tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39482961701726827072024-03-12T18:47:43.257-07:00What I Do When I Don't Have a JobAn attempt at productivity during a time of less-than-desirable employment.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-26927077855570869982011-05-23T16:08:00.000-07:002011-05-23T16:09:17.353-07:00Vegetarian Pho<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ph%E1%BB%9F">Pho</a> is a Vietnamese noodle soup with beef or chicken broth, noodles, meat, and vegetable add-ins: basil, lime, bean sprouts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlGSizqbpB77CnR5V9BlqtNR9Z195kbrE_NbcCoporFzBxzCqYL4_gefbKvcYDc-jgwfbSIVcde2iPBsAIjEboWoXafc_uP4lpk4PwcZypRoM5DVGtx35Ujjh41JVE0HOlL-pBDo33bfE/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlGSizqbpB77CnR5V9BlqtNR9Z195kbrE_NbcCoporFzBxzCqYL4_gefbKvcYDc-jgwfbSIVcde2iPBsAIjEboWoXafc_uP4lpk4PwcZypRoM5DVGtx35Ujjh41JVE0HOlL-pBDo33bfE/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>Vegetarian Pho can be made with vegetable broth, rice noodles, a veggie protein (tofu, seitan, etc.) and the same vegetable add-ins.<br />
<a name='more'></a>I LOVE Pho on cold days that take hold of Portland in the winter. The broth is VERY hot because it is supposed to finish cooking the rare meat that is served with the dish. It's hard to find a restaurant that will serve Pho with a veggie broth instead of the usual beef and chicken. They exist, of course (Portland!), but this was a fun experiment to cook at home.<br />
<br />
For the broth:<br />
This was a large meal for multiple hungry people so I used two 32 oz. boxes of vegetable broth and even a little extra water to start. Then I added in a handful of cilantro stems, basil stems, some green onions sliced the long way, two clusters of star anise, a cinnamon stick, and a dash of soy sauce. I realized that this is a long list, but the broth is what makes the soup!<br />
<br />
I let the broth simmer for 15 minutes and then cooked a package of wide rice noodles according to the directions.<br />
<br />
While the soup and noodles are getting cooked, I prepared the vegetables for people to add into their soup (all of these are optional, so fun!):<br />
<ul><li>Basil leaves, Cilantro leaves, lime wedges, Hoisin sauce (a thick, sweet sauce), Siracha (spicy chili sauce), bean sprouts, fresh jelepeño slices, sliced tofu or seitan (I might even add this into the broth for a couple minutes before serving so it becomes warm) </li>
</ul>When everything is warmed and the noodles are ready, poor the broth into a bowl with a handful of noodles and then go to it with the condiments! Note: I have the one photo of this delicious soup because my other computer broke before I could upload the rest of the saved photos. Dang.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-71553516686618771032011-05-12T19:00:00.000-07:002011-05-16T09:41:51.719-07:00Mini Vanilla Strawberry CupcakesCupcakes are really taking over. At least that what Groupon is telling me when today's coupon (for cupcakes!) sold out at 6:57am...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhad21rJugSJfNhmBGC3WGjO1k9s3BRYZKdwcwbtLCPStOIlouh3WMCOctXRDHI6cvAtikNjKtFHFGn13z5hXyEIDDf_e12Pimvf3MOPic5NLRZmXYWceMNOFxJgd8s56-NvASAk_m9w4o7/s1600/IMG_20110504_184242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhad21rJugSJfNhmBGC3WGjO1k9s3BRYZKdwcwbtLCPStOIlouh3WMCOctXRDHI6cvAtikNjKtFHFGn13z5hXyEIDDf_e12Pimvf3MOPic5NLRZmXYWceMNOFxJgd8s56-NvASAk_m9w4o7/s320/IMG_20110504_184242.jpg" width="241" /><a name='more'></a></a></div>What's really popular is weird flavors, unique toppings and an ingredient list inclusive of every dietary need or want.<br />
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Now I present some not so special but delicious miniature cupcakes that were made for the birthday gathering of a friend who is equally cute and colorful! It was a hectic day for me and I hurried the batter together then let it sit for two hours in the fridge while I went off to work. Here are the ingredients (I mixed the dry, then added the wet):<br />
<br />
1 1/2 C flour<br />
1 C sugar<br />
1 t baking soda<br />
1/4-1/2 t salt<br />
1 C water<br />
1/3 C oil<br />
1 T mild vinegar<br />
1 T + 1/4 t vanilla<br />
<br />
I used vanilla extract because I had a friend who is allergic to nuts. I bet that extra 1/4 t extract could be easily swapped with almond, rum, lavender, peppermint... anything that sounds nice!<br />
<br />
My main squeeze, Bree, gave them a hint of red and baked them to perfection while I was away. According to her, she has no idea how how long each batch was in the oven but it was definitely preheated to 350 degrees. I might check them after 10 minutes and take them out when they are plump and firm, and when you stick a fork in and no batter sticks on the return.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFh0qrRulcrGo3iClKcJwQsaO_UCYOc_HkzVfpAycM5llftW2Wck5ZoQ8P_zhib4YaOCsWTxt0mufb3z5bS_zJMbdM0l6KF-qBsPLAeOIgS544v209Rp8S1mBzVpKDFDI1HZZKVvsEjaha/s1600/IMG_20110504_184232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFh0qrRulcrGo3iClKcJwQsaO_UCYOc_HkzVfpAycM5llftW2Wck5ZoQ8P_zhib4YaOCsWTxt0mufb3z5bS_zJMbdM0l6KF-qBsPLAeOIgS544v209Rp8S1mBzVpKDFDI1HZZKVvsEjaha/s320/IMG_20110504_184232.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>With some store bought icing (no time to make our own!) these cupcake were looking good for their birthday party debut.<br />
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Note: Big cupcakes would be fun too, but I only have a mini cupcake baking pan. Big ones might need to cook for a little longer.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-35193536343488567162011-04-05T16:30:00.000-07:002011-04-05T16:34:09.150-07:00A benchmark. And a Kale Tahini Salad.Happy 100th post! This is a pretty big deal and I feel like it is perfectly timed with something fantastic: a new job! I might be inclined to change the name of this blog now... though I've grown pretty attached the long and painfully bland name that I started with: What I Do When I Don't Have a Job. I'm open to suggestions.<br />
<br />
Even thought this seems like an occasion for a fancy post, I have nothing fancy to share. But, recently, I did learn about the benefits of including more raw foods in my diet after watching the documentary <a href="http://www.foodmatters.tv/">Food Matters</a>. To sum it up, let's eat more salads and make our bodies feel better. I'll start today with this salad.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKUK0dzc_Zdl3km1I7t44KsrW9X1s0KpvTyx3NRY0cjIig5N7J2RT-qmpzGcQz8UMvDNgWeB7VURsiH6V6oB7hUWl4WkKr8mk94_zFVP0xQ-hGxefNadWac5sH_c8viJlEBxMqr6eZncM/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcKUK0dzc_Zdl3km1I7t44KsrW9X1s0KpvTyx3NRY0cjIig5N7J2RT-qmpzGcQz8UMvDNgWeB7VURsiH6V6oB7hUWl4WkKr8mk94_zFVP0xQ-hGxefNadWac5sH_c8viJlEBxMqr6eZncM/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></div><a name='more'></a>Kale Tahini Salad<br />
<br />
Lemon Tahini Dressing:<br />
1.5 T <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahini">tahini</a> (Mine isn't raw, but it's what I had and I'm not even worried about it)<br />
1 lemon, juiced<br />
~1/2 T soy sauce<br />
1 clove garlic, crushed<br />
1 t olive oil (or more if you want, whatevs.) <br />
sea salt, to taste<br />
<br />
Salad stuff:<br />
Kale, carrot, red cabbage, almonds and probably walnuts<br />
<br />
I mixed the dressing together and then tossed it with the salad stuff and let it sit for 10 minutes. The flavors of the dressing come together in this time and also kind of soften the raw veggies. Vinegar and citrus do a good job of "cooking" vegetable without heat, too. Weird, right?<br />
<br />
Another photo close-up:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m9qqoXMU5BDbCweZMR-sOJs03W0JKsIB9-9vm1o4AtadLPFQ0zOoVOu8InR_rqpL3BapwP1EHyroDr0bHGO8xsmCRXufIggp5V-Asb8l3a-99VB697HR4GpP_0d6uzV6RTPNzScEmkyS/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m9qqoXMU5BDbCweZMR-sOJs03W0JKsIB9-9vm1o4AtadLPFQ0zOoVOu8InR_rqpL3BapwP1EHyroDr0bHGO8xsmCRXufIggp5V-Asb8l3a-99VB697HR4GpP_0d6uzV6RTPNzScEmkyS/s320/Picture+2.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Oh, and in other news, Bree and I adopted this cute dog just the other day. Not a big deal. Introducing Tiffin!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsoUhpxXCqOn7wXmFMib1LlVMPMu47Rh66xab8Gi2L1SgG77v_-_e_a_Z24o37jvCT7V_56RYWVT7it6tsG8387AVT-JLlhRSTAQxXHhzwnBnvTxoi0kv2Bd1AL20rGku9-kdV6lQLDy3/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbsoUhpxXCqOn7wXmFMib1LlVMPMu47Rh66xab8Gi2L1SgG77v_-_e_a_Z24o37jvCT7V_56RYWVT7it6tsG8387AVT-JLlhRSTAQxXHhzwnBnvTxoi0kv2Bd1AL20rGku9-kdV6lQLDy3/s320/Picture+3.png" width="320" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngi60uwL0JIh2NkUhSzF5ekwBmu7JWcwl0riPkXp3Iir7q2zJvwaoNjP4gJ1EorRW1A04TJhmr8mWHAYgVIqXUKCFBXpgnB9YfEMIZxT8XVifA6rGrn48yQlZDxxD9DcajkUPGxaTE6mk/s1600/Photo+116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhngi60uwL0JIh2NkUhSzF5ekwBmu7JWcwl0riPkXp3Iir7q2zJvwaoNjP4gJ1EorRW1A04TJhmr8mWHAYgVIqXUKCFBXpgnB9YfEMIZxT8XVifA6rGrn48yQlZDxxD9DcajkUPGxaTE6mk/s320/Photo+116.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">He actually does have ears even though you can't see them in either of these pictures.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-2750008244549009892011-03-14T21:14:00.000-07:002011-03-15T10:13:09.243-07:00Cilantro Cabbage slaw in Tempeh TacosCabbage is a must in many taco recipes. My most strong association with cabbage and tacos is in fish tacos... But nevermind that, alternatives like tofu, seitan, soy curls and tempeh lend themselves well to the flavors of a taco! A photo:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FAGn82MJItHQGTeT8cFD54j57423gzhHPA9f317j1ud6SM4ecoDPWdQYagu8bXB57RN-iyice42V028yJc397uNZebONLjM-rdX5Pg8tUyyimaNxJ2BZQAnYMm0rFIV2BlCmj5Mo3qnT/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FAGn82MJItHQGTeT8cFD54j57423gzhHPA9f317j1ud6SM4ecoDPWdQYagu8bXB57RN-iyice42V028yJc397uNZebONLjM-rdX5Pg8tUyyimaNxJ2BZQAnYMm0rFIV2BlCmj5Mo3qnT/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /><a name='more'></a></a></div>This meal started a lot like all of my other meals: What do I have on hand? Green cabbage, cilantro, yellow onion, lime, corn tortillas, tempeh and a BUNCH of spices. I don't know about you, but, this sounds like tacos centered around a cilantro cabbage slaw.<br />
<br />
For the tempeh (this flavor is not as important as the slaw. The slaw is a star of these tacos.):<br />
~4 oz. tempeh crumbled<br />
juice of 1/2 of a lime<br />
spice to taste with: salt, pepper, cumin, nutritional yeast, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.<br />
veggie oil to coat (so the spices stick and so the tempeh doesn't stick to the pan.) <br />
<br />
Crumble tempeh into a bowl and let marinate, mixed with spices, for an hour or so.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpppLHmtN5nyFFfbmob87P9svbhUQEDJiFbY3sd8V943QCmIaXq56EufdmAoTGmrFjtp97OW3xNY6zL-vmDTYO4axplfibyWl1JQj7jr6no5qb7TBnIrFz79uAn3-1vQMWYhNzvVDjnI5/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkpppLHmtN5nyFFfbmob87P9svbhUQEDJiFbY3sd8V943QCmIaXq56EufdmAoTGmrFjtp97OW3xNY6zL-vmDTYO4axplfibyWl1JQj7jr6no5qb7TBnIrFz79uAn3-1vQMWYhNzvVDjnI5/s320/Picture+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>For the slaw:<br />
~2 Cups finely sliced green cabbage<br />
~1/8 Cup chopped cilantro leaves<br />
1/8- 1/4 Cup thinly sliced yellow onion <br />
1 Tbsp canola oil<br />
juice of 1/2 of a lime<br />
dash of cumin<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Prepare all these things in a bowl and let sit in the fridge for a bit. 30 minutes will do, but a couple hours is best. For example, I went to a movie and came back to perfectly marinated slaw and tempeh!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCvT5p6Nj0Sx20ft6ZCRL0pMdjmncwuOKtoroDZgoht1DITZzFCWQgL4G-eaTY39Cra7dW0Jkh30nPRNBMpWIK84wUJsvAe8C3KswXapCd2Hmgw1oIsHCeQxqTsTReK2o5J1HliuLD1nM/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGCvT5p6Nj0Sx20ft6ZCRL0pMdjmncwuOKtoroDZgoht1DITZzFCWQgL4G-eaTY39Cra7dW0Jkh30nPRNBMpWIK84wUJsvAe8C3KswXapCd2Hmgw1oIsHCeQxqTsTReK2o5J1HliuLD1nM/s320/Picture+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>Brown the tempeh in a pan or skillet. Soften and heat the corn tortillas by slowly heating them in a pan on the stove until they can bend without breaking. Sometimes heating them with a sprinkling of water and a lid is helpful. Leave the slaw cold; the crispness of the slaw is refreshing and the flavors are more pronounced when they are raw.<br />
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My only regret with these was that I didn't make enough!Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-22065164150657152132011-03-10T11:58:00.000-08:002011-03-10T11:58:19.339-08:00Peanut Butter Cups, and Vegan!Reese's peanut butter cups are very delicious to a lot of people. It is hard to find a version without milk products in it. In a moment of brilliance, Bree suggested making our own and not only were they awesome but they made me feel my favorite: really fancy! Check it out:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpcD1m4uT_FtTIycSwBpQQbebV37P4qvjX0dtbEfFKYaJdFPaOq1nqdyBq3-Swye5fNSoC4s_XORCmX8NdcQZBmC5JpywGKv7pbpzQCQEsjZ4DPYS4_XgpV1UbpLZBKJSBrT77grFnV5l/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpcD1m4uT_FtTIycSwBpQQbebV37P4qvjX0dtbEfFKYaJdFPaOq1nqdyBq3-Swye5fNSoC4s_XORCmX8NdcQZBmC5JpywGKv7pbpzQCQEsjZ4DPYS4_XgpV1UbpLZBKJSBrT77grFnV5l/s320/Picture+4.png" width="320" /></a></div>The above photo is an extreme close-up. The size of these cups are about 1 cubic inch, or, the size of a scantly-filled mini cupcake.<br />
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An unhelpful fun fact: I actually prefer the "pieces" of Reese's; the bite-sized candy coated version of the peanut butter cup. Me and E.T. would make great friends! <a href="http://www.snopes.com/business/market/mandms.asp">It's true!</a> And, I know this makes me a weird outcast and makes you wonder, "Then why are you posting this blog?", but these peanut butter cups were so good that you don't need to like the original!<br />
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For the outside, melt: <br />
1 1/2 C chocolate chips, melted<br />
A dash of soymilk for flavor<br />
and cupcake wrappers (I am using a miniature cupcake pan, so I have mini paper wrappers)<br />
<br />
For the filling, melt:<br />
3/4 C Peanut Butter<br />
1-3 Tbsp powdered sugar (or to taste)<br />
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These cups are made in three steps and in between each step, they are placed in the refrigerator to cool and harden. No baking needed! So, first: Heat the chocolate. You can microwave it, or do it on the stove top in a sauce pan (which I did), just be careful not to let the chocolate get too hot because it will burn. If it burns, turn the heat lower.<br />
<br />
Once soft, use a spoon to put a dollop of chocolate into the cupcake wrapper. The chocolate will cool pretty quickly so work diligently to spread the chocolate so it covers the entire bottom of the wrapper and spreads up the sides a little. This is creating a kind of chocolate shell to hold in the peanut butter. There should be some chocolate left over to use as the "lid" for these cups. So leave it warming once your little wrappers have their bottoms. Set these in the fridge to cool until hard.<br />
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Soften the peanut butter and the powdered sugar in another saucepan while the first phase is cooling in the fridge. Taste test the peanut butter filling to make sure it is sweet to your liking and also that it is soft enough to be squished into place. Once chocolate has cooled take the pan out of the fridge and put a small spoonful of peanut butter in each cup. After making sure I there was some peanut butter in each cup I went back a lightly pressed it down into the chocolate, making sure to leave enough room in each for the chocolate topping. Set in fridge to cool.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlWaDQ4CX3pLO-7b-vQQjBmBB_aEbmIoo1BISOTRC2WwXfo8UFFt1xvwF2O0h_4COwJOXAhBfuWEdv93K8E876XbE4ZwB8YIIzSLaXFmk_aFZ_Lwq513ZlLbRDAn0mbevY_Cg7VPnb5W6/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBlWaDQ4CX3pLO-7b-vQQjBmBB_aEbmIoo1BISOTRC2WwXfo8UFFt1xvwF2O0h_4COwJOXAhBfuWEdv93K8E876XbE4ZwB8YIIzSLaXFmk_aFZ_Lwq513ZlLbRDAn0mbevY_Cg7VPnb5W6/s320/Picture+3.png" width="295" /></a></div>And last, but not least, finish off the peanut butter cups with the last of the melted chocolate. Use the spoon to smooth out the tops and make sure they extend to each side of the paper wrappers. Cool again. After this, it's all done! The explanation took a long time, but the process is fairly straight-forward. Chocolate layer. Cool. Peanut butter layer. Cool. Chocolate layer. Cool. Eat!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyY5TKdUzpwIp_G_nTXRuWaGqeDPiGhpHYy9xMS8mk2CuDVMLgTOl5QTcc11BZv3HCDZbI9GvjaoVu44v2geaEN1Wfx3kDy9ykkvQ-Rla6KHSyn_qzrtuZEwc2pYHF9QDnFYj0EXOm2-1/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyY5TKdUzpwIp_G_nTXRuWaGqeDPiGhpHYy9xMS8mk2CuDVMLgTOl5QTcc11BZv3HCDZbI9GvjaoVu44v2geaEN1Wfx3kDy9ykkvQ-Rla6KHSyn_qzrtuZEwc2pYHF9QDnFYj0EXOm2-1/s320/Picture+5.png" width="320" /></a></div>Cutting these peanut butter cups in half shows off the layering. It is very pretty to me. My mini cupcake tin only allows for 12 treats at once which turned out to be plenty. These little guys are rich, sweet and very satisfying. Keep them in the fridge for storage. They melt more quickly than your average, shelf stable, store-bought version.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-59256944590873691802011-03-09T13:43:00.000-08:002011-03-09T13:43:25.627-08:00I'll have to try Quick Bread another day.With a narrow window with which to bake something yesterday, I turned to a Quick Bread to avoid the rising time needed for a yeast dough. With not a lot of ingredients on hand, I took a chance on an experiment with a whole wheat quick bread.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLDOe_iDH6uzqU7nwjZIK8a0SwPOGKWxEI6zljncgzy4BNSq7Ud1d0qUN6B92BWBMSN1D98W6cDwLPEznNVVszm1bS1xyOlAjD5Q10BSKBKX-K-GnSFG3KMu_TwNfu9dHWFwVWL4U_kBh/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXLDOe_iDH6uzqU7nwjZIK8a0SwPOGKWxEI6zljncgzy4BNSq7Ud1d0qUN6B92BWBMSN1D98W6cDwLPEznNVVszm1bS1xyOlAjD5Q10BSKBKX-K-GnSFG3KMu_TwNfu9dHWFwVWL4U_kBh/s320/Picture+3.png" width="243" /></a></div><a name='more'></a>Quick bread is a type of bread that doesn't use yeast as a leavening agent. Instead, a chemical leavener like baking soda is used in combination with and acid like lemon juice or buttermilk. Or even water will work to create a reaction that produces carbon dioxide to raise the dough a little bit. Common baked goods that are quick breads are: brownies, biscuits, scones, irish soda bread, etc.<br />
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I took a fairly non-traditional recipe for a vegan quick bread and made it even more wild. Here it is (but I don't suggest you use it):<br />
<br />
In a large bowl: <br />
1 C Whole Wheat flour<br />
3/4 C Brown Rice flour<br />
1/4 C Flaxseed meal<br />
2 t baking powder<br />
1/2 t salt<br />
1/2 tsp xanthan gum (a thickener, since I used a rice flour which is generally less elastic than wheat flour)<br />
<br />
In a smaller bowl: <br />
1 C soy milk<br />
1 T vegetable oil<br />
1 1/2 T agave syrup (honey can be used too)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVV3nfhy6IWUhxkEYcFt_5Ws7nl5I12DrYFW7ROxKQBepu8UUSH7EbwHf95fGgGU-kkuref9yAah80bYpNNMRIABJaPumwxOQsdkEsbBsi950P9Z6MaxVKfBxexFQweGk4BdwB83Y-jFWA/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVV3nfhy6IWUhxkEYcFt_5Ws7nl5I12DrYFW7ROxKQBepu8UUSH7EbwHf95fGgGU-kkuref9yAah80bYpNNMRIABJaPumwxOQsdkEsbBsi950P9Z6MaxVKfBxexFQweGk4BdwB83Y-jFWA/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJxhW4c_4pb6n-FOxiI2VW3LilZYzl96B-jubKgQHfSqJtMeZfigNYPC0edZYK3qFiwM1wtbv7_-YGlPr6cI31YUS7mnLjScS_06jhZUXLJ0Uh7jduHPpeMbkzBV4bNJr1xcebkfc2DvF/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJxhW4c_4pb6n-FOxiI2VW3LilZYzl96B-jubKgQHfSqJtMeZfigNYPC0edZYK3qFiwM1wtbv7_-YGlPr6cI31YUS7mnLjScS_06jhZUXLJ0Uh7jduHPpeMbkzBV4bNJr1xcebkfc2DvF/s320/Picture+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately. Stir wet stuff into the dry. The resulting dough is wet and thick. Great. Place on a greased baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes or until the bread sounds "hollow" wet the bottom is tapped.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRozD8xhxcX45TCkgFVA6VtpETVvvTia-tst03uav0gmI0lHut-nwQF4XiHihwyiEOtoDbg_jPm-SYkY5RWBSLMSNVHu-wH6E-QM_qLiRdp6QqQh495CY2ONy8ir5jDFxqq2uB_8tcfZa/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRozD8xhxcX45TCkgFVA6VtpETVvvTia-tst03uav0gmI0lHut-nwQF4XiHihwyiEOtoDbg_jPm-SYkY5RWBSLMSNVHu-wH6E-QM_qLiRdp6QqQh495CY2ONy8ir5jDFxqq2uB_8tcfZa/s320/Picture+4.png" width="242" /></a></div>And, oh dear, where to start? The original recipe called for half whole wheat and half oat flour. I think I made a mistake by substituting rice and flax... the dough didn't rise very much (which I thought was fine because quick breads are dense). The dough might have been too wet because it sucked up the oil as it cooked and then fused to the pan! Horrible. Lacking finesse, I tore the bread in half when trying to remove it from the sheet after 25 minutes of cooking. After a period of 10-15 minutes cooking my curiosity had gotten the best of me, so I sliced into the loaf to find the most doughy center I've ever seen for such a brown (and close to overcooked) crust.<br />
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So I'll have to try this again another time and follow the original recipe a little more closely. On a different note, here is a picture of our new kitchen. You also have a peek at the dining room/living room area:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7i46mVNC6H5Vob8-CUUm25uC_0cPLRK3z7ubVVagD6eOR26psyc7dFYenIeW3jj768UWIQ4OUJoaE7OYyZE06xO8aaGUex9s76HhnYtR8oyxuHimC0Kfo7EGbVETtfrxneKfaMrf5cGg/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7i46mVNC6H5Vob8-CUUm25uC_0cPLRK3z7ubVVagD6eOR26psyc7dFYenIeW3jj768UWIQ4OUJoaE7OYyZE06xO8aaGUex9s76HhnYtR8oyxuHimC0Kfo7EGbVETtfrxneKfaMrf5cGg/s320/Picture+5.png" width="320" /></a></div>What you can't see is the washer/dryer bhind me in the lower right corner and the bathroom door behind and to the left. What you CAN see is proof that this is indeed a basement with the outline of the stairs in the upper right and a large white air duct to the upper left. Woo! Basement.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-2453155178424925922011-02-26T12:34:00.000-08:002011-02-26T12:34:10.876-08:00Dutch Oven Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn0YkUAO3rz3vnx6Db94L6PAm0Jzx7tMVZ61SbsbuLzl8s7cR1EuccELaf_OGw8DcBad3wpRbFopdrNFXTYGGOhQ5euT6J1t1CxTAKvnsk2lFgrksLXYVhTgGbAx5_u7k1y8q7oCCIK-p/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhn0YkUAO3rz3vnx6Db94L6PAm0Jzx7tMVZ61SbsbuLzl8s7cR1EuccELaf_OGw8DcBad3wpRbFopdrNFXTYGGOhQ5euT6J1t1CxTAKvnsk2lFgrksLXYVhTgGbAx5_u7k1y8q7oCCIK-p/s320/Picture+4.png" width="320" /></a></div>I am very excited about a lot of the things I cook. But I'll say it: I was the MOST excited about this loaf!<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
I love to make bread and bread-like things. Flat breads, dinner rolls, loaves, sweet things... whatevs! After tooling around with various recipes and talking to other bread making friends, I learned that the really good stuff comes from using a dutch oven (a cast iron cooking pot with a lid) to cook your bread. <br />
<br />
Dutch ovens keep in the moisture of the dough while cooking, creating a loaf with a golden, crispy crust and the soft, moist inside. And, as far as I have read, the "no knead" method is the most preferred for dutch ovens.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wSQYU4clvsKHfQri3Q3wMjSw5Yn5oAZjducS8py1hBgQ9bUsL3x_sqFV_LHQCfNUzLYqi503Rucp4-APvb7WIOB3eX964cVWxIJfuZzHZD5PK5y_scJvgQ9KQJqad3KoPKU6_5RI0xV8/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2wSQYU4clvsKHfQri3Q3wMjSw5Yn5oAZjducS8py1hBgQ9bUsL3x_sqFV_LHQCfNUzLYqi503Rucp4-APvb7WIOB3eX964cVWxIJfuZzHZD5PK5y_scJvgQ9KQJqad3KoPKU6_5RI0xV8/s320/-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>"No knead" is exactly what it sounds like. Many breads are kneaded for 7-15 minutes to properly mix the ingredients and to kickstart the yeast. Kneading is definitely a learned skill and is fairly sensitive to outside input like adding too much flour and temperature (of both your hands and the room). But with the no knead approach, the mixed dough sits for 6+ hours (preferably over night), slowly rising and fermenting, while I sleep soundly or go about my daily business. After a few more steps and barely 5 minutes of total dough handling, the loaf is in the oven!<br />
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I have not created my own recipe for no knead bread and suggest you search the internet for "no knead bread recipe" (there are many, and they are all very similar) if you have a dutch oven and want to make bread that tastes as good as the loaf you get at your local bakery when you want something fancy. My hopeful next step: dutch oven kalamata olive bread!Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-692222415038444632011-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:002011-02-24T07:00:07.212-08:00Hybrid Bagel DogsThe other day I really wanted to make some bread. I hadn't enough flour for a loaf so I got creative. The end result was a half bread, half bagel, hot dog sandwich! Not too bad.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQgPd9cukcDVv-DCLSYfU6SMBxODLiVA-BlUucm4H4aPh3mnDb_7CeX8GSBfFPajIajgCmZVXaAlRLduO3TK7AVu-5tvfHmTH5j4CCJ7N-A5K_iZ7d2QgBm65p2pTVhAseHk4uLV-6WSZ/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQgPd9cukcDVv-DCLSYfU6SMBxODLiVA-BlUucm4H4aPh3mnDb_7CeX8GSBfFPajIajgCmZVXaAlRLduO3TK7AVu-5tvfHmTH5j4CCJ7N-A5K_iZ7d2QgBm65p2pTVhAseHk4uLV-6WSZ/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></div><a name='more'></a>I searched the internets for "pigs in a blanket", found a simple recipe as a template, then changed it completely. Here it is:<br />
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In a small bowl mix:<br />
1 Cup warm water<br />
1 Tbsp yeast<br />
1/4 Cup sugar<br />
<br />
Let this sit for 5 minutes while the yeast activates and dissolves. It gets all bubbly and aromatic.<br />
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In a mixing bowl add:<br />
2 Cups all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 Cup whoel wheat flour<br />
1/2 of an egg (I know, it's weird. I used Ener-G egg replacer, though, so I just mixed up enough to make half of the suggestion for one egg)<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1/8 Cup oil<br />
1 Tbsp rubbed sage<br />
1 tsp coarse Black pepper<br />
<br />
Knead the dough for maybe 7 minutes until it is elastic, but not sticky. Then set the dough in a warm place, bowl covered with a towel and rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. Note: A lot of times I will let the dough rise in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. The dough tends stick to the crusty floured sides of the mixing bowl when it's left in it to rise. Not necessary, but I prefer it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12dS4Q7tf2YxGFonh2QvD5jA20TLDkDylsPI4OTaIe8uUMW_7HtKiQGG5ccXqyJ5jiUvkDqc51SeFtj7IwrJMJUxDOHEpFpwcpnGBn1WRE7Cbu_Ben9dRszXtNZHwozrS8ndjDDJ3_NM6/s1600/Picture+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12dS4Q7tf2YxGFonh2QvD5jA20TLDkDylsPI4OTaIe8uUMW_7HtKiQGG5ccXqyJ5jiUvkDqc51SeFtj7IwrJMJUxDOHEpFpwcpnGBn1WRE7Cbu_Ben9dRszXtNZHwozrS8ndjDDJ3_NM6/s320/Picture+6.png" width="320" /></a></div>Next! On a lightly floured surface (above, I used parchment paper) I rolled out the dough into a circle 12-18 inches in diameter. Then I cut it into 8 "pizza slices" and to rolled a sausage in each one. Because I didnt want to go to the store I only had two whole sausages to work with so I cut them in half and then half again, lengthwise. I would suggest just buying enough sausages or hot dogs to use a whole one in each roll. Mine sausage pieces got a little lost in all the dough, as you can see.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dpz8sdCNBnCkdJXPyFsbTBPXyrdoFpO7ekiyQjn7mx68w6iHMFBBRkxwJxbEvR3r7J7F5TuH4HUqNAnF3W64XLd-RSa7zvU6vhidvpDbjT-o6Io6hTzuCR9gmH0zX3eWJzjjIkKL-bCs/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dpz8sdCNBnCkdJXPyFsbTBPXyrdoFpO7ekiyQjn7mx68w6iHMFBBRkxwJxbEvR3r7J7F5TuH4HUqNAnF3W64XLd-RSa7zvU6vhidvpDbjT-o6Io6hTzuCR9gmH0zX3eWJzjjIkKL-bCs/s200/Picture+5.png" width="163" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY_jRsTijDOJgHPwpgsFM61OUh-QaJBpoC2pILZMizgRMIl-Up6c07hup8a9rqj8buaHK5DXFX1W7T3h-YIlIzxNqB-4_cZw9848MGjbixvLG_Ov2DseyxfusdflhejRDm-DpBWh9wlSH/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuY_jRsTijDOJgHPwpgsFM61OUh-QaJBpoC2pILZMizgRMIl-Up6c07hup8a9rqj8buaHK5DXFX1W7T3h-YIlIzxNqB-4_cZw9848MGjbixvLG_Ov2DseyxfusdflhejRDm-DpBWh9wlSH/s200/Picture+4.png" width="160" /></a></div>Roll a sausage in each slice, from the wide part to the pointy part. Once rolled I set the bagel dogs on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal and let them relax a little while the oven pre-heated to 350 F. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until golden! Some of the dogs got the vegan cheddar cheese treatment. The jury is still out on weather that was a good idea or not...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L0zm0nfE-NPwCTlwHekSgPg6ZoSIwy6y_F375Eq0Vpgq6lokRqNg3IN7L4UHbnsM3Nv-8iEGMTFS3jhJ1ofcyZKpltfoPrSQhbzsS_Zk-e5_hiwpy7dAmqZPdb2NUPJulWbtdMzH3chV/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L0zm0nfE-NPwCTlwHekSgPg6ZoSIwy6y_F375Eq0Vpgq6lokRqNg3IN7L4UHbnsM3Nv-8iEGMTFS3jhJ1ofcyZKpltfoPrSQhbzsS_Zk-e5_hiwpy7dAmqZPdb2NUPJulWbtdMzH3chV/s320/Picture+2.png" width="259" /></a></div>Some thoughts: These are like a re-envisioned hot dog, but I think I got carried away with it. The sage and pepper tasted nice but didn't go so well with the ketchup and mustard I wanted use as dippings. Next time, I'll tone it down by using regular veggie dogs and an unseasoned dough.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-83224761246790433832011-02-23T11:51:00.000-08:002011-02-26T10:46:01.506-08:00Learning to Cook in New SpacesI've recently had a major move out from my apartment of 4.5 years. My new apartment, aside from being in a very exciting location and living with my main squeeze, Bree, is nothing like my old apartment. Here are some photos of the moving-in process:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8Banj3ZkvovBfKdasrEdxAWH1ZZxvCOGCZQCf4EcHm4ze_TZ_IJdGc5kNaIldvf2SprG_rk8m4Z29WYHUfUaSSEPSMyL9hImdEh6QGgK8_lGNq1LNKuNd0lnfpvKp9kJ3F_8YjSn0ohK/s1600/Picture+1.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378825377860724418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij8Banj3ZkvovBfKdasrEdxAWH1ZZxvCOGCZQCf4EcHm4ze_TZ_IJdGc5kNaIldvf2SprG_rk8m4Z29WYHUfUaSSEPSMyL9hImdEh6QGgK8_lGNq1LNKuNd0lnfpvKp9kJ3F_8YjSn0ohK/s1600/Picture+1.png" style="border-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 112px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdXpKC5J4MlUUcuvgqvzRwyJ7YefbdAjKDnFjReaQZQnYZUuFL6dyMeMDH7so2WnGJrAB2FDbtMirPBaa28pNfKMVoYL9hu9AtIPyCoM8pSDVdtl9jfK_FE9cQRDbHMyyqt-p8ZZLhG3v/s1600/Picture+2.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378825369165730978" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBdXpKC5J4MlUUcuvgqvzRwyJ7YefbdAjKDnFjReaQZQnYZUuFL6dyMeMDH7so2WnGJrAB2FDbtMirPBaa28pNfKMVoYL9hu9AtIPyCoM8pSDVdtl9jfK_FE9cQRDbHMyyqt-p8ZZLhG3v/s1600/Picture+2.png" style="border-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 112px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYb7BwXcIm5zvuN-XfDonbjXX1V8kM-wcGOZhyPNPACWYQ_ShZbSTavz3Mtg3f_MSQJh3R7jskrU-6-OsUMdpWPZhyphenhyphenzA_iBL7Fs_43V5mSBah91U7-nqFr431RPsAjeg0K6XbHNJ2YN5y/s1600/Picture+3.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378825377860724418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYb7BwXcIm5zvuN-XfDonbjXX1V8kM-wcGOZhyPNPACWYQ_ShZbSTavz3Mtg3f_MSQJh3R7jskrU-6-OsUMdpWPZhyphenhyphenzA_iBL7Fs_43V5mSBah91U7-nqFr431RPsAjeg0K6XbHNJ2YN5y/s1600/Picture+3.png" style="border-width: 0px; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 150px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 112px;" /></a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a name='more'></a>After years spent cooking in the same space I probably could have made a meal even if I were blindfolded and set on fire. Now cooking is ridiculous. I wait for 15 minutes for my water to boil to then realize that I turned on the wrong burner, I lost my black pepper for days and, worst of all, I thought the oven was broken until Bree realized that it just wasn't plugged in! Oops. But, really, why was it unplugged in the first place?!<br />
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But, as it usually goes, things are better every day. I am back to cooking and baking and happy to announce that without any major travesties the first meal in the new apartment was this: Fried tofu squares and rice pilaf with sauteed kale and onions! Not bad. I wish I had some black pepper though.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cB1WXE3fPk2HGRyVfZ8ugYWlI_pIPU0nD9lA4z-vuBqa5MZb5rAYF5FUs9IaDaPnqdhr7EzDwe27L__FFgKMV8GyVZExBRz7cACT9fAqL5EIPBN55usJCw743d4a2UdCckHbU2iUEsGf/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1cB1WXE3fPk2HGRyVfZ8ugYWlI_pIPU0nD9lA4z-vuBqa5MZb5rAYF5FUs9IaDaPnqdhr7EzDwe27L__FFgKMV8GyVZExBRz7cACT9fAqL5EIPBN55usJCw743d4a2UdCckHbU2iUEsGf/s320/Picture+4.png" width="320" /></a></div>It only gets better from here!Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-34204003143801134152011-02-09T16:34:00.000-08:002011-02-09T16:36:58.895-08:00Valentines Cookie Crafting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuEviayM5JGLk5GhAW585F_MLTr8kbydfCz5rAzx_QL7owH2qBFyrQELFg3LtUB69BfWJVxenrXO-w5eIGNd3PPEBsI57PGRAxHE-QStpaUdsbW_wH_bEQ86OcUZrMkng0jy1nbX1mwLr/s1600/frosted+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIuEviayM5JGLk5GhAW585F_MLTr8kbydfCz5rAzx_QL7owH2qBFyrQELFg3LtUB69BfWJVxenrXO-w5eIGNd3PPEBsI57PGRAxHE-QStpaUdsbW_wH_bEQ86OcUZrMkng0jy1nbX1mwLr/s320/frosted+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>We should honor more holidays by decorating cookies. Sugar cookies make a great "canvas" for my artsy self who also wants sugar all the time.<br />
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Since college, I have had a yearly get together with my friends to make paper crafts in honor of Valentine's Day. Mostly I accomplish nothing because I am too busy making inappropriate, funny and ironic cards for friends. I expect nothing less this year, and I even want to literally join crafting and sugar (instead of crafting while eating sugar).<br />
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Sugar cookies are easy. True, I like cooking. But I also love cooking when it's easy. Look online for a recipe or try this one (I don't think it was the best, but who needs "best" when you are decorating with icing and sprinkles, right?):<br />
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In a mixing bowl: <br />
1 1/2 C flour<br />
1/2 C sugar <br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt (My cookies taste a bit salty, so you could get away with adding less)<br />
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In smaller bowl:<br />
1/2 C oil<br />
1 Tbsp vanilla extract<br />
1 Tbsp maple syrup (I used agave, but honey might do... or just more sugar and a little water)<br />
1 egg (I used Ener-G egg replacer)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5U4OhUN8Tztt0x-tRn5BHB-KwaQzIDhG8rmoNuQbKj6RDgMEKNBpTc4Y8Jjra2IduAmrUNypAubqjeV3j2G-HZlrO8zb51MY8koRm3MGTknaIfq8DtU6ClvsPJqyTzd1Hwjj_gOXmM8Z/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5U4OhUN8Tztt0x-tRn5BHB-KwaQzIDhG8rmoNuQbKj6RDgMEKNBpTc4Y8Jjra2IduAmrUNypAubqjeV3j2G-HZlrO8zb51MY8koRm3MGTknaIfq8DtU6ClvsPJqyTzd1Hwjj_gOXmM8Z/s320/Picture+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, then go ahead and stir the wet ingredients into the dry until they are well mixed. I ended up adding a little more water to make the dough stick together better. When I tried to roll it out the first time it all turned into crumbles. That is how I knew it was not wet enough.<br />
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I used a cylindrical glass cup to roll the dough, but those of you who have actual baking tools, use them! Once thin, no more than 1/4 inch thick, I cut out heart shapes (cute!) and then also "broken hearts", because I think I'm hilarious, and placed them on a baking sheet. In the oven at 375 degrees F until the cookies brown at the edges: 5-7 minutes. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVgEk70S4JJxl9GAqY6BoTFpEObcTeTBa7DagUG9C-b38rjLMpMpHk1UspZWso4B5BYO5fqYKuTxJqmo3G66qN55cntjXJIBINHh9prSO47Ziiuus-cdxN_qMP4OsijCgfsuA3AD79PSG/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxVgEk70S4JJxl9GAqY6BoTFpEObcTeTBa7DagUG9C-b38rjLMpMpHk1UspZWso4B5BYO5fqYKuTxJqmo3G66qN55cntjXJIBINHh9prSO47Ziiuus-cdxN_qMP4OsijCgfsuA3AD79PSG/s320/Picture+1.png" width="252" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvksbYRjHhvpN6_jVcIB2SHYUBANyP_BlY92g-pSMHyHUPwtMYunt7PQOad2LBq4UT_OLXD7HckY7PE9-xZLWKk7b4evuE5GbBWE1DIrPv7HCK5of69e5vpMuXUNtAjI-LJ4yHcI6HRYL/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvksbYRjHhvpN6_jVcIB2SHYUBANyP_BlY92g-pSMHyHUPwtMYunt7PQOad2LBq4UT_OLXD7HckY7PE9-xZLWKk7b4evuE5GbBWE1DIrPv7HCK5of69e5vpMuXUNtAjI-LJ4yHcI6HRYL/s320/Picture+4.png" width="235" /></a></div>As you can see by some of the darker hearts below, even a minute late and the the cookies are overdone! So pay attention. Don't dance in the living room waiting for the timer to go off...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjensJeSyBcPg3_8qVQ9Ds4y7fvExBASPWgHdxkIgCSn2btK3fuXfgHpaEi4KZc5eWhFKtrrGnl-W0PhFAhMSE1wemjy7r5Rc5YB2CfNRSo2GX_FrZ8VdzFnKxGrhiK2TRuJ4MidR-9pWik/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjensJeSyBcPg3_8qVQ9Ds4y7fvExBASPWgHdxkIgCSn2btK3fuXfgHpaEi4KZc5eWhFKtrrGnl-W0PhFAhMSE1wemjy7r5Rc5YB2CfNRSo2GX_FrZ8VdzFnKxGrhiK2TRuJ4MidR-9pWik/s320/Picture+5.png" width="320" /></a></div>Oddly, by themselves, these cookies taste like graham crackers. But I kind of love it.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-8383867108390808212011-02-07T14:10:00.000-08:002011-02-09T10:26:57.548-08:00Vegetarian WontonsI recently had wontons for dinner two nights in a row. I'm not bashful about this dinner repeat, though, because they are just so fast (both to prepare AND cook), adaptable and cheap!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuNP3T67Yq5-fnOcajvsFxZQ2JLWLDol6H3kNa0HA1sWBEak_9hq5OmLEZ1Zmo4tGwpCAJw9Ro9MNlrcQcmF1s9xxo7nACLBUWuHYwfqgh0URDT48C5DXcRyagnnAhB419YlmKJkcBALI/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuNP3T67Yq5-fnOcajvsFxZQ2JLWLDol6H3kNa0HA1sWBEak_9hq5OmLEZ1Zmo4tGwpCAJw9Ro9MNlrcQcmF1s9xxo7nACLBUWuHYwfqgh0URDT48C5DXcRyagnnAhB419YlmKJkcBALI/s320/Picture+3.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<a name='more'></a>Some back story (because I needed it, too):<br />
Wontons are a type of dumpling that are very popular in Chinese cuisine. Common fillings include shrimp and pork as well as veggies like ginger and carrots. They are wrapped in 3-inch, square wonton wrappers (which I conveniently bought in a 50-pack and the store for less than two bucks). Bree and I went the vegetarian route and from our endless options we settled on two: ginger, carrot, cabbage and tofu ricotta with spinach and basil.<br />
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<u>Night one</u>: Carrot, zucchini, ginger (made about 25 wontons)<br />
2 small carrots<br />
2 small zucchini squashes<br />
1 inch of fresh ginger root<br />
All ingredients are finely shredded and mixed together. Be careful with the ginger because I put twice as much (perhaps 3 inches) in my filling and the bite of the ginger was so strong it kind of wiped out the other flavors. And cleared my sinuses... I suggest starting with a little at first.<br />
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A dollop of the filling goes in the middle of each wrapper. To seal them I used my finger and some warm water around the edges then folded it over and onto itself, pressing to make sure they stuck. Boil in water for 3-4 minutes and collect with a slotted spoon. Some of the wontons started sticking together after cooking. With olive oil, I lightly covered the freshly cooked wontons so they would slide around each other instead of fuse together.<br />
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But I forgot to take a photo. Dang.<br />
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<u>Night two</u>: Tofu ricotta with spinach, garlic and basil (made about 12 wontons, perfect for two people!)<br />
7 ounces of firm tofu, pressed to remove excess liquid<br />
1 large handful of fresh spinach <br />
2 garlic cloves, chopped<br />
1 handful of basil leaves, or to taste<br />
salt, pepper and nutritional yeast, to taste <br />
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In a pan on medium heat with a dash of oil, add the garlic and cook it until it is browned and smelling awesome. Then throw in the spinach and cook it until it starts to wilt. This wilting shouldn't take long; spinach is sensitive.<br />
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In a food processor add the tofu and spinach and garlic. Blend for a few seconds until it turns into a nice mush. Then add the basil leaves and blend again. Last, add the spices and taste it to make sure you are liking what is happening. I added more basil and pepper.<br />
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Just like before, I added in a spoonful of filling to each wrapper and "glued" them together with water. I had some fun with the wrapping and folded all the corners into the middle. This is absolutely not necessary, but it made me feel fancy. Again, They were cooked for 3 minutes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiir1yd7wrt0DDqneaOjFUaRi3p-xodPvobu3M7aCiC9RftoAR7WvMhMAxI1_Eum4DM6H8Xa2AMqYr6NIF73X0-1gLPUFks_qxQKrzF-d3upMWr2Urrtf3FV5xtBunW1x0r8d9daUaVGKD-/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiir1yd7wrt0DDqneaOjFUaRi3p-xodPvobu3M7aCiC9RftoAR7WvMhMAxI1_Eum4DM6H8Xa2AMqYr6NIF73X0-1gLPUFks_qxQKrzF-d3upMWr2Urrtf3FV5xtBunW1x0r8d9daUaVGKD-/s320/Picture+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>Bree topped her wontons with a little more fresh basil, vegan mozzarella, and olive oil.<br />
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I will definitely be making more wontons in the future. This meal is probably most appealing to me because of all the variations I can create. I love having options, and with these, I feel boundless!Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-2609645794844676352011-02-02T07:00:00.000-08:002011-02-02T07:00:16.841-08:00Why aren't you making Kale chips?!I recently got together with a good friend and made a great meal. But, I think there was one obvious star: Kale chips! Seen below cuddling closely with the onion, mushroom, pasta dish they went with. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5RlpnB2uu9HjmUlPaRg8F1sry7ezVMKtZ59dsGtIFc2P5CB8Fr8DsbeD8CWHBZ65FQH1NudacAXWJzjKgdQj8ACck18dWC7l2s8uV2_DqlUucgc4vPPShLd7cg64Wz0Nl5oD7dR4TWCN/s1600/Picture+13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-5RlpnB2uu9HjmUlPaRg8F1sry7ezVMKtZ59dsGtIFc2P5CB8Fr8DsbeD8CWHBZ65FQH1NudacAXWJzjKgdQj8ACck18dWC7l2s8uV2_DqlUucgc4vPPShLd7cg64Wz0Nl5oD7dR4TWCN/s320/Picture+13.png" width="246" /></a></div>Oven cook time is about 5-8 minutes at 400 degrees F until the Kale is crispy to the touch, or crunchy to the bite. Note: I tear the whole Kale leaves into bite-sized pieces before baking.<br />
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It recently came to my attention that some people are adding olive oil to the Kale before baking it (or worse, they hate Kale chips altogether! Shame.) and that is fairly unnecessary. All we need to do is evaporate the water present in the vegetable and it will dry out and become crunchy. I usually add a little salt, pepper and nutritional yeast to the kale when I put it in the oven. But you should also try all of your favorite seasonings too!<br />
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Kale is great.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-38726329358187999662011-02-01T17:59:00.000-08:002011-02-10T23:40:36.877-08:00Grilled Teriyaki Tofu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThfVy-RU7-1AcBtTyJbVNjqcaKC2A6xIeQnDTBOcXyfXNdvaCuF1L_fl0sZ5aOPKWmP9kTa9tT1Rx5rR0MTlSgVq51mkaEpuQkBpJoMrCt1Evnf_b_Vch59Ig6e1S5n6WHaPKUhUMlPRZ/s1600/Picture+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhThfVy-RU7-1AcBtTyJbVNjqcaKC2A6xIeQnDTBOcXyfXNdvaCuF1L_fl0sZ5aOPKWmP9kTa9tT1Rx5rR0MTlSgVq51mkaEpuQkBpJoMrCt1Evnf_b_Vch59Ig6e1S5n6WHaPKUhUMlPRZ/s320/Picture+9.png" width="320" /></a></div>Grilled food is really delicious to a lot of people. Just because I eat the diet of all vegetables doesn't mean I shouldn't get to grill my food. The slight char and smokey flavor that comes with the finished product is spot on! During a recent visit to my family (and father who grills everything, all the time) I made this Grilled Teriyaki Tofu.<br />
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I've always liked cooking with my Dad because (he'll tell you himself) he has a lot of knowledge and mostly good ideas about cooking (maybe I'll talk about his "panini brick" later). I had an especially good time trying to create acceptable vegan versions of what my Dad had already planned for dinner. This is the best one by far. I was so impressed with this photo that I showed it to everyone around me multiple times.<br />
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Here's the rundown: <br />
Extra firm tofu, pressed and cubbed, then skewered. I used a great store bought Teriyaki sauce to marinade this badboy for maybe 45 minutes. I rotated the tofu to make sure the sauce was evenly coated. Actually, I turned it every 2 minutes because I was so excited! Thrown on the grill for 2 minutes on a side and, rad, it's done.<br />
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Accompanying this tofu is wild rice cooked in vegetable broth and diced Shiitake mushrooms, and steamed green beans.<br />
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And a picture of my Dad's cat, Topaz, because he's such a dreamboat:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSZcqYZ0n2CSUeQa3304CAMwa2U_g65GB-2D4vx4DhmEaT0oXKWoH2ABwCGFOgYLq5Be4HiUpqf6n1PGok9NojdwG0FqWNOmviznpvt632Xpnneyy1lw_M8oER2M1cNMOCNZeq937YDSb/s1600/Picture+10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizSZcqYZ0n2CSUeQa3304CAMwa2U_g65GB-2D4vx4DhmEaT0oXKWoH2ABwCGFOgYLq5Be4HiUpqf6n1PGok9NojdwG0FqWNOmviznpvt632Xpnneyy1lw_M8oER2M1cNMOCNZeq937YDSb/s320/Picture+10.png" width="320" /></a></div>Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-68941849354858934822011-01-20T15:00:00.000-08:002011-01-20T15:00:06.604-08:00Kenyan Cilantro PestoWhile visiting my brother in Kenya, we made a delicious meal using cilantro as a pesto base.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLvZAggq-TZLROAl2Wy1eCa2XrFv7B4TgQD77gxMUIMoZ8CaXH1BlWkVrZY2y6DuMfZwdMts72Ln-_GY6in0m1keG_qgcwEjj5kRH3LPizIImK3H8YllWt7sSN8WXWZu0h_WuTjFE5-Zb/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLvZAggq-TZLROAl2Wy1eCa2XrFv7B4TgQD77gxMUIMoZ8CaXH1BlWkVrZY2y6DuMfZwdMts72Ln-_GY6in0m1keG_qgcwEjj5kRH3LPizIImK3H8YllWt7sSN8WXWZu0h_WuTjFE5-Zb/s320/Picture+1.png" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cilantro pesto with Penne<br />
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</tbody></table>Pesto is not hard if you are flexible. Ingredients can be changed depending on what you like. I generally use either cilantro (some know it as coriander) or basil as a base, nuts, garlic and olive oil. Traditional pesto will have cheese but I find this unnecessary with the dominant flavors of garlic and cilantro. Then it's up to you to add other flavors if you want.<br />
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1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed with the big stems taken out<br />
1 small bag roasted cashews (I used a large handful)<br />
2-3 garlic cloves, quartered<br />
olive oil, at least a couple spoonfuls<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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Optional: <br />
1 fresh hot pepper (pili pili), sliced in rounds<br />
Almonds, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts are all options instead of cashews<br />
Other spices for specific flavor pairings <br />
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All the ingredients are thrown into a small blender/food processor (thanks to Cassandra!) and mixed until they turned into a fine pulp. If you don't have a food processor you can use a mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients into a paste (and also give yourself a pat on the back because you've just done it the hard way!).<br />
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I add more oil when it seems too dry and more nuts and spices until it tastes nice. Mostly, the pesto should be able to spread around the desired pasta or gnocchi easily enough without being chunky. And that's it! I might also be so inclined to add this pesto to bread or use as a a dip for a vegetable platter.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-51482729536921498782011-01-19T16:29:00.000-08:002011-01-21T11:36:21.646-08:00Going away... then coming back.Alright everybody, it's true: I took a siesta to Africa!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxtw6IXQ3W7qRyvn59deh_4ioqvnzlokoDbw13LsbggdTBpVybYg8miLPytK8eimSw73zGafTiW46wWCYzFbR2Nj99m_jHEjYY1GLny6J3_DkUX-aiUZXg5LxaA_907ot_K5YUb8UKRzU/s1600/Picture+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxtw6IXQ3W7qRyvn59deh_4ioqvnzlokoDbw13LsbggdTBpVybYg8miLPytK8eimSw73zGafTiW46wWCYzFbR2Nj99m_jHEjYY1GLny6J3_DkUX-aiUZXg5LxaA_907ot_K5YUb8UKRzU/s400/Picture+6.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Panorama of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania<br />
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</tbody></table>But also equally true is that I am back and can't wait to start posting again. While I had high hopes (some might say too high) of posting WHILE visiting my brother Alan in Nairobi, it didn't work out because everything else was so exciting (Terrible bus rides! Malawi! Baby elephants! Swahili!). But don't just take my word for it: Take Alan's word for it from <a href="http://alaninkenya.org/">his blog</a>.<br />
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We were able to create a couple really delicious meals with our ultimate highlight being Gnocchi (store bought) with Cilantro Pesto (homemade!). But meals definitely took a back seat to having fun:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPJe2DnrNyF_d2CSey5dI-bZZBKcm6D1C4M4XYP7YEbRErfIrC4ZP255EyPL-u3f9krAp7Rm0OxQxolo25eDFZgT2Zl17jJ9Hxf9-jxM5J6y1z0fJL9GN9PBINbXsaMvzFIIyoSEQgQdX/s1600/Picture+8.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPJe2DnrNyF_d2CSey5dI-bZZBKcm6D1C4M4XYP7YEbRErfIrC4ZP255EyPL-u3f9krAp7Rm0OxQxolo25eDFZgT2Zl17jJ9Hxf9-jxM5J6y1z0fJL9GN9PBINbXsaMvzFIIyoSEQgQdX/s320/Picture+8.png" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Randi having fun on the street</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWBHPE2T-xMNlMfI7jOJb2eFHAI8pS_hDZKTCVhaOn9Tt2c4IaJXh3cj6oNKr9X8Fat9IIvHgOMNPWsmhObB23hZbbUIvFguMfQPK26GZf2-gGz328JIEQ9dvV2h8b0GyrYTxiGq873Fp/s1600/Picture+9.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWBHPE2T-xMNlMfI7jOJb2eFHAI8pS_hDZKTCVhaOn9Tt2c4IaJXh3cj6oNKr9X8Fat9IIvHgOMNPWsmhObB23hZbbUIvFguMfQPK26GZf2-gGz328JIEQ9dvV2h8b0GyrYTxiGq873Fp/s320/Picture+9.png" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alan having fun with a bus</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Stay tuned for a post on what I am now calling Kenyan Cilantro Pesto! And remember to check out Alan's blog (linked above) for witty writing, mediocre to awesome pictures of me, him, and Eastern Africa and general insight into Kenya today.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-70218374020829891422010-12-14T09:26:00.000-08:002010-12-14T09:26:11.057-08:00Breakfast sammies!A good while ago I made some breakfast sandwiches with seitan sausage, tofu "eggs" and onions on homemade bread... Then I completely forgot about them and they got lost in the maze of photos on my camera. Good thing I check before I erased everything from the memory card, because I found these great photos!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNnogL5vNl_7xFFHIY-FP3HULC3EMCC9KE-ORwVZXopfXCspyDkt6JXqIrlL8SSGY3Mo55qIb-g41UOGAVqehxG3Gc7nzbmgQN28dV9cd24SWu-GHgwQouomC9p2-FGGlJfPBWSxNeF3k/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLNnogL5vNl_7xFFHIY-FP3HULC3EMCC9KE-ORwVZXopfXCspyDkt6JXqIrlL8SSGY3Mo55qIb-g41UOGAVqehxG3Gc7nzbmgQN28dV9cd24SWu-GHgwQouomC9p2-FGGlJfPBWSxNeF3k/s320/Picture+5.png" width="320" /><a name='more'></a></a></div>The onion was sliced and cooked until soft and tranlucent. Meanwhile, the tofu was pressed, then sliced thinly and coated in a mixture of nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic and oil. Then cooked on the skillet until crispy around the edges.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KkTKNcc6Y7swqK3eSNPyApZsZBEFhsiFCz-TWurgzCh_jEwDYYEJ0-YvnaEStWqxQzdhtvpLkZ77cWgqZtLqhMT6OFzGnp8RiV-ZFSCRh0gGyZihRyiOANV4QIeBVCVr-pTKtAiePHvy/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0KkTKNcc6Y7swqK3eSNPyApZsZBEFhsiFCz-TWurgzCh_jEwDYYEJ0-YvnaEStWqxQzdhtvpLkZ77cWgqZtLqhMT6OFzGnp8RiV-ZFSCRh0gGyZihRyiOANV4QIeBVCVr-pTKtAiePHvy/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>The sausage was, again, sliced thinly, then cooked on the skillet (which already has oil in it from the tofu!) until browned. I think I put mustard on mine too, so it wasn't so dry.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ymN20D2cksiopDmOiG_PPljNyxWH1amvTFaD1_gfgMBMWyVmUKWYcS4uilmJ1zv-qm9cH64l8bdqYuLcUrvBsemtR1hh-Z95-qH1KIpED3j1rHKbuCVsXOO-sjH7uSqaRssiOPNssL6p/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ymN20D2cksiopDmOiG_PPljNyxWH1amvTFaD1_gfgMBMWyVmUKWYcS4uilmJ1zv-qm9cH64l8bdqYuLcUrvBsemtR1hh-Z95-qH1KIpED3j1rHKbuCVsXOO-sjH7uSqaRssiOPNssL6p/s320/Picture+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-84789756144702763042010-12-11T11:35:00.000-08:002010-12-11T11:35:24.507-08:00Israeli Couscous SaladIsraeli couscous is an oversized version of the "grain" you probably already know. And the mouth-feel is amazing! Truly.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiARgfcT6eun79QOjqUxKPOuhvgC5bNpJwtOStDNIR00hUD0a8m8ZfpGY2GwQj40h1rlnRiKhHz0DvFIhOanXZ4ussUkuPKioV9VBYnhPZV0N5ZRZwOE7cfYpx79kh_SpZV0PmsVAXui2K/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiARgfcT6eun79QOjqUxKPOuhvgC5bNpJwtOStDNIR00hUD0a8m8ZfpGY2GwQj40h1rlnRiKhHz0DvFIhOanXZ4ussUkuPKioV9VBYnhPZV0N5ZRZwOE7cfYpx79kh_SpZV0PmsVAXui2K/s320/Picture+3.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">It's like my mouth is at Chuck-E-Cheese in the ball cage!<a name='more'></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> <span style="font-size: small;">I use the term "grain" very loosely because it is actually more like tiny wheat pasta bits, or balls. Either way though, I think it can be interchanged with the mother of all grain/seeds, Quinoa, in any dish as long as you aren't catering to your gluten-free friends. Bree made a salad including kale, red onion, chopped almonds, apple and olive oil vinnaigrette.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Those who know me know I love things in miniature. When making this dish I discovered that the opposite is also really great: miniature things in big! Just look at them, so fun!</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWUECEXa6AYmF0mzQbsLxhbqfKwVEoSVpWJi8CBrCdGngVrFY5FDCC35krxESyKioF2I1mG8ilE-w7Oe7xjJLWOlZ1iU545Lzs-uXWxXjV9EPjShMBggLIuZmHtxOI3SCfcZGT8bK7xoY/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOWUECEXa6AYmF0mzQbsLxhbqfKwVEoSVpWJi8CBrCdGngVrFY5FDCC35krxESyKioF2I1mG8ilE-w7Oe7xjJLWOlZ1iU545Lzs-uXWxXjV9EPjShMBggLIuZmHtxOI3SCfcZGT8bK7xoY/s320/Picture+1.png" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-79925365121273577902010-12-05T14:00:00.000-08:002010-12-05T14:00:00.578-08:00Bottle GardenMiniature gardens are really, really cute!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUOGl6LXgM6M4yD-mkOJYiw96RpEifxdTeW8VpgwXkLijzbN_X5adXPof1f-2SJ9MF0tLPj5rJ0_sQPUGTBFKYXawQ2NxHp9LMaqnsHKhl2kV7aoNhBlOjffTD55Ut1T3T-iMtNlx2cew/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUOGl6LXgM6M4yD-mkOJYiw96RpEifxdTeW8VpgwXkLijzbN_X5adXPof1f-2SJ9MF0tLPj5rJ0_sQPUGTBFKYXawQ2NxHp9LMaqnsHKhl2kV7aoNhBlOjffTD55Ut1T3T-iMtNlx2cew/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Robot in the garden</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a name='more'></a>Terrariums are all the rage these days, so I decided to make my own using an old milk bottle I found years ago at a cheap thrift store. Ever the frugal person, I simply went outside and picked cute, little plants from my front yard: a tiny succulent, and even tinier weeds.</span></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLeomITAL39AY9-UMAIJIaoLVK_9UNDxUnl5S4ZvcObSvvJMfLClTsnSUID8IZzj7PfkLH4sZ0CacX-G7NVhSPUzQaM4TDakL34Ttox-ZVdK2G4VYDTLULvS0FrpuC6sNXtb_XUnw9H68/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKLeomITAL39AY9-UMAIJIaoLVK_9UNDxUnl5S4ZvcObSvvJMfLClTsnSUID8IZzj7PfkLH4sZ0CacX-G7NVhSPUzQaM4TDakL34Ttox-ZVdK2G4VYDTLULvS0FrpuC6sNXtb_XUnw9H68/s320/Picture+2.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Dried lavender, small rocks and a robot make me feel like this is a real life little world! I love to look at it!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jfUdynK-hARZ3cqLbor6h-TIWjFpZfd5wDCaoZvMyKsmBg5b0jzIg-BZEBlOVWjOUudlddIBNF_OL5he64QxD80ZXKNPn5xs468x9rsf-bHe0VbI7JRzR8FBTkOQhkrK6nWOvOZK-Xdl/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0jfUdynK-hARZ3cqLbor6h-TIWjFpZfd5wDCaoZvMyKsmBg5b0jzIg-BZEBlOVWjOUudlddIBNF_OL5he64QxD80ZXKNPn5xs468x9rsf-bHe0VbI7JRzR8FBTkOQhkrK6nWOvOZK-Xdl/s320/Picture+3.png" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">The bottom of the bottle is lined with gravel, then damp soil then plants. I didn't have any activated charcoal around (oops!) so I hope things don't get too moist and smelly. Only time will tell, I suppose.</div>Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-27915093469316768062010-12-05T10:54:00.000-08:002010-12-05T10:54:54.462-08:00Chickpea Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0_Mm_q2rXsNyNQ7jwmQBm6KNDhyphenhyphenZ7Cy-8_QfdlKRlii6MtmXkUgl1W4JpV2m9o5XuRNOcPstZzMkm8fSAqsEvymcIZipfoVk4KbclhjzlqJ0It5J8jsXsIZIelFm_BhPSl5xvZlyVjjR/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0_Mm_q2rXsNyNQ7jwmQBm6KNDhyphenhyphenZ7Cy-8_QfdlKRlii6MtmXkUgl1W4JpV2m9o5XuRNOcPstZzMkm8fSAqsEvymcIZipfoVk4KbclhjzlqJ0It5J8jsXsIZIelFm_BhPSl5xvZlyVjjR/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></div> This soup is a recipe from the Vegan Yum Yum cook book. It is mostly a tomato soup with cayenne pepper (and a few other spices) and a can of chickpeas all blended together.<br />
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Bree had a loaf of sourdough lying around and some spare <a href="http://www.daiyafoods.com/">Daiya</a> mozzarella shreds so we made grilled cheese to go with the soup. A dash of basil and pepper and this meal still has us revelling!Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-47483849902714853662010-11-30T17:22:00.000-08:002010-11-30T17:22:08.557-08:00Kale Hazelnut Lentil Soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkH_kY6EZQatCQkyUo6cUs7FzBiBxjnfbRdzuORzlS1dcwvgtmPlXyjfpzPskcmELocu1xqr3rgBklxjcXX4Q3CQaWdMpjmyUoqovFQvrN5Iu1XLPIDFTnnCKqaW7GZeT7BBoC4FBF3rT0/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkH_kY6EZQatCQkyUo6cUs7FzBiBxjnfbRdzuORzlS1dcwvgtmPlXyjfpzPskcmELocu1xqr3rgBklxjcXX4Q3CQaWdMpjmyUoqovFQvrN5Iu1XLPIDFTnnCKqaW7GZeT7BBoC4FBF3rT0/s320/Picture+2.png" width="320" /></a></div>This soup blew my mind. And it was easy. A friend made a soup using some of these ingredients and I added some more that sounded good:<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
4-6 leaves of Kale, ripped into pieces<br />
1 leek, sliced in rounds<br />
1 medium yellow onion, chopped<br />
2 med. yellow potatoes, cubed<br />
1 cup lentils<br />
2 carrots, chopped<br />
hazelnuts<br />
2 Tbsp bulk fresh herbs (sage, rosemary, thyme), diced<br />
2-4 Cups veggie broth<br />
salt and pepper, to taste<br />
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How it was made:<br />
Start by cooking 1 cup of lentils in 2 Cups veggie broth, 3 cups water in a large soup pot. All of the soup will need to fit in here, so make sure you are using a big pot). After the lentils have been cooking for around 15 minutes add in potatoes (and any spare springs of the herbs). Continue to cook until lentils and potatoes are soft.<br />
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While the lentils cook, saute carrots, onion and leek in olive oil. After they start to soften (turn translucent) add the herbs, salt and pepper, and hazelnuts. Cook for another 5-10 minutes.<br />
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Add the veggies and nuts into the lentil and potato pot. Don't forget to take out the springs of herbs if you added them in. No one wants to bite into a twig...actually, maybe some people do. You decide. Add the kale and let it soften for a minute or two. Before moving on.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kbMHLXW4-thhIxOqDuHor0d_iNHR0e8Cy-1xj63_Rqpe_UWskuoxBWu0hIU-8D7hzfWNWf_1ipJhVG_cy-xiDBaenCa6AW7r11VTRt48HY9GANmze_YaLd7zMtJ7MwXOCgVEhiidtMWs/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4kbMHLXW4-thhIxOqDuHor0d_iNHR0e8Cy-1xj63_Rqpe_UWskuoxBWu0hIU-8D7hzfWNWf_1ipJhVG_cy-xiDBaenCa6AW7r11VTRt48HY9GANmze_YaLd7zMtJ7MwXOCgVEhiidtMWs/s320/Picture+1.png" width="212" /></a></div>Now, I bet the soup can be eaten as is, but I used a hand held immersion blender to make the soup thick and more homogeneous, eliminating bigger pieces of kale, carrot and hazelnut. You could also do small batches in a blender, or food processor. I also noted that the soup was more thick than I intended, so I took the liberty of adding 1/2 cup more water. Again, you decide.<br />
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Completed with a couple slices of rustic bread, this meal is incredibly filling and very nutritious.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-75900252965550990042010-11-21T15:34:00.000-08:002010-11-21T15:34:13.880-08:00Mini Pizzas: Why choose one topping?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFxkg34tFmev2JgX1ZYaRfced966BgOyhBWuA338Dyd0HK377kKKI8FEMazjn2aQzAt0WFlOv6GGu6dALa13xe9UmNRBp2ZFCpXYeg3rMczvsn15W3mJ1qhwuUHh5f1DfqTUC83RxwxSv/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFxkg34tFmev2JgX1ZYaRfced966BgOyhBWuA338Dyd0HK377kKKI8FEMazjn2aQzAt0WFlOv6GGu6dALa13xe9UmNRBp2ZFCpXYeg3rMczvsn15W3mJ1qhwuUHh5f1DfqTUC83RxwxSv/s320/Picture+4.png" width="256" /></a></div> Delicious! But more importantly, so cute!<br />
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This started out as a regular recipe for one large pizza. Instead of one, I made 15 by dividing the dough after the first rise.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlUbG2EPEKV-CAppCDZW6HMslqN0LTWRzmmeEX_tRpw49P9-p2cqxW-4weaaRPp24Q2sGDM0bwVoSzO1FhP3DkzuoA-G7fPQByya9SbyIkZ7xOwggsfTOTaTbhpyZai_K3d3jfU9Thiau/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRlUbG2EPEKV-CAppCDZW6HMslqN0LTWRzmmeEX_tRpw49P9-p2cqxW-4weaaRPp24Q2sGDM0bwVoSzO1FhP3DkzuoA-G7fPQByya9SbyIkZ7xOwggsfTOTaTbhpyZai_K3d3jfU9Thiau/s320/Picture+2.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHoigxgQnHTx5tv6VS8dUKX9cfZqnS7W_6Ya5s9659uIIb2nncFT4v8_Ve5Ou722m1fIYOeNzoSwtg54b_v1wb40i0E6pP7ryS6GbExNUXHLkQ6NewM4xWZmIcd1Xl5jTojs-unKkUeEK/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsHoigxgQnHTx5tv6VS8dUKX9cfZqnS7W_6Ya5s9659uIIb2nncFT4v8_Ve5Ou722m1fIYOeNzoSwtg54b_v1wb40i0E6pP7ryS6GbExNUXHLkQ6NewM4xWZmIcd1Xl5jTojs-unKkUeEK/s320/Picture+3.png" width="241" /></a></div>Flavor concepts: Basil tomato, onion, on a garlic olive oil base. And pear, carmelized onion with a rosemary olive oil base (Not including that weird one in the back of the above photo. I was getting ride of spare toppings by that time).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnSARBd2DkiFBGv7EcA099X3BmEHKaV2csOSdUZ_ubybsk6l6x_LsYKmVJiQr25K05IyV3-FGCkw9ecxgSbBt1c75l5wgl4oQd5VtjvTu2oztqYCgO0X_cZCv2Uv0u2oX_8758NMaE9TH/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnSARBd2DkiFBGv7EcA099X3BmEHKaV2csOSdUZ_ubybsk6l6x_LsYKmVJiQr25K05IyV3-FGCkw9ecxgSbBt1c75l5wgl4oQd5VtjvTu2oztqYCgO0X_cZCv2Uv0u2oX_8758NMaE9TH/s320/Picture+5.png" width="320" /></a></div>The picture above is blurry, but I like it!Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-85393912314347008652010-11-17T14:35:00.000-08:002010-11-17T14:37:14.808-08:00Skillet fajitas, Skillet 911These days I feel like a winner. I just got a cast iron skillet, and guys, it's really amazing. It grills, it sautes, it bakes. Really great.* <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSu8Qfw3M8siXABAWofAiSHNjJ2pXyczVlAYGbYIAW_4AF2qQIZBS2zQhmn_NjeADt94BvZgBR8vrH-U7hhB_wozaFHO7zZy1R8RbCjeakxzi9GiSQHnner7rmc8dBj6skV8qG8vDgY8Sc/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSu8Qfw3M8siXABAWofAiSHNjJ2pXyczVlAYGbYIAW_4AF2qQIZBS2zQhmn_NjeADt94BvZgBR8vrH-U7hhB_wozaFHO7zZy1R8RbCjeakxzi9GiSQHnner7rmc8dBj6skV8qG8vDgY8Sc/s320/Picture+2.png" width="247" /></a></div><br />
<a name='more'></a>I made grilled onion and seitan fajitas with black beans and jalapenos. The seitan was great, but not by me. The secret is in the skillet! (Congrats to the red dinosaur for making an appearance)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvti-i7rkpqTmAWnmEHlPzsDwQwfL0H1MZBDzEXFtRCgibMf84RMmZgODrAJscbHUQHLh2sflnQhI6ZxIPMf8AdD3_HWbFhKYLaj1toCZzX6fw1QOtjZ1jb6uoBfOR2W_V9KAQNV17GEY/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwvti-i7rkpqTmAWnmEHlPzsDwQwfL0H1MZBDzEXFtRCgibMf84RMmZgODrAJscbHUQHLh2sflnQhI6ZxIPMf8AdD3_HWbFhKYLaj1toCZzX6fw1QOtjZ1jb6uoBfOR2W_V9KAQNV17GEY/s320/Picture+5.png" width="320" /></a></div>*Update: I almost ruined the skillet, y'all. For all my care and caution, I nearly cooked the season right of out this skillet by forgetting it on the stove, an event which suggests some character flaws that I don't want to admit. BUT, my door has been opened to the world of re-seasoning skillets with heat and oil. And I'm totes making lemonade out of this lemon.<br />
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I scrubbed off the gray soot that covered it and rinsed it out with water. Then evenly spread veggie oil over the surface and placed it in the oven on low heat (250-300) for a bit to let the oil set, maybe an hour. Presto! Beautiful again. Phew. Now I want to go to the Goodwill and find more skillets to re-season and claim as mine.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-68851461119592354772010-11-17T14:20:00.000-08:002010-11-17T14:20:25.420-08:00Apple Sausage DogsThese weren't your normal hot dogs!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16vwVPP6bPd8t5w48dNwRwYGBmTT2amuZP3Zx-XvTZnraNOVNTcU4HwJjVI1l34bXww5YkbdUe22Ca2CNPoZ8Rnn5J7e-k11X1cvxj9QWPaIJorWkvx3fmZ8lnEsJGPILdLgz8ypeNfMI/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16vwVPP6bPd8t5w48dNwRwYGBmTT2amuZP3Zx-XvTZnraNOVNTcU4HwJjVI1l34bXww5YkbdUe22Ca2CNPoZ8Rnn5J7e-k11X1cvxj9QWPaIJorWkvx3fmZ8lnEsJGPILdLgz8ypeNfMI/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>Homemade pickles turned into homemade relish for these hot dogs with Smoked Apple Sage sausages.<br />
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The strong flavor of the sausages still tasted nice with your average hotdog fixings. The seitan sausages were made from a couple combined recipes found by searching the internet with "smoked apple sage seitan sausage". I've made them before; they look like <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgja-8_kyfeDCIuAr1oZPNvKT_ET0vaqQveY_LzqJllhz65XNGO8GdL7rFU36tk5X1-qKUbfAIeEyq9zyyG35TjvySEcfZEdx2bP1lTHfaysTMM2fQSkNxtevd7vO4JV0E2x8moZX4nfgoc/s1600-h/Picture+2.png">this</a>.<br />
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The relish was actually just diced dill pickles, jarred <a href="http://underemployedrandi.blogspot.com/2010/10/pickling-vegetables.html">some weeks ago</a>. Next time I will dice in some red onion with the pickles. I also think a sweet relish would be nice to go along with the apple sausage.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-264539925773577062010-10-30T10:54:00.000-07:002010-10-30T10:54:39.084-07:00Metal or Glass?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWEKOEHA5N6n2zDrb3mPsbNRxFMWgGXGiVrlM1BKRaBIiACu_ajukrBeXge9BiUfm_-e00GV8M7I0TR8xEUXYKS_rWM3GuVwOQG-ahgAaepAZJKO2G9W1OiQt_Uf6Hhc-IZpx1ViaS2u5/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWEKOEHA5N6n2zDrb3mPsbNRxFMWgGXGiVrlM1BKRaBIiACu_ajukrBeXge9BiUfm_-e00GV8M7I0TR8xEUXYKS_rWM3GuVwOQG-ahgAaepAZJKO2G9W1OiQt_Uf6Hhc-IZpx1ViaS2u5/s320/Picture+4.png" width="320" /></a></div> I have made my last two loaves of bread in a metal pan and I wanted to see if I can see a difference in how the bread turns out when cooking in glass. Here is the run-down: Glass absorbs heat and retains it more than metal (cooking your dish quicker, browning more), so the oven should be set for 25 degrees F lower than with a metal pan. Also, baked items tend to stick more to glass bakeware...<br />
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<a name='more'></a>But talking about it is boring. I made a flax loaf in my pyrex dish:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85K-TV407jy40sGPq8RAV_dj7usenTqMrnYv8qMIobsb0sJBmHreqJITtoCeC1giM0lUJWO2lb7U8P6ouRMeqztnf6M1ynv8LkXWFG_Uawtoy2vFDaKVQaYpnQHl61xltLApTY7OcPLZB/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg85K-TV407jy40sGPq8RAV_dj7usenTqMrnYv8qMIobsb0sJBmHreqJITtoCeC1giM0lUJWO2lb7U8P6ouRMeqztnf6M1ynv8LkXWFG_Uawtoy2vFDaKVQaYpnQHl61xltLApTY7OcPLZB/s200/Picture+3.png" width="146" /></a></div><div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel2k_6-uh2Xtm6RTLdTsqKpSFCkZxFFAX71NzhXUmF8aw-oGr14nIQau14gyP-261RWt8t47MERJUVBMg3CqLV-NtavNl-COS_Kan0TvSDObwUlsqycZHfwgi9s3XXKH0eN4fdVIX1S6o/s200/Picture+5.png" width="148" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel2k_6-uh2Xtm6RTLdTsqKpSFCkZxFFAX71NzhXUmF8aw-oGr14nIQau14gyP-261RWt8t47MERJUVBMg3CqLV-NtavNl-COS_Kan0TvSDObwUlsqycZHfwgi9s3XXKH0eN4fdVIX1S6o/s1600/Picture+5.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nVrgnus39e1KQB679X_j8WgCuLICYPTpINGJ1a4-_Py7-QAINQvLGeqGtf4rm2iuDFnc_0z2UnJTsbvLOjZxIn_VaW1QvOUzU044ep3iyDfkR_CzKotSy0MvsSbWqrOF0wVwPSqggA2M/s1600/Picture+2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8nVrgnus39e1KQB679X_j8WgCuLICYPTpINGJ1a4-_Py7-QAINQvLGeqGtf4rm2iuDFnc_0z2UnJTsbvLOjZxIn_VaW1QvOUzU044ep3iyDfkR_CzKotSy0MvsSbWqrOF0wVwPSqggA2M/s200/Picture+2.png" width="148" /></a></div> The verdict? It was kinda hard to get the bread loose from the pyrex, even though it was well greased! But the crust is really nice and brown and I think I would still use either pan.Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3948296170172682707.post-71723724162698831732010-10-20T16:16:00.000-07:002010-10-20T16:16:00.668-07:00Pickles, part 2Some photos surfaced of the original pickling process as well as the finished product. Without the cucumbers in them, them mason jars looks like terrariums!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFhs-cMMJWC_9hsobi211PRsYf2kFyRehyphenhyphenKgWbN9cVQ2aOvqDTEZ3Tkga4R_PS9NBAwZVLVDR1jOqR_NnDCJR3PhUjj0uJboxvB1bmNuwwqZnldKKHyxteEmkQfzkc6yykwP3CkMHggli/s1600/Picture+4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFhs-cMMJWC_9hsobi211PRsYf2kFyRehyphenhyphenKgWbN9cVQ2aOvqDTEZ3Tkga4R_PS9NBAwZVLVDR1jOqR_NnDCJR3PhUjj0uJboxvB1bmNuwwqZnldKKHyxteEmkQfzkc6yykwP3CkMHggli/s320/Picture+4.png" width="261" /><a name='more'></a></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwxlInld1dZa3NrJ1G-ExRtskVZV3AJmSeQ-UObjdsUxEsJAEPuD4hyrlH0R-CiqiUUuki9vcVUsa8FbYnxQ3PVKKzEUPXBpSJCnYbQfniAn7SDO8yEpo1jaK1Hf-ayKRsFm7w_4qvmks/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwxlInld1dZa3NrJ1G-ExRtskVZV3AJmSeQ-UObjdsUxEsJAEPuD4hyrlH0R-CiqiUUuki9vcVUsa8FbYnxQ3PVKKzEUPXBpSJCnYbQfniAn7SDO8yEpo1jaK1Hf-ayKRsFm7w_4qvmks/s320/Picture+1.png" width="320" /></a><br />
Next time, more dill will be used to cut the spice of all the peppers.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARm-mGZivr_kcV21FMlV67GX8fzMYkG3uQcqEH5V70tvButzhpOoJz3pGsJZ3zIeOCznAEH507iBbwhenl-T-cRky2qFA-AU0unLkGXiOsrkYuMwmnJ81SlJoxXM9e8DUb-Ste1-HdTPk/s1600/Picture+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARm-mGZivr_kcV21FMlV67GX8fzMYkG3uQcqEH5V70tvButzhpOoJz3pGsJZ3zIeOCznAEH507iBbwhenl-T-cRky2qFA-AU0unLkGXiOsrkYuMwmnJ81SlJoxXM9e8DUb-Ste1-HdTPk/s320/Picture+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>And, here, a deli sandwhich with the dill pickles on homemade whole wheat flax bread:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAhQ9OJMSWgW9sWwjhlM5EzqozzFr9FsrOn3dAPmd_baLHf6KlAuhomhCDi6gdOfmIZ8lHJD9_AiAs4YVxRz_zh5P8H4PTbkFJsx0ClhnMa5PsWY2HmFl1SaCS6esEcvi50PolthrEEkc/s1600/sammy2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeAhQ9OJMSWgW9sWwjhlM5EzqozzFr9FsrOn3dAPmd_baLHf6KlAuhomhCDi6gdOfmIZ8lHJD9_AiAs4YVxRz_zh5P8H4PTbkFJsx0ClhnMa5PsWY2HmFl1SaCS6esEcvi50PolthrEEkc/s320/sammy2.png" width="320" /></a></div>Randihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12801290517576851406noreply@blogger.com0