Knockoff Loco Moco

Good evening!

I have another easy recipe for everyone.  When we had to come up with dinners for the week, the idea of Loco Moco was mentioned.  Instead of doing it all completely from scratch (which isn't a difficult recipe, either), I thought we could take one shortcut and use prepared burgers.  WHAT?!  Yes, we used prepared (frozen) burger patties.  Let me tell you that the results were spectacular.  My boyfriend ate up his food so fast that I don't think he stopped to breathe.  

The traditional Loco Moco consists of four main components: white rice, a hamburger patty, brown gravy and a fried egg.  While the version I made this evening isn't traditional, I think it still delivered.  Another shortcut you can do is use a packaged mix for brown gravy.

Ingredients:

*Cooked white rice

*Two prepared hamburger patties (I used turkey patties)

*3 tbsp butter

*3 tbsp flour

*1 1/2 cups chicken broth/stock

*1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

*1 1/2 tsp oyster sauce

*1 tsp Worchestershire sauce

*freshly-cracked black pepper

*two eggs

*cooking spray (or oil)

There will be several things going on at once, but I recommend starting the rice first and have that cooking while you do the remainder of the recipe.

For the burger patties, heat the oven, and bake the patties according to package directions.  Prior to placing the burgers in the oven, I like to season both sides of my patty with black pepper and cayenne.

For the gravy (while the rice and burgers are cooking), first heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat.  Toss in the butter, and whisk occasionally until it melts. Then gently pour in the flour while whisking the melted butter.  Keep whisking until the flour and butter are incorporated. You will then cook the butter-flour mixture (whisking often so as to not let it burn) until it turns a medium-brown color.  It will begin to smell a bit nutty.  Once you reach the desired color, carefully pour in the broth/stock, while whisking.  Continue whisking until most (if not all) the lumps are gone.  Mine still had a few remaining.  

Next, add the soy sauce, oyster sauce and Worchestershire sauce and whisk together.  Add some freshly-cracked black pepper to taste and continue cooking while it heats to a bubble.  You should notice (as you whisk) the gravy becoming thicker.  The gravy shouldn't have a rolling boil, just a few bubbles to indicate it is hot enough to turn into the consistency we need.  Because a (normal) whisk doesn't hit everywhere on the sides and bottom of a pan, I also use a (silicone) spatula to get into those "hard-to-reach" places.  Once I am satisfied with the consistency, I will then  turn off the heat and move the pan to a cool burner to rest while I make the eggs.

For the eggs, make them as your heart desires.  I am not a fan of sunny side up eggs, so I did mine over-medium.  I also use cooking spray, as opposed to oil, because I find that the egg will end up being a little too greasy for my taste if I cook the egg in oil.  I will add black pepper to the egg once I add it to the pan for some additional flavor.  

For the assembly, add a couple scoops of cooked white rice to a plate.  Top the rice with your burger patty.  Pour on a couple ladles of gravy over the rice and burger.  Finally, top it all with your cooked egg.

You are done and ready to eat!

Please let me know how you like the recipe and what your variations are!  

Remember to enjoy food and enjoy life. 

Penne with Zucchini, Bell Peppers and Turkey Brats

Good evening, my readers! 

After a long hiatus, I am back!  I am back to pursue my passion of cooking and baking!!

Since my last post back in early 2013, my partner and I moved to Chicago, and we LOVE it here!  Living in the city is awesome.  

We recently moved into a new apartment but stayed in the same neighborhood, and for the first time, I have a gas stove.  I have to say that I like it.

Anyway, on to the recipe!

Tonight, I made whole grain penne with roasted zucchini and bell peppers, turkey bratwursts and topped with feta.  

Ingredients:

*One 13.25 oz box of whole grain penne (or any small-shaped pasta of your choice)

*3-4 medium-sized bell peppers (I used one each of red, orange, yellow and green)

*3 zucchini

*One package of bratwursts (I used a six-pack of turkey bratwursts)

*Olive or grapeseed oil

*5-6 cloves of garlic, minced

*Red pepper flakes

*Salt and freshly-cracked black pepper

*Feta

Begin by preheating the oven to 425° F.

Set out two baking sheets, so that they are ready for the vegetables.  

Rinse and dry the bell peppers.  Chop up the peppers into small strips, discarding the stems, seeds and a bit of the bottoms and removing most (if not all) of the white membrane.  Place the peppers onto one of the baking sheets.

Rinse and dry the zucchini.  Cut off the stem and some of the bottom of each zucchini, and then cut them into fourths length-wise and then slice the pieces into smaller pieces.  Place the zucchini onto the other baking sheet.  

To the two baking sheets with vegetables, evenly distribute the minced garlic.  Sprinkle on salt and pepper, to taste.  Add some red pepper flakes (to taste) for some heat.  Pour a little bit of olive or grapeseed oil onto the vegetables (don't drown them).  With your hands, mix the vegetables, garlic, oil and seasonings to evenly coat the vegetables with everything.  If you think the vegetables need more oil, add some.  It is easier to add more than to remove it.  Make sure the vegetables are in even layers on the baking sheets.  You want the vegetables to roast, not steam.  

Once the vegetables are ready, place the baking sheets in the oven and roast for 25-30 minutes, turning the vegetables with a turner or tongs every 10 minutes.

If you are using two racks for the vegetables, switch up the placement of the baking sheets when you turn the vegetables.  For instance, if the zucchini was on the upper rack for the first ten minutes, place it on the lower rack for the next ten minutes and put the bell peppers on the upper rack.  If your oven doesn't have two racks (like mine), then roast one of the vegetables first (for the full 25-30 minutes) and then roast the other.  Once the second batch is done, scrape the vegetables from the first batch  onto the second batch's baking sheet to do a sort of reheating.

Meanwhile, boil water in a pot, add some salt to the boiling water and cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Drain the pasta (don't rinse) and return it to the same pot.

Cook the bratwursts on the stovetop or in the microwave according to package directions.  Cut the bratwursts up into bite-sized pieces.

In the pot with the noodles, scrape the vegetables in and then add the bratwurst pieces.  Mix together.  

To serve, spoon the mixture into bowls, top with feta (to taste) and some additional red pepper flakes.

Let me know how you like it!!!

Thank you for reading, and until next time, enjoy food and enjoy life.  

Paula Deen's Chocolate Chili

Good morning!

It is a fine start to the day down in South Florida.  A couple days ago, we had a "cold spell", and that term is in quotes because it dropped into the 40's.  Living in KS & MO my whole life prior to moving to S. Florida, I had to laugh because, at this time of year, 40's is pretty warm for the Midwest.  Today, the high temperature is supposed to be in the upper 70's, if not hit the lower 80's.

Moving on, as mentioned in my most previous post, I would prefer to make meals that last at least two dinners and would then, hopefully, have some carryover into a lunch or two.  That would cut down on grocery bills, as well as having to make dinner each night.  Sometimes, you are just too exhausted from the day's activities to make a meal.

I was watching the Food Network, and Paula Deen's show was airing.  She was making a recipe called Chocolate Chili.  The link to the recipe is below.

http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/recipe_view/chocolate_chili/

As she was making it, I was becoming more and more intrigued by it.  Not only do I love chili, but it would be a meal that would have plenty of leftovers.  Plus, it included cocoa - SOLD!

As you may know, I don't much care for onions, so I left that out of the recipe.  I pretty much kept everything else the same, except I only included one seeded & minced jalapeno and half of the cayenne.  The other person that would be enjoying this meal doesn't like a lot of heat, so I accommodated that fact.  If it was just me, I would have included both jalapenos and not seeded them, as well as increased the amount of cayenne.  I do love meals with a lot of heat.

The other thing I changed was that I used two cans of red kidney beans, instead of the ranch-style beans.  This was mainly because I couldn't locate any ranch-style beans at the store where I was grocery shopping.  I did rinse and drain the kidney beans, just like the black beans, to get rid of the excess sodium.

To go along with the chili, I made a batch of Jiffy Cornbread.  You cannot go wrong with Jiffy Cornbread.

I will totally make this chili again.  Paula Deen's recipes are amazing.

Until next time!

Martha Stewart's "Perfect Macaroni and Cheese"

Good afternoon!

It has been quite a while since my last post, but now I am ready to get back into it.

I have had quite a life change happen recently - moving from Kansas to South Florida.  Why did I make such a move?  When I vacationed in Ft. Lauderdale with a former co-worker, I just knew I had to be in Florida.  I love the heat, the ocean, the sand, the palm trees, etc.  Within a seven month time frame, I made it happen.  I could not be happier with the decision.  It is still an adjustment, but it is becoming easier as the days go by.

Now, onto the recipe!  I was wanting a dinner I could make that would last for more than one day and would stretch into one-two lunches, as well.  Usually, a dinner made in a 9x13 pan (like a casserole) will last more than one meal.  With just feeding two people, I knew this was the way to go.

I remember coming across the following recipe a while back, and I figured I would give it a shot.

http://www.marthastewart.com/271998/perfect-macaroni-and-cheese

I do love macaroni and cheese, and I have made a few from-scratch ones before.  This recipe would be a new one to me.

I made the recipe almost exactly as described on the link.  I have read in many cookbooks that the first time you try a recipe, it is strongly recommended that you make it exactly as listed.  The subsequent times you make it, you can add your own spin.  I don't follow that rule quite often, especially when a recipe calls for onions, but that is its own story.

For instance, with the recipe on the link, I used store-bought breadcrumbs (whole wheat).  I just poured about 3/4 cup (I was eyeballing it) into a small bowl and poured over the 2 tbsp of melted butter into the breadcrumbs, mixed it and set it aside.  Conversely, I imagine you can just pour the breadcrumbs (without the melted butter incorporated) over the top layer of cheese and cut the 2 tbsp into small portions and spread them evenly over the breadcrumbs. 

Also, I used Gruyere because I love the flavor of it, and I used whole grain pasta. 

Overall, I liked the finished product, but I felt it was a bit heavy.  I'm not sure how to alter the recipe without compromising its original integrity.  However, I will definitely make it again and try to do something with it the next time. 

Current Favorite Commercial

I know this post really has nothing to do with food, but I thought I would share it...despite the fact that it's been 10 months since my last post.  OK, so I may have a tendency to exaggerate a bit.  

My current (and one of my all-time favorites) commercial is the Quaker Oats cookie commercial with the two female neighbors, and one is describing the cooking, while the other takes a bite.  The one neighbor says, "you just took a bite of my cookie".  To which, the other responds, "what?".  I crack up each and every time when I see that one!

One of my other all-time favorites is the State Farm commercial with "Jake".  "What are you wearing, 'Jake from State Farm?'"  "Uhhh...khaki's."  "She sounds hideous."  :)

That's is all.

Waffles & Pancakes, Syrup...Maybe Some Peanut Butter!

Hello!

It has been almost three months since my last post.  Sometimes, the winter weather & work can take a lot out of someone.

In any event, I have found it to be rather difficult to find prepared vegan pancakes & waffles.  There will almost always be some sort of dairy and/or eggs in ones that are already made.  Why would I want to buy pre-made when I can make my own, you might ask?  Well, I think that making my own is pretty much the only way to go.

I resigned myself to this situation a while ago, but it would be nice to have them as a choice for when time (or patience) doesn't allow for me to make my own.

I have found great solace in Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan Brunch cookbook.  There are plenty of fantastic recipes for pancakes & waffles that are very easy to whip up.  I have made the banana flapjacks & pumpkin pancakes many times, and they are always a hit.  I wouldn't keep making them if they weren't....

As far as syrup, pure maple syrup is the way to go.  Since becoming vegan back in August, I have shunned the fake stuff...the UNPURE stuff!!  Don't get me wrong, the UNPURE stuff was delicious during a good period of my life when I consumed the pre-made waffles & pancakes.  Now, I can't go back.  Yes, pure maple syrup is expensive, but you really shouldn't drown your food in it.  You do want to taste your food, don't you?  If you do feel compelled to use the other stuff, please don't let me know.  

Tonight, I utilized my Christmas-new Belgian waffle maker and cooked up the peanut butter waffles (from Isa's book), and they were delicious.  How can something with peanut butter NOT be delicious?!  I really don't want suggestions.  I want to keep the fantasy alive that almost everything is made better with peanut butter.  PB does NOT make onions better.  Onions are gross. 

Be that as it may, I use Earth Balance buttery spread to top my pancakes and waffles.  I do use PB from time to time, but Earth Balance is how I usually go.  

I am not a big fan of chunky/crunchy peanut butter.  I'm a smooth PB person.  Also, good PB should only contain peanuts (and maybe salt).  I purchase the Whole Foods 365 creamy peanut butter which does contain salt.  The thing with PB with only peanuts (and salt) is that the oil will be on top.  Don't think it is spoiled.  It is a natural separation that is sometimes a pain to handle.  You will want to store it upside down once you get home, so that the oil will seep back into the peanut butter.

When you do finally open it, be careful.  I speak from experience that not being mindful has some dire consequences.  You can ruin your freshly-washed hands.  You can get the oil on the counter.  Oil is not an easy cleanup.  You may be forced to use TWO, maybe THREE sanitizer wipes to clean it up.  You may get it on the of the jar thus ruining what would have been an otherwise pristine-looking jar of creamy (or crunchy) peanut butter.  I think I have recalled too many bad memories.

To do this correctly, you will want to, first, turn the jar right-side up.  I'm not joking here, folks; this is serious stuff! Then, remove the lid and the silver cover thingy.  Next, using the utmost care, stir it with a butter knife to make it uniform and spreadable.  Depending on the size of the jar, this will take some amount of time and patience.  You will enjoy it, though!  Store unused peanut butter in the refrigerator and stir it up before each use.  This will help to prevent the last few tablespoons from being a sad glop of dryness.  YUCKY!

I hope my banter has entertained you a bit.  If not, I don't care.  It's not like you paid for a ticket or anything.

'Til next time!

Rice with Punjabi-Style Mushrooms

Hello, again.

Like last night, I made another recipe from Bal Arneson's newest cookbook, Bal's Quick & Healthy Indian.  Tonight, I cooked the recipe titled "Rice with Punjabi-Style Mushrooms".  To get a bit more specific, the recipe is made with brown rice.

To me, brown rice tends to be rather bland, so I always like to add various ingredients to it before it boils.  In this case, I had some leftover cilantro from the coconut soup I made last night, so I chopped some up and added it to the rice.  I also added salt, pepper, some garam masala and the two tops of the green chilies (I used jalapenos) that are used in the mushroom portion of the recipe.  It turned out rather delicious.

For the mushroom part, I followed the recipe except I used all white button mushrooms because they were on sale and usually the cheapest variety.  Often times, baby Bella mushrooms are rather inexpensive, but the grocery store was out of those.  Be that as it may, the whole dish turned out well, and it was quite tasty.

I love Punjabi-style food because the herbs and spices that are used smell so good.  You should buy this book and make this dish as well.  It is a quick weeknight meal that is easy to make after a day at work.

Enjoy!

Coconut Curry Soup with Rice and Lentils

One of the presents I received for Christmas was the cookbook Bal's Quick & Healthy Indian by Bal Arneson.  She is one of my favorite cooks/chefs on The Cooking Channel.  She is always so pleasant to watch, and her recipes are amazing. 

I have been on an Indian food kick lately, and thankfully, a good deal of Indian food can usually be veganized, if it isn't already vegan.  I haven't tried to veganize any recipes that are made with a meat, but I want to create a vegan version of "butter chicken", which was one of my all-time favorite dishes as an omnivore.

I decided to make a couple recipes from this book for dinners this week.  The one I made tonight was "Coconut Curry Soup with Rice and Lentils".  It has been my experience that with Indian recipes a trip to an Indian grocery store is in order.  Not all of the spices or ingredients can be found at your local Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or Target.  Luckily, there is an excellent Indian grocery store in the area, and I was able to purchase all of the ingredients that were needed for this week's recipes.  I actually recommend buying a lot of the herbs and spices at your Indian store because they are usually found in larger bags; therefore, the per ounce dollar amount is much smaller.  Yes, you will be buying a lot and must use it in a timely manner.  I don't find this to be an issue because if you make a lot of Indian, Middle Eastern, Asian, etc. dishes, then your stock of herbs & spices will be used rather quickly; thus waste is minimized, if not altogether eliminated.

Common ingredients with a lot of the recipes in this book are grapeseed oil, cumin (seeds and/or ground), garam masala, curry leaves, garlic, ginger (fresh and/or ground), cilantro, coriander and chilies, among others.  This recipe called for brown rice, red lentils, celery, coconut milk and various herbs & spices, including curry leaves & ginger masala.  I was able to find the curry leaves at the Indian store.  The ginger masala is a medley of spices, like garam masala, and recipes for each are in the book as well.  I made my own ginger masala according to the book recipe, but I purchased the garam masala already prepared.  There was no real reason why I would make one and buy the other.  It was mainly for convenience.



The recipe was quite easy.  I am not a fan of celery, but it worked rather well in the soup.  It wasn't strong, and it didn't take over the flavor of the dish, as you sometimes find with other recipes that involve celery.  The herbs and spices gave the soup amazing flavor.  The brown rice & red lentils gave it body, and the coconut milk gave it creaminess and a hint of sweetness.  The jalapeno lended heat to the soup, and it wasn't too much.  I did, however, add red pepper flakes to my bowl to add some more heat. 

I do recommend this recipe as a lovely weeknight meal that you can make and more or less forget about while you take care of something else while it simmers away. 

Difficulties/Frustrations With Being Vegan

Good evening.

I decided it is time to do a post on difficulties and the like with being vegan.  After becoming vegan five months ago, I knew I would run into some difficulties.  This transition is, after all, a major life change, and what kind of life change would be without its frustrations?

One of the most common issues I have encountered is going out to dinner.  Eating out is not commonplace with us anymore and hasn't been for a while, but there is usually an issue with choosing a restaurant where I am able to order something besides a salad.  This also puts me in a place where my options are limited and fearing that enjoying a dinner with friends might happen less often due to my restricted choice of restaurants.  With all that in my mind, I decided a while ago to allow myself to eat anywhere and to just order something and alter it to fit my diet.  I really do enjoy eating out with friends, and I don't want my dietary restrictions to inhibit us from getting together for a fun meal.

Due to my openness to eat at any restaurant, I've become much less apprehensive about the task of choosing a place to eat at on Friday or Saturday evening.  Yes, a salad has become more of a staple when we out.  Not every restaurant has something that can be altered to be vegan.  The oil used to cook the fries may also be used to cook up the chicken fingers - you just have to ask.  If I am in a situation where nothing on the menu can be "veganized", I order a vegetarian option and eat half of it at most and take the rest home for my partner to eat.  Acclimating is a part of this transition.  I know that some vegans would be shocked at to read that, but I consider myself 99% vegan & 1% vegetarian.  I have to do what is comfortable for me, and for me to keep my sanity, I allow myself this option.

One of the things that bugs me the most is that the salads on restaurant menus usually have a meat (usually chicken) on them and are priced as such.  I believe I blogged about this when I wrote about a trip to Applebee's.  What about the vegetarians and vegans?  Do we have to pay that price even without the chicken?  I find it to be simpler to just ask your server if there is a lower price without the meat because you are vegetarian/vegan and shouldn't be charged for the meat.  It is still annoying though.  :)

Another issue is the prices of fresh produce.  When we create our dinner menu and the grocery list for the week, a good chunk of it is usually fresh produce.  You can combat this with buying canned and frozen items.  Frozen broccoli, spinach & corn (among others) are cheaper.  Also, the spinach is already cooked down for you, alleviating a cooking step!  The frozen broccoli is already chopped into smaller pieces, also eliminating a step in your recipe!  I haven't noticed a difference in taste with the frozen items.  Plus, the frozen fruits & veggies retain their vitamins & minerals when frozen.  Another bonus!  Not every fruit or vegetable can be found frozen, so you just have to pick and choose what fits what you need.

Canned items are great because you save money as well and aren't forced to use them nearly as quickly for fear of spoilage, like with fresh produce.  Another way to cut down on fresh produce costs is to buy vegetables, like carrots, individually and not a whole bag.  At Whole Foods, there is an option to buy exactly the # of carrots you need for what you are making.  That way, you aren't wasting any and throwing any out (thus creating an expensive ingredient), especially if you wouldn't have finished that bag of carrots anyway.

Cutting down on costs is a difficulty for a vegan.  Eating as a vegan can be a healthier way of eating, especially with the massive reduction, if not the total elimination, of dietary cholesterol.  And people equate eating healthy with high grocery bills.  This doesn't have to be the case.  In addition to the produce advice from above, purchasing ingredients from the bulk section of your grocery store helps to save some $$.  For example, buying rice and nuts can help you keep some of that hard-earned dough in your pocket.  Plus, you can buy only what you need for the week or buy as much as you want for dinners down the road.  Keeping bread & buns in the freezer helps to preserve them for much longer and will help save $ by not having to throw them away due to mold.


I know this has also turned into a "let's cut down our grocery bill" entry, but grocery costs are a major frustration with being vegan.  Some of the ingredients for baking are rather expensive.  I buy the regular all-purpose flour and granulated sugar, not the organic ones, same with powdered sugar, vanilla and other baking ingredients.


Aside from the potential problems eating out and grocery bills, being vegan has had many positive effects - my HDL cholesterol has gone up and my LDL has gone down.  I have also enjoyed other benefits, such as weight loss (not that I needed to lose any), a clearer face (MUCH less acne) and more energy.  A transition such as becoming vegan requires discipline and focus.  Yes, you may slip up and eat some dairy-based cheese or a bit of roast beef, but you will experience your body acclimating to the new diet.  And if you slip up after your body has adjusted, you will feel the effects soon enough.  Trust me.


If any of you have any difficulties that you would like to share, please do so.  I mainly talked about my top two - restaurants & grocery bills.  I hope this helps some of you that may be entertaining the idea of becoming vegan, be it for health reasons and/or animal rights.


'Til next time.

Tofurky & Follow Your Heart Cheese

So...since becoming vegan a few months ago, I have had other people tell me that I must try Tofurky.  I had my reservations because the alternative meat I have had so far, let's face it, is not a real substitute.  Don't get me wrong; seitan & tofu are delicious, but I have longed for a head-over-heels delicious meat substitute.  I know it is not a point to substitute everything from your omnivore life with a vegan option, but it really does help make the transition easier.  I found that Boca chik'n nuggets & chik'n patties are scrumptious, as well as the Boca vegan burgers.

This past week, I tried tofurky deli slices (http://www.tofurky.com/tofurkyproducts/deli_slices.html).  I was beyond amazed with how delicious it was and how much it tasted like turkey.  I put a few slices on some Ezekiel sprouted grain bread, some Follow Your Heart vegan mozzarella (http://www.followyourheart.com/products/category/dairy_alternatives/) and some spicy cranberry chutney.

Speaking of the cheese, I had also yearned for a quality cheese that was delish.  What is really annoying is that you MUST pay attention to the ingredients in the dairy alternative cheese section at your local grocery store.  Some of the rice milk & soy milk cheeses contain casein and/or whey which makes those options not vegan.  You could also just as easily look for the word "vegan" on the package.  The Follow Your Heart mozzarella tasted very similar to its dairy-based counterpart.  I just bought a block of the Monterey Jack variety for some seitan tacos tomorrow. 

I'm quite excited to try other Tofurky products, such as the vegan pepperoni pizza, as well as other Follow Your Heart dairy alternatives, like the cream cheese and sour cream.

 'Til next time!