Brain Food for Finals (the anti-cheesy mac)

When I went to college in upstate New York (with my co-blogger/roommate), I worked at the local campus vegetarian cafe. One of my favorite recipes was something we called Gypsy Soup-- a colorful blend of sweet potatoes, chickpeas and green and red veggies in a spiced broth. It was packed with good stuff, provided filling comfort during exam week and helped keep me warm throughout the freezing winters.

Though it's winter now and I'm faced with finals once more, things are a little bit different: I'm in Washington DC (winters here are pretty laughable), and grad school exams are... well... more like dissertations than essays. (Don't even get me started on the "Save the World" paper I have to write....) But somethings are the same, including my need for something comforting, warm and (most importantly) can be refrigerated and reheated as needed throughout the week. And it's way better for you than cheesy mac (even if it is vegan cheesy mac... ). Trust me.

So  I give you a variation-- a grown up version, perhaps-- of Gypsy soup:

Gypsy Stew:
(musical accompaniment: "One Day" by Matisyahu)

1 large winter squash, skinned and chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 large onion, chopped
olive oil
dash of turmeric
dash of cinnamon
dash of habanero powder
dash of salt
dash of basil
dash of paprika
1 cup of water
1.5 cups of veggie stock (or more water)
handful of edamame peas (without the shells)
handful of sweet red peppers, chopped
1 can of chick peas (drain the water from the can! before adding!)

1) Heat the squash, garlic, onion and spices in the olive oil on medium-high for about 5 minutes until very fragrant and the squash turns a bright golden orange
2)Add water and veggie stock, stir and simmer for 15 minutes
3) add edamame peas, red peppers and chick peas, stir and allow to simmer, another 5-10 minutes. If your water is evaporating and it looks dry, add a little more. You don't want it to be soup-like, but the veggies need some liquid to simmer in.

Serve over rice, udon noodles or whatever else you can think of!

I actually have no idea how long this lasts in the fridge. I imagine (and am hoping) about a week! I'll follow up soon, if I don't eat it all immediately.

Happy Exam Season!!!

Jess

SWEET POTATO COCONUT CURRY (WITH SOBA NOODLES and CAULIFLOWER)

I stumbled on this recipe after buying a bunch of cauliflower. I know cruciferous veggies (like cauliflower) are really good for healthy cell regeneration, and in combination with turmeric, some studies suggest it is effective in slowing the spread of some cancers. (!!!)

Sweet potatoes are also lovely and in season, and add a pretty deep golden color to this dish.

(it's also vegan.)

1 head of cauliflower, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, chopped
Olive Oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp habanero powder, or any other kind of chili powder you're fond of
1 tbs turmeric
1 can of chick peas
5 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp red pepper
1 can coconut milk
a pinch of coconut flakes (unsweetened-- this is optional)


Heat the onion in a large saucepan with the oil for about 5 minutes (until cooked)
Add garlic, salt, turmeric, ginger and spices and cook for 5 more minutes.
Add Cauliflower, sweet potatoes, chick peas, coconut milk, shredded coconut and 1/2 cup of water
Cook on medium-high for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are tender.

Serve over rice, soba noodles or add more water and eat it as a soup!

Happy eating!

Jessica

VEGGIE BURGER DELICIOUSNESS

I'm not a real vegetarian. I'm alright with this, but omnivores and vegetarians alike seem to have a problem with my on-the-fence status (haters!). I'm about 90% vegetarian-- the only time I cook meat is when I'm hosting people, and the only time I eat it is generally when someone makes it for me, I'm traveling and its culturally insensitive for me to request vegetarian items, or it has already been cooked/served without my ability to ask for something else. So although I'm not a true veg anymore, I was a vegan all throughout high school and a vegetarian for all of college, and so I've gotten pretty good at cooking vegan and vegetarian friendly meals.

As a general rule, I tend to avoid any pre-packaged "soy" or "fake meat" items. Mainly, because they gross me out, but also because most of them are created with vast amounts of wheat gluten (which tends to upset my stomach). But sometimes I get a craving for a burger. And when those times occur, I make these veggie burgers Yes, you could use lentils as the main ingredient, but tonight I'm cooking with what I have, and that means I'm using this package of Gimme Lean Ground "Beef". 

1 package of meat substitute, (Textured Vegetable Protein*, Lentils* or Gimme Lean work well, as do portobello mushrooms, but i have a better recipe for those which I will share at another time)

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce (the more of this you add, the more smokey meat flavor you will get)

Sriracha (YES THATS RIGHT)-- just a dash, or if you dont have it, any kind of hot sauce

Garlic powder- sprinkled

Onion powder- sprinkled

Habanero powder- very little! (optional)

Corn (canned)- half a can

Balsamic vinegar-1 tablespoon

Salt- pinch

*If you use TVP or lentils and are not vegan, I recommend adding an egg into the mix to give it the right consistency

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Heat an oiled pan (preferably a grill-pan) on medium-high heat and cook veggie burgers until browned on both sides.

Enjoy!!

BEST HUMMUS EVER

When I went to the Middle East I seriously thought my vegetarian-ness would be challenged. Not so-- how could I forget the mother of all wonderful vegetarian dishes: awesome authentic hummus!

My Lebanese friend claims that this is the best hummus recipe out there. And who am I to argue? So without further ado, here's the recipe, courtesy of Ms. Rachel Gabriel:

BEST HUMMUS EVER
Ingredients:

2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 can of chick peas (keep juice)
2 heaping spoonfulls of tahini
Lemon Juice
Salt

Instructions:
Blend together the garlic chickpeas (keep the juice!) and two heaping spoonfulls of tahini. Half the retained amount of chickpea juice, and replace with lemon juice (I find it's easiest to keep the can and eyeball the measurement). Pour into blender. Add a spoonfull of salt. Blend.

Take out of blender, and pour a circle of olive oil in the center. Eat and be merry!


Allison claims that she has made this recipe without the garlic and heavy on the tahini and it's pretty amazing. I tend to add more lemon juice and less tahini. And if you're low on tahini, you can always use peanut butter! :)

TOFU: THE OTHER WHITE “MEAT”

My sister says that our cooking blog has too much “weird food.” I guess she’s right that some people have a hard enough time boiling Kraft macaroni and baking pre-cut cookies, so quinoa and vegan brownies are a bit daunting. Sadly for her, my next recipe isn’t going to prove her wrong as again I have chosen what some circles would classify as more alternative food.

So let’s talk TOFU. Here’s the thing about tofu. If you’ve tried it and hated it, then you just didn’t like the way it was cooked. Trust me. When I spent a semester living in the North Carolina woods, our program had vegetarian cook who introduced me to tofu for the first time. His secret to cooking it, which isn’t much of a secret, is that tofu is all about what you cook it with, otherwise it’s essentially flavorless.
So why use tofu anyway you ask? Well, I personally enjoy the variety from other meats. Additionally, it’s packed with protein (like meat) but has almost no saturated fats (unlike meat). Not that I’m anti-meat (though my co-blogger, will probably give you her thoughts on animals eventually), and not that I promise this will replace your hankering for a medium rare steak… but I promise if you learn to cook it, tofu can be delicious.

So this recipe I made up this evening (so please excuse the lame title), but was inspired by this delicious peanut sauce that I bought at a local farmer’s market this weekend. I had peanut chicken last night, and with a small tub remaining decided to try it with tofu this evening. Now since you all cant go get this peanut sauce I am also including a mini-recipe for a peanut sauce I typically make for all of my other Asian inspired endeavors. Let me know what you think. I think you’ll be surprised how easy and quick this is to prepare.

Peanut Veggie Tofu
Musical Accompaniment: I Like It by Enrique and Pitbull
Ingredients:
½ sliced cucumber
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 handful of bean sprouts
1 package of extra firm tofu (cut up if not done already)
2 ‘twigs’ of cilantro (chopped)
4 scallions (chopped)
soy sauce
olive oil

Peanut Sauce
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or habanero pepper (optional if you like things spicy)

Instructions:
So I forgot I was going to cook tofu until I arrived home from work late so it slipped my mind to marinade. However, if I could do it again I would have put a bit of soy sauce/ or a teriyaki sauce and some olive oil in with the tofu to sit for a few hours before cooking.
I started cooking the sliced pepper, cilantro and scallions in some olive oil before adding the tofu. Since I hadn’t prepared a marinade before hand, I improvised and put some soy sauce and a bit of teriyaki sauce in the pan as it was cooking. It doesn’t take long for tofu to “cook” I just like to keep it in the pan long enough to absorb the flavors of the veggies. After maybe 10 minutes of cooking I added the sprouts and sliced cucumbers. After another minute on the stove I poured the peanut sauce (literally take the ingredients above and blend well) over everything and left it on the stove only long enough to heat.

MY NEW FRIEND: QUINOA

I know that now quinoa is all the rage, but I actually first experienced the grain in college. It was served cold in a vinegar-based sauce with soy beans and peppers.
While I like quinoa, I have discovered that I’m very particular about what’s it's prepared with. It makes all the difference – in a similar way that tofu is all about the preparation. I discovered that quinoa goes nicely with two of my favorite foods: spinach and cheese. The other great thing about this dish is that I enjoy it warm as well as cold, so it makes excellent leftovers.

Spinach and Feta Quinoa
Musical accompaniment: Bob Marley, Redemption Song


Ingredients:
1 cup Quinoa
1.5 cups Spinach
Feta
Salt/Pepper
Instructions:
You need to rinse the quinoa first to take away the bitterness. After a good rinse, bring 1 cup quinoa to boil, then let simmer until the water is absorbed. While a little water is left, and its still on the stove, add the raw spinach so that it cooks as well. Turn off the heat and add the feta. I don’t give measurements for cheese cause I’m a huge cheese fan, but not everyone consumes the quantity that I like to, so put in as much or as little as you prefer. Then add salt and pepper to taste.

INSTANT SWEETS

I am on a big granola bar kick. I’ve never been a pure chocolate kind of girl and thus granola bars seem to satisfy my sweet tooth without making my tummy sick from sugar overload. I’m also all about instant gratification, so when I want granola bars, I want them now—not tomorrow, not after 40 minutes in the oven. Which is why I love this no-bake recipe. I can get this done in 15 minutes. After months of making this I’ve gotten creative and made several substitutes so I’ll put down a few different things to add.

I Want Granola Bars And I Want Them Now… Recipe!
Musical Accompaniment: Passion Pit


Ingredients: (I usually split this in half unless I’m making for a group)

* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup honey (I prefer to use Agave. The consistency changes but the taste stays the same)
* 2 cups granola (I like to pick ones with nuts and fruit already added)
* 1 cup rice cereal, (I go with safeway brand Rice Krispies)
* Optional add-ons: semisweet chocolate chips, craisins, nuts, pretzels.




Instructions:

In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar with the honey and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves. Take the pan off the heat and add the granola and rice cereal. If you are adding extra fruit, pretzels, or nuts, you should add them here too. Be sure to coat everything in the sugary liquid. Take the mixture a press into an ungreased baking pan. Now it’s time to press the chocolate chips on top. (If you add them in earlier the chocolate will melt and you’ll have very chocolatey tasting granola bars.) Finally, set the pan in the refrigerator to set until firm. I leave 10-15 minutes, then pull them out cut into bars. After this DO NOT put them back into the fridge or they will get hard. Store in a cabinet. If you find that they are too chewy, put them in the fridge for less the next time.