This recipe came to me as a way to use up radish tops. The technique and flavors work equally well with turnip tops, beet greens or other flavorful greens like water cress, but I especially like it as a way to use up radish tops and I am always pleasantly surprised by their fresh flavor. It is readily vegetarian, soy-free and gluten free, depending on what liquid you use for cooking the potatoes (water is fine).
Radish Top Soup
4-6 Tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onions or leeks
8 cups loosely packed radish leaves (or as many as you have if you don't have that many)
2 cups diced potatoes
6 cups liquid (we use water, beef broth or veggie broth)
1/2 cup cream (optional)
Freshly ground pepper
In pan one: Saute the onions. Stir in the greens and cook covered over low heat until they are wilted (8 - 10 minutes).
In (larger) pan two: Cook potatoes in your liquid until soft. Add in the radish tops and cook for about 5 more minutes. Puree finely using a food processor or immersion blender. Add cream and pepper if desired.
Note: we almost never add the optional cream since we don't keep it around the house and I don't need the extra fat in my food. It's perfectly tasty without the cream.
September 20, 2012
Quick Daikon Salad
This fresh salad offers a gentle blend of sweet and tangy and is very easy to make with a food processor. A simple summer dish great for barbeques. It is also a nice counter point to heavier dishes at the Thanksgiving table.
Daikon Salad with Apple and Carrots
1 daikon
1 apple
1 large carrot or 2 small ones
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Grate the daikon. Toss it in a colander with a teaspoon of salt. Let sit.
Grate the apple and carrot and put them in the salad bowl.
Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar.
Toss the sweetened vinegar over the apple and carrot.
Squeeze excess liquid from daikon, rinse and drain. Add to apple and carrot.
Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes and then serve.
Daikon Salad with Apple and Carrots
1 daikon
1 apple
1 large carrot or 2 small ones
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Grate the daikon. Toss it in a colander with a teaspoon of salt. Let sit.
Grate the apple and carrot and put them in the salad bowl.
Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar.
Toss the sweetened vinegar over the apple and carrot.
Squeeze excess liquid from daikon, rinse and drain. Add to apple and carrot.
Cover and chill for at least 20 minutes and then serve.
Eggless Brownies from a Box
Baking without egg does not necessarily require baking from scratch.
These are my favorite two ways to make eggless brownies from a boxed brownie mix.
(1) Take a can of black beans. Drain and rinse the beans. Return the beans to the can and fill the can to the top with water. Puree the beans and water in a food processor until very smooth. Add the bean puree to the brownie mix and stir to combine well. Bake according to package directions. You may need to add just a couple of minutes if your oven is fussy like mine. This version is dense enough to stand up to some mix-ins like chocolate chips, orange zest, chopped cystallized ginger or nuts.
(2) Instead of bean puree use 1 Cup of sour cream and an extra teaspoon of baking powder. This makes a slightly more delicate brownie that doesn't stand up quite as well to mix-ins, but my spouse prefers the texture and flavor over the bean version. Maybe I am just a hog for chocolate, but I like them equally well.
These are my favorite two ways to make eggless brownies from a boxed brownie mix.
(1) Take a can of black beans. Drain and rinse the beans. Return the beans to the can and fill the can to the top with water. Puree the beans and water in a food processor until very smooth. Add the bean puree to the brownie mix and stir to combine well. Bake according to package directions. You may need to add just a couple of minutes if your oven is fussy like mine. This version is dense enough to stand up to some mix-ins like chocolate chips, orange zest, chopped cystallized ginger or nuts.
(2) Instead of bean puree use 1 Cup of sour cream and an extra teaspoon of baking powder. This makes a slightly more delicate brownie that doesn't stand up quite as well to mix-ins, but my spouse prefers the texture and flavor over the bean version. Maybe I am just a hog for chocolate, but I like them equally well.
Mocha Brownies
This recipe is based on the Espresso Fudge Brownies recipe in Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. The brownies really are fudge-y. They can stand up to some mix ins like orange zest or chocolate chips or pieces of walnut. But they don't need it. They are good on their own.
Rich Mocha Brownies
3 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips (or chop up a bar of baking chocolate)
5 Tablespoons butter
2/3 Cup sugar
1/3 C milk
1 Tablespoon corn starch
3 teaspoons espresso powder (use decaf if you want to share with children)
1 teaspoon vanilla
just over 3/4 Cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
Before you begin: Preheat your over. Line a baking pan with foil and spritz with oil.
Microwave the chocolate and butter in a large bowl at low power for 2 minutes or until you can stir the chocolate into the butter. Stir until smooth. Add sugar. Stir again.
Use a large measuring cup to whisk together the milk, cornstarch, espresso powder and vanilla. It will get a little foamy. Stir that liquid into the chocolate and combine well.
Sift in the rest of the dry ingredients. Pouring them in through a fine seive and tapping the dry ingredients through works well. Mix until it's all moist and a few small lumps are OK.
Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth it as much as you can. It will be thick.
Bake 22 - 24 minutes. You don't need it to be crumbless, just not gooey any more.
Cool on a wire rack. You can break into it after 30 minutes, but it is better if you wait.
August 20, 2012
Pumpkin Muffins
This recipe was inspired by the recipe for Kathleen's Pumpkin Bread in Bakin' Without Eggs. Decreasing the sugar and substituting whole wheat for part of the flour improves the nutrition profile. Making muffins is faster than a loaf of bread and results in food that's more portable for sending as my son's afternoon snack to Preschool.
Pumpkin Muffins
1 Cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 Cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 generous teaspoon pie spice (or cinnamon plus a dash of nutmeg and ground ginger)
1/2 Cup milk
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon greek yogurt
1/4 Cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Cup sugar
1 can pumpkin puree
handful dried tart cherries (chopping them up is optional)
Preheat oven to 375 and oil tin for 12 muffins.
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and vinegar. Whisk in the yogurt.
Whisk in the oil, sugar and vanilla. Add the pumpkin and combine well.
In a separate bowl combine the flours, baking powder and spices.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Begin to combine.
When it's almost evenly mixed, add the dried cherries and stir to incorporate.
The dough should be pretty thick. If it's too thick to stir in the cherries then you can add a small splash of milk or water.
Spoon into muffin tins.
Bake 20-25 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes in pan. Then the muffins to cool completely on a a wire rack.
Variations:
This tastes just fine with raisins or craisins if you don't have dried cherries on hand. Or for less sweet you can omit the fruit altogether.
This dough is sturdy enough to also hold up to a cup of chopped walnuts to make it heartier.
Alternatively, for some crunch without the fat of added nuts, you can substitute 1/4 raw millet to replace part of the all-purpose flour. My son especially loves this variation.
For liquid, you can mix it up a little depending on what you have in your fridge. If you have buttermilk, you can use that in lieu of the milk, cider and yogurt (I just don't always have buttermilk). Or you can sourcream in lieu of the milk and yogurt. It works with various of those combinations. What you want is a slightly thick, slightly tangy liquid with a little acidity.
Pumpkin Muffins
1 Cup whole wheat flour
1 1/4 Cups all purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 generous teaspoon pie spice (or cinnamon plus a dash of nutmeg and ground ginger)
1/2 Cup milk
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon greek yogurt
1/4 Cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Cup sugar
1 can pumpkin puree
handful dried tart cherries (chopping them up is optional)
Preheat oven to 375 and oil tin for 12 muffins.
In a large bowl, whisk together the milk and vinegar. Whisk in the yogurt.
Whisk in the oil, sugar and vanilla. Add the pumpkin and combine well.
In a separate bowl combine the flours, baking powder and spices.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Begin to combine.
When it's almost evenly mixed, add the dried cherries and stir to incorporate.
The dough should be pretty thick. If it's too thick to stir in the cherries then you can add a small splash of milk or water.
Spoon into muffin tins.
Bake 20-25 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes in pan. Then the muffins to cool completely on a a wire rack.
Variations:
This tastes just fine with raisins or craisins if you don't have dried cherries on hand. Or for less sweet you can omit the fruit altogether.
This dough is sturdy enough to also hold up to a cup of chopped walnuts to make it heartier.
Alternatively, for some crunch without the fat of added nuts, you can substitute 1/4 raw millet to replace part of the all-purpose flour. My son especially loves this variation.
For liquid, you can mix it up a little depending on what you have in your fridge. If you have buttermilk, you can use that in lieu of the milk, cider and yogurt (I just don't always have buttermilk). Or you can sourcream in lieu of the milk and yogurt. It works with various of those combinations. What you want is a slightly thick, slightly tangy liquid with a little acidity.
July 18, 2012
Lime Mint Ice Cream Bars (no ice cream maker needed)
I love the fresh flavors of mint and lime. A creamy dessert that combines them is right up my alley. You will need to clear some acreage in your freezer for these. And have patience. You have to make these in two stages and they take several hours to freeze.
Lime Mint Ice Cream Bars
Ingredients:
1 package graham crackers
small handful salted pistachios
dash of ground ginger
1/4 Cup butter (1/2 a stick) (room temperature or fridge temperature both work)
2 Cups heavy cream
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (we use fat free, but regular works)
1/2 Cup sour cream
1/2 Cup fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
finely grated zest of one lime (or two if you love lime like I do)
Make a crust for the bottom:
Preheat oven to 350.
Line a 9 X 13 glass baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a few inches overhanging the sides.
Pulverize the graham crackers and pistachios in a food processor with the ginger.
Add the butter (in chunks if its cold).
Pulse until blended to a coarse meal.
Press into the bottom of the baking pan.
Bake until golden, 8 minutes or so.
Remove from oven.
Let cool completely.
This will mean waiting 1/2 an hour.
Prepare the filling:
Use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream, condensed milk and sour cream into thick stiff peaks. This will take 4-5 minutes. Fold in the mint and lime zest. Pour into the baking pan. Use a spatula to smooth it to even depth. Cover and freeze until firm (several hours).
Serving:
When ready to serve, transfer to a cutting board and cut into bars. Makes 18 bars if you make two slices the length of the pan (for 3 long rows) and divide each row into 6 bars.
Variations:
The original recipe in Women's Day that was my inspiration called for a crust of gingersnaps and butter (36 gingersnaps and 1/4 Cup butter). It also called for 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla in the filling.
The original recipe also said they could be kept frozen for up to 2 weeks.
I can't attest to that because it's never taken that long for them to get eaten.
Lime Mint Ice Cream Bars
Ingredients:
1 package graham crackers
small handful salted pistachios
dash of ground ginger
1/4 Cup butter (1/2 a stick) (room temperature or fridge temperature both work)
2 Cups heavy cream
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (we use fat free, but regular works)
1/2 Cup sour cream
1/2 Cup fresh mint leaves roughly chopped
finely grated zest of one lime (or two if you love lime like I do)
Make a crust for the bottom:
Preheat oven to 350.
Line a 9 X 13 glass baking pan with aluminum foil, leaving a few inches overhanging the sides.
Pulverize the graham crackers and pistachios in a food processor with the ginger.
Add the butter (in chunks if its cold).
Pulse until blended to a coarse meal.
Press into the bottom of the baking pan.
Bake until golden, 8 minutes or so.
Remove from oven.
Let cool completely.
This will mean waiting 1/2 an hour.
Prepare the filling:
Use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream, condensed milk and sour cream into thick stiff peaks. This will take 4-5 minutes. Fold in the mint and lime zest. Pour into the baking pan. Use a spatula to smooth it to even depth. Cover and freeze until firm (several hours).
Serving:
When ready to serve, transfer to a cutting board and cut into bars. Makes 18 bars if you make two slices the length of the pan (for 3 long rows) and divide each row into 6 bars.
Variations:
The original recipe in Women's Day that was my inspiration called for a crust of gingersnaps and butter (36 gingersnaps and 1/4 Cup butter). It also called for 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla in the filling.
The original recipe also said they could be kept frozen for up to 2 weeks.
I can't attest to that because it's never taken that long for them to get eaten.
June 8, 2012
Tunisian Vegetable Stew
This dish from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home has really stood the test of time for us. We've been making it for years and I still love it!
Tunisian Vegetable Stew
Veggie base:
1 large onion thinly sliced (the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups, but I don't measure. Use two if your onions aren't particularly large)
splash of olive oil
1/2 a cabbage thinly sliced (original recipe calls for 3 cups)
1 bell pepper cut into strips
Spices:
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (original recipe called for 1/4, but we like more)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or a little more)
To stew with:
28-ounce can of chopped tomatoes (undrained)
16-ounce can of chick peas (drained)
1/2 cup raisins (original recipe calls for just 1/3 cup)
juice of a lemon (original recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon)
To serve with: optional crumbles of feta cheese
How to:
Saute onions until softened. Add in the cabbage and saute at least 5 minutes more. Add the bell pepper and the spices. Cook another minute. Add the tomatoes, chick peas and raisins. Simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Add lemon juice and top with some crumbles of feta.
If you make ahead, hold off adding the feta until just before you serve it.
This keeps well in the fridge and tastes even better the next day.
It's dairy-free and vegan if you omit the cheese, in which case you may want to add salt.
Tunisian Vegetable Stew
Veggie base:
1 large onion thinly sliced (the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups, but I don't measure. Use two if your onions aren't particularly large)
splash of olive oil
1/2 a cabbage thinly sliced (original recipe calls for 3 cups)
1 bell pepper cut into strips
Spices:
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (original recipe called for 1/4, but we like more)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (or a little more)
To stew with:
28-ounce can of chopped tomatoes (undrained)
16-ounce can of chick peas (drained)
1/2 cup raisins (original recipe calls for just 1/3 cup)
juice of a lemon (original recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon)
To serve with: optional crumbles of feta cheese
How to:
Saute onions until softened. Add in the cabbage and saute at least 5 minutes more. Add the bell pepper and the spices. Cook another minute. Add the tomatoes, chick peas and raisins. Simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Add lemon juice and top with some crumbles of feta.
If you make ahead, hold off adding the feta until just before you serve it.
This keeps well in the fridge and tastes even better the next day.
It's dairy-free and vegan if you omit the cheese, in which case you may want to add salt.
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