Tomatoes and Garlic for Black & White Wednesday

I keep a little basket of garlic on my kitchen window sill. When I buy tomatoes or avocados, I put those in the basket, too. I glanced at the basket recently and thought it was cute enough to snap a quick picture for Black and White Wednesday. This is the culinary photography event started by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and now overseen by Cinzia of Cindystar. This week Simona of Bricioli is hosting.

By the way, if you ever see tiny bugs on your garlic, try keeping a few dried peppers or a piece of fresh ginger in the basket with them. The ginger will dry out pretty quickly but continue to work to repel the bugs for quite a few weeks. The peppers will work, and be worthy of cooking with, for months. (There are some dried peppers in the basket in the photo, you just can't see them.)

Korean Portobello and Eggplant Lettuce Wraps

I love all kinds of tacos, so when I heard of Korean tacos, I was intrigued.  They're typically made with grilled, marinated steak and served on tortillas with crisp vegetables, guacamole, salsa, and other taco fixings. I made some last fall, grilling marinated portobello mushrooms and eggplant and wrapping them up Tex-Mex style. 

The grilled vegetables were amazing, but unfortunately the dish overall was too close to my portobello fajitas, which we have all the time. I started looking for other ways to serve the vegetables. I kept seeing Bulgolgi, as Korean marinated steak is known, served in lettuce wraps. I grilled the vegetables again, including a sweet onion too, and this time wrapped them up Korean-style, with lettuce, jasmine rice, and herbs. Jackpot!

The marinade is a classic Bulgolgi marinade. The herbs I had handy were chives, mint, basil, and cilantro. I also added radish and cucumber slices. The cucumbers served with lettuce wraps are usually lightly pickled, but we had ours plain, since we like them best that way. 

Korean Portobello and Eggplant Lettuce Wraps 

1 cup jasmine rice

3 large portobello mushrooms, about 3/4 pound
1 smallish globe eggplant, about 3/4 pound
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup chopped green onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground black or white pepper
1 medium  sweet onion, optional 

To serve: 
Red curly lettuce leaves
Cucumber slices
Sriracha
Soy sauce
Fresh herbs such as mint, basil, cilantro, and chives (or green onion)

Cook rice according to package directions. Or, bring rice and 1-1/2 cups water to a low boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Uncover, fluff up rice with a fork, and let stand a few minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. You can serve the rice at room temperature or zap in the microwave for 30 seconds before serving.

Cut mushrooms and eggplant in strips about 1/2 inch thick and 1 inch wide, any length you like. Transfer to to a non-metal container or zippered plastic bag. In a small bowl, mix together the sesame seeds, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onion, minced garlic, and pepper. Pour over the vegetables and toss. Slice the onion into half-moons and separate the rings. Add the onion to the other vegetables.  Set aside to marinate while you prepare the coals.

When your coals are medium-hot, drain the vegetables. Grill on a grill pan until eggplant and mushrooms are tender (the onions might still be a bit crunchy).

Serve grilled vegetables, lettuce, rice, and condiments separately so each diner can assemble their own wraps.

Serves 3.

Vegan Masala Carrot Muffins

[This is the third of three recipes I provided for the beta launch of Foodie.com in February of 2012. The site has just undergone a redesign. Thus, I’m republishing the recipes here so that they can link to them from the new site. The first is here. Here is the second.]

I was drinking some ordinary tea one day and wishing that it was masala chai, the spiced Indian tea. I was also craving a muffin to go with my tea. As I sat gazing out the window and daydreaming about muffins and tea, it occurred to me that the spices commonly used in masala chai – cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon especially - would also work in all kinds of sweet baked goods. Cardamom has a particular affinity for carrots, so for my first try I made carrot muffins. They were everything I had been dreaming of, fragrant with warming spices.

You’ll notice that I pureed half the carrots with the rest of the liquid ingredients. This makes the muffins very moist and prevents them from being crumbly, which sometimes happens in baked goods without eggs. Fennel is almost never sold ground, but you can grind your own seeds in a dedicated spice grinder, a coffee grinder, or a blender. If you need to grind green cardamom pods, first slice them open across the middle and shake out the small black seeds. Grind the seeds and discard the husk. Finally, if the tiny amounts of fennel and cardamom won’t grind properly, try adding the remaining already-ground spices to your grinder for weight.

Vegan Masala Carrot Muffins

1-3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

A tiny pinch black pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 carrots, peeled, about 3/4 pound

1 (6-ounce) carton vanilla soy yogurt

2/3 cup water or soy milk

1/3 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 400 F. Oil 12 muffin cups.

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, fennel seed, cloves, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Fit food processor with shredding disk. Shred the carrots. Transfer the carrots to a bowl and fit the processor with the S-shaped blade. Add half the shredded carrots back to the food processor, along with the yogurt, water or soy milk, and oil. Process until smooth.

Add the reserved shredded carrots and the carrot puree to the dry ingredients. Stir until the dry ingredients are just moistened; do not stir more than necessary. Spoon the batter into the oiled muffin cups. Bake for 18-22 minutes until the top springs back when gently pushed.

Makes 12 muffins.

Linguini with Spinach, Avocado and Cilantro

[This is the second of three recipes I provided for the beta launch of Foodie.com in February of 2012. The site has just undergone a redesign. Thus, I’m republishing the recipes here so that they can link to them from the new site. The first is here. Here is the third.] 

This is pasta for cilantro lovers. While the cilantro is predominant here, it’s not overwhelming, as it’s nicely balanced by the avocado, garlic, and lime juice. Serve this hot, at room temperature, or cold. 

Linguine with Spinach, Avocado and Cilantro 

2 small Haas avocados
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup packed baby spinach
1/2 cup packed cilantro, plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
8 ounces linguine

Cut avocados in half and twist to open. Remove pits and scoop avocado from its peel. You should have about 3/4 cup.

Chop garlic in a food processor. Add the avocado, spinach, cilantro, lime juice, salt and cayenne pepper. Process until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl and process for another minute.

Cook linguine according to package instructions. Drain and toss immediately with sauce.

Serves 3 to 4.

Cauliflower Rosemary Focaccia

[This is one of three recipes I provided for the beta launch of Foodie.com in February of 2012. The site has just undergone a redesign. Thus, I’m republishing the recipes here so that they can link to me from the new site. The second is here. Here is the third.]

Cauliflower is drizzled with olive oil, rosemary and garlic and roasted atop this addictive focaccia. The dough is part whole wheat, but rises high with the addition of vital wheat gluten. Vital wheat gluten is available in the baking aisle of most supermarkets.

I start this dough by making a sponge using all of the water, the yeast, and a third of the flour, which I let rest at room temperature for an hour before adding the remaining ingredients. This results in a deeply flavorful bread with great rise. If you’ve ever had problems with bread not rising as much as it should, try this method. It does add some time to the recipe, but timing of the sponge isn’t critical. It can stand at room temperature for two hours if needed, or it can be put in the refrigerator for up to a day.

Cauliflower Rosemary Focaccia

1-1/4 cups warm water, about 105 F

1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 cup bread or all-purpose flour 

3 tablespoons vital wheat gluten

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt plus extra for the top

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus extra for the pan

1-3/4 to 2-1/4 cups whole wheat flour

3 cups cauliflower florets, from slightly less than a pound of cauliflower

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped

Add water, yeast and bread flour to a medium bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer equipped with dough hooks. Combine well with a fork, cover, and let stand for an hour or two. The mixture will bubble up and expand.

Add vital wheat gluten, sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Combine with a fork. If you're using a stand mixer to knead the dough, start it now. Add 1-3/4 cups whole wheat flour, stopping to combine the last of the flour with a fork if necessary. Let mixer knead dough for 5 minutes on low, or turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead by hand for 10 minutes. If dough is sticky, add more flour as necessary, 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time.

Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise for an hour until doubled in size.

Turn a cauliflower floret stem side up and slice into 1/4-inch slices. Repeat with remaining florets. Brush a baking pan (preferably a dark one) with olive oil. Spread dough out into a square about 10 inches on a side. Dimple the tops of the dough with your fingers. Press the cauliflower slices gently into the top of the dough in a single layer. Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil with garlic and rosemary. Drizzle over the top of the focaccia. Scatter a pinch or two of salt over the top.

Set aside to rise for about 20 minutes. Heat oven to 450 F. Bake for 12-15 minutes until bread is brown at the edge and golden in the middle and cauliflower is brown at the edges.

Serves 6.

My Legume Love Affair 58 Roundup

This was a most delicious My Legume Love Affair. We had lots of chickpea recipes this month, which is fun. We had a great variety of dishes, too, even something sweet. First, for the winners.  PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds wins the candy mold.  The winner of the Hurst Bean Prize is Avika of A day through my life. Congratulations to the both of you! 

This month Kalyani of Sizzling Tastebuds is hosting. And now, your scrumptious dishes. 

Siri of Cooking with Siri made Panchmel Dal | Indian Style Five Lentil Curry

 

  Mints! of Vadani Kaval Gheta made Sprouted Red Cow Peas with Koli Masala

Simona of briciole made Chickpeas with Tomatoes and Dried Apricots

Deepika of My Life & Spice made Ebinyebwa- Ugandan Peanut Stew

Laura at The Spiced Life made Split Pea Khichari with Dill, Tomatoes and Onions

  Janet of The Taste Space made Indian Chickpea Curry with Mango Powder (Amchoor Chana)

  PJ of Seduce Your Tastebuds made Fresh Toor Gravy | Fresh Pigeon Pea Gravy | Green Tuar Gravy

Preety of Preety's Kitchen made Kala Chana Masala / Black Chickpeas Stirfry

Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe made Lentil and Cauliflower Taco Filling

  Avika of A day through my life made Lentil Pudding (Parippu Payasam)

Meena of EncourageSpice made Khandvi-Gujarati Snack

Shruti of part time chef made Peanut Laddoos

Denny of Oh Taste n See made Almond Crusted Tofu Parmesan

MLLA's organizer, Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen made Chickpeas Smothered in a Tangy Tomato Gravy

I made Spinach and Salsa Burritos

 Thanks for all of your entries, everyone!

Curry Crispy Rice-Nut Snack Bars

Years ago, in the mid 90's, I think, one of the big energy bar makers made a line of crispy rice and nut bars in lots of flavors, including a couple of savory ones.  I was head-over-heels in love with the curry flavor. There was a salsa flavor that I really liked too. Alas, the savory flavors must have been a little too unusual for most people, because they were discontinued after a couple of years. I've been wanting to make a homemade version ever since. I just needed a good base recipe to work with.

On Choosing Raw, Gena published her No Bake Sweet and Savory Snack Bars with Chia Seeds, Almonds, and Rice that was exactly what I was looking for. I tweaked the spices a bit to fit my taste, replaced the sunflower seeds with pepitas (because that's what I had on hand) and they were delicious! I couldn't get them to hold together, though. Gena used a dehydrator, and I don't have one of those, nor am I in the market for one. My bars basically turned into trail mix.

I started thinking about similar things I've made, and I remembered the Vegan Crispy Rice Squares I made a while ago, (originally from Dreena Burton). I borrowed some ideas from those, especially using agar. They were a lot sturdier! They're still delicate, though, so I have a whole list of things I want to try to make them hold together better. I also have ideas for about seven more flavors, so I plan to have some fun with these. How do soy-sesame-ginger snack bars sound? How about chipotle-chocolate? Garam masala? 

Curry Crispy Rice-Nut Snack Bars 

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup cashew butter

1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder (mild)

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

3/4 teaspoon agar flakes

2 cups puffed brown rice cereal

3/4 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup pepitas

2 tablespoons chia seeds

2 tablespoons ground flax seed, optional

Oil an 8 x 8-inch pan and set aside. In a large, heavy sauce pan, combine maple syrup, cashew butter, curry powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. Stir over low heat until cashew butter is melted. Sprinkle agar flakes on top, turn the heat down to the lowest setting, and stir continuously until agar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.

Add cereal, almonds, pepitas, chia seeds, and flax seed, using.  Stir until well-combined. Transfer to the pan and press mixture firmly into the pan with the back of a spoon. Cover and set aside to cool for a couple of hours.

When cool, turn the block out onto a cutting board. Use a long, serrated knife to cut it into 8 bars.