Mushroom, Spinach, and Asparagus Quiche

The crust (inspired from a French friend):

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water

Filling:

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, washed and quartered
1 red pepper, diced
10-15 stalks of asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach
garlic to taste
salt to taste
Italian seasoning
1/4 cup feta cheese
1/3 cup cheddar (I used a sharp white cheddar)
4 eggs
1 cup milk or soymilk
1/2 tsp pepper

For the crust, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, wisk together the water and oil. Add just enough of the liquid to the dry ingredients until a soft dough is yielded. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness, and place in a greased pie dish, trimming off any extra dough.

Saute the mushrooms and red pepper together until the mushrooms begin to release their juices. Add the asparagus, garlic, salt, and italian seasoning, and cook for another 8 minutes, or until asparagus is soft enough to eat. Place the spinach over the cooked vegetables, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring to bring wilted leaves up from the bottom. Remove from heat when all the spinach leaves are wilted.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs, milk, and pepper together until smooth.

To assemble the quiche, pour the vegetable mixture into the prepared crust. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the veggies and gently stir to combine. Sprinkle half of the cheddar cheese over the veggies. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies, and gently stir again until everything is evenly distributed. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top.

Bake in a 350F oven for 45-55 minutes or until set (will be lightly browned with a rounded top). The quiche will have a slight domed appearance when you take it out of the oven, but will flatten as it cools.

Fruit, Nut, and Chocolate Scones

These were super super good. Highly recommended!! I ate so many of these that I didn't have much appetite for dinner (oops)!

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup cold butter
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup soymilk

Mix flours, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl until well combined. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or a fork until the mixture is crumbly. Stir in the fruit, nuts, and chocolate. Add the milk gradually, until the mixture comes together to form a slightly sticky dough. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until golden.

Alternatively, after forming the dough, press it out into a circle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 8-10 wedges. Brush each edge with milk or a little melted butter and dust with cinnamon and sugar. Bake until golden.

Tasty Lentils

This is my favorite lentil recipe, and has been serious comfort food on several occasions!

Note: you may use the typical green lentil that is so common here in America. I prefer to use French green lentils (pictured in this post).

2 tsp cumin seed (or ground cumin)
1 red pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil for sautéing
2 cups lentils, rinsed
4 oz. tomato paste (1 small can)
5 1/2 cup water (or a little more)
salt to taste
brown rice, quinoa (I used red quinoa this time around), or other grain
feta cheese
1 fresh tomato, diced

Heat oil in saucepan. Sprinkle in the cumin seed and toast in the oil for a minute. Add red pepper and garlic, and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add lentils, and continue to stir and sauté for another 5 minutes.

Add tomato paste and stir until it is mixed with the lentils a little bit, then pour in the water. Add salt to taste (if you are using ground cumin, add it now). Bring mixture to a boil, then let simmer for 30-40 minutes until lentils are soft and mixture is thick. Spoon over rice or quinoa, and top with fresh tomates and feta cheese.

Cauliflower Casserole

This was really yummy, especially served with a thick slice of crusty bread and a salad.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1Tbsp butter
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 links veggie sausage, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 tsp herbed seasoning (I used TJ's 21-seasoning)
1 head cauliflower, cut into its natural flowerets
1/4 cup marinara sauce (or tomato sauce with a pinch of extra herbs, as desired)
1/3 cup water
salt to taste

custard:
2 eggs
1/2 cup soymilk
1 Tb cream or half 'n half (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cumin
1/2 to 3/4 cup of shredded colby jack cheese

Melt butter in frypan and add olive oil. Add onion,garlic, and saute for 3 minutes. Add sausage, and continue to saute until sausage begins to brown. Add diced tomatoes and spices, and continue cooking until tomatoes begin to release their juice. Add cauliflower, marinara, and water. Let cook until cauliflower begins to soften, about 7-10 minutes.

While cauliflower mixture is cooking, beat eggs, milk, cream, salt, pepper, and cumin together. After the cauliflower is finished cooking, pour the mixture into an 8x8 glass baking dish. Sprinkle cheese on top, and then stir gently to work it in a little. Pour the custard mixture over the top, stirring gently again, until veggies and custard are just mixed. Bake at 375F for 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean (there may be some residual juice on top, but the custard will be cooked). Serve steaming hot.

Gallo Pinto

We discovered this dish when travelling in Costa Rica, and we have been trying to recreate it ever since. To make it truly authentic, we would need Lizano Sauce, which is expensive to buy in the USA (especially at the rate we eat Gallo Pinto). Instead I substitute with a mixture of worcestershire sauce and tamari. We also started adding tofu and veggies, which is not authentic by any means, but very tasty!

1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tomato, diced
2 Tbsp tamari
salt to taste
1 can kidney beans, partially drained (or red beans, which are more authentic)
1 zucchini
1 cup extra firm tofu, diced (optional)
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 eggs, beaten
sour cream

Saute onion, red pepper, and garlic until soft. Add the worcestershire sauce, tomato, tamari, salt, and beans. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add zucchini and tofu and let simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir in rice, and let cook together until all is warmed through.

In a frypan, scramble the eggs. Stir the scrambled eggs into the rice mixture.

Serve topped with sour cream, with fresh tomates on the side.

Apricot Nut Muffins

1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup agave nectar or honey
1/3 cup soymilk or milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans or almonds)
1/2 tsp orange rind (optional)

Combine apricots and water in small saucepan, bring to boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes. Let cool. Drain the apricots and in a separate bowl reserve the water the apricots were cooked in.

In a large bowl, combine salt, flours, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, then add oil, agave, soymilk, vanilla, and the water the apricots were cooked in, mixing well. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until just mixed. Fold in the apricots and the nuts.

Pour the batter into a greased muffin tin and bake at 350F for 18-20 minutes. Makes 12-15 muffins.

Variation: For Apricot Nut Sweetbread, pour batter into greased breadpan and bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

American cookies

These cookies became affectionately known as "American" cookies among the members of Mark's lab when we lived in France.

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 (or a little less) cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 tsp salt (preferably sea salt)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 (or a little more) cup chocolate chips (or chocolot chunks, which I prefer)

Preheat oven to 375F. Beat together the butter, oil, and sugar until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. In another bowl, mix the flour, oats, salt, and baking powder. Pour the flour mixture into the wet mixture gradually, until all is well mixed. Fold in the raisins, nuts, and chocolate all at once. Drop onto greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes until slightly golden. Let cool for a minute or two before transferring to a wire rack or other place to cool.

Note: I plan to try this recipe with whole wheat pastry flour and agave soon, and I'll update with the results.

Be careful! These are really really good!!

One-bowl casserole

This is about the easiest type of casserole to make. You just throw rice and a bunch of veggies into one big bowl, mix, then pour into a cake pan and bake. It's also great for cleaning out the fridge, as just about any veggie you have on hand can go into it.

1 cup dried rice, cooked in 2 cups of water
2 eggs
3/4 cup soymilk
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (or you can make your own, but I didn't have time)
salt to taste
2 tsp multi-herb seasoning
1 cup broccoli
1.5 cup frozen soybean, corn, and red pepper veggie mix
3/4 cup cheese of choice (I used white cheddar)

note: you can use any veggies you have, as long as the total volume of veggies equals about 2.5 cups

Preheat oven to 350F. Beat eggs and milk together in large bowl. Add cream of mushroom soup and seasonings and mix well. Mix in the cooked rice, and then stir in the veggies and half the cheese. Pour mixture into 9x13 baking pan, and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Bake, covered, for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake 10-15 minutes more or until edges are brown (you can broil it the last 5 minutes).

Believe it or not Spagetti

Zucchini and tofu never tasted so good!

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium zucchini
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. extra firm tofu, diced into very small pieces
2 cups marinara sauce
salt to taste
8 oz. whole wheat spagetti, cooked and drained
Strong flavored white cheese (I used English coastal cheddar, though parmesan would be good too)

Slice zucchini as thinly as possible. Heat oil in non-stick frying pan, and add zucchini and garlic. Sauté on medium-high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from burning. Add minced garlic and a bit of salt and continue to sauté until the zucchini is soft. Add tofu and marinara, and simmer until the sauce is thick.

Meanwhile, cook spagetti according to package directions. When done, mix the sauce and spagetti together. Serve with cheese sprinkled on top.

Red lentils and broccoli over rice

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
2 Tbsp Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 1/2 cups red lentils, rinsed
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Trader Joe's 21-Seasoning Salute or italian seasoning
salt to taste
1 cup chopped broccoli
2 cups cooked brown rice

Saute carrots in olive oil and Bragg's/soysauce for 5 minutes. Add lentils and garlic and saute 5 minutes more. Add water and spices, bring to boil, and let simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir well. Sprinkle broccoli over lentils, cover, and let cook 5 more minutes more or until lentils are soft. Serve over rice.

Baxter Enchiladas

Some of my earliest childhood memories included having enchiladas for dinner. I remember my mom telling me that this is how she was taught to make enchiladas while she stayed in Mexico one summer in the 60's. Instead of rolling the tortillas, you cook them in the sauce and then stack them like pancakes (and also top it with a fried egg, though we don't do this, but we think it would be good). The first time I had the more typical, rolled type of enchilada, I didn't know what it was, and I was surprised to hear it called an enchilada. When I went to college, this dish was labeled "Baxter Enchiladas" by my cousin and classmate Jeralee, and the name stuck. Later I adapted it to be vegetarian. I'm sure it will continue to get better and better with time. Here's the latest version:

One pot of vegetarian chili
15-20 corn tortillas
toppings of choice

Baxter Enchilidas are best assembled for each person, immediately before serving. Ask each person how many tortillas he/she wants. I usually go for 3 tortillas, and Mark will ask for 4-5, depending on his appetite.

With the pot of chili boiling away, put the first tortilla in the pot, being sure it is fully submersed. Add more tortillas, submersing each one as you go. Try to do this step quickly, so the tortillas are evenly cooked. Usually 4 is the maximum number that can be cooked together easily. Once all the tortillas are in the pot, let it cook for about 30 seconds.

Then, with a big, wide spoon, reach under the bottom tortilla and pick up the entire stack and set it on a plate. Spoon chili over the stack of tortillas, and top with desired toppings (cheese, green onion, sour cream, olives, avocado, etc.). Alternatively, take out each tortilla one at a time, and layer it with cheese and other toppings as you go.

With leftover chili and enchiladas, you can make what I call "enchilada goup." Heat the chili to boiling, and then tear up the remaining enchiladas into small to medium size pieces. Dump the enchilada pieces into the chili and stir. Cook for a few minutes, then remove from heat, and cover for 5 minutes. Top with desired toppings.

We seriously missed this dish when we were in France because we couldn't find the right kind of corn tortillas. It will always be one of my comfort foods!

Vegetarian Chili

I've been making vegetarian chili for years, and we'll never get tired of it! I've recently started cooking all of my beans from scratch, rather than opening up a can. I cook them in the crockpot and then freeze them until I am ready to use them.

1 onion, diced
olive oil for sautéing
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced
1 can kidney beans, half of the juice drained (equal to about 1.5 cups of beans with juice)
1 can black beans, half of the juice drained
1 can garbanzo beans, half of the juice drained (or you may use cannelini beans)
1/2 cup medium salsa (or tomato sauce with a little cayenne)
3/4 to 1 cup water
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
salt to taste
1 green pepper, diced

optional ingredients:
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 can of sliced olives
diced red pepper

toppings:
cheese
sour cream
green onions
diced avocado

Sauté onion in oil for 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and tomato and sauté 5 minutes more. Add the remaining ingredients (including the optional ingredients) except the diced green pepper. Add the water last, using just enough to bring it to your preferred consistency. Bring to a boil, and let simmer for 20-30 minutes (or more). Five minutes before it's done, add the green peppers. Serve steaming hot with desired toppings.

Bran Muffins

Bran muffins, Evan-tested and approved!

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/3 cups wheat bran
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg (or substitute 2.5 tsp pumpkin pie spice for all spices)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup molasses (preferably blackstrap)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup soymilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup raisins
optional: chopped walnuts, diced apple, chopped dates, etc.)

In a large bowl combine flour, wheat bran, baking powder, spices, and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add agave, molasses, oil, soymilk, vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, and stir until mixed evenly. Fold in raisins/nuts, etc.

Divide mixture evenly into greased muffin tin, and bake in a preheated 350F oven for 18 minutes (or until firm to the touch).

Moosewood Rice Pudding, Kendra Style

I recently found a recipe book in the library that I've been wanting to see for years. It's the Moosewood Cookbook, from a famous vegetarian restaurant in Ithaca, NY. I tried its recipe for rice pudding (one of my absolute favorite foods in the universe), and I adapted it to make it a bit healthier. The result was scrumptous!

2 cups cooked brown rice
2 eggs
1 cup soymilk (or regular milk)
1/3 cup agave nectar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup raisins
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 cup of whole milk yogurt

Beat eggs, soymilk, and agave together until well mixed. Add vanilla, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and stir. Fold in rice and raisins. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 25 minutes, stirring the mixture well every 8 minutes or so. Remove from oven (mixture will be thick). Let cool for 10 minutes, and mix in yogurt. Serve warm.