Archive for March, 2007
I love cucumbers. They smell heavenly and are have a refreshingly cool crunch to them. Tea sandwiches are great in their standard form, but why not make open-faced sandwiches to show off your cucumber? Okay, that didn’t come out right, but you know what I mean.
These are so easy, you’re going to laugh. Or rather, you’re going to make them for guests and try not to smirk when your party-goers fawn all over them.
“Oh, those? They weren’t any trouble at all!”
Everyone will think you’re just being modest. There are four steps. Ready?
1. Shave long strips of cucumber with a regular vegetable peeler. Pat them with a paper towel if they seem too wet.
2. Spread your favorite sandwich bread with some Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese.
3. Lay out cucumber in a pretty pattern, slightly overlapping. If you line up the cucumbers to one side of the bread, you’ll have long enough strips left over for a second sandwich.
4. Cut off crusts and cut to desired shape. Use a cookie or biscuit cutter for non-square/triangular sandwiches. Sprinke with kosher salt and fresh pepper. Garnish with parsley, mint, or watercress.
Click the link for thee more completely gratuitous photos. They’re so darn pretty, I couldn’t help myself.
March 31st, 2007
Hey! Did you know that I have a LJ feed for this blog? Neither did I! (Well, not until recently.) If you’d like to see updates on your LJ friend’s page, here is the link.
Thank you to whoever created this!
There will be a real, food-realated update later today!
March 31st, 2007
I made this in 20 minutes, and that included time to straighten up a bit. My lunches can get a bit weird sometimes, as I tend to rummage around and try to make something that uses up the food we have. Here’s what I found today:
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So why not chili with apple and sausage in it? The only things I used that aren’t pictured here are tamari, worcestershire sauce, and cumin. I saw the “grain meat” sausages at Whole Foods and they intrigued me. They ended up being pretty good, but towards the end I was eating around them. Maybe I’m just a tofu/tempeh/seitan kinda gal. I’d be interested in trying their other flavors, since the apple-sage variation sounds tasty.
Chipotle Sausage Chili with Apple and Black Beans
Makes two hearty servings
1 Can Black Beans, mostly drained
2 Carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
2 Plum Tomatoes, diced (1 Cup, scant)
1 Cup Rehydrated TSP, see directions
1 Veggie Sausage Link, diced
1 Apple, diced (any kind, really)
3 Tbs Tamari
3 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce (make sure the label says it’s veg)
1 tsp Cumin
Heat 1 scant cup of water to boiling and mix it with 1 Cup dried TSP (or follow package directions). While that is soaking, heat a large skillet with some vegetable oil. Add carrot and stir every once in a while to soften. Meanwhile, dice apples, tomatoes, and sausage. Add these plus the beans and cumin to pan. Stir and cover.
Check on your TSP. Dump out excess water as soon as it is fairly soft and add to pan. Add tamari and Worcestershire sauce, stir well, and cover. Let simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes. Serve with fresh cilantro or parsley.
March 30th, 2007
Tonight I went over to my friend Sandy’s house for falafel, and I agreed to bring the fixin’s. Stewart and I love falafel with Jerusalem salad, lettuce, hummus, and extra tahini sauce. We skipped the hummus this time, but I thought you might like the recipe for the sauce and the salad.
First thing’s first: tahini. It’s both a paste and a sauce made from crushed sesame seeds. The paste is similar to peanut butter in consistency, but it’s not as sweet. I quite dislike the paste straight up; I find it kind of bitter. But don’t base your judgment on tahini solely on how it tastes straight from the jar. I much prefer it in hummus, or mixed into creamy sauces for a nutty, almost cheesy flavor boost.
Tahini is also a sauce, but you really only run across this variation when you’re eating middle eastern food, like falafel. It’s simply tahini paste mixed with water, lemon juice, salt and sometimes olive oil and garlic. The simple additions do wonders for the flavor, turning into a great dressing. You’ll need the sauce for the Jerusalem salad, but make extra and keep some in the fridge.
Basic Tahini Sauce
Makes enough for Jerusalem Salad, plus extra for drizzling over falafel
1/4 Cup Tahini (paste)
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
1 Tbs Olive Oil
1/4 tsp Salt
Mix water and tahini until smooth with a whisk. Whisk in remaining ingredients and set aside (or chill).
Jerusalem Salad
Makes enough for 4-6 falafels in pitas
1 Medium Cucumber, peeled and diced (about 1 1/2 cups total)
3 Firm Plum Tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 1 cup total)
1 Handful Parsley, roughly chopped
3 Tbs Tahini (sauce)
Fresh Black Pepper
Extra Lemon
Extra Salt
Toss cucumbers, tomatoes and parsley in a bowl. Add tahini and toss to coat - salad should not be soupy. Grind fresh pepper over the top. Season with an extra dash of salt or squeeze of lemon if desired. Serve as a filling for falafel, or as a refreshing summer side salad.
March 29th, 2007
I had three ripe bananas and an open container of Tofutti Better than Sour Cream that I wanted to use today, so this was my solution. I love it when I have a problem and the answer is cake, don’t you?
Sour Cream Banana Cake
Makes one bundt cake
1/3 Cup Canola Oil
1 Cup Tofutti Sour Cream
1/3 Cup Soymilk
1 tsp Vanilla
3 Medium Ripe Bananas, mashed
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 1/4 Cups Sugar
2 Tbs Cornstarch
1 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Whisk all the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Spray your bundt pan with cooking spray, or lightly grease. Flour the bundt pan with some of the dry mix, pouring excess back into the bowl when finished.
Mix wet ingredients into the dry, adding a tablespoon or so of soymilk if needed. Batter will be thick but not dry. Pour evenly into the bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before removing from pan.
Serve with powdered sugar and fresh strawberries.
March 28th, 2007
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