dinner

garlic soup

asian, dinner

ingredients

  • 1 ½ quarts chicken stock, vegetable stock or water
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced or sliced
  • 4 small or 2 large sage leaves
  •  Salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 ounces sugar snap peas, trimmed
  • 1 ⅓ cups cooked quinoa, warmed

instructions

  1. Combine the stock or water, garlic, sage leaves and salt in a heavy saucepan or soup pot, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until the flavor of the garlic is no longer sharp. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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  2. Add the snap peas to the simmering soup, and simmer two to three minutes until crisp but tender.
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  3. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the olive oil. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of hot soup. Take the soup off the heat, then whisk the tempered eggs into the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning.
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  4. Place 1/3 cup of quinoa in each soup bowl. Ladle in the soup and serve.

From https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1014125-garlic-soup-with-quinoa-and-snap-peas

shortcut horchata

dessert, dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked white long-grain rice
  • 5 cups water
  • ½ cup milk
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon 
  • ⅔ cup white sugar 

instructions

  1. Pour the rice and water into the bowl of a blender; blend until the rice just begins to break up, about 1 minute. Let rice and water stand at room temperature for a minimum of 3 hours.
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  2. Strain the rice water into a pitcher and discard the rice. Stir the milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar into the rice water. Chill and stir before serving over ice.

From https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/141828/lolas-horchata/

mom’s mole

dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 3 cups unsalted vegetable broth or water
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola
  • 3 dried pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted roasted natural peanut butter or almond butter
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 tablespoons turbinado or raw sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
  • ¼ teaspoon plus ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 6-inch corn tortilla, toasted, or 1 tostada
  • Salt and pepper

instructions

  1. Heat broth in a small saucepan over medium-high until steaming; remove from heat. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium pot over medium. Add all the dried chiles and sear until darkened, turning constantly so they don’t burn and become bitter, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer chiles to the hot broth to rehydrate for 10 minutes. Set a bowl over the chiles to keep them submerged.
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  2. Add the remaining tablespoon oil and the onion to the same medium pot (no need to wash). Cook over medium, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Transfer to a blender, along with the chiles and their soaking liquid, the peanut butter, tahini, sugar, cacao, chocolate, oregano, cumin, cinnamon and toasted tortilla. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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  3. Pour the mole back into the same medium pot and set over high heat. Once the mole starts to bubble, lower heat to medium and simmer, stirring every couple of minutes to make sure the mole isn’t burning or sticking to the pot, until the flavors marry, at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
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  4. If you like it saucier, beat in some cream or milk to thin it out.

From https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022654-30-minute-mole

Black Beans and Rice

dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 cup mild salsa
  • 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained
  • 1 cup long grain white rice, rinsed well
  • 2.5 cups water
  • Salt and pepper

instructions

  1. Rice ya rice until water is clear (I like to put it in a pan with water that i refresh until it’s about clear).
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  2. In a large cast iron skillet, add olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until veggies soften, 3-4 minutes. Then add salsa and stir together. Season mixture with cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper.
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  3. Then add rice to the skillet along with drained and rinsed black beans. Stir together well.
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  4. Add water (or stock) to the skillet and bring to a slight simmer. Turn heat down to low and cover. Cook rice and beans for 15-18 minutes until rice is cooked and water is evaporated. Stir once or twice during cooking to make sure the rice isn’t clumping or cooking too quickly. If the rice and beans seems particularly dry, add another 1/2 cup of liquid.

Adapted from https://www.macheesmo.com/easy-cheesy-rice-and-beans/

MF Mexican Rice

dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 1.5 cups white rice
  • olive oil
  • 3 cups water, boiling
  • 2 tsp caldo de tomate
  • 1 tsp chicken boullion
  • 1 small/medium onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4-1/2 cup frozen peas

instructions

  1. Rice ya rice until water is clear (I like to put it in a pan with water that i refresh until it’s about clear).
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  2. Toast ya rice. On medium heat, toast the rice, adding some oil to the pan when the water dries out.
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  3. Once rice starts to brown, add onions and garlic. Cook until onions are soft and fragrant. Add peas, caldo de tomate, chicken boullion and stir till combined.
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  4. Add 3 cups boiling water to the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and don’t touch for 18 minutes.

Best Fried Rice

asian, dinner

ingredients

  • 1.5 cups dry white rice
  • 1 lb ground beef (or whatever you’re using)
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 1 medium onion, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced (optional)
  • salt and pepper
  • 3-4 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp chili flakes, optional
  • 4 eggs, whisked

instructions

  1. Rinse the rice thoroughly. You may place the rice in the pan you plan to cook it in, rinse in the pot, changing out the water till it’s clear.
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  2. Once the rice is rinsed, toast it over medium heat until toasted/nutty/browned. Add a little oil once the water has cooked off. Add 3 cups boiling water to the toasted rice and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and do not touch for 18 minutes.
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  3. When the rice is done, spread out on a pan and place in the fridge or freezer. Rice must be cold (as if day-old) for fried rice.
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  4. Next, add some sesame oil to the pan and fry half of the rice. Then the other half. Set aside.
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  5. Cook the onion and garlic, add the peas. Push to the side. Scramble the eggs, push to the side. Fry all the rice once more. Mix everything together with the soy sauce and ya done.

Adapted from https://www.seriouseats.com/easy-vegetable-fried-rice-recipe

Seitan Gyros

dinner, mediterranean, Seitan

ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
  • 4 TBS nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 onion – minced
  • 1 clove garlic – minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp dry basil
  • 1 tsp dry oregano
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp tahini
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 3/4 cup water (or more if necessary)

instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix all the wet ingredients (onion, garlic, water, ketchup, tahini) in one bowl & the dry (wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, basil, oregano & pepper) in another & combine them.  It comes together fast & looks like raw hamburger – if hamburger was doughy.

3. Grease a loaf pan & press this shit in there, COVER IT WITH FOIL & bake it for about an hour.  Or just kinda shape it on some foil, wrap it up & bake it.

When you are ready to make the sandwich, slice off some seitan & fry it up until warmed through.

From https://delightfuldeliciousdelovelyblog.wordpress.com/2014/06/03/vegan-gyro-with-homemade-seitan-tzatziki-sauce/

Mexican Casserole

dinner, mexican

ingredients

  • 2 red peppers, 2 green (or an onion), diced
  • 2 cups frozen corn
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 cups Mexican cheese
  • 18-20 tortillas (I use corn on one side, flour on the other)
  • 1 can refried beans
  • 2 cups red enchilada sauce (ingredients below)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1/4 cup chili powder (yes, a whole quarter cup!)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • salt, to taste

instructions

  1. Cook peppers and/or onion over high heat until browned. Add the corn, sprinkling with chili and cumin. Remove from heat when browned and roasted on the outside. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan and preheat the oven to 400F.
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  2. Make the enchilada sauce.
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    1. Heat oil in a small pot on medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook for one minute, whisking constantly. Add in the chili powder, garlic, cumin, oregano, and cook for 1 more minute.
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    2. Gradually pour in stock, whisking constantly until no lumps remain. Continue cooking until the sauce reaches a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low to maintain a simmer for about 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until sauce has slightly thickened.
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  3. Cut the tortillas into strips. Put the refried beans in a bowl and mix with a little water or milk to make it easier to spread.
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  4. Spread a little bit of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer in order: half of the tortilla strips, ALL the beans, half of the veggies, half of the sauce, half of the cheese. Cover with the other half of the tortilla strips, veggies, sauce, and cheese.
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  5. Cover with foil (I usually spray mine with cooking spray) and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is melted. Serve with guacamole, fresh cilantro, sour cream, or anything in the world that you want.

From https://pinchofyum.com/healthy-mexican-casserole-roasted-corn-peppers and https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/red-enchilada-sauce/

Basic Seitan

basics, Seitan

ingredients

  • 1 cup vital wheat gluten
  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour
  • 1 cup water
  • 6 cups stock
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce (could try omitting)

instructions

  1. Stir the vital wheat gluten and chickpea flour together in a medium bowl.
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  2. Add the water and stir to form a soft dough.
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  3. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead it for 5 minutes. Just like with bread making, kneading helps to develop the strands of gluten that give seitan its meaty texture.
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  4. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.
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  5. While the dough rests, stir all of the broth ingredients for your choice of broth together in a large pot. 
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  6. Place the pot over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a low simmer.
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  7. Cut the dough into at least 4 large pieces (they will expand during cooking and if they’re too big the broth won’t fully penetrate them and if they get too big the broth will no longer cover them.
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  8. Add the dough to the broth.
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  9. Allow the broth to simmer for 1 hour, uncovered, watching closely to ensure it stays at a low simmer (don’t allow it to rapidly boil).
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  10. Remove the pot from heat and allow it to cool a bit.
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  11. When the seitan is cool enough to handle, you can cut it into smaller pieces if you like. Use it in a recipe immediately, or store it in the broth. Refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze.

From (with small changes from me): https://www.connoisseurusveg.com/how-to-make-seitan/

For Serving:

So far, i’ve found it’s best if you pan fry it, searing like meat. Make sure each piece has space in the pan to lie flat. I pan seared it with taco seasoning and olive oil and salt with some onions (cook kthe onions first with seasoning, then remove them and cook just the seitan. Ee loved that for a dinner.