tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38690454417965117592024-03-13T18:33:15.835-04:00Vegan Soul Power!<strong>Recipes, reviews, and ranting from a vegan law student and wannabe world traveler.</strong>Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.comBlogger274125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-57696112702740625752014-05-12T15:00:00.002-04:002014-05-12T15:01:17.579-04:00Chickpea Cutlets with Ginger Beer Carrots<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Do you guys cook when you're busy? I don't. I tend to consume whatever is lying around in increasingly gross combinations until someone or something forces me to do otherwise. Since my husband is doing his fieldwork at the moment in Sweden, there is no one around to witness my descent into depravity (at least, cooking depravity.) Let's just say, there are a lot of nooch sandwiches being consumed. (Though strangely, I always have the money to purchase wine.)<br />
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This weekend, however, S. came home for a heartbreakingly brief visit and we had a small dinner party to celebrate with some of his friends. Eschewing my normal impulse to make cheap Megadarra, we actually spent a little cash and got some nice veg and chicken for the meat eaters, for the vegetarians we had an amazing throwback: V'Con's <b>CHICKPEA CUTLETS</b>!!! This is <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/2010/05/chickpea-cutlets-at-last.html">not the first time I've made them</a>, but frying them in a cast iron skillet brings them to a whole new level of toothy, crunchy goodness. The other vegetarians, clearly expecting to just eat sides as usual, were terribly impressed. I myself had forgotten how good they are, and they are also excellent broke food as they consist of pretty basic pantry staples (at least, by vegan standards- not sure everyone considers wheat gluten flour to be a pantry staple but I always have some on hand.)<br />
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The other exciting side, other than solid wingman mashed potatoes, was a new carrot trick I picked up from watching reruns of <i>Good Eats </i>(don't ask me how I access Food Network reruns from Europe, I don't want to get arrested.) I love carrots with ginger and garlic, but this recipe is quick and easy and an excellent use for the leftover can of ginger beer from your <a href="http://www.esquire.com/drinks/dark-and-stormy-drink-recipe">Dark & Stormy party</a>. Hell, next time I might throw some rum into the mix too, just to see what happens.<br />
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<b>Ginger Beer Carrots, a la Good Eats</b><br />
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<b>-1 bag (~2 lb.) carrots, peeled and cut on the bias into 1/2'' rounds</b><br />
<b>-1 bottle high quality ginger beer (not ginger ale)</b><br />
<b>-2 Tbsp. non-dairy margarine</b><br />
<b>-pinches each of salt, pepper, cumin</b><br />
<b>-parsley (optional)</b><br />
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1. Place carrots in large pan with ginger beer, cumin and margarine over medium heat. Simmer 5-8 minutes, or until liquid is mostly cooked off.<br />
2. Turn heat all the way up to high, salt and pepper liberally, and cook while stirring until carrots are getting browned and pierce easily (with some resistance). Serve sprinkled with parsley.</div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com88tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-86981460825855502022014-01-14T08:13:00.001-05:002014-01-14T08:16:37.300-05:00Ottoman Express<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beet dip with Za'atar</td></tr>
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Lately I've found my culinary tastes dwelling on a particular regional cuisine instead of drifting all over the world as it normally does. It might be easy to describe as Turkish food, but its more accurate to say Ottoman food, or, food created in areas previously encompassed by the Ottoman empire, from Southern Europe to the Middle East. (I should note that for many of this region, its not a particularly cherished historical memory. But it did make for some great culinary-cross pollination.) It means that incredibly vegan-friendly range of food that gets its taste from creatively concentrated vegetables, fresh herbs, and pungent spices. I'm talking the sweet-sharp hit of pureed eggplant, paprika and onion in Balkan Ajvar, the omnipresent fresh mint, parsley and lemon topping Turkish salads, and the smoky paprika-infused oil glistening in a Hungarian paprikash.<br />
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Living in Berlin means that all the needed ingredients for this Balkan-Middle Eastern binge is right at my fingertips, and quite inexpensive. (I defy you to find a cheaper source of Za'atar and sumac than my local grocery store.) It also means you can see the persuasive power of this magic region, as Germans here prefer doner kebab to currywurst as their beer companion, and are far too comfortable drinking salted yogurt beverages (Ayran), slurping lentil soup for breakfast, or binging on cups full of mint and bulgar on a fast food break. Which only means that when I serve something with tahini for the fourth time this week, my own German hardly raises an eyebrow.<br />
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I've got a couple recipes I want to share when I perfect them (my own versions of Persian crispy rice, Ajvar, Kibbeh, ect.) but for now, here's a few dishes that explain where my tastebuds are -somewhere on the Orient Express, it seems.<br />
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<b><u>Pureed Beet Dip with Za'atar (veganized from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jerusalem-A-Cookbook-Yotam-Ottolenghi/dp/1607743949">Jerusalem</a>)</u></b><br />
<b>3-4 red beets</b><br />
<b>1 garlic clove (or more to taste) </b><br />
<b>1 small dried chili/ pinch cayenne pepper / dried chili</b><br />
<b>1 cup PLAIN soy yogurt</b><br />
<b>1 2 Tbsp. olive oil</b><br />
<b>1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses OR grape syrup (pekmez)</b><br />
<b>Salt and za'atar</b><br />
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1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Rinse off <b>beets</b> and cut off ends. Wrap in tin foil and toss in the oven, cooking for 45 minutes or until easily fork-pierceable.<br />
2. When <b>beets</b> are done and cool to the touch, remove peels with a peeler + your fingers. Roughly chop and throw in the food processor along with roughly <b>chopped garlic, chili and yogurt</b>. Whizz away until smooth, then transfer to a mixing bowl. Fold in <b>syrup, olive oil, and pinches each of za'atar and salt.</b> Taste, and add in more yogurt or spices to taste.<br />
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Serve topped with slices green onions and toasted hazelnuts (if desired) with some good toasted bread or pita.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turkish Red Lentil Soup<br />
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<b><u>Turkish Red Lentil Soup with Mint and Lemon</u></b><br />
I make a veganized combo of <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/turkish-red-lentil-soup-with-mint/">this recipe</a> and <a href="http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/turkish-red-lentil-soup">this recipe</a>, serving it with plenty of <b>extra fresh mint, lemon, and pomegranate</b> seeds. Its hard to mess up something so simple and delicious, and it can be served any time of day but it makes a great breakfast! (Especially with Coca cola for some reason, I know, its weird.)<br />
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<b><u>Megadarra</u></b><br />
There are many spellings and versions of this homey rice and lentil dish, but its worth mastering your own because its difficult to find anything else so delicious that can be made so cheaply and with such few ingredients. Be sure to check out alternative preparations, but here's my version.<br />
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<b>1 C. Brown or Green Lentils, rinsed </b><br />
<b>3-4 medium onions, chopped into half-circles </b>(<i>cut off ends of each peeled onion, slice from end to end, then, laying flat on cutting board, slice through thinly from end to end, producing thing concentric half-circles.</i>)<br />
<b>Olive Oil</b><br />
<b>1 tsp. cumin seeds</b><br />
<b>1 C. Basmati Rice, rinsed </b><br />
<b>1 tsp cinnamon</b><br />
<b>Pinch each: turmeric, allspice, sugar</b><br />
<b>2 C. water</b><br />
<b>Salt and pepper</b><br />
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<b>Plain soy yogurt</b><br />
<b>Roughly chopped cucumber and mint</b><br />
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1. You will need three cooking vessels: one large sautee pan for caramelizing onions, one small pot for cooking the lentils, and one larger pot for the rice and lentil mixture. To start, fill the smaller pot with cold, salted water and set on to boil. Set the sautee pan on medium heat and drizzle with a good couple tablespoons of <b>olive oil.</b><br />
2. Once pot of water has reached a boil, add the lentils and reduce to simmer. Cook for 15- 20 minutes, or until lentils are soft and chewy. Drain, and set aside.<br />
3. -in the meantime (while lentils are cooking) we need to caramelize some onions. When your sautee pan is heated to medium heat with plenty of oil, add in the <b>chopped onions </b>and immediately lower heat to lowest setting. Stir frequently, watching for burning, and let cook for some 20-30 minutes, adding in a bit of extra oil or water if necessary because of burning. When done, onions should be brownish tendrils starting to get crispy in places. Using slotted spoon, remove onions to a serving bowl and set aside.<br />
4. Place larger pot from step 1 on medium heat. Add in <b>cumin seeds</b> and toast for circa 1 minute, or until starting to turn brown. Add in a good drizzle of <b>olive oil, then the rice, turmeric, cinnamon, allspice and sugar</b>. Toast <b>rice</b> for a minute with the spices, then add in <b>2 C. water,</b> and the <b>cooked lentils</b>. Stir, season with <b>salt and pepper</b>, and bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for circa 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is cooked.<br />
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To serve, scoop a generous serving of lentil rice mixture onto plates and top with plenty of caramelized onions. Serve with a mix of <b>cucumber, yogurt and mint</b>. HEAVEN.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megadarra, Mujedrah, Mejadra, ect. with cucumber yogurt</td></tr>
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For more Ottoman Express inspiration, check out my posts from <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/search/label/Budapest">Budapest</a>, <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/search/label/Belgrade">Belgrade</a>, and<a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/search/label/Istanbul"> Istanbul</a>.<br />
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<i>Song of the Day: The Preatures- Is this how you feel?</i></div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-66847540153890037252014-01-07T07:08:00.002-05:002014-01-07T07:08:15.955-05:00This time in New York<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Happy New Year! I'm back from the USA with a new attitude and a new German keyboard (spilled tea on my old one, but now I have all these nice characters like ß and Ä!)<br />
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The US was lovely, with freakishly good weather in sharp contrast to present situation. S and I spent most of the holiday in DC, with a brief detour in New York City, checking out some of the sights that I never managed to visit before such as the Lower East Side and Brooklyn.<br />
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On our first day we had an awe-inspiring walk across the Brooklyn Bridge into Dumbo to get our first glimpse of the strange new world of Brooklyn. In the evening, my awesome friend Sara took us a large yet homey pizza place in Greenpoint- <a href="http://pauliegee.com/">Paulie Gee's</a>. You would never guess from the omnivorously adventurous first pages of the menu (bacon marmelade?!) but the menu features a fantastic selection of vegan pizzas, including the one I devoured featuring fennel-laced vegan sausage, cashew ricotta and arugula.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cashew ricotta is to die for at Paulee Gee's in Brooklyn</td></tr>
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Greenpoint! Where its possible to eat delicious vegan pizza while you pretend you are in the cast of Girls.<br />
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Another great discovery this time in NYC was the Lower East Side/ Chinatown. Previously, I didn't stray much outside of Midtown, but S., being an well-appointed German tourist, wanted to see some off-the- beaten-track museums. A good duo, particularly for those interested in immigration, is the <a href="http://www.tenement.org/">Tenement Museum</a> and the gorgeous <a href="http://www.eldridgestreet.org/">Eldridge Street Synagogue</a>. Right down the street from one another, the two museums explore the history of the LES as the primary destination for immigrants arriving in the US. The Tenement museum recreates a historic tenement building with well-researched stories about actual ex- residents, revealing fascinating details about life as an immigrant in the past century.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prosperity Dumplings</td></tr>
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The Eldridge Street synagogue is an elaborate art-deco masterpiece funded by Ashkenazi immigrants and then abandoned for years as the ethnic composition of the neighborhood shifted. Now brilliantly restored, its definitely worth a tour (especially in contrast to famous European synagogues, many of which are in various stages of ruin due to the nazi era.) The stained glass work alone is worth the price of admission.<br />
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While in the neighborhood there are also lots of food options, but I need to recommend this one place I found, a small dumpling joint that is insanely cheap and tasty. Prosperity Dumpling, also on Eldridge Street, is a tiny hole in the wall pumping out veggie and meat dumplings to a diverse crowd of lunch patrons. I can't verify 100% if the veggie dumplings are vegan, but they taste vegan and the register clerk told me thez contained no meat or dairy. (Take that for what its worth.) Anyways, 8 cabbage and mushroom stuffed dumplings, steamed or fried for $3.50, and absolutely delish.<br />
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In between museums we found another sweet spot, not super vegan friendly but worth poking your head in to check out the specials. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/cheeky-sandwiches-new-york">Cheeky Sandwiches</a> is a good spot to stop in for chicory-laced coffee or ginger lemonade in a cute, New Orleans inspired setting. The rotating menu has a few vegetarian sandwiches and S. was very happy with his shrimp po´boy (non vegan, obvs.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheeky Sandwiches, a small and cute lunch joint</td></tr>
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Its on a street packed with lots of good vintage shopping, and you can, like S. and I, fantasize about being millionaires who can afford to purchase an ex-tenement flat in what was once one of the nation's poorest neighborhoods.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Ah, New York! Bis nexte mal!</span></td></tr>
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Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-45105789621646390272013-12-10T10:00:00.003-05:002013-12-10T15:14:29.113-05:00Comfort Cooking: Vegan Pierogies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potato Pierogies w/ Caramelized Onions and Soy Yogurt</td></tr>
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In times of crises one tends to reach for fatty, salty or sugary foods that will numb the palate and provide a few minutes of distraction in shoveling and chewing. Often these foods come in a box. Not even I (haha) am immune to the appeal of sugary cereal, ice cream, frozen pizza...</div>
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But when eating vegan its not always easy to find your favorite comfort food in the frozen aisle. (Well, at least not in Europe.) Leaving the options open to either gorging on instant spaghetti, ramen, and cereal, or getting up, dammit, and making something yourself. </div>
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I suggest the latter. Make something needlessly complicated and take a luxuriously long time making it right. Not only will it cheer you up and distract you, but it will probably make it easier for you to make it faster another time. (Practice makes perfect!) Not to mention you might bring some happiness to those around you (not your responsibility when you're bummed out, but a nice perk.)</div>
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Take pierogies. You can be in a rush to make these and stress yourself out for a dinner party, or you can start a little Scandal marathon on a bad day and slowly and carefully construct these little pockets of salty, fatty, vegan goodness. Try <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pierogi-Potato-and-Mushroom-Sauerkraut-354032">Isa Chandra Moskowitz's recipe</a> or my version outlined below, and then experiment yourself with fillings and sides... sauerkraut, applesauce, soy sour cream, fried mushrooms, ect.</div>
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Far, far superior to Captain Crunch.</div>
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<b><u>Vegan Pierogies </u></b>(makes about 30)</div>
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*<i>This recipe is roughly what I make for my two-person household. You'll definitely want to double everything if you are making for a crowd, but I recommend giving them a shot first in a smaller batch to get the hang of it.</i></div>
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<b>Mashed Potato Filling (or use leftovers, if you have some)</b></div>
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4-5 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced</div>
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Soy Milk</div>
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Margarine</div>
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Salt and Pepper</div>
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<b>Caramelized Onions</b></div>
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One gigantic sweet onion, or 3-4 smaller onions</div>
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Canola oil</div>
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<b>Dough</b></div>
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1 C. Warm Water</div>
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1.5 Tbsp. Oil</div>
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2- 2.5 C. Flour, plus extra for sprinkling</div>
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1. Make mashed potatoes. My way is thusly: boil some cut up<b> potatoes</b>, drain when you can pierce them with a fork, and mash to hell with some <b>plain soymilk, salt and pepper, and margarine</b> to taste. There's no reason you can't use any way you like to make them, though, as you'll probably have leftovers. Once potatoes are mashed, remove from pot and store in a bowl in the fridge to cool.</div>
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2. While potatoes are cooking, you can get started on the <b>caramelized onions</b>. Cut up a giant sweet onion or use a few- either way you want about<b> 3 cups of onion slices</b>, because they are going to shrink big time. In a medium pan (preferably cast iron), heat a few glugs (like <b>1/3 a cup, at least) of canola oil </b>over medium heat. Add your onions and a pinch of <b>salt</b>, coat with the oil, and lower to lowest heat setting. They will cook down slowly over about 45 minutes, during which time you must simply stir them and eat ones that get too burnt.</div>
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3. The dough is the part that takes the most getting the hang of. The first step is to add the <b>warm water and oil</b> in a bowl and swish together with a fork. Slowly add about two cups of flour and a pinch of salt and try to gather into a loose dough, adding more flour if necessary. Once the dough is just non-sticky enough to handle and knead, remove from bowl and knead for about 5-10 minutes. The consistency you are going for is smooth and elastic, or as a Polish acquaintance once told me, "ear-lobe consistency." Once its there, you can put the dough in the fridge to chill until your other ingredients are done. </div>
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4. Once everything is ready, put a large pot on to boil, filled 2/3 of the way with <b>salted water</b>. While this is reaching a rolling boil, spread out 1/2 of the dough on a floured surface and roll out (flipping occasionally) until very thin but not transparent. Using a large glass, cut out circles of the dough (use a knife to get them off the surface if they are sticking.) Repeat with leftover dough until you are through.</div>
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For each dumpling, cup the circle in your hand, add in a small amount (2 tsp. or so) of mashed potatoes, and gently fold and pinch the circle together to seal into half moons. You want enough filling to make it bulge but not break. As you complete each one you can toss it into the boiling water- when they bob up to the surface, they are done. </div>
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Keep finished pierogies in a bowl or plate and drizzle occasionally with oil so they don't stick together too much. You can also fry them for a few minutes in oil or margarine for a crunchier version.</div>
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Serve with plenty of <b>onions and a schmear of soy yogurt, sour cream, or apple sauce.</b></div>
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<i>Song of the Day:</i> <i>Neko Case- Bracing for Sunday</i></div>
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Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-87949616225707257442013-10-01T11:48:00.000-04:002013-10-03T18:50:58.700-04:00Mac and Cheese w/ Rainbow Chard and Sweet Potatoes <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/5668e54a-c74f-48aa-b5eb-8e572ef645b4_zps58df5c12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/5668e54a-c74f-48aa-b5eb-8e572ef645b4_zps58df5c12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Maybe one day I will write a cookbook called <u>"Just Add Sweet Potatoes!"</u>. Its kind of becoming my thing- I mean, I've done it with <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/2010/11/step-by-step-sweet-potato-gnocchi.html">Gnocchi</a>, <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/2013/02/sweet-potato-spinach-and-black-bean.html">Enchiladas</a>, <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/2012/10/vegan-mofo-trendy-chile-w-chipotles.html">Chile</a>...and now with Mac & Cheese. Its no big deal guys... this is just the form that my genius takes, finding things in which to insert sweet potatoes. That, and explaining American TV shows to my husband in a way that makes him think I am psychic. ("How did you know that Walt poisoned the Stevia?!?")<br />
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For this delicious combo, I made the classic (if fatty) mac & cheese from <a href="http://veganyumyum.com/">Vegan Yum Yum</a> that I always make and threw in a little wilted swiss chard and sweet potatoes for good measure. Consider it my own simple (and late) contribution to Vegan Mofo's <a href="http://www.veganmofo.com/round-up-mac-and-cheese-mania/">mac and cheese mania</a>.<br />
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<b><u>Mac & Cheese with Rainbow Chard and Sweet Potatoes</u></b><br />
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<i><b><a href="http://veganyumyum.com/2007/10/mac-and-cheese-cheeze-yeast/">Vegan Yum Yum Cheese Sauce</a> (or your own favorite, such as<a href="http://www.theppk.com/2013/09/blt-mac-cheeze/"> Isa's</a>)</b></i><br />
<b>3 C. pasta</b><br />
<b>2 C. Rainbow chard, sliced into thin ribbons</b><br />
<b>1 Sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes</b><br />
<b>Paprika and Chile powder</b><br />
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1. Preheat oven to 400F (200 C) and line a bake sheet with baking paper. Set a pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.<br />
2. In a bowl, toss <b>sweet potato cubes</b> with a drizzle of oil, and a pinch of <b>paprika</b> and <b>chile powder</b> (optional for those who like the spicies.) Add to the oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.<br />
3. Once the pot of water is boiling, add in the pasta. Make the cheese sauce according to Miss Yum Yum's instructions, and set aside.<br />
4. Once pasta is finished cooking, drain it, reserving a tablespoon or so of hot water and leaving it in the cooking pot. Add the chopped chard in, stir, and cover pot, leaving for about 5 minutes.<br />
5. Finally, add cheese sauce to pasta and chard, tossing to coat. Add in sweet potato cubes.<br />
Enjoy, topped with plenty of ground black pepper.<br />
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***<br />
Speaking of Germans and Vegan Mofo, I would like to point out two other noteworthy things: first, Spiegel (who I sometimes love-hate but mostly hate-hate) has an article discussing <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/photo-gallery-oktoberfest-goes-vegan-fotostrecke-101979.html">Vegan Food at Oktoberfes</a>t and other changes to the Bavarian yearly festival. It features the following amazingly German quote: "It's crazy at times, says Peter Hartwich, head of the Wiesn police station, "because people no longer recognize any social limits to their efforts at self-realization." Second, <a href="http://seitanbeatsyourmeat.com/">Seitan Beats Your Meat</a> had a Mad Men theme this month, surely one of the greatest Vegan Mofo themes of all time, and also an excellent excuse to reprint the image below.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUpapWVlEqk/Ukrr3hinEEI/AAAAAAAABFc/mQKENDY-pfo/s1600/betty-draper-gun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="361" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rUpapWVlEqk/Ukrr3hinEEI/AAAAAAAABFc/mQKENDY-pfo/s640/betty-draper-gun.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I'll show you vegan," says Betty</td></tr>
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<i>Song of the day- The Julie Ruin- Girls Like Us</i><br />
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Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-31925770053592069392013-09-16T08:17:00.001-04:002013-09-16T08:17:59.599-04:00Pumpkin Chili and White Sage Whip<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pumpkin Chipotle Chili with polenta, yogurt and roasted pumpkin seeds</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">It comes as no surprise that different cultures have different ideas of what is healthy. In the Balkans, people think strong coffee several times daily is good for the digestion. Turks sprinkle fresh parsley on everything and drink herb teas but are generous with the oil and dairy. And in Germany, many people chain smoke continuously but make sure to buy certified organic produce. I've realized that my specialized quirk as an American is that I think pretty much everything is unhealthy except for vegetables. </span></div>
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Not that I don't eat sugar, flour, caffeine, alcohol, etc, its just that I make sure to feel guilty while I consume them, like a good American. Which is pretty much the opposite of my husband, who thinks that everything is healthy except for McDonalds and any form of medicine. (Just trying to get this man to take an aspirin generally leads to a rant about American pharma ending in "pills instead of feelings!")<br />
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So when we decided to both try to start eating healthier, I knew this was going to be a piece of cake. Everything I eat is already not a cheeseburger so it should be easy to satisfy his demands. To satisfy his desire for healthy lunch type stuff, we've been cranking out various types of aufstrich- aka, spreads. This <b>white bean, sage, and roasted almond spread (</b>"White Sage Whip"<b>) </b>from <a href="http://urbanhonking.com/hotknives/2009/06/09/white_sage_whip/">Hot Knives</a> fit the bill awesomely and is just decadent enough to glam up brown bread and veggies.<br />
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As for dinner, my traditional <b>Chili </b>packed with <b>beans and pumpkin and spiked with chocolate, beer and chipotle</b> goes awesomely with (healthy!) <b>polenta</b> and <b>soy yogurt</b>. Its not exactly rabbit food, but neither is it a cheeseburger. (You can find various approximate recipes <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/2008/03/two-bean-cinnamon-soul-power-chili.html">here</a> and <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/2012/10/vegan-mofo-trendy-chile-w-chipotles.html">here</a>.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/26873338-2160-4bda-b88f-305cc72f7f50_zps46db98c5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/26873338-2160-4bda-b88f-305cc72f7f50_zps46db98c5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hot Knives' White Sage Whip</td></tr>
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<i>Song of the Day: Arcade Fire- Reflektor</i></div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-83599504190711264052013-09-11T05:29:00.000-04:002013-09-11T05:29:25.661-04:00Resisting Fall<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Its truly amazing how the weather in Berlin takes seasons so <i>literally.</i> There doesn't seem to be such a thing as Indian summer here. When summer is over, the sun disappears, people pull out their coats, and the leaves change colors with frightening rapidity. Its hard to remember that just a few weeks ago I was making excuses for not swimming nude in a lake. (Germans <a href="http://www.exberliner.com/blogs/the-blog/amok-mama-lake-snobbery/">love that shit.</a>) Nope, summer is brief and departs suddenly...<br />
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And yet, I'm not really ready to start eating (or for that matter, preparing) stews and casseroles again. I'm still in the mood for light and healthy(ish) dinners that make my husband complain. So I've ventured into some roasted vegetables and pumpkins, but haven't fully jumped into Fall yet. Above is a perfect example: a roasted vegetable salad with orange dressing. I simply roasted some beets, pumpkin and mushrooms, then whipped up a dressing of orange juice, agave nectar and white wine vinegar (+salt and pepper and olive oil) to drizzle all over. Perfectly delicious and still not wintry.<br />
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<a href="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/f5b165f5-8251-4871-acf6-3817723e6bf3_zpsb89fec24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/f5b165f5-8251-4871-acf6-3817723e6bf3_zpsb89fec24.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Then the other day I had this lovely meal- roasted beets with pumpkin seeds, sauteed spinach with garlic, sesame rice and sliced Asian pear.<br />
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Not exactly hearty fare, but then, I have plenty of months for that. #WinterIsComing, folks...<br />
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Song of the day: <a href="http://youtu.be/Z7nekCeeRyg">Fiona Apple- Dull Tool</a><br />
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Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-55037580216625675902013-09-02T09:04:00.001-04:002013-09-02T12:36:49.415-04:00Amsterdam is for lovers!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cWDFzs_MjV0/UiR2-flFOEI/AAAAAAAABEA/H4V5PL3XhK4/s1600/Arrived_in_Amsterdam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cWDFzs_MjV0/UiR2-flFOEI/AAAAAAAABEA/H4V5PL3XhK4/s320/Arrived_in_Amsterdam.jpg" width="320" /></a>Greetings! I'm back from a hiatus forced by a circumstantial triumvirate of lost camera, lost appetite, and Berliner work hijinx. Now that the summertime is almost over I will return from my hideaways on instagram and twitter and resume my occasional posting of vegan food experiments and discoveries from wherever I happen to be posted in Europe. This week? <b>Amsterdam!</b><br />
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Literally every time you tell someone you live in Europe the first thing they want to know is whether you've been to Amsterdam (or more specifically, smoked pot in Amsterdam.) Not being particularly into a) drugs or b) hordes of stoned tourists, I was never really keen to visit the city, despite reports that it is "soooo cute!" So when we got invited there for the wedding of two friends, I was looking forward but did not hold out high hopes for falling in love with the city.<br />
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But I'm willing to admit when I'm wrong. Amsterdam is awesome! And compared to Berlin I don't even think the drug/ tourist/ party equation is a major part of the appeal. What's far more compelling is the fact that the city is entirely navigable by bike and is filled with water, gardens, and parks- meaning you don't have to spend your time in one small "tourist district" to enjoy the sights. Amsterdam's charms are well distributed.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZawqfV4F4OU/UiR2-XdDjQI/AAAAAAAABEE/1lg6VPX349E/s1600/Checked_out_the_Dutch_masters_at_the_Rijkes_Museum__amsterdam__amstagram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZawqfV4F4OU/UiR2-XdDjQI/AAAAAAAABEE/1lg6VPX349E/s320/Checked_out_the_Dutch_masters_at_the_Rijkes_Museum__amsterdam__amstagram.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
It didn't hurt that we had absolutely gorgeous weather while we were there. Amsterdam is probably best seen meandering through narrow streets on a rented bike (<a href="http://recycledrentals.com/contact">recycled rentals </a>is central and boasts the cheapest rentals in town at 5 euros a day). Along the way your are fairly sure to find a good place to drink beer, listen to live music, or lie around in the park- and repeating these 3 activities in between meals is as good a way to spend a vacation as I can think of. Maybe punctuated with a visit to the recently reopened<b> <a href="https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en">Rijksmuseum</a></b> to check out the Dutch masters, or to<b> <a href="http://www.annefrank.org/">Anne Frank's home</a></b> for a chilling but fascinating historical tour.<br />
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When it comes time to eat there is plenty of your average European cafe fare to choose from, but a shady colonial past has also left Amsterdam with a lust for exotic tastes not often seen in European street food. <b>Nasi goreng, Roti, curries, tempeh, plantains, cous-cous peanut sauce</b>... the Dutch have been all over, and brought the food back to prove it. I was treated to a super-cheap platter of flaky roti with potatoes and green beans in "gravy" and crispy savory tempeh at one tiny restaurant- with a side of fried plantains and coconut juice. That would be tough to find in Berlin for sure, and here I saw plenty of restaurants with similar offerings (just double check if vegetarian = vegan.) Another evening in up-and-coming neighborhood De Pijp we had a huge meal of Moroccan and Middle Eastern specialties at <b><a href="http://bazaramsterdam.nl/">Bazar</a>,</b> a huge restaurant filling an ex-synagogue. We stuffed ourselves with huge platters of dolmades, hummus, baba ganoush and grilled veggies with cous-cous. Who would have thought the Dutch, famous for questionable deep-fried meat products, would have such an array of vegan and vegetarian specialties to sample?<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MzDS2PuSA3I/UiSDqIydwCI/AAAAAAAABEo/j5OGQskJIp4/s1600/DSC_0083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MzDS2PuSA3I/UiSDqIydwCI/AAAAAAAABEo/j5OGQskJIp4/s400/DSC_0083.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04TJo-7x9gs/UiSMC5hOGHI/AAAAAAAABE4/xNC24EdppCQ/s1600/Moeder_s_for_dinner-_super_cute_and_tasty_restaurant_decorated_w_hundreds_of_pics_of_mothers._Yes__they_are_packed_on_Mothers__Day.__amstagram__amsterdam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-04TJo-7x9gs/UiSMC5hOGHI/AAAAAAAABE4/xNC24EdppCQ/s400/Moeder_s_for_dinner-_super_cute_and_tasty_restaurant_decorated_w_hundreds_of_pics_of_mothers._Yes__they_are_packed_on_Mothers__Day.__amstagram__amsterdam.jpg" width="400" /></a>Another cool place we checked out was <b><a href="http://www.moeders.com/">Moeders</a></b> restaurant.This is definitely less vegan friendly (although its right around the corner from where a brand new <a href="http://www.vegetarianbutcher.com/about-us/team/myrthe">Vegetarian Butcher</a>(?) will open) but its so cute that it might be worth a visit if your with a mixed-menu crowd. The restaurant's theme- Mothers- is carried through its decor, which consists of hundreds of photographs of people's moms. The menu is also organized by different price levels of homey Dutch classics, which tend towards the meat-oriented but have a sprinkling of vegan and vegetarian offerings. I had a delish <b>salad with pumpkin, figs, and an orange scented dressing</b> that was to die for while my man dined on excellent versions of Dutch home-cooking.(Including the famous <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/2010/01/dutch-hutspot.html">Hutspot</a>!)<br />
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All in all I was pleasantly surprised to find my preconceptions of Amsterdam dashed to pieces. The city is perfect for a romantic getaway filled with exotic eats and homey, relaxing scenery. And oh yeah, if you wanna get high I'm sure you can arrange that too. :)<br />
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PS- Oh yeah, its <b>VEGAN MOFO!</b> I'm not participating this time around, but I will be following along at home. Check it out--->http://www.veganmofo.com/ </div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-29700880888136852252013-05-28T13:15:00.002-04:002013-05-28T13:16:49.959-04:00Vegan Kibbeh Pie <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/04763519-78e2-4aa3-b426-c20e55fcea22_zpsfceaaa10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/04763519-78e2-4aa3-b426-c20e55fcea22_zpsfceaaa10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibbeh"><i>Kibbeh</i> </a>is a wonderful dish of Lebanese origin that is popular throughout the Arab world. It combines bulgar, lamb or other meat with spices, and a luscious tahini dipping sauce or spread. <i>Kibbeh pie</i> is a non-traditional variation of this classic which combines the main ingredients in layers, a bit like a cake. According to my-secret-Jerusalemi-lover-man Yottam Ottolenghi, this is his spin on a popular dish on his hometown.<br />
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As I'm still working my way through the wonderful (*though not vegan) cookbook <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jerusalem-A-Cookbook-Yotam-Ottolenghi/dp/1607743949">Jerusalem</a>, this dish caught my eye as something that could be easily veganized- crumbled meat is one of the easiest things to approximate in vegetarian cooking, either through crumbled tempeh, soy curls, lentils, or vegan sausages. I used a sub from my local bio markt, some kind of tiny soy nugget that is often used for vegan bolognese sauce.<br />
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I haven't made this totally perfect yet- I think next time I'll use a mixture of faux meat and mushrooms to add a bit more flavor to the middle layer. When I have it totally perfected I'll post the full recipe, but for now let me give you a walk-through that could be easily replicated at home:<br />
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<b>Layer 1</b>: Circa 1 c. of prepared <b>bulgar</b>, mixed with a drizzle of <b>olive oil,</b> and a tablespoon or so of <b>flour</b>. You press this mixture into the bottom of a pan as if you were making a crust.<br />
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<b>Layer 2</b>: Your faux meat of choice browned on the stovetop with <b>onions</b>, <b>garlic</b>, and <b>pine nuts</b>, seasoned with a few pinches <b>cinnamon, allspice, cumin and salt+pepper.</b><br />
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<b>Layer 3</b>: A thick, creamy <b>tahini</b> sauce that's merely tahini plus some <b>lemon</b> and a bit of water to make it pourable.<br />
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You cook the first two layers in the oven at around 375F until good and browned, then add the tahini sauce on top and cook again for another 10 minutes, until its starting to brown in some places. Top with <b>parsley, sumac</b>, and more <b>pine nuts</b> if ya got 'em. Serve with lemon slices.<br />
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This casserole would be a perfect thing to set out at a potluck or casual dinner party with a big fattoush salad on the side. As it is, it makes an easy and hearty dinner dish that is exotic yet homey.<br />
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Conveniently, you can watch Yottam Ottolenghi make his version in a video<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/video/2012/aug/31/yotam-ottolenghi-kibbeh-video"> here</a>.<br />
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<i>Song of the Day: Shostakovitch- <a href="http://youtu.be/7UIHl0oJEpg">Waltz No. 2</a></i><a href="http://youtu.be/7UIHl0oJEpg"> </a></div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-41599593003734259312013-05-22T17:49:00.000-04:002013-05-22T17:53:43.474-04:00Pan-Fried Gnocchi with Green Goddess Sauce and Quick-Pickled Carrots<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Last week my little brother was in town from the USA and we had an incredibly fun and ridiculously debaucherous time with him and a pair of his hilarious friends. Not being used to the many party-friendly novelties of Berlin (you can drink on the street! bars never close! everything great is walking distance!) they made it their mission to stay up all night every night and take it all in. I managed to avoid the craziness for a few nights but by the weekend I was in too, and I think I'll be recovering for some time. (Also from the heartbreak of suddenly having to go cold-turkey off of American-boy humor, which I apparently have really been missing.)<br />
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So for dinner after they left I decided to make something with a lot of raw garlic and green stuff to stave off oncoming infections surely flooding my weakened immune system. The perfect thing? <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/2012/10/vegan-mofo-green-goddess-dressing.html">Green Goddess</a> dressing from <u>Appetite for Reduction</u>, a garlicky, tahini-laced herb dressing with tons of punch. Instead of serving it on a salad like normal however, I opted for some comfort food (to soothe my empty-nest syndrome). What better than some toothsome gnocchi? I boiled a couple of potatoes, set on the window sill to cool off, then put them through a potato ricer and kneaded the resulting mash with flour until it was easy to form little dumplings. Then I pan fried it in some olive oil and margarine. For a final kick, I peeled a carrot and quick pickled it in a bit of vinegar and sugar in the fridge.<br />
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Two parts raw, one part cooked, and extremely vibrant and delicious. I can think of many variations on this theme...<br />
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Another bright and delicious weeknight meal that incorporates a raw dressing? Another rendition of the <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/2013/03/weeknight-delicacies.html">sweet potato, tahini and onion dish from Jerusalem</a>, served alongside some kale with garlic, diced red peppers, and a dollop of pomegranate molasses. <br />
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Man I should eat like this every night! But then, what would I tell the veggie dogs in my fridge...?<br />
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<i>Song of the Day: Paolo Conto- Sparring Partner</i><br />
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Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-38553797693685217032013-05-16T13:35:00.000-04:002013-05-16T13:35:18.903-04:00Spargelzeit! (My way)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Not to be a bad German or anything, but I just cannot get behind the sudden enthusiasm this country whips up for white asparagus this time of year. I guess its exciting because its a local vegetable, unlike the imported mealy tomatoes and sad waxy peppers of winter, but just because its <i>ours</i> doesn't mean its <i>awesome</i>.<br />
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No, true to my American roots, I like my asparagus green and skinny. As though it has been exposed to sunlight and gone through the process of photosynthesis. Something about covering white, stalky "Spargel" with white, creamy Hollaindaise sauce just does not scream "Spring" to me.<br />
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I think a real Spring dish exploits the first greens and pumps it up with some citrus and those wintry standbys, onions and garlic. Something like this simple, weeknight Lemon-Asparagus Risotto. Or an asapargus sautee with tons of lemon and red peppers and tofu. You get the picture. And as for Spargelzeit, I'll jump on the next German food bandwagon... lets say rhubarb-zeit or mirabellen zeit.<br />
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<u><b>Asparagus-Lemon Risotto</b></u><br />
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<b>1 Quart of your favorite vegetable broth method </b><br />
<b>1 Tbsp. Olive oil + 1 tsp. vegan margarine</b><br />
<b>1 large onion, chopped</b><br />
<b>3 cloves garlic, diced </b><br />
<b>1 C. Arborio Rice</b><br />
<b>1 Glass decent white wine </b><br />
<b>A fistful of Asparagus, trimmed and cut into quarters</b><br />
<b>Salt, pepper, Thyme </b><br />
<b>Juice and zest from one lemon</b><br />
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1.) Heat several cups of your <b>vegetable broth</b> (or water + bouillon) and put on the backburner.<br />
2.) In a large pot, heat <b>olive oil</b> and <b>margarine </b>over medium heat. When sizzling, add in <b>onions</b>. After 1-2 minutes, add in <b>garlic</b>. Stir and cook for about 4 minutes or until translucent.<br />
3.) While this business is getting underway, heat another frying pan with a drizzle of <b>oil </b>on medium heat. When hot, add in your <b>asparagus</b> and a pinch of <b>thyme</b> and cook, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired state of "done-ness". (I like them a bit undercooked and crunchy, but to each her own.) Finish off with a dash<b> </b>of<b> salt</b> and <b>pepper </b>and a squeeze of <b>lemon</b> and remove from heat.<br />
4.) Once onion and garlic are ready add in your <b>rice </b>and stir so that it gets coated with oil and butter, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes, and then add in your glass of <b>wine.</b> Stir slowly, until wine has been absorbed.<br />
5.) Now comes the "spoon and stir" portion of risotto for which it is famous. Ladle a spoonful of warm <b>broth</b> into your pot. Stir slowly until it has been absorbed by rice. Repeat this until mixture has significantly increased in size and rice is cooked through. (If you run out of broth, you can use water, no one will know.)<br />
6.) At the end, when rice is fully cooked, stir in your <b>asparagus mixture, lemon zest</b>, and squeeze the rest of the <b>lemon juice</b> on in. Turn off the heat and cover and let sit for five minutes, then taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve with crusty bread, baked tomatoes, or whatever else strikes your fancy.<br />
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*****<br />
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<i>Song of the Day: David Bowie- Modern Love</i><br />
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Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-44750156700687266412013-03-18T12:22:00.001-04:002013-03-18T12:22:04.996-04:00The Incredible, Edible Eggplant<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Still on a big <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jerusalem-A-Cookbook-Yotam-Ottolenghi/dp/1607743949">Jerusalem</a> kick over here, skipping happily over to the big Turkish market nearby to pick up bulgar, sumac, pomegranate molasses and more ingredients necessary for lovely middle-eastern meals. According to the book, "stuffed" veggies are huge in the city, and from my own knowledge of Jewish cooking I can see how this is the perfect melding of Ashkenazi traditions and Middle Eastern/ Mediterranean traditions. Stuffing veggies makes the most of scarce ingredients and also presents beautifully. Just look at these stuffed eggplants! Gorgeous!<br />
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In this recipe, a simple bulgar salad with plenty of fresh herbs and spices is spooned into an eggplant that has been cut in half and smeared with a heady Moroccan-style mixture of preserved lemon, garlic, and plenty of olive oil before broiling. On top is soy yogurt that I thickened a bit by letting sit in a cheesecloth over a colander for a few hours. (Its more like Greek yogurt this way, although I understand in the US "Greek-style" soy yogurt is now available in a lot of grocery stores.) This recipe is also super versatile. For my bulgar salad I soaked the bulgar in boiling water for about five minutes until it was "cooked" and then mixed it with a squeeze of harissa, a drizzle of pomegranate molases, and plenty of chopped mint and raisins. You could also use red pepper paste or tomato paste, some chopped green onions or finely chopped onion, or cilantro if you have them on hand. I think the spices on the eggplant could also be switched up for endless combos.<br />
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Still having some leftover eggplant and salad, I made a quickie baba ghanoush, baking the eggplant until totally black and mixing the soft flesh with garlic, lemon peel, and olive oil. Great lunch for one of the first sunny days in ages!<br />
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<i>Song of the Day: Two Door Cinema Club- Something Good Can Work</i><br />
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Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com72tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-25401933087844255272013-03-11T07:38:00.000-04:002013-03-11T07:38:01.681-04:00Weeknight Delicacies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Don't get me wrong- I definitely don't miss being unemployed. But working sure puts a cramp in one's cooking style. It's one thing to whip up a fabulous dinner when you have all afternoon to putz
around, boiling beans, caramelizing onions, or picking up exotic
ingredients from lazy walks to the market. Now that I have a moderate
level of employment that takes up the better part of a day, its
sometimes a struggle to make something for dinner that is not totally
half-assed. Luckily, this is where other people's hard work on recipes
comes in handy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Potatoes and Onions with Garlicky Tahini Sauce</td></tr>
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I just recently got a really lovely new cookbook from Berlin's biggest English bookstore, where I like to spend aimless Saturday's reading England's best-sellers, which include more than a few books about Downton Abbey as well as one too many books about World War II. As far as cookbooks, they usually have a bunch of Jamie bloody Oliver and Nigella Lawson picture books and use the metric system and its just not appealing to me. But this time they had a really huge and gorgeous cookbook called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jerusalem-A-Cookbook-Yotam-Ottolenghi/dp/1607743949">"Jerusalem"</a> from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi and I fell in love. Its not vegetarian, but its packed with vibrant combinations and fresh techniques and quite a few of them would only need some tweaking to make it suitable for vegans. The above recipe, the first one I tried, is broiled sweet potatoes and onions covered with a simple tahini sauce and spices... its pretty much a starter, but it was so delectable that I'm totally thrilled to try to the rest of the recipes, especially when Spring comes and we can get a decent tomato up in this joint.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Manhattan Glam Chowder</td></tr>
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Another recipe genius I don't mind exploiting is Isa Chandra (Miss Moskowitz if yr nasty) who has a veritable treasure trove of quick and tasty (yet still exciting) weeknight meals. I've been particularly enjoying her soups lately, and especially those ones imitating fish soups. Last week I tried the <a href="http://www.theppk.com/2013/02/bouillabaisse-with-roasted-yellow-squash-chickpeas/">Bouillabaisse with Roasted Yellow Squash</a> as well as the <b>Manhattan Glam Chowder</b> from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1600940498?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwtheppkcom-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1600940498">Appetite for Reduction</a> (pictured.) Both rich, tomatoe-y and soul-satisfying, I would recommend both. (The Bouillabaisse was particularly surprising- who knew roasted squash was such a flavor booster? Not I.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spaghetti and Bean-balls with nooch</td></tr>
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Also from Isa is the famous mock-meatballs <b>"Spaghetti and Beanballs</b>" from V'Con. Never tried this recipe before despite having worn out the book from cover to cover, and discovered it was an easy and crowd-pleasing weeknight supper, especially if you have your own favorite tomato sauce recipe down-pat. <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Potato and Mushroom "Quesadillas"</td></tr>
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I also came up with another simple after-work supper- <b>Sweet Potato Quesadillas.</b> This would be as flexible as the ingredients you have on hand. I sauteed some mushrooms, peppers, onions and garlic for a nice sofrito, while boiling a huge sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks. When the sweet potato was fork-pieceable, I drained it and mashed it with a bit of soymilk, margarine, cinnamon and cumin.<br />
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To assemble and cook, you preheat an oiled frying pan to medium high heat and throw a tortilla in there. Plop some sweet potatoes in there and spread out a bit from the center, then add in the sofrito. Cover with the next tortilla and press gently to spread out the filling. After a 2-3 minutes, flip and fry on the other side until nicely browned. You could serve this with salsa or sour cream- I served it with smashed avocado and lime.<br />
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Domestic dominance and work aptitude? CHECK! <br />
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<i> Song of the Day: Two Door Cinema- What you know </i></div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-18806501860110962172013-02-12T08:32:00.001-05:002013-02-12T11:07:18.893-05:00Sweet Potato, Spinach, and Black Bean Enchiladas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've gotta admit: I'm not that into guacamole anymore. I've just been burned too many times, you guys.<br />
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Here is Germany, ripe avocados aren't nearly as common or delicious as what I was used to growing up in Virginia. A lot of times you bring a few home excitedly only to find them totally rotten on the inside. Or you scoop up a few to ripen at home, only to find that they NEVER RIPEN.<br />
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I mean, I can't complain too hard. Its not exactly like I'm living in Barbados here and its somewhat to be expected that the less-than-tropical shores of 'Schland-land do not grow the world's best exotic produce. (And hey, just try to find such a variety of potatoes elsewhere.) I just bring it up to point out: when I do find an avocado, I don't think of making a big bowl of guac. I think: GARNISH. For ENCHILADAS.<br />
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This time, mixing it up from my usual combo of <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/2010/05/chipotle-plantain-enchiladas.html">plantains, mushrooms and black beans</a>, I went for a filling of sweet potatoes (cubed, sprinkled with cumin + cinnamon, baked), spinach (roughly chopped and sauteed with plenty of garlic until wilted) and black beans (rinsed, drained, and added to spinach.) Served with a drizzle of soy yogurt (its spicy, y'all!) and some creamy avocado, its enough to momentarily make me forget that Germany isn't a paradise.<br />
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<i>Song of the Day: Aluna George- You know like it</i><br />
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Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-45733680666344316732013-01-28T10:45:00.001-05:002013-01-28T10:53:15.116-05:00Markthalle Neun<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the Markthalle, via http://www.markthalleneun.de/</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Anytime you live in a neighborhood long enough, you are sure to witness some surface and demographic changes. Here in Berlin, those changes seem to take place at lightening speed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Take my corner of Kreutzberg. When I moved in, it was a sleepy street with one cafe and a grubby burger stand, along with an abandoned betting office and barbershop. A few years later, the two closed storefronts became two insanely popular restaurants (pizza and tapas) that clog the sidewalks in summer time with <i>mamph</i>-ing tourists, street performers angling for change, and clumsy children playing dangerously close to traffic while their parents chug red wine. Not everyone is happy with the practically overnight shift- as exemplified by plentiful "Fuck tourists!" graffiti and the occasional screeching neighbor yelling out her window at drunken passerby, "Go back to America, Touristen-Schwein!"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">There are also, obviously, more thoughtful critics of gentrification and rising rents, who point to the fact that long-time residents get pushed out by newcomers willing to pay higher rents, and shops hawking precious olive oils, soaps, and innovative forms of yoga.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">I'm on board with debating about the issue, but I sometimes think that the tendency to blame foreigners for what are, essentially, real-estate and urban planning issues is a bit short sighted, and in the worst cases a cover for plain old xenophobia. I mean, really, isn't it a bit of a chicken and egg issue, blaming foreigners for raising rent? Like anyone comes to a country and wishes to pay more than locals do for housing? Shouldn't we rather be enlisting newcomers into neighborhood politics, instead of a knee-jerk reaction to alienate and blame them for long-standing political problems?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/markthalle_zps20ccecec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/markthalle_zps20ccecec.jpg" width="291" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">That brings me to <a href="http://www.markthalleneun.de/">Markthalle Neun</a>, either one of the worst examples of yuppie gentrification OR an awesome urban renewal project, depending on who you talk to. (You can guess which side I stand on.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">A few years ago, a building on Eisenbahnstrasse was home to a discount grocery store and a tacky drugstore, both of which were crowded in the corner of a voluminous space that once housed a rowdy neighborhood market before the wall fell. After years of failure, the government decided to auction off the mostly empty space in 2009, until a gang of foodies decided to occupy it for their own purposes: to start a weekly market showcasing local produce and food artisans. Surprisingly, they won! (Score one for direct action!)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Although the first few years were shaky, with poor attendance and bad sales, Markthalle Neun has suddenly exploded. Now you have to wait in a line to get house-smoked local Barbeque, sample Spanish chickpea stew, or grab a giant slice of gluten fee cake. To me, the rambunctious atmosphere is refreshing after years of stifled potential inside of this picturesque building. If you are so inclined, you might view this hall, with all its young hip Italian and Spanish people hawking organic and gluten-free wares to hip young neighborhood parents with 5 bio-babies, an annoying example of gentrification. From my side though, I'm seeing a vibrant community meeting place, supporting small ethical businesses inside a once-abandoned building that could have just as easily been sold off to a corporation or made into lofts.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">I went there this weekend with S. and was surprised to see new stalls, more people, and plenty of interesting vegan food on offer. But my favorite thing has been there since the beginning: Vegan Burger, a small stand featuring several types of smoothies and juices, and one kind of burger. The 'Sunday Burger' is a few slabs of marinated and grilled tofu, cucumbers, beets, sprouts, lettuce, and three homemade sauces (chipotle, peanut, and mango) all on a sturdy whole wheat bun. While chewing my delicious burger, sipping on a carrot-orange juice, and watching cute grubby kids play and grab at organic produce, I can't help but think that this is a giant improvement over cold empty space.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i> Song of the Day: Blumfeld- Status Quo: Vadis</i></span></div>
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Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-2945712359656494722013-01-22T12:11:00.000-05:002013-01-22T12:12:28.825-05:00Red Wine Stew with Leek Dumplings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/winestewwithdumplings_zpsc813b4db.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/Food/winestewwithdumplings_zpsc813b4db.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Not to sound complainy or anything, but I have never lived anywhere with such gleefully bad weather as Berlin. (And I've lived in <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/search/label/Brussels">Brussels</a>, where it rains approximately 363 days a year.) Wintertime is really a struggle- no one wants to leave the house, everyone is getting sick or getting over being sick, and the few hours of daylight are dominated by bone-chilling temps and gloomy gray skies. Plus your bike freezes all the time, and all the stores close early because they think you ought to be inside anyways. (They are correct.)<br />
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HOWEVER. I am in an oddly upbeat mood and it annoys me deeply that the weather won't bother to even try matching me. (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_%28book%29">The Secret</a> is bullshit people. You do not manifest your own reality.) Luckily, bitching about the weather only takes up, like, 50% of my mental energy. The rest is dedicated to devouring new books about alchemy, Yugoslavia, Victorian female authors, or whatever else peaks my promiscuous curiosity, and thinking about what to eat for dinner.<br />
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Yesterday I decided to create a thick, wintry stew containing three things that cheer me up in these dark times: lots of red wine, crispy <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/dining/roasting-renders-leeks-tender-and-versatile.html?hpw">leeks,</a> and plenty of herbs. And why not some easy dumplings? It was excellent, and I'll give you the "recipe" but its gonna be pretty fast and loose and should be more of a idea-sparker because a) it was quite improvisational and b) might have drank a bit of the wine myself....<br />
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<b>Red Wine Stew with Leek Dumplings</b><br />
<i><b>Stew:</b></i><br />
<b>Olive oil </b><br />
<b>1 onion, chopped</b><br />
<b>1 leek, white and white-ish parts, chopped</b><br />
<b>2-3 cloves garlic, diced</b><br />
<b>circa 2 c. mushrooms of any sort, sliced </b><br />
<b>4 medium potatoes, loosely chopped (about 2 cups)</b><br />
<b>4 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds </b><br />
<b>3-4 plum tomatoes, chopped </b><br />
<b>1/2 or 1 teaspoon each of the following (that you have handy):</b><br />
<b> -smoked paprika</b><br />
<b> -thyme</b><br />
<b> -sage</b><br />
<b> -rosemary</b><br />
<b>2 cups drinkable red wine</b><br />
<b>2 cups veg broth (or water and a veg bouillon cube) </b><br />
<b>1 T. white miso</b><br />
<b> </b><b>1 14oz. can white beans</b><br />
<b>3 T. flour</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<i><b>Dumplings:</b></i><br />
<b>1 leek, white and inner green parts, chopped</b><br />
<b>1 c. flour</b><br />
<b>3/4 tsp. baking powder</b><br />
<b>pinch salt</b><br />
<b>3/4 c. soymilk</b><br />
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1.) Set up your stove with one frying pan and one large pot or Dutch oven. Set the frying pan to medium-low and drizzle with <b>olive oil</b>. When hot, add in<b> leeks</b> and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted and some are browning a bit. Season with salt and remove from heat.<br />
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2.) While leeks are cooking you can already get going on the stew. Set large pot to medium heat and drizzle with <b>olive oil</b>. When hot, add in <b>onions</b> and <b>the other leek,</b> and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in <b>garlic</b> and cook for a few minutes more before adding in <b>mushrooms.</b> Let the mushrooms brown for a bit (5-7 min.) and then add in the <b>carrots, potatoes, tomatoes</b> and <b>herbs</b>. Season with salt and pepper, and stir to coat vegetables with spices. Add in <b>wine, broth</b>, and <b>miso paste</b>. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and let cook, stirring ocassionally for about 30 minutes.<br />
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3.) After stew has reduced, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. In a small bowl, spoon out a bit of the broth and mix together with <b>flour</b> until no lumps remain. Add back into stew, and cook for 5-10 minutes while you prepare dumplings.<br />
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4.) For <b>dumplings</b>, mix <b>flour, salt </b>and <b>baking powder</b> together in a bowl. Add in about a cups worth of <b>leeks</b> (eyeball it- you can reserve the rest of the leeks for garnish) and stir to coat with flour. Add in <b>soymilk</b> and stir together until "just mixed." Dough should not be too wet- add in more flour if necessary to make it sticky but not liquidy.<br />
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5.) Drop tablespoons-full of leek dough into simmering stew. (No need to be too precise, they won't turn out pretty anyways.) Cover, and cook for another 15 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through.<br />
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Serve a bowl of stew with a few leek dumplings and some extra crispy leeks as garnish. Oh yeah, and wine. Lotsa wine.<br />
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<i>Song of the Day: Passion pit- Take a Walk</i></div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-29866997328463438272013-01-17T10:41:00.001-05:002013-01-17T10:41:31.427-05:00Migas in Portugal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama Celeste, a Portuguese cook</td></tr>
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My Dad recently traveled to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazar%C3%A9,_Portugal">Nazare, Portugal</a> for work, and also for part of his "making my daughter jealous tour." While there, he witnessed monster feats of surfing during the day and stuffed his face with homey cooking in the evenings. Ah, the life of a cameraman.<br />
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There was one dish, coincidentally vegan, that he really enjoyed at thought to share with me.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/migas22_zps8cf1c546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/migas22_zps8cf1c546.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mama Celeste in her element</td></tr>
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He wrote the following:<br />
<br />
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"If you order fish in Nazare it comes with garlicky
potatoes and <i>Migas</i>,.. it’s a mixture of cornbread, kale and black eyed
peas that tastes great and is light and fluffy.</div>
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The cook, Mama Celeste, who feeds a ravenous band
of surfer dudes every day at her restaurant that bears her name, shared
her recipe.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Cornbread<span> </span>sauteed in olive oil</div>
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Kale sauteed in garlic</div>
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Black eyed peas<span> </span>boiled and salted.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The whole thing gets stirred together in and heated for a moment in a black skillet."</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/migas12_zpsc7eac172.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/migas12_zpsc7eac172.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product!</td></tr>
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Sounds pretty delicious and do-able, right? I'm going to have to add this to my repertoire of easy dinner dishes.</div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-23223120851981626322013-01-14T11:27:00.001-05:002013-01-14T11:28:22.890-05:00Frohes Neues Jahr!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/400045_10151332297038571_1087908277_n_zpse4057fd6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc310/christinaelee/400045_10151332297038571_1087908277_n_zpse4057fd6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Happy New Years,everyone!<br />
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That's my husband S, on our rooftop New Years Eve setting off fireworks to join the literally jillions going off all over the city in Berlin. New Years Eve here is completely crazy. <b>IT IS CRAZY</b>. Germans have NO FEAR of fire and shoot off rockets at each other for about a week leading up to the New Year, finally reaching a crescendo at midnight where the whole city momentarily seems to catch fire in a display that makes the 4th of July in the US look like a lit birthday cake. Its pretty terrifying, but everyone seems pretty used to it. (To wit, while standing on the roof, several rockets buzzed right pass our heads coming up from the park below and no one even paused from sipping their prosecco.)<br />
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Aside from a constant fear of death-from-above, I heartily enjoyed our New Years party which was mildly Southern-themed, complete with Gumbo-Z, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and dark-and-stormy cocktails (a heady mixture of dark rum and ginger beer.) For those that missed out on the food it probably just seemed alcohol-themed, but it was definitely a hearty entry into the new year with lots of good friends from Berlin and all over. By 6am it devolved into a wild dance party but, and this bodes well for the new year as well, our neighbors didn't care.<br />
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And as for 2012, good riddance! I am so ready to move into a new year, which is hopefully the year in which I get an awesome job, perfect my German, and learn to cook new exciting dishes, rather than repeat the same lasagna-stirfry-pumpkin soup pattern that is my wont. No, this year will be about shaking things up, remembering to take the vitamin B12 pills, and trying new things! <br />
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Hope you guys are as excited as I am!</div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-29367121773067081962012-11-13T05:42:00.001-05:002012-11-13T05:43:29.268-05:00Hot Knives Mac and Cheese<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3VmOiTYG3c/UKIb0p0CxRI/AAAAAAAAA_I/xOVPu7_njQY/s1600/Vegan+Mac+and+cheese+++carrots+and+leeks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3VmOiTYG3c/UKIb0p0CxRI/AAAAAAAAA_I/xOVPu7_njQY/s640/Vegan+Mac+and+cheese+++carrots+and+leeks.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Oh man, US Elections are so much more fun from the US! I was totally excited to try to stay up until 6 last week and watch how a close race played out in my home state of Virginia. I went to a local bar where they were broadcasting US news and serving pancakes all night long. However, by 3am I was pretty drunk and tired of standing around with Berlin's entire American and British population in a bar the size of my kitchen, straining for a peek at CNN. So instead I passed out "early" (ie, before any swing state came in) and the next morning while passing me the coffee my husband commented casually, "oh by the way, did you see Obama won?"<br />
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Aaaargh. Its a total drag trying to translate American pleasures to a foreign context.<br />
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But its ok. I'm already looking forward to coming home over the holidays and partaking in the most American, female, East Coast possible activity- going to see Les Mis in the theaters the day after Christmas (of COURSE.) And until then, I have vegan mac and cheese. Did you guys see that Hot Knives posted a to-die-for new mac and cheese recipe with BEER? This may just replace my standard <a href="http://veganyumyum.com/2007/10/mac-and-cheese-cheeze-yeast/">Vegan Yum Yum version</a>. With leeks and carrots on the side its comfort food for the absentee voter.<br />
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<a href="http://urbanhonking.com/hotknives/2012/10/24/veganmac/">Hot Knives: Perfecting Vegan Mac and Cheese</a><br />
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<i>Song of the Day: Bombay Bicycle Club- Shuffle</i></div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-61657661000747234182012-10-30T11:49:00.000-04:002012-10-30T11:49:05.611-04:00Vegan Mofo: Green Goddess Dressing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Zlmy7Y4tUM/UI_vqQa3-jI/AAAAAAAAA-0/OU7ZDY5Flng/s1600/Green+goddess+salad+with+pita+chips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Zlmy7Y4tUM/UI_vqQa3-jI/AAAAAAAAA-0/OU7ZDY5Flng/s400/Green+goddess+salad+with+pita+chips.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
So I've been on a garlic kick recently (like for the last 18 years or so). However, I am almost never on a salad kick. I don't know why, but salads just don't excite me the way that a good stew or casserole does. However! This is really dumb because I happen to live in a place where truly fancy salad greens like mache, arugula, butter lettuce, endives, ect are all totally commonplace and cheap.<br />
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Its kind of like how you can buy a stick of Brussels sprouts at Whole Foods for like $4.99, and a huge bag of them are like $.99 here in Berlin. (Chalk it up to being closer to Brussels, I guess.)<br />
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My point is, I should be exploiting this price difference to my advantage and eating my weight in fancy field greens! Yet, I often think of a salad as a pale side to a rich dinner.<br />
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Not today though! I've been working my way through <a href="http://www.theppk.com/books/appetite-for-reduction/">Appetite for Reduction</a> (insert obligatory gushing about Isa Chandra Moskowitz here) and she has a whole range of interesting salad dressings to try from. And her garlicky <b>Green Goddess Dressing</b> is truly a thing of beauty. With peppery parsley, creamy tahini and tons of garlic, its enough to even drive my salad-hating hubby to steal from my bowl.<br />
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This one is going in the permanent rotation.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x-kleeihyEo/TNIM3bUzGtI/AAAAAAAAAxc/mAr5p_QeD-w/s1600/veganmofo_final_header1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_x-kleeihyEo/TNIM3bUzGtI/AAAAAAAAAxc/mAr5p_QeD-w/s640/veganmofo_final_header1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<i>Song of the Day: Taylor Swift- We are Never Getting Back Together</i><br /><br />
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Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-81358571151369275642012-10-23T23:30:00.000-04:002012-10-24T06:12:08.242-04:00Vegan Mofo- Ginger Apple Cupcakes w/ Peanut Butter Icing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3fIA0e8JsLA/UIe42Jx32NI/AAAAAAAAA9g/DszwVryMA7I/s1600/Ginger-apple+cupcake+with+crack-like+peanut+butter+icing++%23veganmofo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3fIA0e8JsLA/UIe42Jx32NI/AAAAAAAAA9g/DszwVryMA7I/s1600/Ginger-apple+cupcake+with+crack-like+peanut+butter+icing++%23veganmofo.jpg" /></a></div>
Guys, I know I should probably branch out a little from cupcakes. Aside from being calory-laden and packed with sugar, they are ubiquitous in the vegan world and beyond.<br />
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But the thing is, I'm so good at them! Its like the one dessert I have <i>on lock</i>! I make <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/search/label/pie">pies</a> on very special summer days, I occasionally make <a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/search/label/cookies">cookies</a>, and I've been known to make a real size<a href="http://vegansoulpower.blogspot.de/search/label/cake"> cake</a> when the mood strikes, but there's is nothing that I can whip up in 45 minutes flat like cupcakes. Cupcakes, once you get the hang of them, are ridiculously simple and can be altered to contain whatever is clogging your kitchen- plums, fig jam, cashews, wasabi.... (Well, I haven't tried that last one.)<br />
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Anyways, the obvious reason for my comfort and ease in the cupcake realm is because of the by now infamous tome '<a href="http://www.theppk.com/books/vegan-cupcakes-take-over-the-world/">Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World</a>' by the Moskowitz/ Romero power house. I mean, it hardly bears mentioning since you ALL have this book. And like many of you, having familiarized myself with some of the basic cupcakes recipes, I can now invent cupcakes at whim with simple substitutions and combos.<br />
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So yesterday I felt the need for some fall-apple goodness, and decided to alter the Gingerbread cupcakes I love so dearly, subbing out diced crystallized ginger with diced apple. On top of this spicy, apple-filled cake I piped the luscious, crack-like peanut butter icing that is now taunting me from my kitchen.<br />
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They are very delicious. And now I have <strike>12</strike> 11 of them. Maybe it is really time to step away from the cupcakes. Luckily, my good friend SMP has gifted me with an awesome ice cream maker AND a vegan ice cream cookbook, so now I have the perfect excuse to branch out into new arenas...<br />
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<i>Song of the Day: Ronald Jenkees- Stay Crunchy</i></div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-48804197062800220292012-10-22T15:07:00.001-04:002012-10-22T15:07:32.976-04:00Vegan Mofo: Sweet Potato w/ Apple Corn Salsa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hey guys! Just a normal Monday night, nothing too exciting but as its <a href="http://www.veganmofo.com/">Vegan Mofo</a> I will share my simple dinner. This was a baked sweet potato with some garlicky kale and "apple corn salsa" which is actually really good. You just saute some chopped red onion and add in a chopped apple and a handful of corn. Salt and pepper it up, then when everything is well-cooked add in a splash of balsamic vinegar. <br />
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The kale was also special because its super-rare in Berlin (at least, as far as I can tell.) I found a stand at the Farmers Market last week selling it so I bought a metric ton and froze it so I can have kale all winter!<br />
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Hurrah! Not every day can be exciting. :P<br />
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<i>Song of the Day: Nie Mehr- CRo</i><br /></div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-77850962675599539362012-10-20T11:44:00.000-04:002012-10-20T11:44:22.943-04:00Vegan Mofo: Trendy Chile w/ Chipotles, Sweet Potatoes and Chocolate<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If you've browsed through recipe pages at all (and yes Mofoer, I know you have) you may have noticed that there are more Vegan Chile Recipes than there are vegans. Everyone has a slight variation with a wild weird ingredient that catches on like wildfire for a bit. For the last few years, you could say these were:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Chipotles</li>
<li>Chocolate</li>
<li>Beer </li>
<li>Brussel Sprouts</li>
<li>Tomatillos </li>
<li>Sweet potatoes</li>
</ul>
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Well, I love trying new things and I'm not really married to any special recipe of my own, so whenever I make chile, I go for broke. This time was no different. This chile contained 3-4 chipotles, a handful of dark chocolate chunks, sweet potatoes, and a sip of beer, among other, standard chile ingredients. I served it over soft polenta with some chopped onions and cool yogurt. It was outstanding, if almost a little <i>too</i> trendy.<br />
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I would post the recipe, but I don't want to add to the clutter of the online vegan chile world. Just go experiment kids, its hard to mess something so essentially and innocently good!<br />
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<i>Song of the Day: Basement Jaxx- Do your thing</i><br /><br /></div>
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Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-5369147953668960852012-10-18T12:12:00.000-04:002012-10-18T12:12:33.055-04:00Vegan Mofo: Anxiety Reducing Tamarind Coconut Curry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Oh my Gosh you guys, I went to the doctor yesterday and I was so freaked out. No idea why, but the idea of going to the doctor in a foreign country always freaks me out. What if he or she doesn't understand what you are asking for and removes a rib or something? Or what if they totally miss any problems because you don't understand the question? I once went to a doctor in Budapest complaining of a stomach ache and they gave me a sonogram. True story. <br />
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But then I remember that my German is much better now, and because everyone here is way into holistic medicine the only risk of going to a doctor is likely to be a lecture about doing yoga and taking magnesium supplements. Yes, my doctor ended up being super chill. She even wrote in my prescription that I should get a hula-hoop to reduce menstrual cramps. What American doctor (who wasn't insane) would prescribe a hula-hoop? No, they would hand you a bottle of painkillers. Oh America, how I miss you.<br />
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Anyways, despite kind of being in love with my new German doctor, I was still a little shaky from the morning of predicting horribles. And what better thing to eat to calm you down than a big, spicy curry? For some reason curries always calm me down- the spicier the better. Maybe curry powder has a secret calming effect. Or its just the appeal of standing in the kitchen chopping vegetables for big aromatic stew- definitely takes your mind off you problems. <br />
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Either way, for me curries are the ultimate soulful comfort food- plus a good excuse to get rid of any veggies remaining in your fridge. Its not really an authentic recipe (I mean, <i>obviously</i>), but lemme give you the equation for how I do it. Its hard to screw up, it gets the job done, and coconut milk is pretty forgiving if you need to add in more curry or spice. <br />
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<u><b>Tamarind Coconut Curry</b></u><br />
1 onion<br />
3 cloves garlic, chopped<br />
1" ginger root, peeled and chopped<br />
[Lots of veggies]<br />
1.5 T curry powder<br />
Cayenne pepper<br />
1 T Tamarind paste (if ya got it) <br />
1 14 oz can Coconut Milk (light is fine)<br />
<br />
Tomato/ Tomato paste<br />
Agave nectar (optional)<br />
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1.) While a pot or wok is heating up to medium with a few tablespoons of <b>oil</b>, chop up an<b> onion,</b> 3-4 cloves<b> garlic,</b> and <b>ginger</b>. When oil is hot, throw them in.<br />
2.) While they are cooking, chop up whatever veggies are lying around, eg., <b>carrots, leeks, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, bok choi, mushrooms</b>, ect.<br />
3.) Throw those in to the pot, and saute a few more minutes. Next, sprinkle over everything 1 and 1/2 tablespoons <b>curry powder</b>, plus 1 tablespoon <b>tamarind paste</b> and a pinch of <b>cayenne pepper</b>. Stir to coat.<br />
4.) Finally, add in a 14 oz. can of <b>coconut milk</b>, plus a squirt of <b>agave nectar</b> (to counteract the sour tamarind.) Throw in some chopped tomato if you have some, or a squirt of <b>tomato paste</b>.<br />
5.) Cook for 15-20 minutes and taste to adjust seasonings. <br />
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Serve with rice, cashews, chopped herbs, ect.<br />
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<i>Song of the Day: Ben Folds Five- Do it anyway</i><br /><br /></div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3869045441796511759.post-6904672617438601472012-10-17T12:11:00.001-04:002012-10-17T12:14:08.475-04:00Vegan Mofo: Homemade Pizza<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There is something really great about being able to control your own pizza destiny. Once you have an excellent dough recipe and an excellent sauce, its like, the world is your <strike>oyster</strike> pizza! If you have some vegan cheese lying around you can toss that on, or whip up some tofu ricotta from <u>Vegan With a Vengeance</u>. Or you can make it all healthy green stuff, safe in the knowledge that it still won't be *too* healthy. You could throw on tempeh bacon, caramelized onions, pineapple, corn (like they do in Europe) or any other crazy thing and its still going to be awesome!<br />
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For this edition of pizza roulette, I topped my little monster with shallots, brocoli, spinach, mushrooms and, the real kicker: soy curls drenched in BBQ sauce. It was kind of like that BBQ chicken pizza that was such a hit back in the nineties. Except way better because it was vegan homemade!<br />
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I know you guys can search through my pages yourself, but let me just hook you up with the no-fail dough and sauce recipes I use and save you the trouble in case you are in the mood for some pizza yourself.<br />
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<u style="font-weight: bold;"> Pizza Crust</u><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">-1 packet yeast</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">-1 and 1/3 cup warm water</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">-1 tsp. salt</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">-1 T. agave (or honey or sugar, if you swing that way)</span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">-Approx. 3.5 cups flour </span>(for use a mix of white and whole wheat flour)<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">-2 T. olive oil, plus extra for the bowl</span><br />
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1.) In a large bowl, dissolve the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> yeast</span> into the <span style="font-weight: bold;">water </span>and let it sit for 5-10 minutes.<br />
2.) Add in the <span style="font-weight: bold;">rest of the ingredients</span> and blend together, kneading for 10 minutes, or until relatively smooth. At this point you can add in a bit more <span style="font-weight: bold;">flour </span>if its too sticky. (Nice to have an assistant on hand for that, since your hands will be covered in dough.)<br />
3.) Form dough into a ball and place into a bowl that has been coated in <span style="font-weight: bold;">oil</span>. Set in a warm corner, covered by a damp cloth and leave it alone for an hour or so. (Pro-tip: My friend SMP let me in on a secret to quicker rising- just put your dough bowl into an oven along with a pot of freshly boiled water. The steamy oven will guarantee good a rise.)<br />
4.)
After time has passed, punch down the dough and divide into two balls.
Leave one in the bowl and take the other one out, rolling out on a
floured surface to your desired thinness and leaving some width on the
sides for the crust. Transfer to pizza pan/ stone/ cookie sheet or just a
rack.<br />
5.) Top with toppings and bake in a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.<br />
6.) Repeat with the other ball, or freeze/refrigerate for later use as pizza, breadsticks, or calzones.<br />
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<u> <b>Easy Tomato Sauce</b></u><br />
2 14 oz cans Diced/ Crushed Tomatoes<br />
1 small onion, diced.<br />
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and diced<br />
1 tbsp EVOO<br />
1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar<br />
1/2 tsp oregano<br />
1/2 tsp basil<br />
1/2 tbsp brown sugar<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
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1.) Cook the <b>onion </b>in <b>oil</b> over medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes. Then add in <b>garlic</b> and cook a few minutes longer. Add dash <b>balsamic</b> to deglaze. Then add in the rest of the ingredients. Raise the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 10-15
minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust spices, then, using immersion blender, blend until smooth. <br />
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<i>Song of the Day: Universal Heartbeat- Julianna Hatfield</i></div>
Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01789340756441897159noreply@blogger.com2