Yesterday I was finally put to the test. We were offered free Annie's cafe for lunch at work, however there were no vegan options. I could've opted for a salad and asked for no meat, but I had already packed my Mardi Gras salad that I was looking forward to, so I went with that. Then, some sweet/evil colleagues ordered Tiff's Treats, which I again had to refuse. But, I felt like one tough cookie and not deprived at all, so I'll chock it up to a win.
One large component of my success yesterday was snacking on a KILLER olive tapenade I whipped up. So easy, yet so satisfying salty. Give it a try:
Olive Tapenade
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Pulse the olives and garlic in a good processor, then stream in olive oil to reach desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and you're done!
I've been eating the tapenade with The Pioneer Woman's Olive Focaccia Bread, which is a favorite in our house.
For dinner, I had spotted Stetted's recipe for Indian-Spiced Mushrooms and Lentils a few weeks ago and knew I wanted to make it. She describes it as almost stew-like, and she's right! It was really satisfying. I didn't have any naan, so we ate some just with a fork and I tried some in a tortilla as well - pretty good! Also, I'd never prepared lentils before, so this was a fun experiment - they were easy! If you're looking to mix things up, definitely try this dish!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Mardi Gras Salad
Apologies for the bad photo, but I had a share an image of my "Mardi Gras" salad. Why you say? Why, look at the vibrant colors - the green from the basil dressing and salad and the vibrant purple of the beets are perfect to celebrate Mardi Gras! This was quite filling and surprisingly sweet, a delicious salad.
Mardi Gras Salad
Mardi Gras Salad
1-2 beets
1 cup fresh basil
1 cup fresh basil
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
5 ounces salad greens
1/2 cup prepared couscous
1 small carrot, shaved or grated
Coat the beets in olive oil and roast whole in a 375 degree oven for about an hour and 15 minutes. Let cool, then peel the skin and dice.
Meanwhile, to make the dressing, add basil, garlic and pine nuts into a food processor and pulse to combine. Stream in olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To combine the salad, place salad greens, couscous, shaved carrot and diced beets. Top with desired about of basil dressing, toss and enjoy!
1/2 cup prepared couscous
1 small carrot, shaved or grated
Coat the beets in olive oil and roast whole in a 375 degree oven for about an hour and 15 minutes. Let cool, then peel the skin and dice.
Meanwhile, to make the dressing, add basil, garlic and pine nuts into a food processor and pulse to combine. Stream in olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To combine the salad, place salad greens, couscous, shaved carrot and diced beets. Top with desired about of basil dressing, toss and enjoy!
Veggie Wrap
Day one of the vegan experiment went well. I found that by being prepared with small snacks throughout the day, I was able to put off any hunger before it got so bad that I caved in for a non-vegan treat. Let's see if I can remain that strong for the reminder of the week.
I made this tasty and very filling wrap for dinner last night that satisfied my hunger and got me through an hour-long Body Jam session. Success!
Veggie Wrap
1 large whole wheat tortilla
2 tablespoons homemade hummus
2 tablespoons salsa of your choice
3 ounces salad greens
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup cooked black beans
1/4 cup couscous
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced
A few red onion pieces
Lay the tortilla out and spared the hummus over one half of it. Next spread the salsa over the hummus layer, then pile on the remaining ingredients. Wrap it up and enjoy!
I made this tasty and very filling wrap for dinner last night that satisfied my hunger and got me through an hour-long Body Jam session. Success!
Veggie Wrap
1 large whole wheat tortilla2 tablespoons homemade hummus
2 tablespoons salsa of your choice
3 ounces salad greens
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup cooked black beans
1/4 cup couscous
1/4 red bell pepper, sliced
A few red onion pieces
Lay the tortilla out and spared the hummus over one half of it. Next spread the salsa over the hummus layer, then pile on the remaining ingredients. Wrap it up and enjoy!
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Great Vegan Experiment
If you've been a long-time Apron Adventures reader, or even if you haven't, you've probably noticed my affinity for cheese, bacon and other meat/dairy products. I find I often rely on them to make a dish pop. So, in order to step out of my comfort zone, and also just to see if I can, I'll be following a vegan diet today through Friday. This isn't to make a statement, rather just a friendly experiment to see if I can hack it.
So far, I've armed myself with homemade hummus and olive tapenade, almond milk for my morning coffee and ceareal, tons of fresh produce, grains such as quinoa, cous cous and lentils, and tofu. If you have any tips for this brave blogger entering a new world, they are much appreciated.
I'll be blogging along the way, so cheer me on since I know I'll need as much support as I can get!
Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus
1 red bell pepper
1 can chick peas, rinsed
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
Dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Approx. 1/4 cup olive oil
Roast the red pepper in the oven until skin begins to blister, turning occasionally. Place in a paper bag for about 1 minutes. remove the blistered skin and place in a food processor. Add the chick peas and galic and pulse. Add in seasonings and pulse, then slowly stream in the olive oil until a desired consisteny is reached. Enjoy with pita bread, fresh veggies or on your favorite sandwich.
So far, I've armed myself with homemade hummus and olive tapenade, almond milk for my morning coffee and ceareal, tons of fresh produce, grains such as quinoa, cous cous and lentils, and tofu. If you have any tips for this brave blogger entering a new world, they are much appreciated.
I'll be blogging along the way, so cheer me on since I know I'll need as much support as I can get!
Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus
1 red bell pepper
1 can chick peas, rinsed
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
Dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
Approx. 1/4 cup olive oil
Roast the red pepper in the oven until skin begins to blister, turning occasionally. Place in a paper bag for about 1 minutes. remove the blistered skin and place in a food processor. Add the chick peas and galic and pulse. Add in seasonings and pulse, then slowly stream in the olive oil until a desired consisteny is reached. Enjoy with pita bread, fresh veggies or on your favorite sandwich.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Homemade Pasta
My sister gave me a pasta machine for Christmas and I couldn't wait to try it. I knew I wanted to save it for an evening where I'd have time to devote to it and have a special meal, so things kept coming up and I didn't get to use it until late February. This was well worth the wait and yielded the most perfect pasta. This recipe is a combination of tips from a couple food blogs I regularly follow - Annie's Eats and Life's Ambrosia. The whole process took a very enjoyable hour and a half.
If you don't have a pasta maker, you could still achieve similar results by using a rolling pin and hand cutting, so no excuses!
Homemade Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Olives, Parmesan and Pine nuts
1 cup all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 cup semolina flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
8 sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
1/3 cup pitted olives, diced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup shredded parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
To make pasta, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the middle and add eggs. Thoroughly combine, then turn out on a floured surface and knead about 8 minutes, until it's nice and elastic. Divide into 4 balls and cover with a damp cloth. Let set for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prep the pasta toppings. Mince the garlic and slice the sun dried tomatoes and olive. Shred parmesan and set all ingredients aside.
Once dough has s
et for 20 minutes, lightly flour one ball and pass it through the pasta maker several times until you reach desired thickness, adding extra flour as needed to avoid sticking. Set aside for at least 10 minutes and continue with the 3 remaining balls.
Now, pass the stretched dough through the cutter for the desired shape. Lay out to dry out a bit, or hang on a pasta dryer if you have one (I don't and it worked out fine).
While pasta is drying out, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large nonstick skillet, warm olive oil. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add sun dried tomatoes and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in olives. Keep warm. Cook the pasta about 4-6 minutes in salted water until desired consistency is reached. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss in olive oil, tomato and olive mixture and add pasta water as needed for moisture. Add 3/4 cup parmesan and pine nuts and toss to combine.
Serve with additional parmesan for serving and enjoy!
If you don't have a pasta maker, you could still achieve similar results by using a rolling pin and hand cutting, so no excuses!
Homemade Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Olives, Parmesan and Pine nuts
1 cup all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1 cup semolina flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic
8 sun dried tomatoes packed in oil
1/3 cup pitted olives, diced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup shredded parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
To make pasta, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the middle and add eggs. Thoroughly combine, then turn out on a floured surface and knead about 8 minutes, until it's nice and elastic. Divide into 4 balls and cover with a damp cloth. Let set for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, prep the pasta toppings. Mince the garlic and slice the sun dried tomatoes and olive. Shred parmesan and set all ingredients aside.
Once dough has s
et for 20 minutes, lightly flour one ball and pass it through the pasta maker several times until you reach desired thickness, adding extra flour as needed to avoid sticking. Set aside for at least 10 minutes and continue with the 3 remaining balls.Now, pass the stretched dough through the cutter for the desired shape. Lay out to dry out a bit, or hang on a pasta dryer if you have one (I don't and it worked out fine).
While pasta is drying out, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. In a large nonstick skillet, warm olive oil. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds. Add sun dried tomatoes and cook about 2 minutes. Stir in olives. Keep warm. Cook the pasta about 4-6 minutes in salted water until desired consistency is reached. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss in olive oil, tomato and olive mixture and add pasta water as needed for moisture. Add 3/4 cup parmesan and pine nuts and toss to combine.
Serve with additional parmesan for serving and enjoy!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Italian Grapefruit Cocktail (or mocktail)
Following up on my Grapefruit, Beet and Salad recipe, with the additional Rio Star grapefruit we had on hand, I decided to make this Italian Lemonade recipe from Giada de Laurentiis, but with a twist. We enjoyed the first half of the batch with Italian sparkling water at our picnic, and the second batch we enjoyed with Champagne the next day at brunch!
Italian Grapefruit Cocktail
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 bunch basil
3 Rio Star grapefruit
1 bottle Italian sparkling water OR 1 bottle Chamapgne
First, make your basil simple syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a medium sauce pan and simmer until sugar evaporates. Stir in basil and simmer 5 minutes. Strain out the basil leaves and place in refrigerator to chill.
Italian Grapefruit Cocktail
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 bunch basil
3 Rio Star grapefruit
1 bottle Italian sparkling water OR 1 bottle Chamapgne
First, make your basil simple syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a medium sauce pan and simmer until sugar evaporates. Stir in basil and simmer 5 minutes. Strain out the basil leaves and place in refrigerator to chill.
Next, juice the grapefruit so you have about 2 cups. If you're smart, you'll juice a few extra for more tomorrow (I did!)
To assemble the drinks, pour 1 part basil simple syrup, 2 parts grapefruit juice and 2 parts Italian sparkling water or champagne in a fun glass and stir to combine. Taste and add additional simple syrup to match your preference, but this ratio was perfect for me. enjoy!
*I wrote this post on my own free time and not for work. Full disclosure, TexaSweet Citrus is a client of mine, but I love Rio Star Grapefruit and wanted to post this anyway. Enjoy!Sunday, February 20, 2011
Grapefruit, Beet and Burrata Salad
Rarely do I have inspiration come from so many places to meet for one delicious dish. Let me explain: One of the food clients I represent is TexaSweet Citrus, and as part of a program we were doing right here in Austin to promote Rio Star Grapefruit, we hosted a dinner at FINO with several bloggers and area food media to enjoy a dinner with some juicy, red grapefruit. At the dinner, one of the dishes was a salad with red grapefruit, beets and burrata. I've been hearing a lot about burrata in the past few months but hadn't tried it yet. It was such a unique, luscious texture and flavor that I was determined to use it myself. I recalled Jodi of Tasty Touring mentioning they sell it here in town at Antonelli's Cheese Shop, so I went there to pick some up.
Another embarrassing confession, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've had beets, and I've never prepared them myself. This salad made me realize that they are, in fact, delicious! I asked Teddy from Fun With Your Food about how to prepare them, and she said simply peeling and cubing them like you would squash, tossing with olive oil and salt and pepper and roasting a while would yield delicious flavor. Thanks Teddy - you were right!
Finally, while flipping through the March issue of Food and Wine, I came across a recipe for Spinach Salad with Citrus and Roasted Beets. Um, perfect! So, I tweaked this recipe by using fresh spinach instead of steamed and added in a healthy dose of burrata. This salad was delightful, I hope you'll try it!
Grapefruit, Beet and Burrata Salad
4 small beets
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Rio Star grapefruit
6 ounces fresh spinach or spring mix
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
4 ounces burrata cheese, torn in pieces
Preheat oven to 350. Peel beets and cut into 1-inch dice. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper; toss to combine. Roast about an hour to an hour and 10 minutes until they are tender.
Meanwhile, combine sliced red onion and red wine vinegar in a bowl and let sit for about an hour.
Slice the top and bottom off of the grapefruit, then stand on one end and cut off the remaining peel with a knife from top to bottom. Next, use your knife to cut along the section and pop out. Continue until all the sections have been cut out. Here's a link with better instructions and photos: http://texasweet.com/About-Texas-Citrus/Quick-Sectioning-Tips
Combine the spinach with sectioned grapefruit and roasted beets. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar from the onions and whisk with remaining olive oil, dijon mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with salad. Toss in burrata pieces with your fingers and enjoy!
Salad and a sandwich picnic with a view at Mt. Bonnell
Another embarrassing confession, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've had beets, and I've never prepared them myself. This salad made me realize that they are, in fact, delicious! I asked Teddy from Fun With Your Food about how to prepare them, and she said simply peeling and cubing them like you would squash, tossing with olive oil and salt and pepper and roasting a while would yield delicious flavor. Thanks Teddy - you were right!
Finally, while flipping through the March issue of Food and Wine, I came across a recipe for Spinach Salad with Citrus and Roasted Beets. Um, perfect! So, I tweaked this recipe by using fresh spinach instead of steamed and added in a healthy dose of burrata. This salad was delightful, I hope you'll try it!
Grapefruit, Beet and Burrata Salad
4 small beets
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 Rio Star grapefruit
6 ounces fresh spinach or spring mix
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
4 ounces burrata cheese, torn in pieces
Preheat oven to 350. Peel beets and cut into 1-inch dice. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper; toss to combine. Roast about an hour to an hour and 10 minutes until they are tender.
Meanwhile, combine sliced red onion and red wine vinegar in a bowl and let sit for about an hour.
Slice the top and bottom off of the grapefruit, then stand on one end and cut off the remaining peel with a knife from top to bottom. Next, use your knife to cut along the section and pop out. Continue until all the sections have been cut out. Here's a link with better instructions and photos: http://texasweet.com/About-Texas-Citrus/Quick-Sectioning-Tips
Combine the spinach with sectioned grapefruit and roasted beets. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar from the onions and whisk with remaining olive oil, dijon mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with salad. Toss in burrata pieces with your fingers and enjoy!
Salad and a sandwich picnic with a view at Mt. Bonnell
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