vegetarian Archives - Page 10 of 11

Brie Omelette with Roasted Red Pepper, Corn, and Fresh Basil

July 5, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

We grow a few herbs on the porch, including basil. It’s so much fun to go out there and grab a few leaves of something for whatever I’m cooking. Today, I was inspired by the leftover brie and roasted red pepper and decided to make them into an omelette with a little corn. How could I make this omelette even better? I wondered.

Fresh basil! I was right. I think the fresh basil is what takes this from good to great.

A note about omelettes (mine, at least): they are not photogenic. First of all, I broke my favorite square white plate while getting ready to photograph this. All the rest of my big plates are yellow, which isn’t the best background for eggs. But also, I struggle to make my omelettes fold right and look pretty. Any tips?

I think part of the problem is the fact that I’m too lazy to make one omelette for me and one for my boyfriend, so I insist on making one gargantuan omelette for us to share. It’s just too BIG to be pretty.

At least it’s not too big to be delicious!

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 tablespoons butter, divided
1/3 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 roasted red pepper*, peeled, trimmed, deseeded, and chopped
4 eggs
Splash of milk
Salt and pepper to taste
3 ounces brie, cut into thick slices
Handful of fresh basil leaves, julienned**

Heat one tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the corn with a little salt and pepper until heated through. Add the red pepper and cook for another minute or so. Put the vegetables in a bowl and set aside.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the rest of the butter over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk with some salt and pepper. When the skillet is hot, pour in the egg mixture.

Let the omelette set for a couple of minutes, then add the vegetables (reserving some for the garnish if desired), brie, and basil. When the eggs are almost set, fold the two sides of the omelette into the middle (I have no tips on doing this elegantly. Don’t worry, it will taste good even if it turns into a scramble). Cook for another minute or so, then flip onto a plate, garnish with reserved vegetables and more basil, and enjoy hot.

Share this omelette with someone special! Or, decide you need the lumberjack special and eat it all yourself :).

*If you have a gas stove, you can roast peppers stovetop! Place the pepper directly on the burner with the flame on high. Turn frequently with tongs until it’s collapsed and charred on all sides. If you don’t have a gas stove, preheat your oven to 500 or your broiler, put a little oil on the pepper, and roast on a cookie sheet, turning frequently, until it’s deflated and well-charred. Place the pepper in a bowl and cover. Steaming the pepper like this makes it easier to peel. When it’s cool enough to handle, peel the pepper under cold running water. Use in this omelette, or for pasta, pizza, or a topping for cheese and crackers.

**To julienne basil, stack the leaves on top of each other. Roll them up, and slice into thin strips on the diagonal using a sharp knife.

Baked Eggs with Parmesan and Chives

June 9, 2013 By Becky 4 Comments

This is the perfect breakfast! In my opinion, baked eggs are really special. It’s something about the texture of the whites–they turn into a perfectly smooth, savory custard. With a rich parmesan crust and a sprinkling of chives, these baked eggs are the best I’ve ever had.

If you’ve never tried baked eggs, go fire up your oven! I promise you won’t regret it.

Ingredients (per person):

1/2 teaspoon butter
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
1-2 eggs
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives

Preheat the oven to 350. Place a half teaspoon of butter in the bottom of an individual ramekin, and place it in the oven to melt the butter.

When the butter is melted, remove the ramekin from the oven. Add a splash of cream. Add the eggs, being careful not to break the yolks. Sprinkle the salt, parmesan, and chives on top.

Return the ramekin to the oven and bake for 12 minutes, or until the whites are just almost set (the eggs will continue to cook a little after they come out of the oven). The yolks will still be runny. Serve hot with buttered toast.

Chickpea Mushroom Spread

May 29, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

In my last post, I shared a recipe for gambas al ajillo inspired by my meal at Solea. The other thing I was dying to try at home was Solea’s chickpea spread, which they bring at the beginning of the meal with a basket of crusty bread. It’s really delicious! I could tell it had chickpeas in it (plus, it was adorably garnished with one whole chickpea), but I couldn’t tell what made it so much richer, and so different from, hummus.

Luckily, our waiter didn’t mind telling us the other key ingredient–porcini mushrooms! I had never cooked with them before, and they smelled really funky before they were reconstituted. But, it was worth it. I was rewarded with this hearty dip, which I think is just as good as what I had at Solea.

Ingredients (makes about 1 1/2 cups):

1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Juice of half a lemon, or to taste
Salt to taste
1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus more for serving
1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
Paprika for serving, optional

Place the porcini mushrooms in a small bowl, and pour in very hot water to cover. Let sit for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking water, rinse, and pat dry.

Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat, and saute the mushrooms for about five minutes.

In a food processor, combine the chickpeas, lemon juice, salt, and mushrooms. Turn the processor on and add the half cup of olive oil in a steady stream (you can use less oil and more mushroom water if you’d like). If the spread seems too dry, add the mushroom soaking water a tablespoon at a time and process until smooth.

Taste for seasonings and adjust if needed. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Serve with crusty bread or vegetables for dipping.

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Lentil & Corn Fritters (plus Lentils & Couscous)

May 23, 2013 By Becky 7 Comments

I made lentils the other day, and was really surprised at how good they were. They were easy to make and flavorful. We served ours on top of pearl couscous, my new favorite grain product. It made a great healthy dinner, and we had tons of lentils left over.

I got the idea to make lentil fritters, and invented the fritter recipe using masarepa
(my other favorite grain product). If you have leftover lentils, these are very easy and quick to make. If not, you should make this first recipe and have it for dinner with rice or couscous. The next day, you can make the fritters with the leftovers.

Ingredients for lentils:

1 pound red lentils, picked over and well washed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

4 cups water

1 cube chicken or vegetable bouillon

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons red or white wine

2 wedges Laughing Cow creamy Swiss cheese (optional)

Chopped scallions and cilantro for garnish

Cooked rice or couscous for serving

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and cumin and saute until softened, about five minutes.

Raise the heat the medium high. Add the lentils, water, and bouillon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about twenty minutes. The lentils should be tender and lightened in color, with almost all the liquid absorbed.

Add the wine and salt and pepper to taste. Raise the heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cheese, if using, and stir until smooth.

Serve over rice or couscous with scallions and cilantro on top.

Ingredients for the fritters:

1 1/2 cups leftover lentils (from above recipe, or any well-cooked red lentils)
1 cups frozen corn kernels (no need to defrost)
3 scallions, sliced
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 cup masarepa

Sea salt
1 cup hot water
Canola oil or olive oil for cooking
Lime wedges for serving

In a large bowl, mix the leftover lentils, corn, scallions, cilantro, masarepa, and a pinch or two of salt. Add the hot water and stir to combine. Let sit for five minutes.

Meanwhile, heat about 1/8 inch of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot enough, a droplet of water should bounce and skitter across the skillet.

Using your hands, make balls of dough a little larger than golf balls and flatten them slightly to form patties. Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Be gentle when you flip them–you’ll lose a few pieces of corn, but that’s okay.

Drain on paper towels. Serve hot, with sea salt sprinkled on top and lime wedges for squeezing over.

Extra uncooked fritter mixture can be kept for up to three days in the refrigerator.

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Creamy Beer & Black Bean Queso

May 19, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

We had a party last night! The main feature was the decorate-your-own cupcake station (more on that later). However, we did have one delicious thing from the savory side–this queso! I highly recommend it.

This is adapted from a recipe on How Sweet It Is, one of my very favorite food blogs. I was so excited that Jessica posted this just in time for me to make it for my party! All the recipes I’ve tried from her site have been fabulous. Plus, her blog is really fun to read. I had to take out the chorizo because of all my vegetarian friends. I’m sure it would be fabulous with sausage, but it’s hard to imagine it being more fabulous than it already is!

This morning, I used the leftover queso to make delicious chilaquiles. I fried up some onions and garlic, added two eggs and a handful of crushed tortilla chips, and stirred in a few big dollops of this queso. I served it with sliced avocado, cilantro, and scallions with a squeeze of lime. Most delicious hangover cure ever!

Ingredients (serves 8 as an appetizer):

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 jalapeños, deseeded and diced (I used 1, but the dip was not very hot. Try 2 for more spice, or use the seeds.)
1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups beer (your favorite kind–or use a Mexican beer)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 ounces freshly grated white cheddar cheese
Chopped scallions and cilantro for garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallot, jalapeño and garlic and saute until fragrant. Stir in the black beans, and raise the heat to medium. Add the beer and cumin and stir to combine. Cook for five more minutes, until some of the beer has bubbled away.

Add the cream cheese, and stir until melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the cheddar and stir until smooth and creamy.

Serve with scallions and cilantro on top, and a big basket of chips for dipping.

If the queso hardens up, you can microwave it for a minute or so with a bit of water and stir until it’s creamy again.

Cheese-Bellied Arepas with Guacamole

May 13, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

This is it! My favorite arepas recipe so far : ). When Ben and I went to Orinoco for his birthday, we ordered an arepa stuffed with queso de mano. I realized two things: first, Orinoco makes their arepas with white cornmeal, which makes them look really elegant, and second, the CHEESE is the most amazing part. They serve the arepas hot with a big slice of fresh cheese, still cool in the middle. Amazing!

The arepa we had at Orinoco featured homemade Venezuelan cheese, which I couldn’t find. But, I thought fresh mozzarella would be the closest thing. And at the store, I saw burrata, which I’d never tried before. I got it and it was delicious! It’s basically fresh mozzarella with creamy curds in the middle. I tried a piece plain and had to exercise resistance in order to save the rest for the arepas.

See all that cheese? How can anyone resist? With a little guacamole on the side (or stuffed inside), these arepas make a great dinner.

Ingredients (makes 6 arepas; serves 2 for dinner or 6 as an appetizer):

1 cup white corn masarepa

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups warm water

Butter for cooking

8 ounces burrata or fresh mozzarella

For the guacamole:

1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed

Juice of half a lemon, or to taste

1 clove garlic, minced (optional)

2 scallions, sliced

2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

To make the guacamole, combine all the ingredients and mash with a fork. Add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

To make the arepas, mix the masarepa, salt, and water in a bowl and let it sit for five minutes. Heat the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

Form the dough into patties about four inches across and half an inch thick. When the skillet is very hot, add the arepas and cook until golden brown and blistered on both sides, about 8 minutes per side.

Let the arepas cool for a minute, then slice in half with a sharp knife. Put a thick slice of burrata in between the two halves, and serve hot with guacamole.

Make Your Own Vanilla Extract

May 11, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

Vanilla is such an important ingredient. It goes into pretty much every dessert I make, and lately I’ve started putting a capful in my morning coffee, too. Sometimes when I’m baking, the worst thing happens. I suddenly realize there are only three drops of vanilla left in my little bottle. This has been happening all too frequently since I developed my vanilla cafe au lait habit, so I decided to put an end to my vanilla extract shortages for good. I got the idea to make my own vanilla extract from this post on Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes.

All you need are some cute little bottles (I used these), vanilla beans (I got these Madagascar beans), and some vodka. It doesn’t have to be high quality vodka–the quality of the beans is much more important. Vanilla beans are expensive, but more reasonable if you buy a bunch of them. Also, vanilla extract is expensive, so I think if you use enough of it you’ll definitely save money by making your own. If you don’t want to make all the beans you buy into extract, you can store some in an airtight container to use in baking or custards. A lot of desserts call for vanilla bean seeds instead of extract, so it’s great to have some around. As soon as I get my ice cream maker, I am going to use my leftover beans to make vanilla bean ice cream with those great little specks of vanilla seeds in it.

Guess what? This vanilla extract would make a great gift, and is a gift that keeps on giving. If you start running low, just top off the vodka and let it sit for a few weeks before using it again. After doing this a couple of times, you will probably want to add some new beans. Ina Garten says she’s been doing this to refresh the same bottle of vanilla that’s been in her pantry for twenty years!

Ingredients:

Vanilla beans (6 beans per cup of vodka)
Vodka

Make sure your bottles are really clean. I sterilized mine by boiling them in water for ten minutes. Let them dry completely (I put mine in the dishwasher top rack to dry).

Cut each vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and then crosswise to fit in your bottles if you’re using small ones like me. I used three beans for each of my four-ounce bottles. Pour in vodka, leaving a little bit of space at the top (if you can find a funnel, you won’t make as much of a mess as I did). Store in a cool, dark place, and shake every day or so. The extract will be ready after two months, but continues to develop a more pronounced flavor if aged longer.

I made my labels in Microsoft Word, printed them on regular paper, and stuck them on with a permanent glue stick. I can’t figure out how to post the document up here for you to download, but if you want these labels, drop me a note with your email address and I’ll send them to you.

Black Bean & Corn Bisque

May 8, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

This is a delicious pantry soup, meaning you can make it with ingredients that might already be in your pantry. It’s healthy and filling, and topped with lots of good stuff. Also, it comes together in less than half an hour and packs a little mini punch. Yum!

P.S. I am calling this a bisque, because it sounds so much fancier than soup. However, according to Wikipedia, bisques have to be made with seafood stock. Oh well! No seafood here, but still delicious.

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic paste
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 15 ounce cans of black beans
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 packet Sazón Adobo seasoning
A few pinches cayenne pepper, to taste
1 cup water
Splash of silver tequila (optional)
3 tablespoons cream or coconut milk
Chopped fresh cilantro and scallions, for serving

Heat the butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and corn, and raise the heat to medium high. Stir in the garlic paste and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about ten minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the beans along with their liquid. Add the oregano, cumin, Adobo seasoning, cayenne, and water. Stir to combine. Simmer for ten minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time, stir in the tequila and let it bubble away for another minute or so.

Remove soup from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove about half of the beans and puree them in a food processor until smooth. Return the puree to the saucepan, add the cream, and stir to combine.

Serve the soup with a generous scoop of corn and onions, and a sprinkling of scallions and cilantro.

Strawberry & Cream Margaritas

May 5, 2013 By Becky Leave a Comment

You didn’t think I was going to leave you without an idea of which margarita to enjoy with your cupcakes, did you? I am here for you!

This is delicious. I am not sure if it really counts as a margarita, but it has tequila in it. And it has something on the rim (not salt, but who’s counting?).

Ingredients (makes two servings):

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 cup coconut milk

4 ice cubes

2-3 shots silver tequila

Squeeze of lemon or lime juice, plus extra

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 tablespoons honey (for a paleo-friendly version) or agave nectar (for a vegan version)

Sugar for glasses

Blend all ingredients except the sugar in a blender until smooth. Taste, and add more lemon juice or agave nectar (or tequila!) if desired.

Dip the rims of two glasses into lemon juice and then sugar. Pour into the glasses and enjoy!

¡Salud!

Breakfast Arepas with Guacamole

May 4, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

Here’s the perfect Cinco de Mayo breakfast! Arepas (my favorite thing ever since I made these), eggs, and guacamole. These are pretty quick to throw together, and very filling and satisfying. Plus, who doesn’t love a chance to make guacamole first thing in the morning? I know I do!

I was excited to try arepas with some shredded cheese mixed into the batter, but once they were cooked I didn’t really notice the cheese. Oh well. Next up in my all-arepas-all-the-time series, I’ll be trying arepas with a big chunk of cheese stuffed in the middle. Cheese-bellied arepas, if you will. Stay tuned! I won’t make you wait long, I promise.

Ingredients (serves four):

For the arepas:
1 cup masarepa
(precooked fine yellow or white cornmeal)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup shredded cheese (optional)
Butter for cooking

For the guacamole:
1 ripe avocado
1 clove garlic, minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of one lime
Salt and pepper to taste

4 eggs, poached or fried
Salt and pepper

To make the guacamole, place all ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork until combined but still chunky.

For the arepas, mix the masarepa, salt, and water and let sit for 5 minutes. Heat some butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Mix the cheese into the batter, then form patties about four inches across and half an inch thick. Fry until golden and crisped on both sides, about 10 minutes.

Spoon a generous layer of guacamole on top of a hot arepa, then top with an egg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Red Curry Vegetable Noodle Bowl

May 2, 2013 By Becky 2 Comments

I LOVE curry made with coconut milk. It’s the most delicious thing ever. But, I am not the biggest fan of rice. I mean, rice is fine, but for me it’s nothing to write home about.

But, noodles? Noodles are my jam. All kinds of noodles. Italian noodles, Asian noodles…where are the noodles in Indian and Mexican cuisines? Big problem. Someone get on that quick.

Anyway, whenever I see noodles, I’m interested. Even in places where noodles might not seem to belong–bring on the noodles! One of my favorite Thai restaurants has a dish called Noodle Curry, which is a delicious yellow curry served over udon noodles. Genius! Curry and noodles are a match made in heaven. Watch out, rice. You ain’t got nothing on noodles.

Ingredients (adapted from The Little Foodie):

1 pound rice noodles
1/3 cup coconut cream (scrape off the top of a can of coconut milk that has not been shaken)
3 tablespoons red curry paste
2 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1/2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 tablespoons fish sauce (omit for a vegan or vegetarian dish–you may need to add some salt)
1 can coconut milk (Not the same can you scraped the cream off of! We need a lot of coconut love here. Save the other can for smoothies!)
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 pound snow peas
Sliced scallions and chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Boil water and cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat the coconut cream in a skillet over medium-high heat. When it bubbles, add the curry paste and stir to mix. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, for about ten minutes.

Add the pepper and onion and mix well. Cook for five more minutes. Add the garlic, fish sauce, coconut milk, brown sugar, and snow peas. Cover the pot, and turn the heat down so the mixture simmers. Cook for about five more minutes, or until the snow peas are cooked but still crunchy and bright green.

Serve noodles in a bowl with vegetables and curry spooned on top. Garnish with chopped scallions and cilantro and serve hot.

Arepas with Black Beans and Corn & Avocado Salsa

April 30, 2013 By Becky 7 Comments

I have been dying to make something with avocado ever since I got Gaby Dalkin’s amazing cookbook, Absolutely Avocados, in the mail. Tons of bloggers have been posting recipes from her book in honor of its release, and after I saw Recipe Girl’s photos of Gaby’s Bacon, Avocado, and Corn Salad, I was determined to make that.

However, due to a bout of laziness, I was only able to make it to the small Vietnamese store down the street. No bacon, no cheese, no fresh corn. I was forced to re-imagine my dinner plans.

In my opinion, anything with avocado and corn is pretty fabulous, even if the corn is frozen. But, the two together don’t really quite make up a meal. I picked up a can of black beans, imagining tacos with a corn and avocado salsa. Alas, no tortillas. However, I did stumble across a section chock full of tortilla ingredients. A bag of creamy yellow masarepa
caught my eye, and guess what? It had a super easy recipe for arepas right on the back.

If you’ve never had arepas, you need to try them! They are a lot like pupusas, and super easy to make. If you live in Boston, you can choose from all kinds of delicious, cheese-stuffed arepas at Orinoco. Either way, you should definitely try this recipe.

Serves 3-4 as a main course or 8 as a first course.

Ingredients for the corn and avocado salsa:

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

1 1/2 cups frozen corn

4 scallions, sliced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of one lime

1 ripe avocado, peeled and small diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the corn and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about five minutes, until the corn is tender. Remove from heat.

After the corn cools a bit, combine with the rest of the ingredients and add more salt, pepper, and lime juice as needed.

Ingredients for the black beans (adapted from the back of the Goya can I used):

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 15 ounce can low-sodium black beans

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 packet Sazón Adobo seasoning

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Pinch of sugar (optional)

Salt to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the garlic until fragrant and lightly browned. Add the beans, water, seasoning, and vinegar. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for ten minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding sugar and/or salt as desired (I used a bit of both).

Ingredients for the arepas (from the back of the Goya bag):

2 cups precooked masarepa
(fine yellow cornmeal)

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups warm water

Butter or olive oil for cooking

Mix together the masarepa, water, and salt, and let it sit for five minutes. Heat the butter or olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Use your hands to form patties that are about 4 inches wide and half an inch thick. Make sure the skillet is very hot before you add the arepas. Cook until browned and crisped on both sides, 10-15 minutes total. I recommend letting the arepas sit for the first five minutes without moving them, because at first they are vulnerable to falling apart.

The recipe said you can mix in some shredded cheese right before forming the patties, so I might have to try that next time. Let me know if you give that version a whirl!

Serve the arepas topped with beans and salsa, with a wedge of lime for squeezing on top.

This is a perfect recipe for Cinco de Mayo! Do you have plans to cook anything else fabulous for the big day?

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