Day 253 - Sweet Squash in Mole Sauce

Sweet Squash in Mole Sauce

This marks the end of Mole Week! Yet another great use of this yummy sauce. It's nice to see summer and winter squash side by side - you don't find that a lot.

If I had to pick my favorite mole dish this week, it would definitely be between the seitan stew or this dish. Obviously this one is lighter, maybe more of a side dish, whereas the seitan version seems more like a main. I think the squash might edge out the seitan, just by a hair...

SFO: 10

Day 252 - Mole Skillet Pie with Greens

Mole Skillet Pie with Greens

It's Mole Week! I'm knocking out all the Chile-Chocolate Mole recipes in a row!

This is a fun and easy stick-to-your-ribs meal. I never make stuff like this! And I can't believe Helen, who's usually such a health-conscious eater, picked this from a list of much good-ier things I offered her. I think there may be something irresistible about the name and the concept, i.e. cornbread cooked in a skillet over mole smothered greens and beans.

I went with pinto beans, because they seemed the most... um... mole-y. And I used my 8 inch cast iron skillet. Now, I should mention, that 8 inch skillet looks like it's not going to be able to accommodate this whole concoction, but the truth is, it's the perfect size, so don't be scared.

Yet again, we have an undersalting issue here - you should definitely salt the veggies to taste before you put the cornbread on top. The cornbread itself is a little light on flavor, so you definitely want to have the extra sauce on the side for serving - it needs it!

The ratio of bread to veggies here is a little slanted to the bread side, so this may be better positioned as a side dish, i.e. more like a flavored bread than an entree pie. It's yummy and it comes in a fun package, but the star here, again, is really the sauce.

SFO: 10
As long as you aren't expecting any meat, you should be very satisfied.

Day 251 - Guacamole, Chili-Chocolate Mole, Seitan in Mole Sauce, andStrawberry-Plum Crisp

Guacamole

This may be the easiest, clearest, most customizable guac recipe I've ever made. I like how I&T start with the most basic, mandatory ingredients and list the other items as add ins. Of course, Ryan is here, so there will be no cilantro. Instead, I went with jalapeño, diced tomato, cumin, and garlic, i.e. everything else.

It's interestingly light in color... maybe because it's so fresh?

SFO: 10

Chili-Chocolate Mole

Mole is one of those things I'm not sure I understand. People speak of it with a kind of reverence, but I suspect that even if I were in the presence of a spectacular mole, I might not have the ability to know why. I remember hearing on some food program that a mole sauce should taste like its own flavor, i.e. not like any one of its ingredients, which is definitely not the case here. This mole really tastes like peanut butter to me. But I'm not complaining - I love peanut butter!

What an interesting ingredient list: crushed tortilla chips, almonds, sesame seeds, anise seeds, chile powders, cinnamon, marjoram, allspice, cumin, tomatoes, chocolate, of course garlic and onions, and the aforementioned peanut butter. I couldn't wait to see what this would taste like...

And it tasted great! A lot of those strong flavors did disappear, most notably the anise seeds, chocolate, and surprisingly the tomatoes, but the peanut butter definitely held court. And again, I found this to be undersalted. But when all is said and done, I'm very happy to eat this!

SFO: 10

Seitan in Mole Sauce

I'm even happier to eat this over some homemade seitan. This seitan/mole comba makes for a nice, chunky stew! This would be a perfect, wintry comfort-food dinner! I served it over a plain white rice, which tasted great! Again, the peanut butter ruled, but hey, I'm the one always ordering things in peanut sauce at Thai restaurants so I'm in!

SFO: 9
This all hinges on your acceptance of seitan as a protein. So I took a point off for potential seitan-a-phobia.

Strawberry-Plum Crisp

This is almost a great, quick, easy dessert recipe to throw together for a homemade summer dinner! 

As I&T speculate, yes, plums and strawberries make great buddies here. The end product features a nice gluey red shlar filling, and I mean that in the best way possible. 

As far as I'm concerned, a crisp's top can't be crispy enough, and this one wasn't quite fulfilling on its promise. I think it could've used more topping, and it might've helped to bake it a little longer.

Also, not sure why, but this crisp had an overall off taste. Was my oil not quite good? Or was it the cloves in the filling? Something was just... off.
 
SFO: 8
Points off for a subpar version of something that should've been nailing it.

Day 247 - Roasted Yellow Pepper and Corn Bisque

Roasted Yellow Pepper and Corn Bisque

Here's another winner! There are interesting and varied ingredients in this soup, which combine in a beautiful balance of flavors: corn, onion, summer squash, chiles, coconut milk, maple syrup, lime and nutmeg, and yes, even peppers. Amazingly, the roasted yellow peppers in this recipe don't make me want to send the leftovers home with Marcy, who came to eat the soup! I actually kept and ate them!

It's a testament to the sweet, spicy, savory-ness of this dish that I was able to taste past the peppers. Alas, I did have to add salt, but what else is new?

SFO: 10

Day 240 - Blueberry Corn Pancakes

Blueberry Corn Pancakes

It's summer, I have blueberries, Carolyn's coming over, so if that doesn't spell Blueberry Corn Pancakes, I don't know what does.

These are good. Real good. Like make-them-for-the-vegan-guy-or-gal-who-just- slept-over good. But only if you want him or her to become obsessed with you. As it turns out, Carolyn is already obsessed with me, so this only made her more obsessed. But we're not going to sleep together. We stopped doing that years ago. 

Just kidding. We're still doing it.

I mean just kidding. We never did that.

Anyway, back to the food! These are better than your average bear pancake. Little tweaks, like the addition of cornmeal and lemon zest, give these that fancy lift up to the better-than-ordinary, dare I say extraordinary?

Mind you, the batter is shockingly thin. I didn't think they going to end up pancake-y, but lo and behold, they magically morphed in the pan.

What else is there to say? It's all good, it's so good you will eat too many of these and have to go jogging to feel OK about yourself.

But it's worth it.

SFO: 10
Um, yah!

Day 236 - Roasted Portobellos (Take 2), Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing, and Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango

Remember when I tried to make the Roasted Portobellos at my friend Emily's house, but her oven was calibrated weird and they didn't turn out right? Well, tonight's the night I'm redoing them. Let's see if it was really the oven, after all...

Roasted Portobellos (Take 2)

Turns out Emily's oven wasn't the culprit. Or maybe it just contributed to an already awkward situation. These mushrooms are just not great. I just don't think you can cook a portobello effectively in 40 minutes at 400°, especially if it's sitting in a bath of marinade. I even drained away the marinade at 40 minutes and cooked them longer, but I was still left with soggy, rubbery mushrooms. I don't know what the solution is, but I think it may involve more oil, higher temperatures, and maybe the Maillard reaction. But this is definitely not the way to a great portobello mushroom.

SFO: 3
No one's going to want this, but least of all someone who's gunning for some meat.

Portobello Salad with Spicy Mustard Dressing

Though the main attraction on this salad is subpar, thankfully, the supporting players are all nailing it. The dressing is vibrant and tasty, and the avocado, onions, and chick peas provide nice texture and flavor contrasts. One word of advice, for those who don't love raw onions. I now always marinate (pickle?) my raw onions for 15 or so minutes in the vinegar for the dressing. This takes away all the nasty bite but still leaves great flavor and even a little crunch. If you can figure out how to make a great portobello, this salad would be a knockout. Like my friend Alysha (pictured here).

SFO: 8
This would be a 10 with a great mushroom.

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango

Flawless. Perfectly balanced. Easy. This is one of those brilliantly designed yet simple recipes. And here's the kicker: I'm saying all this about a recipe that has red bell pepper in it! That's how good it is!
 
What a great blend of ingredients: mango, pepper, scallions, cilantro, quinoa, and beans. Creamy, sweet, savory, fresh, piquant, chewy, every bite is a dream.

Of course, there's only 2 grains of salt in the recipe, so you're going to want to add more. Or a ton more, if you're me. 

But can we discuss that the peppers didn't bug me? I mean, I could taste them, and it's not like I liked them or anything, but they didn't ruin the dish for me! Amazing!

This would be perfect for a pot luck or a picnic. The vegans will WORSHIP you!

SFO: 9

Yup, I think even bratty omnivores would go for this.

Day 232 - Rustic White Bean and Mushrooms Crumb-Topped Casserole

Rustic White Bean and Mushrooms Crumb-Topped Casserole

Did you ever watch something ordinary become something extraordinary right before your eyes? Yesterday, these beans were Cinderella picking the lentils out of the ashes, and today they're Cinderella at the ball. And it's pretty much the same dish!

Really, all I did was put those same beans back in a casserole dish and cover them with "buttered" and herbed bread crumbs. But oh my god! What a difference some crumbs make!

This dish was downstairs at Downton Abbey, and now it's decidedly upstairs! And Lady Edith wants seconds!

SFO: 10
Even bean-phobic types might go for this.

Day 231 - Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms

Rustic White Beans and Mushrooms

Rib-sticking, French-inspired, hearty goodness here. What could be bad? Classic soup/stew stalwarts (carrot, celery, onion, leek, thyme, garlic, onion) plus beans and mushrooms. It's just simple and straightforward. 


But wait, tomorrow changes everything. Stay tuned....

SFO: 10

Day 230 - Midsummer Corn Chowder with Basil, Tomato, and Fennel and Fresh Corn Stock

Midsummer Corn Chowder with Basil, Tomato, and Fennel

I love the idea of this soup, lots of summer goodies working together to create a vegan chowder. But as promising as the ingredient list may be, I didn't find the whole to be greater than the sum of its parts.

Fresh corn, carrots, celery, fennel, potatoes, garlic, onion... all lovingly sauteed and then simmered in a fresh corn stock (see below), with a last minute kick of chopped fresh tomatoes and basil - sounds like a summer dream, right? Well, there are some dreamy qualities, but first let's discuss the prep.

It's intense! Lots of chopping, and let's not forget the homemade stock! This is a labor-intensive soup, and I wish I could say it was worth all the fuss, but in the end, it was simply nice. Sweet. Literally. All that corn will sweeten a pot!

The flavors of summer are certainly present, the most predominant being the corn and the tomatoes. The fresh tomato add-in is an interesting touch. I think we're used to our soup tomatoes being either cream of tomato, i.e. cooked to death, or gazpacho, i.e. raw with a lot of kicky flavor. Here, the tomatoes are a fresh, sweet accent, i.e. a very distant cousin to either of those other soups.

But I think the sweetness is the issue here. It's a very sweet soup. And it's thin. I pureed the small amount I&T directed me to puree, but it didn't really bring too much creaminess to the pot, so I pureed some more. And even with the extra blending, the creaminess is barely noticeable. This really seems more like a brothy soup than a creamy one.

The flavor is pleasant, but I'm left feeling there's no there there. My favorite vegan recipes are the ones that feel complete, as if nothing is missing. Here, I find myself longing for clams, or some other complex flavor to interrupt the sweetness of this summer bowl and take center stage. Alas, the corn is running the show, but I wish it had stayed in the ensemble. (One acting gig, and all of a sudden, all my metaphors are theatre-related....)

SFO: 7
There's nothing wrong with this soup, it's just not the greatness I was hoping for.

Fresh Corn Stock

I love the concept of this recipe. Use the scraps from the main ingredients of your soup to create a flavorful base stock. This underlines and supports the flavors in your soup.

There's just a couple of issues.

The first is timing. You sort of have to work backwards. This stock needs to cook for 60-90m. So effectively, there are no scraps yet. You have to start prepping your ingredients for your soup long before you're going to use them. For example, I cut the corn off the cobs long before it was time to add them to the pan because I needed the cobs for this stock. Same with the fennel fronds. Alright, that's actually no big deal.

The other issue is that because of the relatively long simmer, my stock reduced a lot, by half! I started out with 2 quarts of water, and I ended up with one quart of stock. And the chowder recipe calls for two quarts. So I ended up using half stock and half water.

Granted, the stock was very sweet, so watering it down was maybe not a bad thing. It certainly did lend the soup a solid corn flavor.

SFO: 10

Day 229 - Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Dip and Walnut-Mushroom Pâté

Hey there! Remember me? Yup, I disappeared for a bit, but I'm back!

A few months ago, I was cast in a show, rehearsals for which required every bit of my spare time and energy, so I put my cooking on hold for a spell, until the show was up and running. And now that it is, I'm happy to be back in the kitchen with I&T and you all!

The aforementioned show is Murder for Two, playing though August 25 at Second Stage Uptown. It blends murder mystery, musical comedy, and crazy hijinks, with a cast of two, including me and today's special guest taster, the insanely talented and adorable Brett Ryback!

Brett and I were offered a pair of tickets to the Shakespeare in the Park production of Love's Labours Lost, so we made plans to have a picnic beforehand, which gave me a great excuse to pull out the cookbook and make some spreads!

Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Dip

Well, this packs a tomato wallop! Two cups of dried tomatoes are reconstituted for this recipe, then added to 1/2 cup of ground almonds and 1/2 cup of white beans and pureed with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt and pepper. Now that's 4 parts tomato to 1 part almonds and 1 part beans. The flavor here is a tad overwhelming, I have to say, maybe nice as an accent on a sandwich, but as a dip, it's almost hard to take. I think if the beans had been ramped up and the tomatoes reduced, this would have been more palatable.

I did the basil variation because it's summer and basil is so plentiful. Alas, the basil got lost in the tomato tornado.

SFO: 9
Safe for omnivores, but not for those with sensitive taste buds.


Walnut-Mushroom Pâté

We liked this one much better. The woodsiness of the mushrooms worked great in combination with the ground, toasted walnuts. And the nut and bean to mushroom ratio was much more even here. This is a really well-designed recipe, and quite easy to prepare, assuming you have a food processor. Again, the salt in the recipe is modest, and I had to add more to bring the flavor of the spread to life, but come to life it did. 

I'm not sure if pâté is the best word for the consistency I ended up with. It really behaved more like a spread or dip.

Now this, I would make again.

SFO: 10