Food Friday - Rice, Beans and Tomatoes

I have two dishes that I make when I don't feel like cooking but the monthly budget for take-out is already gone. One is the pasta bake I've posted before though I usually skip the last step of covering it with cheese and baking it. The other is this week's Food Friday.

Here's what you need for Rice, Beans and Tomatoes.


Three boxes and four cans. I've been making this forever. When I lived alone it was one of each. Then, when I started seeing Jeremy it grew to two boxes of rice, 2 cans of tomatoes and 1 can of beans. When we moved in together, I adjusted the recipe again so there would be leftovers for lunch the next day.



Rice, Beans and Tomatoes

3 boxes Rice-a-Roni Whole Grain Blends Roasted Garlic Italiano
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed

Make the rice according to package directions. (I skip the oil it calls for). When the rice is ready, dump in the tomatoes and beans and stir. Heat through. Eat.

Thomas gave a fairly accurate demonstration of how to make this meal here.

Food Friday - Sesame Noodles

So, Food Fridays are hard. I thought it would be easy because I already have all of my recipes in a word document. Cut and paste is pretty simple. But the pictures trip me up all the time. I am rarely moved to make a recipe that isn't accompanied by a photo so it's not something I want to skip.

Taking a decent picture of food is really hard when you know as little about photography as I do. One thing I do know is that you need good light and the light in our house is not good. Food photographed in bad light does not look appetizing. So, I have to go outside to take the picture. And somehow that's always a problem. Either I start cooking too late and it's dark outside when dinner is ready or I forget to take the picture until after it's gotten dark. Unfortunately, leftovers do not photograph well either.

But! I managed to take a picture of these Sesame Noodles.


These noodles have a unique flavor. They don't taste like anything else in our regular dinner rotation and they're better at room temperature than hot. It's a nice departure from everything else that we eat.


Sesame Noodles
Adapted from Everyday Food, May 2008

6 oz or 1/2 box of whole wheat spaghetti
1 small onion, quartered and sliced into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
2 small heads broccoli, cut into florets/stems peeled and chopped
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Cook spaghetti according package directions using extra water to leave room for the vegetables. 4 minutes before spaghetti is done, add onion, bell pepper and broccoli. Cook until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender-crisp. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

Meanwhile, whisk together peanut butter, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, garlic and red pepper flakes. Thin the sauce with reserved pasta water. You want a pourable consistency. Add sauce to hot pasta and vegetables. Toss to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Food Friday - Industrial Agriculture Sucks

Time magazine has a great article about what's wrong with the way America produces food, Getting Real about the High Price of Low Cost Food.

I like this piece for a couple of reasons. First, it's fairly comprehensive and covers the varied problems with the food industry. American food production is unsustainable for economic and public health reasons, not just the more politically charged reasons of animal welfare and environmental impact. Second, since it appears in a mainstream media source, it's hard to dismiss as the ravings of radicals.

Food Friday - Ratatouille

One of Jeremy's students has been giving us fresh vegetables from her organic garden. This week he scored 2 eggplant, 2 crookneck squash, 2 pattypan squash, a cucumber and this monstrous zucchini.



What do you do with an enormous zucchini? Make ratatouille!


I used my biggest baking dish but there is still a lot of that zucchini left over back there. I may have to make a chocolate zucchini cake out of the rest. What a chore.


Ratatouille
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 small onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups pasta sauce
Zucchini
Eggplant
Crookneck Squash
Red Bell Pepper
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

The amount of each vegetable you need depends on what size dish you use and the size of each vegetable. I used 1/2 a huge zucchini, 1 large eggplant, 2 medium crookneck squash and 2 red bell peppers. Cut each into very thin slices. A mandolin would be nice for this but I don't have one. A sharp knife works just as well, but it takes a bit longer.

Stir onion and garlic into pasta sauce and spread into the bottom of your baking dish. On top of the pasta sauce layer vegetables however they will best fit into the dish.

Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

Cover with parchment paper and bake for 45-55 minutes until vegetables are cooked but not shriveled and brown. Serve over rice.

Food Friday - Fettucini w/ Brussels Sprouts

Fettucini with Brussels Sprouts

3/4 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed
1/2 pound dried egg fettucini
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp pine nuts
parmesan cheese
lemon juice

Slice brussels sprouts into ribbons.

Cook fettucini until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat until foam subsides. Add pine nuts and cook 2-4 minutes stirring constantly. Add brussels sprouts, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium-high heat until tender and lightly browned, about 4 minutes.

Reserve 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta and return to pot. Add brussels sprouts mixture to pot. Add parmesan and enough cooking water to moisten. Add lemon juice to taste.

Food Friday - Falafel Pita and Lentil Salad

This meal is a little more involved than most of the dishes in my rotation but it's worth every second you put into it. I used to make my own pita too but since it involves opening up a 500 degree oven every two to four minutes I haven't done it since Thomas was born. It also turns the whole meal into a five hour ordeal so I wouldn't recommend homemade pita unless you've got someone you really need to impress.

Traditionally falafel are formed as little balls. I recommend forming them into patties instead; they're much easier to fry.

Falafel

1 cup dried / 1 can chickpeas
1/2 large onion, roughly chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 - 1/2 cup flour

Pita
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Cucumbers
Yogurt
Tahini

Put chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Soak overnight, then drain. Or use drained and rinsed canned chickpeas

Place chickpeas, onions and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process until blended but not pureed (you may need to work in two batches). Add fresh herbs and spices and pulse to mix.

Move mixture to a bowl. Stir in baking powder and 1/4 cup flour. Add flour until the dough no longer sticks to your hands. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Form the chickpea mixture into patties. Heat oil in a skillet and fry 1 patty to test. If it falls apart, add a little flour. Fry patties for a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
OR
Brush patties with olive oil and bake in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, turning once.

Stuff half a pita with falafel, chopped tomatoes, lettuce, etc. Drizzle with yogurt and/or tahini.


Lentil Salad

Salad
3/4 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed
1/2 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup cucumber, diced
1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped

Dressing
1 clove garlic, crushed into paste
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook rice.

Cover lentils with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer partially covered 25-20 minutes. Drain.

Sprinkle garlic with salt. Mash into paste with side of a chef's knife.

In bowl, whisk together garlic paste, oil, lemon juice and pepper

Toss lentils and rice with dressing. Cool to room temperature and add tomatoes, cucumber and dill

Food Friday - Lentils, Peppers and Tofu

Lentils, Peppers and Tofu

This dish has officially ousted falafel from the top spot on Jeremy's list of favorite foods. I think that's insane but is this way easier to make so I'm not complaining. And don't get me wrong it's really good. It's just not fried chickpeas good.

There is a secret to making tofu that tastes good, not mushy and bland. The key is to freeze and then thaw your tofu. Then, press the water out. Squeeze out as much as you can with your hands without mangling it. Wrap a tea towel around the block. Put it between two plates and set something heavy on top. I use a big book and a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. Let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour.

This process completely changes the texture of tofu. It turns out chewy and toothsome instead of slimy. Then, pan fry it. If you want it a bit crispy, you'll have to use a fair bit of oil. It's also totally great with just a teaspoon or two of olive oil or couple shots of non-stick cooking spray.



Lentils, Peppers and Tofu
Adapted from A Veggie Venture*

1 onion, diced
2 red peppers, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, minced
1 cup lentils (black, brown, french work best, sub 1/4 cup of red lentils for creamier sauce)
1 can vegetable stock + water to make 3 cups
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 block extra firm tofu, frozen, thawed, pressed and then cut into cubes

Lentils
Saute onion and peppers over medium heat until soft, 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, saute another minute. Add lentils and broth. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until lentils are soft, about 20 minutes. There will be some liquid left in the pot.

Tofu
Heat 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat. Sprinkle in cumin seeds, ground cumin, curry powder, and cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add tofu and stir to coat with spices. Cook until browned, stirring occasionally.

Add tofu to the lentils and mix together. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice.


*The original recipe added 5 ounces spinach to the lentils at the end of cooking. We really like the spinach the first time around but it ruins the leftovers for us. I always mean to divide the lentils in half and add the spinach to the portion we'll eat that night but I never remember.

Food Friday - Kasha Mexicana

Kasha Mexicana is a pantry recipe, onion is the only fresh ingredient. It's good for the end of the week when you've run through all your fresh stuff or those peppers you were planning to cook have gone all mushy on you. However, if you have some extra, still fresh peppers, they would be good in this.

This is one of the few recipes I have that calls for a brand-name mock meat. I use Morningstar Farms Crumbles. I try not to use them too much because they're expensive and they seem a little like frankenfood to me. Crumbles came out of a food lab somewhere; they weren't developed in someone's kitchen. I try to follow the rule that if your great-grandmother wouldn't recognize it as food, then you probably shouldn't eat it. (Or at least someone's great-grandmother, my great-grandmothers probably never ate fresh ginger or tofu.) There are more natural recipes for home-made ground beef substitutes but I haven't tried one yet.

Kasha is a whole grain (roasted buckwheat groats). It's traditionally eaten as porridge in Slavik cultures or as a filling for Jewish knishes. I like it here because it bulks up the casserole and adsorbs the flavor from the spices.


Kasha Mexicana

1 onion, diced
½ package of Crumbles
1 cup kasha
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 can chopped green chiles
1 package taco seasoning
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
½ can sliced olives
1 can black beans
1 ½ cups water
1 cup cheddar or Mexican blend cheese

Saute onion 8-10 minutes. Add grounds and heat through. Stir in kasha.

Add tomatoes, chiles, beans, olives, taco seasoning, corn and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce and simmer covered 5-7 minutes, until kasha is tender and water is absorbed.

Sprinkle cheese over mixture. Cover until cheese has melted.

Serve as a casserole or to fill tortillas.

Food Friday - Pasta Bake

Pre-cheese Pasta Bake

This is my favorite pantry recipe. It's simple comfort food. Throw together a salad while its in the oven and you've got dinner.


Pasta Bake

1 pound of pasta (penne, spiral, shells, etc.)
1 jar pasta sauce
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can olives, sliced or quartered
1 can diced tomatoes
Italian Cheese to cover


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Add sauce, beans, olives and tomatoes and stir together. Transfer to a casserole dish and cover with cheese. Heat through in the oven, 15-20 minutes.

Food Friday - Pasta w/ Chickpea-Tomato Sauce

This pasta is simple and awesome. I doubled the garlic from the original recipe because I have never in my life tasted something and thought it had too much garlic. If you have had that thought, scale back the garlic. I also threw in some steamed broccoli and marinated tofu because they were in the fridge. I didn't have any fresh basil so I added a small pinch of dried basil to the sauce. (I just planted a few basil seeds though so I'm looking forward to the next time I make this.)


Pasta with Chickpea-Tomato Sauce
Adapted from Everyday Food April 2009

4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ tsp red-pepper flakes
3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 cans)
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14.5 oz) vegetable broth
1 fresh basil leaf (more for garnish)
1 small head of broccoli, cut into florets
12 oz medium pasta shells
grated parmesan for serving


Saute garlic and red-pepper flakes in olive oil until fragrent. Add chickpeas, season with salt, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add tomatoes and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until sauce has reduced slightly, about 20 minutes. Add basil leaf, cook for 5 more minutes. Remove basil.

While sauce is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions and steam the broccoli.

Add sauce and broccoli to pasta and toss. Serve w/ parmesan.

Food Friday - Vegetarian Gumbo

This is the first time I've made this gumbo from Veganomicon. It will definitely be added to our regular rotation.

I was starving when we sat down to eat. I tried to remember what I had eaten throughout the day and all I could remember was a few sections of Thomas' orange at breakfast and part of his apple at lunch. So, I ate three bowls of this gumbo.

Then, I was faced with a quandary: was it really fantastic or was I just ravenous? It wasn't until I caught sight of my coffee cup while I was cleaning up after dinner that I remembered going to McDonald's for breakfast. I started out the day with two sausage-less breakfast burritos. The gumbo must really be wonderful.

Vegetarian Gumbo
Adapted from Veganomicon*

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 onions, small dice
2 green peppers, small dice
1/3 lb seitan, small dice (optional)
1 stalk celery, very thin slice
4 cloves garlic, mince
8-10 oz frozen okra
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes w/ juice
2 roasted red peppers (usually 1 jar), small dice
1 can (16 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3 cups vegetable broth (1 can + 1 1/4 cups water)
1 cup ale-style beer
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp allspice
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne
salt and pepper to taste

Make a roux. Melt butter over medium-low heat in a stockpot. Sprinkle in flour and stir until dissolved. Cook roux, stirring frequently, until it is a rich caramel color and smells toasty, 10-14 minutes.

Add onions, green peppers and seitan, stir to coat with roux. Raise heat to medium-high and cook until vegetables are soft, 8-12 minutes.

Add celery, garlic, and okra, cook another 6 minutes.**

Add tomatoes, roasted red peppers, kidney beans, and vegetable broth. Whisk together beer and tomato paste and add to mixture. Stir through. Stir in liquid smoke and all the spices.

Raise the heat and bring gumbo to a gentle boil. Lower heat, partially cover, and simmer 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool at least 15 minutes.

Serve over rice.

*Overall, I've been disappointed by this cookbook. Too many of the recipes are require four pans and an assembly line to put together. Even their simpler, one pot meals are needlessly complicated. The food is good but the recipes themselves could be constructed better.

*For example, I'm sure you could cook all your vegetables at once, rather than in two steps, and it would turn out exactly the same.

What We Eat

I think a lot of people wonder what vegetarians eat. How do they manage to avoiding taking their own lives from boredom? Well, we don't eat meat and I love to cook, so I can answer that question. And I will, on Food Fridays. I plan to post a recipe every Friday, something that has made it into monthly or bimonthly rotation.

In the interest of full disclosure, I do eat meat occasionally. Jeremy and Thomas are completely meat-free but I refuse to go to a restaurant and spend more money than its worth on something from the appetizer list (which is often the only place on the menu with a vegetarian option). I also could not go on if I knew I would never eat another cheeseburger. What would be the point?

That being said, we don't bring meat into our house. And while I don't think it's inherently wrong to kill an animal to eat it, factory farming is a moral and social outrage. Animals suffer and that should matter to us. Industrial meat production is also environmentally unsustainable; anyone who is worried about their personal contribution to global warming, should limit their consumption of animal products. Oh, and animal products are incredibly bad for you, at least at the rates that Americans eat them. There are a whole host of diseases from the explosion of cancer and diabetes to tooth decay that can be linked to the way we eat.

So, there. I've given you three huge reasons to pay attention on Fridays and maybe make some of my recipes and then tell me how much you liked them.