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Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Does it seem like I'm the worst blogger ever? And butternut squash ravioli.
I know I haven't posted any tasty things in months. MONTHS!
But yesterday I made butternut sqash ravioli and I want to tell you all about it.
Did it take about three hours? Yes, it did. Was it totally worth it? Yes, it was.
Did I do that totally lame thing I do and not take any pictures, even though everyone knows that's the whole point of a food blog? Ummm..... maybe. But I'll tell you how to make ravioli! That should count for something, right?
You'll need:
One butternut squash
One box firm silken tofu (such as Mori-Nu)
One medium onion
Dried sage
Garlic powder
1/2 lemon
2 tsp white miso paste
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cups flour--I used 1 cup each of semilina and whole grain spelt. I don't necessarily recommend using the spelt, since it's rather low-gluten and therefore a little hard to handle in the dough. That said, I did it and it turned out fine.
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
First, make the squash: Use a big sharp kitchen knife to cut the very top and bottom off the squash. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel off the skin, and scoop the seeds out of the middle. Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes, coat with a little oil, and bake at 400 degrees until they're very tender. (This will take about 20 minutes.)
For the dough: Combine 1/4 of the tofu, 1 tsp. of sage, 1 tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, and 3 Tbsp. water in a blender. Puree until smooth. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl or onto a large clean surface, like a cutting board. Make a well in the center of the flour, and pour the tofu mixture into the middle. Using your fingers or a fork, incorporate the dry stuff into the wet stuff. If it's really too dry, you can add a little more water, one tablespoon at a time. You need to really knead this dough a lot before it will come together, so don't get discouraged! Once the dough finally comes together, knead it for about five minutes so that it can get nice and stretchy. Wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for an hour.
While the dough is resting, combine the miso, juice of half a lemon, and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix until it's all incorporated. Add the rest of the package of tofu, and mash it all together. It doesn't need to be perfectly smooth, but you want the tofu to absorb all the flavors. Add salt and pepper and garlic powder to taste.
Next, cut the onion in half, and slice thinly. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and add the onion to it. Add 1 tbsp of dried sage. Stir occasionally until the onion is nice and brown and caramelized. (This part makes the whole house smell yummy.)
Add the squash to the onion and smush with the back of a fork and comine the squash and onions into a nice little filling for your ravioli.
Now, tear off a small hunk of dough--more or less 1/3 cup. Place it on top of a piece of wax paper and pat it out into a flat round disc. Use a rolling pin to roll it out (very gently) until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Now, do exactly the same thing to another piece of dough so that you have two pasta sheets of about the same size. Lay one sheet on a flat surface and scoop teaspoonfuls of the tofu mixture about 3 inches apart. Scoop the squash in the same way right on top of the tofu. Use your finger or a pastry brush to brush some water around all the little mounds of filling. Lay the second sheet of dough on top of this and gently press the dough down around the scoops of filling so that it will stick. Use a knife or cookie cutter to cut out the raviolis, and place them on a plate dusted with cornmeal or flour. Continue to do this until all your dough is gone--you can re-roll the scraps of dough until you run out.
Now just boil them in salted water until they float! Now you are an accomplished ravioli chef. (Just like Chef Boyardee?)
But yesterday I made butternut sqash ravioli and I want to tell you all about it.
Did it take about three hours? Yes, it did. Was it totally worth it? Yes, it was.
Did I do that totally lame thing I do and not take any pictures, even though everyone knows that's the whole point of a food blog? Ummm..... maybe. But I'll tell you how to make ravioli! That should count for something, right?
You'll need:
One butternut squash
One box firm silken tofu (such as Mori-Nu)
One medium onion
Dried sage
Garlic powder
1/2 lemon
2 tsp white miso paste
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 cups flour--I used 1 cup each of semilina and whole grain spelt. I don't necessarily recommend using the spelt, since it's rather low-gluten and therefore a little hard to handle in the dough. That said, I did it and it turned out fine.
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
First, make the squash: Use a big sharp kitchen knife to cut the very top and bottom off the squash. Use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to peel off the skin, and scoop the seeds out of the middle. Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes, coat with a little oil, and bake at 400 degrees until they're very tender. (This will take about 20 minutes.)
For the dough: Combine 1/4 of the tofu, 1 tsp. of sage, 1 tsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, and 3 Tbsp. water in a blender. Puree until smooth. Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl or onto a large clean surface, like a cutting board. Make a well in the center of the flour, and pour the tofu mixture into the middle. Using your fingers or a fork, incorporate the dry stuff into the wet stuff. If it's really too dry, you can add a little more water, one tablespoon at a time. You need to really knead this dough a lot before it will come together, so don't get discouraged! Once the dough finally comes together, knead it for about five minutes so that it can get nice and stretchy. Wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for an hour.
While the dough is resting, combine the miso, juice of half a lemon, and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix until it's all incorporated. Add the rest of the package of tofu, and mash it all together. It doesn't need to be perfectly smooth, but you want the tofu to absorb all the flavors. Add salt and pepper and garlic powder to taste.
Next, cut the onion in half, and slice thinly. Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and add the onion to it. Add 1 tbsp of dried sage. Stir occasionally until the onion is nice and brown and caramelized. (This part makes the whole house smell yummy.)
Add the squash to the onion and smush with the back of a fork and comine the squash and onions into a nice little filling for your ravioli.
Now, tear off a small hunk of dough--more or less 1/3 cup. Place it on top of a piece of wax paper and pat it out into a flat round disc. Use a rolling pin to roll it out (very gently) until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Now, do exactly the same thing to another piece of dough so that you have two pasta sheets of about the same size. Lay one sheet on a flat surface and scoop teaspoonfuls of the tofu mixture about 3 inches apart. Scoop the squash in the same way right on top of the tofu. Use your finger or a pastry brush to brush some water around all the little mounds of filling. Lay the second sheet of dough on top of this and gently press the dough down around the scoops of filling so that it will stick. Use a knife or cookie cutter to cut out the raviolis, and place them on a plate dusted with cornmeal or flour. Continue to do this until all your dough is gone--you can re-roll the scraps of dough until you run out.
Now just boil them in salted water until they float! Now you are an accomplished ravioli chef. (Just like Chef Boyardee?)
Monday, August 2, 2010
Pesto is yummy
Pesto is one of those foods that I could eat every day.
For a long time I would just follow a traditional pesto recipe and omit the cheese, but something seemed to be missing. Then one day I had the idea to try adding some miso. It turns out I'm not the first person to have thought of this (not by a long shot, it's all over the internet) but it's a good trick! I find that it gives the whole thing a little bit of a salty kick, sort of how parmesan cheese would. And the only real work involved is cleaning the blender at the end!
Ingredients:
1 bunch of basil (about two cups)
1 clove of garlic--(Seriously, you don't need a lot! It tastes stronger when it's raw!)
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts
1 Tbsp. miso paste (you'll need more or less depending on what kind of miso you used, since some are mild and some are pretty sharp. I used white miso, which is pretty mild.)
olive oil
1.Wash the basil and remove the stems. Put the basil leaves in the blender, along with the walnuts, lemon juice, and miso. Smush the garlic with the side of your knife, give it a very rough chop, and add that too. Give everything a whirl until all the ingredients are pretty evenly mixed.
2. Now you can start adding olive oil through the hole in the lid of the blender! (Oh, is that what that thing is for???) Drizzle the oil in a little at a time until the mixture is relatively smooth enough for you--this is kind of a matter of taste so you'll have to judge for yourself.
3. This is the most important step: taste it! Add more miso if you want, and season with black pepper. (The miso is salty, so you probably won't need to add extra salt to this.)
4. Spread it on your sandwiches, toss your pasta and veggies in it, cry when it runs out...
For a long time I would just follow a traditional pesto recipe and omit the cheese, but something seemed to be missing. Then one day I had the idea to try adding some miso. It turns out I'm not the first person to have thought of this (not by a long shot, it's all over the internet) but it's a good trick! I find that it gives the whole thing a little bit of a salty kick, sort of how parmesan cheese would. And the only real work involved is cleaning the blender at the end!
Ingredients:
1 bunch of basil (about two cups)
1 clove of garlic--(Seriously, you don't need a lot! It tastes stronger when it's raw!)
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts
1 Tbsp. miso paste (you'll need more or less depending on what kind of miso you used, since some are mild and some are pretty sharp. I used white miso, which is pretty mild.)
olive oil
1.Wash the basil and remove the stems. Put the basil leaves in the blender, along with the walnuts, lemon juice, and miso. Smush the garlic with the side of your knife, give it a very rough chop, and add that too. Give everything a whirl until all the ingredients are pretty evenly mixed.
2. Now you can start adding olive oil through the hole in the lid of the blender! (Oh, is that what that thing is for???) Drizzle the oil in a little at a time until the mixture is relatively smooth enough for you--this is kind of a matter of taste so you'll have to judge for yourself.
3. This is the most important step: taste it! Add more miso if you want, and season with black pepper. (The miso is salty, so you probably won't need to add extra salt to this.)
4. Spread it on your sandwiches, toss your pasta and veggies in it, cry when it runs out...
Monday, July 12, 2010
Fennel, I'd love to get to know you better
There's something about fennel that seems to just scream, "fancy!" It's fragrant and dainty and my parents never fed it to me, which I guess just adds to the mystique. But what should I do with it now that I've brought it home from the store?
Here's what: put it in everything! Especially pasta salad.
I know, I know, everyone is so sick of pasta salad (or is it just me?) Well, no more!
Pasta salad with fennel (Or maybe I should call it, fennel salad with pasta.)
Cook and drain one pound of whole wheat rotini. Toss with just enough olive oil to coat while its still hot--this will prevent sticking.
Chop 1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves (Got more? Good, add them too!) Add this to the pasta.
Cut 2-3 large ripe tomatoes and add to the pasta.
Finely chop a quarter of a vidalia onion and add this to the pasta, too.
In a small bowl, gently smush 1 can of white beans with the back of a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a nice healthy squeeze of lemon juice. Add 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast if you have some lying around.
Wash and thinly slice 1/3 of a bulb of fennel, and add to the salad. If it has the little leaves on it still, you can roughly chop those and add them, too.
(If you feel like it, you could roast the fennel before putting it in here, but it was way too hot to turn on the oven when I made this!)
Add the beans to the pasta and toss everything around.
It's best if you let it sit overnight so the flavors really have a chance to meld. Take it out of the fridge about 40 minutes before serving so that it can come to room temperature.
EAT IT! You can serve it over salad greens or next to just about anything.
Here's what: put it in everything! Especially pasta salad.
I know, I know, everyone is so sick of pasta salad (or is it just me?) Well, no more!
Pasta salad with fennel (Or maybe I should call it, fennel salad with pasta.)
Cook and drain one pound of whole wheat rotini. Toss with just enough olive oil to coat while its still hot--this will prevent sticking.
Chop 1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves (Got more? Good, add them too!) Add this to the pasta.
Cut 2-3 large ripe tomatoes and add to the pasta.
Finely chop a quarter of a vidalia onion and add this to the pasta, too.
In a small bowl, gently smush 1 can of white beans with the back of a fork. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a nice healthy squeeze of lemon juice. Add 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast if you have some lying around.
Wash and thinly slice 1/3 of a bulb of fennel, and add to the salad. If it has the little leaves on it still, you can roughly chop those and add them, too.
(If you feel like it, you could roast the fennel before putting it in here, but it was way too hot to turn on the oven when I made this!)
Add the beans to the pasta and toss everything around.
It's best if you let it sit overnight so the flavors really have a chance to meld. Take it out of the fridge about 40 minutes before serving so that it can come to room temperature.
EAT IT! You can serve it over salad greens or next to just about anything.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Hooray for vegan cupcakes on the Food Network
Chloe Coscarelli, an LA-based vegan chef, won cupcake wars--yay! I'm really glad to see that the (very mainstream) Food Network is finally catching on.
Here is an interview with Chloe on VegNews.
I'd also like to point out that the runner-up said some kinda snotty things about Chloe's vegan baking (or rather, about vegan baking in general) and came across looking like a bit of a narrow-minded sore loser, and I hope she learned her lesson!
And I can't wait to try Chloe's winning recipe for chocolate strawberry shortcake cupcakes.
Here is an interview with Chloe on VegNews.
I'd also like to point out that the runner-up said some kinda snotty things about Chloe's vegan baking (or rather, about vegan baking in general) and came across looking like a bit of a narrow-minded sore loser, and I hope she learned her lesson!
And I can't wait to try Chloe's winning recipe for chocolate strawberry shortcake cupcakes.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Summer Makes Me Lazy
Summer makes Stella lazy, too.All I want to eat is sandwiches and salad and--as I believe I've mentioned before--vegan ice cream. And you all know how to make your own sandwiches and salads, so I'm not going to bore you with silly recipes. But pictures are ok, right?
This one is fresh corn, tomatoes, green pepper, parsley, olive oil, hot sauce and red wine vinegar, with salt and pepper. Nom!
Avocado melts are YUMMY. Cut up some avocado and arrange it on some wholeo-grain bread and add a slice of vegan cheese (I've been buying Tofutti slices, but I've heard Daiya is the best ever, so I guess I'll have to try that too.)
Stick it under the broiler until the cheese melts, and then eat it while complaining that it goes straight to your thighs.
Then, take a nap.Sunday, June 6, 2010
We all scream for (soy) scream
It is HOT here in Brooklyn, and humid as well! So I've been eating ice cream a lot. Sometimes in lieu of actual meals.
Hot Fudge Sundaes are the best!
Sure, it's animal friendly, but keep it away from your dog.
To make hot fudge: Finely chop 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate. Put it in a saucepan with 1 c. soy milk, 2 tbsp. light corn syrup and 1 tbsp. agave nectar (you can use all corn syrup but I like the caramelly sweetness of the agave, I think it adds depth.) Add 2 tpsp. vegan margarine. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate is all melted. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Once it comes to a boil, cook for five minutes, stirring often. After five minutes it should be thick and viscous. Pour it into a sturdy glass jar, and add 2 tsp. vanilla extract and (optional) 1/8 tsp. almond extract, along with two pinches of kosher salt.
To make a sundae (as if you don't know perfectly well how to make a sundae), scoop some vegan ice cream into your favorite bowl. I'd like to try making my own s'cream, but that's a post for another day. (Laziness, ahoy.)
Top with your choice of sliced bananas, shredded coconut, nuts, sprinkles, fruit, hot fudge, vegan marshmallow creme, and anything else you want! Top with a cherry if you like to be fancy/nostalgic. Some combinations I like are:
Chocolate ice cream topped with toasted coconut and slivered almonds
Tofutti Wildberry Supreme with fresh berries. As soon as I can get my hands on some vegan marshmallow creme, I'll be adding that, too! Mmmmmm.
Hot Fudge Sundaes are the best!
Sure, it's animal friendly, but keep it away from your dog.
To make hot fudge: Finely chop 3 oz. bittersweet chocolate. Put it in a saucepan with 1 c. soy milk, 2 tbsp. light corn syrup and 1 tbsp. agave nectar (you can use all corn syrup but I like the caramelly sweetness of the agave, I think it adds depth.) Add 2 tpsp. vegan margarine. Stir over medium heat until the chocolate is all melted. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Once it comes to a boil, cook for five minutes, stirring often. After five minutes it should be thick and viscous. Pour it into a sturdy glass jar, and add 2 tsp. vanilla extract and (optional) 1/8 tsp. almond extract, along with two pinches of kosher salt.
To make a sundae (as if you don't know perfectly well how to make a sundae), scoop some vegan ice cream into your favorite bowl. I'd like to try making my own s'cream, but that's a post for another day. (Laziness, ahoy.)
Top with your choice of sliced bananas, shredded coconut, nuts, sprinkles, fruit, hot fudge, vegan marshmallow creme, and anything else you want! Top with a cherry if you like to be fancy/nostalgic. Some combinations I like are:
Chocolate ice cream topped with toasted coconut and slivered almonds
Tofutti Wildberry Supreme with fresh berries. As soon as I can get my hands on some vegan marshmallow creme, I'll be adding that, too! Mmmmmm.
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