Veganomicon

I have no plans to give up eating meat, let alone become a vegan, but if I did the new cookbook we picked up in Boston, Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook, would be the guide to do it with. I had read about it elsewhere, but when I picked it up in the bookstore so many recipes stood out that I broke the three book rule Bob and I had made for ourselves. (We were in Cambridge, our apartment was in the North End, and we still planned on being tourists around town, so we imposed a rule on ourselves in order to avoid lugging a ton of books around. Of course, we both bought more books than were allotted, then I had a brilliant idea to just take the T all the way to the JFK Library and Museum since it was on the same line forgetting that you also need to take a bus to the museum. Then, the museum didn't have a coat/bag check, so we ended up lugging a ton of books around, rules and brilliant ideas notwithstanding).

So tempting were the recipes that most of the drive home was spent with me quietly flipping through the book, then shouting out, "Acorn Squash and Black Bean Empanadas!," "French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme!," "Eggplant Potato Moussaka with Pine Nut Cream!," "Pumpkin Baked Ziti with Caramalized Onions!," and on and on. We even had to stop at the grocery store on our way into town for ingredients for dinner that night.

So far, in the week and a half that we've had the book, we've made Grilled Yuca Tortillas, Curried Carrot Dip, Sun-Dried Tomato Dip, Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing, Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango, Pineapple Cashew Quinoa Stir-Fry, Potato and Kale Enchiladas, and Curried Udon Noodle Stir-Fry. All the dishes have been healthy and fresh and tasty and a few will make it into the regular rotation (in particular both stir-fries and the enchiladas). And while I'm not quite ready to join the vegan revolution, I might attend a rally or two in support of the cause.

Curried Carrot Dip
from Veganomicon
This dip is great simply spread on crackers or pita, but we ate most of it in sandwiches. Spread some on a tortilla, throw in some veggies and avacado, roll it up and enjoy.

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds (salted or unsalted are ok, just adjust the amount of salt later)
2 tsp grapeseed or other vegetable oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbl fresh lemon juice

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Boil the carrots for 7-10 minutes until soft. Drain and let cool just until they are no longer steaming.
2. Place the sunflower seeds in a blender or food processor and process into crumbs.
3. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor as you go.
4. Taste for salt and adjust the spices and lemon. Transfer to a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use (at least 30 minutes).

A Tale of Two Biscottis (or Aw, Nuts)

A small group of friends and I get together every week or so to knit. Sometimes we go to a coffee shop and sometimes we meet at one another's houses. Last week I offered to host and the host usually bakes some kind of cookie or cake and we drink tea, and eat dessert and knit. All this sounds very sweet and dainty, which it isn't at all, ever, but especially not these days since we just finished up our contribution to this project.
Back to the food. The baking is a little more challenging of late as one friend has a small list of foods she can't eat while she's breastfeeding -- dairy, nuts and soy. Since she can have eggs it's really not so hard, sort of like vegan baking but without having to use the weird powdered egg substitute. Plus, it's an interesting challenge, makes me think even more that I already do about what I'm making, and reminds me how lucky I am to never have been allergic to anything (knock on wood).
As I started to think of what to bake, one of the first (usually) dairy-free sweets that came to mind was biscotti. I browsed and browsed Epicurious for a recipe, and clicking link after link, every time thinking I'd just found the perfect thing, only to be dissuaded by the negative comments (future blog post idea: "Comments: Culinary god-send or Curse"). I finally stumbled upon a Ginger Almond Biscotti that sounded perfect and set about whipping them up. Just as I was spreading them out on the pan and patting myself on the back for coming up with something so delicious and dairy-free, I remembered that almonds are nuts, and Megan can't have nuts. Never fear, though, I was a good hostess and made a second batch of biscotti. This time with my trusty and well-tested chocolate hazelnut recipe, subbing dried cherries for the nuts.


Chocolate Cherry Biscotti*
Both the biscotti were delicious, and for the two of us that could eat both, one of us voted for the ginger and the other for the chocolate. Either way, the recipes are incredibly simple, even with the fact that the cookies need to be baked twice. Plus, biscotti will keep for up to two weeks in an airtight container, so next time I might just make both on purpose.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
Oil a long-ish baking sheet

2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tbl coffee (I just use whatever's left in my coffee pot from the morning, but I think the original recipe called for mixing 1 tbl hot water with 2 tsp instant coffee. It might give you a stronger coffee flavor if you like that.)
1/3 cup dried cherries (or chopped hazelnuts)

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon.
2. Beat eggs and add to the dry mixture.
3. Stir in coffee and cherries, mixing until dough is wet and smooth. This takes a little work to do by hand, but a wooden spoon works nicely. It will be very thick, but it will all come together.
4. On the baking sheet, shape the dough into two long logs, about 8 inches long and 3 inches wide. Bake the logs for 25-30 minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 325. Cut the log on a diagonal and return slices to the baking sheet, laying them on their side. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool on a rack and enjoy dipped in coffee or tea.

*I have no idea where this recipe is from. It's been on a small scrap of paper with my cookbooks for the last 8 years or so. How it's managed not to get lost from Boston to Chicago to Seattle to Syracuse is a mystery. Luckily, it now lives on Google's servers.

Spring Has Sprung...

... well, at least it has in our kitchen. There is a slight chance of snow this coming weekend, but last Sunday was the perfect spring day. To commemorate the season, we got up early and went looking for the elusive peregrine falcon at a bird refuge about 30 minutes from Syracuse. We saw a few osprey, no falcon, but heading out of town for a Sunday drive along the two lane highways outside Syracuse was a great way to start spring. To continue the celebration, we made the Spring Vegetable Risotto and Poached Salmon from this month's Cook's Illustrated for dinner after we returned home.

Spring Vegetable Risotto

I haven't made risotto that often, and still haven't really since Bob took over after step 3, but I've found the Cook's Illustrated techniques to be spot on. And the leftovers are delicious as well -- not quite as silky and creamy as the night of, but a satisfying and warming lunch. Also, while the Gremolata definitely adds a fresh note to the dish, I'd say it's optional. Even though I had saved it I found I wasn't remembering to put it on the leftovers.


Gremolata
2 tbl. minced, fresh parsley, stems reserved
2 tbl. minced, fresh mint leaves, stems reserved
1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Risotto
1 lb. asparagus, tough ends snapped off and reserved, cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
2 medium leeks, 2 cups chopped dark greens reserved, white and light green parts halved lengthwise and sliced thin
4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
5 tbl. unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1. Combine all the gremolata ingredients and set aside.
2. Place reserved leek greens, asparagus ends, parsley and mint stems, broth and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low, partially cover and simmer 20 minutes. Strain broth through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, then return to sauce pan, cover and set over low heat to keep warm.
3. Heat 1 tbl butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add asparagus spears and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add peas and continue to cook 1 minute. Transfer vegetables to a place and reserve for later.
4. Melt 3 tbl butter in the same Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leeks, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are soft, about 5 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently, until grains are translucent around the edge, about 3 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently until fully absorbed, 2-3 minutes.
5. When wine is fully absorbed, add 3 cups hot broth to the rice. Simmer, stirring every 3 to 4 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and the bottom of the pan is almost dry, about 12 minutes.
6. Stir in a 1/2 cup hot broth and cook, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 3 minutes; repeat with additional broth about 3 or 4 times until rice is al dente. Off heat, stir in remaining tbl. butter, Parmesan and lemon juice. Gently fold in reserved asparagus and peas. Serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with gremolata.