bread!

I'm playing with my new cookbook - Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. Let me tell you, it really DOES take only 5 minutes to do this. We haven't tried it yet, but are waiting (very unwillingly) to let it cool. More later!

Later: oh yes, this works very well. given the absence of a baking stone, a peel, and a questionable oven - the bread is (and nearly was, since it's almost gone!) lovely: fine-crumbed, solid, chewy, excellent sandwich bread, tasty all by itself. I'd used a cast iron skillet (14") to bake it in, thinking it might make up for the lack of a stone, but I am thinking next time (tomorrow, because it is, yes, exactly that easy) of baking it on the upturned skillet or just a cookie sheet. The crust is not quite where I want it - crusty.

Cashew Garlic Alfredo Sauce

This is copied from Tofu Mom's wonderful blog, here

1/2 cup raw cashews (not roasted)
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (I don't measure, just a good squeeze)
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 clove garlic (or more to taste)
1 Tbsp. extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tb. nutritional yeast (optional)

Pulverize raw cashews in the food processor until very fine. Add 1 1/2 cups boiling water. (*The BEST way to do this, is to make the sauce while the pasta cooks - scoop out 1 1/2 cups of lightly salted pasta-cooking water and use it - the starch from the pasta-cooking water thickens the sauce PERFECTLY!) Add water to cashews and process until smooth... this will take several minutes.
Add nutritional yeast (optional - my kids prefer it without), garlic clove, olive oil and squeeze of lemon juice. Process again until smooth, another couple minutes, it'll start to thicken a bit too! Makes a decadently creamy sauce. Serve over cooked pasta.

Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes

Adapted from Gourmet, January 2002 and copied from

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/02/spicy-sweet-potato-wedges-plus-five-etceteras/

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 45 min
Servings: Makes 4 to 6 servings.

1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes (the latter will make them quite spicy, so using according to your preferences)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.

Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges.

Toss wedges with oil and spices in a large roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 20 minutes. Turn wedges over with a spatula and roast until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.

thinking about dinner

goal: simple, tasty, healthy

israeli couscous (larger than 'regular)
garlic
tomato
collard greens
bell pepper
onion
soy curls


Stroganoff


Eggplant and Cauliflower Curry

Spelt/Cornmeal Crust Pizza

1 3/4-2 1/4 cups spelt flour (if none is available, all purpose flour is fine)
1 1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water (120-130 degrees F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar with 1 cup warm water. Add ½ cup flour. Set aside for 5 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, 1 more cup flour into yeasted water, blend, and then add another half cup. Mix. Add cornmeal, and begin to knead dough until elastic, adding extra flour to ensure that the dough is not overly sticky. Knead for about 4 minutes.

Set dough aside to rest for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Separate dough into two lumps, and make flat disks, about ½ inch thick. Form a slightly raised crust around the edges.

Arrange toppings, then cook for about 10 -12 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown on the edges.

Tomato Rasam

This is copied from Global Vegan

340 ml Tomato Juice(I use Campbell's Tomato juice)
340 ml water
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp grated garlic
1 tsp Madras curry powder
Cilantro for garnishing

In a vessel, heat the vegetable oil, add mustard
seeds. Once the mustard seeds pop, add cumin seeds,
ginger , garlic, crushed red pepper and curry powder.
After one minute, add tomato juice, salt and water.

Turn off the heat once it starts to boil, that is
after 10 -12 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

Tastes great with hot rice and poppadom.

Indian Vegan Omelette

Copied from Global Vegan
- which looks like it has a whole lot more interesting recipes! Go there to see a picture of this, as well.

1 1/2 cups chickpea flour (I used Meera gram flour)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped dill
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp turmeric (optional)
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped tomato
salt to taste
vegetable oil

Take the chickpea flour in a large bowl, add onion,
dill, tomato, carrot and the spices. Add water and
make a thick batter.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick skillet on medium-high
until hot. Pour a ladleful of batter into the skillet
and spread it around. Spread 1 tsp of oil on the top
of the omlette, and cook for 3-4 minutes, and when the
edges are dried out, flip over, and cook the other
side for 3-4 minutes.

This tastes great when eaten warm.

Sunday night, bliss

Dinner was aloo saag and the most awesome cupcakes (from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World) - Toasted coconut cupcakes with coffee buttercream frosting. This title starts, but really cannot possibly convey the fabulousness of such an unexpectedly sophisticated treat. Mocha/coconut/chocolate; not too sweet, with a bit of a chewy top to the cupcake, then this lovely rich coffee frosting, topped with the sweet crunch of toasted coconut.

The saag aloo works well, but I don't think it's ever come out less than good. What a comfort food that is for me! I play with spice proportions, usually making it hotter than called for. This time I also used some of the leftover coconut milk from the cupcakes (I tend to like my aloo and curries in general more saucy, so usually add more liquid), as well as a sliced-up carrot, for its tender sweetness and great color among all that forest green. mmm!

A great walk today begun before sunrise had us at the lake just as the sun came up - clear, cool-warm, with the early spring woods a private place. We saw two startled deer (heard them, first, and stood staring at each other across the dividing creek). Tomorrow we're off to the arboretum for the first time.

Bok choy in coconut milk

Copied intact from http://www.hookedonheat.com/2007/08/23/sometimes-you-need-a-change/#more-214

BOK CHOY IN COCONUT MILK
Prep time: 10 min | Cooking time: 15 min | Serves: 2

1 big bunch bok choy, leaves and stems roughly chopped
1 small onion, sliced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp Sambal Olek/red chilli paste
2 cups coconut milk
salt, to taste

ADD onions, bok choy stems, garlic and chilli paste to coconut milk in a deep pan, and let it come to a boil over medium-heat. Stir ocassionally to allow garlic and chilli paste to blend well with the coconut milk.

ADD bok choy leaves, season with salt, and turn off the heat. Cover the pan and let it sit for a few minutes till the leaves begin to wilt.

Curried red lentil stew with chickpeas and rainbow chard

Recipe adapted from Epicurious, and copied intact from http://everybodylikessandwiches.blogspot.com/

2 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 heaping T of a medium-spiced curry paste
1/2 t dried red chili flakes
5 1/2 c vegetable broth
2 c red lentils
1 large bunch of rainbow chard, tough stalks removed, coarsely chopped
1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained

In a large pot, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Mix in curry paste and dried chilies and stir until well blended. Add broth and chard and bring to a boil. Add lentils and turn down heat to a simmer, adding the chickpeas to the mix. Cover and stir occasionally until lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. Serve over brown rice and top with yogurt, if desired.

Chili flatbreads (to try)

Chilli Flatbreads (Adapted from Delicious)- copied from a wonderful looking nonvegan blog, http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/05/chilli-flatbreads.html This looks like it would be great with a veggie soup, or with greens & beans.

1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional if needed
2/3 cup warm water
1 long red chilli, seeds remove and finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, stir together yeast, sugar, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup flour until combined. Cover and let stand until foamy, about 20 minutes. Stir in the 2/3 cup water.

Stir the chopped chilli, parsley and salt into the remaining flour. Add the flour to the yeast mixture and mix as much as you can with a wooden spoon. Scoop the dough onto a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, adding additional flour if necessary to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover - let proof until doubled in size, about 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 400.

Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 24 pieces. Roll each piece about 1/8" thick or so - transfer each to a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray (I used 4 sheets). Lightly brush each piece of dough with olive oil and bake until golden and crisp, rotating halfway though - about 8 to 10 minutes total. You may want to bake these in two batches to make sure there is enough airflow. Remove flatbread and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 24 pieces.