Casa Moro's Ajo Blanco (White Gazpacho)

For when you just can't bring yourself to turn on an oven, stovetop burner, toaster or microwave...lest they raise the temperature of your house even a fraction of a degree.

I don't think I would have "gotten" this soup judging by the ingredients list alone. But, as luck would have it we were served this as the opening course for dinner at our friends' house. It was amazing.

I left their house that night with 2 borrowed Casa Moro cookbooks under my arm.

...loving that my European friends are the only ones to have commented on this recipe when it posted to Facebook. ;-)

Ajo Blanco:
(Moro, The Cookbook)

225 gr. whole blanched almonds, preferably Spanish (ok, so I made this in a pinch with ground almonds...would have preferred to use whole, but they worked)
750 ml. iced water (I didn't use all the water because I think I misinterpreted the directions and soaked the bread in a separate bowl of water)
75 gr. stale white bread, with crusts removed, soaked in the water (I used a mixed whole grain boule, crusts cut off)
3 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste with 1 level tsp. sea salt
3 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs sherry vinegar
200 gr. white grapes, preferably Muscat (I used small seedless reds...)
sea salt and black pepper (book neglects to say when to add pepper...so I'm adding to each bowl)

In a food processor, grind the almonds until the consistency is as fine as possible.

At this point they should stick to the side of the machine.
Turn off and loosen the nuts from around the edge.
Add 5 Tbs of the iced water.

Turn the machine back on until the almonds form a paste just fluid enough to turn back on itself.
Squeeze the bread of excess water and add to the almonds along with the garlic.
Conbine until smooth.
Add the olive oil and gradually pour in the rest of the iced water, until you end up with a very smooth paste similar to single cream.
Transfer to a bowl and season with sherry vinegar and salt to taste.

According to Casa Moro, you should end up with a nice balance between the almonds, garlic and sherry vinegar.
Chill the soup for at least an hour.
Just before serving, check for seasoning again.
Ladle into bowls, distribute the grapes evenly and garnish with a drizzle of good olive oil if you wish.

I used a food processor as per the cookbook's instructions, but ended up putting the whole lot into my high-powered blender at the end, as I couldn't get enough of the liquid into the food processor without it leaking. I'll likely just use the blender from the get go next time...

I suppose we should eat something else with this, but my heat addled brain can't seem to think any further than the soup.

Cocoa Rice Crispy Treats

These are super tasty and super easy to throw together. Need a quickie semi-non-guilt-inducing treat? You can have these ready in less than 30 minutes. I made a batch of these as per Alisa at One Frugal Foodie's recipe for my book club the other night. They went over well, but the Monster needed another batch just for his wee self. I thought the original recipe was great but a little too sweet, so in my adaptation I'm using less agave nectar. I didn't look at the recipe when I made my second batch and totally forgot to put in the ground flaxseed. I'll list it in the ingredients, but I really don't know what it will do to the treats given you're using dry cocoa powder and a little less agave. Might just opt to leave it out. Do try the original recipe too though. It was really great too but I was just too lazy to take photos and they disappeared too quickly.
This recipe is open to all kinds of additions. I've already bought dark chocolate covered cocoa nibs to add in to Alisa's original recipe...minus at least a Tbs. of agave that is.
I'm thinking another alternative to the agave and cashew butter would be one made with honey, tahini and no cocoa or chocolate.

Cocoa Rice Crispy Treats:
(Adapted from One Frugal Foodie's recipe)

1/4 cup roasted unsalted cashew butter
3 Tbs. agave nectar, or honey
2 Tbs. extra-virgin coconut oil
2-3 Tbs. dark unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Valrhona brand)
a pinch of sea salt (to taste)
2 cups crisp brown rice cereal (I used Whole Foods 365 Organics brand)
(1 Tbs whole flax seeds that you've ground in a spice grinder...which I didn't do for this batch)

Prepare a muffin tin by lightly oiling all 12 cups (not necessary to oil if you have a silicone pan).
Alternately, you can just oil an 8x8 cake pan and cut the treats into squares after they've come out of the freezer)
Add cashew butter, agave nectar, coconut oil, cocoa powder and sea salt to a small saucepan and warm low heat just until everything is incorporated.
Remove from heat...mix shouldn't really even be warm at this point...and fold in brown rice cereal, stirring until well coated.
Distribute the mixture between the 12 muffin cups, lightly flattening down with the spoon to level.
Place the muffin tin in the freezer for 20+ minutes, then pop them out of the tin either into your face, or into a freezer bag. Store in the freezer to keep fresh.

Mini Veggie Burgers

Mini Veggie Burgers:
(Recipe by Jennifer McCann, found on The Daily Green)

2 cups cooked drained lentils (see cooking instructions below or use canned)
½ cup dry amaranth
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup onion, finely diced (about half a medium onion)
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
¼ teaspoon celery seeds
½ cup quick or instant oats (or old-fashioned oats pulsed in a food processor)
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ cup toasted sunflower seeds
I amended the original recipe with:
black pepper to taste
~1/4 tsp hot smoked paprika
a little garlic powder

To cook the lentils, add 1 cup dry lentils to 3 cups boiling water and 3/4 tsp salt, and cook until the lentils are soft, about 25 minutes minutes. Drain, measure out 2 cups of lentils and place them in a large mixing bowl (save any extra lentils for another use).
To cook the amaranth, add the amaranth to 1 cup boiling water. Lower the heat and cook, covered, until the amaranth is cooked and all the water is absorbed, about 25 minutes. Add the cooked amaranth to the mixing bowl.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Set aside. Heat the olive oil in a nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, carrot and celery seeds until the carrot is soft, about 8 minutes. Add to the mixing bowl along with the oats, ketchup, nutritional yeast flakes and salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder to taste. Grind the sunflower seeds into a coarse meal using a food processor. Add them to the mixing bowl and mix and mash everything together. Form mixture into 12 to 13 small patties (I ended up with 15), about 2 3/4 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick, and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Moisten your fingers with a bit of water to keep the mixture from sticking as you work.
Bake for 20 minutes, until dry on the top, then flip the patties over and bake for another 10 minutes, until firm and brown. I cooked these longer as I'd made up the burger "dough" the day before and it was cold. Serve immediately or let cool and refrigerate or freeze.

The Monster and I ate 3 each topped with the bestest feta ever. Israeli sheeps milk feta packed in liquid from CM...so good! I built salads to top with the burgers instead of eating them on buns. Photo below doesn't show the burgers doused in ketchup like we ate them in real life. :-)

Tofu Scramble

I'm tired of looking at that vegan mac and cheese...so even though I've been cooking plenty of new things and just couldn't be chuffed to take quick photos, I did manage to snap one the other night, if only to banish the mac and cheese from the top of my blog!

Can't believe I just got around to making this vegan standard. Found Isa Chandra's basic recipe in my search for something "new to us" to do with tofu the other night and this recipe will be a keeper. I served it for dinner with a coconut oil slathered piece of toasted Brown Soda Bread for a very satisfying meal.

Basic Tofu Scramble:
(Isa Chandra Moskowitz)

2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried thyme, crushed with your fingers (I used less and used fresh)
1/4 tsp ground tumeric
1 tsp salt (used less)
3 Tbsp water
1 lb firm or extra firm tofu, crumbled (used extra-firm and our pkg was only 14oz. so I didn't use as much of the spices as listed above)
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Fresh black pepper to taste
1 sliced red pepper
1 head of broccoli, cut into florets, stems chopped small and lightly steamed
couple of green onions, sliced
extra water

First blend the spices and salt together in a small cup. Add the water and mix. Set aside.
Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Not non-stick.
Sauté the sliced red pepper, in olive oil for about 4 minutes, add garlic for 1 more minute.
Break the tofu apart into bite-size pieces and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring often.
Get under the tofu when you are stirring, scrape the bottom, and don’t let it stick to the pan; that is where the good crispy stuff is.
Use a thin metal spatula to get the job done; a wooden or plastic one won’t really cut it
The tofu should brown on at least one side, but you don’t need to be too precise about it
The water should cook out of it and not collect too much at the bottom of the pan. If that is happening, turn the heat up and let the water evaporate. Conversely, if the scramble seems dry add splashes of water until it’s nice and moist.
Add the spice blend and mix to incorporate. Add the nutritional yeast and pepper (I had to add splashes of water at this point). Add broccoli, cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve warm.

Vegan Mac and Cheese

My cousin wrote to me the other day to say that he and his wife are having some vegan company for dinner this weekend (is it just me, or did that make them sound like cannibals??). Vegan company OVER for dinner this weekend. Better?
He wanted some ideas about what they might serve as an entree, figuring they could manage all the other courses pretty handily. Well I'm no vegan, but I was able to offer up this mac n' cheese as an option since I'd been planning on posting it soon anyway. After typing up the recipe for Steve, I just wasn't going to get it out of my head until I made it. The Monster was more than happy about that, so Friday dinner at home it was. Oh man...total. Comfort. Food.
Best part, my friends just happened to bring over their hi-powered, jet engine run blender for me to try out today. It worked like a champ in making the sauce! (Thanks ladies!!)

The original recipe is from VegNews and didn't call for any nutritional yeast...a common ingredient in most vegan mac n' cheese recipes. The Monster and I however like the taste, so I added in a few tablespoons worth to up the cheesy flavor. I also use half soy milk instead of all water, add a bunch of broccoli and reduce the Earth Balance a bit.
It's really quite a delicious concoction. Do try it if your tummy is in need of a hug. :-)

Vegan Mac and Cheese:
(adapted from VegNews recipe)

4 quarts water
1 Tbs salt
~4 cups bite sized broccoli florets
8 ounces of pasta (I use Tinkyada brand brown rice rotini...great pasta and all we use!)
3-4 small slices of bread (I used Alvarado sprouted whole wheat with flax)
2 Tbs. + 1/4 cup non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)
~2 Tbs. chopped shallots (if I have them I'll use them, if not I just up the onion amt. a bit)
~1 1/4 cup peeled and diced Yukon gold potatoes (it was from a medium sized potato)
~1/3 cup diced carrots
~1/3 cup chopped onion
1 cup water
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
rounded 1/4 cup raw cashews
1-2 tsp sea salt (original calls for 2, I use a little more than 1 then add large flaked sea salt to finish the top)
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8+ tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp paprika
2-3 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes (or to taste since original recipe didn't call for)

In a large pot, bring the water to a boil.
Add the broccoli and blanch for about 2 minutes, then strain broc. and put it in ice water to shock it. Drain and set aside.

Once your water is back at a rolling boil, salt the water and cook pasta as directed. Rinse noodles with cold water after cooking, and set aside.

In a food processor, make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread and 2 Tbs of Earth Balance to a medium-fine texture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.
In a sauce pan, add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, and ~1 cup water and bring to a boil. Cover pan and simmer for 15 minutes on low or until vegetables are very soft. Drain vegetables saving the water for later use.
In a blender, process cashews, soy milk, salt, garlic, 1/4 cup margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne.
Add softened vegetables, and 1/2 cup (or more if needed) of the cooking water from the vegetables and process until perfectly smooth.
Add in the nutritional yeast, blend and taste. Adjust spices if necessary.
In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta, broccoli and cheese sauce until completely coated.
Spread mixture into a medium-sized casserole dish rubbed with Earth Balance and sprinkle top with prepared breadcrumbs (not that it tasted bad by ANY means, but I may have over done it on the amt. of breadcrumbs this time).
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has turned golden brown. I actually pop this under the broiler for a couple minutes after it gets bubbly to toast the breadcrumbs. Watch carefully that they don't burn.

Chocolate Coconut Almond Bark

The perfect treat! One with a built in "limit" switch! Ideal for people like ME...lacking a know-when-to-say-when button.

I am the daughter of a man who as a professor, received many boxes of See's chocolates during the course of his tenure. Let's just say that by the time I got home on the day he'd have received such a gift, to my immense frustration, BOTH levels of that box of chocolates would have been completely cleaned out....all the lovely little pinked-edge paper cups still in there proper places.

I am aaaaalmost that bad people, but not quite.

Apparently, one might feel decidedly unwell if driven to eating too much coconut oil at a time.
I've heeded that warning, practicing vast amounts of restraint (read: subbing other treats after I've reached my one piece of coconut bark per day limit) and now days later, still have the above bounty of goodness that friends brought to dinner on Saturday!

The recipe is apparently really easy to make, and it's delicious to boot.
I'm guessing halving the recipe would be fine, but it keeps in the refrigerator for quite a while if you'd like to work on developing YOUR willpower by making the whole batch. :-)

Chocolate Coconut Almond Bark:
(Suzanne Menuet)

6 Tbs extra virgin coconut oil
3 Tbs agave nectar
3 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mix well…best to heat over low flame in a small saucepan if coconut oil is solid.

Stir in:

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
~1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds

Pour into a parchment lined (so that it comes up on the two longer sides) 9x13 pan, level and place in the refrigerator.
Once solid, break into pieces of bark.
Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container, or it will melt if kept at room temp.

Cornbread and Beans Skillet

This recipe has been stewing in my "to try" file for a good while and finally made it to the top of the list. The recipe is an adaptation of Modern Beet's. All I did to her adaptation was add a little agave nectar to the beans and change up the cornbread topping so as not to include any white flour. Check out Modern Beet's recipe if you'd like to just use regular non-whole grain cornmeal and white flour. I'll be making this again for sure! Must be served with a side of braised greens liberally doused in hot sauce. :-)

Cornbread and Beans Skillet:
(adapted slightly from Modern Beet's recipe)

Pinto Beans
2 1/2 c. cooked pinto beans (homemade, from about 1 c. dried beans, or store bought)
2 Tbs. olive oil, or butter
1 small (fist-sized or smaller) onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. tomato paste
1 T. molasses
1/2 t. cayenne
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. salt (I didn't add any since my beans were salty enough, so taste before adding)
1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 -1/2 c. bean cooking liquid or water
1 1/2 t. red wine vinegar

Cornbread Topping
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill wholemeal corn flour (not cornstarch!)
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill fine ground corn meal
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
2 c. buttermilk (I used slightly less...try adding slowly until you get a consistency you're happy with)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 T. butter, melted.

Special Equipment: 9 inch cast iron skillet

Preheat the oven to 400.

Heat oil in the cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste, molasses, cayenne, chili powder, salt if needed, pepper and mix well. Add beans and enough bean cooking liquid or water so that the mixture is slightly soupy. Reduce the heat to low and simmer mixture for about 10 minutes or until reduced enough that it's not too liquid when you add the topping. Add the red wine vinegar, and adjust seasonings. I added some agave nectar for a touch more sweet. Remove from heat and spread the beans into an even layer in the skillet.

Mix the corn flour, corn meal, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk (I used 1 cup in the wet mix then added the rest into the whole batter until I reached a consistency I was happy with), egg, and melted butter, and I also added in a little more agave even though that wasn't in the original recipe. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour batter over the beans in the skillet and smooth the top.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden, the cornbread starts to pull away from the skillet at the sides, and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then slice into wedges and serve.

This should feed 4 good appetites.