Drinky drinks: tea edition

I tried out two drink recipes yesterday: Bourbon Chai and Orange Jasmine martinis (sort of). I followed this recipe for the chai. It was OK- the almond milk was a little overpowering (I wonder if rice or soy milk would be better? or just plain milk?), but the spices really came out after about 30 minutes or more of simmering. I didn't add the bourbon until it was time to serve drinks, so I have a lot of leftover chai which I can now drink on its own, hot or cold (yum!).

I experimented a little with the second recipe. I started by making a simple syrup from orange peel and jasmine tea. I used about 1 tea bag per cup of water, roughly based on this recipe. I think it could've used more tea, and less sugar. This syrup plays well with gin or vodka shaken with ice, but Emily also liked it with bourbon and seltzer over ice.

PANCAKES!

Homemade pancakes are one of the few breakfast foods that I care to cook (others: french toast, eggs, potatoes, and breakfast burritos). They are relatively foolproof, except that one time when the butter was too hot and the milk was too cold... that did not end well [NOTE TO SELF: INGREDIENTS SHOULD BE ROOM TEMPERATURE]. But they take some trial and error, and also acceptance that the first few will be crappy looking.

Today I used this recipe, but there are a million online to choose from. This particular recipe made about 16 pancakes, using 1/4 cup batter per pancake. The key things I have to remember are THIN layer of oil or butter without letting it burn, reapplied to the pan every two-ish batches. I got a silicone pastry brush (similar) that really helps spread the oil around- so I just keep a small dish of oil on the side. I also have to resist the temptation to flip them too early- waiting until the bubbles set in place, and the edges look legit done helps me determine time to flip.

My "secret" ingredients (besides a huge cup of coffee, leading to an inevitable sugar rush + caffeine high) are vanilla (1 tsp) and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cardamom. Or throw in some mini-chocolate chips right after putting the batter in the pan. Also, I like to substitute half the white flour with wheat, and sometimes add flax or oat bran. Yum, healthy food.

Top with maple-flavored agave nectar or whatever you have around, and you're on your way to a delicious sugar high. Run around the block, play some cello, and eschew schoolwork! (That's just what I chose to do this morning.)

[update] Just found a file I had saved labeled "best pancakes." I think the recipe is from The Food Network magazine. Here is is:

1+1/2 cups flour

3 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1+1/4 cup milk

1/2 stick melted butter (or 1/4 cup)

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Spanish chickpea and spinach stew: recipe review

So I've been adding recipes of interest to my Pinterest board instead of letting them accumulate in my bookmarks. This has actually helped me organize them, and it's a great visual reminder of things I've made or want to make. Tonight I tried out this recipe for Spanish Chickpea and Spinach Stew with Ginger. I was pretty happy with it, except that I should have used better quality tomatoes or less of the liquid from the can. The stew ended up with a Spaghetti-O's quality due to the tomato juice, which takes away from the other flavors and overall sophistication. Also, why does it always take me so long to wash and trim spinach? I need to increase my efficiency.

I added more water and some couscous for carbs during the last 10 minutes of cooking (ok, that part's not gluten free, but the original recipe is). But I forgot to saute the onions and garlic long enough in the first step. They were cooked, but didn't start to caramelize. I also think roasted garlic would taste great in this soup. Maybe a dash of nutmeg or cumin as well? Anyway, despite what I would improve next time, this was a delicious, hearty, and healthy vegan dish.

(Mis)adventures in veggie enchiladas

Folks, let me be frank. I'm in no place to judge this recipe because I've never actually eaten mole sauce (am I missing out on something incredible? Does this need to be immediately remedied?). Second, I made some unsanctioned substitutions. But I did end up with some edible enchiladas, so I will share my adventure!

I started off trying to replicate this recipe for enchiladas and mole sauce. Let's begin with the sauce. Like I said, I had no idea what the end product should taste like, but it became obvious that something was wrong, and my roommate's taste-testing confirmed this. My substitution was cocoa powder for Mexican chocolate, which may have made a difference in the overall consistency and quality, but the major flaw was that I used Indian chili powder. This IS NOT this same as mild chili powder (which I now see that the authors specified) that you find in American grocery stores. So my sauce ended up being wayyyyy to spicy. But. There is always hope (unless you burn the spices. then there is not hope). I added a 28oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes and about a half cup of the mole sauce together, and it was much better (but still spicy!). I put the leftover mole sauce in a jar in my freezer, which I can hopefully utilize in other Mexican or Indian recipes.

For the actual enchiladas, I pretty much followed the recipe, except I used less cheese, no pine nuts, and I added sauteed zucchini to the enchiladas. I also topped with black beans for extra protein.

So ultimately, I can't really say I made mole sauce. I made something resembling enchilada sauce and veggie enchiladas. Onwards!

Gluten free baking adventures

My roommate and I just made these gluten-free chocolate cookies. Are they even cookies? They are like little balls of pure, blissfully molten chocolate. Highly recommended for chocoholics like me.

Earlier this week I baked some cranberry-orange corn muffins. They're great for breakfast or a mid-day snack. Since it's just my roommate and I, I usually put leftover baked goods in the freezer right away. Except the aforementioned mini-chocogasms. Those will likely be gone by tomorrow. Anyway, here's the recipe, adapted from a vegetarian cookbook I have.

Cranberry-orange corn muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Dry ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Wet ingredients:
4 Tablespoons margarine or butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 to 1 cup lowfat milk

Mix-ins:
zest of one orange
1/2 to 3/4 cup cranberries (I used dried cranberries and soaked them in orange juice. frozen cranberries would work also)

Preheat over to 400 degrees.
Use a greased muffin pan.
Mix together dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, then the mix-ins. Unlike glutenous muffins/cupcakes, mix these babies well (I used a handheld electric mixer).
Fill each tin about half way.
Bake 15-20 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean).

East Asian dinner medley

This week I've been eating mostly lentils on a bun with cheese and Zina's homemade vegan dill sauce. But tonight I got a little fancy with some potstickers.  Well not too fancy... they were frozen (from Sunflower market). But I made some dipping sauce using approximately this recipe (substituting Sriracha for fresh peppers).

Image source.

I made a quick Miso soup on the side (from a mix, as described here), and also used up some Kimchee and pickled ginger that I had leftover. Quick and easy for a weeknight!

Black bean and corn salad

This salad will be my main source of leftovers this week. Hopefully it won't become the never-ending-tupperware-of-leftovers that sometimes happens when I'm cooking just for myself. Law of diminishing returns, folks. I made a similar salad last summer based on this recipe, and it is quite delicious! Like many of my dishes, it features a protein (black beans), carb (bulgar wheat), and vegetables with a healthy marinade. For the sake of efficiency, I used ingredients that could be quickly prepped like canned corn and black beans. This is one of my quickest recipes, because there is so little cooking or cleaning involved.

While I cooked up 1 cup of bulgar wheat, I started to marinate the beans (well-rinsed), corn, and tomatoes. I added about one Tbsp agave nectar, 2 Tbsp of olive oil and also lemon juice, a splash of red wine vinegar, and about 1 tsp of smoked paprika and chili powder. I also threw in a minced clove of garlic. Then add salt and Sriracha to your heart's content. I added the cooked bulgar and one chopped avocado at the end. This dish is good both warm and cold!

Vegetarian sushi

I thought vegetarian sushi would be a lot harder to make, until I actually tried it. It was really easy, and kind of fun! This video does a good job explaining how to make the rice and wrap the sushi. But I did a few things differently- I used rice vinegar mixed with sugar and salt (about 1 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt), and I cooled the rice by spreading it out and fanning it, and also sprinkled on some toasted sesame seeds. My rice wasn't perfect, but good enough.

I made bigger rolls than what the video showed by spreading more rice onto the sheet. For 1 1/3 cups of uncooked rice, I ended up with 4 rolls this size. I used about one carrot, cucumber, and avocado, and a handful of green onions. The leftover veggies went into a salad. I should have packed down the rice and veggies before rolling it, but they turned out pretty well.

I also made a side salad (romaine + leftover veggies + ginger dressing + freshly grated ginger) and miso soup from a package. I've come to expect these side dishes (as well as the accompanying pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce) from most sushi restaurants. Altogether it was a pretty filling meal, but next time I want to incorporate more protein. Maybe some fried and marinated tofu?

Buying the ingredients was relatively inexpensive at an Asian market or World Market. I noticed that my usual store, Sunflower Market, has prices about twice as high for these items and the miso soup mix. But they had some good ginger dressing that I used for the salad (Gingerly lite by Annie's), and pretty cheap veggies.

I've realized that I'm pretty good at managing complicated dishes. Not necessarily in my techniques, but in the actual management and precision that comes from years of working in biology and chemistry labs :) Although when I get stressed or rushed, things tend to go awry. Some of the next dishes in my wish list will require more actual skills. With cooking, practice is obviously the best way to get better, even when it means suffering through some unsavory meals myself. I'm not quite a novice, but I still have a lot to learn!

Goat cheese, pistachio, and date salad

My daily meals fall into two categories, 1) dishes I cook or prepare in bulk, then eat leftovers throughout the week, and 2) dishes that can be quickly prepared from a stock (i.e. grilled cheese & soup from a carton, leafy salads, sandwiches and wraps). Most of the meals featured here so far are in the #1 category, but I really enjoy the #2 list when I can remember to keep the right ingredients in stock. For example, when I was in high school, I kept a stock of wraps, hummus, cherry/grape tomatoes, feta cheese, and other mediterranean-style accouterments for a tasty wrap (I didn't know how to cook back then- so go figure!). When I lived in a co-op with 30 people and didn't keep much food for myself, I ate a lot of bagel-egg-cheese sandwiches that I could quickly prepare for lunch.

It's nice that my schedule as a graduate student allows my time to enjoy lunch at home (and that I live close to school!). So today for lunch I enjoyed some leftover Middle Eastern appetizers and made a salad from some ingredients I had purposely stocked this week (otherwise I seldom remember to buy greens or toppings). It's one of my favorite flavor combinations: dates, goat cheese, with various nuts, and tangy red wine vinegar all on a baby spinach and mixed baby spring greens bed.

It's quite a healthy salad, as long as you keep the toppings to small amounts. The goat cheese gets a bit muddled with the vinegar, so it's a great dressing. And the dates and pistachios were just fantastic. I should eat more salads!

[UPDATE]

I have been eating more salads! For this salad, I used almost the same recipe as above, but added some canned white beans, and a side of whole wheat bread.

Veggie pasta with side of cardamom carrots

This type of veggie pasta has been a long-time favorite of mine due to its simplicity and tastiness. Today I decided to pair it with a side of cardamom-spiced carrots.

There are endless variations for this veggie-pasta sauce. Today I started by sauteing half an onion, then browning some Boca-crumbles (enough for about 4 servings). Meanwhile, I microwaved a package of frozen chopped spinach. After the faux-meat was brown, I added a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, then the spinach and a good dose of pasta sauce, and cooked until warm. Other delicious veggies for this sauce might include mushrooms, zucchini or summer squash, carrots, and red or yellow bell peppers. You could also use tempeh or tofu as the protein. I topped it off with parmesan cheese.

For the carrots, I thinly sliced four carrots and sauteed them in some olive oil. As they were almost done, I added a pinch of powdered cinnamon and ginger, then about a half teaspoon of powdered cardamon. I also added a splash of agave nectar to sweeten it up. They turned out pretty darn delicious, and are almost a dessert! I later attempted an actual dessert of a pear tart, but I somehow messed up the dough and it was a little goopy plus burned around the edges. Barely salvageable, but oh well.

My recipe wish list

I'm hoping to get back into the swing of cooking. Here are some things I'm looking forward to trying out this semester.

Date night foods:
Vegetarian sushi (vegan)
Goat cheese and corn enchiladas (GF)
Paprika empanadas stuffed with greens
Penne with roasted asparagus and balsamic butter
Black bean and sweet potato tacos (GF and vegan)
Coconut chickpea spinach curry

Party foods:
Sweet potato, arugula, and ricotta flatbread
Chocolate stout cake
Chocolate Spice Cookies with Mascarpone Frosting and Candied Kumquats

Gluten-free adventures:

Cornmeal Pancakes with Vanilla and Pine Nuts

Cauliflower pizza crust

(also see those marked GF above)

Plus some others that I'll come across in the food blogs I follow and my cookbooks!