Thirsty Thursday ~Margarita~

Thank you, Jojo, for the last minute inspiration!

Looking for that special touch to make your margaritas stand out?  I have found the ultimate secret:  three (3) to four (4) dashes a grapefruit bitters per serving, and prepare to fall in love.  

As you can see, there is no salt on my rim, you don't need it.  The grapefruit bitters give it that special something that, I think, beats a salted rim any day.  I bought the Fee Brothers bitters at a gourmet grocer up in Boston this past Spring, and this had been my favorite use for them so far:

I am bad with measuring my cocktails (I reserve that for my better-half), but if I WERE to measure, it would go something like this:

MARGARITA

2 oz Tequila Blanco

1 oz Triple Sec

3-4 dashes grapefruit bitters

3/4 oz fresh lime juice

1 tsp agave

lime or orange slice (or both) to garnish

If you are fancy, you can use a Boston shaker to mix the ingredients above with ice, and then strain.  I am not fancy, and prefer to pour everything over ice cubes in an Old Fashioned glass, and stir with one of my rainbow swizzle sticks.

As you may notice, there is no sour, acid-reflux, pre-made bottled margaritas here. In our house, we like to use freshly squeezed limes, or make our mix from scratch.  I mentioned in an earlier post that I helped test recipes from Joni Marie Newman's book, Vegan Food Gifts.  I haev to say, she has one FANTASTIC recipe for home made margarita mix, using fresh limes, oranges, and agave.  Do you self a favor and try it out!  If Google books is behaving, I believe you can get a sneak peek of the mixture here.  Let me know what you think ^_^

Raspberry Berry-Banana Smoothie

After yesterday's post, I thought I might give you something a bit more light and refreshing:

Raspberry, Berry-Banana Smoothie

1 cup raspberries 

1 cup strawberries

1 frozen banana

2 cups almond or soy milk

1 tbsp chia seeds

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Serves 2

*Please note, the awesome swatch from Isa, a souvenir from her iPhone photography class at Vida Vegan Con ^_^

Recipe Urban Legends (Facebook Edition) ~Crack Potatoes~

For those of you on Facebook, I am sure you have seen a few of these "reposts" sneak through your feed from time to time...  I call them Recipe Urban Legends, because they are usually posted with such a sense of urgency, while shrouded in awe and mystery:

~Finally!! I FOUND it! DONT want to lose this again - DON'T be like me! SHARE to save this on your wall!! You won't believe it!!!!!!
NO FLOUR, NO OIL, NO WHITE SUGAR
**SHARE so it will save in your timeline**
✔ Like ✔ “Share” ✔ Tag ✔ Comment ✔ Repost ✔Follow me
To SAVE this , be sure to click SHARE so it will store on your personal page.
SHARE THIS TO YOUR WALL AND U WILL ALWAYS BE ABLE TO FIND IT!! 

Of course, I have yet to see a vegan one.  Maybe they exist.  Who knows? For the most part these recipes are something along the lines of: bacon, ranch, crescent roll, buffalo, biscuit, cheesy, chicken, 1-dish crockpot, casserole. Most of the time, I think to myself, EW who on EARTH would eat this, or better yet, make it for family or guests?  But then sometimes I think, "well, if you swap out a couple things... this could make one fine vegan dish..."

So, for those of you who do not know, I am in my most busiest time at work: University back-to-school.  Think: 12 hour days, six days a week, some pretty intense overtime pay, and hardly a moment to put together a decent, healthy meal.  And, then there is Vegan mofo on top of all that...  

So, as I gazed at 6 lonely potatoes sitting in a bowl on my counter, as well as a lovely sample of Wayfare whole grain bacon-y bits from Vida Vegan Con:

a recipe "urban legend" that passed through my Facebook feed earlier that day came to mind:  

CRACK POTATOES.  The name says it all... or does it?

Either way, I had everything on hand, including leftover vegan ranch dressing that I made up from Joni's mix in Vegan Food Gifts (great book, I tested recipes for it ~ check it out)!

Crack Potatoes - Vegan Style!

*Now, this recipe has been shared up, down, and all over Facebook, but, to give credit where credit is due, the original post and recipe I used is here.  (Apparently, there is a Crack Dip, too...)

Ingredients

• 3 lb potatoes, washed and cubed

• 4 Tbsp, butter Earth Balance (I used half this and it was STILL too much. 1T at the most)

• 1/4 c. Real Bacon Bits Wayfare Vegan Bacon-y Bits

• 1/4 c. ranch dressing

• 1/2 c. cheese Daiya Cheddar shreds

Instructions

1. Put potatoes in an 8x8 in glass dish. Put butter on top of potatoes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle bacon bit on top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.

2. Take potatoes out of oven and top with ranch dressing and cheese. Stir. Put back in oven until cheese is melted.

Before baking

Ya know, these weren't half-bad. Not quite the level of "crack" I was expecting, but not too shabby either. I would definitely cut the Earth Balance way back next time, and maybe sprinkle the potatoes with the dried ranch seasoning mix instead. My vegan ranch separated from the heat of the oven before the cheese was melted.

So, you all may be the judge, and I am curious your thoughts:  Just because a recipe CAN be veganized, should it? ^_^

Vegan Parmesan - A Perfect Addition to any Pasta Dish

Photo by Sharon123 @Food.com

Many vegetarians resist making the transition to veganism, finding it hardest to give up CHEESE. If I had a dollar for every time I've heard: "I could totally be vegan... except I could NEVER NOT HAVE CHEEEEESE", which is then usually followed by emphatic nods from everyone within earshot.

Well, fear not, my on-the fence friends! I'll let you in on a secret: Sometimes it's okay just to leave the cheese off.  But, for those times when it's not, you can give this quick and easy recipe a go:

Vegan Parmesan

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw slivered almonds
• 3-4 TBSP Nutritional Yeast (what is this)?
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest, optional

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into a blender, or (clean) coffee grinder, and pulse until almonds turn into tiny crumbs.  That's it!

Keep leftovers in a sealed container in your fridge to have on hand for impromptu pasta nights.  I have to say, this version of grated parmesan comes pretty darn close to that nutty, salty bite that grated parmesan, or other hard cheeses give to a dish of pasta. This recipe is great too, because you can make it in seconds right in you kitchen, instead of shelling out 3 times as much for the pre-made shakers of vegan grated cheese they sell in supermarkets or online.

Photo by Chef Prose @Food.com

Risotto Agli Asparagi e Limone ~ Lemon Garlic & Asparagus Risotto

Today's blog post is inspired by Sapori di Roma, or Flavors of Rome.

In Fall 2012, my parents spent the semester living in Rome, Italy, while my father taught a course for the Center for Theology and Religious Studies global campus.  My birthday happened to fall during their stay, and to commemorate me turning the big 4-0, my mom sent me a care package that would make any cook weep for joy:

Believe me, I am enjoying every bit of these ingredients.  So today, I would like to pay particular attention to the lovely packet in the far right foreground of Risotto. Deliciously creamy arborio rice straight from the mother land, flavored in a packet with bits of garlic and asparagus, aptly labeled: Sapori di Roma

Now, I knew I wanted to incorporate some fresh asparagus into the dish, because even though they were from Italy, the little dehydrated bits of "asparagi" that came in the package looked a bit tired.

I decided I would bust out my Le Creuset grill pan and grill some fresh asparagus. Since we don't eat meat in our house, this doesn't get used that often, so it is nice to give it some "love" every now and again.

Grilled Asparagus with Lemon

1 pound large asparagus, trimmed
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• Preheat the grill to medium.
• In a shallow baking dish, toss the asparagus with the oil to coat. Add the salt, and pepper and toss.
• Place the asparagus on the grill pan in a single layer, and cook, turning every 5 minutes, until marked and tender, about 15 minutes. 
• Transfer to a cutting board, sprinkle with the lemon juice. 
• Cut into 1 inch bite sized pieces and set aside. 

Now, on to the risotto:

Although I have watched it being prepared many times on countless Food Network shows, I have never actually made risotto.  But seriously, I knew I was ready.  Plus, the Arborio rice straight from the heart of Italy gave me the inspiration to conquer this dish.  So here we go:

Risotto Agli Asparagi e Limone ~ Lemon Garlic & Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients:

6 cups vegetable stock

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup Arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, grilled, stalks cut into 1-inch pieces

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus more for garnish

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup nutritional yeast, or more to taste - or

1/2 cup of home made vegan parmesan (will post my recipe tomorrow)!

Directions:

1.  Bring stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan.

2.  Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in another saucepan. 

3.  Cook onion, stirring frequently, until soft, about 6 to 7 minutes. 

4.  Add rice, cook, stirring, until edges are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. 

5.  Add wine; cook, stirring, just until evaporated.

6.  Add 1/2 cup hot stock; cook, stirring, until almost absorbed. 

7.  Continue adding 1/2 cup stock in this manner until liquid is creamy and rice is al dente, about 25-30 minutes total (you may not need to add all the stock). 

8.  Add the grilled asparagus with the last addition of stock, reserving about half of the tops for garnish.

9.  Turn off the heat and stir in lemon zest and juice, nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. 

10. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Bursting with Summer Sweetness

Shartner Farm, here in Exeter, RI has "Pick your own Blueberries" during the Summer months.  Aren't they just beautiful?!  And they taste utterly fantastic.  I see a pie in my future, or maybe a Blueberry Buckle Cake from Vegan Pie in the Sky!

For the moment, a breakfast smoothie will have to do...

Blueberry Peach Summer Fruit Smoothie

(For two)

2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

2 ripe peaches, sliced

2 bananas (1 of mine was frozen)

1-1/2 cups unsweetened soy or almond milk

1-2 kale leaves

1 tbsp chia seeds

Combine fruit, kale and milk in a blender and process until smooth and kale leaves are blended.

Add chia seeds and blend one more time.

Enjoy your Purple-y goodness!! ;)))

Classic Tabbouleh - An Atypical Salad for the 4th of July

"Because nothing screams 'Fourth of July' like a big bowl of fresh, Middle Eastern parsley and grain salad..." ~My co-worker's reaction when I told her what I was planning to bring to a Fourth of July cookout.

But, I did not let that discourage me. While the rest of America was feasting of burgers, dogs, pulled pork and sausages, I had something else in mind. I was asked to bring something fresh and healthy to L's co-worker's family cook-out, to balance out meat-centric fare that was going to be served.  L mentioned something along the lines of a grain salad, so I thought this would be a great choice.



Several years ago, I attended a Vegetarian Cooking class over at Johnson & Wales University Culinary School.  This Classic Tabbouleh recipe was one of my hands-down favorites of the day.  I have never made Tabbouleh any other way since.  For this batch, I decided to add a 28 oz can of chickpeas, which I roasted for about 25-30 minutes with some olive oil and Greek rub (oregano, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon peel).

Classic Tabbouleh

Total Time: 30 mins

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Serves 10 

1 1/2 cups bulgur wheat

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cups vegetable stock, boiling

1/2 cup scallion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups flat leaf parsley, chopped

3/4 cup mint leaf, chopped

4 tomatoes, diced

1 seedless European cucumber, diced

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Mix bulgar wheat and 1 tbsp olive oil in a bowl.

2.  Pour boiling stock over, cover and let stand for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.

3.  Not all broth will be absorbed, so please drain bulgur well in a strainer.

4.  Toss rehydrated bulgar with remaining ingredients and remaining olive oil.

5.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

The results:  A big hit, and both the host and her good friend asked to take home leftovers, something that always makes me smile!

And there was even enough for lunch the next day!