Vegetarian

Brie quesadillas

By in family, quick, Vegetarian 1 Comment

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This week we accidentally stumbled upon brie quesadillas (top left) when we ran out of cheddar. Shane and I devoured them and wondered why brie quesadillas are not a thing. The kids were happy with cheddar, and for once we didn’t suggest they try something new because that would have meant fewer for us.

If you take one thing away from this week’s post, it’s brie quesadillas. They add a little pizzaz to a quick last minute meal (that may or may not have been given any forethought). Go ahead and make some while you still can—before a certain someone bans brie and tortillas for being un-American.

In other dinner news (clockwise from top right) 1. Linguine with Arugula, Pecorino and Pepper is something that kids are often uncharacteristically willing to eat despite all the green. 2. More brie for me on the night I fed them chicken. 3. Arugula salad with chili-lime roasted sweet potatoes, balsamic dressing and feta. And not to be left out, probably our all-time favorite dinner: Shane’s pizza (below).

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A regular old weeknight post

By in quick, Vegetarian

Vegetarian optionIt’s been so, so long since I did a regular, non-special occasion, weeknight post. This kind of breaks my heart because the whole point of this blog was dinner, every night. We still eat together, I just don’t have time to post. I feel like I’ve said that before.

Tonight was inspiring. Everyone was sitting down at the table (sort of). Everyone (except Sid) was eating. It was (almost) perfect. It was delicious, because it was Better Miso Glazed Salmon (which I don’t eat).

Vegetarians do not despair! It was also baked tofu (recipe below) with some of the butter-miso sauce put aside before it went on the salmon. Add to that roasted carrots, roasted little potatoes, salad and I’m hooked.

• Baked Tofu •

Ingredients:
1 package extra firm tofu
a few glugs of peanut oil
salt

Press tofu between several layers of paper (or clean cloth) towels, weigh down with a cast iron skillet or something else heavy for 1/2 hour or so until a lot of the water has been squeezed out. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut tofu into 1″ squares and toss with olive oil and salt, be generous!

Lay tofu squares out on a foil or parchment lined baking sheet – separate them so they’re not touching. Bake for about 20 minutes or until starting to become golden but not firm (they firm up after the come out of the oven). Remove from oven and let sit for a moment or two. Serve with your favorite tasty sauce (such as butter-miso sauce)

Oh, and here’s that salmon:

Salmon

 

Vegetarian chicken cacciatore (and regular chicken cacciatore)

By in quick, Vegetarian

veggie_chicken_cacciatoreOh hey there! It’s been a long, long while hasn’t it? We don’t have room for The Light in our tiny temporary basement apartment, but we added a new lamp in the kitchen so now I can take semi-decent pictures of dinner that don’t look all gross and flourescenty.

Shane and I recently became weary of our months-long, and very steady rotation of beans & quesadillas, penne alla vodka and pasta with Marcella’s famous sauce for dinner. He mixed things up when he had a week off of work, bringing recipes out of retirement and adding some new things to the mix from a cookbook Rose got him at a yard sale.

I was inspired to do the same with dinner tonight. There were a lot of mushrooms in the fridge so I resurrected easy chicken cacciatore, and while I was at it made vegetarian chicken cacciatore—aka white beans with garlic, rosemary and tomatoes—for myself. Rose said the chicken was amazing, especially the “soup.”

The chicken seemed like it would have been nice with some crusty bread or rice or pasta. The beans were just right with a side of roasted eggplant. chicken_cacciatore

Oh Shakshuka

By in Vegetarian

We really love Shakshuka around here, ever since we finally decided to try it.

Since the sauce is really the only time-consuming part of the recipe—the onions cook for an hour—my mom had the brilliant idea to cook up a few batches and freeze them so that we can whip up a quick Shakshuka whenever we want.

We use the recipe from Dash & Bella with a few modifications. We cut down on the spice for the kids and I’m pretty sure my mom just roasts the garlic in the oven for the confit. (I’m not sure if it’s still considered a confit that way but it works.) Here it is, gooey yolk and all.

 

African peanut soup with sriracha – vegan!

By in Vegan, Vegetarian

PeanutSoupOne of the reasons I hardly post anymore—aside from the full time job, long commute and second kid—is that the lighting around here stinks for food photography. It’s perfectly nice overhead lighting but makes our meals look all orangey and gross.

I thought maybe my mad Photoshop skills were somehow lacking in the one area needed to get our meals not to look awful, and then I read this article and was vindicated. It’s not me, it’s the lighting!

Long story short, I’m working on the lighting. In the mean time, here’s a this totally amazing vegan peanut soup that my sister made for everyone on Thursday, which I took a picture of in glorious daylight, when I ate the leftovers for lunch.

Did I tell you my sister and brother in law moved in with us? We now have 6 adults, 2 kids and 5 cats living together in my parents’ house. It’s awesome, really.

Back to the soup. It’s thick, delicious, hearty and vegan. Full of creamy tomatoey goodness, collard greens, peanuts, served over rice and topped with Sriracha. How can you go wrong?

Anna served it with a rotisserie chicken (for Rose and the lads) and a nice cool cucumber salad. We all agreed it would be a great make-ahead.

• West African Peanut Soup •
from Cookie and Kate

6 cups vegetable broth
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 bunch collard greens (or kale), ribs removed and leaves chopped into 1-inch strips
¾ cup natural peanut butter*
½ cup tomato paste*
Sriracha 
¼ cup roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish

In a medium Dutch oven or stock pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

In a medium-sized, heat-safe mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste, then transfer 1 to 2 cups of the hot stock to the bowl. Whisk the mixture together until smooth, then pour the peanut mixture back into the soup and mix well. Stir in the collard greens and season the soup with hot sauce to taste. Simmer for about 15 more minutes on medium-low heat, stirring often. Serve over rice if you’d like, and top with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts.

* Add more peanut butter and tomato paste if you want it thicker

In which I get flack for serving “too much soup and vegetarian food”

By in picky eaters, Vegetarian 4 Comments

Potato&Leek_Soup_Vegetarian_IMG_0190Here’s how things went tonight, when I served potato and leek soup:

Rose: I DON’T LIKE THIS SOUP!!!
Me: Then you can have bread and butter, and zucchini. I think the soup is really good. Shane, what do you think?
Shane: The soup is really good.

(1o minutes elapse during which Shane doesn’t appear to be eating his soup, at all)

Me: Shane, do you really like the soup or were you just saying that.
Shane: The soup is good, it’s just that soup isn’t really my cup of tea.
Me: I know, but I thought you might like it because it’s potato based.
Shane: Because I’m Irish? That’s like going to Ireland and having someone assume you like big hamburgers.
Me: Actually, I thought you might like it because you like potatoes.
Shane: I like sausage soup… and meat soup.
Me: “Meat soup?” Seriously?
Rose: Yeah, mom! Why you’re making so much soup… and vegetarian food lately?
etc…

The above conversation might not sound like much of an endorsement, but I assure you this soup is quite tasty and really hits the spot on a cold, cold night. Particularly if you don’t mind soup, or “vegetarian food” for dinner.

• Vegetarian Potato & Leek Soup •

5 tablespoons butter
2 leeks, stringy roots, tippy tops, and tough outer parts trimmed off
2 large potatoes (about 1.5lbs), peeled
4 cups water and 1 tablespoon Vegetable Better Than Bouillon (or 4 cups vegetable broth)
1 parmesan rind
salt and pepper to taste

Trim the leeks, halve lengthwise and chop into 1/2″ pieces. Put leeks into a salad spinner and wash thoroughly, leeks can be pretty dirty. Make sure to separate the pieces so that all the dirt gets out. Spin to remove excess water.

Melt butter in a medium to large saucepan or dutch oven. Add leeks and cook until soft. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut them into inch-ish sized chunks. You don’t need to be precise, larger chunks will just take longer to cook.

Add potatoes to leeks and cook for a minute or two. Add water and Better Than Bouillon (or broth) and parmesan rind. Simmer for 20-30 minutes, until potatoes are very soft.

Remove parmesan rind and blend soup (in the pot) with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and serve with crusty bread and butter.

Pasta e fagioli

By in quick, Vegetarian

Pasta_Fagioli_IMG_7297Shane will be working 12 hour days for the next few weeks. I’m guessing he’s going to come home hungry. What this means for dinner, is that we’re going to be having a lot of meals that will need to be good, several hours after they were first served.

Dinner #1 in the “Meals That Will Still Be Good Several Hours Later” series, is Pasta e Fagioli (pasta and beans). Not only is it still good several hours later, it is also quick, vegetarian, and a one-dish meal. So it’s going to be hard to top (really good thinking on my part).

The original recipe for this Pasta e Fagioli comes from Food 52. I made a vegetarian version tonight, by eliminating the bacon and replacing it with butter, oil and a parmesan rind for richness. If you have only 30 minutes to make dinner, this recipe is for you.

• Pasta e Fagioli •
adapted from Food 52

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 vidalia onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small stalk celery, chopped very fine
1 piece parmesan rind (approx. 2″ square)
2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 can (14 oz) cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 oz) chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup ditalini pasta* 
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
grated Parmesan

In a heavy saucepan melt the butter with the oil over moderate heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring until onion is soft and transparent. Add celery. Add parmesan rind and broth, and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.

On a plate mash 1/3 of the beans with a potato masher, then stir them into the onion mixture along with the remaining whole beans, pasta, tomatoes, and oregano. Simmer the soup, covered for 15 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Then remove from heat and let stand, still covered, for 5 minutes.

Stir in (or top with) parsley and top with grated Parmesan. 

The original recipe says serves two, I think 3 or 4 is more accurate, particularly if one or two of those people is a kid.

*Note: I used 3/4 cups of pasta because 1/2 a cup didn’t seem like enough. I think 1/2 a cup is a better choice but yours might come out looking a little less pasta-y-er and a little more soupy than my photo.

 

White bean soup with rosemary oil

By in quick, Vegetarian 4 Comments

IMG_6114I wasn’t able to go dairy-free for a second night. Like I said, I’m an addict. Seriously though, we were nearly out of olive oil so I was forced to use butter. And once I’d added butter, the gateway dairy, I figured why not throw in a Parmesan rind too. I’m glad I did.

I love this soup! It’s quick and easy. The parmesan and rosemary oil give it the richness of a soup that takes longer to cook. It’s vegetarian too. And everyone liked it. Score!

• White Bean Soup with Rosemary Oil •

Soup
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 cup carrots (about 2 large) quartered lengthwise and chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1/2 cup celery (about 1 stalk) halved lengthwise and chopped into 1/4″ pieces
2 bay leaves
1 large (29oz) can Cannellini beans OR two small (15oz) cans, drained and rinsed
3 cups water mixed with 2-3 teaspoons* Vegetable Better Than Bouillon OR 3 cups broth**
1 Parmesan rind***

Rosemary Oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons olive oil

Melt butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add onion and cook over medium heat until onion is soft but not yet translucent. Add carrots, celery and bay leaves and saute for about two minutes longer, until onion is translucent. Add cannellini beans and water mixed with bouillon (or broth) and bring to a simmer. Add parmesan rind and simmer for 15 minutes, longer if you want a stronger Parmesan flavor. While the soup is simmering, mix the finely chopped rosemary with the olive oil and set aside. Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle with rosemary oil. Serve with crusty bread.

Notes: *I used three teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon and thought the soup was perfectly salted, if you like things less salty, try two teaspoons at first, you can always add more. **If you are going to use broth and you’re not a vegetarian, I highly recommend College Inn Chicken broth, they make an organic version too. It is by far the best tasting store-bought broth around. ***A Parmesan rind is the rock hard end bit of the Parmesan cheese that invariably ends up at the back of the cheese drawer. 

Carrot ginger soup

By in Vegetarian

What do you do when you have about four dozen gorgeous, local, organic carrots taking up too much room in the fridge? Make Carrot Ginger Soup, of course!

• Carrot Ginger Soup •
Note: this soup is pretty forgiving, you don’t need to count or measure.
Melt a few tablespoons of butter (I used 4) in a heavy bottomed pot. Add chopped onion and peeled, chopped, ginger (I used 1 large onion and a 3 inch piece of ginger). Cook until onion is soft and translucent and and add peeled, chopped carrots (I used about 20 medium carrots). Cook for a few more minutes and pour in enough broth to cover everything plus a little more. Simmer until carrots are soft. Blend with a stick blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Ta da!

Because soup isn’t substantial enough for Shane, he picked up some Tandoori Chicken at a local place. We also had a very long Barbari bread from our corner store.

Tortilla Soup

By in Vegetarian 1 Comment

We’ve been waiting for something really exciting to happen today, and it’s taking longer than we thought. I’m excited and anxious and tense. Tortilla soup came to mind as the perfect comfort food. Plus, it’s something I love and haven’t had for a really long time. I had a recipe once, I couldn’t find it today but my memory served me well.

• Tortilla Soup •
1 medium yellow onion
2 medium-large tomatoes
2 tomatillos
1 poblano pepper
olive oil
2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper
1 cup cubed, salty, cheese (I used Halloumi cheese, cut into 1/2″ cubes)
1 avocado, cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 cup cilantro leaves
6 corn tortillas (old or stale is fine)
vegetable oil
lime slices for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash tomatoes, tomatillos and poblano pepper. Cut an “x” into the top of each tomato and tomatillo. Peel the dry outer layer of skin off the onion, trim ends and cut in half. Put tomatoes, tomatillos, pepper and onion in a glass baking dish, drizzle with a little olive oil and salt and roast until very soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and set aside until cool to the touch.

Peel and seed the poblano pepper. Place the pepper, tomatoes, tomatillos, onion and any juices from the baking dish to a medium sized heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the broth to the soup pot, and puree using a hand blender until smooth, removing any big pieces of skin or onion that come to the top or get tangled in your blender. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, cube the avocado (toss with some lime juice so it does’t brown), cube the cheese and wash the cilantro leaves and set aside. Turn your oven on to 400 degrees, place the 6 corn tortillas on a large baking sheet in the oven and cook until they are slightly dry and crisp, flipping so both sides get dry (if you’re using stale tortillas you can skip this step). Cut tortillas into 3/4″ strips, toss in a bowl with vegetable (or other mild) oil to coat and a little salt. Turn the oven to broil, put the tortilla strips back on the baking tray in one layer (you don’t have to be meticulous about laying them out) and broil, watching carefully and turning with tongs until browned and crisp.

Ladle soup into bowls and add a handful of avocado, a handful of cheese, a handful of cilantro and a pile of tortilla strips. Serve immediately with lime wedges to garnish. I think this soup qualifies as a meal, but add a salad and weekday chicken if you want to make it more substantial.

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