If you like chickpeas...

And honestly, even if you don't, make this recipe! I cook a lot at home and most of the time what I come up with is fine. But this was good. As in I took a bite and kind of laughed at how good it was. I didn't follow the recipe exactly, but I'd imagine it's pretty good in any incarnation. Here's how I made it, and I'll link to the blog I found it on.

I used one can of chickpeas, following Karlye's handy directions for bringing them to a boil and then simmering for about 15 min.

Diced about half of a red onion (could easily use more- I was just too lazy to go grocery shopping) and a few good-sized garlic cloves. Sauteed in olive oil for around 15 minutes- should be soft and browning. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes- I don't think it matters what kind exactly, mine were pretty juicy which I think worked well- and a "pinch" of sugar to the onions/garlic and cook for another 15 minutes or so. It should be kind of tomato-pasty but not too much. I then added slivered almonds and cilantro- not a ton of either one, but enough so you could see and taste them. Drain and add the chickpeas to the veggies, along with some water. I realize these are super vague directions- I probably added less than 1 cup, and it was a good kind of soupy but follow your own preferences. Cook that whole mixture for another 10-15 minutes, add a little salt and some lemon juice if you're so inclined. And then eat the amazingness that you have created in awe.

Here's the real recipe- but I would strongly urge you to use cilantro if you like it, and don't stress about the garlic-almond-parsley -saffron food processor mix. I ignored that step. http://www.travelerslunchbox.com/journal/2007/5/29/chickpea-consolation.html

In other news, I have been a baking fiend. Cinnamon rolls, pumpkin chocolate muffins, almond poppyseed scones, challah, etc. And then last night I attempted peanut butter cookies and pretty much failed. So I'm asking for cookie recipes that don't require a mixer- I haven't bought one yet and I'm being stubborn.

Also, if you have a quiet weekend day available- make some challah. It will make your whole house smell incredible and you will end up with some fancy-looking bread for your trouble. I used this recipe: http://thekitchensinkrecipes.com/2008/10/10/creature-of-habit/#more-2725

One other thing I've been meaning to make but haven't tried yet is polenta...anyone ever tried that? I was thinking about making it and then baking it into squares but I'm a little intimidated.

Cooking Legumes!

Hey friends! Here's how to cook beans so that they don't give you gas!

1. Pick over legumes and rinse.
2. Put them in a large pot and add 3x their volume of cold H2O.
3. Boil 1 min (skimming off foam), cover pan, remove from heat.
4. Allow to stand for 2+ hours.
5. Drain legumes and add fresh H2O.
6. Boil gently until done (anywhere from a few min - 1 hr, depending on the bean!).

Enjoy your gas-free beans! Who needs Beano, anyway?

About the Hummus I Made Eons Ago.

One solution I've found to the problem of not having enough time to cook is to make massive quantities of food when I DO have the time to cook. The freezer is my friend! Back in August I made loads of hummus, and I'm still eating it and handing it out to people!

After cooking the beans (next post), I usually just put them in the blender with the rest of the ingredients and blender away! And usually end up cursing under my breath when the beans don't get chopped up right and the blender gets stuck... I've figure out though, that if you put enough liquid in the bottom of the blender first, it works out better.

Main ingredients include chick peas (garbanzo beans), tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt, although I've seen so many variations, it's insane! Do you guys have a favorite hummus recipe?

Food Bank Foodie!

Hey guys!  Dorothy here! I have been woefully absent from this blog so far, but that's all about to change starting...now!

Anyhoo, I thought I'd write about a couple of different things that are delicious and involve vegetables, and also tell you a little bit about the work I'm doing, because it's about food!  Yay!  

So, as many of you know, I have an Americorps position based out of the local food bank here in Bellingham, WA, in which I help coordinate a gleaning project.  Those of you who are up on our ol' pal Leviticus probably know all about gleaning, so the basic concept probably doesn't require much explanation.  Anyway, here in Whatcom County we glean tree fruit from people's trees in their yards, we glean vegetables from farms, and we collect unsold produce from the local farmers market.  Lately, we've been delivering the farmers market goodies (about 400 pounds of veggies) right across the street to a low income housing apartment complex.  Pretty sweet.  Of late we've been gleaning lots o apples, and also potatoes and some carrots.  We also had a huge plum season.  It's been a good year for fruit in Western Washington, happily.  We take the fruits and veggies that we pick to some of about 2 dozen different food banks, meal programs, and shelters in the county.  So far this summer/fall we've gleaned about 60,000 pounds of produce!  For better or for worse, the government and the food banking world measure food in pounds, which often distorts the true value of the food.  For example, at one glean we picked about 40 pounds of blueberries, which if you looked at a serving size or at the market value, seems to be worth much more than the standard government practice of valuing donated food at $1.50 a pound.  

Working at a food bank is AWESOME.  My coworkers are da bomb, and I get to take home all the free food I want.  That plus the food I pick with the gleaners keep my food costs hilariously low.  Also, I get food stamps, so I really never have to pay for food unless I eat out.  Living the dream, my friends, living the dream.  Anyway, constant access to vegetables has made me want to cook with them more, and there are two recipes I make a lot that involve lots of healthy veggies!  I thought I'd share them since some of you guys might be trying to eat more vegetables too.  Also, you can make these recipes with whatever vegetables are in season.

1) Roasted vegetables

This might seem like a really obvious way to cook vegetables, but it really never occurred to me until this year, oddly enough.  Anyway, roasting vegetables is an extremely superior way to cook them! They get really tasty, and you can do it large quantities so you have leftovers.  I like to take a bunch of root veggies (carrots, potatoes, beets, onions, leeks, shallots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, kohlrabi) and some other things like broccoli, celery, chard stems, garlic, etc. and chop them up into large bite-sized pieces.  The longer the veg takes to cook (beets) the smaller you should chop it.  Then coat all the chopped veggies in olive oil with salt and pepper, and layer them in a roasting pan, with as little overlap as possible.  Cook them at 425 degrees for about half an hour or 40 minutes, and you will be loving life in a big way.  Obviously, this method works for just single types of vegetables as well (try roasted broccoli!).  Yumness.

2) Vegetable Curry

Alethea probably knows a much better way to do this than my ghetto version, but here you go.  Another good way to cook all the vegetables listed above is to simmer them in coconut milk in a pan for a while with some curry powder, salt and pepper.  You can start by cooking some lentils or chickpeas in the coconut milk, and then add the vegetables after 20 minutes or so.  You want it to simmer for a while, and remember that some vegetables take longer than others to cook.  This is great with jasmine rice.  Hurrah! 

 Hope that gives you some good ideas. Soon I will blog about a soup I made recently with vegetables and peanut butter that was surprisingly tasty!

Alethea in real life...

So dear friends, I feel sadly inadequate when it comes to contributing to this blog, but nevertheless, I will do my best!

Let's be honest - I'm a lazy person. Especially when I'm tired after working all day. Hence, I get home and feel largely unmotivated to make myself dinner. Yes, I know, you gals work/study all day and still have the energy and commitment to cook for yourselves. For that I applaud you. This is not to say that I go out to eat every night or heat up Lean Pockets in the micro either. Yuck. Most of the time, I reheat leftovers from lunch or from going out to eat some other time, or I make a salad or a sandwich, or I heat up some Trader Joe's Indian food (surprisingly very tasty and a very good price). I'll chronicle my few attempts with cooking down below... but first, a few thoughts on why I haven't made a huge effort to cook since "growing up":

1. The point stated above - I'm tired when I get home and don't want to have to go through a ton of prep to have dinner ready. I'm also lazy and would rather eat right away.
2. Food (and everything) in NYC is SO expensive. Because of that, I usually only buy the essentials when I go grocery shopping - stuff for sandwiches, salad, breakfast food, snacks, etc. I don't tend to buy stuff in the off chance I'll be cooking since it's pricey. This includes everything from onions to sugar (two things which I finally bought today so I could try to cook more). When there are times I want to cook, I don't have the stuff I need... My roommates don't either, so then I just fall back on the same old, same old.
3. Sometimes it's also a lack of forethought. If I get out of work early enough and I realize that I can make X for dinner, but need Y, then I can at least go get that from the grocery store on my way home. But I often don't think of that until I'm home.

So that's some of my ramblings. With regards to the price of food here, it also requires a lot of time and energy to figure out which store has what for the cheapest and to then plan ahead so that I can get everything I need from the various places for the cheapest. Sigh, the cost of living in NYC!! What I wouldn't give to go back to Vt....

For dinner tonight I did cook. I baked a sweet potato - unfortunately not for long enough since it was slightly undercooked, but that's ok. Broiled a chicken sausage and had some salad too. Nice, balanced, didn't take too long or require too much preparation.

For my next post, I'll give you the recipe for a rice salad thing I made when I was fed up with all the random food I had and wanted to make something with it...

In Defense of Tofu

I'll admit, tofu used to really weird me out. However, tofu and I have come to terms. So here are some ideas:

"Natural tofu"- not bad in wraps with some veggies and hummus, or any other sauce. Or, with rice or couscous. I really like making a ton of couscous and then adding in some tofu to give it a little protein.

Stir-fried- if you have any curry paste, that works great. otherwise, just add a little oil and whatever spices/veggies you want until the tofu get a little color. Make sure you press the tofu first (with paper towels or a dish towel or something) because they'll cook better if they're dried out. Also, try coconut milk with tofu and some spices over rice...Sometimes I coat the tofu in cornstarch (some people dip it in egg and then cornstarch) so it'll get a little bit crunchier.

Baked- haven't tried this, but I saw a recipe for it on allrecipes.com (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Baked-Tofu-Bites/Detail.aspx) Coat the tofu in sauce (this one looks like it basically uses barbecue sauce) and then bake in the oven until crispy.

p.s. I was very impressed with your tofu burger until I saw that it wasn't actually your burger in the picture...but interesting idea!

What Do I Do With the Tofu?

Friends. I bought a block of tofu last week. Which is great for putting on my salad, but now I have run out of vegetation and there will be no more salads until I make it to the market in a few days. Tonight I tried to make a "tofu burger" with eggs and rice and bread and other wonderful things, but it tasted more like an omelet than anything else. Ideas?

(My tofu burger did not look this good.)

Apple Season!

I just wanted to let you all know that apple season has officially begun! I got apples and cider from the farmer's market on Saturday. The apples are great and the cider was a little on the tart side, but I think I like it that way! I tried a new apple (for me) called the Pristine. It's GREAT! Especially if you like really sweet, crunchy apples.

Do you guys have any good apple recommendations? I'm always overwhelmed with the number of choices...

In other news, I think corn season is ending... (tear)

Answer.

I believe that animal crackers are officially considered vegetarian (although it couldn't hurt to check, you crazy midwesterners will put meat in anything!), but now I might feel too guilty to enjoy them.

However, I am happy to report that vegetarians and, in fact, carnivores can always enjoy cinnamon rolls. This is a great recipe for those of us who may or may not be a little afraid of yeast, rising dough, kneading, etc. A little messy, but delicious. And not as hard as it sounds.

Cinnamon Buns (makes 8)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup packed (5 1/4 ounces) dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the work surface
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (did you know you can add vinegar to regular milk and it makes buttermilk?!?)

1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Brush a round 9-inch nonstick cake pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Spray a wire cooling rack with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Combine the brown sugar, 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Add 1-2 tablespoons melted butter and stir with a fork or fingers until the mixture resembles wet sand; set the filling mixture aside.

3. Whisk together the flour, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons butter in a measuring cup. Add the liquid to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed (the dough will look shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy about 30 seconds.

4. Pat the dough with your hands into a 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the brown sugar filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Press the filling firmly into the dough. Using a bench scraper or metal spatula, loosen the dough from the work surface. Starting at a long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal. Roll the log seam-side down and cut it evenly into 8 pieces. Turn the pieces over on their flat sides, and with your hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal the open edges and keep the filling in place. Place 1 roll in the center of the prepared pan and then place the remaining 7 rolls around the perimeter of the pan. Brush the rolls with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

5. Bake until the edges are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. Use an offset metal spatula to loosen the buns from the pan. Cool about 5 minutes before glazing.

Optional Glaze

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup (4 ounces) confectioners’ sugar

Whisk together.

(I just used powdered sugar and a little cinnamon)

A Question.

I've been wondering -
Do vegetarians eat animal crackers?

Emily?

I love baking with honey.

I bought this 5 lb jar of honey at the farmer's market in Waukesha for $25. With the way honey prices are right now, I was pretty psyched. The first jar I bought was $23, but I gave it to my parents because my dad loves honey and was totally eyeing it up. When they went home, they left me some cash and a note that said, "Honey Money, Honey." Haha.

Granola Bars and...Magic Cookie Bars!

I love this granola bar recipe. As demonstrated by the "magic cookie bar" incident in Voter Suite D, this recipe can be tweaked quite a bit and the bars will still, magically, taste good. Here is the general idea:

Ingredients
2 C oats
3/4 C brown sugar (I use 1/3-1/2 C)
1/2 C wheat germ
1 C flour (or use whole wheat flour and skip the wheat germ)
3/4 t cinnamon
3/4 C raisins/craisins/almonds/peanuts/etc. (I use more than 1 C)
3/4 t salt
1/2 C honey
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C veggie oil (or applesauce)
2 t vanilla extract

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9x13 pan.
- Get a large bowl and mix the dry ingredients (incl. fruit and nuts). Make a well in the center and add the liquid ingredients.
- Best part - mix with your hands! Then pat into the pan.
- Lick your fingers. Yum.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, until bars are golden. DON'T OVERBAKE! This is really easy to do. After you take the bars out, let them cool a little, but don't wait too long to cut them or they will be tough to cut (especially if you OVERBAKED them).

For the magic cookie bar recipe (because I know you're all wondering), you basically do all of the above except you leave out like 5 ingredients and substitute whatever you have in your kitchen cabinet. Then you bake them in an oven in Vermont and take them hiking with your girlfriends. I think that's the part that makes them magic, because magic isn't actually listed as an ingredient...