Mustard Dill Crusted Salmon

Remember when I said that I’d stopped eating fish after reading Eating Animals, well that went out the window less than a month later. I just really enjoy fish. I don’t eat it often but when I do, I make sure it’s delicious. This is my current favorite fish recipe. It’s so easy, and so, so good. It’d make a really lovely dish to serve at a dinner party, because it looks impressive, but is actually really simple to prepare.

Ingredients:  Salmon (fillets not steaks), mustard, panko (Japanese bread crumbs), dill, sesame seeds, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop dill, and mix with panko and sesame seeds. Place salmon in a greased baking dish skin side down. Spread a thin layer of mustard on the entire top of the salmon. Then sprinkle a layer of the panko/dill mixture on top of the mustard. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil over the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes until your salmon is cooked through.

 

I didn’t include measurements for this recipe because I figured individuals would want to adjust the proportions to their own tastes. I think it’s delicious served with a lemon wedge, arugula salad, and roasted potatoes. Whenever I make it, Jon usually makes a mustard and mayonnaise dip to accompany it. It’s a nice but unnecessary touch.

PS: My blog totally turned into a food blog this week, but I was really busy! I try to keep a few recipe posts in my draft folder, and it was so great to be able to post them.

 

Pumpkin Maple Whiskey Muffins

I have a minor confession to make; since the move, I’ve become a bit of a baking fanatic. I still cook most nights, but I’ve started to bake about twice (or thrice) a week as well. And I’ve been baking sweets; scones, chocolate chip cookies, and muffins. It’s not the best idea for my waist line, but it means I have some deliciously sweet recipes to share!

I really wanted to make some pumpkin muffins because as soon as fall hits, I crave pumpkin and squash.  I was determined to use an entire can of pumpkin puree without doubling a recipe. I compiled a few different recipes and came up with this. These muffins are perfection, the only pumpkin muffin recipe I’ll ever use. I put a crumbly oat topping on half of them, and it gave them a nice texture, but they are delicious plain as well. If you don’t have any whiskey available, I’m sure juice or water or even some cooled chai tea would make delightful substitutes.

Muffins:

Wet Ingredients:

1 Can (15 oz) pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1/2 cup veggie oil

1/2 cup whiskey

2 cups maple syrup

Dry Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat)

1 cup cake flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a stand mixer, combine wet ingredients until just blended.  Add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Spoon the batter into paper lined muffin pans. Bake at 350 degrees, for about half an hour, until tooth pick comes out clean. (I start checking at 20 minutes, and then every five minutes after that. )

Optional oat topping:

Combine 1 cup of oats, 1/2 cup of maple syrup, and 1/4 cup of melted butter. Place on top of muffins before you bake them.

This made me 28 muffins. I sent them to Jon’s students to prevent myself from consuming every single one, but I had about 5 first.  I suspect that my baking addition has a little something to do with why my jeans are starting to feel a bit tighter…

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

Leading up to my making this, as the butternut squash sat on the counter and I admired it, Jon made sure I knew that he didn’t eat it. So I made it while he was teaching one night, had it for dinner and then continued to have leftovers for lunch. A few nights later, Jon made himself some Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup. I heated up my Curried Butternut Squash Soup and Jon looked at it and said, “Oh that looks delicious.” I replied, “haha, funny,” thinking he was teasing me, but then he said, “No really, it looks and smells really good. Can I taste some?” He took one bite, then another, and another, until I had to stop him so some would remain for my dinner. “I thought you didn’t like this?” I asked. “Well I didn’t know you were going to make it Indian,” he replied. So yeah, if you think you don’t like butternut squash soup, give this recipe a try; you might change your mind. It changed my boyfriend’s.

Ingredients: 1 whole butternut squash ( cut into 1 inch cubes), 1 parsnip, 1 turnip, 1 carrot,  3-4 celery stalks, 2 1/2 cups veggie stock, olive oil, 1 shallot, 2 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon curry, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste), 1 tablespoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1 cup milk,  Salt and Pepper to taste. Croutons, chives, or sour cream as optional garnish.

Instructions:  Toss (cut up) squash, turnip, parsnip, carrot, and celery with olive oil, salt, curry, cumin, allspice and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. In a soup pot, sweat the shallot, garlic cloves, and pepper flakes for about 5-7 minutes. Add the roasted vegetables. Saute for one minutes. Cover with veggie stock. Boil until all vegetables are completely tender. Use a handheld blender to combine until smooth. (You can use a regular blender for this as well, but let the soup cool first.) Add milk and blend more. Bring soup back to a boil. Garnish with croutons, sour cream, or chopped chives.

This soup is exquisite. I hope you will make it because I’m sure if you do, you’ll enjoy it immensely. Me, I cannot wait to make it again, I just need to hit up the farmer’s market for some more butternut squash.

Wicked Dean’s Killa Kale Kasserole

This is Jon’s best friend from forever, Dean. He’s a surfing, skating, graphic-art making, organic gardening vegetarian. When Jon and I went to visit him in Portland, ME a few weeks ago, he made us this delicious kale casserole. I told him I was going to share the recipe here, and he told me to make sure to call it “Wicked Dean’s Killa Kale Kasserole.” I probably wouldn’t even call it a casserole, as it’s more of a gratin, but regardless of its name, it is superbly delicious (and good for you too!)

Ingredients: 6-8 red potatoes, 2 bunches of kale, baby bella mushrooms, an onion, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil,dried oregano and basil.

Instructions: Boil the potatoes until they’re cooked. While the potatoes cook, cut up the kale and coat it with olive oil, salt, and 2 pressed garlic cloves. Chop the mushrooms and the onion. Grate the parmesan. Once the potatoes are cooked, slice them and assemble the casserole. Start with a layer of potatoes. Sprinkle half the onions and potatoes. Spread half the kale. Sprinkle some bread crumbs (not a lot, just enough to absorb some of the liquid the kale will release as it cooks.) Cover the entire tray with parmesan and repeat all the layers starting with the potatoes. Cook the casserole at 350 degrees for about half an hour. Make sure you keep an eye on it, and if the cheese starts to burn, cover the casserole with aluminum foil.

I can’t rave about this kale casserole enough. We made two, and brought them camping, and devoured both.

Vegetarian Barbecue; Greek Lentil Salad

Why Vegetarian Barbecue: When I first stopped eating meat, the thought of summer barbecues made me sad. I knew summer gatherings, would never be the same. And they haven’t been, but I’ve learned that with a little bit of extra effort, they can be just as enjoyable. With that in mind, over the next few weeks I’m going to share some of my favorite recipes and ideas for a Vegetarian Barbecue.

Last Week: Portobello Burgers with Brie

This Week: As a vegetarian, I have to take special care to make sure I get enough protein. Lentils are a great source of protein, because they are inexpensive and easy to cook. When most people hear lentils, they think of soup, and while lentil soup is awesome, they also make a great salad. This salad is so full of Greek flavor that it will make any barbecue guest happy.

The Ingredients: 1 cup uncooked lentils, 4 garlic cloves, 1 cucumber, 2 carrots, a bunch of cherry tomatoes, 2 stalks celery, half a red onion, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, juice of one lemon, 1/3 cup of vinegar, 1/3 cup of olive oil, salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, and fresh parsley.

The Instructions: Put the lentils and garlic cloves in a medium-sized pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about twenty minutes, until the lentils are tender but not mushy. Drain them and put in a bowl. Remove the garlic. Cut up your vegetables and the olives. Add to cooled lentils. Crumble in the feta. Chop the parsley and add that into the salad. Make the dressing by mixing the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, salt, garlic powder, and dried oregano in a covered container. Pour it over the salad and mix everything together. Leave it in the fridge until it’s time to eat. The longer it sits, the better it tastes!

Note: Whenever you cook with lentils, make sure you wash them in a strainer first. Run your hands through them to find and remove any tiny rocks that may have made their way into the bag. It’s the worst thing to be chomping on some lentils and find out the hard way that there’s a rock in there too.

Vegetarian Barbecue; Portobello Burgers with Brie

Why Vegetarian Barbecue: When I first stopped eating meat, the thought of summer barbecues made me sad. I knew summer gatherings, would never be the same. And they haven’t been, but I’ve learned that with a little bit of extra effort, they can be just as enjoyable. With that in mind, over the next few weeks I’m going to share some of my favorite recipes and ideas for a Vegetarian Barbecue

Last Week: Grilled Pizza

This Week: When I first embarked on sharing my vegetarian barbecue recipes, I didn’t plan to share my recipe for Portobello burgers, for two reasons. One, because they are so simple to make that the recipe is really silly. and Two, they are so prevalent in restaurants, (sometimes as the only vegetarian option), that they are a bit typical.  But I decided to share my Portobello burgers anyway, because they are delicious, and I make them often.

The Ingredients: 1 medium-large Portobello mushroom, balsamic vinegar, salt, brie cheese, a hamburger bun, and Garlic Scape and Arugula Pesto.
The Instructions: About half an hour before you’re ready to grill, clean the Portobello, and leave it to soak in a bowl of balsamic vinegar. Let at least twenty minutes pass, heat up the grill. Cut your brie into thin strips (I remove the rind but you don’t need to). Carry your Portobello, the brie and the hamburger bun outside. Place the mushroom bottom down on the grill. Close the grill, and let cook for about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the Portobello, so the bottom is up. Let it cook for a minute or two. Put the cheese on the Portobello and the bun on the grill. Once the cheese melts and the bun is toasted, remove them from grill and assemble your burger. Make sure to spread some of the pesto onto the bun; it adds some great flavor. Enjoy!

Note: When cleaning mushrooms, never submerge them or rinse them directly in water. They are very spongy, will absorb the water and then won’t taste good. Instead, use a clean (wet or dry) rag or a paper towel to wipe off any dirt.

Mojito Love

As evidenced in my summer manifesto, I love summer drinks. This summer, I find myself loving Sangria, Margheritas, and my favorite, Mojitos. Mojitos are delightfully customizable, and I’ve found myself making them with a variety of fruit and always with fresh mint. Fresh mint makes almost everything taste better and we have a serious growth of mint in our garden. It’s basically taken over the front yard!

Mojito recipes are everywhere. Basically it’s rum, muddled mint (and/or fruit), simple syrup, lime juice, and club soda. I never measure anything, adding more of each ingredient until it tastes perfect. Currently my favorite fruits to add are fresh strawberries and/or mango. Sometimes I even switch out the rum for whiskey, because whiskey is my favorite hard alcohol. I’m pretty sure they are no longer considered mojitos when I make that switch, but I’m not sure what whiskey and mint drinks are called. Traditional or not, mojitos are a delightfully, delicious light summer beverage, and they are almost always better when you add some fresh fruit.

What’s your favorite summer drink?

I hope everyone’s weekends are full of refreshing summer beverages, good friends, and warm breezes. Happy Friday!

Vegetarian Barbecue: Grilled Pizza

Why Vegetarian Barbecue: When I first stopped eating meat, the thought of summer barbecues made me sad. I knew summer gatherings where barbecues were involved, would never be the same. And they haven’t been, but I’ve learned that with a little bit of extra effort, they can be just as enjoyable. With that in mind, over the next few weeks I’m going to share some of my favorite recipes and ideas for a Vegetarian Barbecue

Last Week: Quinoa, Edamame, Salad

This Week: Most people don’t associate pizza with barbecues, but I’d like to change that! Making pizza on the grill is so easy, fun, and delicious! It’s also really great when you have a mix of vegetarians and omnivores, because you can customize pizzas to all tastes and preferences.  And who doesn’t love to throw the dough up in the air while speaking with an Italian accent? Just make sure no one notices if you drop it on the patio.

The Ingredients: Homemade or Store-bought Pizza Dough, Homemade or Store-bought Tomato Sauce,olive oil for brushing on the dough, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil, tomatoes, any other toppings you might want (We made one Margherita pizza for the vegetarians and one with cappicola or spicy Italian ham, onions, and grated mozzarella, for the meat-eaters), I used a pizza stone but you can place the pizza directly onto the grill if you don’t have one.

The Instructions: Turn on your grill, place the pizza stone in the center. Let the grill heat up to about 500 degrees. Meanwhile, slice the tomatoes and cheese, and prepare all your ingredients. Bring them outside so you have easy access to them by the grill. Shape your dough into a flat circle. Brush the pizza stone with olive oil. Place the dough on it. Close the grill and let the dough cook for about two minutes. Brush the top of the dough with oil. Use a flat cookie sheet to flip the dough over. Immediately put on your toppings. For our Margherita pizza, I spread the sauce first, then add the tomatoes, lastly the cheese and the basil. Close the grill. Let it cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the cheese is melted, and the bottom of the dough is crunchy.

Warning: Grilling your own pizza will change your life. It’s so delicious, you’ll never settle for take out again. Also, it’s very hot when its first off the grill, so be careful!

Garlic Scape and Arugula Pesto

We received garlic scape in our CSA share this week, and voila a love affair with Scapes was born. I’d heard about scapes many times from various blogs, but I’d never tried one before. I was not disappointed. They are delicious and delightfully pretty. They are edging out heirloom tomatoes for my top-veggie spot. Along with the scapes, we received some very flavorful arugula, so what did I do with these beautiful greens? Well I made pesto of course!

Garlic Scape and Arugula Pesto

Ingredients: 1 cup chopped garlic scapes (3-4 scapes), 3/4 cup shredded Parmigiano, 2/3 cup pine nuts, 1 cup chopped arugula, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Instructions: In a small dry saucepan, toast pine nuts, mixing frequently over low heat for about 5 minutes, until they are fragrant and toasted but not burned. Let cool. Place pine nuts and the remaining ingredients (minus oil) into good processor. While it’s mixing, slowly add the olive oil until pesto like-consistency is achieved.

Eat: You can eat the pesto with pasta or you can be fancy and make crostini. I toasted bread, spread the pesto on it, and topped them off with heirloom tomatoes. They were the best part of making the pesto!

Vegetarian Barbecue; Quinoa, Edamame, Salad

Why Vegetarian Barbecue: When I first stopped eating meat, the thought of summer barbecues made me sad. I knew summer gatherings where barbecues were involved, would never be the same. And they haven’t been, but I’ve learned that with a little bit of extra effort, they can be just as enjoyable. With that in mind, over the next few weeks I’m going to share some of my favorite recipes for a Vegetarian Barbecue

Last Week: Southwestern Black Bean Burgers
This Week: Today’s recipe was inspired by a salad I had at my friend’s sister’s graduation party. Quinoa salad is an excellent salad for a vegetarian barbecue (or picnic) because of all the protein it packs. Protein is always what people ask about when they discover I’m a vegetarian. “Well where do you get your protein?” is always the second thing they ask, once they’ve accosted me for my reasons.  This salad is the perfect protein rich salad, with quinoa, chick peas, and edamame. Additionally,it tastes so good, both vegetarians and meat-eaters will enjoy it.

The Ingredients: 2 Cups uncooked Quinoa, vegetable broth, 1 bay leaf, a Garlic clove, 2 cups cooked chick peas, 1 cup cooked shelled edamame, 1-2 chopped tomatoes, 1 chopped red onion, chopped parsley, 1 cup dried cranberries, Juice of 1 lemon, 1/8 cup olive oil, salt, pepper, 1/4 cup vinegar.

The Instructions: Cook uncooked Quinoa in vegetable broth with the bay leaf and the garlic clove, according to the instructions on the Quinoa package (Instructions vary by package, I simmered mine (covered) for 15 minutes until all the broth was absorbed, but check your instructions, just substitute the broth for water.) When the quinoa is finished, remove the garlic and the bay leaf and let it cool. Combine all your vegetables and cranberries with the cooled quinoa. Place lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and vinegar into closed container, shake and pour over the salad. The salad may or may not need more dressing, depending on how much it absorbs. Serve at room temperature.