A day for the blues... and Cashew Cocoa.

 What a sad day today-- BB King has left the world, and my car's transmission has done the same. Neither of them are coming back, and that calls for some comfort, which I have chosen to imbibe, in the form of cocoa.

 I do buy cocoa mix during the winter, because my hubby-man likes to have it handy, but most of the time I'd rather make it myself. Today, I made a combo-- sort of semi-homemade, in that I used prepared Cashew milk and so added no other sweetener. Silk brand has hit a home run with this product, which I have yet to find in the unsweetened version. It makes a nice, rich cocoa that is only slightly nutty. Lately I've been using carob powder to make our cocoa, because I happened to find it on sale-- and it was love at first taste. In brownies, in coffee, or any way I'd use unsweetened cocoa, this stuff gives a nice twist.

 My comfort cocoa method is simple-- put a smallish saucepan on medium-low heat, add the amount of milk you like, and heat till it begins to get steamy. Add carob powder to taste-- I scoop out a quarter cup, and add it slowly till the liquid is as dark as I'd like (and I like it dark!), then whisk it till blended. Heat a little longer on low, add a drop of almond or vanilla extract (or mint), and taste for sweetness. We like ours less sweet, but good partners for carob are brown sugar or maple syrup, though it takes well to honey, agave or sugar too. I like the dark golden tinge of flavor that maple gives it, best.

 Carob is sweet in itself, so you won't need much if your milk is pre-sweetened-- add your sweetener of choice a tsp at a time, stirring and tasting.

 Then you have a wonderful little pot of comfort, Carob Cashew Cocoa. I often make it by the mugful in the microwave for my hubby-man, with naturally smaller amounts of milk and carob. A mini-whisk keeps it from being lumpy, rather than merely stirring. It takes all of two and a half minutes, at most. The full pot made on the stove doesn't take much longer.

 Dark Carob Cocoa

Enjoy!

    --Mari

 

Pineapple for Dinner? Oh, yes.

There are recipes that have been floating around out there, in the ether or in community cookbooks, just about forever-- some for sentimental value, some because they're just plain good. This tasty casserole of pineapple, oddly mixed with cheese and topped with buttery crumbs, falls into the latter category. It may sound too '50's kitschy to stand, but like a well done backyard barbecue, it deserves to be revived and enjoyed for the sheer pleasure it brings.

When I first saw this posted on the CLBB, I knew it must have come from a recipe developer for a commercial kitchen. But the simple combination of ingredients was still appealing, and the buzz about the dish was 100 percent positive, so I gave it a try last night, and I'm here to tell you, it's good stuff.

 How could it not be? A favorite fruit in convenient canned form, plus the age-old formula of crisped crumbs and cheese. You can top almost anything with crumbs and cheese to make it edible, and in fact, that was my primary strategy for getting my ex to eat vegetables he wouldn't otherwise consume. Here, it's a surprising but inspired approach for baking fruit-- the sweet, acidic pineapple plays off the sharp creaminess of cheddar, and the buttery crumb topping absorbs the extra juice and ties the whole thing together. And it tastes richer than it's calorie count would suggest.

 My own addition to this popular recipe was a bit of ginger and coriander (dried, but I think fresh would be wonderful). The recipe recommends serving this with ham or pork, of course, but I used it as a side for a non-cheesy tortilla casserole, making for a very comforting, easy oven meal. It would be an excellent brunch dish, with something spinach-y alongside, like a salad or omelet, and maybe some nut bread. I may serve it for breakfast soon with a good soy bacon; it takes only a few mintues to put together and 25 minutes to bake, so very doable for the mornings when we're not up at 3:30 am.

 Originally posted to the CLBB by Linda in MO, I believe, and revived by request for vbak, this is the soon-to-be-famous

Pineapple Cheese Casserole, adapted slightly by both Linda in MO and Mari.

1 -20 oz. can pineapple chunks (drain and keep juice)
3 T. flour
1/4 Cup sugar
1/8 tsp each ground ginger and coriander, optional
1/2 Cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (grate your own for this-- it makes a difference)
3-4 T. melted butter
1 C crushed Ritz type crackers ( I used an Aldi's brand)

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine flour, sugar and 4 T. pineapple juice.

Add cheese, spices if using, and pineapple, and stir.

Spoon into deep pie plate or casserole dish.

Mix cracker crumbs with the melted butter. Cover casserole with crumbs.

Bake 25 minutes or until heated through. Serves 2-4*, depending on your willpower.


*NOTE : You can double,triple, or quadruple this recipe depending on how
many you are serving. Please use extra pans for extra batches, instead of layering the fruit deeper. You want the right crumb to fruit ratio. 

 Have a great week!

    Peace, Mari

Bread & Honey

 Having just regained my appetite after a week of being sick and recovering from same, I had to do some real baking yesterday, for the family holiday dinner.

 I know you know I'm no believer; but my mother is, some of my family are, and anyway, Easter is a lovely rite of Spring that I enjoy celebrating in some form. We used to invite friends to our home nearly every Easter, and I had a standard menu of Spring foods down pat. It's easy to feel in tune with the earth on Easter, with breezy weather and more sunshine and the fertile symbolism that abounds. Those seasonal hot cross buns have a Pagan origin, as does every part of the feast, really, and although I don't make them each year, I do make like to some kind of yeast bread.

 Yesterday, I baked two types of rolls, using old favorite breads instead of the fancy buttery roll recipes that I'd first considered. I needed a non-dairy bread for my sister's current diet, and this one, a rich, tender bread sweetened with honey and studded with dried fruit, fit the bill. It's a luv of a dough to work with, silky and pleasurable to handle once it has absorbed all the flour it wants.

 This was my first successful bread, from when I decided to start baking all my own loaves, 23 or so  years ago. It's a blonde raisin bread from Marilyn Moore's Wooden Spoon Bread Book, and I've been tweaking and adapting it since the first loaf, when I found I didn't have enough golden raisins (but did have apricots) and didn't have any ginger (but cumin subbed nicely, and gave it a special touch it didn't have before).

 Now I purposely make it with different flours, different dried fruits, different oil. It's adaptable to your needs, and could easily go vegan with the use of agave or maple or even brown rice syrup in place of the honey. It might be stickier, though, so in that case, be careful not to add too much flour when kneading-- it WILL smooth out, and get silky, with a little handling. And once baked, it's lightly sweet and tender and hard to stop eating-- everyone likes it, even the sister that doesn't like the flavor of honey. Maple will give a slightly  different sweetness, of course, but good anyhow.

 As given, it makes two average loaves, but I got about 17/18 good-sized rolls out of it. You could make them slightly smaller, but don't go too much bigger-- it's a high-riser of a dough, and too big rolls just won't work as well, for dinner or breakfast. Of course, you could make half into rolls, half into the best bread for breakfast you'd ever want. This braids nicely if you want to go that route. It keeps well from the honey, freezes incredibly well, and tastes fresh, fresh, fresh.


Apricot-Honey Bread, from The Wooden Spoon Bread Book, adapted quite a bit by Mari

In a large mixing bowl, combine:

 2 cups warm water
 2 scant tablespoons active dry yeast (or 2 packets)
1/4 tsp ground cumin, ginger or coriander

Allow yeast to proof about ten minutes, or till foamy. Stir in:

 1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil)
 1/2 cup honey
 1 1/2 tsp salt
 grated rind of 1 lemon
 2 1/2 cups unbleached or bread flour
 1 cup white whole wheat, or whole wheat flour

 Beat well. Stir in:

 1 cup of chopped dried apricots, or a mixture of apricots and golden raisins or craisins

 To make a soft dough, gradually add:

 3-4 cups unbleached or bread flour

 Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. It will be a little sticky at first, but trust me, it becomes silky and wonderful to knead in a couple of moments or so. When dough is smooth, place in a greased bowl to rise, tunring once to grease the top. Cover bowl with a clean dish towel and let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes-1 hour.

 Knead dough down in bowl and divide in half. Shape into two loaves or 16-18 rolls, and place in greased baking pans (leaving a half-inch of space between rolls, if making). Preheat oven while dough rises-- 375 degrees F. Let loaves rise until almost doubled in bulk, about 30-45 minutes. Rolls will take 15-25 minutes to rise. It's risen properly when you can press a finger into the dough and the depression stays. Slash the tops of the loaves or rolls slightly, slashing crosswise with a very sharp knife; three slashes per loaf, one or two (I use a cross shape) for rolls.

 Bake loaves at 375 F for 35-40 minutes, rolls for 18-35 minutes. The bread should be somewhat browned all over, and pulled away from the sides of the pan when finished. Cool in pans ten minutes, then cool completely on wire racks.* Store at room temp in a plastic bag, or freeze for later use. Keeps frozen 4-6 weeks.


*To gild the lily, while the bread is cooling on its racks, brush the tops of the loaves with melted butter, then sprinkle with a half & half mixture of sugar and cumin or ginger. Or, you can brush the risen, slashed bread with a beaten egg and sprinkle with the spice mixture before putting it into the oven.

  Enjoy this super-easy, simply delicious bread sometime soon. It could make your Spring morning.

   Peace, Mari

Tried & Tweaked Thursday-- Icebox Truffle Pie

 When a good chocolate recipe comes along, I hold onto it forever, and usually end up adding my own touches after a few years or decades. So it is with this pie, a gloriously chocolatey concoction that gets better with every slice. This is one of those pies that takes no real cooking, not much effort, and tastes better than a mousse cake-- just as rich and creamy as you could want. You make up the filling in less than five minutes, pour into the crust, and refrigerate till firm and cool. That's it!

 And there's no eggs or butter, as in mousse. No chemical-flavored whipped topping or pudding mix, as in so many icebox pies. It's just deep deliciousness, cool and melt-in-your-mouth wonderful. I've served it to family and friends, always with a great reception.

 Yesterday, I made this on a whim, having a leftover graham crust on hand (although often I tweak this by using an Oreo crumb crust, or shortbread crust), and also having what I thought was an adequate amount of maple-flavored agave syrup from The Christmas Tree Shops, to fill the recipe requirements. That mistake led to my newest tweaks, and now there's no stopping me-- I'll be experimenting with this pie, on purpose, for ages. With the early summer temps we're seeing in WNY, it's a excellent dessert to have on hand. In fact, I ate a slice for breakfast.

Originally developed by a reader (Shannon Alison-Leszek) for the Vegetarian Times reader recipe contest, now adapted and renamed by Mari.

Icebox Truffle Pie

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
generous 1/4 cup cinnamon flavored chips
12-oz. container firm silken tofu
1/4 cup maple-flavored agave syrup, or use half agave, half maple syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup broken walnuts
1 9-inch premade graham cracker crust, or chocolate crumb crust
fresh fruit, or other garnishes, optional

1. Place chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir chocolate, and heat 30 seconds more. Repeat heating and stirring until chocolate is just melted. Add cinnamon chips, a little at a time, to melted chocolate, stirring to dissolve. Taste as you go-- you may want to add a few more. Set aside.

2. Combine tofu and agave/maple syrup in food processor, and blend till smooth. Add peanut butter, and process until smooth. Add chocolate mixture, and process once more until smooth. Add walnuts and pulse briefly, just to distribute nuts throughout the mixture.

3. Pour peanut butter-chocolate mixture into pie crust, smoothing the top; refrigerate at least 20 minutes-- I prefer two hours, minimum. Makes 1 9-inch pie, should serve 6 or more easily.

 Before serving, I like to garnish this one of several ways-- with a light dusting of unsweetened cocoa powder and/or a raspberry puree, or fresh raspberries, or the way we had it for breakfast-- with sliced bananas and whipped cream. You can, of course, make this in it's purest vegan form* and add fruit alone or vegan cream. You can even top it as Shannon did for the contest, with pretzels, chocolate-dipped or not-- the salt against all that chocolatey richness is wonderful, but we enjoy the way fruit flavors enhance and bring out the fruitiness of the chocolate. My other additions of cinnamon chips and walnuts give a candied quality to the filling, that is, I admit, an improvement on an already great idea. Thank you again, Shannon, wherever you are!


In the fridge, before the garnish.

 *Mari's Notes--

 If you use the right kind of crust and chocolate, this is a vegan delight, but cinnamon chips generally contain nonfat milks solids, so you'd have to use more syrup-- 1/2 C, and a dash of ground cinnamon instead, if you'd like to keep the flavors as they are here.
 The original topping of broken chocolate-covered pretzels, if used, are best added just before serving, instead of before chilling as had been called for, unless you like soggy pretzels.
 Finally, if you want to go for the total sexy dark truffle experience here, use bittersweet chips, ditch the cinnamon, add a tsp of instant espresso or Starbucks Via to the filling, and serve each slice sprinkled with dark unsweetened cocoa powder and a fluff of whipped cream, topped with a chocolate covered espresso bean for maximum chic.

 PS-- Nobody will know this has tofu in it, unless you tell them so after they have eaten it. And then, they won't believe you.

 Peace, Mari

Tried and Tweaked Thursday: Cabbage Rolls with Nuts and Bulgur

 St. Pat's day is a huge holiday in Buffland, even for those of us that are not Irish in any way, or Catholic. With shamrocks and green beer flowing over the city like a keg of liquid grass, a parade that is never too hampered by March rains, and nearly every bar and restaurant in town serving some specialty for the day, it's a wonder that we ever make it past March at all.

 But we do, and there is rarely a shortage of cabbage afterwards, either. I'd like to recommend a dish for using that head of ruffled green you may have lurking in the crisper-- something non-Irish and utterly non-traditional for this holiday weekend, but good to eat anytime: cabbage rolls. Besides, for anyone named Kozlowski, like myself, a good cabbage roll recipe is a must.

 Unlike most cabbage roll recipes, these do not feature rice, and are filling without being heavy. I first came across them in a lovely book I ordered from a cookbook club, back before I knew what I was doing in the kitchen: it was Susan Costner's Good Friends, Great Dinners. The pictures are marvelous, the menus seasonal and not too fussy, the recipes well written and the food-- perfect. It was a bit of a steep learning curve for me, then, if only because I had so little training, but this magnificently sensual and evocative book gave me some real training as I cooked my way through it. I've seen other grain-filled rolls since, but none as good, and simply springlike, as these.

 Good Friends is by no means a vegetarian volume, but it features many recipes that are veg-based and suitable, and an entire menu for each season that is deliberately vegetarian, as well. From one of those menus came this recipe, which naturally I haven't left as is, due to the fact that I couldn't make the called-for tomato coulis the first time out. I've shared it in slightly different form before, but here's how I make it nowadays:

CABBAGE STUFFED WITH MUSHROOMS, WALNUTS AND BULGUR
 By Susan Costner, adapted by Mari
(12 rolls)

1 Lrg head cabbage, regular or Savoy, (about 3 lbs.) tough outer leaves removed
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
2 celery stalks (with leaves if they're nice), finely chopped
1 lb fresh mushrooms, coarsely chopped
2 C bulgur, cooked according to package directions
1/4 C finely chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 C walnuts, toasted for 10 minutes at 350 F, then coarsely chopped
Tomato-Caraway Sauce (recipe follows)
garnish: dill or fennel sprigs

Cut out the deep core of the cabbage and discard. Bring a large pot of salted water to a simmer. Add the cabbage and cook until you can easily remove the largest leaves, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the water and drain well. Carefully separate 12 of the largest leaves-- if not soft enough to roll easily, return them to the pot and cook until just tender. Cut the tough central rib of each leaf. Pat dry and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large skillet, add the garlic, scallions and celery and saute just until tender. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium heat, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms. Add the cooked bulgur, parsley, dill, and salt and pepper. Stir in the walnuts and heat thoroughly.

Place the cabbage leaves, curly side up, on a clean flat surface. Fill each with 3-4 Tbsp of the stuffing. Fold up the bottom edge, fold in both sides, and roll up towards the top edge. Place seam-side down in one layer in a large casserole.

Add the sauce and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or cover and heat in a medium oven, about 350 degrees F. Heat just until warmed through and a little bubbly. Serve the stuffed cabbage, whole or sliced, with some of the sauce, and garnished with dill sprigs.

TOMATO-CARAWAY SAUCE

1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 C coarsely chopped, canned drained plum tomatoes
1/4 tsp sugar
1 bay leaf
1 tsp caraway seeds
dash of dried dill, rubbed between fingers
1 1-inch piece fresh or dried orange peel
1 Tbsp tomato paste
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a saucepan, saute the garlic and onion in the butter and oil until tender but not brown. Stir in the tomatoes, sugar, bay leaf, caraway and orange peel. Cook, covered, over low heat for 10 minutes; then uncover, add tomato paste, and cook for 15-20 minutes more, till sauce is slightly thickened. Discard bay leaf and peel. (For coulis, force through a food mill.) Correct seasoning with salt and pepper.

***Mari's notes-- You can, of course, use your own light tomato sauce. These could easily go vegan using EVOO instead of butter, and a vegan sweetener. Or you can cheese them up with a parmesan topping. Serving size is two, but one is usually enough for us, with rolls* or a side veg, or both.


 *I like to serve Irish Soda Bread Muffins, from Recipegirl, using a half cup of whole wheat flour subbing for an equal amount of regular. I've also made them subbing a half cup of oatmeal, and I often use dried cranberries for the fruit.

 Here's to cabbage, and good beer, and a happy St. Pat's day!

 Peace, Mari

Turning Over New Leaves

 One thing everyone knows, nowadays, is that we can all benefit, both health-wise and taste-wise, from eating more veg. But knowing that isn't the same as knowing how; recipes that are seriously fortified with veg can be expensive, or unseasonal, or just too damn much work for some of us. I say this after 18+ years as a vegetarian cook, and one who passionately loved vegetables before that change occurred. I'm also a person on a budget, and a person that doesn't have four hours to prepare a daily six course meal just because I don't consume animals.

 The key, for me, has not been in finding the right recipes, but in learning how to add more vegetables to any, and every, recipe I can. I started doing this as I soon as I left my mother's home and kitchen, and I've never stopped. Here are my basic, everyday ways:

 Add an extra veg at the beginning of preparation:

 Making a green salad? Against the background of mixed lettuces and whatever else, try a few handfuls of raw zucchini or crookneck squash, finely diced, and a handful of chopped dried fruit as well, such as apricots, craisins, or apples, dried or fresh. These two additions go well with most dressings and a wide spectrum of standard salad toppings. When you're done, throw in a handful of chopped nuts, to boot. Or cook some pepper strips, carrot strips or zuke on a hot, dry griddle till the vegetables brown and soften a little. The combo of crisp greens and slightly wilted veg is always a winner.

 If you're sauteeing or sweating aromatics such as onion and garlic to begin a soup, stew or skillet dish, add in some thinly sliced carrots or peppers there, too. If you've already got 'em, add in tomato or mushroom, or slivered green beans. If the recipe doesn't call for garlic, or onion, add some anyway.

Add an extra veg in the middle stages of prep:

 Say you're making a batch of soup or a casserole-- go beyond what's called for, and throw in one extra thing, be it a couple handfuls of frozen edamame in the stew or a layer of sauteed peppers, greens or okra mixed into your mac-n-cheese. Substitute two lightly cooked vegetables any place you'd normally use just one to stand in for an animal product: when I make Giada D.'s stellar manicotti, I use sauteed mushrooms and red pepper instead of beef, and it's divine.

(above, a bubbling veg stew I just keep adding more vegetables to-- the zuke chunks were last)

Never let a grain or side go unadorned:

Making a batch of corn muffins? Add 1/2 C thawed frozen corn, along with some fresh dill or cilantro if you have it, to the batter. It adds moisture, sweet flavor, and welcome texture. Add a little grated sweet potato or parnsip to that zucchini cake, for that matter.

 Throw diced tomatoes, thawed peas, a cup of cooked pinto beans, or chunks of bell pepper into rice, barley, quinoa or wheat berries while they cook. They bring their own moisture to the process, so generally, no adjustment is needed to the water ratio.

 Even if you're eating the side with a veggie-filled stew, another veg will make it more interesting. I do this with potatoes as well, and if you think plain potatoes in cream and a dab of butter is good, you should try it with peas and spinach added, or with chunks of zuke thrown into the boiling water a moment before you drain the potatoes. In this case, I add some mint and dill as well, or oregano.  Put zucchini strips into the water of the pasta just before you drain that-- it's enough to cook it perfectly, and the sauce doesn't get watery.

Add an extra veg at the end of cooking:

 Last minute additions make for inspired eating, whether it's a slice of raw onion popped into a salad, or adding interest to a cooked soup or stew, a handful of sliced kale stirred into a taco topping just before serving, or a salsa of fresh peppers and fruit to eat with those muffins.

 Put a layer of chopped tomatoes under the crumb crust of that veg-filled mac-n-cheese, or that layered eggplant casserole; marinate some frozen corn and use it to top your sandwich filling; grate raw carrot or beet onto a portobello steak or a tofu stir-fry. Toss olives or raw tomatoes into red sauce at the last minute. Throw ripped fresh spinach into everything, including the greased pan you're about to fry that cage-free egg in. It's better that way.

 It gets to be a habit, after a short while. And it frees up your ideas of what stew, tacos, pizza, sauce, mashes, and classic soups should include... which means you'll be less bound by old ways of cooking, in the future.  

 Now you know my ways-- what are yours? Are you trying to eat more vegetables, too, and if so-- what vegetables are you using? I've mentioned the same five or six here; maybe you have a different set of go-tos, and I'd love to hear about them.

 Peace, Mari