I’m a salad lover of the first degree and lately, I’ve seen a lot of Asian-inspired noodle salads that look so good I could eat them off the page (or screen).  The addition of slippery sweet sesame noodles adds special appeal for folks who would like salads if it weren’t for all the greens. This “tornado of greens” is adapted from a recipe at one of the cooking blogs I follow, Ezra Poundcake.

Sesame Noodles and Baby Greens with Peanut-Ginger Dressing

8 ounces soba noodles or whole wheat linguine or spaghetti

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 cup Peanut-Ginger Dressing (recipe follows)

2 tablespoons basil chiffonade*

Grated zest of 1 orange

Grated zest of 1 lime

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise and sliced

4 scallions, trimmed and julienned

5 oz. bag organic mixed baby greens

Garnish with carrots, red peppers, parsley, chives, and/or chopped peanuts.

1.Prepare the soba noodles or whole wheat pasta as directed on the package. Drain, rinse with cold water, toss with sesame oil in colander, and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss the noodles, dressing, basil, orange zest and lime zest.

3. Add the cucumbers, scallions, and greens, and toss gently. Garnish.

4. Toss with the dressing just before serving.

Variations: Feel free to add snow peas, sugar snap peas, julienned yellow bell pepper, sprouts, julienned carrots, toasted sesame seeds, or chopped peanuts.

Other greens such as arugula, kale, spinach, or Napa cabbage can be substituted for the mixed baby greens, too.

Peanut-Ginger Dressing

Makes 1 ¾ cups

¼ cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature  

Juice of 1 orange

Juice of 1 lime

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons peeled, grated fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup canola or safflower oil

First, use a microplane (a must-have kitchen tool) for the orange and lime zest. (I had those cute always-sweet mandarin oranges called “Cuties” in the fridge so used four of those in place of one orange.) Then, cut the fruit in half and squeeze the juices out.

In a medium bowl, whisk together everything but the oil. Slowly add the oil, and whisk until all the oil is incorporated. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 6 days.

Cooking Academy

* Not sure how to julienne carrots or chiffonade basil? What’s the difference between chopped, minced, diced? Here’s a very helpful video on knife skills by Food and Style.  Viviane Bauquet Farre’s mesmerizes you with her charming accent and soothing voice, and she makes slicing and dicing seem so pleasant and effortless

Slice, dice, mince and chiffonade for Vegetarian Times from Viviane Bauquet Farre on Vimeo.

For Meatless Monday, I’m sharing this so-simple hummus recipe from Real Simple magazine. Of course, you can buy hummus at any store, but for the cost of a can of garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas) you can make your own in 5 minutes — and it’s worlds better! Because I prefer a little heat, I jazzed it up with a dash of cayenne and my current spice obsession called Ras el Hanout from Awaken Savor spices.  (More about Awaken Savor’s unique spice blends in a future post.)

5-Minute Spicy Hummus

1-15  ounce  can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Ras el Hanout spice*

kosher or sea salt

¼ cayenne pepper (or paprika for less spicy) for serving

In a mini food processor or blender, puree the garbanzo beans and garlic with the olive oil, lemon juice, spice, and salt until smooth and creamy. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Salt to taste.

Transfer to a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cayenne pepper or paprika. Serve with toasted whole wheat pita bread.

Enjoy!

Add a crisp green salad topped with your favorite veggies and you have an instant Meatless Monday meal.

* Note: Ras el Hanout is a traditional Moroccan blend of herbs and spices, popular across the Middle East and North Africa. The name means “head of the shop” in Arabic and represents the very pinnacle of spice blends. Ingredients include saffron, paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, tumeric, fennel seed, and allspice to name a few. You may substitute cumin, but I highly recommend adding this Ras el Hanout to your array of spices.

When you see asparagus in the markets you know spring has arrived! We may not realize it as much as folks who have lived through months of snow and bitter cold, but the way asparagus suddenly pokes its head from still-thawing soil, it is indeed a harbinger of spring. And after a long winter of hearty soups, a more delicate one like this one is refreshing.

I’m sharing three ways to enjoy this wonderfully delicate vegetable in the next few days; the first is a Creamy Asparagus Soup.  Adapted from Clean Food, this soup was surprisingly creamy without a bit of cream – the creaminess is achieved through the addition of rolled oats! I’m loving this cookbook and you can buy it in my shop here and read more about it here. Mario Batali recommends it: “Clean Food is the most exciting book based on fresh produce and simple recipes I have used in years.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

This non-dairy soup has the richness of a cream soup without all the fat and guilt, and is super easy to make.

2 bunches of asparagus, (about 6 cups chopped)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 shallots, finely chopped

½ cup rolled oats

1 quart rice milk or soy milk

½ teaspoon dried dill

sea salt and white pepper

chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Serves 6

Remove tough ends of asparagus by bending each piece until it snaps. Discard ends, wash remaining asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces and set aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, sauté garlic and shallots in olive oil until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add asparagus, oats, milk and dill. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until asparagus is soft – about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Purée soup using a handheld blender. Add water if thinner soup is desired. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Can be made 3-4 hours in advance, chilled to allow the flavors to blend, then reheat, garnish and serve. Enjoy

Please come back to enjoy a simple preparation of Roasted Asparagus and Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta

Handheld Blender: Available in the TM Shop

With tomorrow being St. Patrick’s Day, I’ve had Irish on my mind. Unlike many revelers on the Day of the Green, we’re not just Irish one day a year, The Don is of Irish/Scottish descent, his grandmother’s name was Bridgette O’Rourke for gods sake! So, besides the rustic, stick-to-your-ribs Irish Soda Bread I posted yesterday, I decided to cook something with another staple of the Irish diet, potatoes!

This soup is super easy to make and can be served hot or cold. When served cold it is called Vichyssoise. which is an American invention according to Julia Child, in Mastering the Art of French Cooking. There are only three ingredients:

Potato and Leek Soup

3 cups peeled, sliced potatoes

3 cups sliced leeks, white part only

1 quart organic chicken stock or broth*

2 c. water

*Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.

Simmer the potatoes and leeks in the chicken stock and water, partially covered, for 40 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Allow the mixture to cool. Purée the soup in a blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste. That’s it!

Just before serving, add 1/2 cup buttermilk or pureed silken tofu* for vegetarian. Garnish with minced chives or parsley.

Serves 6.

Enjoy and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Sausage and peppers is a classic comfort food and it’s so easy to make. Sometimes I add chopped tomatoes to have more juice that soaks into the roll, mmmm. This time I added tiny portabella mushrooms because I had them in the fridge and they add a “meatier” taste – you know, cuz I’m trying to go meatless.  All the ingredients are from Trader Joe’s – they need to hire me – don’t you think?  I’m one of their best customers and promoters, yet Sprouts is opening in Huntington Beach on January 29th, so I might defect – hear that Trader Joes?

Sassy Sausage & Peppers (Vegan style)

1 pkg. Trader Joe’s Sausage-less Italian Sausage*, sliced on the diagonal

1 red pepper, cored and sliced

1 green pepper, cored and sliced

1 red onion, peeled and sliced

1 pkg. mini portabella mushrooms, sliced

2 T. olive oil, divided

1 t. butter

red pepper flakes

4 Panne Rustique Rolls (it’s all about the roll, folks)

Serves 4. * Of course, you may use real Italian sausage if you’re not vegan. I’ve had it both ways and its delicious either way!

Preheat toaster oven to 400 degrees. Cover toaster oven tray with aluminum foil and spray with oil so sausages don’t stick. Brown sausages in toaster oven turning once. Slice on the diagonal and set aside.

Heat 1 t. olive oil in large skillet, sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Add the peppers and onions and sauté, stirring every few minutes to evenly brown. Add more olive oil as needed to prevent vegetables from sticking.

Meanwhile, in a smaller skillet heat 1 T. olive oil plus 1 t. butter over med-high heat and sauté mushrooms, stirring to brown evenly, about 5 minutes or until the juices have cooked off.  (I do this in a separate pan because the juices from the mushrooms can make the pepper mixture mushy.) Add mushrooms and sausages to pepper mixture.

Warm the rolls in the toaster oven, slice in half and fill with sausage and pepper mixture.

As my Tweet Deck pinged and drew me in and out and away from the work I was trying to do on Saturday, I was glad to see that one of Twitter’s power women, was tweeting about the PBS show with Robert Kenner, director of  ”Food Inc.” and Michael Pollan which aired in November, 2008.  It must have been a rerun but, nevertheless, it was relief from the usual tweets about everything you ever wanted to know and more about SM (social media).

You may have seen Food Inc., the documentary movie that takes a harsh look at everything we should know, but that giant food companies don’t want us to know about the journey that our food takes from the processing plant to the grocery stores of America.  Michael Pollan is the author of, most recently, In Defense of Food: an Eater’s Manifesto, and his previous book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma (2006) was named one of the 10 best books of 2006 by the New York Times and Washington Post and was the recipient of the California Book Award and the James Beard award for best food writing, to name a few.  He is the Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley and “few people reflect and report more astutely on the state of American food production and consumption than Michael Pollan”.  If you read these books, as I have, they will change the way in which you view food forever.

Anyway, that’s an intellectual introduction to a very simple recipe for my Mission Meatless series which I’ve launched in support of the initiative known as Meatless Monday.  Meatless Monday stems from the idea that YOU can change our food system and one way is to go without meat one day a week.  How does this help?  According to this  list of 10 things YOU can do to change our food system by  the website Hungry for Change, an estimated 70% of all the antibiotics produced in the US are given to farm animals which are then consumed by us.  If the entire population went meatless for just one day a week. think of how many fewer injected animals would have to enter the food chain and how much less secondary hormones and antibiotics you would be ingesting.

Two-Bean Taco Salad

*Easy       *Vegan      *Vegetarian    *Gluten-free

This takes about 15 minutes to prepare.  I keep these tostada shells stocked in my pantry.

Then all you have to do is heat the refried beans, drain the black beans, and prepare the veggies.

Tostada shells, warmed in the toaster oven

1 can vegetarian refried beans

1 can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

1 pkg. prepared romaine lettuce

2 carrots, peeled and grated

1 avocado, sliced

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

Spread the refried beans on the tostada shells. Top with romaine lettuce and arrange veggies on top, arrange cucumbers around the plate. Serve with purchased salsa. Add cheese if desired (not vegan).

Note: On second thought, the blustery weather we’re experiencing this week in SoCal calls for a warm, tasty, and satisfying bowl of  Vegetarian Minestrone.

Join me on my culinary journey into the world of meatless, vegetarian and vegan cuisine.  Cooking honest food – by honest I mean unfussy dishes with an emphasis on fresh, seasonal produce where the essence of the ingredients shine – has always been my focus, as has enjoying and learning about regional and international cuisines.  Many of these meals have been meat-centric, so my (and my family’s) new year’s intention of eating less meat has given me the opportunity to excavate the vegetarian cookbooks that I have, and reason to purchase a few new ones.

The Passionate Vegetarian is the ONE cookbook I own that holds special meaning and sentimental value to me because it was written by a phenomenal woman and writer named Crescent Dragonwagon (is that really her name : o), who owned and operated the Dairy Hollow House in my hometown.  The Dairy Hollow House (totally on Wikipedia!) exists today as The  Writers’ Colony in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  Many of the recipes tested in the TM kitchen this year will be from this imaginative, beautifully written, anthology of a cookbook (click on TM Shop above to check it out).

Now, are you ready to put the POW! on some tofu?  ”Crisping” the tofu adds  an appealing browned, crispy-chewy exterior that is very pleasing, especially for diners not so familiar with tofu. Used in Kung Pao Tofu, it also works well in any stir-fry.

Oven-Baked Tofu

16  ounces firm tofu (the package I bought was 14 oz.)

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 T. mirin (Japanese rice wine) or sherry

2 T. cornstarch

½ t. salt

several grinds of fresh ground pepper

1. Can be prepared the day before, but at least one hour before you plan to bake the tofu, combine the ingredients in a bowl, stirring well.  Slice the tofu into ½ inch strips, then cut the strips into 1½ inch piece. Place in bowl with sauce and toss to coat.  Let stand for at least 40 minutes at room temperature or cover and  refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

3. Lay marinated tofu on baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until browned and lightly crisped on the bottom, 10-15 minutes. Turn pieces and bake another 5-10 minutes. While the tofu is baking, prepare the ingredients for Kung Pao Tofu below.

Kung Pao Tofu

1 recipe of Oven-Baked Tofu

2/3 cup organic, low-sodium vegetable stock

3 T. tamari or low-sodium soy sauce

2 T. mirin (Japanese rice wine) or dry sherry

1 T. honey

1 T. cornstarch

1 T. vegetable oil, preferably peanut

4-6 dried red chiles

2 T. ginger, finely chopped or zested*

2 t. garlic, minced

½ lb. green beans, tips cut off, cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces

½ c. water

1 bunch scallions, split lengthwise and cut into ¾ inch lengths

⅓ cup honey-roasted peanuts

1. As the tofu bakes, combine the stock, soy sauce, mirin, honey, and cornstarch and whisk to break up lumps.

2. Prepare your mise en place* and place next to the stove.

3. Place the vegetable oil in the seasoned wok or skillet over high heat. Let it get very, very hot  - it will be fragrant with a glazed, swirly look on top. Ad teh chiles and stir-fry for one minute. Working quickly, scoop the chiles out of the pan with a slotted spoon, leaving as much oil as possible. Reserve the chiles in their bowl on the “mise” tray.

4. Add the ginger and garlic, and stir-fry for 10-20 seconds. Add the green beans or asparagus, stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the water and immediately put the lid on. Let steam over very high heat until veggies are crisp-tender and the water has almost evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the lid, allow any remaining water to boil off. Toss in the green onions, stir-fry for 2o seconds. Stir the sauce mixture to re-blend and pour into the hot pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce becomes a clear, thick glaze – about 30 seconds. Add the oven-baked tofu and honey roasted peanuts. Serve immediately, over rice (preferably brown rice).

*If you’re not an avid cook or foodie, this may be an unfamiliar term: Mise en place (pronounced MEEZ-ahn-plahs) is both a French term and a method.  It means “put to place” and is the arrangement of all the prepared ingredients in bowls on the counter or on a tray so that they are ready to go.

Note:  You may have noticed that I left the tofu in strips – this was actually a result of not reading carefully, but it allowed me to style the dish in a visually arresting pyramid Also, I did not use whole chiles, but rather just a sprinkling of prepared red chile peppers because I didn’t want it to be too spicy for the younger generation.

Eating Hoppin’ John blackeyed peas is a Southern New Years tradition to bring good luck and, with the addition of greens which represent money, prosperity in the new year.  According to Wikipedia these “good luck” traditions date back to the Civil War, when Union troops, especially in areas targeted by General Sherman, typically stripped the countryside of all stored food, crops, and livestock, and destroyed whatever they couldn’t carry away. At that time, Northerners considered “field peas” and field corn suitable only for animal fodder, and didn’t steal or destroy these humble foods.

I figured that posting a Hoppin’ John recipe as my first of  2010 was so very appropriate because: (1) blackeyed peas fit right in with a recession budget,  (2) good intentions to eat healthier, and (3) football.  How’s that, you might ask?  Well, black eyed peas are really beans not peas and beans, whether dried or canned, are very inexpensive.  Beans are also packed full of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients.  (If you’d like more specific information on the health benefits of beans and legumes visit the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.)  As far as (3) football, I’ve adapted this economical and nutritious dish to appeal to sports fans and folks who have only a fleeting interest in nutrition by substituting them for black beans in that all-time favorite:  NACHOS.

The Bowl games may be over but there’s plenty of football yet to come, so bookmark or print this to serve as one of your munchies during the  playoff games and/or the Super Bowl on Sunday, January 31st.

The addition of corn in a black eyed pea salsa recipe, aptly named Recession Caviar from Foodie with Family, works well for those unfamiliar with blackeyed peas.  Hoppin’ John is tasty served as a salsa or spooned on top of chips and sprinkled with cheese for nachos.

Hoppin’ John

1 cup blackeyed peas

1 cup frozen corn

2-3 fresh Anaheim green chiles or jalapenos* (or 1 – 4 oz. can)

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1 T. olive oil

1 t. chili or cajun spice

Juice from 1 fresh lime

salt & pepper

Seed and chop the chiles. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.  Allow flavors to meld for at least an hour.  Serve with tortilla chips as a salsa or spread salsa over chips, sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake at 450 degrees until cheese melts, about 10 minutes. (The salsa is vegan, the nachos have cheese, so are not.)

*use jalapenos if you like it spicy, green chiles for mild

Vegetable Minestrone

A hearty, healthy, and tasty soup; makes a perfect weeknight dinner with enough to freeze for a day when you’re too busy to cook. With the Italian trick of cooking a bit of parmesan cheese rind in the soup for added flavor and the variety of vegetables, this minestrone surpasses the bland bean & pasta versions as a palate-pleaser.

Serves 10  (adapted from an October, 2007 Sunset recipe) Simply leave out the cheese rind and grated parmesan to make this vegan : )

1 bunch Swiss chard, rinsed thoroughly

1 can (14½ oz.) no-salt added diced tomatoes

2 cans (14½ oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained, divided

1 can (14½ oz.) chick peas (garbanzo beans)

2 T. olive oil 4 cloves garlic minced 2 carrots, peeled and diced into ¼” pieces

1 med. zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into ¼” pieces

2 c. shredded savoy, or green cabbage

3-4 inch  parmesan cheese rind

5 c. reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut stems from Swiss Chard leaves by making a V-shaped cut along the length of the stem on each side.  Finely chop the stems and cut the leaves into ribbons and set aside separately.
2. Using a hand-blender (or regular blender if you don’t have one of these), add ½ cup of water to the drained beans from one can and puree.
3. Cook olive oil and garlic in a large soup pot over med-high heat until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add carrots, zucchini, chopped chard stems. Cook, stirring, until veggies are softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1 c. water and cabbage. Cook, stirring, another 2-3 minutes until cabbage is wilted.
4. Add broth, chard leaves, remaining cannellini beans, cannelloni puree, chick peas, and parmesan rind. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a steady simmer. Cover and cook until flavors are blended and vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.  Serve hot, topped with shredded fresh parmesan.