Day 5 & 6 - Smoked Apple Sage "Sausage" and Sweet Potato Fries (4.9 & 10.2010)

Friday nights are supposed to be a fun, easy going night in my book.  It's nice to have a laid back night after a long week where you can kick back and look forward to/get ready for the weekend.  I wasn't feeling like spending a whole lot of time in the kitchen tonight so I decided to venture out and try something new!

While at Whole Foods, I browsed their "faux meat" section and remembered how much I love Field Roast Grain Meat Co's "sausages."  They have a couple different flavors and my favorite (or at least the only one I know I would like) is the Smoked Apple Sage flavor.  It's a unique combination of Granny Smith Apple, savory Yukon Gold Potatoes and pungent rubbed sage and ginger.  They use traditional sausage making techniques and they are juicy, tender but firm, and are packed with fruit, veggies and seeds.  They also don't dry up after a couple minutes on the grill.  They're FANTASTIC!

These truly taste like meat.  I had to keep checking the package to make sure there were no "animal" products in them.  I couldn't believe how much I like them as I've never been a big fan of meat.  They're completely vegan & completely delicious! Amanda was amazed at how you literally could not tell the difference between a regular sausage and these. It probably helped that not only does it look and taste like meat; it tastes like delicious meat.  Even when cooking, a meat aroma filled the air.  I really didn't know how she'd react as she was  a hardcore, tofu-hating carnivore.  She used to consider poultry a vegetable and bacon a spice.   But she loved them!

If you’re not a vegetarian or vegan, you may have enjoyed a few jokes about Tofurkey or Veat vegetarian meat substitutes. Even some vegetarians turn their noses up at “fake meat” based on principle.  But as far as I'm concerned if it isn't meat what harm is being done? 

Why Non-Vegetarians Should Be Interested

If you’re a 100% meat-eating person who has never taken an interest in vegetarian products, here are a couple reasons you may want to give it a whirl - even if you're looking to give up meat a day or two a week to help the environment or your health.

• Great Taste. These products are delicious!
• Health. Eating less meat and more high-fiber grain and veggies is healthier for you.
• The Environment. Eating less meat and dairy products helps combat global warming. More greenhouse gas is generated from animal-generated methane* than from automobile carbon emissions.

Since all we had to do was fry the sausages up in a pan, I knew I could make sweet potato fries in a flash.  They're so yummy homemade and I had a couple sitting around so I cut em' up and threw them in the oven.  So easy & tasty!!  We served the sausage on a couple of buns with the fries and some steamed broccoli. Here's my recipe for Sweet Potato Fries :-)

Vic's Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 sweet potatoes, cut into large French fries
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place the cut sweet potatoes into a microwave-safe dish with the water. Cook on in the microwave for 5 minutes on full power. Drain off liquid, and toss with Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Arrange fries on a baking sheet in a single layer.
3. Bake for 30 minutes, turning once, or until fries are crispy on the outside.

THE VERDICT:

Vic: "This is one of the best gourmet "imitation" meat companies in the world!  The apple-sage savory sausage links are so flavorful and I can't wait to try out their other products and the fries are one of my fave recipes."

Amanda: "No comment - eating."  (She was too busy gobbling them up to give a review but I think it's safe to say she loved them.)

Day 6- Giordano's Deep Dish Pizza!!!

The lucky Slone fam had some good friends & their kids over for pizza and fun :-)  It was a great night with great conversation and yummy food!!  Happy bellies all around!!  Back to cooking a 'real' dish tomorrow!! 

Day 4 - Asparagus & Pistachio Risotto (4.8.10)

After last nights recipe flop, I was hesitant to try another recipe from this cookbook.  But I thought, it's Risotto, there's one way to make it and all the ingredients sounded like they would meld lovely together.  Plus, what better test of spring than bountiful asparagus in the market!!

It was probably one of the best risottos I've ever had - at home or at a restaurant.  It wasn't too chewy (which can easily happen with risotto) or too mushy.  It had great flavor but not too overwhelming that it stole the show from the headliner, asparagus.  The addition of pistachios added the perfect amount of saltiness and crunch.  I used freshly shaved parmesan cheese (my Mom and I both agree that it's soo much better this way!) and I think if you try it out yourself you'll think so too!

Now, with any risotto recipes, it's definitely a labor of love and definitely worth it!  You have to stay at the stove for a good 20-30 minutes, slowly adding liquid a little bit at a time and waiting for it to absorb before adding more all the while constantly stirring.  It seems tedious but I actually unloaded the dishwasher and cleaned up the kitchen while it was cooking (making sure to still keep a close eye on it) and it was done in no time.  It was a simple recipe other than that!!

I also tried to jazz up my food photo shoot.  My friend Sarah B. pointed out that she just saw an article in the NY Times about how to photograph food - what a coincidence, eh?!  I didn't have a chance to follow the tips last night but will definitely give them a whirl today.  There were some helpful ideas in that article! You can check it out here: How to Take Photos of Food  Thanks Sarah!

Asparagus & Pistachio Risotto

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus
• 3 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine (or 2 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 cup water)
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped pistachios 
• Salt and pepper

If cooking gluten-free, use gluten-free stock.

Preparation:

 

1 Prepare the asparagus by breaking off discarding the tough ends (about the last inch of the spear). Cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces (tips longer, base shorter). If your asparagus are especially large, cut into even smaller (bite-size) pieces. Bring a saucepan with a quart of water to a boil. Blanch the asparagus pieces for 2 minutes. At the end of two minutes, use a slotted spoon to remove the asparagus pieces to an ice water bath to shock the asparagus into a vibrant green color and to stop the cooking. Drain from the ice water bath and set aside.


2. In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 2 Tbsp butter and olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.

 3 While the onions are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan.

4 Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

.
Note the stock amount given is approximate. You may need a little more or less. If you end up needing more stock and you find yourself without, just use water or the cooking water from the asparagus.




5 Gently stir in the Parmesan cheese, the remaining 1 teaspoon butter, the asparagus and pistachios. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

**To make this dish vegan, simply substitute olive oil for the butter and a vegan parmesan grated soy topping for the parm.

THE VERDICT:

Vic: "Is it to soon to make this again tomorrow night?  Simply amazing."

Amanda: "Risottolicious."

Day 3: Vegetable Casserole with Herbed Dumplings (4.7.10)

I was SO excited to try this recipe as it sounds super yummy and fairly easy.  I even used my Cusinart Food Processor to mix the dough for the dumplings which I was super proud of myself for.  I have all these kitchen gadgets and don't use them nearly enough.  I just get annoyed with having to monkey around with them in and out of cabinets and wish I had an restaurant sized kitchen in my house to just leave all of these wonderful appliances out.  In a perfect world, right?

Anyhow, I thought all the ingredients going into the casserole while I was making it looked tasty and I couldn't wait for 30 minutes to be up.  Finally, the timer went off and it was done.   I took it out of the oven and couldn't wait to take my first taste test which I always do before I serve it - that way I can adjust seasonings (or because it looks super delicious and I can't wait another minute!) Not only did I burn my mouth (impatient!) but then it hit me, BAM!

This recipe should actually be called "Vegetable Casserole with Hockey Puck DUMPlings."  It's always such a shame (and a bummer) when I take the time, effort & extra money to try a new recipe out and it flops....and not by my own doing.  The recipe is just stinky :-p  It would actually be easier to accept if it was because of something I missed or did wrong! It also doesn't make a convincing case to Amanda who is giving this vegetarian thing a test drive.  I'm really trying hard to come up with different dishes to avoid boredom and I know there are TONS out there.  It's just finding the *right* ones!

In all fairness, I should say that the vegetable portion of the dish was quite tasty.  They had a lot of flavor and it was a different flavor as I don't use much sweet paprika in cooking.  The DUMPlings however were sticky, hard, chewy and well, sick.  They were over-flavored with the herbs and under salted.  It was like eating a cross between paste & a dog biscuit.

With that being said,  I couldn't decide if I should still post the recipe for what we will now call "The casserole & DUMPlings."  Amanda & I joked and said, "I should call this post, "Try out this sick dish."  But that's the point of this blog, right?  To post the successes and failures of the recipes I try out.  So what I'll do when something turns out not-so-good is to put my two cents in on how to make it better or what I'd do differently.  Because if nothing else, I have learned what not to do if I ever make this again!

Vegetable Casserole with Herbed Dumplings

• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 2 Onions chopped
• 1 clove Garlic crushed
• 2 teaspoons Sweet Paprika
• 2 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Water
• 2 Large Golden Potatoes
• 1 Carrot sliced
• 14 oz can Diced Tomatoes 
• 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 2 teaspoons Thyme chopped
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1 1/2 Cup Vegetable Stock  ( I would actually add 2 1/2 cups)
• 2 zuchinni sliced
• 5 Oz. Broccoli shredded (I would leave whole pieces)
• 1/2 cup cream (I used fat free half & half)

DUMPlings*** (See instructions below.....)

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons Butter chilled
• 1 Tablespoon Parsley chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Thyme  
• 1 Tablespoon Rosemary chopped 
• 2 Tablespoons Milk
• 1/3 cup Water approximately

***USE THIS RECIPE FOR THE DUMPLINGS AT YOUR OWN RISK!!  I WOULD RECOMMEND AN ALL PURPOSE BAKING MIX AND FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS FOR DUMPLINGS!!  Then, you can add the herbs from this recipe at your own discretion.....or just leave them out!  The casserole has enough flavor on it's own! ***

Preparation

1 Heat butter in a pan, add onions and garlic, stir over heat until onions are soft. Stir in paprika & flour, stir over heat for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat, gradually stir in water, stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens.

2 Combine onion mixture with potatoes, carrot, undrained crushed tomatoes, paste, thyme, bay leaf and veggie in a 3-litre capacity ovenproof dish, bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Stir in zucchini and broccoli, bake for a further 15 minutes, or untill vegetables are just tender. Remove bay leaf, stir in cream.

3 Place heaped teaspoons of dumpling mixture around edge of casserole, bake, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked through.

Herbed Dumplings
1 Sift flour into a bowl, rub in butter, then stir in parsley. Stir in milk and enough water to mix to a soft dough.

THE VERDICT:

Vic: "The veggies are tasty and would definitely make them as a side dish however I've never had a more disgusting dumpling.  Let's hope I never do......"

Amanda: "Veggies = Great.  Dumplings = Herby, not my favorite."

Day 2 - Vegan Ratatouille Tarte Tatin (4.6.10)

With one relatively easy and filling dinner under my belt I thought I'd whip out what I'd like to call my "fine" cooking skills :-) I pulled out an old vegetarian cookbook that I have never used. I remember getting it a Borders years ago in the bargain book section and thought to myself, "will I actually use this or will it just sit on the shelf and take up space??" Well, of course I bought it because how do you pass up a cookbook for $5?! Plus I'm sure I was starving and the pics in this book are beautiful! However, I did change up some things to our palette preferences and put a new spin on it.

Ratatouille is a classic in French cuisine -so is la tarte tatin. When you love savoury dough and juicy well-cooked colourful vegetables, this dish is simply sure to please you.

What is Ratatouille?
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the name was used to refer to a coarse stew. It derived from tatouiller and ratouiller, both expressive forms of the French verb touiller which means to stir up.

This dish originated in Nice and is known all around Provence and France now, with a lot of different variations. The base however stays the same: zucchinis, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onion cooked in olive oil. All the beautiful flavors of the South of France. It is known that the word ratatouille was in use in Nice whereas the word bourbouillade was used in Nîmes. Easy to make, the originality of the dish is that it can be eaten cold or warm, or as in my version, as a vegetable tarte tatin.
What is a Tarte tatin?
Everyone has heard about the famous apple tart of the Tatin sisters. What is so special about this apple tart and how did it happen?
In the 19th century in Sologne, Jean Tatin owned l’Hôtel Tatin. He had two daughters, Caroline and Stéphanie, who took on their father’s business after his death. Caroline was the example to follow, dealing with the clientèle. People would remember her as an efficient honest young lady. Stéphanie was somewhat different. She was an excellent cook and was the one preparing beautiful meals in the hotel. However beside being known for her cooking skills, she was also known as a very lightheaded woman. One of her specialities was the apple tart, which one day, she simply prepared upside-down. La tarte Tatin was born. A tarte Tatin is today known as an upside-down apple tart: in the dish, apples are placed first over a sugar layer before the dough on top. When it comes out of the oven, the tart is flipped on a dish and one can discover a beautiful caramelized top.
Tarte Tatin can also be made with pears, pineapple, peaches, other fruit, or in my version, vegetables.

So there's a little history on this incredibly delicious dish!!

Ratatouille Tarte Tatin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 tablespoons (about) ice water

Directions

• Mix all ingredients together in a food processor, starting with flour and salt and butter, then adding the water until the dough is elastic and detaches from the bowl (Can be done by hand too but then you need to work the dough longer).
• Let the dough rest for 30 mns min, covered in the fridge before using.

For the Ratatouille:

• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 large yellow onion
• 3 medium zucchinis
• 3 medium Italian eggplants
• Half red pepper
• Half orange pepper
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• Dash of white balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• 1/2 Cheddar cheese
  
• Dash of coriander powder
• Fresh basil (about 1 tbsp)
• Fresh parsley and coriander (about 1 tbsp each)
• Sprig of thyme

Directions:

• Wash the eggplants and cut them in small cubes. Place them in a sieve and sparkle with salt. Set aside for 30 mns (by doing this, the eggplants are more tender when cooked).
• Wash the zucchinis and peppers and cut in small cubes.
• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in your preferred simmered-food pot. When hot, add the chopped yellow onion and chopped garlic and cook on medium heat until the vegetables are softer.
• Add the coriander powder and continue to cook until the fragrance of the coriander can be smelled. Then add the zucchinis and stir. Cook for a few mins until softer, then remove from pot.
• Heat another tbsp of olive oil in the pot and cook the peppers. When softer, remove.
• Do the same thing with the eggplants, then add the reserved zucchinis and peppers with the thyme and cook for about 10 mns.
• Add the washed cherry tomatoes left intact. Cook for 5 mns. In total, the cooking time varies from 30 to 40 mns (remember the vegetables will still cook in the oven).
• Add then the chopped coriander, basil and parsley and the balsamic vinegar and stir. Your vegetables should soft. If hard still, prolong the cooking time.
• Preheat your oven at 400 F (200 C).
• Grease and line a 10 inch springform tin
• Place the vegetables all the way to the edge (make sure you do not add the juice from the ratatouille as the vegetables will give out more juice while cooking in the oven).
• Cover with cheddar cheese.
• Roll the dough (medium thickness) and cut to 12 inch circle.
• Cover the vegetables with a dough circle and with the help of a knife blade, tuck the border of the dough inside.
• Place the tartin in the oven and cook for about 30 mins or until the dough has a nice golden color.
• Let cool for a few mins before running a sharp knife blade around the mold, to help unmold the tart.
• After letting it stand, take a serving plate and flip the tart onto it.
• Cut and enjoy!
  

THE VERDICT:

Vic: "This may be one of the best things I've ever eaten....".
Amanda: "I love vegetable pie."

Day 1 - Greek Salad with Pitas & Hummus (4.5.10)

This evening, I whipped up a yummy greek salad with some homemade hummus & pitas. It was very filling and I had kalamata olives in mine but since Amanda doesn't like olives (what?!) I left them out of hers. However, I have to give her a lot of credit because when we first met the only vegetables she ate were corn & potatoes. To think 9 years later, she'd be a "Bunny Hugger!" Here's the recipe for the salad & hummus........




Mediterranean Greek Salad & Dressing

• 1 head romaine lettuce- rinsed, dried and chopped
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 (6 ounce) can pitted kalamata or black olives
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:

• 1 1/2 quarts olive oil
• 1/3 cup garlic powder
• 1/3 cup dried oregano
• 1/3 cup dried basil
• 1/4 cup pepper
• 1/4 cup salt
• 1/4 cup onion powder
• 1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
• 2 quarts red wine vinegar

Directions:

1. In a large salad bowl, combine the Romaine, onion, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumber and cheese.
2. Whisk together in a very large container, the olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, basil, pepper, salt, onion powder, and Dijon-style mustard. Pour in the vinegar, and mix vigorously until well blended. It makes a lot so measure out however much you prefer before you pour over salad. Then just toss and serve!

Yummus Hummus

Ingredients

• 2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cloves garlic, halved
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pinch paprika
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

Directions

1. Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl.
2. Drizzle olive oil over the garbanzo bean mixture. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Eat with pitas or veggies. Enjoy!
   

THE VERDICT:

Vic: Very good, relatively easy to make and filling!
Amanda: Mmmmmm.....

Life in the Veggie Lane

Life in the Veggie Lane. What's it about? Food, cooking & my partner's month long journey of vegetarianism. I was hesitant to start writing a blog as I felt like it would just be another blog out there in cyberspace. But then as I started to think about it more, this would be something fun to document. So here I am!!

I was inspired to start this blog as my partner, Amanda, decided to try being a vegetarian. She's going to try it out for a month (they say 21 days of doing something consistently forms a new habit...) and see how it goes. So with that I have to bring my a-game in the kitchen!! I've got a bunch of new & hopefully yummy recipes under my belt and I'm going to share my cooking successes & mishaps with you!

Feel free to comment, share your stories & thoughts!! I look forward to this month to see what it all brings!!

Happy eating!
Victoria