Corn Fritters, Braised Leeks, No-Knead Bread, Olive Bagna Cauda, Shishito Peppers, Icicle Radishes

Dinner 07/20

Corn Fritters

Braised Leeks

No-Knead Bread

Olive Bagna Cauda

Shishito Peppers

Icicle Radishes

A little bit of this and that, using some of the mornings Farmers Market produce. We did the usual Braised Leeks recipe and made a small batch of corn fritters topped with a garlic mayo on a bed of the local lettuce.


For apps, we made the Olive Bagna Cauda recipe from Food & Wine, fried up the Shishito peppers and finished them with a splash of lemon and salt, sliced the radishes thinly with a pinch of sea salt, plus we took another run at the no-knead bread(sticks) from Jim Lahey -- still trying dial in the right amount of water/yeast/flour for the Einkorn -- but we're getting closer...

Farmers Market

Farmers Market 07/20

Dodging the rain drops, Liz made her way to the Kent Farmers Market and returned with these goodies which will get turned into dinner later.


Beautiful lettuce...


... beets, turnips, collards, radishes, green beans, zucchini, cucumbers


Red onions with more beets, turnips and lettuce.

Stay tuned.

Chili Salad

Dinner 07/17

Chili Salad

With temps in the low 90s and the heat index topping 100°, a salad begins to look like a really viable choice for dinner. ;)

The chili started with 1/2 cup of TVP, soaked for 15 minutes in veg stock along with smoked paprika and cumin. While that absorbed, we sauteed one diced onion, 3 cloves of garlic until golden, added salt, pepper and a little ancho powder (to taste). Then we added the in soaked TVP and cooked that until it all the liquid had evaporated and started to darken. At this point Liz likes to add 1 tbs. of dark cocoa and 1 tbs. of tamari.

Next we added 32 oz. of cooked kidney beans and 16 oz of Pinto beans (you can use pressure cooked or canned -- canned was a really good option tonight.) Finally we added a 28oz can of whole fire-roasted tomatoes, crushed them with a potato masher and let it simmer on the back of the stove for 40 minutes until thickened. Check for seasoning and serve over a bed of baby romaine or mixed greens, top with your favorite hot sauce, a splash of lime, vegan sour cream and line the bowl with chips.

Bananas Foster Pancakes

Breakfast 07/13

We had Bananas Foster for dessert the other night and needed to use up the last of the bananas -- so it was as simple as A + B = tasty. ;)

The base pancake recipe is from "Vegan Diner." The Bananas Foster was 2 tbs. Earth Balance & 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar melted in a pan with a pinch of cinnamon added. Being breakfast, we skipped the rum and ice cream, but did add a 1/4 cup of rice milk to smooth it out. The bananas were cut and tossed with the sauce and added to the top of the pancakes.

No-Knead Bread, Sherry-Infused Mushroom Pate

Appetizer 07/12

No-Knead Bread

Sherry-Infused Mushroom Pate

Liz wanted to try out the No-Knead Bread technique by Jim Lahey (author of "My Bread" and "My Pizza") to see what would happen when using Einkorn Flour.

The first batch was made a few days previously -- the final loaf was in the ballpark -- perhaps a little wet, which made it difficult to handle. We baked it in our large cast-iron dutch oven, which was one size too large and led to a rather tasty, but thin loaf.

So after a few adjustments (an extra bit of flour and yeast), Liz made a second batch, this time baked in the Le Creuset French Oven (7 1/4 Qt.) -- after first removing the lid handle, which will melt at 500°.

As you can see, it turned out really well -- a rustic loaf with a deep, well developed flavor. The kids also loved it.


Liz also made some large breadsticks (almost baguettes) from the no-knead dough that paired very nicely with the Sherry-Infused Mushroom Pate (recipe from "Urban Vegan" by Dynise Balcavage) -- which uses pecans to great effect.

Shish Kabobs: Maple-Smoked Tofu, Mushrooms, Red Bell Pepper and Pineapple

Dinner 07/11

Shish Kabobs

Our grill certainly is getting a workout this summer -- tonight, we marinated some maple-smoked* tofu, mushrooms, red bell pepper and pineapple with 1 tbs. of olive oil, 1 tbs. of tamari, black pepper (to taste) and 1 tbs. of ketchup and put them on wooden skewers and served them on a bed of rice (to absorb all the tasty juicy bits).


* a new wood chip flavor for us -- our son noticed it right away -- we have taught him well... ;)

Hot Dogs, Pasta Salad and Sweet Potato Fries

Dinner 07/07

Hot Dogs

Pasta Salad

Sweet Potato Fries

We fired up the grill again and rocked the Holiday weekend food stuffs!

The sweet potato fries were cut into quarters and tossed with olive oil, salt, pepper and a tiny bit of smoked paprika and baked at 425° for 25-30 minutes turning halfway through cooking.


Liz broke out her hot dog bun pan and tried the "Old-Fashion Hamburger Bun" recipe from "Vegan Diner" by Julie Hasson with great success!




A close-up of the dogs with ketchup, onions & relish...