Dinner-Lady Carrots

I love Jamie Oliver. He speaks my language. ;)
The name of this recipe made me giggle but I feel a need to do a little translation so you're not thinking "what the heck is a dinner lady and why is she being included in these carrots?"
"Dinner" is what the English call lunch (in the part of England I'm from, we refer to the evening meal as "tea" not to be confused with the drink).
A "dinner lady," then, is what English school children call a school cafeteria worker.
Apparently Jamie Oliver saw a group of dinner ladies making carrots this way (sans wine, of course!) and that's how they got their name.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb 10 oz carrots (~2 cups), peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp. non-dairy, non-hydrogenated spread
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
The zest and juice of 1 orange
A handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1 tsp. dried oregano
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
A small wineglass of white wine
3/4 cup vegetable broth

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a baking dish non-stick spray or rub it with some canola oil or buttery spread.
Steam or boil the carrots until crisp-tender.

2. Mix the garlic with the orange zest, parsley, and oregano. Scatter a bit of this over the oiled dish. Add a layer of carrots to the dish along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Drizzle the layer of carrots with olive oil and then sprinkle with some of the parsley-zest mixture. Continue these steps until you run out of carrots.

3. Pour in the orange juice, wine, and enough broth to cover the carrots. Lay a sheet of wax paper over the carrots (tuck in the edges). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the carrots are cooked.

Reference:
Dinner-Lady Carrots from Cook with Jamie by Jamie Oliver.

My Changes:
*Giving the carrots a quick steam prior to layering and baking them. When I made them without this step they refused to soften up!
*I added a bit of dried oregano.
*Used Earth Balance in place of butter to make a vegan version of the recipe.

Avocado Bruschetta

The Argentinean chimichurri sauce puts a Latin twist on the ever-popular Italian appetizer.

Fast and easy to make!

Serves 2-3 (as a side dish or appetizer)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp. freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp. garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
1/8 cup olive oil
1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/8 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 avocado, cubed
2-3 1/2-inch thick slices of good bread (ciabatta, French baguette, Italian), toasted

Method:
1. Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, red pepper, black pepper, and oregano in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil and then stir in the cilantro and parsley. Carefully fold in the avocado chunks. Spoon the mixture onto the toasted bread.

Reference:
Avocado Chimichurri Bruschetta from the September 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times.

I don't remember changing anything (I made this over a month ago) but I'd love to try adding some tomato to this next time.
*I'll try to remember to take a photo next time, too!*

Buttermilk Biscuits

Or scones as I like to call them. And, yes, that is pronounced "skon" (rhymes with on), not "skown" (rhymes with own). ;)

Super easy.

8 biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. aluminium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter
3/4 cup buttermilk (or 3/4 tbsp. vinegar/lemon juice plus enough milk to make 3/4 cup. Let stand 10 minutes)
1 tbsp. butter, melted

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Cut in 1/2 cup butter with a knife or fork. Rub with your fingers until it resemble coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk until the flour mixture is just moistened.

2. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 times or until smooth. Roll out the dough to 3/4-inch thickness. Use a biscuit cutter or a glass to cut into biscuit shapes.

3. Place the biscuits 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with the melted butter. Bake 10-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Reference:
Perfect Buttermilk Biscuits from Land O'Lakes Baking: Trusted Recipes.

Tomato-Cucumber Salad

Yum! The vinaigrette from this recipe made this salad taste just like the one from my favourite hole-in-the-wall Italian place... perfect! :)
The only thing I would change on this for next time would be to add a little chopped red onion with the cukes and tomatoes.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber, peeled (or make those "strips" by peeling and then leaving a bit of skin - if it's not organic, peel the whole thing).
1-2 tomatoes, sliced
1/8 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. dried mustard
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Method:
1. Slice the cucumber and tomato into rounds. Place in a shallow bowl.

2. Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, and mustard in a measuring jug. Pour over the cucumber and tomato slices. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Just prior to serving, sprinkle with a little black pepper to taste.

Reference:
Based on the Cucumbers Vinaigrette recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites cookbook.

Stuffed Tomatoes with Quinoa, Black Beans, and Corn

I love stuffed tomatoes so I'm always excited to find a new way to fix them. This is quite possibly the best one I've found so far! They incorporate a lot of my favourite flavours. Plus, they are fairly low-fat (well, 11 grams per serving according to the original recipe but it's mostly mono- and poly-unsaturated), cholesterol-free (yippee!), and pack quite the protein punch. Plus, they are full of superfoods!

This recipe would probably make enough for 2 or 3 tomatoes - I only made one tomato but the stuffing was so yummy that I ate it as a "side dish." :)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup quinoa, rinsed well (superfood!)
1/2 cup water
2-3 tomatoes (superfood!)
1/3 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed (superfood!)
1/4 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/4 cup fresh salsa (tomatoes and hot peppers are superfoods!)
1/2 tbsp. olive oil (superfood!)
1 tbsp. finely chopped red onion (superfood!)
1/4 tsp. sea salt or other coarse salt
Freshly squeezed lime juice

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the quinoa in 1/2 cup water according to package directions (I usually give mine 15 minutes. You'll know when it's done - it goes transparent and you can see the white "germ" [I think it is] of the grain). Drain if necessary and return to the saucepan.

2. Add all the remaining ingredients to the quinoa (except the lime juice); cook and stir for 2 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the lime juice. Fill the tomatoes with the quinoa mixture and place in a baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with additional fresh lime juice.

Reference:
Based on the Bell Peppers Stuffed with Quinoa, Black Beans, and Corn recipe from the February/March 2008 issue of Cooking Pleasures magazine.

Applesauce

I made this since I wanted a natural (high fructose corn syrup-free) applesauce to mix in to some vegan chocolate cupcakes I'm making for my nephew's first birthday this weekend! :) Our little man is one... hard to believe! This was a collaboration of some recipes and suggestions from some of the ladies on the Nest.

This made about 4 cups (it also makes a yummy dessert!)

Ingredients:
4 apples - any kind you like - peeled, cored, and diced
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground allspice

Method:
1. Combine apples, water, cinnamon, and allspice in a Dutch oven or heavy saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20-25 minutes (until apples are soft and the liquid has been absorbed).

2. Allow the apples to cool and then smush them with a fork or potato masher. You could also transfer them to a food processor or blender to get a really smooth consistency.

References:
Thank you to Beebe929, ses1199, and CJNeeley from the Nest. :) I also used this applesauce recipe from a Nestie blog (oops - didn't write down your Nest name...). I left out the sugar based on suggestions from other Nesties and my desire to not use refined sugar in this (it will be eaten by vegans, after all!) :)

The New (Food) Love of my Life

Oh quinoa, where have you been all my life?! ;) Dang, I had it for the first time last night and LOVE it! Yummy! I made some taboulleh salad thing with it - so tasty! Believe me, you will not miss any additional salad dressing - I thought I might need some oil and vinegar or something but the lemon juice/quinoa/veggie mixture does the trick much better than any dressing (and it's a gazillion times healthier!)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa (superfood!)
1 cup water
2 cups chopped tomatoes (superfood!)
2 cups chopped parsley
1 cup chopped mint
1/2 cup chopped green onions (superfood!)
1/2 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (I also grated a bit of lemon rind and tossed that in, too)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper
A little sea salt
1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes (superfood!)

Method:
1. Boil quinoa in 1 cup water for 15 minutes (same as you would cook rice). Drain.

2. Combine all ingredients and serve over a bed of mixed green lettuce.

Reference:
This came from the Fresh Mama's cookbook that I got from a wonderful parent from work. :)

Couple Yummy Salads

I could eat salad every day and be happy as a clam! So yummy and there are so many things you can do with it - gotta love versatility! I discovered a new (new to me, anyway) dressing over the weekend so these both use that.

For the goddess (or god!) in all of us...

Goddess Salad Version 1
Spinach (superfood!)
Lettuce
Grape or cherry tomatoes (superfood!)
Avocado, diced (superfood!)
Carrots
Cucumber, diced
Dried cranberries (pretty sure these are a superfood!)
Walnuts (superfood!)
Trader Joe's Goddess Dressing

Goddess Salad Version 2 (a slightly fattier [but higher in protein!] version of the above salad
Spinach (superfood!)
Lettuce
Grape or cherry tomatoes (superfood!)
Carrots
Cucumber, diced
Red onion, chopped (superfood!)
Crumbled goat cheese
Dried cranberries (superfood, I think!)
Walnuts (superfood!)
Hard-boiled egg, diced (or just leave it off to the side and eat it whole) - superfood!
Fresh mint, chopped
Cilantro, chopped (actually, I just pulled the leaves off a couple stems!)
Trader Joe's Goddess Dressing

Raita with Mixed Vegetables

This is a great little "salad" or garnish to serve alongside anything spicy - the combination of the yogurt and cucumber has a great cooling effect.

This makes 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
2 cups plain nonfat or lowfat yogurt
2 tbsp. nonfat sour cream
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 tomato, seeded and diced
2 tbsp. diced red onion
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. ground cumin

Method:
Combine the yogurt, sour cream, cucumber, tomato, onion, lemon juice, salt, and cumin in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

**This can be prepared up to 1 day ahead - keep refrigerated.**

Reference:
From Karen Lee's book The Occasional Vegetarian. The only change I made was to omit 1/4 cup of diced red bell pepper.

Vegetable Couscous with Steeped Paprika

I had this as a main dish since I wasn't very hungry (and couscous can be pretty filling!) along with a raita (sort of a cucumber salad). It would also be great used as a side dish for a chicken or fish meal.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2/3 cup vegetable stock
1/3 tbsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
Good sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup uncooked couscous
1/3 tbsp. olive oil
1/6 cup chopped onion
1 green onion, green and white parts
Small amount of chopped carrot (I think I used 3 baby carrots)
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped, seeded tomato
1 tsp. dried parsley

Method:
1. Bring the broth to a boil in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. Remove 1 tbsp. of the broth and dissolve the paprika in it. Pour the paprika-broth mixture back into the saucepan. Add a little salt and pepper and return the broth to a boil.

2. Remove the broth mixture from the heat and add the couscous grains. Stir and cover then allow it to sit off the heat for 5 minutes.

3. Heat the olive oil, onion, and green onion in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute for about 2 minutes or until the onion begins to colour. Add the carrot and bell pepper and saute an additional minute. Add the tomato, saute 1 minute more. Add a little more salt if desired as well as another grind or two of black pepper, then stir. Add the parsley, stir again. Remove the mixture from the heat.

4. Transfer the veggies from the skillet to the couscous pan and fluff as you mix. Serve immediately.

**This can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Return the mixture to at least room temperature prior to serving.**

Reference:
I found this in The Occasional Vegetarian by Karen Lee. I didn't make any changes :) Next time, though, I may try steeping a different spice or blend of spices in the broth and then add that to the couscous.

Spicy Tofu Scramble

So I have a LOT of tofu left over from the vegan stuffing/dressing I made and have been trying to think of interesting ways to use it up! I love tofu in stir-fries but the silken tofu just doesn't hold up so well in those types of dishes. Knowing it makes a great egg substitute, I decided to try it to make "scrambled eggs."
This was so yummy - I couldn't tell it wasn't really eggs! The texture was just a bit off but since tofu takes on the flavours of whatever you mix it with, you can't taste it. It's a pretty versatile dish - you could warm up tortillas and fill them with this and some salsa; just throw some salsa on top of the scramble; or serve this with cheese - dairy cheese would not be vegan but would be appropriate for ovo-lacto vegetarians or you could keep it vegan by using soy cheese. You could also mix in some vegan breakfast sausage that has been browned. I bet this would make a great substitute for the eggs in huevos rancheros or alongside some breakfast potatoes. I'm currently hunting for some great potato recipes so I can make some with rosemary and lavender. You can also use different spices to change up this recipe (I'll have to try those and post some more!)
This recipe is also great for people who are looking for a low-fat or low cholesterol alternative to an egg breakfast.
Ooh, I just realized I have mushrooms I could have added to this.. boo! Guess I'm making it again tomorrow :)

Serves 1 (my husband refuses to try anything that has been in the vicinity of tofu so I got to enjoy this by myself! It's easy to multiply if needed).

Ingredients:
1/8 yellow onion, diced
1/8 green bell pepper, diced (I have some frozen tri-coloured peppers that I got at Trader Joes. They are great to just dice up and throw in dishes like this!)
1/4 block silken/soft tofu, drained and pressed between paper towels
1 tsp. olive oil or vegan margarine (Smart Balance or Earth Balance are two that I've used and work well for cooking)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1/8 tsp. turmeric (this is optional so don't worry if you don't have any - it does give the great yellow colour, though!)
Couple dashes hot sauce
Fresh/refrigerated salsa (I don't use the shelf-stable salsa. The fresh stuff just tastes a million times better!) Pico de gallo would also work well here!

Method:
1. Slice tofu into 1-inch cubes and crumble slightly with a fork.

2. Heat oil or margarine in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion, pepper, and tofu. Raise heat to medium-high and sautee for 3-5 minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to medium and cook 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.

Reference:
I found this recipe by doing a Google search for tofu scramble. :) Gotta love Google! Here is the original recipe.

Vegan Stuffing/Dressing

My parents requested the stuffing/dressing I made for Thanksgiving again for Christmas. Since we're English we serve turkey at Christmas as well and they were looking for a yummy dressing to go with it. Well, after I said I could make it, my mom asked for a vegan version that my sister and brother-in-law could have. After a bit of tweaking and an "are these ingredients OK" email to my sister, here's what I came up with for them!
This is basically the same as the Sausage and Fruit Stuffing except I used tofu for the egg and made sure the bread recipes were vegan. I halved the bread, onion, and celery amounts from the original recipe but kept the fruits, nuts, and mushrooms the same since I was not using sausage. If you'd like, you could use 1/4 pound of vegan breakfast sausage (it will specify on the packaging that it is vegan) in this recipe. Just brown the sausage before mixing in with the bread, fruit, and veggies.

This was really very yummy! Perfect alongside a Tofurkey (also very yummy!)

This will make about 4 servings ~ the leftovers of this and the regular version are wonderful!

Ingredients:
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 cup vegan cornbread, cubed (make the cornbread the day before so it has some time to dry out a little)
1 cup day-old whole-wheat bread, cubed (I made my own to make sure it did not contain any milk/milk sugars. Be careful here - most grocery store breads have milk).
1/6 cup vegetarian vegetable broth
1/8 cup soft/silken tofu, pureed (I just smushed mine up with a fork) - this is a great egg substitute (1/4 cup silken tofu = 1 egg)
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 Red Delicious apple, peeled, cored, and diced
3 white mushrooms, chopped
1/4 tsp. sage
1/8 tsp. thyme
1/8 tsp. rosemary
1/8 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. applesauce
1 tsp. salt
Olive oil

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1. Place a small amount of olive oil in a skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until slightly browned.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the onion, celery, cornbread, whole-wheat bread, vegetable broth, and tofu. Mix in the herbs, applesauce, salt, mushrooms, cranberries, walnuts, and apple.

3. Place the mixture in an oven-safe dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Corn Bread Muffins

Like the baked beans below, this recipe came from the October 2007 issue of Cooking Light. These were great! They freeze well (up to 1 month) so I made a whole batch and have been serving them with different things over the last few weeks. If you freeze them, heat them through in the microwave/a warm oven - they taste even better warm!

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (the sharper the cheese, the better the flavour!)
1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
1/4 cup chopped onion (subbed for the original recipe's green onions)
1 (8 3/4 ounce) can cream-style corn
Dash of hot sauce
1 large egg, beaten
Cooking spray

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Lightly spoon the flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next four ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Combine cheese and remaining ingredients (except cooking spray) in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add the cheese mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.

3. Coat the muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide batter evenly among the cups of the muffin pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in cups 2 minutes on wire rack; remove from pan. The recipe says to let them cool completely but they are so yummy served warm!

Reference:
The original recipe can be found in the October 2007 issue of Cooking Light magazine. Corn Bread Bites.