42 posts tagged “parsley”

The Daring Cooks July challenge certainly managed to take me completely out of my comfort zone.  I have barely heard of Molecular Cuisine before this challenge, and now I was actually asked to produce something befitting the much-misunderstood-and-little-known art of cooking.  The biggest obstacle for me is to make a vegan fish dish that remains moist and will blend well with the powders.

Sketchy from Sketchy's Kitchen is the host for the Daring Cooks July challenge.  He hopped between a MC (Molecular Cuisine) dish and a classic rustic Italian dish, and opted to skip the 400 year old dish in favor of something that would be new and daring.

The Challenge: Skate, traditional flavors powdered (slightly altered)

This is a dish from Grant Achatz, found in the Alinea cookbook - page 230.  Our host picked a recipe that could be completed without having to order a bunch of specialized chemicals or powders. Just a little work and you can make this, the techniques are not very hard and only require a few tools.

  4 skate wings (I made Tofu Fish Sticks instead, see below)
  * Beurre monte
  * 300g fresh green beans
  sea salt/kosher salt
  1 banana
  454g butter - 4 sticks

  Powders - prepare ahead of time
  caper / onion (total failure on my part)
  lemon powder (skipped and subbed more tofu fish breading powder)
  cilantro/parsley powder
  'brown butter' powder (skipped the cream powder)
  (I also added paprika powder)
 
* For green beans, slice each beans into very thin rounds (2 mm)
* Beurre Monte - 454g butter (4 sticks, 1 pound) cubed and cold, 60g water. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, remove from heat and whisk in the butter 1 cube at a time. This should from an emulsion. Keep this heated, but under 195 degrees. The emulsion will not break - this is your poaching liquid.

I made the Tofu Fish Sticks - a famous recipe from Vegan Lunch Box.  This was a huge success, and we really loved the flavors of the tofu fish sticks.  I even used the leftover breading powder as one of the powders to be served on the plate with the fish sticks.  Unfortunately, I found drying the herbs and other things in my microwave oven is very difficult.  I completely failed in making the onion powder because my microwave doesn't have high or low temperature settings.  When I left the onion in the microwave for 2 minutes each time, the onion wouldn't dry.  When I used 3-4 minutes each time, the onion started burning.  Drying in the oven would be better, I suppose, but I really couldn't find enough time to sit in front of the oven to watch.

The plating was fun to do, but obviously, I could have made some nice pattern of the powders to make it more presentable.  The whole challenge was a new thing to try, and I might study a little further on Molecular Cuisine, but overall, I really think having a dehydrator is rather critical in this case.

For more beautiful plates in this July challenge, check out the Daring Cooks blogroll.

I love strudels, sweet and savory.  There is something really fine about the dough and the combination of nuts and sweets and whatever filling you can come up with.  I used to use phyllo dough as a shortcut, but this time I got to make my own strudel dough from scratch.  How lucky for me to be able to expand my skills a little more!  The strudel dough is naturally vegan, so I did not even have to think about subbing anything.

The May Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Linda of make life sweeter! and Courtney of Coco Cooks. They chose Apple Strudel from the recipe book Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague by Rick Rodgers.

For this challenge, I was bold enough to make a savory version (Spinach, Artichoke and Potato Strudel) as well as a sweet version (the classic Apple Strudel).  I had a lot of fun with the dough, rolling and hand-stretching.  The delicate dough is not so hard to work with as long as you remain patient and give the dough enough time to rest before rolling and stretching.  The ideal dough should be paper thin and you should be able to read newspaper underneath.

Preparation time
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes – 3 hours 30 minutes

15-20 min to make dough
30-90 min to let dough rest/to prepare the filling
20-30 min to roll out and stretch dough
10 min to fill and roll dough
30 min to bake
30 min to cool

Apple strudel
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) golden rum
3 tablespoons (45 ml) raisins
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (80 g) sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick / 115 g) unsalted butter, melted, divided (I used Earth Balance)
1 1/2 cups (350 ml) fresh bread crumbs
strudel dough (recipe below)
1/2 cup (120 ml, about 60 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 pounds (900 g) tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch-thick slices (use apples that hold their shape during baking)

1. Mix the rum and raisins in a bowl. Mix the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the breadcrumbs and cook whilst stirring until golden and toasted. This will take about 3 minutes. Let it cool completely.

3. Put the rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper (parchment paper). Make the strudel dough as described below. Spread about 3 tablespoons of the remaining melted butter over the dough using your hands (a bristle brush could tear the dough, you could use a special feather pastry brush instead of your hands). Sprinkle the buttered dough with the bread crumbs. Spread the walnuts about 3 inches (8 cm) from the short edge of the dough in a 6-inch-(15cm)-wide strip. Mix the apples with the raisins (including the rum), and the cinnamon sugar. Spread the mixture over the walnuts.

4. Fold the short end of the dough onto the filling. Lift the tablecloth at the short end of the dough so that the strudel rolls onto itself. Transfer the strudel to the prepared baking sheet by lifting it. Curve it into a horseshoe to fit. Tuck the ends under the strudel. Brush the top with the remaining melted butter.

5. Bake the strudel for about 30 minutes or until it is deep golden brown. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Use a serrated knife and serve either warm or at room temperature. It is best on the day it is baked.

Strudel dough
from “Kaffeehaus – Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Cafés of Vienna, Budapest and Prague” by Rick Rodgers

1 1/3 cups (200 g) unbleached flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons (105 ml) water, plus more if needed
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil, plus additional for coating the dough
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar

1. Combine the flour and salt in a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix the water, oil and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add the water/oil mixture to the flour with the mixer on low speed. You will get a soft dough. Make sure it is not too dry, add a little more water if necessary.
Take the dough out of the mixer. Change to the dough hook. Put the dough ball back in the mixer. Let the dough knead on medium until you get a soft dough ball with a somewhat rough surface.

2. Take the dough out of the mixer and continue kneading by hand on an unfloured work surface. Knead for about 2 minutes. Pick up the dough and throw it down hard onto your working surface occasionally.
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer it to a plate. Oil the top of the dough ball lightly. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 30-90 minutes (longer is better).

3. It would be best if you have a work area that you can walk around on all sides like a 36 inch (90 cm) round table or a work surface of 23 x 38 inches (60 x 100 cm). Cover your working area with table cloth, dust it with flour and rub it into the fabric. Put your dough ball in the middle and roll it out as much as you can.
Pick the dough up by holding it by an edge. This way the weight of the dough and gravity can help stretching it as it hangs. Using the back of your hands to gently stretch and pull the dough. You can use your forearms to support it.

4. The dough will become too large to hold. Put it on your work surface. Leave the thicker edge of the dough to hang over the edge of the table. Place your hands underneath the dough and stretch and pull the dough thinner using the backs of your hands. Stretch and pull the dough until it's about 2 feet (60 cm) wide and 3 feet (90 cm) long, it will be tissue-thin by this time. Cut away the thick dough around the edges with scissors. The dough is now ready to be filled.

Tips
- I did not make a double batch like our kind hosts suggested, but I did make a second batch later on.  The first time might be a bit trying or scary; but, letting the dough rest at least 2 hours does all of the work for you.  When the dough is ready, you will not find the dough pulling back at all while you roll out.
- I used parchment paper instead of table cloth (since I don't have any) with great success.
- Before pulling and stretching the dough, remove your jewelry from hands and wrists, and wear short-sleeves.
- To make it easier to pull the dough, you need to use your whole body.  And, the best way is to involve your spouse.
- Few small holes in the dough is not a problem as the dough will be rolled, making (most of) the holes invisible.  Even rather big ones can be ignored as the dough will be rolled around and around the filling.
- Cooling for 30 minutes before cutting is critical, if you can stand it.

Spinach, Artichoke and Potato Filling (For the Savory Version)

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10 oz. bag of spinach, chopped
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 red-skinned potatoes, baked and mashed
2 Tbsp. Earth Balance butter
1 15 oz. can water-packed artichokes, well drained and chopped
1 roasted red bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 tsp. red curry paste
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
4 tsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onion and garlic over medium heat for 6-7 minutes until onion gets translucent.
2. Add spinach by batches and cook just until spinach wilts.
3. Add oregano and mix well.  Remove from heat.
4. Add all the other ingredients into the pan and thoroughly mix.  Set aside.

5. Add the filling and roll the dough just as the apple strudel.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Verdict:  This challenge definitely increased my confidence in making future strudels from scratch.  In fact, I will probably never use phyllo dough again just for the convenience.  The strudel dough is really easy to make once I have made it a couple of times, and it is far from being finicky like the phyllo dough sometimes.

To see more delicious strudels, check out the Daring Bakers blogroll.

I have many photos in the computer and on the phone but I still haven't found the time or inclination to sort them out, because I am still trying to feel more settled in the new house in Vermont.  Hopefully I will be doing more cooking and baking soon.  We eat pasta every day now, since pasta is such a satisfying thing to eat and quick to make if you have tons of fresh vegetables and lots of herbs and other condiments.  You can easily come up with a new variation any day.

This is a very easy pasta dish to put together.  First, saute/pan-fry some 7-8 cloves of garlic till golden brown.  (In the meantime, boil water and cook enough whole wheat shells for two people.)  In the pan, add chopped broccoli, asparagus, and a little cauliflower and continue cooking for 5 minutes.  Then add a good splash of soy milk and put the lid on.  Steam-fry the vegetables for 5 more minutes.  When done, turn off the heat, and add some chopped water-packed artichokes, basil pesto, dried parsley, paprika, black pepper, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes and mix well.  When the pasta is cooked and drained, mix the veggie sauce with pasta really well.  Salt to taste.  Serve and enjoy!

I am sending this pasta dish to Presto Pasta Nights, a great event started by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast.  This week's host will be Kitchenetta of Got No Milk.

I still cannot believe that I never thought of making a curry-flavored risotto before.  I happen to be on a curry kick now, so I found my hands cooking a yellow curry risotto last night.

Yellow Curry Risotto
(Makes 5-6 servings)

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
2/3 cup baby carrots, diced
3 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 1/3 cups white jasmine rice or arborio rice
1 16-oz can coconut milk
2 Tbsp. yellow curry powder
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
1/2 tsp. garam masala
1 cup warm organic vegetable broth
3 cups Brussels sprouts, shredded
1 1/2 cups snap peas, ends discarded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 cups hot water
A healthy dose of freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

1. Saute onion, garlic, and carrots over medium heat for about 10-12 minutes until the carrots have softened a bit.
2. Add parsley and cook for another minute.
3. Add rice, and mix well until the rice is throughly coated with oil.  Cook for a minute or two.  Pour in the coconut milk and add curry powder, cumin powder, and garam masala.  Mix well and cook until the liquid is pretty much absorbed.
4. Ladle in the warn vegetable broth.  Mix well and make sure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.  Cook until most broth has been absorbed.
5. Add in Brussels sprouts and snap peas, as well as one cup of hot water.  Again, keep stirring from time to time and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed.  Repeat the same process until all the water has been used up.
6. Remove from heat.  Stir in salt and pepper and thoroughly mix.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

I also made my first simple strudel - an apple strudel.  Since I have been very fond of phyllo dough recently, I used six sheets of phyllo dough for each strudel.  The filling is easy: cored and chopped apples, cinnamon and nutmeg, cooked in butter with brown sugar.  Baked for 40 minutes in the oven under 375F degrees.  I didn't dust the strudels with powdered sugar on top.  I was too eager to dig in.  :)

This is a very quick meal to prepare, with restaurant quality.  A few shortcuts make this pasta dish creamy, zingy, hearty, and very gratifying.  Without much ado, the recipe is below.

Spinach and Pinto Bean Pasta
(Makes 2 servings)

6-7 cloves garlic
2 cups portobello mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 16-oz. can pinto beans, mashed well
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1/2 cup Tofutti Sour Cream
1 1/2 tsp. red curry paste
3 roasted long-stem artichokes, roughly chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
A healthy dose of freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Enough whole wheat elbows for two people
1 cup baby carrots, quartered lengthwise
9 oz. fresh spinach

1. Saute garlic and mushrooms over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until garlic is golden and mushrooms have softened a bit.  Take care not to overcook.  In the meantime, cook the pasta (according to the package instructions) and carrots together.  In the last 30 seconds, throw in the spinach.  Remove from heat immediately and drain well.
2. Add the mashed beans and thoroughly mix.  Add the tomato, mix well, and heat through.  Remove from heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix the mushroom and bean mixture with all the ingredients from sour cream to salt.  Add in the drained pasta and veggies and toss to mix well.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Serve and enjoy!

I am sending this pasta dish to Presto Pasta Nights, a great event started by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast.  This week's host will be Hillary of Chew on That.

It's pretty easy to see that I love risottos since I've made many different flavors and I'm still loving it.  So here's another really delicious risotto that is my recent favorite.  And, it's a great way of incorporating Brussels sprouts into your diet.

Brussels Sprout and Tomato Risotto
(Makes 4 servings)

1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1 1/2 cups button mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced
5-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or minced
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. freeze-dry chives
1 1/4 cups white jasmine rice or arborio rice
2 cups warm organic vegetable broth
2 cups Brussels sprouts, shredded
3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped and juice reserved
3 cups warm water
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute green onions, mushrooms, and garlic over medium heat for about 10-12 minutes until the mushrooms have released quite a bit of the juice.
2. Add thyme and chives and cook for another minute.
3. Add rice, and mix well until the rice is throughly coated with oil.  Cook for a minute or two.  Ladle in the warm vegetable broth, one cup each time.  Mix well and make sure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot.  Cook until most broth has been absorbed, and ladle in the next cup.  Repeat the same process until most broth has been absorbed.
4. Add in Brussels sprouts and one cup of warm water.  Again, keep stirring from time to time and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
5. Add tomatoes and then another cup of warm water.  Keep cooking until all the water is used up.
6. Remove from heat.  Stir in parsley, paprika, nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Serve warm.  Enjoy!

Happy (Easter) weekend to everyone!

I'm not a big fan of polenta, but from time to time I do have a certain craving for polenta.  My hubby often says that polenta is so bland and tasteless without a good texture.  The only way of preparing polenta that both of us can enjoy is to deep-fry polenta.  Even then, deep-fried cauliflower still beats it easily.  So, I have accumulated three tubes of prepared polenta bought in the supermarket (just in case my whims should dictate that I want polenta again), and I have been feeling worse and worse about buying them.  Besides, it is the weekend, so the fridge is full of half this and that, and leftover vegetables, a quarter loaf of bread, and whatnot.  This gave me an excellent opportunity of making a soup from everything but the kitchen sink, and finally submit the it to the Souper Sundays that I have been meaning to participate since over six or seven weeks ago.

I have planned to make a rather bland but nourishing soup out of potatoes, but before I knew it, I completely cut potatoes out of the equation, and I was determined to somehow make polenta a star of the show this time, not in the deep-frying pan.  So this is how the recipe came about.

Polenta Minestrone
(Makes 4 servings)

1 medium onion, finely chopped
8-9 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 cup carrots, cut into matchsticks or finely diced
1 1/2 cups portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp. Italian herb seasoning
1 tsp. dried basil
Half (6-oz.) can tomato paste
1 cup organic vegetable broth
3 cups water
2 cups tomatoes, finely diced and juice reserved
1 tube store-bought polenta, cubed
2 tsp. dried parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and mushrooms over medium heat in a large pot for 9-10 minutes until onions and celery soften and turn translucent.
2. Add Italian herb seasoning, basil, and tomato paste and mix well.  Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the vegetable broth and water.  Add tomatoes and polenta.  Turn to boil and lower heat to simmer.  Simmer for 25 minutes.
4. Turn off heat.  Add parsley, salt and pepper.  Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Notes:

1. I used half a can of tomato paste because I really wanted a very tomato-y soup, but you can easily use from 2 teaspoons of that to any amount you feel like.
2. If you don't like polenta, feel free to use potatoes, like I originally planned.  It will be great too.  Though the creamy polenta cubes do lend a very pleasant texture to the soup overall.
3. The herb mix can be easily adjusted to suit different tastes and moods.  Fresh herbs will be great.

I am submitting this soup to Souper Sundays, an excellent event started and hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.  If you are interested in sharing your soup recipes with other soup lovers, please see here for more details.

I have never used phyllo dough until three days ago.  I have always heard and seen people use it.  I have often heard the horror stories of tearing and ripping the finiky phyllo dough.  I have also seen dozens of exquisitely beautiful photos of food with intact phyllo dough (golden, complying, and docile).  Three days ago, my wonderful husband bought our first few packages of frozen phyllo dough.  I was therefore put in a position where I could no longer refuse to jump into the phyllo world.  My first try is an excellent recipe I saw long time ago on Fatfree Vegan Kitchen - Spinach and Artichoke Pie.  We absolutely adored this pie.  My husband said that he could live on this pie till he is 100, and I believe it is true.

Guess what, the phyllo dough is not so hard to handle after all.  The secret is to thaw out the phyllo dough really well in the refrigerator only overnight before using.  It took at least 10 hours in my experience.  There is no shortcut.  Patience is really the virtue in this case.  Once the phyllo dough is thawed out, you have to prepare all the fillings and everything else before taking the phyllo dough out from the fridge.  And act as quickly as possible to prevent the dough from drying out.  Any unused phyllo dough should be rolled up and put back into the package (sealed) immediately.  Cover the exposed phyllo dough completely with plastic wrap or a damp towel on the counter for later use if you need more than five minutes before brushing each sheet with oil.  Time is the essence.  Be quick and gentle.  And you will be completely fine.

I also gave in to another temptation - making Chinese dumplings.  I followed the recipe by Vegan Dad, but for the filling I used Vegan Dad's Lemon Parsley Potatoes.  So the dumplings are more like homemade pierogi.

These dumplings are easy to make, and they have certainly become another all-time favorite in our family.

A big Thank-You to Mary for sharing her wonderful recipes.  I'll be trying more recipes very soon.

Gumbo is a very American dish.  Mixing gumbo and pasta together might be an unorthodox approach, but surely worth a try, at least once.  If you happen to have a craving for a pasta that is really spicy and flavorful and has some oomph, this pasta dish will hit the spot.

We first have to make a nice gumbo.  If you have leftover gumbo after making this pasta, serve it over rice, or add some rice into it.  Why not eat it with some good country bread too?

Seitan Tofu Gumbo
Adapted from the Seitan Gumbo recipe by Wes of Don't Lose Your Lunch
(Makes 5-6 generous servings)

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large roasted red bell pepper, roughly chopped
3 stalks celery, diced
7-8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili pepper
2 Tofurky Italian sausages, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 block extra-firm tofu, pressed, cubed
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2/3 cup baked roux (see recipe below)
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
Salt to taste

1. Over medium heat, saute onion, garlic, bell peppers and celery in sesame oil and olive oil mix for 5-7 minutes until celery softens a bit.
2. Add everything from tomato paste to chipotle chili pepper and mix well.  Saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add sausages and tofu cubes and mix thoroughly.  Cook for one minute.
4. Add water, broth, tomatoes, and bay leaves.  Combine well.  Bring to boil.  Lower heat to a small simmer.  Simmer for about 30-35 minutes.
5. Add roux, stirring constantly until completely dissolved.  Return to boil so roux can thicken.  Lower heat to simmer.
6. Add parsley and mix thoroughly.  Stir from time to time and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Add salt and adjust the taste.  Remove bay leaves.

Baked Roux:

2 cups white flour
2 cups canola oil

1. Mix flour and oil, dissolving lumps.
2. Bake in an 8"x8" Pyrex pan for about 3 hours, gently stirring every 30 minutes.

The end result should be darker than peanut butter but lighter than chocolate.  Allow to cool before handling.  Store in a glass jar in the fridge.

Whole Wheat Linguine with Seitan Tofu Gumbo

Cook enough linguine for 2 people according to the package instructions (al dante).  In the last 5 seconds, add some fresh spinach into the pot.
Drain well.  Press lightly to release most water from the cooked spinach.  Put the pasta back into the pot.
Add plenty of gumbo to the pasta and thoroughly combine.  Plate.  Pour a little gumbo on top of the pasta.  Serve.

I am sending this pasta dish to Presto Pasta Nights, a great event started by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast.  This week's host will be Aquadaze of Served with Love.