hey i was vegetarian monday night too--

with Andy, conjured up a rather rich meal:

Simple vegetable soup with potato & parmesan prominent. Not too much cheese to be overwhelming, though--about 1/2 cup for six servings of soup or so. Garlic and onion in butter first, then potatoes, carrots, leek, boil long enough to mush potatoes, afterwards broccoli and at the last minute, turnip leaves, at the last last minute the parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste.

Andy's contribution: wheat gluten fajitas. Sliced seitan (seasoned wheat gluten stir fry) sauteed with yellow bell pepper and onions, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste, with wheat tortillas and cheese but I preferred it just over brown rice.

Dessert: yams, preboiled as Jasun once advised, then baked with some pats of butter and slices of Braeburn apple (bakes well!) in a thin layer of apple juice.

Comments: no overarching theme here, more like cooking off the cuff with available ingredients! Yummy, though heavy. For the vegetarian challenge, relying too much on consipicuously faked meat (the seasoned gluten) would be cheating I think but OK sometimes. The only moral here is that a meatless meal can still be hearty, especially when taking advantage of vegetarian fat sources: cheese and butter are obvious; coconut milk is reliable; fancy-do delights are avocado, and nuts as Jasun mentioned. Plus plenty of great hearty not-fatty ingredients (all the kinds of beans come to mind) but that's no reason to omit fat :)

Comments to Jasun: I'm a fan of your vegetarian quest! You sound so hard on yourself; maybe perfectionism has its purpose, but please don't give it up! I look forward to the concoctions to come...

So-Called Recipes: Judge for Yourself!

I haven't added a new post in a week's time. The last few meals have been forgettable, and I must say that I miss meats. I don't miss eating them, but I do miss cooking with chicken, fish, or beef.

Even my failsafe meal is a chicken, red pepper, and broccoli stir-fry with rice - no special tricks, just what it sounds like - and it's not quite the same without the chicken. You don't get the light gravy / sauce when you add a cornstarch solution, for instance .. \:

Ah well. I suppose that it wouldn't be worth doing, were it easy. I continually tell myself that this vegetarianism will do me good: I'll pick up new culinary tricks, and in time I will become a better cook after a year's length of cooking with constraints.

But now? Woe is me .. or woe are my flatmates, who have agreed to eat my experiments. So far they seem to genuinely like my meals, or at least do a wonderful job of hiding their displeasure.

So-called Recipe #1: Curry Noodles

Ingredients:
angel-hair pasta,
1 medium jalapeno pepper,
3 tsp curry powder, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp thyme,
2 tsp honey,
olive oil or other cooking oil,
salt, water, cornstarch,
innards of green bell peppers (rest to be used later),
leftover mango preserves from last week's scallion pancake debacle.

Steps: Self-explanatory. Finely dice the bell pepper and jalapeno, then saute them first in a small saucepan. Coat them with all the spices and let the mixture smoke a little (but not burn!). Then add water, beware the sizzle, and mix well while slowly adding honey.

When mixture begins to simmer, mix a cornstarch solution and add half to the pot. Lower the heat and stir into a nice gravy, then add mango preserves and water. Let simmer again, and add remaining cornstarch.

One last simmer and it's ready: serve with drained angel-hair pasta.

Motivation: Nothing too revolutionary, but there seems a surprising lack of sweet-and-spicy foods out there. The fruit and honey should offset the curry and jalapeno sufficiently, without sacrificing either flavor.

This might work rather well as a meatless dish; chicken or beef might confuse the juxtaposition. Better to keep it simple, noodles and sauce, to determine whether this is a good balance or not.

Retrospective Alternatives: Instead of toasted almonds, crushed peanuts would be fine. Finely chopped scallions or cilantro on top wouldn't be bad, either. After all, you can never have enough cilantro. (;

So-called Recipe #2: Not-Quite-a-Murakami Salad

Ingredients:
1 peeled cucumber, 3 Roma tomatoes, 1 bunch red seedless grapes,
sesame oil, olive oil, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds

Steps: Even more self-explanatory. Cut cucumber into discs along the long side, then quarter discs. Do the same with tomatoes, but half-discs, and cut grapes in half, making sure to hold grapes firmly while cutting; otherwise you can slip and slice your fingers.

Toss into a sufficiently large bowl, dress with oil and vinegar, and sprinkle sesame seeds as a final flourish.

Motivation: Last time, the Murakami salad tasted exactly and sadly as it should be (ask if you want to know what it is). Never again, I say!

I've kept the cucumber and introduce tomatoes for a juicier texture. The dressing itself is plain, but the grapes allow a surprising sweetness. This works well for those people who like eating salads, one well-mixed forkful at a time.

So-called Recipe #3: Something from the Oven

It's a secret. q; Ask if you really want to know.

One thing is obvious; this must have used the aforementioned bell peppers .. but when? .. how?!? (;

Anyways, I'll see if I have any new ideas for Tuesday. Happy cooking.

No new recipes yet ..

Granted, I did cook this past Tuesday, but there was absolutely no originality in it and what I did make had, like Julia Roberts, an unappetizing look to it. Trust me.

Rather, this is an open invitation to my friends out there. If you'd like to share your vegetarian recipes on this blog, then send me an e-mail (there should be a link on my Profile page) and say so: I'll add you to the Members list and you can start posting your veggie-friendly culinary concoctions thereafter! Isn't that exciting?

Artless Cooking.

[Recipe from Yesterday]

I didn't have a very good feeling about yesterday's supper. It felt too .. simple, more like a random mishmash of disparate foods that happened to be served on the same plate.

I wonder if my flatmates figured out that I'm moving to vegetarianism, yet. I'll probably mention it tomorrow, when it's my turn to cook again.

Anyways, if you really want to know, here's what we had last night:

Oven-Roasted Sweet Potatoes - there's nothing like a good roasted flavor to starches like potatoes, yams, and squashes. A great seasonal flavor for the winter and fall.

Ingredients:

• 2 large, oval-shaped sweet potatoes - cut into 2-finger pieces
  
• 1 medium Asian eggplant, sliced into pinky-sized pieces (optional)
  
• olive oil
  
• cumin and paprika

Parboiling. Start a pot of water (~ 5-6 cups) boiling, and boil the potatoes for 3 minutes. Then add the eggplant, and after another 2 minutes, drain and do a quick warm water rinse.

(The idea is to start off the vegetables with abundant moisture; otherwise as single pieces they will dry out and burn easily in the oven, so this allows them to roast while retaining some moisture.)

Oven Bake. Preheat the oven to 425 ^oF, and on a baking pan spread out the drained vegetables into a single layer inside. Drip olive oil and mix with a spatula, to assure a good coating of olive oil on all the vegetables. Sprinkle cumin and paprika lightly and stir again.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until some of the potatoes have a roasted twinge of brown. If you prefer a more moist texture, you may consider covering the pan lightly with aluminum foil and bake at a lower temperature for a few minutes longer.

Remember to let the pan cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy.

---

Barley Concoction - I was treating this more like a risotto dish, in all honesty. However, it doesn't have a velvety sauce, and works more like a hearty base to the meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups pearl barley (with rice cooker for steaming)
  
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
  
• 2 medium-sized Roma tomatoes, diced
  
• 1 8oz. package mushrooms, sliced
  
• olive oil
  
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
  
• 1 tsp. cumin
  
• 1 tsp. curry powder
  
• thyme and basil (store-bought and dry is fine)
  
• salt and red pepper flakes to taste
  
• 2 tsp. cornstarch (optional)

Philosophy. The idea is to use the ingredients in their best forms: the barley is cooked for heartiness, moisture, and to carry the other flavors. The bell pepper and mushrooms are best when sauteed. The tomato is left crisp and uncooked, otherwise it would lose the juicy liquid and make the dish too 'wet.'

Steam (2 possible methods). I highly suggest a rice cooker to steam the barley, because there's no need to watch it while other matters are at hand.

If you insist on pan-cooking the barley, then you can afford taking more time and care with it. Make sure to keep the stove at a medium-low setting, and stir at regular intervals, making sure to blend the bottom of the pot's contents with the top.

For the rice cooker, add the barley and stock together, then add enough water so that the liquid level is 1/3" above the level of barley in the pan.

For the pan and stovetop, do the same but with 1/2" of liquid above the barley level; you'll likely need to raise the liquid levels once or twice, since liquid evaporates quickly with conduction. Do so according to how moist you like your barley.

When the liquid in the barley has boiled almost to the same level as the barley, mix in the cumin and curry and stir well.

Saute. Start a frying pan on High heat and lightly coat the pan with olive oil. Add the bell pepper and mushroom at the same time, and after they are coated with oil, coat the contents with the thyme, basil, salt, and red pepper. This will allow the spices to sear into the vegetables and maximize flavor.

**on Texture: If you insist on a light, velvety sauce with this mixture, take the cornstarch and in a separate bowl, mix vigorously with 1/2 cup of hot water. The outcome is a thin, white liquid, and stir it into the frying pan. It will sizzle, and after a moment, the starch will thicken, and you may need an additional 1/2 cup of water into the pan to thin it out.

Keep stirring the saute until the mushroom texture softens. Then remove from heat.

Blend. When all is completed, take a large mixing bowl and spoon into it the cooked, lightly-spiced barley. On top add the sauteed bell pepper and mushrooms, and on top the raw diced tomato. Mix well, and you're done.

Really. It's that simple. Hence the misgivings.

---

Sauteed Rapini - rapini is an excellent vegetable: a dark leafy green which is full of good antioxidants. The flavor is much like some types of Asian greens, in that there is a little bitter taste, but mostly crisp.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch rapini (2 lbs) - lower stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
  
• 1 large garlic clove, finely sliced
  
• olive oil
  
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
  
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
  
• sugar and salt to taste

Saute, Pure and Simple. Start a ~large~ frying pan on High heat, and coat the surface lightly with olive oil. If your pan isn't big enough, you might need to saute in two batches.

Wait for the oil to steam, then add rapini and blend. Make sure all the rapini is equally and lightly coated with the oi. Next add a pinch of sugar and a light sprinkle of salt - not too much, because of the soy sauce later!

Cover for 1-2 minutes; this allows the rapini to steam into a brighter green color, but if you steam it for too long, you'll leech out the nutrients. The stalks should still have shape (not limp) when the steam is done.

Stir, and add soy sauce and sesame oil. Keep stirring, and after a moment, remove from heat. Done.

---

At any rate, that's what we had for dinner. It wasn't bad; we also split a baguette warmed from the oven. I suppose we're developing a bread addiction .. (;

Starting Simple ..

[UPDATE - 8 Jan '04: some commentary can be found here]
[Recipes from yesterday, 6 Jan '04]

I opted for something which seemed to me simple but tasty, so I've begun with an 'Italian' theme. Judge for yourself: No-Sauce Pasta, a Simple Salad, and a Suggested Bread.

No-Sauce Pasta - Ingredients:

• capellini / angel-hair pasta (2/3's of a package)
  
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced to pinky-sized pieces
  
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned
  
• 1/2 package Crimini mushrooms, halved (if large)
  
• a large bunch of cilantro, stems removed and finely chopped
  
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced finely
  
• 1 cup feta cheese
  
• plenty of olive oil and water
  
• salt, red pepper flakes (to taste)

Boil. If you're good at the chop, I suggest starting a pot of water first, and you may chop the vegetables while the water readies and the pasta boils. On the other hand, you can chop everything first and set the pasta to boil: there's no harm in it.

When the pasta is ready, drain and perform a quick rinse with cold water. This will keep the strands from forming a single blob, while you saute.

Saute. On High heat, start a large frying pan with a good measure of olive oil, and when it begins to smoke (it should sizzle a little if a few drops of water are tossed in) then add the garlic and tomatoes first. After a moment, reduce to Medium heat and add the mushrooms; a minute later, add the bell pepper. Let it all sear a little.

When some of the garlic reaches a slight brown color, ~slowly~ add enough water so that the pan has a 1/3"-high level of water (often this causes quite a sizzle!). Give time for the pan's contents to reduce, until the mixture reaches the consistency of maple syrup. Add red pepper and a little salt.

Next, add the cilantro, part by part. It should shrink quickly, so keep folding it into the mixture. After two minutes, remove from heat.

Blend. This is a plate-by-plate process. Drip a fair amount of olive oil on a serving plate, apply a helping of capellini on top, and then a large pinch of feta chesse. Stir the mixture with a fork until most of the pasta is lightly-covered with the olive oil and feta.

Next, dress the blended capellini with the saute. When all is done, the pasta gains the salty flavor of the feta, and the oil will help to blend the strands with the saute mixture. No tomato sauce necessary.

a Simple Salad - Ingredients:

• 1 head of green-leaf lettuce
  
• 1 large Roma tomato, diced
  
• 1/2 package of Crimini mushrooms, halved (if large)
  
• 1 small red onion, cut in slices

Dressing:

• 1 part sesame oil
  
• 1 part olive oil
  
• 2 parts rice vinegar
  
• 1 tsp lime juice
  
• 1 tsp honey

The dressing is straightforward: just blend it all together. It may help to heat up the honey a little, using the microwave at a Medium setting.

Dress to Order. I suggest chopping into 1" rings starting from the stem, then rinsing and draining. Add the mushrooms, then dress the lettuce before adding the last ingredients!

Philosophy. Typically mushrooms have a 'dry' flavor, and they do well with a little liquid flavoring. The lettuce forms the main body of the salad, and it should convey the dressing throughout the salad contents. There's no need to coat tomatoes or red onion with oil and vinegar, because they have enough 'wet' flavor as it is.

Suggested Bread - a ciabatta loaf from the bakery. Warm at 250 ^oF in the oven before serving, which gives it a great, crispy texture!