinkle with a chiffonade of basil. Cut in quarters and serve.

- e

st. patrick's day

happy (day after) st. patrick's day! we opted to sip (and gulp) our cider and guiness at home last night along with a delicious shepards pie creation. i thought this pie had a nice balance of flavors and textures, it was super flavorful and nothing overpowered anything else. everyone worked very well together.

we started off with a layer of kris's super amazing garlic mashed potatoes. we then topped that with a layer of tempeh sausage crumbles from vegan with a vengeance. we had never made them before and they were SO good. they've got a bit of an italian flavor and the texture is great as well. we think they would be perfect on a pizza. or in pasta. or straight from the pan.

but back to the pie. on top of the tempeh went a layer of grilled then chopped leeks and just barely broiled asparagus. on top of that was the second layer of potatoes (this time with some chopped scallions mixed in) and cheezy sauce! cheezy sauce is from veganomicon and it's a nutritional yeast based sauce with the consistency of thick melty cheese. it seeped into the pie and spread it's yumminess throughout. we topped the whole thing with tomato slices and popped it in the oven for a while and when it was done....it was just what we'd hoped for. a delicious potatoey st. patrick's day appropriate meal.

-d

when i dip you dip we dip

A few months ago, at the start of what now seems my interminable unemployment, I decided to start a supper club. I suppose I was partially inspired by an article in the New York Times, and partially by the economy, but mostly because I love spending time with friends and cooking for them. Everyone seemed to love the idea, and our as-yet-unnamed dinner party circuit began. I hosted the first installment last weekend, and given the space constraints of my ideally located but slightly cramped abode, I decided to do tapas. Small plates, if you will.

(A few years ago, after going out for a friend's birthday, my then boss asked how it was. I said, "Oh, we went to this tapas restaurant." She looked at me, aghast. I said, gesturing, "You know, small plates." To which she replied, "Oh . . . I thought you said something else." So I just say small plates to avoid confusion).

It was, I think, a smashing success. I went for a mostly vegetarian menu (which, I must say, is not easy in Spanish cuisine. They love the jamon!), everything was relatively simple, and we finished the night with 13 happy people - was it the food or the wine? - lots of empty bottles, and zero leftovers. I will be posting the recipes over time. Including: potato and parsnip croquettes; shrimp with zucchini; taleggio and potato tortilla; and baked mushrooms with a Manchego bechamel. Unfortunately, I was having so much fun, I forgot to take pictures of everything. So you'll just have to use your imaginations. And make the dishes yourself!

First up, a little trio of dips. The favorite one of the night was the spiced carrot. Sweet with the bite of chili and the mellow, maple-y-ness of fenugreek. All of the dips come from Market Vegetarian by Ross Dobson.

Spiced Carrot Dip
serves 6 to 8

1 cup vegetable stock
4 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion
2 garlic cloves
1 large red chili (i used a green one, and it looked a bit more festive)
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
sea salt and white pepper

Put the stock in a saucepan and add the carrots, oil, onion, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until almost all of the liquid has evaporated and the carrots are soft. Add chili, fenugreek, and cumin and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to a food processor or blender and chop until blended but there is still a bit of texture. Season to taste, and serve.

Roasted parsnip and garlic dip
serves 6 to 8

2 tbsp chilled unsalted butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 lb parsnips, peeled and sliced
1 garlic bulb, cut in half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a small baking dish. Put the parsnips and garlic in dish, pour over the cream, and season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the garlic and let cool. Once it is cool enough to handle, squeeze the cloves into a food processor or blender and discard the skin. Add the parsnips and cream, blending thoroughly, until smooth. Season to taste, and serve.

Beet and caraway dip
serves 6 to 8

*my friend Dan said this dip reminded him of Passover; I suggested a Jewish deli. If you don't like rye bread, I would skip this dip, or make it without the caraway seeds

3 medium beets, uncooked
1 tbsp prepared horseradish
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp caraway seeds
salt and pepper

Put the beets in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and let boil for 45 to 50 minutes, topping up the water as necessary. The beets are done when a skewer goes through with little resistance. Drain and let cool. When cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skins. Roughly chop the beets, and put in a food processor or blender with the other ingredients and process until smooth. (If you want your dip to look extra pretty, save some of the sour cream, and swirl in after blending for a nice marbelized effect!)

Enjoy!

- e

homemade granola bars

I have professed my love for the Barefoot Contessa (aka Ina Garten) in prior posts, and so will spare you. These delish granola bars come from her most recent book, Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics. I have been meaning to make them for a couple of months, but only today found an excuse! I'm heading to San Francisco on Thursday to visit my partner in crime and blogging! Yay! And since airlines offer zero in the way of refreshments and to say that airport food is always gross/disappointing is an understatment, I decided I needed to take snacks! I perused the aisles at Trader Joe's, but nothing struck my fancy. And that's when I remembered this recipe. Wholesome, delicious. Mess-free (at least in the eating). I have made Ina's granola dozens of times (my mom makes it every week, to go with her homemade granola. Just so you know) and so these weren't much more complicated. I could not be happier with the results! Sweet, chewy, preservative free! Love 'em. I am, in fact, eating one as I type this. I just couldn't wait.

And ps - you can use whatever dried fruit you like. I ended up with cranberries and prunes (I was thinking dates, but for some reason grabbed prunes. Almost the same thing, right?) or omit the fruit completely! Enjoy!


Homemade Granola Bars
from The Barefoot Contessa: Back to Basics

yields 12 to 16 bars

2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ (ed. note: i omitted this)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pitted dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 x 12 inch baking dish and line with parchment paper.

Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in wheat germ.

Reduce oven temperature to 300 degress.

Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dried fruit and stir to combine.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet you fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.



- e

soba miso soup bowl

perhaps you are thinking, "that picture sure doesn't look soupy to me!" and that is correct. kris got me a new camera for my birthday (eeeee!) and in a moment of confusion the picture of the actual soupy dish got deleted. so the picture is leftovers all packed up for lunch...minus the broth. so just pretend that it's all soupy and noodley looking, ok? now that that's cleared up on we go!

we have a ton of miso in the fridge and for some reason we have been using it for everything but miso soup. it was time to soup it up! in order to make this into a full meal we went beyond the basic miso soup with the addition of soba noodles, vegetables and lots of tofu. there are a lot of little steps involved but it really didn't take too long to put the whole thing together.

soba miso soup bowl
ingredients:
1 bunch soba noodles (ours came in a package separated into three bunches)
miso (i used mellow white miso paste)
3 scallions, chopped
handful shitake mushrooms (i had about 10 maybe that's two handfuls), sliced
1 sheet nori, toasted then crumbled*
1 block tofu, pressed, dried and sliced into 1/2 inch slabs
1/2 bag baby spinach
2 inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
soy sauce
sesame oil
peanut oil
red chili flakes

first get your tofu marinating. in a shallow baking dish combine soy sauce with a splash of sesame oil to cover the bottom. add a pinch of chili flakes and about half of your ginger. place tofu in a single layer and flip so that all sides are covered. let sit for as long as you can (i just did everything else and then cooked the tofu last).

next, start a pot of water boiling for the soba noodles. they don't take long to cook (ours said 3 minutes) but this way you can add them to the water whenever everything else is almost done.

heat a splash of peanut oil over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms. cook until they begin to brown (about 5-7 minutes). when they're done, remove from the pan and set aside.

after setting mushrooms aside, add a splash more peanut oil to the same pan along with the garlic and the rest of your ginger. cook a minute until fragrant and add your spinach and cook until just wilted. remove from pan and set aside.

to the same pan** add the tofu. cook several minutes until it's nice and brown. flip and pour the extra marinade over the tofu as it cooks the second side. once it's cooked, remove from the pan and cut into cubes.

to make the miso broth, add 1 tablespoon of miso for each cup of water. i did 3 cups of water and that would probably be good for 4 heaping servings.

to assemble, place noodles in a bowl. top with mushrooms, tofu, spinach, scallions and crumbled nori. ladle hot miso broth on top.

*to toast nori you can cook it in a dry pan over high heat for a few seconds on each side OR if you want to have a bit more fun with it (and you have a gas stove) turn on your flame and hold the nori over it, using tongs(!), for a few seconds. it will start to warp and curl and will be nice and crispy.
**ok, you could also speed this along by using multiple pans and cooking things at the same time but that's more dishes. it's your call.

-d

my birthday...in food

i just had a wonderfully delicious birthday weekend*. i got the idea in my head that i really wanted to go to maggie mudd for a birthday cone. on saturday the forecast for sunday said rain...not perfect for an ice cream trek. kris said that in place of an ice cream excursion he would make me cupcakes! awwwwwwwww. he made the coconut heaven cupcakes from vegan with a vengeance. and yes, they were heavenly.




as hard as i tried though, i just couldn't seem to get maggie mudd out of my head. we went to the store and bought a pint and some cones. hey sometimes a birthday girl needs cupcakes and ice cream cones!
it's really no surprise that for dinner i picked tacos. we are super lucky to live right around the corner from the little chihuahua. there are so many mexican restaurants and taquerias to choose from in this city but this one is my favorite. agave wine margaritas, chips and salsa, my favorite mushroom taco and a black bean and plantain burrito for kris, i think it was the perfect birthday dining finale.




*the festivities began saturday night when kris took me to aziza for a fancy morroccan birthday dinner. unfortunatly i have no photos of the evening but everything we had was incredible from our pre-dinner cocktails to dessert. if you're in san francisco you must go check it out.

-d