Dinner 12/31

Sweet and Sour Seitan
(seitan, carrots, red bell peppers, onions, pineapple -- tamari, sugar, ketchup, sesame oil, apple cider vinegar and rice vinegar)

Jasmine Rice

Thanks to everybody who stopped by this year -- we went over the 20,000 visitor mark this year as we head into our third year.*

The referrer logs are always an interesting glimpse into the zeitgeist of Google searches. Most of the searches this year fell into a few categories -- those looking for a specific dish (cabbage bhaji was a perennial favorite), ingredient (runaway winner -- tofu) or phrase (not surprisingly, "vegan menu" or "what can a vegan eat?")

* (yes, the counter says (around) 19,660 as of 12/31 -- the tracker was added a little after after we began in January 2002 -- page views are around 26,860)

Dinner 12/30

Cajun Spiced Tofu w/ Mustard Cream Sauce*

Tostones
(twice fried plantain slices w/ spicy cilanto/garlic/jalapeno dipping sauce)

* quick recipe -- tofu cutlets dredged in seasoned flour (salt, pepper, cajun seasoning) sauteed and set aside -- in the same pan add sesame seeds, kale and veg stock until the kale has wilted. For the sauce -- combine soft tofu, soy milk and mustard and reduce. Plate the sauce, then the greens -- finally, slice the tofu and layer on top.

Dinner 12/29

Spicy Eggplant and Chickpea Stew

Basmati Rice

Dinner 12/28

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrots, red bell pepper, onion, ginger, garlic)

Jasmine Rice

Sear/Steamed Hoisin Green Beans

Dinner 12/27

Wilted Kale w/ Currants and Pine Nuts over Fusilli Pasta

Braised Leeks

Homemade Ciabatta Bread

Dinner 12/25

Sushi
(inside out rolls - avocado, daikon and carrot)

Tempura
(zucchini, onion)

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Roasted Red Pepper Pate

Gaufrette Potato and Sweet Potato Chips


Not really a sit down holiday dinner -- more like "hang out around the kitchen and graze on food as it was made". Nice and relaxing...

Dinner 12/24

Cabbage and Dill Pierogi's

Roasted Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips and Onions

Braised Leeks

Homemade Ciabatta Bread

Tomato and Potato Soup w/ Sage

Mache Salad
(w/ fig vinaigrette)

Dinner 12/23

Carbonnades Flamande
(Seitan and Onion Stew w/ Beer over Fusilli Pasta)

Grilled Asparagus

Homemade Ciabatta Bread

Dinner 12/22

Tomato and Onion Panade*

Tomato and Potato Soup w/ Sage

* Variation on the onion and greens version from the other night. Would probably be better with in-season tomatoes, but hey -- it's December ;)

Dinner 12/21

Broccoli Stir-fry
(broccoli, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, carrots, mushrooms and tofu)

Garlic String Beans

Jasmine Rice

* went to see "Lemony Snicket" with the kids -- Liz hated it ;)

Dinner 12/20

Braised Cardoons (Cardone)*

Panade **
(bread, onions, garlic, kale, daikon greens, soy cheese, veg stock -- from "Zuni Cafe" cookbook)

* they look like overgrown celery, but taste a bit like artichokes
** slow cooking -- baked at 250 for 4 hours

Dinner 12/19 (a.k.a. the day after the party)

sore, tired and barely able to lift a saute pan onto the stove, we instead grazed on the leftovers from last nights buffet. There were a total of 39 people at the party, and 95% of the food was consumed by the hungry crowd -- the last 5% became dinner...

Dinner Holiday Party v8.0

White Bean Cassoulet in Endive
Black Bean Salsa in Endive
Potato Salad
Salsa (Xnipec / Regular) & Chips
Tapenade w/ Batard
Hummus w/ Pita
Chilled Orzo salad w/ champagne vinaigrette
Phyllo Cups w/ Curried Tofu and Raisins
Tofu Salad Sandwiches
Sushi (carrot, daikon and avocado rolls)
Capers
Lentil and Soyrizo "Spoons"
Red Pepper Patê
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes (w/ Roasted Garlic)
Habenero Jelly on homemade soy cheese crackers
Roasted Almonds w/ Five Spice Powder
Pepitas (Pumpkins seeds w/ Cayenne)
Popcorn w/ Truffle oil
Wasabi Peas
Grapes / Fresh Fruit
Pumpkin Cheescake
Thumbprint Jam Cookies
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cookies

Dinner 12/17

Fusilli Pasta w/ Eggplant and Basil


* serious prep mode for the party tomorrow means quick and easy dinner tonight...

Dinner 12/16

Sushi*
(avocado, carrot, daikon and cucumber rolls, w/ ginger, wasabi and ponzu dipping sauce)

* spent the day food shopping for our annual holiday party this Saturday. It's always good to make a test run on the sushi beforehand ;)

Dinner 12/15

Steamed/Sauteed Baby Bok Choy
(w/ tamari)

Fennel Soup w/ Udon Noodles, Shiitake Mushrooms and Stir-Fried Tofu*

Stir-Fried Basmati Rice w/ Red Bell Pepper, Carrot and Scallions

* I always save the fennel stems/fronds and make a quick stock out of it -- add some tamari, pepper and some noodles and it's good for a quick and easy soup...

Dinner 12/14

Seitan Teriyaki *
(fried seitan, tamari, sugar, garlic, ginger, mirin, cornstarch)

Udon Noodles


* variation on the teriyaki recipe in the new Cook's Illustrated

Dinner 12/13

Lentil Stew w/ Seitan
(brown lentils, carrot, onion, garlic and seitan)

Mache Salad
(w/ fig vinaigrette)

Dinner 12/12

Garlic Eggplant

Seared/Steamed Chinese Long Beans w/ Pickled Cucumber

Stir-Fried Tofu w/ tamari

Basmati Rice

Dinner 12/11

Pan-Fried Noodle Cakes topped w/ Sauteed Tofu
(udon noodles, chile garlic paste, sauteed baby bok choy, sesame oil, tofu)

Dinner 12/10

Fusilli Pasta w/ Tomato Sauce

Ciabatta Bread

Dinner 12/9

White Bean Cassoulet

Sauteed Lion's Mane and Yellow Trumpet Mushrooms on Ciabatta Bread

Mache Salad
(w/ fig vinaigrette)

Dinner 12/8

Avocado Sushi

* light dinner tonight -- I had a show in Cleveland.

Dinner 12/7

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, napa cabbage, red cherry pepper, garlic, ginger, tamari and sesame oil)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 12/6

Cap'n Janeway
(penne pasta with a tomato cream sauce -- tomato, red pepper flakes, garlic, soyrizo, soy sour cream)

Dinner 12/5

Stir-Fry
(seitan, zucchini, red onion, carrot, garlic, galanga)

Jasmine Rice

Dinner 12/4

Lentil and Potato Stew w/ Balsamic Vinegar topped w/ fried Seitan

Broccoli Rabe

Dinner 12/3

Jerk Tofu
(sear the tofu first, then baste w/ a puree of allspice, garlic, scallions, red pepper flake, lime juice, tamari, shallot, nutmeg and baked in the oven at 450 for about 6-8 minutes a side, basting again when flipping)

Red Beans and Rice

Mashed Plantains and Soyrizo

Eggplant in Coconut Sauce
(fried, then baked w/ coconut milk, tomato and onion mixture, topped w/ dried coconut shavings -- not the sweet kind)

Dinner 12/2

Panade
(savory bread "pudding" w/ greens, stock and soy cheese -- from Zuni Cafe cookbook)

Figato Finto
(squash w/ cinnamon, sugar, parsley, vinegar, mint and olive oil)

Shaved Fennel Salad

Dinner 12/1

Sub Sandwiches
(lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, soy cheese, oil/vinegar salt, pepper, oregano)

Guafrette Potato Chips

Cole Slaw

Dinner 11/30

Seitan Stir-Fry
(seitan, red chile pepper, red bell pepper, scallion, carrot, asparagus)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 11/29

Cappellini Pomodoro
(sauteed onion, garlic and tomato over angel hair pasta)

Grilled Asparagus
(par-boiled three minutes, then marinated briefly with olive oil, tamari and pepper, then grilled)

Homemade French Bread*

* sadly, the last of the six loaves Liz made for Thanksgiving -- it was a pretty quick meal to put together -- a good thing on a Monday ;)

Dinner 11/28

Tofu w/ Lemongrass*
(tofu cutlets, split in the middle and stuffed w/ a puree of lemongrass, shallot, red pepper, garlic and tamari, seared, then baked to cook the insides)

Spicy Noodle Pie
(udon noodles, chile paste, scallions, fried in a 10" non-stick pan, flipped once, used as base for tofu/green beans)

Peppery Green Beans
(sauteed onion, red bell pepper, green beans, tamari)

* all Jean-Georges -- a great antidote for too much Italian food ;)

Dinner 11/27

Spaghetti w/ Marinara Sauce

Garlic Bread

* post shopping, you need an easy dinner ;)

Dinner 11/26

Baked pasta
(fusilli pasta, w/ broccoli, tomato, soy cheese)

Homemade French Bread

Dinner 11/25 (Thanksgiving)

First Course

Granny Smith Apple Salad
(mixed field greens, cubed granny smith apples, dried cherries, balsamic vinagrette)

Mushroom Pate

Homemade French Bread

Second Course

White Bean and Porcini Soup

Third Course

Butternut Squash Ravioli*
(w/ sage butter)

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Cranberry-Orange Compote

Dessert

Pumpkin Chocolate Cheescake**
(topped w/ whipped cream and raspberries)

Coffee


* we made these about 11 am, and ended up with enough extra dough/filling to freeze another three dozen. I'd forgotten how fun (and easy) it is to make ravioli. Once you get the dough down to setting number 5 on the pasta rollers, these just float like little clouds on your tounge (yes, a BDJ moment from Iron Chef). Ethereal.

** this was the second best cheescake Liz has ever made (only behind the espresso bean cheescake over there in the left hand column). The cheesecake was made with pumpkin puree, tofu and a bit of Silk Nog in place of the heavy cream. Cooked in a bain-marie, there was minimal cracking, but the top was filled in w/ a chocolate ganache, so you wouldn't have seen it anyway. The filling had exactly the right texture (creamy, yet firm -- not rubbery at all) and the taste was all Thanksgiving spices of nutmeg, cinnamon and pumpkin in the right proportion.

Dinner 11/24

White Bean Cassoulet

Roasted Potato Slices*

Homemade White Bread

* tried cutting them in 1/4" thick rounds and roasting them for about 20 minutes -- they'll be really good as a base for hors d'ouerves for the holiday party...

Dinner 11/23

Seitan and Lentil Stew

Braised Leeks

Mushroom Pate*

Homemade French Bread

* from the Millennium cookbook. Yummy.

Dinner 11/22

Wild Mushroom Quesadillas
(oyster mushrooms, rajas, onion, tamari, soy cheese, cilantro)

Arroz Verde
(leftover from the other day)

Dinner 11/21

Broccoli Rabe and Soy Sausage over Penne Pasta*



*finished off the soy sausage -- probably the last we'll see of that -- we could have just added the spices instead...

Dinner 11/20

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, red onion, szechuan peppercorn, tamari)

Jasmine Rice

Dinner 11/19

Stuffed Poblanos
(potatoes, soyrizo, onion, garlic, cilantro, soy cheese)

Arroz Verde
(Poblano Rice)

* this batch of Poblano's were eye-watering hot. Usually they're not quite so fiery -- I wish there was some way of testing them beforehand, to get an idea of where they sit on the Scofield index...

Dinner 11/18

Seitan Lo Mein*
(seitan, onion, garlic, carrot, red bell pepper, tomato, noodles, turmeric, tamari, cherry pepper)

Sear/Steam Green Beans w/ Tamari and Sake

* with sort of a Mongolian twist (turmeric, tomato).

Dinner 11/17

Eggplant Parmesan over Penne Pasta*

Grilled Raddicchio
(olive oil, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar)

Brasied Brussel Sprouts

Homemade Italian Bread


* OK, it's official -- I'm tired of Eggplant Parm. My son would eat it three times a week (and cassoulet the other four). I think the next eggplant gets turned into Baba Ghanouj ;)

** hello to those clicking over from tari's blog

Dinner 11/16

Stir-Fry*
(tofu, carrot, sesame oil, tamari, jasmine rice)

When you have a really long day, it's 6pm and your wife is about to walk through the door -- you're really, really glad you made extra rice the other day and that frying tofu and carrots in the wok takes less than 10 minutes. Add rooster sauce and viola! ;)

Dinner 11/15

Tofu Marsala with Yellow Trumpet Mushrooms over Fusilli Pasta

Sauteed Artichoke Hearts, Sun-Dried Tomato and Kalamata Olives

Dinner 11/14

Stir-Fry
(tofu, enoki mushrooms, ginger, garlic)

Jasmine Rice

Hoisin Green Beans

Sear/Steam Brussel Sprouts

Garlic Eggplant

Dinner 11/13

Mushroom Ginger Soup
(dried shiitake, fresh ginger, scallions, carrot, veg broth)

Vegetable Lo Mein
(leeks, carrots, garlic, ginger, scallions, tofu, rice noodles, tamari)

Sear/Steamed Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 11/12

PomPom (or Lion's Mane) Mushrooms on Ciabatta

We ended up going to the Big Food Expo in Cleveland yesterday and nibbled throughout most of it, so we weren't really that hungry when we got home. Got to say hello to the always orange clogged Mario Batali and Michael and Liz Symon (got a nice Lola t-shirt), Missed Rachael Ray, and Alton is only on Sat/Sun...

Dinner 11/11

Fusilli w/ Onion, Red Bell Pepper and Soy Sausage*

Ciabatta Bread


* these are Italian types (read: spicy) and are more solid that the soyrizo, but tend to dry out pretty quickly. These sort of fall under number 4 in the left hand column, but *shrug* they weren't bad...

Dinner 11/10

Pozole
(seitan stew w/ onions, garlic, hominy, ancho chiles, veg stock and mexican oregano)

Wild Mushroom Quesdilla
(oyster mushrooms, tamari, onion, soy cheese, flour tortilla)

Papusas
(masa dough, onion, soy cheese, soyrizo)

Dinner 11/09

Stir-Fry
(tofu, sesame oil, tamari, red bell pepper, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, scallions)

Hoisin Green Beans
(seared/steamed grean beans w/ tamari and hoisin sauce)

Jasmine Rice

Dinner 11/08

Rosti topped w/ Chanterelle Mushrooms
(potatoes, onion, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper)

Butternut Squash Soup
(butternut squash, veg stock, nutmeg, sage, salt and pepper)

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Homemade Ciabatta Bread

Dessert

Macerated Strawberries in Balsamic Vinegar over Almond Pound Cake

*a fantastic Fall dinner all the way around ;)

Dinner 11/07

Broccoli Rabe and Sun-Dried Tomatoes over Pasta

Dinner 11/06

White Bean Cassoulet

Polenta

Braised Leeks

French Bread

Dinner 11/05

Turmeric Cauliflower and Scallions

Spicy Okra w/ Chiles

Cumin Potatoes w/ Chiles

Eggplant in Creamy Yogurt Sauce*
(from Saveur)

* this is really the first time I've cooked with the vegan yogurt, and it held up pretty well -- not too liquidy, sweet or firm.

Dinner 11/04

Mushroom Risotto

Grilled Asparagus

Baked Artichoke Crock
(artichoke hearts, vegenaise, red pepper, capers)

Ciabatta Bread

Dinner 11/03

Roasted Cavolfiore
(roasted cauliflower w/ oil packed black olives and breadcrumbs)

Braised Leeks

Roasted Russian Fingerling Potatoes

Dinner 11/02

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, shiitake mushroom, scallions, garlic, ginger, tamari and sesame oil)

Jasmine Rice

Dinner 10/31

Capellini Pomodoro

Steamed Broccoli

Italian Bread

Dinner 10/30

Stir-Fry
(jasmine rice, bok choy, tofu)

sort of an abbriviated dinner as I had to run up to Cleveland to play a show (live soundtrack to "Nosferatu" w/ the SynthCleveland folks). I also made popcorn and brought cider from Beckwith's for all the movie goers.

Dinner 10/29

Stir Fry w/ Broccoli
(tofu, garlic, ginger, broccoli, hoisin sauce)

Jasmine Rice

Dinner 10/28

White Bean Cassoulet

Mini Potato Gratins*

Braised Brussel Sprouts and Leeks

* made in a muffin pan, recipe from delicious. magazine (from Australia)

Dinner 10/27

Tex-Mex Enchilladas

Stuffed Poblanos
(rice, onion, potato and soyrizo)

Rajas
(onion, garlic, poblano strips)

Cumin and Corriander Rice Pilaf

Dinner 10/26

Cap'n Janeway
(onion, garlic, soyrizo, red pepper, tomato sauce and soy sour cream mixed with rombi pasta)

Italian Bread

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Dinner 10/25

Tofu Almodovar*
(tomato, onion, olive, red bell pepper, tofu cutlets)

Saffron Rice

Balsamic Tofu Salad**


* We haven't made this one from Ray-Ray in a while. The Spanish flavor is enhanced by the saffron rice...

** from delicious. shaved fennel, mixed greens, sauteed tofu in oil, then balsamic vinegar, sliced and mixed into the salad. nice and easy.

Dinner 10/24

Balsamic Braised Seitan*

Polenta**

* from Cook's Illustrated 12/04 issue -- again cooking w/ recipes from the future-ure-ure ;)

** the polenta (for the second night in a row) was fabulous. yes, I'm working on ideas for a future tasting...

Dinner 10/23

Barbecued Tofu

Cannellini Bean Stew over Polenta
(onion, garlic, soyrizo, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, cannellini beans, tomato)

Dinner 10/22

Panade*
(from the Zuni Cafe cookbook)

Mixed Green Salad w/ Cherry Tomato and Apple in a Potato Gaufrette basket
(w/ fig vinaigrette)

*a savory chard, onion and bread "pudding" -- slow cooked in a cassarole for 3.5 hours at 275. It just melts in your mouth.)

Dinner 10/21

Seitan Stew w/ Figs and Couscous
(from Cooking Light)

Braised Leeks

Pita Bread

Dinner 10/20

Fusilli w/ red sauce

Ciabatta

* quick dinner tonight, I had to go set-up and play the show
at Rain -- the 1922 silent film Nosferatu w/ a live soundtrack...
it was fun... here's a wrap-up

http://experimentalbehavior.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1923

no, I haven't died -- although I did catch on fire last Sunday, burning my ring finger pretty good. It's healing, but it's amazing to realize just how much you need that finger sometimes... like typing on a keyboard, or everytime you bump it on something. So, anyway... back to the blog...

Dinner 10/11

Sauteed Porcini Mushrooms

Homemade French Bread

Tapenade

* mmm... porcini mushrooms.

Dinner 10/10

Spinach Dip*

Tapenade

Homemade French Bread


* modified from Olive Garden, comes from one of those cookbooks that has "famous" and "secret" recipes. Liz bought four of them ;)

Dinner 10/9

Moroccan Style Filo
(stuffed with israeli couscous, eggplant, tofu, onion and spices, on a base of spiced tomato sauce)

* the cover recipe from the "Millenium" cookbook

Dinner 10/08

Burrito
(rice, black bean, red bell pepper, jalepeno, corn)

Salsa
(tomato, onion, jalepeno, salt and pepper)

Dinner 10/07

Eggplant Parmesan
(over fusilli pasta w/homemade tomato sauce)

Fried Green Tomatoes
(w/ cornmeal)

Steamed Asparagus

Potato and Tomato Soup

Dinner 10/04

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, onion, basil, garlic and ginger)

Jasmine Rice

Dinner 10/03

White Bean Soup
(veg stock, onion, garlic, sage, oregano, tomato, white beans, tiny pasta)

Braised Fennel

Vinegrette Potatoes
(mustard, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper over boiled, peeled and sliced potatoes)

Ciabatta Bread

Dinner 10/02

Roasted Mushroom Lasagna*

Homemade Ciabatta Bread

Dessert

Apple Crisp


* Liz made the lasgana this morning and it had a mornay sauce (bechamel and soy cheese) and was perfect for the first really cold evening we've had since May...

Dinner 10/01

Tomato and Basil Salad

Bruschetta
(tomato, garlic, zucchini, onion)


did I mention we have some tomatoes in the garden this year?

Dinner 9/30

Stir-Fry Seitan and Snow Peas w/ Hoisin Sauce

Basmati Rice

Dinner 9/28

Tofu [chicken] Tomato
(p. 26 Indian Cooking, Lalita Ahmed)

Spicy Zucchini

Basmati Rice

Papadams

Dinner 9/27

Coffee Braised Seitan [short ribs] w/ Ancho Chile*
(p. 162 10/04 Bon Appetit)

Basmati Rice


* mmmm... this was really, really good. coffee and anchos, whouda thunk? ;)

Dinner 9/26

Sauteed Tomato, Mushroom and Zucchini over Cappelini Pasta*

Ciabatta


* the zucchini and tomatoes somehow taste better when you know they come from your own garden ;)

Dinner 9/25

Tomato/Potato Soup w/ Sage

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Sauteed Hen Of The Woods Mushrooms and Pear Tomato Salad

French Bread

Dinner 9/24

Seitan and Hen-Of-The-Woods Dinner Salad
(mache, sauteed seitan, hotw mushrooms, pear tomatoes, tamari and raspberry vinagrette)

Ciabatta

Dinner 9/23

Tex-Mex Enchilladas*

Poblano Rice

* school "open house night" can only signal one thing: leftovers ;)

Dinner 9/22

Tex-Mex Enchilladas*

Poblano Rice

* from a old issue of Saveur

Dinner 9/21

Eggplant Parmesan

Tomato Salad

Homemeade Ciabatta Bread

* yes, more tomatoes -- the yellow pear ones for the salad, and the rest of the puttanesca sauce for the the Eggplant Parm -- used Japanese-style eggplants that made mini-rounds of eggplant. It was a trial run for a future tasting plate...

Dinner 9/20

Pasta Puttanesca
(onion, garlic, red pepper, soyrizo, kalamata olives, tomato, oregano, salt and pepper, over rombi pasta)

Homemade Ciabatta Bread


* the garden is overflowing with tomatoes -- we canned 4 quarts yesterday (plus "plenty of peaches, peaches for free"), and saved the roma tomatoes for a big batch of puttanesca sauce

Dinner 9/19

Papaya and Seitan [Beef] Salad

Jasmine Rice

Braised Brussel Sprouts
(w/ star anise and tamari)

Dinner 9/18

Hen-Of-The-Woods Mushrooms over Rombi Pasta*
(sauteed mushrooms, onion, garlic and basil)

Homemade Ciabatta Bread

* interesting texture and taste. I would say it's chicken-y, but after 20 years, I've forgotten what chicken tastes like -- not like that's a bad thing ;)

Dinner 9/17

Baked Potato
(w/ soy sour cream)

Braised Carrots

Boiled Green Beans

Dinner 9/13

Mixed Greens Dinner Salad
(tomato, red onion, almonds w/ tamari vinaigrette)

Dinner 9/12

Hoisin Seitan and Green Beans

Shredded Cabbage w/ Sesame Oil

Edamame

Lunch 9/11

Inari

Avocado Sushi

Edamame

Curried Tempeh Stir-Fry

Oatloaf w/ Mushroom Gravy

Terriyaki Pizza

Rueben Sandwich

Raspberry Chocolate Cake

* a free lunch at the Mustard Seed thanks to our good friends Genevieve
and Patrick -- the kids had the pizza and oatloaf, I had the sushi, and Liz had the Rueben. Strangely, the edamame was cooked through but very cold. We ended up not eating dinner per se, as we didn't get home from lunch until 5:30pm. We had some ciabatta and artichoke hearts on the deck as a snack later...

Dinner 9/10

Broccoli and Tofu w/ Garlic Sauce

Garlic Noodle Soup w/ Tofu

Jasmine Rice

Dinner 9/9

Tofu Marsala
(tofu, crimini mushrooms, garlic, tomato paste, marsala, lemon juice)

Gemelli Pasta

Dinner 9/8

Carbonnades a la Flamande
(seitan and onions, braised in beer)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Braised Leeks

Dinner 9/7

Eggplant Parmesan

Gemelli Pasta

Steamed Broccoli

Dinner 9/6

Stir-Fry
(tofu, red bell pepper, carrot, onion, red thai chile, tamari, sesame oil, rooster sauce)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 9/5

Cauliflower Soup w/ Pesto

Braised Fennel

Tomato Salad w/ Basil

Homemade Focaccia Bread

Dinner 9/4

Chiles Rellenos
(stuffed with potato, soyrizo, mexican oregano)

Grilled Corn

Dinner 9/3

Saffron Basmati Rice

Aloo Matar

Chana Masala

Cauliflower Samosas

Dinner 9/2

Cabbage Bhaji
(cabbage, red bell pepper, tomato, cumin, corriander, curry leaves)

Dal
(onion, garlic, ginger, brown lentils, curry leaves, onion seeds and jalapeno)

Papadams

Dinner 9/1

Tomato Tofu*
(onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, curry leaves, cardamom, clove, tomato, cumin, corriander, dried chili, stir-fried tofu)

Pulao Rice
(raisin, onion, garlic and cardamom)

Spicy Braised Carrots
(turmeric, red pepper, salt, carrots)

* the garden is bursting w/ tomatoes, so there will be many meals featuring them over the next couple of weeks...

Dinner 8/31

Eggplant Parmesan over Farfalle Pasta

Steamed Broccoli

Garlic Bread

Dinner 8/29

Sauteed Tofu
(tofu, onion, cumin, corriander, fresh turmeric)

Raisin and Pistachio Pulao
(basmati rice, raisins, pistachio nuts)

Spicy Radish Greens
(sauteed radish greens, garlic, ginger, onion, cumin, corriander, habanero pepper)

Spicy Braised Carrots
(carrots, turmeric, cumin, corriander, red pepper)

Dinner 8/28

Sauteed Kale w/ Raisins and Onions topped w/ Spicy Tofu
(onion, garlic, fresh turmeric, cumin, corriander, raisins and kale -- topped w/ sauteed tofu w/ cumin, coriander, turmeric and tamari)

Papadams

Pickled Cauliflower*


* we also did more canning today -- yellow beans and eggplant/basil

Dinner 8/27

Spaghetti and Homemade Tomato Sauce

Garlic Bread

Mesculin Salad w/ Figs*

* our little container of mesculin is finally ready to eat!

Dinner 8/26

Seitan [Beef] and Broccoli*
(stir-fried seitan that was marinated in tamari, veg stock, cornstarch, sesame oil and sherry, with stir-fried broccoli -- it's a slight varaiation of the recipe from every hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant you've ever eaten at)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 8/25

Seitan in Chipotle Sauce
(sauteed seitan, onion and garlic braised w/ chipotle, veg stock, mexican oregano, salt and pepper)

Stuffed Nopales
(catcus paddles stuffed w/ soy cheese, then breaded and shallow fried in oil)

Cubanelle Rice
(refried rice w/ cubanelle pepper, mexican oregano, onion, garlic, salt and pepper)

Roasted Corn

Dinner 8/24

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, ginko nuts)

Szechuan Eggplant
(eggplant, hot bean paste, garlic, veg stock, sesame oil, black vinegar)

Hoisin Green Beans
(seared/steamed green beans, soy sauce, hoisin sauce)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 8/23

Baked Artichoke Crock
(artichoke hearts, vegenaise, capers, cubanelle pepper, red pepper baked in a 350 oven for 25 minutes)

Dinner 8/22

Semolina Pizza(s)*

1. Pesto w/ Pine Nuts and Soy Cheese
2. Caponata (sweet and sour eggplant) and Soy Cheese
3. Fried Eggplant, Onion, Shiitake Mushroom, Tomato and Soy Cheese
4. Tomato and Soy Cheese (for the kids)

* We had lots of little bits and pieces of food, so we decided to make each one different. I liked them all ;)

Dinner 8/21

Rapini
(boiled, then sauteed rapini -- a.k.a. broccoli raab -- w/ soyrizo and olives)

Caponata alla Siciliana
Sweet and Sour Eggplant in the Sicilian Method
(stewed eggplant, tomatoes, onions, olives, capers, white wine vinegar salt and pepper)

(we also made some jicama pickles and whole pickled jalapenos this morning -- we're slowly getting a handle on this whole canning thing)

Dinner 8/20

Jalapeno Poppers
(jalapeno stuffed w/ soy cheese, toasted pumpkin seeds and cilantro, dipped in batter and deep fried)

Empanadas
(masa dough, stuffed w/ soyrizo, onion and garlic)

Dinner 8/19

Eggplant Parmesan w/ Tomato Sauce over Gemelli Pasta

Spinach Salad w/ Dried Cherries
(w/ red wine vinaigrette dressing)

Dinner 8/18

Sweet and Sour Tofu w/ Pineapple
(pineapple, red bell pepper, carrot and onion)

Jasmine Rice

Hoisin Green Beans

Dinner 8/17

Semolina Pizza
(semolina dough, fried in a cast iron skillet, topped w/ tomato, onion, kalamata olives and soy cheese)

* worked on getting the timing right -- about 1:30 for the dough, then the toppings, finishing around 5:30 -- nice crust on the bottom, not raw/soft on top...

We spent the day taking a boat ride around Lake Erie (crappy popcorn w/ soy margarine), then over to a local mall for some food court inside out vegetable sushi (handmade though!) and french fries -- the kids like them equally ;)

Dinner 8/16

Tony LaRussa Burgers*

Homemade French Country Rye Bread

* came home late from the screening of "Gloom" (I did most of the soundtrack -- very cool DIY film by the way, go buy a copy from them!) and Liz had made these for the kids, straight from the PETA cookbook.
We used to make them back in our early years of vegetarianism, but hadn't made them in more than 10 years. They were really, really good on the bread Liz made earlier in the evening...

Dinner 8/15

Pierogi's
(stuffed w/cabbage and onion)

Roasted Beet, Tomato and Red Onion Salad
(w/ beet mayonnaise dressing)*

why yes, we had a ton of beets this weekend... ;)

As a matter of fact, I actually canned some today. Check another item off the "things I haven't done before in life" list ;)

Next, another use for the 10 lb. Green Bowling Ball Cabbage (for a dollar!) -- Sauerkraut...

Dinner 8/14

Roasted Beet Salad w/ Pecans
(w/ beet mayonnaise dressing)

Velvet Corn Soup*
(corn, potato, tarragon, veg stock, tofu cream sacue)

* similar to past versions, although I roasted the corn first -- it added a nice smokey note, but dulled the color somewhat...

Dinner 8/13

Avocado and Fava Bean Salad w/ Orange Vinaigrette

Semolina Pizza
(semolina dough, rolled into 7" rounds, then quickly fried in a cast iron skillet, topped w/ fried eggplant, tomato, onion and soy cheese)

Dinner 8/12

Moussaka

Tomato and Red Bell Pepper Soup

Dinner 8/10

Lotus Root Chips

Green Beans
(boiled w/ soy, sugar and black sesame seeds dressing)

Shiitake Mushroom Soup w/ Pot Stickers*

Jasmine Rice

Sake Braised Carrots

* a vaguely chinese/vietnamese broth -- veg stock, star anise, ginger, garlic, red pepper, white pepper, tamari and kombu, simmered for 45 minutes and strained, then added sauteed shiitake mushrooms and fresh scallions -- spicy, yet hearty. The pot stickers (leftover filling and gyoza skins) became dumplings for this dish just to fill out the meal.

Dinner 8/9

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, onion, red bell pepper, garlic, ginger and basil)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 8/8

Pot Stickers
(minced seitan, red bell pepper, onion and spices, sauteed and put into gyoza skins, pan-fried w/ sesame oil and a little tamari -- crispy and soft at the same time)

Barbecued Eggplant
(eggplant coated in cornstarch, deep fried, then braised in a garlic and hoisin sauce, topped w/ scallions)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 8/7

Garlic Eggplant

Stir-Fried Tofu

Hoisin Green Beans

Udon Noodles

Dinner 8/6

Morel, Lobster and Chanterelle Mushrooms in a Herbed Bechamel sauce*

Grilled Fava Beans**

Tomato and Potato Soup w/ Sage***

* I'm sure there's actual name for the sauce Liz made, but I'm too tired to look through Escoffier or Jim Peterson's books right now...

** yes, and they were delicious

*** from Cucina Fresca (1985) one of those cheap inexpensive cookbooks that pay for themselves with one really good recipe. This may pay for two ;)

Dinner 8/5

Eggplant in Tamarind Sauce
(sauteed eggplant, mixed with dried coconut, corriander, cumin, cayenne, tamarind, onion, chile and topped w/ fried mustard seed, red pepper and curry leaves)

Balti [Chicken] Tofu
(fried tofu, tomato, onion seed, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, chili powder, garam marsala, garlic, ginger, soy sour cream, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice)

Shahi Pualo
(nut and raisin rice)

Dinner 8/4

Grilled Poblanos Stuffed w/ Potato and Soyrizo

Arroz Verde
Poblano Rice

Dinner 8/3

Sauteed Lobster Mushrooms and Seitan with Rosemary Cream Sauce

Boiled Yukon Gold Potatoes

Ciabatta

Dinner 8/2

Spaghetti w/ Tomato Sauce

Ciabatta

* A long day at the Waterpark means easy mealtime tonight ;)

Dinner 8/1

Greek Style Seitan Stew over Gemelli
(seitan marinated in ouzo, olive oil, nutmeg, pepper)

Pan Fried Poataoes w/ Ouzo Marinade*


* are you sensing a theme? ;)

Dinner 7/31

Pasta Genovese
(pesto, potoatoes, green beans, fusilli, salt and pepper)

Sauteed Morel Mushrooms

Homemade Focaccia

Dinner 7/30

Sauteed Chantarelles

Grilled Corn

Wilted Kale
(kale, pine nuts, raisins)

Dinner 7/29

Skillet Chili*
(onion, garlic, soyrizo, tomato sauce, kidney beans, red pepper)

* I had a gig tonight, and didn't get to eat until I came home -- thankfully there was some leftover chili, usually the kids eat it all. ;)

Dinner 7/28

Raw Pad Thai
(young coconut, red cabbage, carrot, zucchini, with spicy tamarind sauce -- from Charlie and Roxanne's book)

Raw Tomato Soup
(tomato, kalamata olives, sherry vinegar, olive brine, olive oil and shaved fennel -- slight variation on a Trotter recipe)

Dinner 7/27

Pasta Puttanesca*
(tomato sauce, soyrizo, garlic, onion, basil, red pepper, kalamata olives, over spaghetti)

Homemade Focaccia

Zucchini Carpaccio

* my son's second pasta sauce -- after learning how to make the classic sauce, we built on that lesson with this easy addition of spices, herbs and olives.

Dinner 7/26

Grilled Asian Eggplant
(garlic, ginger, sesame oil)

Jasmine Rice

Stir-Fried Tofu & Shiitake Mushrooms

Seared/Steamed Green Beans
(sesame oil, soy, sake, szechuan pepper)

Dinner 7/25

Ratatouille over Rigatoni

Homemade Focaccia

Dinner 7/24

Carbonnades a la Flamande
(Seitan Braised in Beer w/Onions -- from Julia Child)

Velvet Corn Soup w/ Truffles
(corn, potato, tarragon, cilantro and cream and veg stock, heated, pureed and strained, topped with truffle pieces sauteed in olive oil)

Homemade French Bread

Glazed Carrots

Dinner 7/23

Focaccia and Tapenade

Ratatouille
(roasted zucchini, eggplant, grilled red bell pepper, tomatoes, thyme, basil, salt and pepper)

Dinner 7/22

Pasta Genovese
(from Jamie Oliver's book -- pasta, potatoes and green beans in a pesto sauce)

Steamed Eggplant
(also from Jamie Oliver's book - steam the eggplant chunks for 10 minutes, mix with the dressing -- sesame oil, thai pepper, hot sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, scallion, celery leaf, basil, mint, salt and pepper)

Dinner 7/21

Arroz Rojo
(Traditional Red Mexican Rice - tomato, onion and garlic puree added to briefly sauteed rice, then add veg stock, cover for 15 minutes, add parsley)

Pollo a la Uva
(Tofu [Chicken] w/ Grapes -- from Diane Kennedy's book, sauteed tofu cutlets covered with a tomato sauce with grapes added at the end -- unusual, but tasty)

Dinner 7/19

Fennel Soup
(fennel stock, ginger, lemongrass, red bell peppers, jalapeno)

Shredded Seitan and Zucchini Stir-Fry*
(seitan, zucchini, scallion, cornstarch, sesame oil, tamari)

Grilled Japanese Eggplant
(w/ sesame oil, salt and pepper)

Jasmine Rice


* this comes from a certain "Mrs. Chaing's" book, and the dish is often abbreviated around the house using that name...

Dinner 7/18

Seitan and Lentil Stew
(pressure cooked lentils, sauteed seitan, onion and carrot)

Glazed Carrots

Dinner 7/17 Bastille Dinner*

Seitan Bourguignon

Glazed Carrots

Boiled Russian Fingerling Potatoes

Velvet Corn Soup
(corn, potatoes, tarragon, cilantro, soy cream, veg stock, cooked, pureed and strained)

Green Fig Salad
(spinach, frisee, red leaf, arugula lettuce, green figs, tomato, carrots, green beans, nicoise olives)**

Tapenade

French Bread

* yes, I know Bastille was the 14th

** kinda like a nicoise salad, without the tuna

Dinner 7/16

Mixed Greens Salad
(lemon vinaigrette)

French Bread

Tapenade


* prepping for the Bastille dinner, so a light dinner

Dinner 7/14

Tempura
(scapes, shiitake mushrooms, zucchini w/ citrus soy sauce)

Hoisin Green Beans

Stir-fried Tofu

Jasmine Rice

Dinner 7/13

Green Fig Salad
(w/ fig vinaigrette)

Sauteed Scapes

Pasta Shells w/ Tomato Sauce

Ciabatta

* the power went out in the middle of making dinner, and thankfully I had already made the pasta for the kids and there was some leftover. Also good was the fact that one burner was already on (it uses an electronic ignition), otherwise it would have been an unintentional raw dinner ;)

Dinner 7/12

Cranberry Bean Risotto

Green Beans in Tomato Sauce

Steamed Broccoli

Spicy Cauliflower in Red Wine Sauce

* The first non-raw dinner in a week features many bits of produce that were in danger of going bad ;)

Dinner 7/11

Asian Gazpacho
(Via Ming Tsai -- the recipe was mostly raw to start with, I just omitted the sambal oelek and worcestershire sauce and added another thai chile)

Zucchini Lasagna*

Wine

Coturri 2001 Sangiovese -- the last of the case :(

* we were going to make summer rolls (chard stuffed with a soaked mung bean mixture) but our afternoon got away from us and it was almost 7pm before we started on dinner. we had the just enough marinara and the last bit of cashew cheese to make the lasagna.

** So ends Raw Foods Week. And what did we learn? Well, for one, that we could do it. Advance planning was important as was being flexible enough to work with whatever fresh ingredients we had access to (thanks to Kent Natural Foods and the Kent Farmer's Market). The other thing we came away with was that once you get into the routine, it's relatively easy to execute. Also having a Vita-Mix and Champion Juicer is essential...

It was exciting to learn a new method of (un)cooking and changed my perspective to what raw foods were and _could_ be. Next, we'll see how well a week in January goes ;)

Dinner 7/10

Fig and Arugula Salad
(w/ fig vinaigrette)*

Corny Soup
(soaked walnuts, miso, shoyu, olive oil, corn, jalapeno, scallion, cilantro and pepper -- Juliano p. 26)

Zucchini Lasagna
(layered zucchini noodles, cashew cheese, marinara sauce -- tomato, sun-dried tomato, lemon juice, dates, shoyu, pepper, olive oil)

Leftover Meatloaf
(the more things change, the more they remain the same...)

Wine

Coturri 2001 Sangiovese

* I don't know where these figs are coming from, but I _could_ get used to them...

Dinner 7/9

Meat Loaf*
(cashew, sunflower and walnuts puree mixed with marniated portobello mushrooms, onion, garlic, red bell pepper, parsley, jalapeno, olive oil, sea salt, shaped into loafs and dehydrated for four hours -- Juliano p. 151)

Barbecue Sauce
(tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, dates, olive oil, shoyu -- Juliano)

Mashed Potatoes
(pureed cauliflower, cashews, lemon juice, garlic, thyme and salt -- Juliano p. 85)

Gravy
(pureed white miso, onion, shallot, garlic, orange juice, dates, olive oil, jalapeno, shoyu, ginger, apple cider vinegar, sesame seed oil -- Juliano. p. 223)

Wine

Coturri 2000 Sonoma Valley Syrah

* Almost burned out the Vita-Mix grinding the nuts -- it recovered. The meat loaf was topped with barbecue sauce after an initial bit of dehydrating -- and they ended up looking a bit more like salsbury steak from ye olde TV dinner days, but tasted fantastic... and matched well with the cauliflower and miso gravy.

Dinner 7/8

Fiery Lava Soup
(carrot juice, jalapeno, avocado, cilantro, lime juice -- Juliano p. 32)

Raw "Last Minute" Burritos
(avocado, mint, onion, rosemary, cumin, kelp, dulce, lime, jalapeno wrapped up on a red lettuce leaf -- Juliano p. 144)

Raw Pobalno Rellenos
(poblanos w/ pumpkin seed puree, dehydrated for 8 hours)

Wine

Coturri Sangiovese Napa Valley 2001

Dinner 7/7

Tom Khai Soup*
(cherry tomato, marinated mushroom, garlic, ginger, cilantro, basil, lime juice, scallions, red thai chile and red bell pepper base, with a coconut water, avocado, tamari, curry, jalapeno and olive oil puree -- from Juliano p. 33)

Raw Pad Thai
(shredded red cabbage, zucchini, young coconut noodles, jalapeno, red bell pepper, scallions, etc with tamarind sauce and sesame sauce -- from Charlie and Roxanne)

* this was one of the best soups (raw or otherwise) we've ever had.

Wine

Coturri 2000 Sonoma Valley Syrah

Dinner 7/6

Radish Salad w/ Tomatillo Dressing
(boston lettuce, radish, zucchini and shaved red cabbage topped with tomatillo, cilantro, basil, salt, pepper and cayenne dressing)

Raw Chiles Relleno
(red bell peppers cut in quarters and stuffed with pumpkin seed puree and dehydrated for 8 hours, topped with some leftover cashew cheese)

Wine

Robert Sinskey 1999 Vineyard Reserve (Merlot, Cab, Cab Franc)

Dinner 7/5

Tomato Soup w/ Kalamata Olives and Shaved Fennel
(pureed organic tomatoes, salt, pepper and sherry vinegar topped with kalamatas and shaved fennel, olive oil -- from Charlie and Roxanne p. 66)

Raw Fettuccini Alfredo
(zucchini and yellow squash cut into noodles with a hand peeler, carrot, thyme, basil, tamari, garlic, and pepper topped with cashew cheese -- from Juliano p. 151)

Wine

Coturri Sangiovese Napa Valley 2001

* Raw food week for dinner begins... along with it we'll be matching the food with organic/biodynamic wines.

Dinner 7/4

Arugula and Fig Salad*
(w/ fig vinaigrette)

Pesto over Farfalle Pasta
(scape greens, garlic, basil, soy parmesan, water, olive oil, salt, pepper)

Braised Fennel

Figato Finto
(squash w/ cinnamon, sugar, parsley, vinegar, mint and olive oil)

Ciabatta**

Dessert

Strawberries in Basalmic Vinegar

*The figs were really, really good, probably the best I've ever had. Which is good, becasue I don't like figs all that much...

** did I mention how much I enjoyed Liz taking a week long bread class? ;)

Dinner 7/3

Classic Tomato Sauce* over Rotini pasta

Ciabatta Bread

* I'm a proud parent today, my son wanted to make tomato suace, so I chopped everything up and he read all the instructions, stirred and pureed (in a food mill), The result was some of the best classic tomato sauce I've ever had. Well played...

Dinner 6/30

Miso and Corn Soup

Tempura
(scapes, shiitake mushrooms, ponzu dipping sauce)

Red Miso and Sake Glazed Broiled Eggplant

Dinner 6/29

Seitan [Duck] and Pineapple Stew
(seitan, onion, garlic, pineapple, red chile, veg stock, pepper and tamari)

Jasmine Rice

Papaya Salad
(papaya, onion, carrot, garlic on a bed of lettuce)


* both are Vietnamese recipes

Dinner 6/28

Stuffed Poblano Chiles
(poblano with potatoes, onion, garlic and soyrizo)

Mexican Rice
(refried basmati rice with chipotle and tomato sauce)

Dinner 6/27

Papusas
(masa dough stuffed w/ soyrizo, onion, garlic and soy cheese, than cooked on the griddle for 3 minutes a side)

Wilted Chard in Chipotle Cream

Dinner 6/26

Raw Pad Thai
(young coconut*, red onion, carrot, red cabbage, apple, zucchini w/ tamarind sauce and cashew and sesame sauce, from Charlie & Roxanne)

* check off another one on the "foods I have never had" list -- young coconut -- the inside has a great deal of sweet water (we'll probably make a sorbet out of it), but the flesh is very soft and can be scraped out with a spoon. cut into strips, its noodle-like texture is a good fit in the pad thai.

Dinner 6/25

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, celery, scallion, rooster sauce)

Basmati Rice

* today was the last day of bread class, so we went up to visit and gorge ourselves on all that fresh bread (ciabatta, olive bread and one that I forget the name of, but looks like a giant soft pretzel). A nice and easy stir-fry was the correct call for dinner...

Dinner 6/24

Stuffed Poblanos
(poblano, stuffed with fried potatoes, soyrizo, onion, cilantro and pickled onions)

Arroz Verde
(poblano basmati rice)

Dessert

Blueberry Shortcakes*

* as part of Liz's bread class, she made some shortcake rounds and make a blueberry compote to go with it. drooooool.

Dinner 6/23

Eggplant Pasta
(sauteed eggplant, onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano and farfale pasta)

Ciabatta Bread

*mmmm... more fresh bread goodness.

Dinner 6/22

Mache Dinner Salad w/ Avocado Dressing
(mache w/ stir-fried tofu, shiitake and scapes. the dressing was avocado, lime juice, vegenaise, tamari and pepper. it matched well with the mache)

French Bread*

*Day two of the bread class brings us more French bread, part of a calzone (spinach and soy cheese) and a mini-pizza (onions, soy cheese and eggplant) that the kids devoured in seconds...

Dinner 6/21

Bruschetta*
(tomato, zucchini, garlic, onion, olive oil, french bread)

It'll be light dinners all this week as Liz is taking a five day bread clinic (at WRSOC) and they're making French bread every day. This can only be a good thing. ;)

Dinner 6/20

African Teff Cakes w/ Fava and Wild Mushroom Wat, Carrot-Chile Chutney and Cucumber Raita

* from "Artful Vegan" -- the teff (an african grain) cakes didn't quite turn out (I think they left something out of the recipe) but the top half was pretty tasty, so we just used that. The fava bean and wild mushroom (oyster, shiitake, baby portobellos) mixture with spices (cumin, corriander, fenugreek, cardamom seeds, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and cloves -- toasted and ground) was fabulous. The raita and chutney were nice counterparts to the dish.

Dinner 6/19

Seitan and Lentil Stew

Green Beans

Boiled Yukon Gold Potatoes

Wilted Swiss Chard

Went out later to see StateofBeing's CD release show at the Hi-Fi (along w/ Missile Command). I had almost forgotten what it's like to go out to a show on a Saturday night ;)

Dinner 6/18

Figato Finto
(From Mario Batalli -- it's a sort of a sweet and sour winter squash dish).

Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
(w/ onions, garlic, capers, sugar [rapadura] and red wine vinegar)

Braised Fennel

Dinner 6/17

Raw Borscht
(beet juice, carrot juice, scallion, red cabbage, lemon juice, salt and pepper, topped w/ apple and avocado - from Juliano)

Dolmas
(grape leaves suffed w/ finely diced parsnip, onion, currant, celery, pine nuts, lemon juice, mint and parsley -- from Charlie and Roxanne)

Dinner 6/16

Raw Fettuccini Alfredo
(zucchini "noodles", yellow bell pepper, marinated onions and portobello mushrooms, garlic, ginger, shallots, jalapeno and lemon juice, topped with cashew cheese)

Raw Cauliflower Soup
(pureed cauliflower, water, olive oil, red vinegar and salt, topped with dehydrated marinated basalmic red onions and bibb lettuce)

Dinner 6/15

Pumpkin Soup w/ Coconut Cream

Tofu [Duck] and Snow Peas over Wide Noodles in a Tamarind Sauce
(marinated tofu sauteed and thinly sliced, sauteed snow peas and scallions, wide noodles soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, then tossed in the wok with the marinade and tamarind sauce)

Bananas in Coconut Sauce

Dinner 6/14

Seitan Stew w/ French Lentils

Ratatouille

Braised Leeks

Baguette

Dinner 6/13

Miso Soup w/ Tofu, Konnyaku and Parsnips

Refried Rice w/ Basil, Almonds, Jalapeno and Scallions

Fried Beet Greens

Green Beans w/ Black Sesame Seeds

Sweet and Sour Cucumber Skins

Dinner 6/12

Sweet and Sour Seitan Stir-Fry
(seitan, pineapple, red bell pepper, carrot, onion, coconut, cornstarch, rice vinegar, tamari and szechuan pepper)

Basmati Rice

Stir-Fry Radish Greens
(radish greens, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, tamari)

Raw Pad Thai
(tiny bit of leftovers from last night)

Dinner 6/11

Cucumber Soup w/ Carrot Salad
(cucumber, lemon juice, olive oil, salt pepper w/ baby carrots and scallions)

Raw Pad Thai
(shredded coconut*, red cabbage, carrot, scallion, w/ spicy jalapeno sauce -- from Charlie & Roxanne's book)

* these are a pain to get all the "meat" out, we used a melon baller...

I realize this blog is in danger of becoming "what the hell do raw foods folks eat anyway?" ;)

Dinner 6/10

Tomato Soup
(tomatoes, cucumber, olive oil, sherry vinegar, kalamata olives, fennel fronds)

Zucchini Sushi
(long zucchini slices marinated in lemon juice, then rolled up with julienned carrot, avocado, celery and cucumber)

Zucchini Pinweels
(long zucchini slices marinated in lemon juice rolled on itself with cashew cheese

Raw Pizza
(the dehydrated "bread" from Juliano's book -- it's more like a really hard cracker and not for the dentally impared -- and the last of the left over marinara sauce from last night)

Dinner 6/9

Raw Vegetable Lasagna
(marinated zucchini sliced paper thin, then layered with cashew cheese, "marinara" sauce*, pine nuts and basil in three total layers)

Shaved Fennel Salad w/ Bibb Lettuce**
(w/ lemon juice vinaigrette)

* pureed sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme and pepper -- the basic sauce from Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein's "Raw" book.

** from our garden -- it's really picking up with the warm weather -- as temps hit the low 90's, with matching humidity. I was glad not to have to turn on the stove today...

Dinner 6/8

Penne and Tomato Sauce w/ Basil over Grilled Portobello Mushroom

Wilted Chard and Mustard Greens w/ Pine Nuts and Raisins

Dinner 6/7

Eggplant and Lentil Stew w/ Pomegranate Sauce*

Spicy Mung Bean Stew

Mixed Green Salad
(w/ fig vinaigrette)


* from July 2004 Food and Wine

Dinner 6/6

Chiles Rellenos
(red bell pepper stuffed with pumpkin nut puree, then dehydrated for eight hours)*

Lava Soup
(jalapenos, avocado, garlic, olive oil, red bell peppers, lemon juice, shoyu)**

* the hot weather returns, and so does the raw foods menu. really, one of the easier (and tastiest) raw recipes.

** from Juliano's "Raw"

Dinner 6/5

Broiled Eggplant w/ Miso Glaze

Tempura
(Zucchini and Scapes)*

Sesame Bun w/ Eggplant Caviar**

Pickled Lotus Root


* yay! the scapes are in!

** from "Artful Vegan"

Dinner 6/4

White Bean Cassoulet
(onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, soyrizo, cannellini beans)

French Bread

Dinner 6/3

Jerk Tofu

Plantain and Soyrizo Mash

Red Beans and Rice

Dinner 6/2

Miso Soup w/ Konnyaku and Tofu
(kombu broth, konnyaku, tofu, parsnip, spring onion, yellow miso)

Edamame

Dinner 6/1

Stir-Fred Tofu and Ginko Nuts

Basmati Rice

Steamed Bok Choy

Dinner 5/31

Cannellini Bean Phyllo Purses on a Bed of Polenta and Zinfandel Sauce *

Grilled Broccoli Rabe

Grilled Pear


* from the "Artful Vegan" cookbook. Time consuming yes, but a welcome result ;)

Dinner 5/30

Portobello Mushroom Sandwich
(ciabatta, portobello mushrooms, roasted red bell pepper, roasted onion, basil, soy cheese, olive oil, basalmic vinegar)

Green Beans

Dinner 5/29

Mashed Potatoes
(w/ parsley, onion and pine nuts

Turkish Soup
(veg stock, leek, potato, onion, garlic, celery, cinnamon, vinegar, chile powder)

Tagine
(seitan, onion, garlic, ginger, apricots, cinnamon, chickpeas, salt, pepper and water)

Dinner 5/28

Pasta Puttanesca

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Italian Bread

Dinner 5/27

Enoki Mushroom Soup
(fennel stock, enoki mushrooms, konnyaku noodles and tofu)

Grilled Ramps w/ Sesame Oil

Jasmine Rice

Green Beans w/ Black Sesame Seeds

Stir-Fried Tofu

Dinner 5/26

Tlalpeno Soup

Potato, Soyrizo and Poblano Burritos

Salsa and Chips
(tomato, onion, jalapeno, lime juice and cilantro)

Dinner 5/25

Capellini Pomodoro
(tomatoes, garlic, basil)

Italian Bread

Tony Coturri Tasting @ Riverside Wine and Imports 5/24

Tlalpeno Soup (Mexican Chipotle and Chickpea soup)
Tempeh Sushi
Avocado Sushi
Spicy Thai Salad Served in Boston Lettuce Wraps
Tomato, Garlic and Basil Bruschetta
Roasted Potatoes w/ Rosemary
Hoisin Green Beans
Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Dinner 5/23

Focaccia "Pizza"
(morel mushrooms, onion, garlic, soy cheese)

Dinner 5/22

Braised Tempeh over Gemelli Pasta w/ Herb Aioli

Italian Bread

Dinner 5/21

Pizza
(tomato suace, soy cheese)

Sushi
(avocado, carrot, scallion)

Dinner 5/20

Asparagus and Rhubarb Cannelloni w/ Orange and Turmeric Sauce and Herb Aioli

via "Artful Vegan" -- instead of pasta sheets for the cannelloni, I used 4 overlapping lasanga noodles to roll up the asparagus and rhubarb.

Dinner 5/19

Spring Rolls w/ Mint Dipping Sauce
(shiitake mushrooms, leeks, garlic, ginger, hoisin sauce, cilantro, scallions)

Tomatillo and Tamarind Soup
(via Ming Tsai)

Glazed Carrots in Sake

Dinner 5/18

Caramelized Onion, Morel Mushroom and Mashed Potato Phyllo Roll *

Beet Salad w/ Horseradish Dressing


* from the "Artful Vegan" cookbook, which has a mention of Tony Coturri in it. BTW, Tony's coming to Kent on 5/24 if anybody wants to drink some biodynamic/organic wine and eat some vegan food...

Dinner 5/17

Fennel Soup w/ Gyoza Dumplings
(sauteed shiitake mushrooms, ramps, garlic and fennel)

Dinner 5/16

Sauteed Tofu w/ Garlic Eggplant

Basmati Rice

Dinner 5/15

Tofu Tetrazzini w/ Rapini over Rigatoni Pasta
(tofu, onions, red bell peppers, crimini mushrooms, Broccoli Raab/Rabe)

Fava Bean and Fennel Salad

Italian Bread

Dinner 5/14

Pizza
(tomato, red onion, black olives, tomato sauce, soy cheese)

Guacamole & Nachos
(avocado, lime juice, chili powder, onion, tomato)

Dinner 5/13

Achiote Rice with Tempeh "Carnitas" *
(achiote paste -- annato seeds, vinegar, garlic, salt -- mixed with poblano peppers and onion and basmati rice)

Sauteed Plantains and Soyrizo

* via Rick Bayless, a rice pilaf with tempeh "carnitas", braised in water and shoyu with a little achiote paste, then deep fried -- much the same as the filling we use for sushi.

Dinner 5/12

Spicy Chickpeas w/ Red Bell Pepper and Shredded Tofu
(onion, garlic, ginger, chickpeas, red bell pepper, cumin, corriander, turmeric, garam masala, lemon juice and cilantro)

Indian Style Gazpacho w/ Papadams*

Roasted Corn


* yes, a bastardized version of gazpacho using pureed tomato, red bell pepper, red onion, cumin, corriander, tumeric, red pepper, garam marsala, lime juice and olive oil along with diced cucumber, celery and basil. surprisingly good.

Dinner 5/11

Sauteed Baby Artichokes w/ Shredded Tofu over Rigatoni
(baby artichokes, red onion, garlic, red bell pepper, veg stock, tofu)

Italian Bread

Mixed Green Salad w/ Basalmic Onions
(w/ basalmic vinaigrette)

Dinner 5/10

Mongolian Barbecued Tofu*

Seared/Steamed Hoisin Green Beans

Roasted Potatoes

* hoisin/vinegar based sauce, brushed on as the tofu was grilled

Dinner 5/9

Hoisin Seitan

Braised Leeks

Multi-Grain Bread

Dinner 5/8

Rosemary and Sea Salt Focaccia
(topped w/ onion and sun-dried tomatoes)

Steamed/Sauteed Fiddlehead Ferns w/ Sauteed Baby Morel Mushrooms*

Grilled Corn**

Seared/Steamed Hoisin Green Beans

* the third time we've had these and I think we finally have a handle on how to prepare them -- steaming them makes them tender without overcooking them, and frying them adds the flavor that they desperately need ;)

** first batch of the year, yay!

Dinner 5/7

White Bean Cassoulet

Steamed Broccoli

Dinner 5/6

Panini Sandwich (pt.2)*
(tofu, onions, garlic and soy cheese w/ rustic french bread)

Guacamole and Chips

* We got the panini maker last week and have been using it mostly for breakfast and lunch (hmmm... peanut butter and jelly panini). But we decided to make dinner with it this week and see what works and possibly try to use it for a future tasting...

Dinner 5/5

Panini Sandwich
(onion, portobello mushroom, soy cheese)

Dill Pickles

Dinner 5/4

Orange [Beef] Seitan

Jasmine Rice

Seared/Steamed Snow Peas w/ Orange Sauce


* yeah, I know Chinese on Cinco de Mayo ;)

Dinner 5/3

Tostadas
(black bean, soy cheese and guacamole)

Grilled Asparagus with Chipotle Lime Sauce

Tex-Mex Zucchini and Potatoes
(from the current Fine Cooking)

Mixed Green Salad and Icicle Radishes
(w/ tequila vinaigrette)

Dinner 5/2

Eggplant Marsala *

Rigatoni Pasta


* OK, I don't think this one shows up in traditional Italian cookbooks ;)

I made this on the spur of the moment using the last of the eggplant (and there was much rejoicing -- yay!) 1 1/2" thick rounds, scored lightly on top and bottom and pan-seared, then baked for 20 minutes, finally utilizing a japanese technique of making a miso-based glaze, but using marsala, sherry and white miso in place of sake, mirin and brown/red miso -- brushing it on top and bottom and then finishing them under a broiler for two minutes per side. As a base, I sauteed white mushrooms until almost dry, added garlic and tomato paste, then sauteed for another minute, then added a cup of marsala and reduced it down to almost a syrup -- a splash of lemon juice, a little Monter au Beurre action and some parsley and you've got a nice mushroom and sauce base.

The dish turned out very nicely, and was pretty easy to prep on the fly, so you'll probably see this turn up at a future Italian wine tasting...

Dinner 5/1

Spicy Yellow Curry w/ Eggplant, Chinese Long Beans and Tofu

Pad Thai Noodles

Dinner 4/29

Pizza
(red onion, red bell pepper, red pepper, red sauce and red garlic... uh, garlic)

Dinner 4/28

Eggplant Parmesean
(over Rigatoni Pasta)

Italian Bread

Mixed Green Salad
(w/ lemon vinaigrette)

Dinner 4/27

Garlic Eggplant
(sauteed eggplant, garlic, galanga, shoyu, black vinegar, rooster sauce)

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrots, bok choy, garlic, shoyu)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 4/26

Tofu w/ Almonds*

Basmati Rice

* yet more leftovers from the tasting

Dinner 4/25

Eggplant Caponata

Savoy Cabbage Stuffed w/ Gnoccetti and Peas*

* there's always a couple of spares left over from tastings ;)

Italian Wine Tasting 4/24

here's the food rundown from the tasting...

Zucchini Carpaccio and Cherry Tomato stuffed w/ Basil Cream Cheese.
Rici e Bisi (Rice and Pea Soup)
Polenta Stack (polenta, spinach affogati, roasted red bell pepper) w/ basalmic vinegar
Savoy Cabbage stuffed with Carrot Gnoccetti and Peas w/ carrot cream sauce
Lasagna with Mushroom and Lentil Ragu
Stuffed Baby Eggplant w/ Italian Herbs and Nuts
Hazelnut Torte

Dinner 4/23

Tofu [Chicken] with Almonds over Gemelli Pasta
(variation on Nick Stellano's recipe -- sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper, onions, garlic and tomatoes, topped with almonds coated w/ sugar).

Savoy Cabbage Stuffed w/ Gnoccetti and Peas

Dinner 4/22

Stuffed Eggplant w/ Pesto

Stir-Fry
(seitan, leeks, carrots, garlic, galanga and hoisin sauce)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 4/21

Pizza
(soyrizo, onion, tomato, red bell pepper, leeks, red pepper and soy cheese)

Mixed Greens Salad
(w/ lemon vinaigrette)

Dinner 4/20

Sauteed Seitan w/ Tomato Confit in a Basalmic Reduction with White Bean Puree
(adapted from a Jean-Robert deCavel recipe)

Steamed Broccoli

Dinner 4/19

Dal
(lentil soup)

Naan
(tandoori oven bread -- no we don't have a tandoori oven ;) )

Aloo Methi
(potatoes, tomato and methi leaves)

Chana Masala
(spicy chickpeas)

Turmeric (Basmati) Rice

Dinner 4/18

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

Fried Tofu /w Mustard and Sesame Paste over Shredded Bok Choy

Braised Brussel Sprouts
(shoyu, star anise, sake)

Braised Konnyaku
(konnyaku, carrots and shiitake mushrooms simmered in a shoyu, sake, mirin and mushroom broth)

Meeker Wine Tasting 4/17

Five Spice Glazed Almonds
(Brown Rice Syrup, Five Spice Powder, Almonds)

Sushi
(carrot, scallion, avocado, braised tempeh in sake and shoyu then deep fried, sushi rice)

Olive Tapenade
(kalamata olives, red bell pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, cubanelle pepper, shallots, parsley, oilve oil all sauteed, then pureed)

Tofu Salad Sandwiches
(crumbled tofu, turmeric, celery, cornichon pickles, scallions)

Hoisin Tofu Rice Paper Salads
(tofu strips stir-fried w/ hoisin, shredded leeks, red bell pepper, bok choy, carrots and cilantro wrapped in rice paper sheets)

Curried Tofu Phyllo Cups
(cubed tofu, stir fried, curry, apple juice reduction, vegenaise, currants, garlic and ginger)

Stuffed Grapes Leaves
(basmati rice and allspice)

Black Bean Salsa in Endive Leaves
(black bean, red bell pepper, corn, onion, cubanele pepper, chili powder, paprika served in individual endive leaves)

Chipotle/Tomato Pizza (Patrick)

Chocolate Brownies

Dinner 4/16

Mushroom Bruschetta
(exotica mushrooms, sun-dried tomato, onion and garlic on a foccicia)

Braised Fennel

Dinner 4/15

Black Bean Burger
(w/ guacamole, onion, lettice, tomato)

French Fries

Falafel and Hummus Salad

Dinner 4/14

Jerk Tofu

Plantains and Soyrizo

Poblano Rice

Grilled Asparagus
(blanched, drained, marinated in shoyu, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, salt and pepper, then grilled)

Dinner 4/13

Pasta Primavera
(rigatoni, green beans, red bell pepper, carrots, mushroom, garlic, onion, basil and veg stock)

Italian Bread

Dinner 4/12

Seitan Stew
(seitan, lentils, soyrizo, onion, carrots, garlic, veg stock)

Boiled Yukon Potatoes

Steamed Broccoli

Easter Dinner 4/11

Cauliflower Soup w/ Pesto

Tofu Marsala

Grilled Asparagus
(blanched, then marinated w/ olive oil, shoyu, salt and pepper, then grilled)

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Roasted Beets w/ Horseradish Sour Cream

Homemade Bread

Dessert

Carrot Cake

Dinner 4/10

Grilled Portobello Sandwich
(grilled portobello mushroom, red bell pepper and red onion, with spinach, basil, garlic and soy cheese on a large baguette)

Dinner 4/9

Soyrizo Braised in Hard Cider over Spaghetti
(via F&W)

Drunken Cabbage
(red cabbage braised in beer -- Buckeye Brewing Wheat Cloud -- recipe via Michael Symon)

Roasted Carrots, Parsnips and Turnips

Steamed Broccoli

* a "lets empty out the fridge" dinner -- making room for easter dinner foods

Dinner 4/8

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, red bell pepper, celery, garlic and ginger)

Jasime Rice

Braised Fennel
(braised with water, shoyu, star anise and szechuan peppercorns)

Dinner 4/7

Guacamole and Chips

Tomatillo Brasied [Pork Loin] Tempeh
(over pasta, from Rick Bayless "Mexico One Plate At A Time")

Dinner 4/6

Mushroom Lasagna in a Red Wine Sauce*
(mushroom, onion, oregano and sage, red wine)

Zucchini Carpaccio

Spinach Salad
(w/ fig vinaigrette)

* Coturri wine of course. Trying out stuff for an upcoming tasting...

Dinner 4/5

Carbonnades a la Flammande
(Seitan [Beef] Braised in Belgian Beer, served over fusilli bucati pasta from Julia Child via "The Art of French Cooking")

Boiled Russian Fingerling Potatoes
(then sauteed w/ parsley)

Zucchini Carpaccio
(w/ mint, olive oil, lemon juice and pine nuts -- super easy and tasty, this will be part of a future tasting)

Dinner 4/4

Polenta Stack
(polenta, wilted greens w/ currants and pine nuts and roasted red bell pepper, garnished w/ parsley and basalmic vinegar)

Eggplant Parmesan w/ Rigatoni Pasta

Glazed Parsnips

Dinner 4/3

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrots, red bell pepper, garlic, ginger and ginko nuts)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 4/2

Spaghetti w/ Tomato Sauce

Salad

Garlic Bread

* Liz made dinner tonight as I was off playing a gig -- I'm always grateful to come home to food in the fridge after a show ;)

Dinner 4/1

Risotto Primavera
(aborio rice, red onion, red bell pepper, oyster mushroom, peas, veg stock)

Dinner 3/31

Tofu Marsala over Rhombi Pasta

Braised Brussel Sprouts

Black Bean Soup
(onion, carrot, celery, black beans, red bell pepper, corn, jalapeno, veg stock)

Dinner 3/30

Sali Sigiri
Seitan [Beef] with Cream and Horseradish*

Parsnips with Sour Cream*

Saffron Rice

* from "Cooking the Middle East Way" by Irfan Orga © 1962

Dinner 3/29

Pasta w/ Eggplant and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Steamed Broccoli

Dinner 3/28

Ranch Hand Soup
(via Rick Bayless)

Arroz Verde
(Poblano Rice also via Rick Bayless)

Seared/Steamed Green Beans

Rajas
(poblano and onion strips w/ mexican oregano)

Dessert

Chipotle Cakes
(w/ tomatillo sauce -- via Gourmet -- the New York issue)

* these were absolutely fantastic -- just the right amount of chipotle heat and cooked up like a dream. The substititions of soft tofu for egg and double the flour called for made all the difference. These will be the dessert for the next Cinco de Mayo party...

Dinner 3/27

Cauliflower Soup w/ Pesto

Grilled Asparagus

Roasted Potatoes w/ Rosemary

Muffaletta Bruschetta
(green olive spread)

Dinner 3/26

Cassoulet
(soyrizo, lemon peel, onion, garlic, cannelli beans, veg stock)

Celeriac Ribbon Salad
(via Jamie Oliver)

Lunch 3/26

Pad Thai
(tofu, bean sprouts, red bell pepper, carrot, celery, jalapeno, thai noodles)

again, with spring break upon us -- it's yet another late lunch ;)

Dinner 3/25

Chili Cheese Fries
(recipe via Soul Vegetarian)

* during spring break, the food schedule gets a little more "fluid" -- resulting in a late lunch (Stir-fry w/ snow peas) and a late light dinner, although this chili can hardly be called light ;)

Dinner 3/24

Seitan in Ancho Sauce
(sauteed seitan, braised in a sauce made of ancho chiles, mexican oregano, cumin, cloves, garlic, water, salt and pepper)

Braised Chayote and Tomatoes

Basmati Rice

Dinner 3/22

Tomatillo Soup
(tomatillo, corn, onion, garlic, jalapeno, epazote, veg broth all pureed and strained topped w/ cilantro and toasted pumpkin seeds -- via Jim Peterson's "Splendid Soups")

Wild Mushroom Quesadillas
(sauteed shiitake/oyster mushrooms, onions, shallots, green onions, jalapeno, hearts of palm, nopales and soy cheese)

Avocado Puree
(avocado, lime, shallot, cilantro, salt and pepper)

Tomato Puree
(tomato, onion, garlic, chipotle, salt and pepper)

Both purees are from Ming Tsai's "Blue Ginger" -- originally conceived as shrimp cocktail accompaniment, we used them for the quesadillas...

Dinner 3/21

Eggplant and Zucchini Gratin

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Parsnips

Braised Carrots

Braised Leeks

Garlic Bread

Dinner 3/20

Seitan and Cannellini Bean Stew*

*Spent the day in Indiana at AHMW 2004. Ended up eating leftovers. This is a good thing -- because after driving 500 miles round trip in the course of 18 hours, the last thing I wanted to do was cook ;)

Dinner 3/19

Seitan and Cannellini Bean Stew*
(seitan, soyrizo, onion, garlic, paprika, cannellini beans, veg stock)

Basmati Rice

* this has become the perrenial "we need something quick and hearty" go to dish. Easy to prep/make, always satisfying...

Dinner 3/18

Pasta Primavera
(fusilli pasta, zucchini, red bell pepper, parsnips, tomato, garlic, onion and pine nuts)

Italian Bread

Mixed Greens Salad
(w/ fig vinaigrette)

Dinner 3/17

Raw Vegetable Lasgana

Cashew "Cheese" and Raw Crackers

Guacamole

* one good thing about really long days (like today) is that raw leftovers are easy to make for dinner. The crackers gave the dehydrator a workout (and are not for the dentally impared). but were nice with the cashew cheese and guacamole...

Dinner 3/16

Raw Vegetable Lasagna

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Morel Mushroom and Barley Soup

2/3rds raw tonight: the lasagna is from Charlie and Roxanne and involved "two days of making the ingredients" that was basically making a vegtable terrine. First, I found a terrine mold that was close to the spec, then using my benriner (japanese mandoline) made thinly sliced zucchini as the outside wrapping. Then it was just a matter of filling in two layers of marinated crimini mushrooms, herbed cashew "cheese", marinara sauce (pureed sun-dried, plum and cherry tomatoes, garlic, basil and oregano) corn and onion, and finally spinach leaves. It took a while to assemble it, but it went pretty easily. Cutting it, however, proved to be pretty tricky. even after refrigerating it for 3 hours you had to be fast -- I ended up using an electric knife (like when cutting sushi -- a discovery that has made my life so much easier). And the resulting taste? Thankfully, worth the effort ;)

Dinner 3/15

Chiles Rellenos

(The raw version again, this time using red bell peppers which even after eight hours on the dehydrator retain some moisture)

Potato Day 3/14

Today was known as "Potato Day" -- my son announced this morning that he would like nothing but potatoes for every meal. So, being the dutiful parents we are, we obliged ;)

Breakfast: Home Fries and Tofu Scramble Burritos (a.k.a. Breakfast Burritos w/ hot sauce)

Lunch: Potato Salad (via Jim Peterson's "Vegetables" book -- celery, parsley, oregano, basil, onion, shallot, veganaise, sherry vinegar, salt, pepper and potatoes)

Dinner: Mashed Potatoes

It was at this point he announced that he didn't want potatoes anymore -- and was there something else to eat? He ended up eating half of Liz's cucumber salad in 10 seconds. ;)

Dinner

Breaded Tofu Cutlets w/ Ginger

Sauerkraut w/ Onions

Creamy Horseradish Potatoes

Cucumber Salad

Dinner 3/13

Red Pepper Soup w/ Mango Puree

Morel Mushroom Stacks w/ Fennel Puree plus two vinaigrettes: Basil and Mustard Seed

"Mashed Potatoes" (cauliflower and nut puree) and "Gravy" (miso based sauce)

* the first two are from Charlie Trotter & Roxanne Klein's "Raw", the last from Juliano's "Raw: The Uncook Book". Another all raw foods dinner tonight -- the first two are relatively "easy" recipes from Charlie & Roxanne (i.e. they only took two hours to make, although you did have to soak the mustard seeds for 10-12 hours). The soup was nice and spicy w/ horseradish root -- and small aside here -- the cashier at the store asked a) what was it? and b) what is it for? -- answer -- it's a long story ;) The "gravy" reminded both of us of the gravy I make for colcannon, because both are miso based.

Also, in the pictures, you can see that the morels stacks we made last night are fairly tall and hence more unstable -- about 30 seconds after I shot the photos, one of them fell over -- file that one away under "architecture of food theory 101"

Dinner 3/12

Stir-Fried Seitan w/ Orange, Green Beans and Chiles
(via Tyler Florence's book)

Chinese Flat Noodles

Lotus Root Chips

Dinner 3/11

Chiles Rellenos*

Zucchini w/ Sunflower Pate

* Yet another raw foods dinner (all meals yesterday were raw foods), this time a poblano pepper stuffed with a pumpkin seed mixture (plus onions, cilantro, carrot, jalapeno and oregano) then dehydrated for 8 hours. This was our first "real" test of the dehydrator and it passed with flying colors. The rellenos were almost etherially light and very tasty. We also made one in a red bell pepper and it was fabulous as well. The zucchini were very thinly cut and the pate added on top w/ addition ground cumin seeds. Sorry, no pictures today...

Dinner 3/10

Fiery Lava Soup
(carrot juice, avacado, jalapeno, garlic, mint and cilantro. from Juliano's "Raw - The Uncook Book")

Steamed Artichokes
(w/ lemon)

Bruschetta
(zucchini and tomato)

Lunch 3/10 *

Dolmas w/ Dill Sour Cream Sauce
(stuffed grape leaves w/ parsnips, mint, parsley, pine nuts, celery, currants and onions)

Baby Cucumber Sushi
(w/ "Mac Cream" -- macadamia, cashew, lemon juice, shoyu, garlic and peppercorn puree)

I know -- I haven't done lunch on the blog for a long time now, but as we've been trying out a bunch of raw foods recipes, and I've been working on shooting more pictures, we'll show today's lunch. The Dolmas come from Charlie Trotter & Roxanne Klein, the "mac cream" comes from Juliano's "Raw -- the Uncook Book".

Dinner 3/9

Eggplant Parmesan
(over gemelli pasta)

Mache Salad w/ Tart Cherries
(w/ lemon vinaigrette)

Dinner 3/8

Portobello Mushroom Pave*
(from Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein's "Raw" book I mentioned the other day)

Baby Cucumber Sushi
(baby cucumbers w/ the center hollowed out and stuffed w/ macadamia nuts, jalapeno, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil -- all Liz's work)

Shaved Fennel Salad
(w/ olive oil and lemon vinaigrette)

Corn Soup
(w/ curry oil, also from the "Raw" book)


* so, we had an all raw dinner last night, the Pave took a little more work than usual -- and indeed most recipes in this book are along the lines of A+B+C+D+E+F+G+18 hours (of sprouting, marinating or dehydrating)=Z. The Pave takes overnight to marinate the paper thin slices of portobello mushroom (used my trusty ceramic kyocera blade). The end result looked much like the picture in the book, so I'd consider it a success...

The book itself is a coffee table book along the lines of "French Laundry", but the one advantage is we live about 1.5 hours from Farmer Jones' place (where most of the more esoteric veggies can be found). I don't forsee my diet becoming completely raw, but perhaps a couple of dinners per week (as well as breakfasts and lunches). Hey, I'm already a vegan, how much more weird can going raw be? ;)

If you want to see larger versions of my laughable attempts at "food styling" and "plating" just click on the smaller pictures...

Dinner 3/7

Massaman Curry
(tofu, potatoes, shallots, coconut milk, green curry sauce)

Steamed Broccoli
(w/ soy ginger sauce)

Basmati Rice*

* normally it'd be jasmine, but we're *gasp* out at the moment ;)

Dinner 3/6

Duxelles Stuffed Ravioli
(w/ port reduction sauce)

Glazed Carrots

Green Beans w/ Truffle Oil

* The duxelles were made with shiitake mushrooms and shallots, deglazed w/ maderia. The pasta dough contained some ground herbes de provence and then were run through the pasta roller, ending on setting "5". Then they were hand shaped and cut into triangles and square shapes. The port reduction sauce is just 1 cup of inexpensive ruby port (I've used tawny as well) reduced to a syrup with a little salt and pepper added.

The carrots were braised in water and glazed at the end w/ some maderia. The green beans were blanched, then sauteed w/ shallots and a drop of truffle oil at the end.

Dinner 3/5

Soba Noodle Stir Fry
(w/ sesame oil, tofu, jalapeno, carrots, garlic and ginger)

Edamame

Wine

Coturri Syrah 2001*

Yes, the new shipment has arrived -- woo hoo!

Dinner 3/4

Bruschetta
(zucchini, tomato and garlic)

Roasted Tofu w/ Lemon, Thyme, Olives and Garlic
(via Martha Stewart, April 2002)

Steamed Broccoli

Dinner 3/3

Cap'n Janeway
(rigatoni w/ tomato and cream sauce)

Mixed Greens Salad
(w/ fig vinaigrette)

Italian Bread

Dinner 3/1

Tex-Mex Enchilladas
(Corn tortillas fried in oil about 2 seconds per side, dipped in the cumin, mexican oregano and ancho chile sauce, then stuffed with soy cheese and onion. Makes about 20, place seam side down in a cassarole dish, cover with the rest of the sauce and onions and bake @ 350 for 10 minutes)

Arroz Verde
(Poblano Rice Pilaf)

Dinner 2/29

Orzo, Bean and Greens Soup
(kale, mustard greens, paprika, saffron, turnip, orzo and veg stock)

Cordoban Asparagus
(asparagus w/ sauce made from bread, garlic, cumin and saffron puree w/ parsley)

Seitan and White Bean Stew
(variation on the Spanish classic "intoxicated beef" w/ seitan, carrots, rasins, olives, garbanzo beans, veg stock and a shot of sherry)

Dinner 2/28

Toor Dal
(yellow lentil soup w/ garlic, red pepper, cumin seeds, and onion)

Purple Potatoes w/ Mint
(boiled, then sauteed w/ mint, garlic, jalapeno salt and pepper)

Korma
(seitan and tomato stew w/ garlic, corriander, clove and cinnamon)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 2/27

Warm Crimini Mushroom and Fingerling Potato Dinner Salad
(over mixed greens w/ creamy green olive dressing)

Italian Bread

Dinner 2/26

Mushrooms in a cream sauce over Farfalle w/ Tofu Cutlets*

Steamed Broccoli

* Sliced crimini mushrooms sauteed, then add 1 cup veg stock and reduce almost all the way. Add 1 cup cream sauce (1/2 box soft tofu w/ soy milk) along w/ rosemary and oregano, slightly reduce. Pour over cutlets and pasta

Dinner 2/25

Pasta "Stir-Fry"
(mushrooms, onion, carrot, fennel, celery, red pepper, veg stock, soy parmesan over gemelli pasta)

Italian Bread

Dinner 2/23

Pad Thai
(tofu, onion, celery, carrot, yellow bell pepper, jalapeno, tamarind paste, thai noodles, bean sprouts)

Dinner 2/22

Leftover Night (see Saturday)

Mardi Gras Wine Tasting at Riverside Wine and Imports

Cajun Black Bean Salad served in an Endive Leaf
Spicy White Bean Gumbo Soup w/ Cornbread
Pasta with Cajun Green Beans, Potatoes and a Creamy Pesto*
Mirliton Ratatouille served in Red Pepper Rings
Jambalaya, served in a Portabella Mushroom bowl
Bananas Foster in Phyllo w/ Caramel/Rum Sauce

* an upgraded version of the potato lasagna from last week. this one had much more basil and turned out very well, we got a lot of postive comments on that dish.

Dinner 2/20

Pizza
(tomato, onion, red pepper, tomato sauce)

Dinner 2/19

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Mirliton Ratatouille*
(chayote, eggplant, onion, red bell pepper)

Eggplant Parmesan over Capellini

* a weird mix of Italian and Cajun tonight, I was trying out some recipes for the tasting, and used the rest of the eggplant for the kids dinner as well...

Dinner 2/18

Mushrooms Madagascar*

Mashed Potatoes

Steamed Broccoli

* cremini (or button) mushrooms, shallots, garlic and green peppercorns sauteed, then put in a ramekin and covered w/ veg stock and topped with soy cheese and thrown in the oven for 10 minutes at 350. It's really more of a soup...

Dinner 2/17

Cap'n Janeway*
(gemelli w/ spicy tomato cream sauce)

Spinach Salad
(Black Cherry Vinaigrette)

Homemade Bread

* I know I always explain this, but some folks are new to the blog... the recipe is adapted from a dish that Kate Mulgrew made, and was printed in "People" magazine about a zillion years ago. She used Penne, but any pasta will do, and she also added Vodka, it's optional, but does cause a reaction to the tomatoes (thank you Shirley Corriher)...

Dinner 2/15

Cabbage Pierogis*

Borscht

Raddichio and Endive Salad
(w/ garlic and ginger vinaigrette)


* this is reason you make (and freeze) all those extra pierogi's in September when the cabbage was plentiful ;)

Dinner 2/14

Spaghetti w/ Tomato Sauce*

Garlic Bread

Chocolate Espresso Cheesecake**

* why yes, we did recreate the scene from "Lady and The Tramp" ;)

** just the like the picture on the top left.

Dinner 2/13

Tofu Biryani
(tofu, rice, currants, garlic, ginger, onion, cinnamon, cumin seeds, cardamon)

Zucchini and Fenugreek

Turmeric Potatoes

Dinner 2/12

Seitan Mole
(onions, garlic, red pepper, seitan, chocolate, tomato paste, tiny splash of bbq sauce)

Arroz Rojo
(Red Chile Rice)

Spinach Salad
(w/ creamy tequila dressing)

Dinner 2/11

Cajun Pasta w/ Green Beans and Potatoes*

Garlic Bread

* for the tasting next weekend, I tried making it as sort of a potato lasagna, putting the pasta, green beans, corn and basil infused bechamel sacue in between the layers. I like the way it turned out, but I'll probably make mini-versions in 2oz ramekins... Not Atkins Friendly ;)

Dinner 2/10

Pizza
(tomato sauce, red bell pepper, onion, garlic, red pepper, tomato slices, soy cheese)

Mixed Greens Salad
(w/ creamy dill dressing)

Dinner 2/9

Seitan Au Poivre
(seared seitan w/ mustard cream sauce, green peppercorns and capers)

Mashed Potatoes

Haricot Verts

Dinner 2/8

Stir-Fry
(tofu, carrot, yellow bell pepper, onion, garlic, ginger and daikon)

Basmati Rice

Dinner 2/7

Lasagna*
(tofu ricotta, oven roasted tomatoes, garlic, onion, celery, carrots, red bell pepper, red pepper, oregano, soyrizo)

Steamed Broccoli

Homemade Garlic Bread

* yes, lasgana two times in the same week -- the other one was a single serving size, this one was a big pan of it. We're trying them out for a future tasting of organic Italian wines in April...

Dinner 2/6

Spinach and Red Pepper Gratin

Eggplant Frites
(dregged in flour, cornstarch slurry, seasoned bread crumbs, deep-fried at 375)

Fusilli w/ Cajun Red Sauce
(red onion, garlic, red pepper, soyrizo, red bell pepper, tomato, cayenne -- slightly pureed w/ an immersion blender, toss the pasta in and serve w/ the eggplant frites on top)

Dinner 2/5

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
(eggplant, red bell pepper, onion, zucchini, tofu ricotta*, tomato sauce, lasagna noodles)

* one block of firm tofu, parsley, salt, pepper, and soy sour cream, soy parmesan and hit w/ blender stick so it's smooth, but with slight bit of texture

Dinner 2/4

Seitan Stew
(onion, garlic, seitan, paprika, cannellini beans, veg stock)

Boiled Fingerling Potatoes

Roasted Corn

Dinner 2/3

Stir-Fry
(tofu w/ hoisin, carrots, onion, red bell pepper, garlic and ginger)

Basmati Rice

Snow Peas

Dinner 2/2

Spaghetti w/ Tomato Sauce
(onion, garlic, red pepper, oregano, tomatoes)

Garlic Bread

Spinach Salad
(spinach, dried cherries, carrots w/ balsamic vinaigrette)


*There's something to be said for simple food cooked well... the tomato sauce was one of the best ones we've ever made...