Mexican Quinoa Casserole

The vegan Daiya-brand cheese doesn't melt too well....

After weeks of procrastinating, last night I finally prepared this Spicy Mexican Quinoa Casserole. I found the recipe on TakePart.com, which posts meat-free recipes as part of the popular Meatless Mondays campaign, but the recipe is originally from another blog, The Iron You.

My overall take? This dish is healthy (quinoa is high in protein and in fibre!) and simple to prepare. Its required ingredients are not obscure, and the dish is such that you can easily modify and adapt it, adding or subtracting spices and produce to accommodate your preferences or to make its flavors reflect a different cuisine (e.g., use a curry spice mixture, subtract the cheese [or use paneer] and jalapenos, and perhaps add some cauliflower or okra...and you've got an "Indian" Quinoa Casserole!).

The real test of a recipe is whether or not it becomes a part of your repertoire. I do not think I will be making this again anytime in the near future; the recipe, if followed precisely, is a bit bland for my tastes and not "spicy" as the title states. A major issue was my decision to use vegan cheese substitute as opposed to dairy cheese.

Cupcakes for Thanksgivikah

This holiday season marked an historic event: the coinciding of the American Thanksgiving with Hanukkah ( the Jewish "festival of lights").  Many culinary (and other cultural) hybrids were inspired by this special event.  As baking has been my food fixation as of late, my Thanksgivikah involved sharing of dessert items, namely the resilient trendy yet here to stay cupcake.  For my family's Thanksgiving feast, I prepared pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  

Being that we celebrated Chanukah only a few days following Thanksgiving, I made use of the leftover gooey, sweet, tangy frosting by dying it a blue appropriate for the holiday and using it as icing for my next round of cupcakes -- chocolate-chip vanilla.  This was my first time making chocolate chip cupcakes; they came out a bit dry and dense -- not as good as the pumpkin cupcakes. Nevertheless, I would say they were a hit with family and co-workers, though next time I will probably use a different recipe.

Wansuapona Musu in Sea Cliff

Cool-toned curtains and braided chandeliers add charm to the restaurant's ambiance. 

A couple of specialty rolls at Musu.

(vegetarian roll); sashimi - soy-infused salmon, Spanish mackerel, uni (sea urchin)

Eating Abroad: Hungry in Hungary

Mushroom Paprika with doughy dumplings

Eggs-O-Eggs-O: Shoyu Tamago and Hard-Boiled Duck Eggs

Shoyu tamago (top photo) & hard-boiled duck egg (bottom photo)

Those who know me are well aware that I am somewhat of an egg fiend. I eat boiled egg whites almost everyday and always maintain a stash of large-sized eggs (preferably organic) in my fridge. This is somewhat ironic given that as a child and for a decent portion of my early adulthood, I either avoided egg consumption altogether on the principle that they were gastronomically unappealing or ate them but without much zeal and never actively pursued them.

Somehow within the last year or so, I came to appreciate the versatile protein-packed egg, desiring to try it in all its forms (some of which I have yet to try!) In particular, I have developed an affinity for the hard-boiled egg, which is probably the least exciting/blandest of the food's many incarnations. The cool, moist, clean semi-firmness of the egg white -- its natural moisture sopping up whatever condiment or salt granules you sweep it onto before popping it into your mouth -- and how the white's texture contrasts so well with the mealy, play-doughiness of the yellow interior, these are tactile qualities of the hard-boiled egg that I find appealing.

Therefore, it's no shock that at a local Korean grocery chain - H-Mart! - I was keen just last summer on trying the shoyu tamago sold there. Shoyu tamago translates from Japanese as "soy sauce egg," and though it is a popular in Japan both in ramen dishes and in bento boxes, it is also a Korean appetizer. Judging from the version of the soy sauce egg sold at H-Mart and a recipe available on KFoodAddict.com, I've ascertained that the difference between the Japanese shoyu tamago and Korean jangjolim is that the latter version includes chilies in the recipe. Being a spicy food lover, I'm partial to the Korean adaptation of the dish; however, I prepared shoyu tamago because I didn't have any chilies at hand. I primarily followed the recipe posted on cooking blog Eat Your Greens, but followed some of the procedural advice offered for the same dish on Just Bento.

As for the hard-boiled duck eggs (one is on display in the bottom photo), I recently reacquainted myself with this lesser-known egg. I was shopping in Whole Foods and saw that they were being sold after what was probably a seasonal hiatus. Having tried hard-boiled duck eggs for the first time only less than a year earlier, I recalled not being too impressed with them. I had found their boiled whites to be rather tough and less palatable in comparison to boiled chicken egg whites. Nevertheless, I decided to give them another shot. And I'm glad I did. I found a winning method for optimally preparing hard-boiled duck eggs, as well as a simple yet sinfully good way in which to serve them -- sliced in halves and sprinkled with fleur-de-sel (I used Maldon sea salt flakes, which basically constitute the luxury class of sea salt). With the crispy, crystalline sea salt working to enhance the egg's flavors and the tactile experience of consuming the duck egg, I was surprised by the duck egg's deliciousness. This time around, I was better able to appreciate it -- yes, the boiled white exterior is thicker and tougher than that of the chicken egg, but it is also denser and therefore more meaty. But it is really the yolk that makes the duck egg special: it is creamier, thicker, and less mealy than a chicken egg yolk. Sprinkled with Maldon Sea Salt, a boiled duck egg makes for an excellent snack or appetizer.

Recipes for both Sho-Yu Tamago & hard-boiled duck eggs after the jump!

(Mid)summer Vegetable (Green) Curry

Being that it is Midsummer, preparing a so-called "summer" curry (an adaptation of Summer Vegetable Curry from Heidi Swanson's website, 101 Cookbooks) seemed appropriate. I honestly was not that enthusiastic about making this dish; I pursued it as an alternative (I like trying new things) to a panang curry I made a week or so ago for which I used too much paste, thereby rendering it too spicy for my mother (for whom I had prepared it) to enjoy and as an excuse to use the tin of green curry paste sitting in the pantry. Besides, my reasoning went, my mom had probably never tried green curry before! More babbling (and my version of Swanson's curry) after the jump.

Alicia Silverstone's Vegan Thin Mushroom Pizzas

So I had been incessantly renewing my borrowed library copy of Cher Horo...I mean, Alicia Silverstone's vegan cookbook "The Kind Diet," and as I am want to do with books in general, and any pursuits that I adore, including tackling recipes, it took months of having the book in my possession before I actually followed through with dog-earing the book and committed myself to making one of the compassionate Clueless star's dishes.

Silverstone's Thin Mushroom Pizzas (with Tofu Cream) was an excellent choice. It has enough prep involved that you are indeed actually making a yummy vegan dish, but is not too time-consuming (for those pressed for time), as the "crusts" are Ezekiel's small-sized tortillas. The pizzas are super savory, unami-packed, with a refreshing lemony zing from the Tofu Cream and the fresh basil topping. The recipe, which I followed faithfully, is linked in the text above. As Silverstone comments in the recipe's blurb, this pizza will be savored by vegans and omnivores alike (provided that they aren't freaks who dislike mushrooms!) One word of advice; be very careful when crisping the pizzas in the broiler. They WILL be done in a few minutes, and if you broil them for too long, they will make a popping sound, indicating that they are burnt or near-burned.

Brownie Bars with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting

Experience has taught me (as well as other Americans, doubtless, whose childhoods included the joyful consumption of the classic Reese's Peanut Butter Cup) that peanut butter and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Imagine my delight when I discovered a recipe for a Cocoa Brownie with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting on the food blog Not Without Salt. Delight and utter fear, to be precise, knowing that while it was my destiny to make this brownie, I would have to summon all of my will power to avoid ravaging the finished product. Such a concern was allayed by my justification that I was making the dessert for a co-worker's barbecue. Unfortunately, I never did make it to that party....

I will probably never bake these brownies again, and that is the highest compliment I can give the author of the recipe. They are just too damn good to have lying around. Especially if, like myself, you are in peanut butter rehab. But enough babbling about my vices; read more about the brownie after the jump!

Funfetti Vanilla-Almond Cake Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

Pretty and tooth-achingly sweet.

Greetings! It has been quite a while since my last post. In fact, I have not posted since September, the first month of the school year in New York City. So it is somewhat apt (or at least telling) that my latest  update since then is in June, the final month of the academic year. I have just finished my first year of teaching, and while the past nine months have been the most difficult and challenging of my life, I have never learned so much in so short a period a time. So consumed was I by this job that it was difficult for me to allocate time for personal, leisurely pursuits, such as maintaing this blog. Hence the excessively long hiatus. But I understand the importance now of designating time for activities that are non-work-related and am better prepared for next year. At least, I am optimistic. My biggest flaw is my inclination towards procrastination; how I waste time browsing the Internet or obsessively cleaning things when my time would be better spent tackling tasks related to work or focusing on my hobbies or honing skills. This is a personal flaw (for lack of a better word) that I am committed towards correcting.

So, speaking of school! The colorful cookies pictured above -- my slightly modified version of Sweet2EatBaking.com's recipe for Funfetti Cake Batter Cookies -- were baked with love for my fifth period ELA students. They behaved so well during my final full-period observation for the year that I decided to reward them with a sweet homemade treat.

Like my students, these cookies are, well, as the name implies, "fun," and vivacious. It's hard to distinguish whether the cookies are so enjoyable because of their sweet components -- crunchy vanilla-rich cookie vehicle, creamy white chocolate chunky chips (MY addition), and brightly-hued sprinkles -- hitting all the right flavor spots or because of the fun, undeniably nostalgic nature of these components -- particularly the sprinkles. Either way, it's a damn good cookie. If I were to make one recommendation, it is to be certain that you don't over-bake them. Remove the cookies from the oven shortly after they begin to turn golden (that is unless you prefer hard cookies). This batch's only flaw, as I perceive it, was that they were too hard. However, this was easily remedied by briefly nuking the cookies, which lent them some softness (in addition to slightly melting the white chocolate chips!)

Here is the recipe, taken from Sweet2EatBaking.com with the only modification being the addition of white chocolate chips:

Funfetti Vanilla-Almond Cake Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1 egg
2½ cups plain (all-purpose) flour
¼ cup corn starch
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ cup rainbow ‘jimmie’ sprinkles
2 tbsp rainbow ‘nonpareils’ sprinkles
1/4 cup of white chocolate chips (or mini-sized chunks)

Procedure:

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2) Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Then, add the vanilla and almond extracts, and the egg. Beat these ingredients until they are well combined.
3) In a separate bowl, sift the flour, corn starch, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in sections, mixing using an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Lastly, add the sprinkles and white chocolate chips to the mix, and combine without utilizing the electric mixer or over mixing, as this will cause the sprinkles' colors to bleed.
4) Scoop cookie dough onto baking sheets, setting them approximately 1½ inches apart (8 cookies per sheet). Bake for approx 10-15 minutes or until a very light golden brown colour.
5) Cool cookies. Store in an airtight container.

Serving Recommendation:
Serve the cookies warm paired with cold vanilla ice cream.

Tofu Chili

Chili's only drawback is that it's not so photogenic!

Vanilla Tofu Pudding

In this vegan dessert, the lightness of vanilla pairs well with milky silken tofu. Just as with "real" pudding, a delectable skin forms atop the pudding as it cools in the fridge. I enjoyed my treat with chopped dates, slivered almonds, and cinnamon; I found the combination rendered the pudding similar in taste to rice pudding (hmm, perhaps a vegan rice pudding will be up here soon...). However, you can have your way with the pudding: top it with carob chips, sprinkle it with cocoa powder, or eat it with fresh sliced strawberries.

Vegan "Chicken" Salad

Don't mock me!

When my boyfriend proclaimed that he had eaten delicious vegan chicken salad from an unknown prepared foods company that sells its products at a corner store in Sunnyside, Queens, I was inspired to put the block of firm tofu sitting in my fridge to use for such a dish. I made the vegan chicken salad pictured above using a recipe from a food and health blog that I trust: Eating Bird Food. The site's blogger, Brittany Mullins, based her recipe on Whole Foods' version of the salad. Both my boyfriend and I were very pleased with the results: the savory salad may not have the texture of chicken, but the tofu - often described as a blank slate in the food world - soaks up the flavors of the spices, lemon juice, and tamari (which can be substituted with soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos) and the sliced almonds add a nice crunch! In fact, this salad tastes even better the next day, as the tofu pieces are more flavorful when given the time to marinate.

Triple Berry Lemon Vegan Cake

For the 4th of July, I had my heart set on baking. As I try to eat healthy as a norm and confine my consumption of treats such as ice cream and baked goods to special occasions (birthdays, Christmas, etc.), I rarely bake. However, in spite of my commitment to "clean" eating, I actually love baking and all of the associations that come with the ritual as well as its yieldings, from the comfort of a simple vanilla-frosted plain cupcake to a trendy, pastel-hued French macaron. Baking can be fun and silly (think Funfetti mix) or elegant and refined (a classic creme brule). It can yield the most visually appealing of gastronomic creations -- smooth, spongy surfaces of cupcakes toped with a perfect tubed spiral of frosting -- or goods that were made with scant regard to aesthetics, but baked with plenty of love and the ideal combination of pleasure-inducing ingredients, such as mom's peanut-butter/chocolate-chipped cookies. 

I knew that my Independence Day treat had to contain the cliche patriotic berry medley of strawberries and blueberries, possibly blackberries or raspberries if I was feeling adventurous, and also not be extravagantly unhealthy (no cheesecake!), so I found a recipe that matched my criteria in this vegan Lemon Berry Cake (from the visual knockout of a blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake.

This was the first time I baked with berries, let alone vegan, and I'd say it was a success. The cake was  very moist, probably due to the high concentration of fruit in the batter. While the recipe called for plenty of vanilla in addition to lemon juice, the latter overwhelmed the former. If I were more knowledgable with regard to baking, I'd tweak this recipe in the future so that the vanilla stands out more, probably by using less lemon juice. Otherwise, the cake was delicious and a hit with those with whom I shared it.

Cuisine Related Books I'm Set on Reading

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2009/06/has_new_york_said_au_revoir_to.html

Shrimp, Spanish Tapas Style

Israeli Couscous with Roasted Eggplant & Cinnamon-Cumin Dressing

Vegan Banana Ice Cream

I haven't posted much in the past few months, not only because I was too busy to blog, but also because I was often too pressed for time to prepare interesting dishes! I will more than make up for it now that the semester is over.

Now for a few catch-up posts on dishes and food-related stuff since the last update.

Let's begin with bananas. Bananas are delicious, no? Well, in an effort to preserve quickly-browning bananas, I often slice them up and pack 'em into a plastic container, which I put in the freezer. People often freeze fruit to use for smoothies, but I'm not really into those. I find that, while delicious, smoothies like most liquid calories don't really keep me satiated. However, when frozen, these banana "chips" make for delectable nibbles. There is something about freezing this fruit that makes its sweetness extra-concentrated. 

Knowing how delicious frozen bananas are, I had always wanted to give vegan banana ice cream a go. Finally, about a week ago, I tried it, and it did not disappoint. Recipe after the jump!

Food as of Late

It has been quite a while since my last post.  I have been so busy with grad school (student teaching, a full load of classes) that I haven't had much free time to indulge in blogging. So, I'm breaking the no-post spell with a few food photos that I've recently taken. It's Saturday night, and I'm making brussels sprouts (trying a new recipe!) among other dishes, so a cooking post is soon to follow.

The birthday treats I bought for my mother on her special day: blue velvet cupcake, black-and-white cupcake, red velvet cake pop

lettuce wrap burger from Bare Burger, NYC. contents include organic beef, lettuce, tomato,  red onion,  jalapeno relish, horseradish mayo, and chipotle ketchup. (I honestly couldn't distinguish the different condiments [which is too bad, considering my affinity for sauces] and ended up adding a decent amount of extra ketchup, the beef was really good, though)

Two Trader Joe's Products: A New Fave & One Soon-to-try Item

Recently, during a shopping excursion at Trader Joe's, I picked up two products: one was new for me in that I had never tried it, while the other product is actually new to the store.

The former is TJ's Almond Butter with Flaxseeds.  I have previously extolled the wonders of this butter's peanut butter counterpart, and the almond version might be just as delicious.  Only problem is that I go through the jar way too fast! 

Since it is salted, and I eat a ton of this stuff (healthy fat, low carb, yo), I decided during a following trip to TJ's to opt for the non-salted creamy version instead. If I'm gonna be a pig, I might as well go with the healthier option. Plus, the creamy non-salted version actually has 1g more of protein per serving than the salted flaxseed one! 

The totally new product is the organic spicy hot cocoa.  I love the packaging, all Mayan themed.  So far, I have not actually made a cup of cocoa using it, but I did try a bit of the powder, and it was delicious -- chocolaty with just the right amount of spice, including cayenne pepper.  I am looking forward to trying and savoring a toasty serving of this, even though the weather has been warm lately.  

Two Breakfast (or lunch, or dinner...) Options

Spinach & Mushroom Omelette

"Italian" Tofu Scramble

Lately, I have been so busy with student teaching and a full load of graduate classes that it has been difficult to keep up with this blog.  Fortunately, even with a packed schedule, it's easy to make time for whipping up these two dishes, which are both nutritious and very satisfying. Recipes after the jump!