Vegetarian Foodie

Sunday Morning Media (that is worth the time)

How inspiring... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/dining/20edible.html (I am seriously drooling)

and Sir Kenneth Robinson speaks at TED

Profiterole

Um, Yum. I heart profiteroles, you can too.

A profiterole is sometimes referred to as a cream puff. Essentially it is gorgeous dough stuffed with something divine and drizzled with something even more delicious. In our case, we stuffed our profiterole with vanilla ice cream and drizzled the top of the profiterole with melted chocolate.

Profiterole Dough

• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1/2 Stick Butter Unsalted
• 1/2 Cup Flour
• 2 Eggs
• Pinch of Salt

Heat the Milk, Butter and Salt in a saucepan, do not allow to boil. Add Flour and mix until there is dough in the pan. Remove from heat. Place dough in a food processor and add 2 eggs. Mix until all is mixed.

Place in a pastry bag (or a plastic baggie in our case) and shape onto wax paper.

Bake at 425 F for 20 minutes (depends on your oven...keep an eye) to achieve profiteroles that look like this:

 

Cut your profiteroles in half and stuff with cream or ice cream. drizzle with Chocolate Sauce

ENJOY (but I know you will).

Almond Milk Recipe

 

We have recently gone off soy milk around here for many reasons... We have switched to rice milk but thought we would have a go at making a batch of almond milk. Thanks to our pals who offered a tutorial as well as the almonds and the mesh to strain the almonds -we had a successful round of almond milk.

It is very easy to make your own.... so easy.

1/2 Cup almonds (preferably raw and organic) to 4 times the water. Soak for 24 hours then place in a blender. Pass through the mesh and there you have it: Almond mIlk. Feel free to add vanilla to taste, I am quite pleased with it as is. The yield is about a quart-feel free to adjust recipe to suit your needs.

It is my understanding that there are plenty of uses for the almond paste that the mesh collects when straining the liquid. I myself have yet to explore the uses...

To-Do list and Garden Harvest

We had the pleasure of harvesting many greens as well as radishes from the school garden. Pulling radishes from the ground is so utterly delightful...like unwrapping a gift that tastes divine.

I woke up Sunday morning and the daughter had written her to-do list on the kitchen chalkboard...

 

Crepe Batter

Crepes are a family favorite around here...a real crowd pleaser to say the least. The best thing is: The fillings are endless. We love crepes with grilled mushrooms, onions and blue cheese (shown below in photo)... crepes filled willed with banana and maple syrup.... crepes filled with ricotta cheese, fresh basil, chopped radishes and tomatoes...crepes filled with chocolate chips.... really, the fillings are endless.

Crepe Batter (makes 4-6 crepes...I double and triple this recipe!)

• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 Cup Milk
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tablesoon of Oil
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Beat in Blender or with a whisk until smooth. Heat a few drops of oil in a hot large pan and bake your crepes. I flip the crepe then about halfway through cooking the other side I add the ingredients. I fold the crepe sides over and place on a serving tray.

Crepes are best served hot or at room temperature.

Chocolate Stack Cake

Chocolate Stack Cake

• 1 Cup Flour
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/ 2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Melted
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla X
• 1/2 Cup Hot Water
• Fudge Frosting

 Preheat to 350 F and lightly grease a 13x9 inch pan. Line pan with wax paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt cocoa powder and brown sugar. Add butter, vanilla and eggs-mix. The mix will evolve into a thick paste.

Add hot water and carry on whisking. Pour into pan and bake for 15 minutes.

Invert cake, col then cut into three rectangles. In between stacks, frost with fudge frosting. Dust with cocoa powder if you so choose.

Fudge Frosting

Fudge Frosting

• 6 Tablespoons Butter Unsalted
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Cup Whipping Cream
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla X

Place all ingredients short of Whipping Cream and Vanilla X into a saucepan on the stove. Heat on low. Gradually Add Whipping Cream while stirring. Do not boil... Remove from Heat. Add Vanilla X and allow to cool complete before using.

While I was away...

While I was being absent from this blog journal of sorts. Was it lazy, lack of inspiration? Uninspired in the kitchen? No shortage of inspiration in regards to eating..... I have no excuses. 

While I was away....The belly has grown:

The chickens are grown up and paying rent daily:

 

Chang has joined the festivities:

We all had a lovely visit to Costa Rica complete with mountains, beach and cherished time spent together:

 

 
 

Happy New Year 2010....

 

 

Queso Blanco Recipe

Before I fell into my first trimester slumber... I made Queso Blanco. Queso Blanco, which means white cheese in Spanish, is one of the easiest cheeses to make. It is sometimes called farmer's cheese and variations of Queso Blanco are found not only in Spain but all over Mexico, Central and South America.

This recipe is from this great book about Cheese Making: Home Cheese Making

What you need:

• 1 Gallon of Milk
• 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar

• Liquid Thermometer
• Cheesecloth
• Slotted Spoon
• Colander

In a large pot, bring the milk between 185 and 190 F and continue to stir to prevent scorching.

Add the vinegar slowly and increase temp to 200 F -Curds will begin to form.

Ladle Curds into a colander lined with a cheese cloth.

Tie the cheesecloth into four and hang the bag to drain for a few hours or even overnight.

Remove the cheese, shape and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Yields 1 1/2 to 2 lbs.

This cheese is delicious on top of tacos....

Greetings....

Hello, It has been a long time. Since the last post in August there have been a few happenings. First off, a ruthless heatwave set in and devastated my garden-the lovely watermelon I was caring for (pictured previous post) split straight in half. Tomato horn worms set in and ate the few remaining tomatoes on the vine. Pictured here is the final salad of the season with our tomatoes...

Red and Yellow Tomatoes, Feta Cheese, Red Onion Slices and Basil.

 

I also found out some fabulous news-I am with child (a boy!) once again. shortly after finding out the exciting news, I turned into a pregnant zombie and barely ate a thing (thanks to a hideous bought of morning sickness) and slept most of the time (day and night).  I have emerged somewhat from this zombie like trance and now have a bit more energy. I am hoping to step once again into the kitchen and greet my cupboards with enthusiasm.

I recently read and recommend Omnivores Dilemma by Micheal Pollen which is such a body of information in regards to food and farming in the US.

Articles like this...(yikes):  Junk Food Turns Rats into Addicts inspires us around here to plant our fall crop (now that the weather has cooled) as well as look forward once again to our CSA box every week.

So that is that and where it stands for now.