The Times Are A Changing...

With a new diet, comes a new blog. Due to format and content, I am changing blog names and sites. Please come and join me on Wordpress: http://vegetariansalmon.wordpress.com

Change can be scary, but it is also promise. All the old recipes are on the new site, but better recipes will live there as well.

Tempeh Revisited

What to do with your leftover tempeh?? This sandwich is super yummy. The tempeh is crispy, almost the texture of bacon. Actually, I have to say that a crisp tempeh is better than bacon, and is amazing in sandwiches. I promise for the skeptics, this is REALLY good. I ate it even in the dark years when I ate meat. It's not a substitute, but a food. I hate the concept of substitute, it connotes that vegetarians are lacking and always seeking meat. We aren't. Instead, we are looking for meals. Tempeh is an alternative, something that unadventurous eaters ignore, and the rest of us enjoy.


Tempeh Sandwich

*This recipe makes about 6 pita halves, which you can serve for a crowd with chips or salads.


Ingredients:

• Half of a tempeh loaf
• 2 tb of olive oil
• 2 tb of soy sauce
• 3 Pita pockets (or 6 pieces of thicker whole grain bread)
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 2 tb mayo or yogurt
• 2 tb feta
• roasted red pepper
• mixed greens

Directions:

1. Slice the short side of the tempeh loaf very thinly, about 1/2 inch
2. Warm olive oil a saucepan over medium high heat
3. Meanwhile, pour the soy sauce over the tempeh.
4. When the oil shimmers, lay the pieces of tempeh flat in your pan. Let it simmer in the pan, and gently brown each side. The tempeh should be a crispy brown, but not a burned black (about 2 minutes on each side)
5. Half three pita pockets, making six halves.
6. Stir together the garlic and mayo/yogurt, then put on the inside of the pita
7. Add feta, then lettuce, next red pepper, followed by the tempeh. 

I served them the sandwich homemade potato chips here.

The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook

My brother's wife, JR,  is an extremely generous and thoughtful gift-giver. When she comes across something that reminds her of someone, or hears about something that might help, she is sure to pass it on to people in my family. She has a very big heart- I wish I could be half as thoughtful as she is. Her own family members have similar interests in books, cooking, and running, so my sister-in-law is often the informational bridge between us. When I became pregnant last year, JR followed this path and gave me a copy of The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook, which her own vegetarian sister uses. It is an impressive collection of recipes and information on how to keep up on protein. Now, as reader's of this blog know, the whole not-eating meat during pregnancy thing didn't work for me. Vegetables made me really sick, and the only thing that would stop the naseua was chicken. My theory, supported by my OB/GYN, is that I had stocked up so many veggie nutrients, that my body craved protein. However, soy, beans, and leafy veggies made me just sick. So, I didn't manage to use many of the recipes then.

Now, I am back on track and kind of grossed out by my pregnancy indulgences. So, I am revisiting some of my favorite vegetarian cookbooks. I love the Moosewood collection, which  will have to be another post, but I sometimes get bored with the collection because I don't think my tastebuds always jive with the authors. What I prefer about The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook is that the book is gives very accessible recipes to meals that I was always afraid to cook, such as dahl or veggie burgers. The author also gives variations and alternatives, which reveals an understanding of preferences and varied diets. Additionally, there are some classic meals, like Tortilla Soup, included, and this is the first book where I agree with how she constructed the classics. I can't wait to try them. There are some meals that are overly simple, such as the English Muffin melt, but they are good reminders of how simple foods can even help you maintain a balanced diet. I can also see giving lots of these recipes to children, which means I will be able to give Serafina this diet as well.

So, JR thanks for an amazing gift that keeps giving. I am super excited about cooking vegetarian for our family, perhaps when you come home next, I can make you a special meal!

Trying out Tempeh

I tend to get nervous about adventurous ingredients, mostly because I hate disappointing myself and AAM. Because we eat dinner together nightly, I have to consider his likes (most of my cooking) and dislikes (tofu, mushrooms, and dried fruits). I enjoy my time with him, and love our meals together. In fact, we are so similar that our friend groups basically merged into one happy family. This means that we spend lots of quality time together, and his time on paternity leave round two is no different. Someone close to me once said that she really enjoyed the quiet nights that her family and her husband were out, and I just couldn't understand it. One of the reasons I married AAM is that he is literally the only person I know who doesn't drive me crazy, I actually enjoy when we are 'stuck' together-- we laugh longer and harder. However, because of Serafina, we take shifts to go out with our friends. Tonight, he went out, so I realized it was an opportune moment to cook with tempeh. He saw me preparing dinner and said "Smells great, I am out!"

I first had tempeh in a sandwich at Busboys and Poets, my favorite place in the DC area to grab a sandwich and write a paper. I go so often I know the staff in the Arlington restaurant. They have a superb tempeh sandwich with veganaise, sprouts, roasted red peppers, and onions. I swap the sprouts for spinach, and it is the perfect sandwich.  For those who might be unfamiliar with it, tempeh is fermented soy and whole grains, which is served in a flat cake form. Originally from Indonesia, it is a wonderful food that is packed with protein and nutrients. It can also be sliced, fried or sauteed and can mimic a bacon texture. I hate saying meat substitute, so I would call it a meal substitute. It doesn't try to mimic meat, but replaces a meal you used to eat with meat. I can't make tempeh as delicious as Busboys, but I can try. Tonight I marinated it in BBQ sauce* for a salad, and I will slice it and saute it tomorrow for a Pita sandwich served with lettuce, mayonaise, cucumbers, and sauted onions and peppers.


*People sometimes give us wonderful foodstuffs like specialized BBQ sauce, sometimes I am not sure what to do with meat marinades, but tempeh and firm tofu are the perfect foods to try these sauces.

BBQ Tempeh Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 package of whole grain tempeh
• 1 cup of BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cup of corn
• 1/2 cup of sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup of pinto beans
• 1/4 cup of chopped or shredded cheddar
• 2 tb pumpkin seeds
• 2 cups of mixed greens
• 1 tb honey
• 1 tb dijon mustard
• 1 lemon juiced
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Marinade the tempeh for an hour in your favorite BBQ sauce
2. Set the oven to 375, and bake the tempeh for 20 minutes
3. Meanwhile, mix the corn, carrots, pinto beans, cheddar and pumpkin seeds
4. Pour the corn bean mixture over your salad greens
5. Slice the tempeh and place on top
6. In a small bowl, whisk honey, mustard, lemon juice and salt/pepper. Pour over salad. 

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Assembling a great meal.....

while cleaning out the kitchen.

As previously mentioned, the past few weeks we have been cleaning out our freezer/ fridge/ pantry/ and porch-farm in an effort to save money, get creative, and clear out food before we leave for the beach. Here is tonight's creation. By the way, please excuse the bad lighting, we are redoing our kitchen lighting, and right now we have one light bulb.....the joys of home ownership.

Fisherman's Wharf Rub: My fantastic mother-in-law buys this for us at a store in Maine. It is essentially oregano, lemon, parsley, garlic, and salt. It is the perfect rub for fish.

+ Frozen Easy Peel Shrimp: We buy this when it is BOGO at Harris Teeter. It is good for making meals in a jam.

+ Tomatoes/Basil: from our porch farm, sprinkle a little salt, perfection.

+ Brown Rice Pilaf= Voila! Assembled.

The "Great's" Pasta Sauce

Today was my grandmother's birthday, who along with my grandfather, my niece called "The Great." Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to her grave in Richmond to celebrate her life with my family, but she hasn't left my mind all day. My little Serafina and I looked at pictures of her at our wedding, and we chatted about her namesake.

Tonight, because I am still in the middle of Mission-Clean-Out-Kitchen, I didn't have the ingredients to make any of her classic dishes. So, I offer you a very simple pasta sauce recipe. We don't do jarred sauce in our house, it is a ridiculous expense that never tastes good. I remember being shocked at my roommates eating Prego/Ragu in college, it is so disgusting and just lazy. Making your Italian sauce makes the house smell wonderful and the food taste good. Just make a batch on Sunday, and freeze what you don't eat in small containers. In making sauce, my grandmother didn't believe in piling on vegetables and fancy spices into your pasta sauce. She felt strongly that if you buy the right ingredients and let it simmer long enough, you should have a rich sauce that won't overpower your foods. So, buy good tomatoes, olive oil, and pasta, take your time in cooking, and you should have an excellent sauce.

The "Great's" Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 tbn of olive oil.
• 2 Cans of Progresso Whole Peeled Tomatoes (Muir Glen is acceptable in a pinch, but nothing else)
• 1 can of Progresso or Muir Glen tomato paste

 Directions:

1. Saute the garlic in a large saucepan. Do NOT burn, it ruins the sauce.  
2. Add in the whole peeled tomatoes, and hand squeeze the juices out slowly. You want the whole tomatoes for the chunkiness, but the best juices are inside. 
3. Add the tomato paste, allow the sauce to briefly boil
4. Salt and Pepper to taste
5. Let simmer for two hours on the stove at low heat.

Serve with DeCecco Penne and Pecorino Romano cheese.....and you will be having the typical Sunday dinner at our house.

Tortellini Soup with Wilted Greens and Veggies.

Another night of working through the pantry, freezer, and fridge created this delicious and hearty soup. I almost added cannellini beans, but I worried about the texture. If you wanted beans, replace the tortellini with orzo or risso.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbn of olive oil
• 1/2 onion chopped
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 2 cups of finely sliced baby carrots
• 1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes
• 2 boxes of Vegetable broth (low sodium)
• 4 cups of water
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 cups of mixed lettuce (spinach and arugula)
• 2 cups of chopped zucchini
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbn dried parsley 
• 1 tbn dried basil
• 2 packages of cheese tortellini. 
• Salt/Pepper/Pecorino cheese to taste

Directions:

1. Saute the onion, garlic, red pepper, and carrots in olive oil for five minutes or until the onion is shimmering.
2. Add in the roasted tomatoes, simmer for one more minute.
3. Pour in veggie broth and water, followed by bay leaf, lettuce, zucchini, oregano, and parsley.
4. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add in tortellini, let cook until the tortellini float, about 3-5 minutes.
6. Serve with sprinkled cheese, fresh bread, and fresh ground pepper.

Farmed vs. Wild vs. Vegetarian

I had a really interesting conversation with a close vegetarian friend last night about how I deal with an internal battle with the eating of fish. He was remarkably open to the ideas I had about farmed vs. wild and eating humanely, and seemed to understand where I am struggling. I really enjoy supportive conversations like the one we had. True vegetarians tend to get defensive around pescetarians. However, I look at all of us as existing on a sliding scale in the efforts to reduce environmental impact and stop cruelty. The reality is that I eat fish at most once a week, and the vast majority of the world consumes pounds and pounds of meat and fish. It is not a race to be the most perfect consumer, and I appreciate camaraderie along the way.

The ideas from the last book that I read, The Face on Your Plate, has me thinking more and more about what I eat and where it is coming from. It emphasized the negatives of farmed fish, especially the antibiotics dumped into the water, fish cages, sea lice, pollution, brutal deaths, and the poor quality of the fish. In contrast wild salmon are fished in a remarkably different way. Using the life pattern of salmon, who are born in a stream then leave their home only to return to lay eggs and die, wild fisheries strategically lay the eggs and wait for the salmon to return. In this regard, the salmon live a long life and are fished when they are going to die. For some reason, this sits with me much better then fish farming. However, the more I think about, the more likely I am to transition out of eating fish. For now, I will stick to the wild salmon, but start to build up an arsenal of vegetarian recipes to ease my transition.

Switching back to a full-time vegetarian opens a floodgate of issues. Am I prepared to work really hard to keep my protein and iron up, as anemia has plagued me my entire life? How do I consider AAM'S feelings when I change the household (he is flexible- but this does affect him)? Do I raise Serafina vegetarian? Am I ready for the backlash on the decision to have no fish in the house? Do I change my blog: the name and the content? I also worry about how my diet, and raising my daughter vegetarian, might negatively affect my relationships with family and friends. These may seem to be trivial considerations, but they become very real matters.  I hate being a dietary pain, and I particularly don't like having to answer to everyone about my dietary choices. I am trying to vote with my plate, but not make a dictatorship out of eating. For now, I will eat wild salmon, and give myself time to decide.


For those who were raised vegetarian or are raising your child vegetarian, do you have anything you would like to share about your experience? Please comment below if you have ideas.

Click here for an article on the farmed v. wild salmon debate

Lunch. Yum Yum

We are still in the process of emptying our fridge and saving money. This Greek influenced sandwich is not a novel invention, but a really good reminder of how yummy being a vegetarian can be.... No PB&J for me!

Whole Wheat Pita (warmed), Mixed Greens, Cucumbers, Chopped Olives, Hummus, Sprinkled with Feta

Healthy, Filling, and Perfectly Yummy.

Easy Pizza

At some later point, I will post a more challenging recipe for handmade pizza dough/sauce/and good toppings. I save that recipe for days where I have ample time to make the dough and let it rise on its own. However, today was not one of those days.

Today, we embraced the second half of AAM's paternity leave and went downtown. The three of us walked from the White House to Chinatown, hitting my old workplace, the National Museum of American History, and the National Gallery on the way.

Observing art at the National Gallery

Resisting the incredibly strong urge to stop for dinner, we commuted home HOV3, which was fantastic by the way. Once home, I realized that the homemade meal I planned did not work, so we went to our fridge staples. Without fail, we always have Boboli whole wheat pizza crust and frozen homemade pizza sauce in the freezer (Simply 4 cloves of garlic simmered, 1 can of crushed tomatoes, and 1 can of tomato paste and let simmer for an hour). I pulled some veggies from the fridge drawer and sauteed them. Sprinkle mozzarella on top, and voila.

The point is that there is time to do things from scratch and there are times to enjoy life's conveniences, without going to ordering junk food. No need for the cardboard pre-made pizzas and this was faster then ordering delivery, and so much better. Before the summer is over, I'll make and post my homemade pizza, but for now we are enjoying the paternity leave!

MEAT FREE MONDAY

Want to do something small to save the environment, but not jump drastically into vegetarianism? Try Meat Free Monday. This initiative, started by Paul McCartney, uses the logic of environmentalism to help people see the benefits of being meat free. I appreciate it because not all people can be convinced to not eat animals, but many understand the importance of small steps towards environmentalism.

Here are some facts written by Paul McCartney but based of the 2006 U.N. report.

• The Livestock industry produces gases that are extremely dangerous for the future of our environment.
• The two main gases, methane and nitrous oxide, are considered to be more harmful than CO2 (methane is 21 times more powerful than CO2 and nitrous oxide is 310 times more powerful than CO2) so the data suggests that this is causing a highly dangerous situation for ourselves and, more importantly, for future generations.
• Methane also remains in the atmosphere for 9 to 15 years; nitrous oxide remains in the atmosphere for 114 years, on average, and is 296 times more potent than CO2 - the gases released today will continue to be active in degrading the climate decades from now.
• Livestock production is land intensive: a recent report by Greenpeace on land use in the largest meat producing state in Brazil found that livestock (cattle) production was responsible for vastly more deforestation than soya.
• A third of all cereal crops, and well over 90% of soya, goes into animal feed, not food for humans. Eating less meat will free up a lot of agricultural land which can revert to growing trees and other vegetation, which, in turn, will absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
• Livestock production is water intensive: it accounts for around 8% of global human water use. The estimated 634 gallons of fresh water required to produce one 5.2 ounce (150g) beef burger would be enough for a four-hour shower. For comparison, the same quantity of tofu requires 143 gallons of water to produce.
• Livestock production is the largest source of water pollutants, principally animal wastes, antibiotics, hormones, chemicals from tanneries, fertilizers and pesticides used for feed crops, and sediments from eroded pastures.
• The meat industry is set to double its production by 2050 so even if they manage to lower emissions by 50%, as they have promised to, we will still be in the same position.
• from http://goop.com/newsletter/68/en/

Consider that each meal you consume is a vote. Why not vote for better environmental practice and fairer treatment of animals? Who knows, one day may turn into two days, and two into three. In the end, you can see the benefits of a meat free lifestyle!  So, this Monday, and future Mondays, cast your vote by not eating fish and/or meat.

Meat Free Monday Website: http://www.supportmfm.org/

Two Layer Bean Quesadilla

When I stopped eating meat at 12, my parents were very supportive. I had gone to England with the two of them, and no siblings. I remember sitting alone in my hotel room and watching a documentary about the meat industry. The movie shook my core, and I stopped eating meat right there. Because I was always a very healthy eater, my mom felt that I could manage the diet. She required me to read up on how to have a balanced diet vegetarian, which I did. But, my mother, who cooked for a family of five, met a dilemma: make an entirely separate meal for me or help me to find easy ways to supplement. Announcing she was not a short order cook, we worked together to come up with ways for me to eat with everyone. Sometimes, there were meals that I definitely couldn't eat, but to prepare my mom would make this dish, which I ate over several days. I have an odd sentimentality for this dish because it is the meal she made to help me attain my goal and it was the first hearty vegetarian thing I learned to make. 

Note: I usually double the recipe and make two at a time. Share one for dinner, and cut the other into fourths for lunches.


Two Layer Bean Quesadilla
Ingredients

• 3  whole wheat tortillas
• 1 can of black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can or 1 cup of cooked fresh corn
• 1 red pepper chopped
• 1 yellow pepper chopped
• 1 white onion chopped
• 1 package of shredded Mexican cheese
• 1 tb of cayenne pepper
• 1 tb of olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375
2. On a baking sheet, lay out foil to protect the sheet.
3. Place one tortilla on the foil.
4. Sprinkle the next five ingredients (the veggies) on the tortilla, creating a consistent layer.

5. Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese on top of the layer, and place a tortilla on top.
6. Repeat step 4.
7. Cover with a tortilla and sprinkle it with cayenne pepper, then drizzle olive oil on top.

8. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the tortilla is slightly crispy and the cheese melted. Divide each pie into fours.

The Face on YOUR Plate.

Sometimes you need a little motivation, and I am in desperate need of that right now. I have been moving back into my old pescetarian diet, but with the random consumption of chicken. I knew it was time to read The Face on Your Plate: The Truth About Food. This is a book I have been avoiding for awhile, because I knew that it would scare me from meat and fish, but I need that right now.

The book, written by a vegan, uses logic and facts to really examine eating meat. I like it because the author, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson is blunt about what meat consumption actually is, and what the industry is doing to us. He looks at the environment, health, and science, which reveals some scary truths, such as "It takes 13,000 gallons of water to produce a single pound of beef." Yikes, that alone made me not want to eat another burger again, but the section on animal waste topped it off. He wisely aces through all of the counter-arguments for eating meat, and reveals that there is no excuse for killing. He has clearly done his research, and it shows throughout the book.

My only criticism is the introduction. I find that food writing has an obnoxious trap that I find myself falling into. It is self-indulgent. At times Masson comes across as self-righteous and oh-so-perfect. The reality is, that people aren't perfect and that pretending you are is alienating. More vegetarians and vegans need to understand that for some people conversion happens slowly, not everyone can be a born again. So, there I am, somewhere on the path towards vegetarianism, and the book helped remind me of why I am on the journey.

Kitchen Objects and Memory

About two months after my grandmother died, I stumbled upon a generous Williams-Sonoma gift certificate she and my grandfather gave us. It was a Christmas gift, which slid into a pile of papers, only to be discovered during a period of mourning. It was hard to digest. Here, I have the last gift from my grandmother, oh the pressure. AAM and I decided that we wanted to get something of heirloom quality, no oils and herbs with this gift certificate. We talked about a special plate or Le Crueset pan. I revisit the Williams-Sonoma website every few weeks searching for the cooking heirloom that would represent my grandmother. I look for something Italian, which would make her proud. I try to come up with the perfect gift that reminds me of her. I want to look at that object and think of her. However, perhaps because I am not ready for this gift and the finality of her passing, I close the computer and walk away. I won't even enter the brick and mortar store, because I know the trip would consist of hopeless wandering through kitchen trinkets. The entire thing is a seemingly trivial sentimentailty weighing on my shoulder.

When my grandmother passed, my aunts helped the grandchildren pick out a piece of her jewelry that reminded them of her. Although there were some wonderfully fancy pieces, my heart was set on a simple mother and child gold piece. I don't wear gold, but she wore that necklace so often that I can't picture my grandmother not wearing it. Now, I wear it when I am sad or think of her. I can touch it and be reminded of her heart. Because I couldn't wear it when I was getting my c-section, AAM wore it under his scrubs. It was my hope that she was there, and hopefully she could share the joy of the day. I also saved a necklace for little Serafina, a cross for her confirmation day.

It is this time of year that is so hard for us, August is the birthday month of all of my grandparents, but it is also when Serafina was diagnosed with lung cancer. Last year, the same month we learned about becoming pregnant, I learned of my grandmother's terminal diagnosis. We checked with the doctor, and hurried to Richmond. I wanted her to know so badly, but once we shared the news I could see her realization, that she would not meet the baby, and she started to cry. It was a painfully difficult moment in my life, to bring news of joy that could not be shared. To be so terribly excited, but also terrified about what the future months were going to bring, was torture.

So this trivial gift certificate, this piece of plastic, doesn't really mean anything but I make it symbolize everything. I have so much grief attached to it, that I am scared of transferring the grief to a trivial item. In fact, it might be in the disappointment of the loss where I can't find a silly kitchen object that represents her. I know whatever I purchase won't be of her, but it will be about her to me. In the end, I look at the card and know that objects mean nothing, but the experience is everything. The card was a perfect thought, and the chance to find something that represents her love would be wonderful, but it will never be as special as having Little Serafina meeting her great grandmother Serafina.

Zippy Green Beans

Try something different with your fresh summer green beans.....

Green Beans sauteed in Garlic, Cayenne Pepper Infused Olive Oil, and Almonds.

Dealing with a budget and food cravings.

This week I took a look at my spending habits, and realized that maternity leave had many hidden costs. Many of the ways to get out of the house, and I try and get out at every chance, involve spending money. From running errands to having lunch with friends, it just seems to be a huge financial drain. Instead of being busy making money, I was spending money to be busy. I became a thoughtless consumer, not good. As I said to a friend, how do I explain to Serafina that she had no college fund because mommy needed to go out to lunch with her friends?

So, I challenged myself to not spend any money this week. We have a full pantry and I have been getting free veggies in exchange for tending a friends garden plot while she is out of town. Instead of meeting people for coffee, I invited them over. I have also sought out free activities; my best friend and her daughter are meeting us at the zoo tomorrow.

A funny thing happens when you stop spending money,  you first realize how ridiculous some purchases are, and then you start having cravings for new ridiculous things. So although, I realize that my home-brewed coffee is actually better than Starbucks, today I really, really wished I had chips to go with my tuna sandwich. I didn't. So, instead of going grocery shopping, I chopped up a red potato and quickly roasted it in oil with salt and pepper (425 for 30 minutes). It hit the spot, and I didn't break my vow to not spend money. Satisfied, I looked back in our kitchen and realized we could go three weeks without grocery shopping, and that I could make it just as long without buying anything. Maybe we will be able to afford college after all?

Ethical Fish Purchasing, and a Recipe for Honey Mustard Salmon

A few years ago when we visited my favorite fish restaurant Hook, we received a pamphlet from the Blue Ocean Institute on "Ocean Friendly Seafood." The institute highlights which types of fish are environmentally safe, plentiful in bounty, and healthful options. They also explain why it is better to get a fish farmed or wild, and it depends on the species, as well as the location. The pocket guide can fit in your wallet, which allows you to take it to the grocery store or any restaurant (you can order a free one!).

We tend to be frugal when it comes to buying fish. About once a week, I go to the grocery store and purchase 1lb of whatever is on sale, usually amounting to $5. However, we don't sacrifice quality, which means we buy our fish at Harris Teeter (instead of the cheaper grocery stores) and I still follow the Blue Ocean Institute's guidelines. Some weeks, this means tilapia and other weeks I am lucky and it is wild Alaskan salmon. This was one of those lucky weeks...


Honey Mustard Salmon
Ingredients:

• 3 tb honey
• 2 tb dijon mustard
• 1 shallot chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• Juice from 1 whole lemon
• 1/4 tspn of Kosher salt
• Ground pepper
• 1 lb of salmon
• Foil **

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375

2. Combine honey, mustard, shallot, garlic, lemon, salt and pepper. Whisk together.

3. Lay to pieces of foil over a baking sheet, and place the salmon on top.

4. Pour the honey mustard mixture on the salmon, and fold the foil over and close.

5. Cook for 30 minutes, the salmon is done when it gently flakes.

** I tend to cook fish and veggies in foil often. It makes for super easy clean up and also locks the juices and flavor in the fish.

Pesto. It's What's for Dinner

Fresh Basil Pesto (garlic, basil, cheese) Farfalline with Fresh Tomatoes and Pinenuts.

The myth of protein.

Below is a great nugget of an article on protein and vegetarian eating. It discusses what all vegetarians know, you are not lacking in protein, or even iron for that matter, when becoming a vegetarian. Protein naturally occurs in many plants, and it just takes a little knowledge to understand what you are eating. For example, tonight we had black bean burritos with baby spinach, tomatoes, cheese, and onions. A healthy and protein filled meal!  Don't ever let anyone tell you that you MUST eat meat in order to have enough protein. I had coaches and doctors tell me so, and I ended up fortifying my meals with chicken. I felt awful, and it turns out to be entirely unnecessary. However, my present doctor even encouraged me to stay meat-free while pregnant, and she is the head of the obstetrics wing at Virginia Hospital Center. If only little Serafina had cooperated!

Refraining from animal protein can be natural and healthy.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ellen-kanner/meatless-monday-enough-al_b_655554.html

Thanks Charles for posting it on Facebook!

Grilled Cheese with a twist

So, this recipe was supposed to be an inventive way to cook grilled cheese, I just didn't know how inventive it was going to be. People raved about the grilled cheese at the party, and asked for the recipe. I was really shocked at the response, as it was the easiest item on the menu. The original recipe uses Kerrygold aged cheddar and has scallion and chive flavored butter. When AAM and I rehashed the menu last night, we realized that he thought the butter went inside the sandwich and he put pam spray on the outside and laid them on the panini press. No wonder it was a huge hit!! This minor miscommunication created the most addictive grilled cheese ever!

The recipe below is designed for a crowd, and meant to be cut into bite-size pieces.

AAM's Grilled Cheese Discovery
Ingredients

• 1 stick of butter softened (do not microwave, but just let it sit out)
• 1/3 cup of chopped scallions
• 1/3 cup of chopped chives
• 2 packages of Kerrygold Aged Cheddar
• 1 loaf of wheat bread.

Directions:

1. Thoroughly mix the butter, chives and scallions together.
2. Slice the cheddar cheese
3. Butter the inside of the bread and layer cheese on top.
4. Either cook them on a panini press (which means you can evenly cook two at a time) or in a pan on the stove.
5. Make the entire batch for a crowd, or save the butter for future enjoyment.
6. We sliced them into fours to make little mini-appetizers.

Family Tree Feast

It was hot. You cried, but it poured. That will be how we describe the day Serafina was baptized.

The day started out one of the hottest in Washington, at 105 degrees, and who knows what the heat index pushed that too. We held her baptism at Georgetown, in the same chapel where my parents were married, I was baptized, and AAM and I were married-- and with the same priest. Unlike our wedding, we decided to make this an intimate affair, and limited the ceremony to our parents, siblings, and their children. It seems this was a good decision, as the star did not want to go on. Serafina, a normally calm and quiet baby showed a few early signs that she might be a screamer at the ceremony. She spat up her lunch, which she has only done on two other occasions in her 4 short months with us, and she didn't fall asleep for her afternoon nap. By the time the family gathered in the chapel, she was in full freak-out mode. A single look from her Aunts, Uncles, or cousins would set her into a spiraling episode of wailing. We tried to calm her the best we could, and moved on with the ceremony. Ironically, the moment she was at most peace, was the one we were very worried about, the actual baptism. When the water poured on her head, she looked up at her daddy smiling. Post-baptism, she took a seriously solid nap. We headed home for the after party at our small abode. By the time the party started, the heavens opened and a huge storm erupted soaking most of the family. However, Serafina was unfazed by the weather. Her cousins even crept into her nursery to look at her, and she slept soundly, despite the 4 and 7 year-olds version of tip-toeing.

I meant to take pictures of the spread, but well with everything monumental, I became overwhelmed in the moment and I forgot the details. Using the theme of Serafina's family tree, we served food and beer in honor of her various roots. We had Scottish Smoked Salmon and Watercress Salad, Italian Tomato Basil and Mozzerella Salad, Irish Sodabread and Rosemary Garlic lamb with Mint Jelly, and American Grilled Cheese.  We served various beers including: Harp, Gaelic Ale, Peroni, Samuel Adams, and Molson, honoring the homelands of Serafina's various Great-Grandparents.

Do you see how I did that? I slipped in a non-pescetarian item, hoping your eyes would float right on by that one horribly offensive dish. Go back, yep, we served lamb. When I went for the Irish ingredient, it was hard. My dad's mother, Margaret Laing Salmon, felt very strongly about her lamb and lobster. A woman who emmigrated on her own as a teenager from Western Ireland, the two foods must have represented a combination of new and old. To this day, those foods are served to honor her at any family occasion. Lobster seemed a bit extravagent, not to mention difficult, to prepare for such a big crowd, so we went with her other favorite, lamb (And for those who eat meat, we made a rub of lemon juice, garlic, kosher salt, and chopped fresh rosemary, then cooked it for a half hour at 400, then an hour at 350). As a caddy in Worcester, my dad grew up on lamb and mint jelly sandwiches. When he was a young married man living in D.C, my Nana would arrive off the plane, with a lamb roast in her luggage. My mother tried to explain that we can buy lamb in D.C, but it didn't seem to matter to Nana. Unfortunately, after her second stroke, she passed away when I was fourteen, and I struggle to cling to memories, especially pre-stroke memories. For me, food tends to be the path to memory, so I tossed out my moral highground, and served lamb. If it helps, I didn't eat any.

The next few posts will be the pescetarian recipes we served.

As promised, the chicken recipes.

So, as I have explained several times, when I got pregnant I fell of the pescetarian wagon. I really had an aversion to fish, and for the first trimester I didn't want vegetables. The only thing that would satiate my horrific all-day morning sickness was chicken. So, I used the time to recall old recipes that I made when AAM and I started dating 8.5 years ago. Awhile ago, I promised some recipes, since many of my readers eat chicken, here they are. The first recipe here is a solid roast chicken, and the second is a recipe for dealing with the leftovers.


An Excellent Roast Chicken

• 1 chicken roaster (I prefer free-range, which are smaller but also slightly more ethical)
• 2 tb of butter at room temperature
• 1 onion sliced
• 2 peppers halved
• 1 lemon rolled and forked to release juices
• 8 garlic cloves
• Kosher salt and ground pepper

1. Preheat the oven at 425
2. Wash the chicken roaster with water, and pat down with a towel
3. Place slices of onion and peppers in the bottom of the pan.
4. Smother the chicken with butter, put some bits of butter between the skin and the meat.
5. Liberally sprinkle salt and pepper on the bird
6. Put 4 cloves of garlic inside the cavity, then the lemon, then 4 more cloves of garlic.
7. Place the chicken in the roasting pan, and cook for an hour and a half.

Chicken Salad with Almonds. 

• 2 cups of leftover chicken chopped in 1-2 inch pieces 
• 1 cup of mayo (you can do half a cup if you don't like alot of mayo)
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup of sharp cheddar cheese.
• Salt/Pepper

1. Mix the chicken, mayo, and almonds.
2. Place them in a microwave safe container
3. Sprinkle the cheese on top, and salt/pepper
4. Heat for 2 minutes (or 10 minutes in the oven at 300)

Pinenut Creamed Spinach (w/ Orzo)

Sometimes, I get a thrill out of emptying the freezer or pantry. Maybe this comes from us living a pretty full lifestyle in the rest of the house, where I am constantly finding creative ways to hide my graduate research books and sewing supplies. Whenever my freezer gets near empty, I challenge myself to make meals that will purge the kitchen, and tonight is one of those nights. I grabbed a package of frozen spinach and the pine nuts sitting next to it, and came up with creamed spinach with orzo. Now, this recipe can be made without orzo, but if you want to make it more of a meal, boil up a batch of orzo and mix it in.


Pinenut Creamed Spinach with Orzo

Ingredients:

• 2 tb of butter
• 1 shallot diced
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 package of frozen Spinach- defrosted
• 1/2 cup of pinenuts
• 1 cup of cream
• 1/2 cup of Pecorino Romano Cheese. 
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 cup of Orzo

1. Boil a pot of water, and cook Orzo for 9 minutes or as the directions on the box dictate
2. Meanwhile heat your pan with the butter over medium, then toss in the shallot and cloves. Let simmer for a minute or two. Do not let the garlic burn.
3. Throw in the defrosted spinach and pinenuts. Let it cook for another two minutes
4. Lower the heat, and add in the milk and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Mix in the orzo, and serve.

Salmon- It's what's for dinner

Slightly overcooked Alaskan Salmon, sprinkled with garlic powder/dried parsley/salt/pepper/oregano/ and lemon, served with zucchini, tomatoes, and focaccia.

Another year, another Bastille Day with Mussels!

Instead of posting a new recipe, tonight we are going to repeat last years moules mariniere feast! So delicious, it deserves another year! So turn up your Carla Bruni tunes, drink some French wine, and enjoy the evening!

I added the following alterations in tonight's sauce--
1. Juice from two lemons. We have a bag of lemons needing to be used.
2. Less wine/more veggie broth. We didn't have enough wine for dinner.
3. 1 tb of herbes de provence instead of the thyme. My parents just returned from Paris with a sack of the mixture to refill my supply, and I thought, Why not?

Click here for last year's recipe.

Linguine with Clams, Arugula, and Tomatoes

Growing up, I knew there was only one reliable Italian restaurant in the DC area. Yes, there were many trendy Italian restaurants and tons of family restaurants, but Landini Brothers in Old Town was the closest to my Grandmother Serafina's cooking that I tasted (click for a Washington Post review here). Once a month, my family drove down King Street and showed up for our special menu. The Landini Brothers, taking a quick look at my sister and I, would squeeze our cheeks and seat us at our corner table. We would get an onslaught of questions, terms of endearment, and all sorts of reassurances that we were accepted into their family.

Another way we found the way into the Landini family is ordering off-menu. Despite the fact that my favorite menu item has not been around since the late 80's, I still order a special Linguine with  Clams and Arugula. Unfortunately, replicating it in my kitchen didn't seem to work. In particular, steaming the clams, picking the meat out, and then cooking them with pasta always made the entire dish an ordeal. In result, I considered those cans of clam sauce. I was super scared of clams in a can, but I finally decided that it was probably safe. Additionally, there are types that are all natural and preservative free, especially by the olive oil company Colavita. After careful inspection I gave it a try, and it was actually a decent weeknight meal.

Linguine with Clams, Arugula, and Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 1 tb olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups of grape tomatoes halved
• 1/2 lb linguine (whole wheat or spinach)
• 1 can of Colativa Clam Sauce
• 4 cups of arugula
• 1 tb red pepper flake
• 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, saute garlic and olive oil, then add the grape tomatoes for 3 minutes

2. Meanwhile, boil water, and add in linguine
3. In the saute mixture, pour the clam sauce over the tomatoes, add in arugula, red pepper flake, and lemon juice.
4. Let the arugula wilt, and mix the ingredients together.

5. Drain and add the linguine into the clam mixture.
6. Add salt and pepper, and serve.*

Notice the steam over this picture! We used spinach linguine, but honestly I think the whole wheat Barilla or the regular DeCecco would have been better. Sometimes, you use what you have, and that is wonderful.


* some people would add cheese on top, but because it is fish, Italians usually don't top with cheese.

Fish, Oil and the Gulf Coast Economy

Sometimes, news coverage can be obtuse and frustrating to watch or read, and in those circumstances I turn off the monitor and walk away. I find the BP oil crisis to be absolutely difficult to watch because there is very little I can do as an individual, the oil keeps oozing as human technology flounders. As I stand at a fish counter, I think about where it is from and if I should purchase Gulf fish or avoid it. Am I hurting the economy or hurting my family? How can I make an educated decision about the overwhelming crisis, as well as what is safe to still eat. However, the recent story about buying fish in the Gulf Coast found in the Washington Post revealed a fascinating path fish make on their way to Whole Foods. It explains the expensive prices, decisions made along the way, and how it lands on your table. It is worth a quick read!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/09/AR2010070905598.html

A little Tuna Spread

Sometimes, we try and stretch the dollar, and push our pantry until it is empty. For this very reason, I always keep a can of tunafish and some mayo on hand. You can always use up your veggie drawer with some tuna spread. The other day, AAM and I were stocking up, and I told him I am always thoroughly confused in the tuna section. A child of the eighties, my concern for dolphin safety interferes with just grabbing a can off the rack. I told him that it was getting harder and harder to figure out if a company does dolphin-safe fishing. He looked at me floored, and readers might be seeing a trend in this interaction, and explained that all tuna is basically dolphin safe now. Honestly, he shouldn't be shocked, I am so stuck in the eighties that I refer to CVS as Peoples, Blockbuster as Erols, and Whole Foods as Fresh Fields. One would think we were rockin' it in 1985 DC by the way I refer to the world.

Speaking of childhood, here is my homemade tuna spread that we grew up on and adore. It goes really nicely on sandwiches or with a plate of crackers, Kerrygold reserved cheddar cheese*, quartered salt and peppered tomatoes, half a boiled egg, and romaine. In my family, that is called "Mom's lunch," for obvious reasons: it is what she eats for lunch everyday. Don't be afraid to add any sort of veggie to your plate, it goes with everything. In fact this tuna spread, goes really well with tomatoes, so for those previously mentioned tomato wrinkling issues, this is a great method of giving your meal some lycopene. Some people might already do this, but for many it is a shock when I make it in front of them. By mixing the typical ingredients put with tuna in a Cuisinart, you get a wonderfully creamy texture. I abhor the gross textured dryness of canned tuna, so this is a great solution. This recipe can make sandwiches for a week, which makes packing lunch easy!

Tuna Spread Sandwich

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of chunk light tuna (or 2 smaller cans)
• 3 celery stalks
• generous serving of ground pepper
• sprinkle of salt
• 2.5 tb of mayo
• 2 slices of tomato
• 2 slices of Kerrygold Reserved Cheddar*
• Lettuce
• Two pieces of Whole Wheat toast

1. Put the celery in a a Cuisinart or blender, and pulse.

2. Next, throw in the tuna, pepper, salt, and mayo on top. 
2. Pulse several times, until the tuna reaches a creamy texture

2. Spread on a sandwich, and serve with tomato, lettuce, cheese on whole wheat. In this picture I used iceberg, which I normally don't buy, but it was left over from a bbq my parents had. A good crunchy romaine is perfect for this sandwich.

*I like the sharpness and richness of Kerrygold, plus it supports the Irish economy. Although I try to buy local when possible, as a dual citizen, I also like to support my family's homeland as well. The Irish economy took a phenomenal dive last year, much worse than here, which is sad considering the Celtic Tiger was turning around history. When we visited last Spring, by the giant open arms every restaurateur and hotelier held towards us, we realized any little effort we make might help. So we try and buy Irish if we see it available.  Kerrygold is at the local market, and supports various dairies around Ireland.

Farmer's Market Pasta Salad.

As food is always attached to memory, nothing says 4th of July like my mom's baked beans and her pasta salad. Last year, I posted the baked bean recipe, which I have updated and improved here. The pasta salad is simple, and to be so 2010, can be used with local produce found at the Farmer's Market. The secret to this salad is the more raw veggies, the yummier it seems to be. It can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge




Farmer's Market Pasta Salad

Ingredients: 

• 3/4 lb of elbow pasta
• 1 cup of sliced baby carrots
• 1 cup of diced red and yellow pepper
• 1 cup of diced yellow onion
• 1 cup of diced radishes
• Juice from half a lemon
• 2 tb of mayo
• 1 tb of chopped flat leaf parsley (you can use dried, in the pictures I did half and half)
• 1 tb of paprika

1. Boil water and cook the pasta in a large pot.
2. Meanwhile, chop the carrots, red pepper, onion, radishes. Mix them in a bowl.

2. Once the pasta is drained and cooled, mix in the mayo, lemon, 1/2 the paprika and 1/2 the parsley thoroughly.
3. Fold in the veggies to the pasta.
4. Serve chilled.

Your favorite cookbook?

So, I have a gift certificate to an online bookstore. I am not particularly interested in buying a novel or a book that I might read only once. I recently bought a few books for Serafina, so I want to hold off on getting her more, since I do believe she has a lifetime to acquire the books she needs or desires. I looked at sewing books, but I have three that are full of projects I want to attempt, and no time. So, this leaves me to a cook book, the book that continues to give and give. I have many classics, kitchen staples and vegetarian ones, but I am sure there are many gems I have not discovered. It is so hard to pick one out because you do not know if the recipes will work or if the ingredients are too complicated. After searching online for a week, I gave up. This led me to ask YOU.


What is your favorite cookbook and why?

Please post in the comments section for all to see!

Community Gardens

A benefit of living in Arlington, as opposed to our surrounding Northern Virginia cities, is that there is an abundance of community gardens. Because South Arlington is mostly apartments and smaller homes, decades ago the county put aside land for collective urban farming. Last year, I jumped at the opportunity to co-garden with a fellow Kenyon alumn, and now a fellow co-worker. She had a baby and started a new job at my school, and the thought of gardening was too overwhelming. Whereas, I had my summer of no job or grad school, and I was dreaming about my future baby, so I needed a constructive distraction. However, I didn't know the first thing about veggie gardens, and I have been known to kill flowering plants in a day. Aided by my mother, a fantastic gardener, and friends who already had plots there, I worked three days a week to get a plot the size of my living room into shape. I planted a large variety of greens, a plethora of herbs, two beds of tomatoes, a range of peppers, squash, melons, and two pumpkins in time for Halloween. I really enjoyed all the sweat and labor that went into making my own fresh food. Gardening became my therapy where I dug out my frustrations and relaxed smelling my knock-out roses.

Well, this year, my co-gardener and I were stripped of our garden, because the community isn't so much of a community. Now, granted, we handed in our fee a little late-- and I am completely comfortable with the consequences of that. However, what I did not enjoy last year was the extreme pressure put on by the garden regulars. These were a handful of people who looked at rules rigidly, and treated others with an insider/outsider approach. Additionally, your plot got graded weekly, and if there were a little too many weeds, you got an infraction. I had several, some deserved and some not deserved. I would have to run to the garden and weed as much as possible. And because our plot was at the entrance, I lived in fear of being judged. I could write my entire dissertation on the power and politics of community gardening. In summary, it wasn't a particularly relaxing way to spend my summer; the entire thing became such a headache.  I was grateful for the opportunity, but I was actually relieved when I found out the bad news. I don't want to feel that way about making my own food. I want to enjoy it and let it flow with my life, not become the obsessive center.


Right now, I am reading  Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer and I love it. The memoir highlights Novella Carpenter's move to Oakland and how she built a large garden on top of an abandoned lot on her street. Now, the major plot of the book is how she raised chickens, ducks, and turkeys to later serve for dinner, but I ignore that portion. Instead, I am so interested in how Novella falls into her garden and builds a community around it. Her community does not have rules and regulations. In fact, she lets people go into the garden and pick what they please. She finds pleasure in the experience and the sharing, and that is what I hope to do someday.

This summer, I went back to container gardening, so much easier with Serafina around. I mentioned that on Mother's Day we started a new family tradition: we planted. Our mini-community garden now has Basil, Tomatoes, Peppers, Rosemary, Thyme, and Italian Parsley on our back balcony. We are supplied with the essentials in cooking, and the ones I know I can keep alive.  Some day, when we get a house with a backyard, I plan on making a small portion of it to be our own vegetable garden-- for the kids to build community around good food. And well, I am so much better at not killing plants when they are food.

On my way to a casserole...

We are learning how to make our days busy over here. This morning, we went to our bi-weekly yoga class, at Pure Prana in Old Town. Over the last two months, I have developed quite a love for this class, and Serafina is learning to smile and coo at her new baby friends. After class, we met a friend for lunch, and then the three of us walked King Street and enjoying the beautiful weather. I was so lost in thought when we got home, that while Serafina took her nap, I spent an hour on the internet looking for quilting patterns for a quilt I want to make Serafina. Because I want this to be heirloom quality, I seem to be obsessing over the details of the construction, color, and quality. Thus, I spent very little time looking up recipes or planning dinner.

So, about a half an hour before AAM came home, I looked at my fridge and found kale, zucchini, and stale white bread which my mom bought at the Alexandria farmers market.
I decided to make a casserole. I started by taking the bread and throwing it into the Cuisinart. Serafina, sitting in her bouncy chair, looked up at me with glee when the noise of bread shredding permeated the kitchen. I am often shocked that she is not scared of our coffee grinder, and tonight was the first moment she got to hear the Cuisinart. I love my Cuisinart, and the very idea makes me so excited to chop up food. However, we don't have much counter space, so it spends much of its time on the top shelf above the stove. However, lately I developed cooking goals, which makes me tote out machinery to make little things like breadcrumbs. I made two batches, and filled a freezer bag, then labeled the bag. I chopped my onions, and just about the moment I developed tears in my eyes, Serafina started crying too-- except for her bottle. So, I quickly fed her and then we rushed to meet AAM at the bus stop. We love surprising him, and even Serafina seems to figure out that this is a surprise, as she giggled and cooed the entire way over.  She has discovered the world, and watches in glee as we walk in her Lovely Duds wrap. We nearly missed him, but AAM came around the corner smiling. After announcing that I was creating a bizarre concoction, he kindly and happily reminded me that he had to go to a lacrosse game. So, I realized the abstract casserole was going to be too complicated before his game, and we ordered pizza.

So, the supplies were put away for Saturday night, and the pizza ordered. I have set the groundwork for a casserole, but it sometimes takes the perfect timing to create a new dish. Because life does not go as planned, but it helps to be prepared.

Fish Fail.

Tonight we tried the Roasted Halibut with Grapefruit Fennel Salsa from Giada, and as AAM said, let's not do that one again. 

I challenged myself to try a recipe with ingredients I normally wouldn't chose, and well grapefruit and fennel pretty much sum up that category.  I really enjoyed pulling out the hairy fennel, and chopping it up into a messy pile. The grapefruit was fun to squeeze and shred. So really, I wanted to like the recipe.

It had wonderfully exotic ideas, and should work, but we decided there were too many flavors going on. We replaced the fish with Mahi Mahi, my favorite fish that should compliment, but it was a hot mess. It was as if Giada decided, "Hey, I need a few new recipes to fill this book. What is left in the fridge that has a bland color palate, and will make your mouth pucker when they combine flavors?"

So, this would be on the do not try list.