Ok. I'm just posting the recipe, because I blew myself away!
6 to 7 medium potatoes, diced into 1/2 cubes
1 onion, diced and divided in half
the usual spices : Oregano, basil, dill, parsley, red pepper, black pepper, paprika
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, minced
extra virgin Olive Oil
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 large can of pitted black olives, minced
Pre-heat oven to 325 F.
In a 9x13 pan (a baking pan that you would make lasagna in), coat the bottom with oil and add the potatoes, garlic, the usual spices, and half of the diced onions. Mix well, adding more oil if necessary to coat the potatoes.
Cover pan with aluminum foil and place in the oven for about 45 minutes.
Uncover, stir, and back into the oven for about 15 minutes.
Let cool on the stove top while making the dressing.
2 6oz containers (soy) yogurt
~ 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
the juice from 1 large can pitted black olives
In a bowl, whisk together all of the above. Add a hint of black pepper and paprika (about 1/4 tsp)
Pour roasted potato mixture into a large bowl. Add the other half of diced onions, peppers, and olives. Mix well. Pour balsamic yogurt dressing over top and mix well.
One thing to note with the dressing, using yogurt (instead of Nayonaise, the vegan version of mayonnaise)there is about half of the calories, 5% of the fat grams, and 2% of the sodium! Imagine how bad using real mayonnaise is, then?!?!? WOW!
in any case . . .
slainte . . .
Mulu :>))
Showing posts with label potatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label potatoes. Show all posts
Friday, April 16, 2010
Baklava . . .
Ok. I made this baklava on tuesday, and it has been a huge hit! Right now, I'm making a potato salad, with lots of twists, while watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, and staying at home on yet another friday night. After work, I went to the gym and had a pretty good workout. But now, it's quality time with my doggie.
It is so hard to meet anyone if you're not going out to bars et alia. Single men don't shop, so I can't meet them at work. My friends don't have a lot of potentials ~ either married or robbing the cradle. It's just very frustrating, especially because I can't afford to go out. And if I could afford to go out, I would. And I'd have the chance of meeting someone. But hey . . . eventually things will work out.
And, since there is really nothing to talk about on the dating scene, here's the cherry chocolate baklava. With pistachios (instead of walnuts).
Baklava is a Greek desert, and the authentic Greek recipe I have uses walnuts and honey. Since honey isn't Vegan, and walnuts aren't my favorite, I decided to tinker with things a little bit. I had seen a recipe using pistachios, and I had seen a recipe using chocolate. So, I thought I'd try a few different things. I think cashews might actually be a good nut to use as well - it's meaty yet open to flavor.
16oz bag pistachios, coarsely chopped
8 oz phyllo dough
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
4 to 5 tbsp margarine, melted
pastry brush
1 square, semi-sweet baking chocolate
cheese grater
syrup (recipe to follow)
Mix coarsely chopped nuts, sugar (brown sugar might taste bette than white sugar, but I didn't have brown sugar in my pantry), cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves in a bowl. Set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
In an 8x8 pan, use the pastry brush to brush the sides and bottom with the melted margarine. Then, start one pastry sheet at a time, placing them in the pan, making sure the dough goes up the sides. Most phyllo dough is rectangular, so I usually alternate long in one direction then the next direction, hence one sheet at a time. Every 2 sheets, brush with margarine. At the 4th sheet, sprinkle evenly the nut mixture. Using the cheese grater, grate the block of chocolate over the nut mixture. Two layers of phyllo dough. Brush with margarine. Grate chocolate. Two more layers of dough. Nut mixture. Grate chocolate. Dough. Etc. . .
Try to finish with four layers of dough on top. Chocolate grated atop that. Fold the over-hanging edges of dough, so a crust-edge forms. Cut into diagonal squares.
Bake until golden brown, at 350 degrees farenheit. About 50 to 55 minutes.
ok . . . the syrup . . .
1 16 oz jar Maraschino cherries
1 cup sugar
Drain the juice from the maraschino cherries. Top off with water to equal 1 full cup. (Shouldn't be more than 1/4 to 1/8th of a cup). In a saucepan, heat maraschino liquid and add the cup of sugar. Stir well, dissolving sugar.
When the baklava is ready out of the oven, pull out. Pour syrup over top. Let sit for a few minutes. You'll need to re-cut the diagonals (and when you see how hard it is now, you'll be happy you pre-cut them!)
Ok, long recipe, I know. But it's definately worth it. I shall talk to ya later. And if the potato salad comes out, you'll have that recipe next.
in any case . . .
slainte . . .
Mulu :>))
It is so hard to meet anyone if you're not going out to bars et alia. Single men don't shop, so I can't meet them at work. My friends don't have a lot of potentials ~ either married or robbing the cradle. It's just very frustrating, especially because I can't afford to go out. And if I could afford to go out, I would. And I'd have the chance of meeting someone. But hey . . . eventually things will work out.
And, since there is really nothing to talk about on the dating scene, here's the cherry chocolate baklava. With pistachios (instead of walnuts).
Baklava is a Greek desert, and the authentic Greek recipe I have uses walnuts and honey. Since honey isn't Vegan, and walnuts aren't my favorite, I decided to tinker with things a little bit. I had seen a recipe using pistachios, and I had seen a recipe using chocolate. So, I thought I'd try a few different things. I think cashews might actually be a good nut to use as well - it's meaty yet open to flavor.
16oz bag pistachios, coarsely chopped
8 oz phyllo dough
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
4 to 5 tbsp margarine, melted
pastry brush
1 square, semi-sweet baking chocolate
cheese grater
syrup (recipe to follow)
Mix coarsely chopped nuts, sugar (brown sugar might taste bette than white sugar, but I didn't have brown sugar in my pantry), cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves in a bowl. Set aside.
Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
In an 8x8 pan, use the pastry brush to brush the sides and bottom with the melted margarine. Then, start one pastry sheet at a time, placing them in the pan, making sure the dough goes up the sides. Most phyllo dough is rectangular, so I usually alternate long in one direction then the next direction, hence one sheet at a time. Every 2 sheets, brush with margarine. At the 4th sheet, sprinkle evenly the nut mixture. Using the cheese grater, grate the block of chocolate over the nut mixture. Two layers of phyllo dough. Brush with margarine. Grate chocolate. Two more layers of dough. Nut mixture. Grate chocolate. Dough. Etc. . .
Try to finish with four layers of dough on top. Chocolate grated atop that. Fold the over-hanging edges of dough, so a crust-edge forms. Cut into diagonal squares.
Bake until golden brown, at 350 degrees farenheit. About 50 to 55 minutes.
ok . . . the syrup . . .
1 16 oz jar Maraschino cherries
1 cup sugar
Drain the juice from the maraschino cherries. Top off with water to equal 1 full cup. (Shouldn't be more than 1/4 to 1/8th of a cup). In a saucepan, heat maraschino liquid and add the cup of sugar. Stir well, dissolving sugar.
When the baklava is ready out of the oven, pull out. Pour syrup over top. Let sit for a few minutes. You'll need to re-cut the diagonals (and when you see how hard it is now, you'll be happy you pre-cut them!)
Ok, long recipe, I know. But it's definately worth it. I shall talk to ya later. And if the potato salad comes out, you'll have that recipe next.
in any case . . .
slainte . . .
Mulu :>))
Friday, February 26, 2010
Stuffed Potato Au Gratin, kind of
Today was fairly productive: I went to the gym, I did laundry, and read a few of the magazines I needed to catch up on. One of them, Bon Appetit, gaveme an idea. There was a recipe for some meat or sausage and potato gratin, layering the potatoes and cheese, and pouring over top a broth/wine and flour concoction,
I had been planning on making mashed potatoes tonight, to use up the four good sized russet potatoes I have had waiting for me. I checked my fridge - sure enough, half a red onion and 8oz of baby bella mushrooms. So, I gathered things together, along with a bag of MorningStar Meal Starters recipe crumbles and 5 small garlic cloves. I sliced the mushrooms, diced the onions and garlic, and put them in a bowl with the veggie crumbles and mixed well. I added oregano, salt & pepper, parsley, and a touch of paprika.
I sliced the potatoes and placed them in a layer along the bottom of a 9x11 pan/casserole dish. Then, a layer of the mushroom/onion/crumble mixture. Then, I poured about half a can of petite diced tomatoes. Then, a layer of shredded soy cheese - Soy-Sation Cheddar-Jack-Mozzarella in this case. Repeat until all the potatoes, mixture and tomatoes are used.
The next thing I did was to make a roux - melted margarine and flour - to which I added about 2 cups of soy milk. I then poured this over the potatoes and added a final layer of shredded soy cheese. Covered with foil, into the oven at 350 degress farenheit, and set the kitchen timer for 45 minutes. So, we'll see how it turns out. At that point, take the foil off and cook for another 40 to 50 minutes.
For those of you curious as to what exactly the gratin is in potatoes au gratin, I looked it up on Wikipedia. This is what they say, "Gratin is a widely used culinary technique in food preparation in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. Gratin originated in French cuisine and is usually prepared in a shallow dish of some kind. A gratin is baked or broiled to form a golden crust on top and is traditionally served in its baking dish." Here's the link, if you want more : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratin
There is nothing new to report on the dating front. No word from C, but there weren't sparks there anyways, so I'm not too disappointed. S has slowed his texting, and even when given explicit dates to ask me out, he bailed. Here is the text-versation:
S: I saved ur paper 4 whenevr u hve a nite off
Me: I am off all day thurs & fri & sunday
S: Sweeeeeeeeeetness . . . .let me know. .
Me: I just gave you the options. you let me know
S: O yeah thats cool . . . Ill let u know then. . :)
All of that was on monday. Then, come thursday, S texts this: If ud like 2 . . .Come by my abode 2nite . . Let me know
I don't know about you, but that's not my idea of going out. Also, if I'm not important enough to make plans in advance with, then don't bother. I won't be your last-minute back-up plan.
Well, that's all for now . . .
in any case. . .
slainte . . .
Mulu :>))
I had been planning on making mashed potatoes tonight, to use up the four good sized russet potatoes I have had waiting for me. I checked my fridge - sure enough, half a red onion and 8oz of baby bella mushrooms. So, I gathered things together, along with a bag of MorningStar Meal Starters recipe crumbles and 5 small garlic cloves. I sliced the mushrooms, diced the onions and garlic, and put them in a bowl with the veggie crumbles and mixed well. I added oregano, salt & pepper, parsley, and a touch of paprika.
I sliced the potatoes and placed them in a layer along the bottom of a 9x11 pan/casserole dish. Then, a layer of the mushroom/onion/crumble mixture. Then, I poured about half a can of petite diced tomatoes. Then, a layer of shredded soy cheese - Soy-Sation Cheddar-Jack-Mozzarella in this case. Repeat until all the potatoes, mixture and tomatoes are used.
The next thing I did was to make a roux - melted margarine and flour - to which I added about 2 cups of soy milk. I then poured this over the potatoes and added a final layer of shredded soy cheese. Covered with foil, into the oven at 350 degress farenheit, and set the kitchen timer for 45 minutes. So, we'll see how it turns out. At that point, take the foil off and cook for another 40 to 50 minutes.
For those of you curious as to what exactly the gratin is in potatoes au gratin, I looked it up on Wikipedia. This is what they say, "Gratin is a widely used culinary technique in food preparation in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. Gratin originated in French cuisine and is usually prepared in a shallow dish of some kind. A gratin is baked or broiled to form a golden crust on top and is traditionally served in its baking dish." Here's the link, if you want more : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratin
There is nothing new to report on the dating front. No word from C, but there weren't sparks there anyways, so I'm not too disappointed. S has slowed his texting, and even when given explicit dates to ask me out, he bailed. Here is the text-versation:
S: I saved ur paper 4 whenevr u hve a nite off
Me: I am off all day thurs & fri & sunday
S: Sweeeeeeeeeetness . . . .let me know. .
Me: I just gave you the options. you let me know
S: O yeah thats cool . . . Ill let u know then. . :)
All of that was on monday. Then, come thursday, S texts this: If ud like 2 . . .Come by my abode 2nite . . Let me know
I don't know about you, but that's not my idea of going out. Also, if I'm not important enough to make plans in advance with, then don't bother. I won't be your last-minute back-up plan.
Well, that's all for now . . .
in any case. . .
slainte . . .
Mulu :>))
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Happy Halloween
It's Halloween. A saturday night. I had the day off (the whole weekend, actually!) And it's 9pm and I'm at home on the computer.
I avoided the trick-or-treaters by taking my grandmother out to dinner and a movie. I'd simply go out, but I'm broke. So . . . Another boring saturday night at home, alone with my daschaund.
The picture in the profile, is by the way, my daschaund when he was about 8 to 10 weeks old. He looks so innocent, doesn't he?
At dinner, my grandmother ordered a bowl of chili, and I thought, that sounds really good. And I thought about making it tomorrow, but it's like 70 degrees right now! Way too hot for chili! But it got me thinking about the things I usually cook only in the winter - chili is one of them. Soups. Et cetera.
And it made me think about mashed potatoes (I don't usually make that in the summer) and twice baked potatoes (all year) and then pierogies! One of these days, I'll get the guts to try and make my own pierogies, instead of store bought. Handmade gnocchi is extremely simple, though the only time I tried spaetzle, it was a complete flop.
In any case . . . there will be more recipes to come. Thanksgiving is coming up, and that means (at the very least) stuffing from scratch. Super simple. I promise.
Slainte . . .
Mulu :>}
I avoided the trick-or-treaters by taking my grandmother out to dinner and a movie. I'd simply go out, but I'm broke. So . . . Another boring saturday night at home, alone with my daschaund.
The picture in the profile, is by the way, my daschaund when he was about 8 to 10 weeks old. He looks so innocent, doesn't he?
At dinner, my grandmother ordered a bowl of chili, and I thought, that sounds really good. And I thought about making it tomorrow, but it's like 70 degrees right now! Way too hot for chili! But it got me thinking about the things I usually cook only in the winter - chili is one of them. Soups. Et cetera.
And it made me think about mashed potatoes (I don't usually make that in the summer) and twice baked potatoes (all year) and then pierogies! One of these days, I'll get the guts to try and make my own pierogies, instead of store bought. Handmade gnocchi is extremely simple, though the only time I tried spaetzle, it was a complete flop.
In any case . . . there will be more recipes to come. Thanksgiving is coming up, and that means (at the very least) stuffing from scratch. Super simple. I promise.
Slainte . . .
Mulu :>}
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