Just A Couple of Vegetarians

Apollo and I share at least one thing in common: we're both vegetarian. 

Don't worry, I'm not about to try to convert you or soliloquize on gross things like kale and radishes... it's safe to keep reading!

I've been vegetarian for over a decade, and it's so normal to me that I often forget to mention it when I'm invited to join my hosts for dinner.  Often this results in a mild panic attack for my host (apologies to everyone this applies to).  Sometimes it results in questions, some of them worth discussing here, others just funny ("what will you do when you get to Texas?!").  And it has caused many a host to scratch their head and say "well, I can make a salad."

So just to clear up a few questions and misconceptions about vegetarians and the challenges of not eating meat while long riding, here's how it works for me.

Yes, I eat salad.

No, I don't ONLY eat salad. I eat basically the same things everyone else eats, but with the meat left out.  I eat pasta, pizza, bread, dairy, eggs, fruit, nuts (including donuts), and occasionally tofu. 

No, tofu is not that bad, nor is it my favorite thing (my favorite thing is donuts - but not the bacon-maple kind).

No, I don't like kale.  Or radish. If you serve this to me, I'll eat it to be polite.  Because unfortunately for me, I can't hide it in a napkin to give to Apollo because he doesn't like them either (I've tried).

Yes, you can eat meat in front of me. I will not puke on you. I will not be offended.  I will not tell you why it's great to be vegetarian (unless you ask).

Yes, I can eat what you planned for dinner... usually.  Unless it's a meaty one pot meal, there's probably more than one dish on the table, at chances are the side dishes are vegetarian.  If you're having steak, I'm totally okay with a meal of baked potato, salad and beer - or whatever it is you're having with the steak.  And if necessary, I can always cook up some of the oatmeal I carry for emergencies.  Also, dessert is nearly always vegetarian (just saying).

Yes, I get enough protein.  Even with my high protein needs from all this exercise.  Most of my diet (when I'm not being invited to share a meal) is protein bars of various kinds.  Also donuts have a few grams of protein.

 

Cookin' Up Some Pumpkin Fritters

The first leaves are falling, there's a crispness to the air, October is just around the corner... so of course that makes me want to cook up something pumpkin!

This recipe was inspired by one that took way more time than I had, plus it required regular flour and I wanted to be able to make this gluten free.  With some creative kitchen chemistry, and a little experimentation (hooray for food science!), this is the delicious end product.

It only takes 30-45 minutes from start to finish, so why not fry up a few fritters for a fall feast?

Gluten Free Pumpkin Fritters

In a large bowl, combine:

1 lb pumpkin puree
1 egg
1/2 to 1 cup gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill.  Standard all purpose flour works fine)

Add the flour slowly until the consistency looks like cake batter.  I use homemade pumpkin puree, which has a higher liquid content than canned pumpkin (and thus requires more flour to make the batter come together).  See the photo below for consistency at this step.

Add to the bowl, and stir until well combined:

1/2 tsp PER 1/2 c. flour baking soda (ie for 1 cup flour, use 1 tsp; for 1 1/2 cup flour, use 1 1/2 tsp)
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper

In a pot on the stove top, heat on medium-high 1/2 inch oil (I like avocado).  You could use 1 inch and not need to flip the fritters, but I'm cheap and don't like using more oil than necessary.

When hot, drop batter in by the spoonful.  Flip when the bottom is golden.  Cook second side until golden.

Serve hot!  I eat them straight up, but they go well with pretty much any dipping sauce, from good ol' ketchup to paprika aioli.

Here's what your batter consistency should look like:

 

Americana for Breakfast

A little break today from horses for a post on my other favorite thing - food!

I love making sourdough bread.  This is actually quite funny to my family because as a kid, my least favorite part of being dragged along to church each Sunday was the sourdough that was part of communion.  How I would try to take the tiniest piece possible so I wouldn't have to taste it!  From my lamenting, you'd have thought the pastor was trying to poison me.

Now, I can't get enough of the stuff.  My favorite of all is sourdough crepes, aka 49er Flapjacks.  These were invented in San Francisco during the Gold Rush era (1849-1860's).  The recipe seems to have been a local take on traditional Belgian pancakes (thick crepes) made with the sourdough culture for which the city has become famous.

These are super easy to make, and are an excellent way to use up extra starter from feeding your culture.  You can make them with any type of white flour sourdough culture (mine is Parisian).

And since it's fourth of July today, why not decorate it with red, white and blue toppings like yogurt or cream fraiche, strawberries or raspberries, and blueberries?  Or stick with traditional powdered or brown sugars.  Nutella is also good on these (and on everything else).  Or just eat them plain, hot out of the skillet.

49er Flapjacks

In a large mixing bowl, beat

     2 eggs

Add

     1/2 cup sourdough starter (at pancake batter consistency, recently fed)
     1 1/2 cup milk
     2 pinches sea salt
     1/4 cup sugar
     1/4 tsp vanilla

Mix well.  Add

     2 cups all purpose flour

Mix well, but don't worry if it is lumpy.  Add

     6 Tbsp melted butter

Mix well.  Your batter should now be smooth and lump-free.  It should have the consistency of waffle batter or slightly thinner.  You want it kind of runny so it will spread across the skillet, but not watery!  You'll know when you start cooking if it's ok.  If too thick, add a splash of milk.

At this point, you can refrigerate it overnight, covered, or cook it right away.  If refrigerating, you do NOT need to bring to room temp before cooking.

To cook, heat a large skillet on medium to medium high heat.  Add butter or non-stick spray.  When hot, remove pan from burner while pouring 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter on one side of the skillet..  Then tilt the skillet to make the batter run around and cover the whole area. 

Return to heat, cooking until bubbles form all over and it starts to look kind of firm.  Peek under the flapjack to see if it has turned slightly golden.  Flip, and cook until second side is also slightly golden.  This will take a total of 3-4 minutes.

Serve right away. These also store well in the fridge although they will not be as flexible for rolling or folding.  They reheat well in the microwave, about 20 seconds on high.

This recipe makes  about 20 crepes, depending on size of skillet.

No-bake Cookie Balls

My 100th blog post should be a big-deal topic, right?  Well, it is!  This is a big flavor, super quick and easy sweet, and it uses my favorite essential oil for cooking - orange!  Orange essential oil is so great, because I don't keep fresh oranges around the house.  I used to stress when a recipe called for zest, but no longer! Since the essential oil comes from the same area of the peel that is used for zest, they're interchangeable.  Just make sure you're using a brand of essential oil that is "safe for internal use" (check the label, or contact me).

Let's not delay anymore, here's the recipe you've been waiting for:

In a food processor, pulverize:

   10 oz, more or less, vanilla wafers
   1 cup, or so,  pecans

to yield 4 cups of finely ground mix.  The exact ratio of these two ingredients can be changed to fit your pantry supply, so long as it totals 4 cups.  Other tree nuts may be substituted for pecans.

Add to the mix:

     1 cup powdered sugar
     5 drops orange essential oil
     1/2 cup orange juice
     3 Tbsp agave syrup

Thoroughly mix.  The dough should stick together when a piece is broken off and squeezed.  If it is crumbly, add water a tablespoon at a time until it sticks.

Break off pieces and roll into 1 inch diameter balls.  Then roll each ball in extra powdered sugar.  Put each in a mini muffin or candy paper cup, and refrigerate until ready to serve. They can be eaten immediately if you can't wait any longer.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Chocolate Orange Cookies

Chocolate and orange are a fabulous flavor combination any time, but for me they practically sing "Merry Christmas!"  These easy cookies bring the flavor duo together quicker than an elf can snap their fingers. This recipe halves well, so if you need a chocolate cookie fix in a hurry but don't want to risk eating the whole two dozen cookies at once... Oh, and did I mention that they're lactose free?

In a medium bowl, combine

1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 c. sugar
1 c. + 2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, combine

1/4 c. light-flavored oil, such as sesame or grapeseed (or canola if that's all you have)
3 drops orange essential oil*
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture.  Stir until fully combined.  Chill dough for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile...

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 cookie sheets with a nonstick baking mat, parchment paper, or grease

When your dough is cold, make 1 Tbsp size balls (about 1 inch diameter).  Roll in powdered sugar.  Space a few inches apart on the cookie sheet, and bake for 12 minutes.  They may look a little soft (or a lot soft) but that's a good thing. 

Let them cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool fully. 

For a super decadent treat, serve warm from the oven with vanilla ice cream and sprinkles, or with a steaming hot mug of cocoa.

*When cooking with essential oils, always use brands that are labelled as safe for internal use.  Learn more by contacting me or coming to one of my workshops... visit www.meredithcherry.com for details.

Coconut Pancakes -- with lime and cinnamon essential oils

These slightly sweet and oh so satisfying pancakes are a quick meal for any time of the day.  I like them best with a fruity syrup such as apricot.

On a large microwave safe plate, spread

1 c. dried shredded unsweetened coconut

and microwave in 30 second increments until toasted and fragrant, stirring well each time.  Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine

2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar

Then add

1 1/2 cup milk (or almond milk)
4 drops cinnamon essential oil
5 drops lime essential oil
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp melted butter (or margarine)
1 egg

Mix until batter is smooth, then add the toasted coconut and stir to combine.

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Dollop batter into hot skillet, and cook until edges look firm.  Flip, and cook other side until both cooked through.  Both sides should look golden, but will be much more pale than normal pancakes.  Each pancake will take 4 to 6 minutes to cook (total). 

These reheat well for a quick breakfast.

When using essential oils for cooking, always use pure oils that are labelled safe for internal use.  To learn more about cooking with essential oils, check out my class calendar or contact me to schedule a cooking class in your home!

For the Love of Garlic

Garlic is a staple in my kitchen, and I've been enjoying the freshly harvested hardneck garlics from local farms.  This week I tried German Red, which has excellent flavor with a bit of spiciness, huge cloves (about twice the size of a regular grocery store softneck garlic), and beautiful red papery covering that is super easy to peel.  Learn more about the different varieties of garlic in my newest guest blog at groworganic.com, and then try some in Spaghetti Aglio e Olio!


 

Making an Olive Oil Cake

As I was looking through the many delicious recipes on Saveur the other day, I found one for Quatre Quarts, a French fruit filled pound cake.  It’s cherry season in the Sierra foothills, and I thought this would be a good way to put my fresh fruit to use.  It was also an interesting study in cooking science, as it was from start to finish rather different than the typical cake recipe. 

The first part of the instructions that was different than I am used to reading in recipes was that everything was measured by relative weight.  Instead of calling for so many cups of flour, sugar, etc, it was all based on the weight of the eggs.  Fortunately I have a kitchen scale!  All the main ingredients had to be the same weight as the 3 eggs, so there was no math involved except when remembering to adjust the scale to account for the weight of measuring cups.  I am not sure, but I expect the name Quatre Quarts refers to the four equal parts by weight of eggs, sugar, flour and olive oil.

The next unusual part was that instead of butter, the recipe called for olive oil.  As I later learned, the use of olive oil in place of butter is common in many olive producing regions of the world.  Apart from its many health benefits, olive oil gives cakes a lighter flavor than does butter. 

But it’s essential that you use the correct olive oil!  Not all olive oils are created equal. You probably already know about using extra virgin olive oil, which is the highest grade oil. However, like wine, coffee beans, and so many other foods, the flavor of the olive oil can vary drastically depending on which variety and where the olives are grown.  A Greek oil tastes different than an Italian oil from the same cultivar of trees, and oil from the Mission olive tastes different than the oil from the Manzanillo olive. 

When it comes to baking cakes, it is important to select a high quality oil with a mild, fruity flavor.  For my cake, I stopped by Olive Vitality, where you can select from a large variety of olive oils, vinegars, and specialty oils.  After tasting a few of their sweeter olive oils, I settled on “Aria,” a mild flavored Greek olive oil with a lovely green color pressed from Koroneiki olives.

Because of the way the olive oil behaves compared to butter, such as being liquid at room temperature, it is important to mix it very well with the other ingredients or else it will puddle instead of being absorbed by the dry ingredients. For this recipe, the instructions called for blending in a mixer on high for several minutes with the sugar to make sure they became well incorporated.  Even at that, it started to separate later when I took too long with a later step. 

The end result?  Yummy!  Though slightly more work than a regular cake, it was fun trying out a traditional French recipe and finding another good way to use the summer fruit harvest!

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Want to win a tasting party at Olive Vitality?  This will be one of the many great prizes at the Hike to End Breast Cancer in Chicago Park of Grass Valley this Sunday May 31^st!  Raffle tickets are also available in advance for only $1 each, and you don’t have to attend to win! For more information, visit the event website here.

Thug Week - Day 7

Well, its the final day of my week of eating all meals from recipes in the Thug Kitchen cookbook. I've enjoyed it all so much, though, that I already have plans for what I'm making for all my meals tomorrow from it as well.  Yup, a whole week of vegan food, and I'm not actually ready to go back to my nightly ice cream fix! 

For my "official" final thug meal, I am ending with what was actually the first recipe I wanted to try when I first flipped through the cookbook: Sriracha Cauliflower and Peanut Dipping Sauce.  I love spicy food, so anything with Sriracha in the name is right up my alley.

This was a very easy recipe to make.  They are essentially buffalo-style cauliflower with an Asian-style peanut dipping sauce.  They brought tears to my eyes, and its hard to say if that was due to their awesomeness or to all the chili sauce.  I'm giving it two-thumbs up, but only because that's all the thumbs I have available.

 

Thug Week - Day 6

With only one person eating all this food, the fridge is starting to get really full of leftovers - even though I'm eating them two meals a day!   I am apparently not thug enough to keep up with the eating required by this project. 

Tonight's adventure in the kitchen is a therefore a bit of a departure from the previous 5 days.  It's time to polish off a few leftovers (not exciting blogging material) and make a delish Friday night dessert to celebrate the end of another work week!

Tonight's Thug Kitchen cookbook recipe was also selected based on what my sorry fridge still had in it for ingredients, as I haven't made it to the store for a while.  No problem, because I had all I needed to make Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The cookie dough batter was so yummy I almost just settled on the couch with a bowl and spoon.  But I found some self restraint and managed to get some of the dough in the oven (a spoonful on the cookie sheet, a spoonful in my mouth, repeat).

 

When I pulled the first batch from the oven, though, I stopped eating the dough.  As good as it was raw, the baked cookies were pure sweet heaven. 

If my roommates are lucky, there will still be some cookies here when they get home... but I wouldn't count on it.

Thug Week - Day 5

Thug Kitchen Sammie on Dave's Killer Bread.  With a black lager.  Dinner is served.

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Well, I guess I should say more than that, although that does perfectly sum it up...

I am not much of a sandwich eater.  I actually had to go out and buy a loaf of bread (I love to bake, but never bother with sandwich bread, since I don't eat it).  Naturally, since it's Thug Week, I had to buy Dave's Killer Bread.  The perfect name aside, its also vegan... and in case you haven't noticed yet, so is the Thug Kitchen cookbook. 

I'm not, but this week I am trying very very hard to stick to it. Apart from all meals all week being from this cookbook, I am also only eating natural and vegan snacks like oranges or spiced pumpkin seeds.  Yesterday I turned down a strawberry cheesecake cookie at work... I surprised even myself.

So back to this amazing sandwich.  I would tell you the title of the recipe, but it doesn't even begin to describe the sandwich, so I won't. I would tell you what's in it, but the list is rather long and the flavor combinations are kind of strange on paper, so it won't help you to understand either.

It's just orgasmic.  Period. 

Thug Week - Day 4

Tough decision this morning on what to take for lunch - leftover pasta with cauliflower sauce again, or leftover couscous from last night?  The couscous won this time...

Breakfast was an easy choice, as I still have oat griddle cakes.  Which are, by the way, awesome cold.  Good thing, since I ran out of time to heat them up again.

By the time I got home from work and gym, I was craving every food that popped in my head, and none more so than the ice cream that is still tempting me in the freezer.  But I was prepared against cravings and lack of time to cook tonight!  I had already picked out my recipes of the day - Sourdough French Toast and a Green Smoothie. 

I actually had planned on eating this meal last night, but had neglected to freeze some fruit in advance for the smoothie.  The Thug Kitchen cookbook intrigued me with their green smoothie subtitle "it doesn't have to taste like grass."  I have always steered away from green drinks, suspecting them of tasting like V-8 or worse.  Plus I hate kale (I know, I'm a disgrace to vegetarians), and it's this "super (nasty) green" that so many green drinks are made with.

I had some arugula from my garden that needed to be used, so I tossed that in for my greens.  Added to them blueberries, bananas, and mandarin oranges, with a splash of almond milk. The blueberries ended up being the primary color, so its more a purple drink than a green one. Just what I needed to curb my ice cream craving!

I have to say that I can taste the arugula, but it is a pretty spicy variety.  Next time I'll use something milder like spinach, and it will probably be just right.  All the same, the overall flavor is so good (and I was sooo hungry) that I started wolfing it down straight from the blender.  Luckily I realized that I needed to photograph it before I finished it off! 

It was a hard choice between Sourdough French Toast and Banana Pancakes.  However, I had a rather stale bit of sourdough bread that I made last week left over, and so the French toast won. I still had some blueberry syrup from my weekend brunch, which was perfect on top.

As much as the recipes in this cookbook excite me, I was a bit dubious about this one.  Vegan French toast?  The whole point of French toast is the milk-and-egg batter!  Turns out I was wrong, and Thug Kitchen was right again. 
 

Thug Week - Day 3

Every workday is a mad rush for me to get up and out the door.  Luckily, I planned ahead and made extra of the oat griddle cakes and the pasta with cauliflower sauce yesterday.  And even more luckily, they are good as leftovers!

After a hard day of work and a hard workout at the gym, I wasn't feeling like cooking anything complicated for dinner.  I also needed something that would be ready fast AND that I already had the ingredients for.  Call in the Thug Kitchen cookbook's fabulous Moroccan Spiced Couscous. My luck hasn't yet run out!

This took about 15 minutes to make, including boiling water.  DONE.  Couscous, spices, orange segments, and spinach.  Simple.  Simply wonderful.

A word of caution if you've never eaten couscous before: it likes to escape, so serve in a bowl (note the plate in the photo - I speak from experience).  It also has tiny pieces, so don't bother trying to use a fork - just grab a spoon and save yourself a mess. 

Thug Week - Day 2

I've been running my feet off for more than a month, and in honor of being able to enjoy a lazy Sunday I cooked myself up a hearty Thug brunch.  What better way to start the morning than Oat Griddle Cakes with Blueberry Sauce? 

Especially when one has to take a trip to the store because she forgot that one key ingredient for the blueberry sauce. 

Several gridles cakes disappeared before I took this photo.  They were so satisfying - and gluten and dairy free!

With such a hearty brunch, I skipped right over to dinner - Pasta with Cauliflower Sauce.  Sounds a little weird, I know.  I am a huge fan of mac and cheese, fettuccini alfredo, and stuffed manicotti, that any pasta  without cheese usually just seems lacking.  But this recipe actually was so flavorful and creamy that I didn't even mind the lack of cheese.  Plus (and pretty cleverly if I do say so myself) I used orange cauliflower to give it a more convincing cheese-like appearance.  Not too apparent in the photo because of the dark color of the whole-wheat pasta, but honestly it was a convincing macaroni cheese color in the bowl!

 

Thug Week - Day 1

If you’ve not yet heard of Thug Kitchen, go to their website. Now.  I’ll wait…

This week I have the kitchen all to myself, and I’ve dedicated my meal plans to the recipes from the new Thug Kitchen cookbook.  I could write a whole blog in praise of the genius of this cookbook, but I won’t.  Instead, I will be cooking my meals every day from the fabulous recipes held within its pages, and posting my adventures here.

The biggest challenge?  Ignoring the ice cream that my loving but inadvertently unhelpful mother surprised me with for my “lonely” week. 

So, for my first dinner of Thug Week, I’m starting with a bang and making Mixed Veggie and Tofu Chilaquiles with Pineapple Guacamole, complete with homemade salsa verde.

The hardest part for this recipe was finding tomatillos for the salsa.  I could have bought premade salsa, but it is loaded up with salt.  Three stores later, I found some.  All the other ingredients were easy to find or things I already had on hand.

The salsa  verde turned out wonderfully, steam-out-the-ears, super spicy.  The pineapple guac, on the other hand, was very mild, so they made a great pairing for the Chilaquiles.

I am a decent cook, and have successfully followed some complex recipes before.  Yet for the life of me I cannot turn corn tortillas into tortilla chips.  Burn them every time, even if I am checking them early and often.  They seem to go from soft to yuck in a matter of seconds.  Burned them again for this recipe, and was too hungry to waste another 15 minutes trying again (and had no premade chips in the house) , so my chilaquiles made a quick costume change and became tacos. 

The overall result? Excellent!  And there’s enough guac and salsa left over to take to the Super Bowl party… or maybe I’ll just eat it for lunch.  As the authors of Thug Kitchen say, “that shit is too good to share.”