Tomato vegetable soup

Good news! I have sucessfully not gotten sick!  I am in tip top shape for my flight tomorrow.  Yes, we leave for England tomorrow.  I am excited and scared and nervous all rolled into one.

I mentioned in my last post how I have been cleaning out the fridge before we go.  This is a soup I made that took the ends of many vegetables and made a very hearty soup in my crock pot.

As you can see, it was quite hot when I snapped the photo. This soup made enough for the both of us to eat it twice, and to give a considerable amount of leftovers to two of my co-workers.

Here’s the very simple recipe:

2 14.5  ounce cans of tomatoes.  I prefer Red Pack tomatoes because I love the flavor. I try to get the ones with basil, but they aren’t that easy to find.
1 small can of tomato paste
2 vegetarian bullion cubes
3 crushed garlic cloves
Any and all vegetables you have lingering in the fridge. Here is what I used:
-radishes
-baby spinach
-red onions
-green onions
-sun dried tomatoes
-carrots
-red and orange bell peppers
-grape tomatoes

As for seasonings, I just threw in garlic powder, sea salt, pepper (fresh ground black and white), hot paprika, a splash of Frank’s hot sauce, and a squirt of hot pepper paste , oregano, and parsley, but no basil. Can you believe I forgot to add basil? So, you should also add basil, because basil is tasty.

I just dumped and stirred up all the ingredients in the good ole crock pot and let it cook on low heat for about six hours. It was good, but a little thick upon reheating, so when you do reheat it on the stove, add a little water.

I served this with croissants, but next time I would like to serve it with pumpernickel. Mmmm pumpernickel.

This is a good soup to warm you up as our North Country days get colder. If you make this, let me know what veggies you use. I would love to know your adaptations.

Have a great day and keep cooking! We will all get together and talk soon.

Oh and one more thing, I do an October Project every year. Basically, I take a photo every day of the month and I post it on flickr. If you are interested in following it, here is a link to the set and here is the feed .

Jamaican Jerk Eggplant Wraps with Black Beans and Rice

I am a bad blogger.  I have been eating and cooking, but no blogging.  At the moment I am trying to resist getting a cold.  I am also preparing for my first trip overseas.  Next week, my husband and I are flying over to England to attend the wedding of my dear friend.  We will also be traveling to London to see the sights.  I can’t wait!

A lot of what I have been cooking this past week involved cleaning out the fridge.  I still have an eggplant and a large head of purple cabbage that I might have to give away because I don’t think I will be able to cook it before we leave.

However, these delightful wraps were made last week and they are very simple.

To start with, I sliced the eggplant into half inches slices.  I also sliced up some yellow bell peppers and green onions.  I marinated all the vegetables in this jerk sauce for about 6 hours while I was at work. I am sure that amount of time is unnecessary, but I would let it sit for at least an hour The sauce is tasty, but it contains high fructose corn syrup, something I usually avoid.

Next, I lugged out my largest cast iron frying pan and poured the marinade and the veggies in to the pan, covering it with a lid. While the veggies simmered, for about 20 minutes, I started the rice, using about 1/2 a cup of dried rice. I have to be careful with rice, as I always cook to much. Even 1/2 cup of dried rice makes too much for just me and Mark to eat.

I use a royal blend of rice because I like it, but brown rice also works well. As the rice cooks, I started the beans. I could live on canned black beans forever, provided I had enough spices on hand. To make my beans, I heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan and then I add two or three cloves of crushed garlic and let the garlic cook down for a bit.

I then add the beans. I only use Goya black beans. I don’t drain the beans completely, as I like to leave a little bit of liquid to act as a sauce. While the beans are heating on medium heat, I add all of the seasonings I like:

Sazón Goya . This is the particular Sazón I use, but feel free to try others.
Cocoa powder. Try it! It brings a richness to the beans. I use about 1/4 teaspoon
Garlic powder.
Cayenne powder.
Splash of Frank’s hot sauce.

I let this all simmer until it gets kinda goopy. Yes, this is a technical term in my kitchen. When the rice is cooked, mix the beans into the the warm rice and give it a good stir. By this point, the eggplant should be nice and tender.

I used garlic and herb wraps, carrot ribbons, and baby spinach for the wraps and veggies, but I think other veggies would be just as good. This makes about 4 or 5 servings, so it is good for dinner and then lunch the next day.

The next time we talk, I will be telling you about my tomato vegetable soup that was borne from needing to clean out the crisper drawer. Have a great day and keep cooking!

Cajun blackened fake chicken

In previous posts, I have mentioned my undying love for both Quorn and Badia’s Louisiana Cajun seasoning blend. Now I am about to bring them together for the first time!

It might be hard for you to find the Badia spices in your supermarket, so I would imagine any kind of blackening seasoning would work. However, if you can find this blend, use it! I know they don’t have Badia spices around here, so I grab them when I am visiting my in-laws in Long Island.

Also, a note about Quorn: it is not vegan. As a vegan substitute, I think that firmly pressed tofu slices or tempeh would work, but I am not sure of how well it will turn out, because I haven’t tried it yet.

Now, on to the frying!

First, I heated up some olive oil in my cast iron skillet. I don’t know how much I used, honestly, but it was a little deep and just enough to coat the pan. I really need to start measuring.

While that was heating up, I took about three tablespoons of olive oil and about three tablespoons of seasoning and mixed them up in a bowl. Next, I dipped the Quorn cutlets in the seasoning, making sure each cutlet was coated on all sides.

When all the cutlets are sufficiently coated, I dropped them into the frying pan and covered the pan with a lid. This makes the cutlets more juicy and helps the blackening of the spice. It also keeps grease from exploding all over my stove. I lifted the lid and flipped the cutlets a few times. When the cutlets begin to blacken, they are done. If you want melted cheese on your cutlets, now is the time to do so. The cheese melts nicely once you put the lid back on the frying pan.

I made the cutlets into sandwiches, served on a sesame seed bun and topped with extra sharp cheddar, homegrown tomatoes from a co-worker’s garden (so good!), spinach, and a garlic horseradish creamy spread.

Garlic horseradish creamy spread

2 tablespoons sour cream or vegan mayo
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
A few shakes of garlic powder

Mix and let chill for 1/2 hour.

A note on the creamy spread: I used sour cream because we had a little bit left that was languishing in the fridge. If I were to make this again, I would most definitely be using vegan mayo. I would also like to try this with fresh roasted garlic instead of the garlic powder. I think it would give the flavor more zing!

Wow! Two posts in one week! I am on a roll. The next we meet, my friends, I will be telling you how to prepare a vegan Jamaican jerk eggplant wrap that is stuffed with beans and rice, carrots, and spinach. I still have leftovers from this meal and I am bringing it to work today. Very tasty.

Until we meet again, have a great day and keep cooking!

Basil, tomato, and mozzarella salad.

It has been a very long time since I had time to post. But, I am hanging out today to tell you all about the grape tomato, basil, and mozzarella salad that I made a while back. It is pretty easy to make.

1 package grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved

1 bunch of fresh basil, chopped

1 container of fresh mozzarella balls (I used the small ones), drained

Pepperoncini peppers, seeded and chopped (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

First, wash your basil and tomatoes well. Veggie wash is what I use. Next, halve the tomatoes and cut up the basil. I find that using kitchen shears to be the easiest way to chop herbs. If you have some pepperoncini peppers lingering in the fridge, you can also seed them and chop them up to throw in the mix. Finally, add the mozzarella balls, giving everything a good stir.

I generously sprinkled the mix with sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Then I drizzled the oil and vinegar over everything. After stirring the salad well, I covered it with plastic wrap and let it marinate for at least two hours.

This was good on the first night, but it was even better the next day as all of the flavors melded together.

I hope you enjoy the salad and again, I am sorry it took me so long to post anything. I have been very busy as of late. But, I promise, the next time we meet I will be talking about Cajun blackened “chicken” that is made using Quorn.

Until then, have a great day and keep cooking!

The Moistest Coffee Cake in the World.

It is a rainy day in good old Plattsburgh, the kind of day I just love. It is the sort of day where you curl up with a good book, a cup of tea, and a slice of coffee cake. I have to work today, so there will be no books for me, but I did enjoy a slice of my delicious coffee cake with a cup of my favorite tea, Irish Breakfast.

The Moistest Coffee Cake on the Planet

(Easily veganized by replacing margarine and oil.)

Cake:

1 ½ cup unbleached flour
¾ cup turbinado sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon,
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
Dash of sea salt
¼ cup butter or margarine (this is about 4 and ½ tablespoons)
¼ cup applesauce
½ cup vanilla rice milk

Crumbly topping:

Mix the following together in a small bowl and set aside-
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon of unbleached flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
½ cup broken nuts (optional)

Pre heat your oven to 375 degrees. Mix melted butter or margarine, applesauce, rice milk, and vanilla together in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Next, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing well. Pour the mixture into a well-greased pan and sprinkle with the crumbly topping. Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven size. Check the center with a toothpick after 25 minutes to see how well done the center is. If it comes out clean, you are all set.

I have made this cake dozens of times since the original recipe was passed down to me. However, I have tweaked this cake so many times, it hardly looks like the recipe I was given so long ago.

Here are some adjustments you can make for this cake:

-Use organic oatmeal in place of the chopped nuts in the crumbly topping.
-Use the same measure oil instead of butter or margarine while making the cake. Vegetable oil works well and a light olive oil also works. However, you have to use melted margarine while making the crumbly topping.
-Mix a ½ cup of chopped nuts in the batter.
-Halve the batter and sprinkle some of the crumbly topping between the two layers.

Have a great day and keep cooking! The next time we meet, I will show you how to make a quick salad that uses up the massive basil crop from your garden!

Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

These might be the best cookies I have ever made.

Cranberry Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¾ cup (1 and ½ sticks) softened butter or any vegan
margarine/spread

½ cup sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw)

¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed

¼ cup of applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups of organic oatmeal

½ cup dried cranberries

½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt together
in a bowl.

In another bowl, cream the butter, sugars, applesauce, and
vanilla extract together. Next,
gradually mix in the dry mixture.
Finally, mix in the oats, cranberries, and pecans.

Using a tablespoon for measurement, drop the cookie dough on
an ungreased cookie sheet, or in my case, two pizza pans. Bake for about 8-9 minutes and let
completely cool before transferring cookies to the cookie racks. The applesauce makes them appear to be uncooked
or undercooked, but when they cool, they are moist and delicious.

You can easily veganize these cookies by using vegan
margarine. I have just discovered the
beauty of using applesauce as an egg replacer.
I have used bananas and powered egg replacers in the past, but the
applesauce makes a better cookie.

I also bought the individually
sized applesauce containers, because the last time I made these, I opened a
large jar of applesauce and I was unable to finish it. I hate to waste food. I hate that I am using more plastic by using
the individual packages, but there are some battles you can’t win.

On a side note, one of the small containers is just about ¼
of a cup, but be sure to measure the applesauce in a measuring cup to be on the
safe side.

It should also be noted that you could use any combo of
dried fruit and nut to make these cookies.
I would love to make them using walnuts and dried apples. Yum.
Sounds like a perfect autumn cookie to me!

As always, have a great day and keep cooking!

Sloppy Josies

Well, I think I did a good job making a meatless version of the traditional sloppy Joe.

Sloppy Josies

1 package of extra firm tofu, drained (It works best if it has been frozen then thawed.)
1 small can of tomato paste
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 whole red pepper, seeded and chopped
½ cup chopped white onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon taco sauce or salsa (This can be omitted.)
A few splashed of hot sauce
Spices to taste:
-Garlic powder
-Chili powder
-Paprika
-Salt
-Pepper
-Cayenne pepper

First, I sautéed the onions, garlic, and red pepper in some olive oil. When they were cooked down sufficiently, almost translucent, I crumbled up the package of tofu. I wanted the tofu to cook down and lose some of its water, making it more crumbly. I think I achieved this rather well after cooking it for about 10-12 minutes.

Next, I added all of the spices, taco sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, and tomato paste. I also added a little water when the mixture appeared to dry out. Give it all a good stir to mix well and let the whole pan (I used my largest cast iron pan) simmer down for about 15 minutes.

I didn’t serve these right away, as I made them in the morning to serve for dinner that night. They weren’t as “sloppy” as I hoped they would be, so if you make them early and reheat, don’t be afraid to add a little water and maybe a bit more ketchup.

This photo was taken on day two of the Sloppy Josie’s. The mixture made enough for us to have them for two nights. The first night I served them with crispy fries and last night Mark jazzed up some frozen corn for a side dish. This photo includes a bonus glass of Chardonnay.

Mark’s Jazzy Corn (I will admit that I just came up with that name. It is more like a southwestern dish considering the flavor.)

-Frozen corn
-Butter
-Hot peppers
-Cumin
-Garlic powder
-Salt
-White pepper
-Chili powder
-Cayenne

Tonight, Mark will be taking on strombolis. I promise to write up something about ‘em. We have never made strombolis before, so it should be interesting.

Have a great day and keep cooking!

Pot pie and kalimotxo

No time for a complicated, well-written recipe today, kids.  I am about to  make Sloppy Josie’s for dinner tonight and some oatmeal, cranberry, pecan cookies for dessert. With me back to work now, it really helps when I cook in the morning.

I came up with the Sloppy Josie’s a while ago for dinner one night while we were watching “Taxi Driver.”  But, as luck would have it, I never wrote it down, so back to the drawing board for me.

I promised last entry to talk about the pot pie thing-y I made.  Here is a photo:

It is pretty simple to make and you can use most of what you have on hand.  Here is what I did:

I browned what was left of a red onion and two cloves of garlic in some butter.  I added some spices like black and white pepper, garlic powder, salt, and a little paprika.  Next, I chopped up some leftover portobello mushrooms and added them to the frying pan.  I thawed out some broccoli and chopped it up and threw it in the frying pan along with some Quorn pieces (see previous entry for information).

While that was cooking down, I scanned the fridge for some leftover dairy goodies.  I came up with a little leftover whipped cream cheese, a hunk of extra sharp cheddar, grated Parmesan, and about two tablespoons of sour cream.  I know, this isn’t a heart healthy dish, but damn is it tasty!  I mixed this all together, shredding the cheddar first.  I also added a little Cayenne pepper and garlic powder to the mix.

When the veg and Quorn mixture was cooked down sufficiently, I scraped it into the bowl containing the creamy mixture and mixed it all up.

I had two cans of store brand croissant rolls which I used as a crust.  I put one roll on the bottom, pulling it up on the sides a bit.  Then I added the filling and spread it out a bit.  The second roll served as the top crust.  I then covered it with foil and baked it per the instructions on the roll package.

This was tasty, rich, and filling.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get to finish it all and I had to throw a tiny bit of it away.

I ate this with a cold glass of Kalimotxo. If you are wondering how to pronounce it, check out this site.
It wasn’t too bad to drink and it helped me get rid of some leftover Chianti.

Okay, off to the kitchen for me.  If I am lucky I will get all my cooking done before work at noon.  If not, then I bake tonight.  Either way, have a great day and keep cooking!

The spice!

Now, I admit I have never seen Dune, so I am not sure I am using that correctly. But I am here today to talk to you about spice blends, specifically a blend I made the other day.

As the cliche goes, necessity is the mother of invention. I was making enchiladas the other night (sorry no photos, they were snarfed too fast for that) and I love to sprinkle a little chili powder and other spices on top of the cheese before I roll up the tortilla. Unfortunately, there was nary a grain of this beloved spice to be found.

I decided that the enchiladas would just be boring without the spices, so I came up with this:

Regular paprika
Hot paprika (Try this if you can find it! OMG!)
White pepper
Cayenne pepper
Garlic powder
Cumin

Of course, all the spices are measured to taste

This was fantastic! I just bought some chili powder today, but the next time I need a spice blend, I am using this, plus chili powder.

On a related cooking note, last night I threw together one of my famous refrigerator meals. I am sure you have made your share of refrigerator meals, the ones where you clean out the fridge and end up making one of the tastiest things you have ever eaten.

I made a casserole thingy with a crust. It has portobello mushrooms, broccoli, onions, garlic, various cheeses, and Quorn pieces with a croissant crust on top and bottom. We are having leftovers tonight, so I will snap a photo and post the recipe tomorrow if I have time.

Remember, have a great day and keep cooking!

“It’s a Sham” Salad Sandwich!

Even as a meat eater, I was not fond of ham. In fact, I was a bacon devotee more than anything. However, occasionally my mother would make ham salad or potted meat sandwiches from those tiny cans. I would take a bite here and there, but I never asked for a sandwich of my own.

A few winters ago, I got an immense craving for a ham salad sandwich. This is how the “It’s a Sham” salad sandwich was born.

“It’s a Sham” salad sandwich

1 package of
vegetarian ham
¾ cup of
vegan mayo
1 and ½ half teaspoons of Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon of prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons of sweet relish
to taste: salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika

First I chop up the veggie ham into chunks. Since the veggie ham is sliced, be sure you separate the cubes into individual slices. Next, mix the mayo, Dijon mustard, horseradish, sweet relish, and spices together, folding in the pieces of ham.

Now this is where it gets tricky. I take the whole mixture and blend it in my blender. I do not have a small food processor, so I use the blender. If you would like a chunkier salad, you can skip this step. As for me, I think I am going to break down and buy a small counter top food processor this week.

The bread I used is rye from a local
farmer’s market. I also topped the sandwich with some baby spinach and sliced red onions. So darn good! On the side of course, is a Kool-Aid pickle!

Have a great day and keep cooking!