It's been about 4 years since I've had my favorite sandwich. It was from a cafe in Milwaukee called Comet, where my best friend and I would spend hours and hours doing absolutely nothing. This sandwich, a cranberry-orange juice, and her company were all I needed to make a perfect afternoon.
I've wanted to re-create the sandwich for a long time, but until today I had never tried. It's not that it seemed complicated; I was just worried that it wouldn't be perfect.
But it was! I think the only difference was that I used wheat hoagies instead of white. It was *amazing*.
Please use this as a springboard for other tasty sandwiches. I would have played with the ingredients some, but this was time for replication, not experimentation.
Super Tasty Artichoke Heart Sandwich
hoagie-style bun
1/2 can of artichoke hearts (the cafe served them whole, but I quartered them for easier eating)
mayonnaise
oregano
2 slices provolone cheese
slightly grilled red onion slivers
romaine lettuce (I couldn't remember if the cafe used romaine or spinach - as soon as I tasted it I knew I had chosen correctly)
Toast the bread, add all the ingredients, and toast some more until the cheese is melty. Then stuff it in your face! I didn't remember the cranberry-orange juice accompaniment until just now, and I wish I gotten the stuff to make that also. I felt like I was back in high school in the best way possible.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Tastiest Seitan Ever
I've tried a couple of seitan recipes, and was sort of unhappy with the amount of work that was required, and how inconsistent the end products were. I found this recipe here, on the Post Punk Kitchen forums. What first attracted me to this recipe was the fact that it doesn't need to be steamed; simple baking is all that's required. After I made it for the first time, I decided I would never again make seitan any other way. Not only is this recipe very easy, the flavor of the seitan is amazing.
I made a few changes to the recipe; it calls for some sweet spices in additional to the savory ones. I cut out the cinnamon and the all-spice. I've played with the spices a few times, and all attempts have been tasty.
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cups water
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tamari or other soy sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
*If you have some liquid smoke, substitute some of that for some of the soy sauce. Yum!
Preheat oven to 325°.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until well-combined. It's actually easier to use your hands, as it can be hard to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Knead the resulting dough for a few minutes, to make sure everything is combined.
Roll it into a ~10 inch log and wrap tightly in foil, twisting the ends. The original recipe said to bake the log for 90 minutes, but I found that to be way too long. Mine cooked for about an hour, and I turned it over in the oven every 20 minutes. If you pull it out too soon, just wrap it back up and put it back in the oven. The end product should be pretty dense.
After removing from the oven, unwrap and let cool. Then you can cut it up any way you want! Slice thin for a tasty lunch meat substitute or cube it and throw it in a sauce or soup. If you were going to cook it for awhile in a sauce or a soup, I would recommend cooking it a little longer the first time, as it tends to get a bit squishy as it cooks in a sauce.
I made a few changes to the recipe; it calls for some sweet spices in additional to the savory ones. I cut out the cinnamon and the all-spice. I've played with the spices a few times, and all attempts have been tasty.
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cups water
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tamari or other soy sauce
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
*If you have some liquid smoke, substitute some of that for some of the soy sauce. Yum!
Preheat oven to 325°.
In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix the wet ingredients well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until well-combined. It's actually easier to use your hands, as it can be hard to incorporate all of the dry ingredients. Knead the resulting dough for a few minutes, to make sure everything is combined.
Roll it into a ~10 inch log and wrap tightly in foil, twisting the ends. The original recipe said to bake the log for 90 minutes, but I found that to be way too long. Mine cooked for about an hour, and I turned it over in the oven every 20 minutes. If you pull it out too soon, just wrap it back up and put it back in the oven. The end product should be pretty dense.
After removing from the oven, unwrap and let cool. Then you can cut it up any way you want! Slice thin for a tasty lunch meat substitute or cube it and throw it in a sauce or soup. If you were going to cook it for awhile in a sauce or a soup, I would recommend cooking it a little longer the first time, as it tends to get a bit squishy as it cooks in a sauce.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Barley Butternut Risotto
I've had a bunch of barley sitting on my shelf for over a month now, and I had no idea what to do with it. I found this recipe online, and bought a huge butternut squash specifically for it. I made a few changes from the recipe, and it turned out really great.
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
3-4 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup barley
a few sprigs of fresh thyme - you could use dried
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley - or 1 tbsp dried
First preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half length-wise and deseed. Spray the cut sides with olive oil spray, and place cut-side down on a pan. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Remove from oven, and peel and cube when cool.
Saute the onions in a soup pot with some salt until they're tender. Add garlic, barley, 2 cups of stock, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to slow boil and then simmer until most of the stock is absorbed. Add stock a little at a time until the barley is tender. It should not get mushy. The barley is done when it's tender, but still has a bit of a bite to it. My partner called it bouncy in his mouth, and I think that's the perfect description.
When the barley is tender, add cubed squash and parsley and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
I think I over-roasted the squash, because it pretty much fell apart in the pot with the barley. The picture with the original recipe showed more distinct chunks. I liked the texture of mine; it seemed more like a stew.
Original recipe on Cupcake Punk: Barley Butternut Risotto
Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
3-4 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup barley
a few sprigs of fresh thyme - you could use dried
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley - or 1 tbsp dried
First preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut squash in half length-wise and deseed. Spray the cut sides with olive oil spray, and place cut-side down on a pan. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Remove from oven, and peel and cube when cool.
Saute the onions in a soup pot with some salt until they're tender. Add garlic, barley, 2 cups of stock, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to slow boil and then simmer until most of the stock is absorbed. Add stock a little at a time until the barley is tender. It should not get mushy. The barley is done when it's tender, but still has a bit of a bite to it. My partner called it bouncy in his mouth, and I think that's the perfect description.
When the barley is tender, add cubed squash and parsley and cook for a few more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
I think I over-roasted the squash, because it pretty much fell apart in the pot with the barley. The picture with the original recipe showed more distinct chunks. I liked the texture of mine; it seemed more like a stew.
Original recipe on Cupcake Punk: Barley Butternut Risotto
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
I don't remember where I found this recipe, but it was pretty simple. I've always been nervous about messing with baking recipes, but I changed this recipe a little bit, and the muffins came out great! It's a good recipe to play around with, and add whatever extras you may want, like fruit or nuts.
I had never used wheat germ before, and the original recipe didn't call for it. But the bag said that you could substitute up to half of the flour in a recipe for wheat germ, and I really like the results. The muffins have a great texture, and wheat germ is far more healthful than all-purpose flour.
1 c oatmeal
1 c yogurt
1 egg
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 banana
1 small container of blueberries
1 t vanilla
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 to 1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
Add egg, sugar, butter, banana, and vanilla to oatmeal mixture and mix well.
Stir in remaining ingredients until just combined.
Stir in fruit or other mix-ins.
Divide batter into muffin cups. I didn't see the need to grease the cups because there was so much butter, and the banana that I added made the muffins more moist.
Bake until golden and toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. The muffins will seem undercooked, but they firm up a little once they've cooled. I substituted a half a banana for one of the eggs in the recipe, and that does make for a more moist texture.
I had never used wheat germ before, and the original recipe didn't call for it. But the bag said that you could substitute up to half of the flour in a recipe for wheat germ, and I really like the results. The muffins have a great texture, and wheat germ is far more healthful than all-purpose flour.
1 c oatmeal
1 c yogurt
1 egg
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 banana
1 small container of blueberries
1 t vanilla
1/2 c all purpose flour
1/2 c wheat germ
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 to 1 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
Mix oatmeal with yogurt and let sit for one hour.
Add egg, sugar, butter, banana, and vanilla to oatmeal mixture and mix well.
Stir in remaining ingredients until just combined.
Stir in fruit or other mix-ins.
Divide batter into muffin cups. I didn't see the need to grease the cups because there was so much butter, and the banana that I added made the muffins more moist.
Bake until golden and toothpick comes out clean, about 25 minutes. The muffins will seem undercooked, but they firm up a little once they've cooled. I substituted a half a banana for one of the eggs in the recipe, and that does make for a more moist texture.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich
I found this recipe at Smitten Kitchen. I've been loving chickpeas lately, and in addition to those it also has some of my very favorite things. It's super easy to make, fairly filling, and pretty cheap too!
The original recipe had actual measurements, but I think this is something that is better when you make with the ratios that you like best!
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
several black olives, roughly chopped
chopped red onion
chopped parsley - I used Italian flat-leaf
zest and juice of half a lemon
crushed red pepper (the original recipe didn't have this, but I put it in almost everything)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
Mix everything together, smash the chickpea mixture until it's the consistency you want. Smitten Kitchen described it as a "deconstructed hummus."
Spread on toasted bread.
Makes 3-4 sandwiches.
The original recipe had actual measurements, but I think this is something that is better when you make with the ratios that you like best!
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
several black olives, roughly chopped
chopped red onion
chopped parsley - I used Italian flat-leaf
zest and juice of half a lemon
crushed red pepper (the original recipe didn't have this, but I put it in almost everything)
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
Mix everything together, smash the chickpea mixture until it's the consistency you want. Smitten Kitchen described it as a "deconstructed hummus."
Spread on toasted bread.
Makes 3-4 sandwiches.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Eggplant Butternut Squash Yellow Curry
This is the first actual recipe that I've come up with entirely on my own. I've found recipes I liked and made small changes, and I've looked at what I have in the fridge and thrown ingredients together, but I've never sat down and written out a game plan before I started cooking. I read a bunch of Indian recipes for inspiration, then figured out exactly what I wanted to do. It turned out even better than I expected!
2 medium or 1 large eggplant, cubed
2 small or 1 medium butternut squash, cubed
4 cloves garlic, whole
2 red chilies, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 can (more or less) coconut milk
cilantro for garnish
olive oil
salt
fenugreek seeds
coriander
cumin
turmeric
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash eggplant and cut slit in sides. Put 2 whole garlic cloves in each. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes or longer until eggplant is very soft to the touch. Let it cool and then peel and cube it.
Peel and cube the squash. Put the cubes in a baking pan, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 10-15 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Mince the chilies, removing the seeds if desired to control spiciness. Sauté with a couple of pinches of fenugreek seeds to release their flavor, about 3-4 minutes. Add chopped onion and sauté about 5 minutes. Add pinches of coriander, cumin, and turmeric and stir for a few seconds.
Add chopped eggplant and squash. Stirring constantly, cook for about 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, stir and cover. Cook for about 10 more minutes
Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro.
2 medium or 1 large eggplant, cubed
2 small or 1 medium butternut squash, cubed
4 cloves garlic, whole
2 red chilies, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 can (more or less) coconut milk
cilantro for garnish
olive oil
salt
fenugreek seeds
coriander
cumin
turmeric
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash eggplant and cut slit in sides. Put 2 whole garlic cloves in each. Roast in oven for about 20 minutes or longer until eggplant is very soft to the touch. Let it cool and then peel and cube it.
Peel and cube the squash. Put the cubes in a baking pan, drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 10-15 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Mince the chilies, removing the seeds if desired to control spiciness. Sauté with a couple of pinches of fenugreek seeds to release their flavor, about 3-4 minutes. Add chopped onion and sauté about 5 minutes. Add pinches of coriander, cumin, and turmeric and stir for a few seconds.
Add chopped eggplant and squash. Stirring constantly, cook for about 5 minutes. Add coconut milk, stir and cover. Cook for about 10 more minutes
Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Lemony Chickpea Stir-Fry
It's hard to decide, but I really think this is my favorite recipe I've tried lately. The chickpeas got just a little bit crispy on the outside, and the lemon really brightened it up. I've also really been enjoying kale lately, and it went really well in this dish. It's probably my favorite of the dark greens that I've tried. Its flavor is much more mellow than chard.
Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas
1/2 container of tofu, pressed (about 7 ounces)
2 shallots
about 1 1/2 cups of kale, chopped
zest and juice of half a lemon
1/2 t salt
bit of pepper
olive oil
First things first I set the tofu up to drain. I buy tofu packed in water, so for a meal like this it needs to be drained and pressed. I also rinsed and drained the chickpeas in a colander for a little while. They're added to a pan with hot oil, so you want to make sure you get as much liquid off of the chickpeas as possible so the water doesn't pop in the oil.
Add just enough olive oil to coat the pan at about medium heat and add the chickpeas and salt. Toss them around so they're evenly coated in the oil. Stir them occasionally and let them cook until they brown a bit on the outside, about 10-15 minutes. While they cooked I chopped up the shallots and added them about 10 minutes in. The pan was hot, and I didn't want the shallots to burn.
Then I added the tofu, cut in small pieces. The goal was just to get the tofu warmed through, so I stirred it often to prevent it from sticking. I wanted to keep the texture of the raw tofu. After a few minutes I added the chopped kale and stirred it around until it was wilted.
I finished it with a bit more salt, some pepper, and the lemon juice and zest.
I got this recipe from http://www.101cookbooks.com but I made some small changes.
Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas
1/2 container of tofu, pressed (about 7 ounces)
2 shallots
about 1 1/2 cups of kale, chopped
zest and juice of half a lemon
1/2 t salt
bit of pepper
olive oil
First things first I set the tofu up to drain. I buy tofu packed in water, so for a meal like this it needs to be drained and pressed. I also rinsed and drained the chickpeas in a colander for a little while. They're added to a pan with hot oil, so you want to make sure you get as much liquid off of the chickpeas as possible so the water doesn't pop in the oil.
Add just enough olive oil to coat the pan at about medium heat and add the chickpeas and salt. Toss them around so they're evenly coated in the oil. Stir them occasionally and let them cook until they brown a bit on the outside, about 10-15 minutes. While they cooked I chopped up the shallots and added them about 10 minutes in. The pan was hot, and I didn't want the shallots to burn.
Then I added the tofu, cut in small pieces. The goal was just to get the tofu warmed through, so I stirred it often to prevent it from sticking. I wanted to keep the texture of the raw tofu. After a few minutes I added the chopped kale and stirred it around until it was wilted.
I finished it with a bit more salt, some pepper, and the lemon juice and zest.
I got this recipe from http://www.101cookbooks.com but I made some small changes.
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