Veggie Pot Pie(s)

Yesterday I faced a moral dilemma. Allow me to provide some background prior to presenting my recent quandary. Susan, who is a long time friend, cycling buddy, confidante, fashion consultant, concert date, advice giver and overall mood lifter is going on her 4th year (or could it be 5th year? where does the time go?) of participating in the Pan Mass Challenge. Those of you in the area will know this is a cycling event fundraiser benefiting Dana Farber cancer research. This event is no easy feat. It requires riding 190 miles over 2 days. But, even more difficult, it requires each rider to raise at least $4,000. You can only acquire so much money from friends and family, so fundraisers need to get creative. Susan and her team, Forza G work hard throughout a large part of the year to acquire donations and bring awareness to the cause. Each spring they kick-off the season at Harpoon brewery with a party and raffle. One of Susan's teammates, Jamie, is a master brewer at Harpoon. He also has taken part in competition barbequeing (Yes, he is a good friend to have, but not only for these reasons. He also happens to be an outstanding person.) Then, their major fundraising effort kicks in - pulled pork sandwich selling. Large amounts of pork are prepared and frozen, then brought to mountain bike events throughout the season to be sold for a donation as sandwiches to hungry riders.
So, here's where my dilemma comes into play. The past two days were the big pulled pork production weekend. Many team members and friends showed up to help out. I went by on Sunday to see what I could do to contribute. I was quite impressed with the operation. They've nailed the process down over the last few years and it runs very smoothly. However, there are not, as it turns out, any "vegetarian friendly" jobs to do. So, I had to make a decision: play with meat, or do nothing. I rolled up my sleeves, pulled on some rubber gloves, dug into a bin of pork butts and began to separate the mounds into smaller pieces. I'm sure I'd offend many fellow veggies with this gesture, but the way I look at it, the meat is going to get "pulled" either way and I am helping out a good friend for a good cause. Then, when the work was done, we kicked back, ate (I had a veggie burger, for the record), chatted and played games.
To repent for my vegetarian sins, I came home and made vegetable pot pie. I haven't made pot pie in quite some time, and I had the idea to make individual pies. I bought 4 small ceramic pie plates, and while I still like the idea of doing this, I went wrong was with the dough. I bought some filo dough, folded a couple of sheets for each pie in half, laid them in the pan, and folded the tops over the mixture. I also brushed oil on so they would brown. The tops were very awkward and also overcooked. I'm not sure if I could've used the filo dough differently to yield better results, or if I should just try a different crust next time. I did like the inside mixture though, so would use that again. This made exactly enough for my four pies.

Veggie Pot Pie Mixture
2 tblspns oil
1 small onion, diced
8 0z mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced (I left these out and added peas since I was also having mashed potatoes)
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cups cauliflower, florets
1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups vegetable broth (the recipe called for 3, but that seemed like too much to me)
1 tspn salt
1 tspn black pepper
2 tblspns arrowroot
2 tblspns soy sauce
crust of your choice

1. Pre-heat oven to 425F
2. Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Add onions, mushrooms and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add carrots, potatoes and celery. Cook another few minutes. Add cauliflower, green beans and broth. Stir. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook til veggies are barely tender. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In small bowl, mix arrowroot, 1/4 cup of water and soy sauce. Stir until arrowroot is dissolved. Add to the veggie mixture.
4. Pour into dough lined pan(s). Cover with dough and bake for 30 minutes.

Vegetarian Bog

A vegetarian and non-vegetarian living together can have its challenges. Todd is a pretty open-minded eater so he'll typically try and/ or eat nearly everything I make, but he just doesn't get too excited about much of it. Left to my own desires, I'd probably cook and eat a bit differently, but I often try to make things that I think Todd will enjoy, even if only a little bit. If he shows interest in something particular I will usually try my best to make it. The recent post of tofu quiche was an example of this. Todd had mentioned he had tofu quiche a while back and actually preferred it to egg quiche.
Last year my friend Catherine had some friends over for dinner, but I was unable to make it due to work travel. Todd went, representing the male race and I heard he did a good job of participating in "girl talk". He came home pretty excited about a rice dish Catherine had made called Chicken Bog. She is from the South so will often make dishes representative of her homeland. On New Year's Day, she brought Hoppin' John, a recipe which I had tried to vegetarianize many years ago. Catherine sent us her Bogrecipe and I did a little poking around on line. This dish is a culmination of what I found and my best attempt to make a vegetarian version. It's a good comfort food type rice dish for a chilly evening. You can keep the spices pretty mellow or give it some heat to suit your tastes.


Cajun Spice Mix

This will make a lot. I scaled it down in proportion. You can scale it according to your own tastes.
2 tspns salt
2 tspns garlic powder
2 1/2 tspns parika
1 tspn ground black pepper
1 tspn onion powder (I left this out)
1 tspn cayenne pepper
1 1/4 tspns dried oregano
1/4 tspns dried thyme
1/2 tspn red chili flakes
(This mixture is quite spicy. Tone it down if you don't like so much heat.)

Bog

1 tblspn canola oil
8 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 small red pepper. diced
2 veggie sausages, chopped (I used Field Roast brand, apple and sage flavor)
cajun spice to taste (the 2nd time I made it, it was a little too kicky. I will just use a little bit next time)

1 small onion, diced
1 large stalk celery, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tblspns butter
2 cups veg broth or 2 cups water and a bouillon cube
1 cup basmati rice

1. In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic. Sautee for 5 minutes, then add rice and mix. Add broth or water and bouillion. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. In a skillet, heat canola oil. Sautee mushrooms, peppers and sausages in as little or much of the spice as you like.
3. When rice is cooked, add to sausage mixture.

Tofu Quiche

Currently there are many UFIs that seem to have invaded my pantry. You may want to check because you could have some yourself - Unidentified Food Items. If you shop the bulk food section of your grocery store, you probably know what I mean. There are the staple items I use regularly, and those don't cause problems. It's the foods that look similar or are some obscure dried thing that seemed interesting in that moment that cause the problems. Is this chickpea flour, nutritional yeast or some other wheat colored finely ground powder? Barley or farro? TVP or bulghur wheat? And what are these puny dark red pellets? Sometimes I remember to label things, but, more often, I think I'll remember what it is. I just went through my drawer and found several bags of UFIs. Now, I have to decide what to do with them. Do I make my best guess and use them in a recipe only to potentially end up with an inedible meal? In some cases, it won't matter that much - barley or farro are fairly interchangeable. And, if I start tasting things I might be able to narrow down the possibilities. In the past, I know I've thrown some things away, yet I'd prefer to not take the wasteful route. The bottom line is, all of this annoyance could have been avoided with a pen and a few strokes of the hand. Lesson learned.
Tonight's dinner did not involve the pantry. I made an eggless quiche. I considered making it vegan, but once I had the mixture prepared and tasted it prior to baking, I knew it would be too bland, so out came the cheese grater. The tofu really does provide a good replacement for the eggs. The texture and consistency works. Maybe next time I could experiment some nutritional yeast (or chickpea flour or whatever that is) in place of the cheese and find out how that would work. This is a reliable recipe and at least cuts down on some of the dairy.

Tofu Quiche
1 prepared pie crust
8 0z frozen spinach, thawed or 1 lb fresh steamed and water pressed out
1 tblspn oil for sauteeing
1 medium onion, diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz mushrooms sliced (I used baby bella)
1 16 oz container firm tofu
1 tspn dijon mustard
splash of some kind of milk (rice, soy, almond)
1 tspn dried parsley
a few pinches of red pepper flakes
1/4 tspn nutmeg
salt and pepper
cheese to taste (I used sharp cheddar and Parmesan)

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Bake the pie crust for about 5 minutes and remove.
2. Either steam or defrost the spinach.
3. Heat the oil in a sautee pan and cook the onions, garlic, and mushroom over medium high heat until much of the water is cooked off and they are starting to brown. You can add some salt to draw out the water. Add the spinach and blend.
4. Meanwhile, in a blender, mix the tofu, mustard, milk and spices.
5. In a large bowl, blend the tofu and veggie mixtures. Grate in some cheese to taste. Then pour into the pie crusts. I ended up having enough to make almost two quiches, but I added extra veggies.
6. Cook for about 35-40 minutes. Let set for 5 minutes before cutting.

Spicy Kidney Bean and Lentil Loaf

Recently when I was out to dinner with a couple of friends, they asked if it was difficult for me to find vegetarian options when eating out. In general, the answer is "no", but I also gravitate towards places I know will have something interesting for me to eat. And, by "interesting", I do not mean pasta primavera. In more than 20 years of not eating meat, I can't count how many times the vegetarian option at a restaurant or event has been pasta. I have nothing against pasta and love me a good red sauce, but will usually opt for something else if it's available. It's one thing if I'm in the North End and I know it will be exceptional, but in your average run of the mill restaurant, I don't want to waste a meal on it.
When I find myself in Restaurant Americana, I do have a fallback meal. I will often get the most acceptable salad I can find on the menu, hopefully with something other than iceberg lettuce, and a side of potato (mashed potato, baked potato or French fries). And while we're at it, let's discuss Caesar Salad. I just don't get it. It's lettuce, cheese, croutons usually slathered in an extremely high fat creamy dressing. This is not a salad in my book and I am perplexed as to why people seem to get so excited about it.
Restaurants have come a long way over the years, and I find myself with many more options as I did back in my vegetarian blooming years. And, again, I've also learned where to eat and my palette has become much more ethnically broad. My favorites include Thai, Indian and Vietnamese. Last week I finally visited Red Lentil, a vegetarian restaurant that recently opened in the area. In those situations, I find myself completely overwhelmed since I can eat every single thing on the menu. Typically, I scan the menu for the items I can eat as is, then look to see if any of the others are appealing and could be modified, then narrow my selections from there.
An option I think would be easy for restaurants to offer, yet I never see on a menu is some sort of
veggie grain loaf. This particular one is good because besides the bread crumbs, it doesn't have any starch in it, so you can have potato or rice on the side. I've posted another one in the past that's also tasty, but does include rice. Tonight we are having this with sides of mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. The leftovers are great served over salad.

Spicy Bean and Lentil Loaf
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 14 oz can red kidney beans
1 14 oz can lentils (I usually just cook some from dried)
1 egg
1 carrot, coarsely grated
1/2 cup aged cheddar, finely grated
1 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
1 tspn tomato paste
1 tblspn ketchup
1 tspn each: ground cumin; ground coriander; chili powder
salt and fresh black pepper

1 Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x5x3 in loaf pan.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. When the oil heats, add the onion, garlic and celery and cook gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and cool slightly.
3. Rinse and drain the beans and lentils. Place in a blender or food processor with the onion mixture and egg and process til smooth.
4. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.
5. Spoon the mixture in the prepared pan and level the surface. Bake for about 1 hour, then cool and remove from pan.

Comfort "Cup of Soup"

Recently, I took another yoga retreat getaway to Kripalu for some R&R (Reatreat and Renewal). I came back with one major complaint: it was too short. Two of my co-workers and I headed out to the Berkshires with the intention of staying 3 nights. Due to one of the previously mentioned slew of snowstorms we have been having, we were forced to leave early. This made me sad because I was having such a nice time. To give you an idea of the kinds of things you can do there, the following is the schedule of events I chose to take part in on one of the days I was there: 

6:30-7:45: Intermediate Morning Yoga 

8:00-9:00: Silent breakfast 

9:00-10:30: Workshop on Core Stabilization 

10:30-12:00: Reading time in the Solarium 

12:00-1:00: Yoga dance 

1:00-2:00: Lunch 

2:00-3:00: Hula Hooping: Flowing through Life class 

3:00-4:15: Bought cute yoga dress in gift shop and more reading time 

4:15-5:45: Intermediate afternoon Yoga 

5:45-7:30: Dinner and hang out 

7:30-9:00: Cooking demonstration 

During our stay we also did a meditation workshop and took part in a drumming circle. I realize this type of thing may not be everybody's cup of tea, and you might be thinking "that sounds awful", but I really did come back rejuvenated. I find that yoga can do that for me in similar, yet different ways that running or riding perk me up. Last night, for instance, I left work feeling completely droopy and wilted. I could've gone straight to bed to put an end to the day. I had wanted to run, but I just didn't have it in me. I opted instead for a candlelight yoga class. I left with more energy and focus and felt more positive. It's not the same as an exhilarating run or ride when you get that endorphin high. Instead, it's both calming and energizing at the same time. I recently read an article in the NYT about meditation and how some recent research is showing that it may actually change the brain by increasing the gray matter density in parts of the brain associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. I've been wanting to add a regular meditating routine to my day, anyway, and hearing that is good incentive for me. I've talked to many people who have had noticeable behavioral differences from regular meditation. I'll keep you posted on my own routine. I'd like to share with you one of the recipes I learned at Kripalu, but I haven't made it yet, so instead I'll share this comforting brothy soup, Kriste, a vegan co-worker passed onto me and I've made a couple of times. It's provides comfort very quickly since it's so simple to put together. The original intent by the author, oliviabeans, was to create a Lipton like cup of soup that was vegan friendly. It really works! 

Comfort Cup of Soup 

2 tblspns grapeseed oil 

1 small onion, chopped up small 

5 cups of water 

2 vegetarian bouillon cubes (or 5 cups of broth instead of cubes and water) 

3 to 5 tblspns nutritional yeast flakes

2 stalks of celery, sliced thin Leaves from celery stalk, chopped finely (optional) 

2 small to medium carrots sliced thinly 

1/4-1/2 cup of small pasta (I used orzo) 

1/2 tblspn garlic powder 

pinch of celery salt 

1 bay leaf 

1/2 tspn turmeric

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (optional) 

1/2 14 oz can chickpeas (or more to taste). You could also cook your preferred chix substitute like Quorn naked cutlets and chop one of those up and add it at the end. 

Pepper to taste 

 

1. In medium pot, heat oil over medium heat and add onion. Cook until starting to brown. 

2. Add: 5 cups of water and bouillon cubes. Let dissolve. 

3. Add everything else except for pasta, chickpeas and ginger. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 7 or so minutes, until carrot is partially tender. 

4. Add pasta, chickpeas and ginger if using then simmer until pasta is cooked. 

Sauteed Cabbage With a Kick

Could the birthday song be any more boring?
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear xxx
Happy birthday to you.
Really? That's all we could come up with? No mention of the year past or well wishes for the coming year? I just had a quick look on Wikipedia and found that the song originates from the late 180os and is based on the melody of another song, "Good Morning to You" written by a kindergarten principal. I understand that kids are most excited by birthdays and so the song should be something easy for them to learn, but it could be a tad more thought provoking. It's gotten to the point that I can hardly sing it because I find it so lame.
I cannot possibly be the only person that feels this way. And, so therefore, I hope to someday leave behind as my legacy, a new birthday song. I've done a bit of work on this, trying out some new lyrics and/ or melodies and leaving them on friends' voicemail. I have not found the winner yet, but I'll keep working on it.

If I could do this and get more people to enjoy cabbage, I think my life would be well lived. Ok, I do have a few other things in mind I'd like to accomplish, but these two things are on the list. I have brought different variations of cabbage dishes to family holidays because I figure I should start this endeavor close to home. Plus, traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas meals tend to be very startchy, so I like to bring something crisp and light to counter that. This year on Thanksgiving I had brought this dish and wanted to make sure I recorded it, since it's a quick and tasty way to enjoy some shredded cabbage.

Shredded Spiced Cabbage
1 medium onion sliced
1 tblspn grapeseed oil (or another oil good at high heat)
1 tomato chopped, or a big handful of grape tomatoes cut into quarters
1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
big pinch of red pepper chile flakes
1 small head of cabbage, cored and sliced
1 tspn of sea or himalayan salt

1. In sautee pan, heat oil, add onion and let cook for a few minutes. Then add tomato, ginger and pepper flakes. Cook for a few minutes to take some of the moisture out of the tomatoes.
2. Add cabbage (it will seem like a lot) and salt. Stir it together with the other ingredients in the pan. Cover and let cook down. You'll want to cook for 10 to 13 minutes. Do not overcook. If the pan seems dry add a couple of teaspoons of water here and there.

Creamy Potato Garlic Soup (sans cream)

The last time I can recall snowbanks of this grandeur was the infamous Blizzard of '78. Of course, at 9 years old, I was much smaller so perhaps my perspective is skewed. Snowstorm after rainstorm after sleetstorm and more snow on top of that has brought messy conditions, weekly school cancellations, laborious commutes to the office, difficulty walking on sidewalks and lots of shoveling. It's gotten to the point I've noticed, that us New Englanders who are usually eager to discuss the weather as small talk on elevators or as we pass a neighbor by in the street, can no longer even bear to discuss the elements. People are just exhausted by it and it's only the beginning of February. I heard one psychologist refer to it as "snow fatigue". The relentlessness of Mother Nature is wearing people down and making them irritable. I forget what grass looks like and Spring seems an eternity away.
I often think I should approach this scene as Zuree does. As we head out for our walk three times daily, she is equally enthusiastic each time, as if it's the first. She takes in the scene for a moment and then charges ahead. She takes any conditions in stride and inhales everything there is to see and smell. It reminds me of a Zen-type approach: being in the moment and taking things for what they are. There's nothing I can do to control the weather, so getting upset about it is just an energy drain. I've just got to do the best with what is presented to me. And, often, even though I'm dreading going out in the frigid temps to brave the icy sidewalks, once I get out it can be pleasant and peaceful. It's nice to get some air and move around a bit. So, I'll be keeping this all in mind as I head out, especially for the pre-bedtime walk which is the one I look forward to the least.
I'm guessing the soup intake in this area has gone up considerably over past winters. Here's one I concocted tonight since I was limited to ingredients I had on hand.

Creamy Potato Soup
1 head of garlic, roasted (or more if you like garlic, the flavor was very subtle with the one head)
1 tblspn grapeseed oil
1 medium to large onion, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 tblspn all purpose flour
4 cups of veggie broth or 4 cups of water and 2 boullion cubes
3 medium potatoes, cut into cubes
1 bay leaf
some dried or fresh parsley
1 14 oz can of cannelini beans
salt
the juice of 1 lemon

1. In a toaster oven or oven, roast the garlic for about 40 minutes on 425. Let cool
2. Meanwhile chop veggies. Then, heat oil in a soup pan. Add onions and carrots and saute until just softening.
3. Add flour and stir constantly for a minute. Do not let brown.
4. Add broth or water and boullion, potatoes, bay leaf and parsley if using dried. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
5. Add cannelini beans, parsley if using fresh, and salt to taste. Let heat for about 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Add lemon juice (up to one lemon depending on your taste)
7. Puree soup. You may find you need to add more water to get it to a consistency you like.

Chickpea and Potato Curry

It seems I've taken a bit of a break from sharing my thoughts and cooking activity with the internet for the last many weeks. Upon reflection, there were a few reasons for this. There were, of course, the usual holiday related distractions. But also, I hadn't cooked anything I felt excited about, and then a nasty stomach bug got thrown into the mix rendering me completely uninterested in food. At one point, I found myself worried: "What if I never crave any kind of food again and I become satisfied with just eating white rice and with edammame beans and ginger everyday?" But, alas, my appetite returned and I am happily cooking, eating and perusing the several new cookbooks I acquired over the holidays. I would be remiss in writing this first post of January without reflecting on the past year and speculating about the year to come. 2010 wasn't an outright bad year, but I was left feeling like I wanted more. I didn't achieve anything memorable or grow significantly in any aspect of my life. I'll provide a few of the less personal examples. Athletically speaking, I couldn't do much because of the structural issues I am having with my body. In my worklife, I was busy and got things done, but there was no one big accomplishment that stands out in my mind nor did I feel I learned much to help me grow professionally. And socially, I didn't see enough of my friends. There were some highlights: attending the Children's Book Writing and Publishing class; I finally found a yoga studio I liked and got into a regular yoga practice, and two trips to Colorado after not having been for a while. Luckily, I'm not one of those people who has my memories cataloged by year (It was back in the summer of 1992...) For me, things blend in and I recollect in segments of life, so it's not like 2010 will be burned in my memory as the Year of the Uneventful. I also don't make New Year Resolutions. It seems a bit trite and resolutions don't have a good reputation. I think read one statistic that 95% of resolutions are given up on by the third week in January. I do have some intentions for 2011. I won't share them all, but I do intend to spend more time with certain friends (i.e. Susan), and I've already gotten a good start on this one. I plan to do something with the knowledge I gained at the above mentioned class from 2010. I have a love affair to re-kindle with my bike(s). I also plan to branch out with my cooking and perhaps take a Thai or curry class. In the colder weather I find myself craving curries and foods with a heat and "heaviness" in general. After having a vegetable korma at a local Indian restaurant, I found myself wanting more for days after. I tried making one, and it was fine, but it didn't satisfy me in the way the restaurant one did. I also made some curry flavored lentil burgers and those were also ok, if a bit dry. Then I made a lentil loaf with some heat to it, and that was fairly nice. Last night, I finally made a Curried Potato and Chickpea Soup that I found pretty satisfying for the amount of time and effort it took. My friend, Lauri, had sent me a recipe to which I made a few modifications. It's less a soup and more a curry to pour over rice. This batch had a lot of potatoes in it since I was wanting to use up the stash in my pantry that was approaching the end of its little veggie life, so I would want to use less next time, but I do think there will be a next time. 

This is a potato heavy, spinach light version

 

Chickpea and Potato Curry 

2 Tblspns olive oil 

1 small onion, diced 

4 tspns (at least) curry powder 

1/2 pound small red skin potatoes cut into 

1/2 inch cubes 1 cup veggie broth 

1 14 oz can light coconut milk 

1 14 oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) 

1/2 14 oz can diced tomatoes or a big handful of chopped fresh tomatoes 

1 cup packed spinach leaves, chopped, or about a cup of frozen spinach thawed salt to taste 

1. Heat oil in heavy medium soup pot over medium heat. Add onions. Cook until just starting to brown. Add curry powder and stir for a minute. 

2. Add broth, coconut milk, potatoes, chickpeas, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil and then turn to a simmer and cook for 2o minutes or until the potatoes are tender. 

3. Add spinach and salt. Let spinach blend or wilt. Serve over basmati rice.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Recently it occurred to me the importance writing had in my life. I was in Logan airport heading out to the Denver/Boulder area for a quick visit, when I suddenly found myself in a state of panic - I had forgotten to pack a journal in my carry-on bag! I was going to be on a plane for 4 hours with nothing to write on. I had to think quick - was there anything else in my bag I could at least use as scratch paper if I needed to? No. Did I even have a pen in my bag? No. Maybe if I felt the urge, I could just type some notes into my iPhone or iPad. I tried to imagine that. No, that would just not suffice. Before I went through security, I found a bookstore where I purchased a package of 2 pocket-sized turquoise colored Moleskin writing pads and a nice pen and stored them away in my backpack. Aaaaah. Much better.
I began thinking about the role writing played in my life. It's not something I do in a very serious way, nor am I very good at it, but it's hard to think of my life without it. My first diary entry is from December 24, 1977 when I was 8 years old and I've kept some form of a journal ever since. There have been times when I've written more than others, and gaps of time when I haven't recorded much, but it's always been an outlet for me. I use writing to sort things out in my mind. I find I journal more when I'm feeling down, and also when I travel.
Recently, I've considered trying to be a little more disciplined about it, and maybe writing a bit every day, but not just about whatever is going on in my mind. I'd like to try my hand at some fiction. I probably mentioned I took a children's book writing and publishing class that I loved. I still have a manuscript I pull out every so often and make some changes to. I also found a writing class at the local Adult Education program that I almost took this Fall, but decided to hold off until winter.
In the meantime, I recently tried once again to do something I've proven not to be good at - baking. But this time, it wasn't awful. While I was perusing recipes for Thanksgiving ideas, I came across this one for Pumpkin Bread Pudding. Given bread pudding is one dessert that I do like quite a bit, I thought I'd give it a go. I made a few adjustments, but stuck to the recipe the best I could and the results were quite tasty. Vegans and anyone with a heart condition beware - this is not a recipe for you. This may be one of the more fat laden recipes I've ever made. And, as if there wasn't enough dairy already in the recipe, we had leftovers last night topped with some vanilla ice cream. Thank you, cows.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
8 oz of French bread, torn into small pieces, about 5 cups (I used quite a bit more bread - about 80% of a 16 oz loaf)
2 cups half and half, or half milk and half cream
3 large eggs
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 cup dried cranberries
3 tblspns melted butter
1 tspn ground cinnamon
1/2 tspn ground nutmeg
1/2 tspn ground ginger
1 tspn vanilla

1. Heat oven to 350. Butter an 11X7 inch baking dish. (I used a bigger baking dish since I used more bread. I also added a little more milk and a tad more sugar and cranberries.)
2. In a bowl, cover the torn bread with the half and half. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine eggs, sugars, pumpkin, craberries, melted butter, spices and vanilla. Blend well.
4. Pour egg mixture in with bread mixture and blend.
5. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until set.

Three Grain Pilaf

This morning I tried something new. It's called Nia. I've been wanting to go to the Arlington Center to check out their yoga classes since I can walk there from my house, and my yoga studio doesn't have a class I like on Sunday mornings so it seemed like a good day to venture elsewhere. The schedule just said Nia/Yoga so I went without really knowing what I was getting myself into. Imagine my surprise when I was told I wouldn't really be needing my yoga mat and I could put that aside. It turns out Nia is a combination of dance, martial arts and healing arts. Today's class was to Indian music and it was a lot of fun. Some of the dance moves were reminiscent of the jazz classes I took as a kid. You really have to let any inhibitions go in order to get something out of this kind of class. The focus is on moving and strengthening your body and I don't think there's a part of our body that went unmoved.
This was a good distraction for me since I'm feeling a bit sad about not having raced 'cross this year. I remember feeling similarly at the same time last year after only having had done a few races. It's been a gorgeous autumn - weekend after weekend of pretty Fall days, and as I was putting together the slideshow for tonight's NEBC banquet, I found myself really wanting to jump into the photos to ride my bike on some of those courses.
Last night I did my best to help our friend, Steve, prep for his race today. He came over for dinner equipped with brussel sprouts. In addition to sauteing the sprouts and making some other stuff, I cooked a big pile of grains to help him carbo-load a bit. This is a good basic grain dish that you could add to. It has a nice nutty, buttery flavor on it's own and would be good served with something that has a sauce so it could soak up a bit of that. To use up the leftovers, I sauteed some mushrooms, onions, fresh parsley and peas and added the grains to make a slightly different side dish.
I got this from the Modern Vegetarian Kitchen, and if you're looking for a new cookbook to liven up your collection, I think this is a good one to get. I've cooked a bunch of things from it and haven't been disappointed yet.

Three Grain Pilaf
2 tblsns olive oil or unsalted butter
1/2 cup scallions, white and tender green parts, minced
1 cup white basmati or jasmine rice
1/2 cup millet
1/2 cub quinoa, rinsed
3 cups vegetable stock
3/4 tspn sea salt
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a 2 to 3-quart ovenproof saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the scallions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice, millet, and quinoa and continue to saute, stirring, for 3 more minutes, or until the grains are fragrant.
3. Add the stock and salt. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the pilaf from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Butternut Squash and Feta Muffins

Savory muffins are a new and beautiful concept to me. Apparently, they are popular in Australia and New Zealand. I read about this recipe on my favorite cooking blog, 101 Cookbooks, and she got the recipe from a cookbook, Martha Goes Green. I've made the muffins twice and I ordered the cookbook, which I received the other day. I must admit, the first bite is weird. I am so accustomed to sweet muffins, that I was surprised initially by the taste. But, I quickly got over that. These are great accompanying soup. And just imagine all the other possible combinations. A few things to consider:

• I was so focused on browning the tops that I overcooked them the first time, so they were a bit dry.
  
• The second time, trying to avoid them being dry, I added an extra egg, another cup of squash, and I didn't brown them as much. This worked, but I'm not sure if the extra egg was really necessary with less cooking time, but the extra squash can't hurt.
• I think these are better just cooked or re-warmed. They didn't seem as tasty when eaten cold.

It's always exciting to get mail that is not a bill or some catalog you've never ordered from. So, imagine my delight when I received this adorable cookbook all the way from Australia, complete with a handwritten note. It's a self published cookbook and the illustrations are playful and a little eccentric. I will be making more from this cookbook soon, so I'll keep you posted. In a few hours I'll be boarding a plane to go to one of my favorite places, Boulder, CO, but I didn't want to leave without sharing these with you.

Note: 11/21 I tried freezing the remainder of this batch to see how they'd fare in the freezer, and they did quite well. I just had one on the side of a salad with pears, cranberries and walnuts. It was a nice combination.

Butternut Squash and Feta Muffins
2-3 cups diced butternut squash
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 large handful baby spinach leaves, chopped fine
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp sunflower seeds
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup feta cheese, in small cubes
2 tsp whole grain mustard
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
2 cups unbleached flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 405 degrees. Toss squash in oil, salt and pepper, then place in roasting pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through and slightly mushy.
2. Transfer cooked squash to large bowl, add spinach, parsley, sunflower seeds, parmesan, feta and mustard. Mix.
3. In separate bowl, beat eggs and milk together and add to squash mixture. Sift flour and baking powder into mixture, add salt and pepper and fold together, being careful not to over mix.
4. Spoon mixture into a greased 12 hole muffin tray and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Earth Diet Nine Day Challenge

During my lunch meeting the other day, my co-worker turned to me, looking incredulously at my empty container and said, "Did you actually just eat ALL of that?" She was referring to the ginormous salad which included, among many other things, an entire avocado, that had just moments. Yes, I had eaten all of that. But, I needed to fill up on lots of greens and veggies, because the scope of what I can eat at the moment is pretty limited. My friend, Lauri, and I decided to take the Earth Diet 9 Day Challenge. The premise of this diet is eating things from the earth. Nothing processed. You should eat raw as much as possible. No wheat gluten, no soy, no dairy. No alcohol. No caffeine. (It's partly a detox too. On a longer version of the diet coffee is acceptable. There's also a focus on eating mostly alkaline (vs. acidic) foods.
This last concept is most interesting to me. I've read a little about this, but will continue to explore it. There are those who believe your body won't get sick in an alkaline state, only if it's in an acidic state. I by "sick" they mean cancer, diabetes, things like that. Of course, many things I love (vinegar, condiments) fall into the acidic category. So, I've replaced vinegar with lemon juice to dress my salads (I know, lemon juice seems like it would be acidic, but it's not).
Anyway, I'm on day 5 and I was doing ok up until the little Halloween gathering put on in my division today. I walked in the room and it almost seemed like some sort of cruel joke being played on me. There must have been at least 50 dishes of different kinds of treats, both salty and sweet. Trifle, chips and dip, homemade cookies, bowls of candy bars, chips and salsa - you name it. It was like the office version of Willy Wonka's factory. I daydreamed about floating in the Wonka chocolate river, but in my rendition there tortilla chip plants growing along the river bank and little bowls of salsa floating by on lily pads. I came back to reality and ate my apple.
To try to make myself feel better on my way home I stopped, for the second night in a row, at a raw food cafe that opened last year in Newton. When I was there last night, I noticed they had chocolate pudding (in a raw vegan form) and raw "chips" and salsa. That was what I wanted for my dinner. As it turns out, they only do the chips for lunch, so I got a raw pizza instead. They do a nice job and the presentation is lovely, but let's just say that raw pizza is not for me.
In fact, eating mostly raw is not for me. I have a salad most every day and I think I could get into juicing if I decide to drop $300 on a juicer, but beyond that I think I feel better eating warmed food and cooked grains. I see the benefits of eating raw, keeping all of the nutrients. However, I think especially in the cold weather my body wants warm food. And life without hot soup? No thank you. A couple winters ago, I found myself suffering from acid reflux. When I told my doctor about this and he asked me some questions about what I was eating. I told him I ate a big salad every day for lunch. He said certain Asian food practices say that in the winter when your body is trying to keep warm, eating cold foods can be upsetting. So eating lightly steamed veggies, etc is preferable. I tried that and the acid reflux went away.
Eating raw also makes eating in season difficult. Raw butternut squash? I didn't see that on the menu tonight. The zucchini lasagne I had last night (see photo) was tasty and I could eat that in the summer, no problem. But for now I'd like a steaming bowl of stew.
I had originally planned to post some decadent thing that I can't eat just to show how strong I am, but I just can't do it. Maybe tomorrow...

Tofu Balls with Red Sauce

While I'm very much enjoying the cooler days and nights, I feel a bit anxious knowing what comes next - lots of darkness. The days are getting shorter and soon we will turn the clocks back, so it's nightfall by 5 p.m. Every year I have a tough time with this. When, at the beginning of November, it's time to get motivated for my evening run or yoga class, I often find it hard to muster up the energy to do so. I eventually settle in and get with some kind of routine, but it's rarely with the same enthusiasm as on a warm summer evening or sunshiney day . And, of course your body does need a little down time to transition into the new season, so I want to honor that too.
This year I'm trying a new tactic. I'm going to try to do the morning thing. My goal is to do some sort of physical activity four mornings a week. So far this week, I've attended two 6:30 a.m. yoga classes and done one short yoga session at home with a run that evening. I know for hard core morning people 6:30 is late - a good portion of the day has already passed by. But for me, being alert, active and social at this hour is a little bit of an effort. I don't mind being awake at that time, it's being out of my comfy bed and out of the house doing something that creates a challenge. Getting to bed early enough to feel rested when getting up before 6:00 is another hurdle. I asked my yoga instructor how many times I have to do this before I'm considered a morning person. She said it's when I no longer think about it. This could take a while.
Someone recently asked if I had a recipe I like for tofu "meat" balls. I haven't made them in a while, but I've used this recipe out of Everday Tofu. I don't really like to refer to veg items as the meat in quotation mark fashion, so I'm trying to think of something else to call them. Tofu balls just isn't right. Tofu spheres isn't necessarily accurate. Todd suggested "medallions", but I'm not sure about that. So for the moment I've landed on "orbs", but I'm open to another suggestion if you have one. Scratch that- I tried "orbs" for a while, but it both looks weird and sounds unappealing, so "balls" it is.

Tofu Balls with Red Sauce
1 lb firm tofu mashed with a fork (soft tofu is easier to mash but I found the orbs to be mushy using the soft)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
2 tsp beef-flavored bouillon (I think I just used veg bouillon)
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning or 1/4 tsp each dried oregano and basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbs dehydrated onion flakes
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 olive or canola oil
your favorite red sauce

1. Mix all ingredients except for red sauce and oil in a large mixing bowl.
2. Form 1-inch balls.
3. In deep sautee pan, heat the oil on medium high heat and brown the balls.
4. Place the balls in a medium sized baking dish, cover halfway with your favorite red sauce and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. (It'd probably be ok to skip the baking part and just add the orbs to whatever you're eating and cover them with sauce.)