Sunshine and Pie

It’s definitely Spring, how do I know you ask - the apple trees are budding. It’s unlikely we will get any apples this year, our trees are only 2 years old but one can always hope. 

Like all Minnesotans, we’re staying at home, wearing masks and Zooming with our family and friends - it’s not ideal but to date, we are all still here and well. Dan made a trip to Menards for compost and wood chips to get our garden beds. He went early (it was pretty empty), wore a mask, and did that social distancing thing. He spent Sunday repairing some of the beds and prepping them - we’re ready to go. Now, all we need are plants.

I purchased seeds a while ago for the greens and herbs, garlic and fingerling potatoes. I’m not thrilled with heading to Home Depot or Menards for annuals and other veggies so thanks to my friend Wendy, who told me about the Hennepin Technical College contact-free plant sale, I ordered most of the rest of what we need from them. I’ll finish the rest of my shopping at Tonkadale, a local female-owned store that has curbside pickup!

Before anything goes in the ground tho, I’ll wait until about May 10th to avoid any frost - however it is Minnesota and anything can happen. 

While Dan was digging in the dirt I found a bag of sour cherries and some rhubarb in the freezer from last year that was begging for a chance to do something tasty - pie. From start to finish, this recipe takes about 1.5 to 2 hours to bake and if you can wait, you should let it cool a bit before slicing. While the photo/pie was not as pretty as it could be, the real thing was delicious.

Cherry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 to 1 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups rhubarb, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces

2 1/2 cups pitted and halved cherries

1 double-crust pie crust

2 tablespoons cold butter cut in bits

milk and sugar mixture for the top crust

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Make your favorite double-crust pie dough. Place the bottom crust in a pie pan. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, rhubarb, and cherries. Mix gently to coat the fruit in the dry mixture. Transfer the filling to the pie shell and dot the top with the butter. 

Place the top crust on top of the filling and seal the edges. Lightly brush the top of the crust with milk then sprinkle it with sugar.

Place the pie in the oven and bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees and bake the pie for 30 more minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Thanks for Stopping By!

Comfort Food for the Soul

I’ve belonged to the same book club for more than 15 years and this week we will do something we've never done before - host it virtually. I’ll miss the great food that everyone brings and the opportunity to see each other but for now, Zoom with a glass of wine will have to do. 

We read The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. It was recommended to me by my niece Katie - it was so good and the ending made me cry; not something that happens often. The characters are wonderful, the story compelling and there is enough suspense, romance and great prose fo keep you going. I’ll be interested in what the rest of the group thinks. 

Like everyone, we’ve been staying indoors and venturing out when necessary. In MN we are under a stay at home order until May 4th and not sure what comes after that. I do know I need a haircut - but that’s small stuff and it can wait. It’s not like anyone sees me right?

I’ve been doing a lot of cooking and some experimenting but lately I’ve been making some favorites and some comfort food. Both Dan and I love eggplant so I snagged one at the grocery store last week. I roasted it in a savory/spicy glaze and served it with a spinach salad, fresh bread and carrots, and green beans. 

Marinated Eggplant

Ingredients;

2 lb eggplant

2 tsp salt

Glaze

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp cumin

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbs olive oil

pinch black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch rounds. Sprinkle a cookie sheet or cutting board with 1 tsp of salt and then place the eggplant slices on the salted surface. Sprinkle 1 tsp of salt on top of the eggplant slices in an even layer and let them sit for 10-15 minutes to draw out the moisture. 

Use a paper towel to pat dry both sides of the eggplant slices and shake off excess salt.

Add all of the glaze ingredients into a small jar. Shake for 30 seconds until all ingredients are combined (should be a salad dressing like consistency).

Place eggplant slices on a lined baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze on each side of the eggplant. Bake 10 minutes on 400. Switch the oven to broil, and broil an additional 3-5 minutes on each side until golden brown.

For many people, grilled cheese is the ultimate comfort food. There is something about the crispy bread and the melted cheese that makes you say mmmmmmm. Regular cheese is a no no for me but I’ve found that Field Roast makes a chou cheese; it’s soy-based and unlike many vegan cheese products it actually melts.

I decided to kick our comfort food up a notch and caramelized some onions and mushrooms and grilled them all together with a delicious whole grain bread - it hit the spot. 

Stay safe - thanks for stopping by!

The Good the Bad and the Ugly

So we’ve been social distancing for about 3 weeks now and to be honest, I don’t see that stopping in the short term - at least until the end of May at the earliest! The main reason is that people don’t get it! Yes I know it’s nice out, yes I know you and your family are bored as hell sitting around the house and yes for those of you who have children - they are most likely driving you nuts - I get that. However, if you don’t do it now we’ll be doing it for a lot longer - please stay home, stop congregating at Target, the grocery store or in the middle of the street - STOP JUST STOP.

We’ve had a few changes this week, I no longer work on Friday and Dan has a new title - Data Strategist - which is very exciting. I’m sad that we were not able to go to his favorite place to celebrate - Red Lobster where he has the Admirals Feast and a Lotta Colada - it’s his thing and we will get there when we are free to do whatever. I did make him a celebration dinner - cod, a fresh green salad, baby roasted and smashed potatoes and banana cream pie for dessert - it was good. 

I’m still cooking and trying to empty out the freezer and pantry. This week I made a Chana Masala with coconut green beans and rice, a vegetarian spaghetti with edamame noodles and fresh bread and the celebration dinner. I’ll post pictures of all and give you the recipe for the spaghetti because the tomato sauce was made with last year's garden tomatoes, jalapeños, fresh herbs, onions, and peppers. 

Vegan Spaghetti

Sauce Ingredients

2 T olive oil

1 onion diced 

1 pepper - red, yellow or orange - it’s up to you

1 large zucchini cubed

1 - 2 carrots - chopped 

1 - 2 handfuls of spinach

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

A few shakes of chili pepper flakes 

2 - 3 cups last years tomato sauce (which contains onions, jalapenos, fresh basil, rosemary, and oregano) 

3 T tomato paste 

Instructions:

In a large pan saute onions in olive oil until translucent. Add peppers, zucchini, and carrots and sauté until softened. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, seasonings, and spinach and simmer for 20 -30 minutes 

In a saucepan boil water - when rolling add noodles and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse.

Serve pasta with a green salad and bread (we used naan because that is what we had). 

Stay home and stay safe - thanks for stopping by!

Soup and Bread - the Ultimate Comfort Food

It’s officially day 1 of the Minnesota Stay at Home order although we’ve been keeping away from the masses for a couple weeks now. We’re keeping busy, this week we finished a hard 1000 piece puzzle and we have another one on deck. I finally took the last one apart and put it in the box. I’ve also been taking advantage of the nice weather we’ve had the past couple days and have been reading out on the deck - the sunshine feels good. Cleaning - it can wait.

Cooking has always been relaxing; it’s my creative outlet and these days it gives me a sense of calm - the thing I don’t have in other places. Dan’s been benefitting too and I haven’t gotten any complaints on that end either. Yesterday I tried my hand at bread - the real kind not from the machine - granted it was the no-knead variety but it was the perfect compliment to the Broccoli and Cauliflower soup.

I had some fresh broccoli and cauliflower in the fridge and I was looking for some comfort food and for me comfort = soup. 

Broccoli Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients;

2 cups broccoli florets, chopped small and rinsed

3 cups cauliflower florets, chopped small and rinsed

1 cup carrot, diced ( optional for low-carb, keto diet)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

6 cups (1,5l) vegetable broth

1 (15oz – 420g) can diced tomatoes, drained (or 4 tomatoes, diced)

1 tablespoon Italian dried herbs

1 can white beans

A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)

Instructions:

In a large pot or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant about 2 minutes. Add carrot and cook stirring occasionally for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes to combine all of the flavors together.

Stir in the rinsed broccoli and cauliflower florets and the white beans and continue to simmer gently until cooked through but still crunchy, approx. 5 minutes.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, garnish with parmesan and fresh parsley and serve!

No-Knead Bread

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups room temperature water - approx 110 degrees

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, add flour, salt, and yeast. Pour in water, use a wooden spatula to combine. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let sit on your counter for 5 to 12 hours. 

When ready to bake your bread, preheat oven to 450 F degrees. Add cast iron dutch oven (with the lid on) to the oven, so it preheats along with the oven itself.

Flour your hands, counter/cutting board, and sprinkle some flour over the top of the dough itself.  Remove dough from bowl and shape it into a rough ball shape. Drop ball of dough into the preheated pot, cover with the lid and return to oven.

Bake, with the lid on, for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 15-20 minutes until golden brown and crusty.

Bread should remove easily from the pot, so take the bread out and let cool completely before slicing.

Stay home, stay safe and check on your friends and neighbors. Thanks for stopping by!

Vegan Peanut butter Oatmeal Cups

Desperate times call for desperate measures or chocolate, peanut butter, and oatmeal - it’s the same right? We’ve been keeping close to home these days; walking early in the morning when there are fewer people on the trail, not leaving the house, video chatting with friends instead of in-person events and doing a bit of cleaning. 

On Friday afternoon I made a very fast dash to the grocery store, made sure I had my wipes, kept my distance from others and made sure I thanked the checkout person for being there; because without her, I wouldn’t be able to bring food home. For those of you do not support a $15.00 minimum wage - keep in mind these are the people who are keeping your cupboards stocked these days. 

Dan and I have talked a lot about how to get through this time. We want to support our local restaurants and have decided to order out a couple times a week to our favorites. This week it was the local Indian haunt - they forgot one of the dishes so Dan had to go back he wasn’t thrilled but things are not normal these days and everyone is stressed - we all have to be patient. 

I’m not a huge dessert fan but Dan likes a little sweet after dinner and in the morning with his coffee. I found a recipe for a Vegan no-bake peanut butter and oatmeal bars recipe that I thought sounded good sooooo - I made a batch - it is good and took less than 15 minutes to make. 

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Oat Layer

2 1/2 cups rolled oats gluten-free if required

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup maple syrup

Chocolate Topping

3/4 cup vegan chocolate buds

2 tbsp smooth peanut butter

Instructions:

Line a square brownie tin with grease-proof paper. 

Add the peanut butter and maple syrup to a medium saucepan and stir together over medium heat until combined.

Add the rolled oats and stir through so the oats are completely coated and combined. 

Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to the lined brownie tin and press down to get it as level as you can. Set aside.

In the microwave, melt the vegan chocolate and peanut butter together, stirring occasionally to combine. Pour the melted chocolate over the oat mixture and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to level out. 

Pop the slice into the fridge for at least 30 minutes or until set or in the freezer for around 15 minutes. Slice into squares to serve.

And that’s it! Super simple, delicious and made from ingredients in your pantry. If you are not vegan you can use regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. Thanks for stopping by!

Slainte - A Social Distancing St Paddy’s Day

Happy St Paddy’s Day - it’s a weird one no doubt; restaurants and bars are closed (except for takeout), schools are closed and the world is tilting just a little bit. We’re practicing social distancing; working from home, walking and online yoga instead of the health club and we’re gathering in small groups but only with people who are practicing as we are. 

I’ve replaced my eating in restaurants with cooking at home, ordering out to continue to support our favorite places, and learning to play Mahjong with a small group of friends and I love it - even considering buying my own set. I’ve been cooking out of the fridge/pantry/freezer and baking - it’s been therapeutic and fun. 

I’ve also been mindful to check in with friends and family to make sure they are safe, have the things they need and keep the lines of communication open. It’ so important to connect these days, what’s going on can cause depression, panic and anxiety, be sure to connect with your loved ones, they need you as much as you need them. 

This afternoon I spent time with my girlfriends learning to play Mahjong - lesson #2. While I am a total a novice, I’m starting to get the hang of the game and it’s nice to be with friends even if just for a couple hours - it keeps me sane. 

My original thought for dinner tonight was stir fry but it’s St Paddy’s Day and even though we do not do the traditional corned beef and cabbage I wanted to do a vegetarian twist - vegan shepherd’s pie (with lentils) and traditional Irish soda bread. 

I made a couple twists - I used butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes and added a few additional veggies (because they were in the fridge and needed to be used).

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

4 cups of butternut squash - chopped 

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced carrots

4 1/2 cups prepared lentils

2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon dried basil 

A handful of chopped spinach

2+ tablespoons non-dairy milk

Sea salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350º F. Peel and chop squash into small chunks. Put them in a pot of water and boil until tender. Cook lentils according to package directions, drain and cool. 

Chop the carrots, onion, and celery (mirepoix) into small chunks. Add this to a large skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon of water and allow them to soften. Once the veggies are softened, add the cooked lentils to the pan and allow them to cook for several minutes with the mirepoix.

Open the cans of diced tomatoes (but do not drain them) and add these along with a tablespoon of chopped (or dried) basil leaves, a handful of chopped spinach, and a splash of soy sauce. Simmer for  10-15 minutes. 

When the butternut squash is cooked, remove from heat and drain the water. Mash with a little salt and a splash of non-dairy milk until the consistency is perfect.

Put the lentil filling to a 9 x 13 pan and top with a layer of squash. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes until the topping becomes slightly browned. Allow mixture to cool before serving.

Traditional Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 ½ cups raisins

1 ½ cups buttermilk (this really must be buttermilk for best results)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Add in the raisins slowly, while mixing the ingredients, so that the raisins to become coated with the flour mixture. Slowly add in the buttermilk and mix until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until it forms a smooth ball. Flatten the ball so that the sides and middle are about the same thickness to ensure even baking. Place the dough onto a cookie sheet pan that has been coated with spray release, or on a pan that is lined with parchment paper.

Slash the top a few times with a sharp knife and bake 35-45 minutes - until browned and cooked through. 

Be Safe and Take Care

A Vegan Irish Stew

Just when I think the world can’t get any crazier it does. I’ve started to limit my news/social media to 15 minutes a day - honestly, I can’t take the insanity. I’ve also been doing the whole social distancing thing and it’s nice. I’m not an introvert but I do like my space. I get energy from people but I also get energy from reading, cooking and being on my own. 

We spent this weekend having friends over for movie night on Friday and then went over to Dan’s daughter’s place on Saturday for dinner. Ok, the guys built a computer and we built a desk from Ikea; we had fun.

St Paddy’s Day is looming and with all that’s going on it’s unlikely, we’ll be celebrating anywhere but at home. When I was young my mom always made corned beef and cabbage. I liked the cabbage and carrots but usually added a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the side - not a fan of corned beef. 

I do lamb and fish from time to time and considered lamb shanks for movie night but in the end, I found a vegan mushroom stew that looked pretty good so I decided to give that a go - a wise decision. I served it with Guinness Brown Bread - it was so tasty and filling. I started with a recipe from Straight Up Foods and in the end, I added my own spin. 

I added the vegan butter - and if you are not a vegan add regular butter - without it the stew didn't have that umami flavor. The mushrooms add a nice depth but it needed more. I also added additional spices to please my palette, for me it needed more. 

Ingredients

1½ large yellow or white onions, chopped into ¾-inch pieces (about 3 cups)

3 medium carrots, sliced lengthwise and cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 2¼ cups)

3 ribs celery, cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

10 ounces baby portabella mushrooms

1½ tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 6 medium cloves)

5 cups of water

1.5 pounds white potatoes - I used small baby potatoes and did not peel them 

⅓ cup tomato paste (half of a 6-ounce can)

1 tablespoon dried Italian herb seasoning

1 T oregano

1 tablespoon paprika

1½ cups cooked peas (if frozen, rinse under warm water)

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 T vegan butter 

chili powder - to taste

salt and pepper to taste

a few shakes of chili flakes 

Instructions 

Heat 1 tablespoon of water in a soup pot over medium-high heat. When the water starts to sputter, add the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes, adding water as needed.

Stir in the mushrooms and garlic, and continue to cook while stirring for 5 minutes more, adding water as needed.

Add the 5 cups of water, potatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and paprika, and bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the rosemary and other spices. Cover and cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the carrots and potatoes are very tender.

Add the peas and cook for 5 minutes more.

Place 2 cups of the stew (broth and vegetables) into a blender, and blend just briefly. Stir the mixture back into the pot to thicken the stew. Top each bowl with parsley.

Keep doing all those things you're doing - stay out of crowded places, wash your hands, read a book, watch a movie with your sweetie and stay healthy!