Bonus Cookie Picture

We really love Molasses Ginger Cookies. I find them comforting in a way I don't find other cookies comforting.

Busy, Busy Week and Creamy Lemon Pasta with Peas

Well, it's been a week since last pasta night without a post. I did cook every night this week, but haven't had time to record it. It was not super exciting food. Peanut Stew was definitely the highlight with chucks of vegetables and tofu in a thick and spicy sauce of tomatoes, onions, curry powder, chili peppers, and peanut butter. Otherwise it was a three different legume soups, lentil salad, and pierogi.

Tonight we were back to pasta, creamy lemon pasta with peas. I like it because it cooks up in one pot. My husband, the dishwasher, likes it because it cooks up in one pot.

I used the ingredients shown, along with a little oil, salt, and a fair bit of water. I sauteed 3 cloves of garlic in oil. Once they softened I added the evaporated milk and enough water to make six cups of liquid. I let it heat up a little, then added the pasta and a bit of salt and finished bringing it up to a simmer. I turned it down a little and kept stirring until the liquid became saucy and the pasta was almost al dente. Then I added the frozen peas, juice and zest from half the lemon. I kept stirring and adding a little water until the the pasta and peas were done. I stirred in a handful of grated cheese and served it with chopped parsley and more cheese.

It's a good work night dinner, fast and with minimal clean up.

Spaghetti Night

Friday is pasta night. I try to mix up the sauce and the pasta, but there is a sauce and a pasta every Friday night. This time it was spaghetti with faux-meat balls in red sauce, salad, and bread sticks.

My basic faux-meat ball recipe is pureed tofu, minced onion, bread crumbs, and vital wheat gluten. Then I add umami flavors and seasonings. Umami possibilities include: soy sauce, miso, mushrooms, tomato paste, nutritional yeast, or other fermented products. I like making my own rather than buying pre-made ones because they can so easily be customized.

I also tried a different, cheaper brand of tomatoes. That was not a good idea. They tasted cheap, aka salty and overly acidic.

Colcannon/Rumpledethumps and Beans

Not exactly the most exciting meal, but hearty and comforting. I really don't have a recipe for it. It is sort of thing you throw together when you have the basics on hand and toss in any extras that appeal. The salted herbs did taste very nice in the cabbage and potatoes. This time around I also put it in baking dish and topped it with cheddar. I am under the impression that this transforms the colcannon into rumpledethumps. Really, anything with potatoes and cabbage makes me happy.

Alas, I don't have an actual recipe for the beans either. The sauce is whatever combination of tomato, sweetener, vinegar, and spices appeal on the day I make it. The beans are usually set aside from whatever batch I last cooked, mayocoba tonight.

Homemade mustard pickles and the last of the butternut sourdough, toasted and buttered, rounded out the meal.

Kale and Cabbage Pilaf

We like our greens here. I particularly love my brassicas, so this is a favorite.

1/2 Tbs oil
1 onions, finely chopped
4 garlic loves, minced
1/2 head small cabbage, shredded
1 bunch kale, cut in chiffonade
2 Tbs salted herbs
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tbs dried dill
1 cup jasmine rice
1/4 cup millet
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Saute the onion and garlic about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and saute another 10 minutes. Then add the kale and salted herbs for another 5-10 minutes. Then add the lemon juice, dill, rice, millet, and water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to medium low or just low enough to keep it all steaming. Keep covered for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to as low as it will go for another 5-10. Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. The fluff, add a little salt and pepper, then serve. We had it with marinated baked tempeh, white bean salad, and a yogurt-tahini sauce.

Butternut Sourdough Loaf

Butternut sourdough is a little experimental, but it has the advantage of combining my ongoing sourdough project with my excess of butternut squash. It actually tastes pretty good, like slightly sweet sourdough. It also has a nice orange tinge to it. I know I put a scant cup of pureed roasted squash into it, but otherwise I just went by feel with amounts. I am that kind of cook.

 The cauliflower and cheddar soup for dinner was much the same process. I just tossed a bag of frozen cauliflower, a large peeled and diced potato, a couple of diced onions, a grated carrot, a bit of salt, and enough water to almost cover the veggies. Then I simmered it until everything was very tender, blended it, add some half and half, grated cheddar, and little water to thin it. I gently reheated, seasoned it with salt and pepper, then served it with a pinch of dill.

Prepping on My Days Off

I have managed a lot of food prep the past couple of days. Yesterday, I made a batch of salted herbs and roasted up butternut squash for freezing. I also made a Quebec style pea soup and sourdough rolls. Even the picky eater liked the soup.

Today, I made a batch of crackers and ajvar for snacking. Dinner was bbq tofu and caramelized onion sandwiches on homemade buns, spicy potatoes, and salad. I knew everyone would like this meal. I don't usually make bbq tofu, but basting it with the sauce while it baked really worked well.

The sourdough crackers really are amazing. I think these were the best yet with just a mix of butter and olive oil and some pastry flour in place of all purpose. They tasted wonderful with the ajvar.

Pinto Bean and Butternut Soup

I have a lot of pinto beans, butternut, and canned tomatoes because I just can resist a deal. This calls for soup! When I soak my beans in brine, they hold their shape a little better while still becoming soft and creamy. So that is where I started, using one pound of dried pinto beans. Once they were on cooking, I cubed some butternut, chopped some onion and garlic, and raided the spice drawer for cumin, smoked paprika, anchos, and oregano.

I put half the onion and garlic in a saucepan with half a 28oz can of tomatoes and a bit of ancho. I wanted to have a salsa roja for serving. I simmered them for 30 minutes, then adjusted seasonings and pureed.

When the beans were just getting soft, I added the remaining vegetables and a good dose of spices. I let them continue simmering while I made masa harina biscuits. Then I served the stew with salsa roja, pickled peppers, and olive oil.

Olive Oil and Black Pepper Sourdough Crackers

I've been having fun keeping a sourdough starter alive and happy, which means I've been making sourdough everything I can think of. Tonight, I decided to try crackers with olive oil and black pepper.  I usually use butter, but wanted to try something dairy free. Olive oil crackers are not as flaky as butter crackers, but they are still very delicious.

1 cup sourdough starter
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cooled melted butter or olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper or other seasoning

oil for brushing
salt for sprinkling

Mix the sourdough starter, flour, and butter, salt, and seasoning together to form a cohesive dough. Divide in quarters. Flatten the quarters into rectangles, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.

Preheat oven to 350F. Flour a sheet of parchment, a rectangle of dough, and the rolling pin. Roll out the dough until it is very thin. Then brush the dough sheet with oil, sprinkle with salt, and cut into 1-2 inc squares. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until lightly browned. Stir the crackers around every 5-10 minutes for more even browning. Cool on a wire rack.

I have also sprinkled the tops with everything seasoning. The kids really like them that way.

Savory with Vegetables

Tonight's experiment was using a new-to-me herb, savory. I'm sure that I have eaten it before at sometime, but I have not cooked with it. I used it to season cubed roasted parsnips, butternut squash, and beauty heart radish. I rather liked it. Savory reminds me of thyme flavor, but milder. The roasted vegetables went well with the sweet and spicy seitan-jackfruit squares and the buttermilk biscuits that were also on the menu.

I am contemplating adding some savory to the salted herbs that I plan to make this weekend. After reading up a little about salted herbs, I decided to use celery, fennel bulb, onion, and parsley. They are all flavors reasonably well like by my kids. I'd like carrot or parsnip added, but the younger folk would likely turn their noses up.