Dinosaur Bar-B-Que's French Fries

2 Potatoes recipes in a row? Featuring fried potatoes? Have I no shame? Evidently, no. This recipe is my 4th featuring the awesome food of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse, NY. My previous recipes from this cookbook include: jalapeno cornbread,  fried green tomatoes, sweet potato & pecan pie, and oven-fried cajun chickpeas. You may wonder why I, a vegetarian, have such allegiance to a BBQ joint, but their sides are awesome and many of them are veggie. They also have outrageously good french fries.

Since I live about 10 hours away from said BBQ joint, if I want their fries, I've gotta make them. Fortunately, their cookbook includes a recipe. Unfortunately, it's a time consuming process!

You've gotta cut the potatoes in equal sized slices:

You gotta heat the oil, then fry the fries...

Drain 'em, cool 'em, and fry 'em again! Still interested? Here's how to do it!

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que French Fries

• 2 qt peanut oil
• 1 1/2 large russet potato per person
• salt or other seasonings to taste

1. Thoroughly wash and thoroughly dry your potatoes. Leave the peels on Cut into 1/2 pieces, trying to keep your fries as evenly cut as possible.  
2. In a heavy-duty pot (I used cast iron) begin heating the peanut oil to 325 degrees. While the oil is heating, prepare a baking sheet covered in paper towels for draining the fries. 
3. Once the oil has heated, begin to add the potatoes in small batches. Continue to monitor the temperature of the oil. Heat each batch for about 7-8 mins or until the potato yields slightly when you squeeze it. Remove from heat and drain on the paper towels. Allow to cool to room temperature and continue until all the batches are completed.
4. Prepare another sheet with fresh paper towels. Increase the heat of the oil to 375. Again, in small batches, fry the potatoes for 2-3 mins or until crispy. Drain and salt or season as desired. Serve immediately. 

Kitchen Notes: This recipe requires a lot of patience. It's really important to fry only in small batches, otherwise the temperature of the oil will plunge and the potatoes will not cook properly. Additionally, the original recipe called for the second batch to also be fried for 7-8 mins, but this crisped the potatoes into oblivion. You may new to test a few fries to see what works best for you.

Verdict? These taste a lot like their Syracuse counterparts. They are delightfully yummy fries! However, they are a lot of work. If you have a great fry place in town, silently give thank your lucky stars, and pony up the $2.99.

Christmas Latkes

Yup, you read that right, Christmas latkes. We decided this year, to make breakfast the focal point of our Christmas day dining. Latkes are some of our favorite breakfast foods, and while not especially difficult to make, they are time consuming. I usually make pseudo-latkes out of leftover mashed potatoes--delicious, but not the real thing.

I had made proper latkes before, but I was looking for the perfect potato pancake. The first stop in my quest, was what is the right kind of potato? I generally found 2 answers: Yukon Gold or Russet. I found this perplexing, as these potatoes have entirely different starch content. One recommendation I found was that if Russets are used, the latkes would be crispier. Usually my lakes are flavorful, but a bit soggy, so Russets were the way to go.

I used a recipe from My Fudo to nail down a technique, but the ingredients are based on what I've always used and include panko breadcrumbs rather than just flour. The technique they've developed is a winner--these are the most perfectly textured latkes I have ever eaten.

Latkes (serves 4-6)

• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and placed in a bowl of cold water
• 1 onion, grated, with moisture squeezed out with paper towel/tea towel
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 C AP flour
• 1/2 C panko bread crumbs
• 1/3 C finely chopped parsley
• seasoned salt, to taste
• generous amount of black pepper, to taste
• canola oil, for frying

1. If not serving immediately--and by immediately from the fryer to a quick blot on paper towels and into someone's mouth--place a large baking sheet in your oven or warming drawer and preheat to 200 degrees. Prepare a second small baking sheet or plate and cover with paper towels, set next to your workspace. 
2.  Prepare a large bowl of cold water. Begin grating the potatoes to a medium shred and place the shredded potatoes into the cold water. Once all of the potatoes have been shredded, allow to sit for 5 mins. Place the potatoes in a colander and rinse with cold water. Squeeze any extra moisture out of the potatoes with paper towels or a clean tea towel, or put them through several spins in a salad spinner. 
3. In a large bowl, combine the grated potatoes, onion, beaten eggs, flour, panko, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Mix until well combined.
4. In a large, heavy bottomed skillet, pour canola oil to a depth of about 1/2 in. Heat on medium-high heat. When a single shred of potato sizzles on contact with the oil, the oil is ready. 
5. Form the potato mixture into 2-inch pancakes with your hands. Carefully add a few to the oil, being careful not to crowd the pan. Check frequently, and flip when golden brown on the bottom, cook a few more mins until brown on both sides.
6. Carefully remove the latkes from the oil and allow to blot on the sheet/plate with the paper towels. Quickly remove the pancakes from the plate and allow to warm in the oven. Serve warm with sour cream.

Kitchen Notes: I added the step of extracting extra moisture from the potatoes and onions, because it has always been my understanding that the drier the item to be fried, the lighter and crispier the texture, and this seemed to work for me.

                                                      So much potatoey deliciousness!

Verdict? The texture of these latkes was incredible. They were perfectly crispy and light as a feather, I was incredibly impressed. They also soak up almost zero oil--I used the same single sheet of paper towel for the entire batch and it was not saturated at all. These are a lot of work, but well worth it!

                                                             Happy New Year Everyone!

Vegan Week: Creamy Chipotle Orzo Casserole

This recipe is U-G-L-Y. It's the epitome as to why casserole is a dirty, 4-letter word. You know those recipes (and they are usually comfort foods) that look gawd-awwwful but taste delicious? This is one of them. I made this Wednesday, but I have to report on Tuesday, first.

                                                    Yup, it's ugly, but it tastes great.

Vegan week is posing a challenge regarding work. My office was considerate enough to accommodate veggie options for me, but 

Tuesday I ate:

• English muffin with spinach-artichoke dip*
• baby carrots. Lots of baby carrots
• Green salad
• macaroni & cheese**
• mashed potatoes**
• candied nuts**
• veggie burrito
• winter minestrone
• To drink: water, seltzer, coffee, coke, Shiner Bock 

*Recipe to be posted
**Exempt item

So this recipe is simply inspired by the contents in my fridge, primarily things that need to be used up, primarily 2 pitiful peppers, some silken tofu, french-fried onions, and some cooked orzo. As a result, measurements are very imprecise, I had to guesstimate a lot.

Creamy Chipotle Orzo Casserole (serves 4-6)

• 2 1/2 C orzo, cooked
• 2 bell peppers, different colors, cut into thin strips
• 2 green onions, sliced thin
• 1/2 C french-fried onions
• 12 oz soy sour cream
• 2/3 C silken tofu
• 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 clove garlic
• salt & pepper to taste 
• 1/3 C french-fried onions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium casserole dish, combine the orzo, bell peppers, green onions, and french-fried onions and mix well. 
2. In a food processor, combine the soy sour cream, tofu, chipotles, lime juice, and salt and pepper until smooth. Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed. 
3. Pour the sour cream mixture over the orzo and combine. Pop in the oven, covered, and bake for 30 mins. Uncover, and the additional onions, and bake 5 more minutes. Serve immediately. 

                                                                Taste is blind?

Kitchen Notes: This tastes like it actually has dairy in it--it's that creamy. Some of this is due to the fact that orzo has a fairly creamy texture. I would not substitute the orzo with an alternative pasta shape.

Verdict? For something that originated solely out of the contents of my fridge, I was super happy with the outcome. It has a genuinely creamy flavor, without the aftertaste often associated with soy. I enjoy it as an alternative to Spanish rice. Next time, I'll add a bit of cumin to the dish.

Quadruple Onion Holiday Dressing

Disclaimer: Leeks are not technically onions, but they are close relatives. Please allow me poetic license on this one. 

So, here's my last Thanksgiving post, more than a week after the holiday. Fashionably late I suppose. To recap, the Thanksgiving recipes that graced my table and were posted are:  shallot mashed potatoes with mushroom gravy, port cranberry sauce, sweet potato & pecan pie, and chive scones.

I like my Thanksgiving dressing fairly basic. I don't really care much for fruit in my dressings. I've been making this one for a few years now, adapting it a bit each year. It's adapted from The Veggie Table, and they've adapted it from the cookbook The New Vegetarian Epicure. I love how recipes adapt over time.

What did I listen to? Thanksgiving is a bit of a blur, I forgot to document! Oops.

Vegetarian Bread Dressing (serves 8-10)

• 3/4 C butter
• 1 C onion, diced
• 2/3 C leeks, thinly sliced
• 1/3 C shallot, diced
• 1 C celery, chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3 tsp sage
• 3tsp thyme
• 1 tsp marjoram
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 medium loaf sourdough, torn into cubes about 1/2 in
• 1/2 C parsley, minced
• 1 1/2 C walnuts, lightly toasted
• 2 C vegetable broth
• 1/2 C fried onions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Melt butter over medium high heat. Add the shallots and leeks and saute for about 5 mins. Add the onion, and saute til translucent, about 5-7 more mins. Add the celery, and saute 5 mins more. 
2. Add the salt & pepper to taste, the sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary and vinegar. Stir well and remove from heat. 
3. In a large casserole dish or roasting pan, add the bread and walnuts and mix together. Pour over the onion mixture and mix well. Drizzle 1 C broth and mix in the parsley.
4. Cover and bake for 45 mins. Check on the dressing every 15 min, adding 1/4 broth each time if needed.
5. After 45 mins, remove cover and sprinkle on the fried onions. Bake for 5 more mins. 


Kitchen Notes: Use stale bread cubes if possible. When reheating, drizzle a bit of broth and to reconstitute a bit.


Verdict? Simple and tasty. Very herbal. Due to the sourdough, this dressing has a pleasant, chewy consistency. Not appropriate for folks who don't care for onions.

Begendi (Mashed Eggplant with Cheese)

I read about Begendi in the same issue of Food & Wine where I stumbled upon the inspiration for Dijon Chipotle Chik'n. Chef Daphne Oz discussed eating begendi, mashed eggplant with mozzarella, and I thought it sounded magical. She suggested cooking it as an alternative to mashed potatoes--you can't go wrong with mashed potatoes, right?

 I put toasted almonds on it. Notice the leftover brussel sprouts and squash, sans pasta & ricotta

She didn't include a recipe, so I used the ole' trusty internet to find one. I found a recipe on Clifford A. Wright's blog. He warned: this is easy, but labor intensive. I didn't take his warning seriously enough!

I followed his directions pretty closely, reprinted in my own words here. There was a minor kitchen disaster, because the recipe didn't specify whether to cook the eggplant whole, halve it, or cut it smaller. I should have assumed that since he didn't say, keep the eggplant whole. I halved it to roast it, and it never cooked properly and adhered like rubber cement to my baking dish. Oh what fun to clean! Here's how to make it, properly.

Oh, one more thing. When I was researching the recipe, most called for a Middle Eastern or Mediterranean cheese. Kasseri, kashkaval, kefalotiri, and parmesan were all mentioned, but never mozzarella. But I had already gotten mozzarella into my head, so that's the way I went.

Listened to: New Pornographers. I listen to them very frequently with cooking, their albums seem to complement the process of cooking perfecting--can't tell you why!

Begendi (serves 4-8 as a side)

• 2 lbs eggplant (about 1 large)
• Oil
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 C AP flour
• 1 1/2 C hot milk
• 1 C fresh mozzarella, diced
• salt & pepper to taste

 1. Preheat the oven to 425. Brush the whole eggplants with a bit of oil. Place in a roasting pan, and roast, turning periodically, until the skins have blistered black, about 40 mins.
2. Once cool enough to touch, remove skins, and place the pulp of the eggplant in a strainer and strain for 30 mins (this will reduce bitterness)
3. Place the strained eggplant in a food processor, along with the lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Set aside.
4.  In a heavy bottomed pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat, gradually stir in the flour to form a roux, and cook 20 mins, stirring constantly. 
5. Remove the pan from heat, and gradually whisk in the heated milk, continue whisking til smooth.
6. Return the pan to the burner, and add the eggplant. Combine, and simmer on low heat for 20 mins.
7. Stir in the cheese, and combine til smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately. 

Kitchen Notes: In general, the skins remove easily from the roasted eggplant, but use a knife or fork to remove all the spare eggplant flesh from the skins. If pressed for time, roast and drain the eggplant one day, and finish the next.

Verdict? Tasty, but not worth the effort. It's a rich and creamy side. I personally would like it spiked with a bit more lemon juice. Feta or goat cheese would also be nice, though the amount would need to be reduced. I sprinkled toasted almonds on top, and I think that it would be great over rice pilaf.

Jicama & Carrot Slaw with Orange-Cilantro Vinaigrette

 I used to make a carrot-cilantro slaw from the Moosewood New Classics Cookbook. This recipe is inspired by this. I developed it last week when I had a carrot in need of use. It also gave me the opportunity to use the julienne slicer that I pick up at Schnucks on clearance for $1.54 and my glove that prevents me from slicing my fingers off. Yay!

While prepping this salad, I listening to the Norwegian electronic band, Flunk.

Here's my handy new peeler:

Jicama & Carrot Slaw with Orange-Cilantro Vinaigrette (serves 4 as a side)

• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1/2 jicama, cut into matchsticks
• 1 green onion, minced
• juice of half an orange (about 2-3 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp cilantro, minced
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt to taste 

1. In a medium bowl, mix the carrot, jicama, and green onion, set aside. In a liquid measuring cup, or other sturdy glass container, combine the juice, olive oil, vinegar, cilantro, cayenne, and salt. Mix thoroughly, then pour over the vegetables and toss, gently. Best if served immediately, keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge.


Kitchen Notes:  My personal preference in this is white vinegar, which I know most folks think has no culinary value, I used cider vinegar because that's what I had.

Verdict? Great crunch, great flavors. Very clean, zesty and fresh. I like a bit more acidity in my salads, so next time I may reduce the amount of orange juice and supplement with lime. I can't believe I haven't used jicama more often.

Shallot Smashed Potatoes with Vegetarian Mushroom Gravy

So it's not too early to start thinking about Thanksgiving. It's easy to feel sorry for a vegetarian on Thanksgiving (or think we're a bit mad), when you think about a Thanksgiving without gravy. This mushroom gravy makes a pleasant alternative. My omnivore husband requests this gravy, and I've been asked to bring it to holiday parties.

Both these recipes come from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics. I've modified the mashed potato recipe a bit, because it's what I had on hand, but truthfully, the original is better. (Note: I've labeled this recipe as vegan. The gravy is, the potatoes are absolutely not)

While making this I was listening to: Decemberists, Picaresque

Shallot Smashed Potatoes (serves 6)

• 4 C Yukon gold potatoes, cut into chunks, skins on
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/3 C minced shallots
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Place the potatoes, 1 tsp of salt, and enough water to just cover the potatoes, in a heavy pot. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until easily pierced with fork. 
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the shallots, and saute on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes or until soft. 
3. Once the shallots are soft, add the salt, pepper and cream to the shallots and keep warm on low heat. 
4. When the potatoes are cooked, drain and return to the pot. Gradually add the shallot-cream mixture and mash, leaving some chunks into the potatoes. Add additional cream, salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately. 

Mushroom Gravy (makes 3-4 C)

• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 C diced onions
• 4 C sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 C dry sherry
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 3/4 C vegetable stock
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 C cold water
• salt 

1. Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Saute the onions over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until they've begun to soften, stirring often. 
2. Add the mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, and salt and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Increase heat, and deglaze pan with the sherry. In a separate saucepan, add soy sauce and stock, and add the contents from the mushroom pan. Cover the saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the pepper, and dissolved cornstarch and stir constantly until thickened and evenly blended. Remove from heat and serve immediately. 


Kitchen Notes: For the potatoes: The original recipe calls for twice as much shallots as I've used, and I recommend using the additional shallots. The original also calls for milk, and more butter. I reduced the amount of butter and substituted heavy cream for the milk, since I didn't have any milk. This substitution was indistinguishable from the original. I'd also like to try substituting leeks for the shallots. For the mushrooms: Feel free to experiment with the seasonings. I've used several different kinds of mushrooms, none better than the other, just different. This time I used oyster. I just wouldn't use plain old white mushrooms. Don't be concerned about the amount of soy sauce in here, it doesn't overwhelm.

Verdict? So, I went 10+ Thanksgivings with dry potatoes. No gravy, just potatoes. With that in mind, I'm very biased with regards to how much I love this gravy. These potatoes are some of the best mashed potatoes I've had, the shallot butter makes them blissful.

Spicy Arugula & Cantaloupe Salad with Chili-Lime Pistachios

I have the hardest time remembering how to spell A-R-U-G-A-L-A and C-A-N-T-A-L-O-U-P-E. I've decided that I'm going to start posting what I listened to whilst making a dish. Not because you're particularly interested in what I'm listening to, but because my dear husband put up some new speakers in the kitchen to keep me entertained while cooking (as if cooking weren't entertaining enough!)

What I listened to: Carla Bruni, first lady of France and new momma.

This cool, very unusual recipe is adapted from my dear favorite, Moosewood New Classics. It originally features endive, not arugula, and comes with an embarrassing story. I made this last weekend with a cantaloupe. That I bought a month ago. Here it is:

 I had purchased this at the farmer's market 1 month prior and stored it in my fridge. It still tasted perfect. Makes me wonder how old the melons are in some supermarkets!

The chili-lime pistachios are a holdover from trying to recreate my favorite cheap restaurant snack, the 95-cent chili-lime peanuts from Destihl. I was disappointed with my attempt, and they hung out in my kitchen for a bit, but they made an ideal garnish for this salad.

Spicy Arugula & Cantaloupe Salad with Chili-Lime Pistachios (serves 4)

• 3 C arugula, loosely packed
• 1 small cantaloupe, cut into chunks
• 1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 tsp cider vinegar
• 3 Tbsp lime juice
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 3 tsp coriander, ground
• salt & black pepper to taste
• chili-lime pistachios (see below)

1. Toss together the arugula, cantaloupe, and cilantro. Set aside. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, cayenne, coriander, salt and black pepper. 
3. Pour half the dressing on the salad and toss well. Sprinkle with chili-lime pistachios and serve immediately. 


For chili-lime pistachios (makes 1 C)

• 1 C raw pistachios
• juice of 1 lime
• 3/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin, ground
• oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil a baking sheet and spread the pistachios as a single layer.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, chili powder & cumin. Smear over the pistachios, until coated.
3. Bake for 7 mins, watching carefully. These burn quickly!

 Kitchen Notes: I was skeptical of the amount of coriander in this recipe, but it works. I recommend only pouring on half the dressing, since a little goes a long way, and the salad is still tasty, dressed, the next day. The arugula does wilt some, but I tolerate wilted arugula far better than most greens. I think the arugula is a better choice than the endive, but this is opinion. This salad would be fantastic if the cantaloupe were replaced with mango, and I cautiously think nectarines or peaches would work great too.

Verdict? This recipe is a bit wacky, but it brings cantaloupe into the category of a salad fruit, much like a strawberry, apple or blueberry. Chili and cantaloupe complement each other well, the sour or the vinegar/citrus, sweetness of the melon, zest of arugula, and spice of the chili, along with the crunch of the salad, works to create a terrific summer salad. I wish I had made this earlier in the season!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad

Happy World Vegetarian Day all! I'm behind again,  reporting on World Vegetarian Day. Awfully convenient, but entirely coincidental, that my own personal vegan week happened during this time.

Wednesday's menu was as follows:

• shredded wheat with soy milk
• barbecued tofu
• veggie sandwich with potato chips
• garlic broccoli campanelle** with cherry tomatoes
• candy corn
• caraway Finn Crisp
• To drink: coffee, water, cherry pepsi, coke, violet soda, & tea

**recipe upcoming in future blog entry

I was inspired to make quinoa salads from the blog Closet Cooking a long time ago. My previously posted quinoa salads can be found here and here. The inspiration for this version of quinoa salad, came from a lonely ear of corn in my fridge, as well as a half of avocado that I didn't want to go bad. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of it until I was eating the last of the leftovers at work. Oops!

                                                  Very classy with the plastic utensils, no?

Southwestern Quinoa Salad (serves 4-6)

• 1/2 C quinoa, uncooked
• 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 medium zucchini, diced 
• 1/2 C canned black beans, drained
• 1 ear cooked corn, kernels removed (about 1/2 C)
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 C (or more) cilantro, chopped
• juice & zest of 1-2 limes
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 avocado (or more) 

1. Cook the quinoa as outlined in Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette. Allow to cool.
2. Place the cooked quinoa in a large bowl. Mix in the cherry tomatoes, zucchini, black beans, corn, and green onion.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, cilantro, lime juice and zest, cumin, oregano, chili powder, garlic, and salt and pepper.
4. Combine the dressing with the quinoa mixture. Dice the avocado and add to the salad. 
5. Refrigerate and allow the flavors to blend for at least a couple hours before serving.

Kitchen Notes: I halved the tomatoes rather than quartered, but would have preferred them quartered, which is why I wrote the recipe this way. Unlike a lot of recipes with avocado, the avocado remains fresh and green for several days. I underseasoned because I ate the salad mixed with hot sauce, red pepper sauce, or tomatillo sauce.

Verdict: Super yummy and a great way to use up complementary leftover produce in fridge. This is totally a texture dish, each of the components patchworks itself into a tasty, meal worthy salad.

Quinoa Tabbouleh: Now with Video!

If you'd like a traditional tabbouleh, please search elsewhere. I love tabbouleh, it's easy, it's one of my favorite summer salads, it's filling and refreshing. Sometimes, though, I stray from the typical tabbouleh. This one features quinoa rather than the typical bulgar wheat. I made this with leftover quinoa.

Please excuse the messy picture!

Quinoa Tabbouleh (makes about 3 C)

• 2C quinoa, cooked
• 3 large handfuls parsley, finely chopped (about 1 small bunch)
• 1/2 med cucumber, diced
• 2 small tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• juice of 3 lemons (about 6 Tbsp)
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely diced
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2.Combine the quinoa, parsley, cucumber, tomato, and onion in a large bowl. Mix together.
3.Combine the quinoa mixture and the lemon juice mixture together. Allow to sit for a few hours for the flavors to develop. 


Kitchen Notes: Tabbouleh is traditionally a parsley salad with a higher ratio of parsley than grain, the grain is to absorb the juices. Folks who like a more grain based tabbouleh will need to adjust the ratio. This seems like a lot of lemon, but trust me, it works.

Verdict? I'm still salivating over my quinoa salad with lemon vinaigrette, so comparatively speaking, it was a bit bland. It was refreshing and palate cleansing, and a good meal for a hot day, but I prefer the other quinoa salad.

Update: My friend Katie sent me this hysterical link, the tabbouleh song, from the comic Remy Munasifi. If you didn't  think tabbouleh needed an anthem before, this video may make you change your mind:
 

A Trio of....Cucumber Salads, Part III: Korean Spicy Cucumber Salad

 Welcome to part III of cucumber salads! Occasionally I get very ambitious and make the Korean dish bi bim bop. This little salad is a mix in or banchan for this dish. This salad, while delicious, it rather spicy and super garlicky. Just a few slices will do. If you do incorporate it into bi bim bop, the flavors will soften considerably.

This recipe comes from a favorite of mine, the cookbook Dok Suni, by Jenny Kwak and Liz Fried. I would check it out from the library for months at a time. I finally broke down and bought it.


Spicy Korean Cucumber Salad (Oye Moochim) (serves 4 or more)

• 1 cucumber, prepared as written here 
• 1 1/2 Tbs red pepper flakes, or more
• 1 Tbs rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame salt
• 1 tsp very finely minced garlic
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• pinch brown sugar
• salt

1. Mix together the red pepper flakes, vinegar, sesame salt, garlic, sesame oil, and sugar so that it makes a paste. Combine with the cucumber, Mix thoroughly. Serve chilled. Keeps fresh for a week. Will actually keep longer, but won't taste as yummy.  

                                                 Served with my rescued noodles
Kitchen Notes: I've seen sesame salt defined two ways: 1) a combination of pulverized sesame seeds and salt; 2) Pulverized toasted sesame seeds. Truthfully, this time around I didn't feel up to grinding the sesame seeds, so I omitted it. I've included a graphic of the red pepper flakes below. They are used a lot in Korean cooking. I keep mine refrigerated as they seem to get moldy very fast.

Verdict? Little goes a long way. Strong bite from the garlic. Strong heat from the red pepper. Refreshing cukes. Give it a try.

Deconstructed Sushi Salad

Do you ever eat a maki roll, just to have it fall apart all over your plate? This recipe captures this.Joanne from Eats Well With Others posted a scrumptious looking recipe for a veggie sushi salad. I loved the idea--I've always been compelled to try to make sushi, but have been too lazy. I figure a restaurant can do superior job. This took the complex work out of sushi, maintaining the flavors. I liked the concept of Joanne's recipe, but I changed the flavors to suit my taste. Additionally, it gave me an opportunity to try a sushi salad dressing featured in Moosewood Restaurant New Classics. The dressing recipe is slightly adapted from Moosewood's recipe, and the salad recipe was inspired by Joanne's recipe.

My favorite roll, as I am a sushi poser who doesn't eat dish, is the AAC roll (avocado, asparagus, and cucumber). Because it's not quite the right season for asparagus, I had to modify a bit.

Deconstructed Sushi Salad (serves 4-6) 
Sushi Dressing (makes between 3/4 C-1 C)

• 1/2 C rice vinegar
• 2 tsp wasabi powder
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2-3 Tbs soy sauce
• 2-3 tsp minced ginger
• toasted nori 

1. Mix together all ingredients except nori. Snip the nori into small pieces and incorporate into the dressing. Set aside.

Sushi Salad

• 2 C uncooked sushi rice
• 1 small cucumber, diced
• 1 avocado, diced
• 4-6 medium shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and diced
• 1/2 of the dressing made above

1. Rinse the sushi rice several times. Place in saucepan with 2 C water, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 mins, remove from heat. Let steam, covered, away from heat for 10 more mins. Allow rice to cool to room temp or place in fridge.
2. Place the mushrooms in a microwave safe container, cook, checking every 30 seconds, until most of the liquid is removed. This should take about 90 seconds. Be careful not to let the mushrooms burn.
3. Pour half of the dressing over the rice, mix well. Add the mushrooms and cukes, mix well. Dice and add the avocado just before serving, mix well. Serve, with dressing and soy sauce for dipping. Enjoy! Stays fresh for up to 3 days.

Kitchen Notes: I used seasoned rice vinegar, so you may need more sugar or other seasonings to adjust. Real wasabi powder (see below) is far milder than that served in most Japanese restaurants, so if you're crazy about the flavor of restaurant wasabi, get tube wasabi from an Asian market. The original recipes for both Joanne and the Moosewood cookbook both recommend pickled ginger, I used fresh as that's what is on hand.When you initially mix the wasabi and rice vinegar, it will look vile. Don't worry, it won't look like this for long.

                This used real wasabi, rather than the horseradish wasabi we tend to be familiar with

                                                               It's sort of gray

Verdict? I was surprised at how well this approximated the flavor of sushi, minus the tight structure. Unlike traditional sushi, the rice does not dry out very quickly, it remains fresh the next day. This recipe invites a lot of flexibility with ingredients, and would likely be great with fish on top. Dipping each chopstickfull in a bit of soy sauce is simply yummy.

A Trio of....Cucumber Salads, Part I

As much as I harassed my friend Katie for bartering for my tzatziki recipe, she was super generous in sharing her cucumber bounty. I took the opportunity to make 3 international cucumber salads, each which share the same initial prep. The first I'll feature, is a Finnish cucumber salad, that I've taken from Moosewood Restaurant's Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant, with some minor modifications. I've included a photo from the cookbook, to illustrate why I needed to create this blog. I annotate my cookbooks to the point of vandalism:

                                                         See all the pencil marks?

To start the 3 salads, I took 4 very large cukes, peeled them (don't peel them if your peels are nice. If your peels are nice, score them with a fork), and sliced them very thin. I threw them in a colander, sprinkled them liberally with salt, and drained for 20 mins or so. They looked like this:

After they've drained, rinse off the salt. In a clean, lintless tea towel or cloth napkin (you'll need several), place a handful of cukes and wring until you've extracted as much water as possible. Put the cukes in a mixing bowl. Continue until all the cukes have had water removed. As a heads up, the other 2 cucumber salads are Japanese and Korean.

Finnish Cucumber & Dill Salad (serves 4-6)

• 2 large cucumbers, prepared as detailed above
• 2/3 C sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (I prefer sour cream, but used yogurt since that's what I had. Avoid fat free--low fat is OK)
• 1 Tbs vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 Tbs white vinegar
• handful of minced fresh dill
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Mix the sour cream or yogurt, oil, vinegar, sugar, dill and pepper together. Keep salt separate for now.
2. Fold into cucumbers.
3. Add salt to taste. 

Kitchen Notes: This tastes best when eaten a few hours after assembled. Try to eat within a day or so, as the flavor diminishes significantly and becomes watery after this. Don't omit the sugar, though it sounds odd. It helps enhance the flavors of the salad and does not create a sweet flavor. I add the salt at the very end, because inevitably some salt remains on the cucumbers after rinsing, so it's hard to gauge how much salt is needed until the salad is assembled.

                                                   It tastes far more attractive than it looks!

Verdict? One of my favorite summer salads, and one I make again, again, and again. Well worth the work, in my view. Very refreshing.

Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

This past weekend, in St. Louis, my husband and I stumbled upon a fantastic little place in St. Louis, La Dolce Via. I had the spinach torta with a side of field greens with a rocking lemon vinaigrette. I felt compelled to try at home.

If you've never had a quinoa salad, try one now. Yum. A beautiful alternative to traditional tabbouleh & pasta salads. The inspiration again, comes from one of my favorite food bloggers, Kevin of Closet Cooking, with the recipe by me. 

Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette (serves 4-6)
For the Vinaigrette:

• 1/3 C extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 C red wine vinegar
• juice & zest of 1-2 lemons
• 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
• salt 
• pepper
• large handful of dill, chopped

1.   Mix ingredients 

For the Salad

• 1 C quinoa, uncooked
• small tomato, diced
• small zucchini, cut into small wedges
• 1/4 C red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 feta crumbled

1. Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh strainer. Bring quinoa, 1 1/2 C water, and a pinch of salt to a boil. Cover, and cook for 15 mins. Remove from heat, fluff, and let it remain covered for 10 mins. Let cool.
2. Mix together quinoa, veggies, feta & vinaigrette. Serve cool or at room temperature. 


Verdict? Hooray! I love, love, the texture of quinoa, and I love, love, the fresh flavor of lemon. Makes an ideal lunch.  

Ensalada de Porotos Verdes/Green Bean & Tomato Salad

I become a lazy cook in the summer. While my favorite things to make are soups, stews, and sauces, they require a lot of attention to be made properly. What's missing from this stock? Sh*t, I added too many bay leaves. I can't believe my shopping list could be published into a small book are all common thoughts for me come winter.

Not so with summer. My trajectory looks more like this. Go to Farmer's Market. Buy perfectly fresh, nutritious, and often inexpensive produce. Go home. Chop veggies. Add salt, pepper, and oil as needed. Bask in my misguided culinary cleverness. This recipe embraces the farmstand with just a few, very fresh ingredients. This recipe is adapted from a different Moosewood cookbook, Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant. The recipe comes from a chapter on the food of Chile (porotos is the Chilean word for beans), although I am sure the modifications I've made are completely un-Chilean.

                                   All presented in a very classy Tupperware container!

Green Bean & Tomato Salad (serves 2-4 as a generous side)

• 1/2 lb fresh green beans, washed and trimmed*
• 1 tomato, sliced into small wedges  (I used Buffalo)
• 1/4 C pinenuts (can be omitted, or else replace with pepitas, sliced almonds, or walnut pieces)
• juice and zest of 1 lemon (I like to get a little pulp in there, too)
• 1/4 C red onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1-2 Tbs olive oil
• salt
• pepper

1. In a small sauce pan, toast the pinenuts til fragrant. Shake the pan frequently while cooking. Set pinenuts aside.
2. Mix together the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning to taste.
3. In the same pan used for the pinenuts, boil the water for the beans. Once boiling, add beans and cook til bright green. One cooked, shock the beans in a bowl of cold water and ice. Drain.
4. Mix the tomato, green beans, onion & pinenuts. Add lemon/oil mixture, mix together, and enjoy.

*I didn't weigh the beans, and it seemed to be silly to measure them with a measuring cup. I eyeballed the beans I had to be 1/4 the original 2 lb haul. I took a picture so you can see how many beans I used. If you want ultimate precision, feel free to count them:

                                                            1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6....I give up


Verdict? Fresh, summery, and guaranteed to give you dragon breath from the raw garlic. Make while the tomatoes and beans are just perfect. My husband suggested that this would be an ideal side for baked/broiled fish.