Succotash

When there are organic fresh lima beans at the farmers’ market there is probably going to be succotash at our house. I love fresh lima beans but I really dislike shelling the beans. Two quarts of lima beans in their pods yielded a whopping two cups of beans and took almost 90 minutes to peel. Like I said, I love fresh limas but they are a bit of work.

The rosemary and cayenne were last minute additions. Since the succotash was a little sweet I added the cayenne to balance the flavors. Rosemary was included for no reason other than I love it and it is easy to grab from the garden. This is the first time I added rosemary to succotash, but it won’t be the last. We really liked the corn and rosemary combination.

Succotash
Serves 6

Ingredients:

½ tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
½ red onion, finely minced
4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
¾ cup of almond milk
2 cups of fresh lima beans
5 ears of corn, kernels removed (I used silver queen)
1 roasted red pepper, finely minced
1 teaspoon of fresh rosemary, finely minced
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Sauté the red onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes.

Serve hot.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 219.63
Calories From Fat (14%) - 30.24

Total Fat - 3.45g
Saturated Fat - 0.41g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 579.93mg
Potassium - 644.57mg
Total Carbohydrates - 41.8g
Fiber - 9.16g
Sugar - 5.93g
Protein - 9.08g

Comments:

Succotash is something that I like to make when I have fresh lima beans and corn. By sautéing the onion, adding the roasted red pepper, increasing the corn and using almond milk this succotash is sweeter than most. I added the cayenne and rosemary to add a little depth of flavor. This is a nice combination that everyone enjoyed this evening (including the carnivores).

Corn Sticks/Corn Bread

With the dinner we had tonight corn bread seemed like the appropriate accompaniment. Not that anyone needs this, but I have a cast-iron pan shaped like little ears of corn that was begging to be used this evening. Removing the corn sticks from the pan is a little tough, but they are so cute …. I just had to use it.

This recipe is a modification of a recipe in Mark Bittman’s book How to Cook Everything. My version uses whole-wheat flour (of course), and doesn’t use egg or buttermilk but other than those changes the recipe is the same.

Corn Sticks/Corn Bread
Makes 10 sticks (approximately 1 1/2” by 6 “)

Dry Ingredients:

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of white cornmeal, finely ground
¼ cup of whole-wheat pastry flour
¾ teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
½ cup of corn kernels

Wet Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of golden flaxseeds, freshly ground
¾ - 1 cup of almond milk
1 tablespoon of canola oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. If using a cast iron pan you can coat it evenly with oil and heat it in the oven or on top of the stove. I used a corn stick pan and heated it in the oven.

Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to evenly distribute the ingredients. Add the corn kernels and toss them in the flour so that they are coated with flour. This flour coating will keep the corn from falling to the bottom of the batter. Set this bowl aside.

In a separate bowl combine the ground flaxseed, almond milk (start with ¾ cup) and canola oil and whisk to combine.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir to form a uniformly moist batter. The batter should be the consistency of pancake batter (thick, but spoonable). If you can’t easily spoon the batter add a little more almond milk until the batter is the correct consistency.

Remove the cast iron pan from the oven and spoon the batter into the pan. Return the pan to the oven.

If using a corn stick pan begin checking the sticks for doneness after 15 minutes. They are done if you insert a toothpick into the middle of the pan and it comes out clean. If using a cast iron skillet begin checking it for doneness after 25 minutes.

Nutritional Information (per stick):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 71.61
Calories From Fat (35%) - 24.83

Total Fat - 2.83g
Saturated Fat - 0.24g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 165.53mg
Potassium - 67.46mg
Total Carbohydrates - 10.62g
Fiber - 1.8g
Sugar - 0.31g
Protein - 1.71g

Comments:

This recipe results in a moist, tender and flavorful cornbread. We didn’t use butter or oil on these at dinner tonight, and they didn’t need it. If you want to take this recipe over the top you can make a little orange/agave/Earth Balance.

My husband told me this was his favorite part of dinner this evening. I guess that says it all.

If you want a little more flavor these would be fabulous with a little hot crushed peppers, pickled jalapeno or even some finely diced roasted red peppers. Chili powder, cumin or minced cilantro would also be good in this recipe.

Whole Wheat Corn Fritters with Fresh Tomato and Corn Salsa

I have been promising my husband I was going to make corn fritters for a couple of weeks now since we made the traditional version in cooking class. Tonight was the night I finally kept my promise.

My version of the corn fritters was made with whole-wheat pastry flour to increase the fiber and nutrition. I added a number of spices to the corn fritters to add a bit of complexity to the pancakes. I crisped the cakes in small amount of oil in a cast iron pan. The corn fritters were starting to get too much color so I finished them in a 300 degree oven to finish the inside of the corn cakes without burning the exterior.

My husband could have eaten the entire batch of corn fritters by himself tonight. If your family includes big eaters you may want to double or triple this recipe.

Whole Wheat Corn Fritters
Serves 2 or 1 hungry man

Dry Ingredients:

½ cup of whole-wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons of white corn meal
¼ teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
¼ teaspoon of cumin seed
1/8 teaspoon of oregano, dried
1/8 teaspoon of ancho chili powder
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Wet Ingredients:

¾ teaspoon of egg replacer (ENERG)
1 tablespoon of warm water
¼ cup of almond milk
enough water to make a pancake texture batter
1 cup of corn kernels, fresh from the cob or frozen and drained
2 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, minced

½ tablespoon of canola oil to cook the cakes

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees to hold the corn fritters while you finish the over components of the meal.

Mix the dry ingredients and set them aside.

Combine the egg replacer and warm water and whisk to combine. Add ¼ cup of almond milk.

Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients and stir to form”pancake” dough. I keep my flour in the freezer so it tends to be more dry. While the original recipe called for ¼ cup of liquid I had to use ½ cup total liquid in my recipe tonight.

When the pancake batter is the correct consistency, add the corn kernels and cilantro and mix to combine.

Heat a cast iron pan until it reaches approximately 350 degrees. Add half the oil so that it lightly covers the bottom of the pan. Drop approximately 2 - 3 tablespoons of batter onto the pan for each fritter. I cooked 4 corn fritters in the pan at a time. Each fritter cooked for approximately 3 minutes per side. I removed them from the pan when they reached the appropriate golden color. Cook the final 4 fritters using the same method.

My fritters were the appropriate color on the outside but were not cooked completely through so I turned the oven to 350 degrees and baked the fritters for 15 minutes to ensure they were done.

Serve hot with a little salt and pepper to taste. I served my fritters with the corn and tomato salsa below.

Nutritional Information (assumes 2 servings):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 206.62
Calories From Fat (22%) - 45.07

Total Fat - 5.15g
Saturated Fat - 0.46g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 325.59mg
Potassium - 288.45mg
Total Carbohydrates - 37.58g
Fiber - 5.6g
Sugar - 1.58g
Protein - 6.27g

Corn and Tomato Salsa
Serves2

Ingredients:

½ red onion, finely minced
2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
1 large red tomato, finely diced (approximately 2 cups)
1 cup of corn kernels, cut from the cob or frozen and defrosted
¼ cup of fresh cilantro, minced
¼ teaspoon of oregano, dried
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine the red onion and vinegar to reduce the sharpness of the onion. Allow the onion to sit in the vinegar at least 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to coat. Taste for seasonings and correct before serving.

When you serve this salsa use a slotted spoon so most of the vinegar stays in the bowl.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 101.98
Calories From Fat (7%) - 7.47

Total Fat - 0.9g
Saturated Fat - 0.1g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 211.66mg
Potassium - 548.13mg
Total Carbohydrates - 23.7g
Fiber - 4.24g
Sugar - 6.07g
Protein - 3.71g

Comments:

The corn fritters turned out much better than I expected. When I make them the next time I will increase the cumin and oregano. I also may add a little drained shredded zucchini to the fritters. I think I would like the texture of the zucchini and the increase in vegetables in the fritter. If you have a few fat calories to spare cilantro oil drizzled over the top of the cakes would taste great and look nice.

The salsa was nice and refreshing. It would have been better with avocado, but I didn’t want to add the fat to dinner tonight. A little drizzle of oil would also have been nice in the salsa, but I didn’t add it for the same reason. Fresh diced cucumber or green pepper would have also been nice in the salsa if you have it handy.

Overall we were happy with the fritters and the resulting nutritional statistics.

Coffee Rubbed Seitan with Zucchini Salad and Sprouted Flat Bread

Dinner tonight was my vegan take on a traditional protein, vegetable and starch meal. I decided to make a coffee spice rub today and use it on my pressure-cooked seitan cutlets. The spice rub worked well on seitan and imparted a faint coffee taste that no one could identify even after I told them what was in the rub. The spice rub imparted a complex flavor that we enjoyed.

The zucchini salad is a cold counterpoint to the hot seitan cutlets. If you don’t have zucchini, you could use cucumbers instead. Red bell peppers would also be good in this salad if you had them on hand. The flat bread was included to scoop up the salad/salsa.

Coffee Spice Rubbed Seitan Cutlets
Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of espresso powder (or cocoa powder if you prefer)
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon oregano, dried
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon of paprika
4 pressure-cooked seitan cutlets
pan spray

Directions:

Combine the espresso, salt, oregano, garlic, and paprika and mix to combine. Dust the cutlets with the spice rub on both sides. There will be very little if any spice rub leftover when you are finished.

Heat a heavy skillet and spray it with canola oil (pan spray). Sear the cutlets on both sides. If you find the cutlets are sticking you can add a little water to the pan to encourage them to release. Serve hot.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 188.77
Calories From Fat (12%) - 21.91

Total Fat - 2.48g
Saturated Fat - 0.24g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 860.67mg
Potassium - 351.26mg
Total Carbohydrates - 12.22g
Fiber - 0.93g
Sugar - 0.79g
Protein - 29.92g

Grilled Zucchini Salad with Corn, Tomatoes and Avocado
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 zucchinis, thinly sliced
2 tomatoes, cut into small dice
1 cup of corn kernels
½ cup of cilantro, minced
½ teaspoon of oregano, dried
1 avocado, cut into small dice
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Grill the zucchini slices and cool. Cut the zucchini into bite size pieces. Add the tomatoes, corn, cilantro, and oregano to the zucchini and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Add the avocado just before you are ready to serve. Stir to incorporate the avocado. Taste for salt and pepper and season as you desire and serve cold.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 134.55
Calories From Fat (45%) - 61.12

Total Fat - 7.29g
Saturated Fat - 1.01g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 189.69mg
Potassium - 763.02mg
Total Carbohydrates - 17.76g
Fiber - 6.03g
Sugar - 4.96g
Protein - 3.81g

Sprouted Wheat Flat Bread
Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 cups of sprouted wheat flour
1 tablespoon of canola oil
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
¾ cup of water

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients and knead. All the water should be incorporated into the dough. If all your flour does not incorporate add a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to knead until the flour is fully incorporated.

Wrap the dough completely with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat a cast iron pan or griddle with a little oil over medium high heat.

Cut the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball the size of a golf ball. Take the ball and flatten it with your fingers to form a disk. Flour your board and rolling pin and roll the dough into a flat disk approximately 8 inches round.

Place the flat bread on the lightly oiled grill and cook until it begins to puff up (this should happen in 3 minutes). If you bread doesn’t puff flip it over and check to see if it is beginning to brown. Cook on the other side and move to a wire rack.

You can hold this bread in a 200-degree oven for an hour if necessary.

To serve cut the bread into triangles like tortilla chips.

If you have any leftover bread it can be sprayed lightly with water and reheated in a foil pouch in a 350-degree oven.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 105.47
Calories From Fat (40%) - 42.65

Total Fat - 6.75g
Saturated Fat - 0.13g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 240.67mg
Potassium - 0.22mg
Total Carbohydrates - 22g
Fiber - 6g
Sugar - 1g
Protein - 4g

Comments:

Tonight’s dinner was more mild and traditional than most I make. The coffee rubbed seitan idea came from a coffee rubbed pork we did in cooking class a few weeks ago. The zucchini salad was something that I tossed together based on what I had in the refrigerator and it turned out really well. The sprouted wheat flat bread is best eaten warm. The bread becomes harder as it cools and is not as good so be sure to serve it straight from the griddle or oven warm.

Corn Chowder

(pictured: corn chowder with imitation bacon bits and chives)

One of the recipes from cooking class this past week was Maryland corn chowder. The recipe we learned had all the traditional elements (milk, butter, bacon........ugh). I decided to make a recipe that we could enjoy without the guilt, or the negative health impact. I also decided to take the flavor in a slightly different direction.

This soup differs from the original by the inclusion of the poblano, saffron and oregano and the elimination of a number of animal products. The texture of this soup is somehow richer than the original, which I can’t quite explain since the original used butter and whole milk. I like the complexity that the saffron adds to the dish. I also used a variety of potatoes (Yukon Gold, Red Bliss and Peruvian Purple) for additional interest. This soup was well received at dinner tonight by vegans and omnivores alike.

Corn Chowder
Serves 4 as a main dish

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of canola oil
1 red onion, finely minced
1 red bell pepper, finely minced
1 poblano, finely minced
6 cups of almond milk, unsweetened
5 ears of corn, kernels removed (cobs reserved for the stock)
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon of oregano, dried
1 pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
1 pound of potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (I used a variety of potatoes)
1 tablespoon of vegan bacon bits - optional
2 tablespoons of fresh minced herbs (parsley, cilantro, chive or thyme) - optional

Directions:

Sauté the onion, bell pepper and poblano pepper in the canola oil until soft. Add the almond milk, broken corncobs, bay leaves, oregano and saffron to the pot and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add the potatoes 15 minutes before you want to serve the soup. Add the reserved corn kernels a few minutes before serving so that they can warm through. Remove the corncobs and bay leaves just before serving.

Serve hot with vegan bacon bits and fresh minced herbs on top.

Nutritional Information (without the optional ingredients):

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 276.75
Calories From Fat (22%) - 60.81

Total Fat - 6.73g
Saturated Fat - 0.24g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 238.01mg
Potassium - 1234.58mg
Total Carbohydrates - 50.51g
Fiber - 7.29g
Sugar - 2.11g
Protein - 7.87g

Comments:

This soup tastes much richer than what we are accustomed to eating. If you are looking for a special occasion soup this one is good enough for company. My omnivore parents volunteered that I could make this for a weekend dinner again soon. I think that just about says everything. Even the meat and potato eaters liked this vegan soup. Will wonders never cease?

The only change I would make if you want to take this soup over the top would be a little drizzle of unfiltered extra virgin olive oil when you serve.

Corn, White Bean, Poblano and Zucchini Enchiladas with Pumpkin Seed Salsa

We were in a Mexican food mood tonight. Well, to be more specific I was in a Mexican food mood tonight, since it is difficult to get my husband to express any opinion on what he wants for dinner. He did choose white beans over black beans today but that was the extent of his involvement. Initially I was going to make empanadas tonight, but then I got lazy and dinner turned into enchiladas (sorry about that). Since I have not posted a healthy whole-wheat empanada yet I will do that soon.

I used corn tonight because it is in season and local. The beans were added for fiber and protein. The poblano pepper was a much heat as I thought my elderly parents could tolerate (my husband and I would have liked much more). The zucchini was included to add bulk to the enchilada without a lot of calories. Pumpkin seeds are such a traditional Mexican item they seemed appropriate tonight. You can’t have Mexican food without cilantro … so it went it too. The chia seeds were used for their omega 3 content and because they are a great fat replacer in dressing type applications. Not to mention they are high in omega 3’s which fight inflammation and cancer.

None of the reasons I added items sounds very technical, and it shouldn’t. I cook completely by instinct. I have had many friends ask me why I combine different things or add things and the answer is normally “I have no idea I just wanted to use it”. I think this is what happens when you have cooked for 30 years as I have. I almost always make recipes up as I go along. After years of friends asking me for recipes I decided it made sense to start a blog. It is much easier than emailing recipes to people everyday. My husband was thrilled when I started the blog because he can see what he is having for dinner from work, and it reminds him of things that he really liked so he can ask me to make it again. I hope what you are getting from this is that cooking is more art than science. Once you learn what foods go together and how different things react (like chia seeds, agar, etc.) under various conditions (hot or cold temperatures) the rest of cooking is just playing in the kitchen.

I have one food book that I love and use every week. That book is Culinary Artistry. It is a wonderful book that outlines which foods combine well in terms of flavor. If you don’t have a copy pick it up the next time you are at the bookstore or library and see what it is all about. I have found it to be the most useful book in my kitchen and given the hundreds of books on food and cooking that I have, that is saying something.

Corn, White Bean, Poblano and Zucchini Enchiladas with Pumpkin Seed Salsa
Serves 4 hearty appetites

Enchilada Ingredients:

½ tablespoon of canola oil
1 poblano pepper, stem and seeds removed, finely chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cups of zucchini, finely chopped
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 roasted red pepper, finely chopped
2 cups of white beans, drained
½ teaspoon of kosher salt
½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon of ancho chili powder
½ teaspoon of oregano, dried
4 whole-wheat roll ups (or tortillas)

Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:

15 ounce can of tomato sauce
½ teaspoon of ancho chili powder, or to taste
1 clove of garlic, grated – optional
½ teaspoon of cumin seed, toasted and ground - optional

Pumpkin Seed and Cilantro Salsa Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of white chia seeds, finely ground
1/4 cup of water, filtered
1 clove of garlic, grated
¼ teaspoon of cumin seed, toasted and ground
1/3 cup of fresh cilantro
juice for ½ lime, or to taste

Cucumber Salad Ingredients:

3 cucumbers, quartered and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite size strips
½ cup of fresh tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces
4 tablespoons of acid (lime juice, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, or red wine vinegar), or to taste
oregano, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup of fresh cilantro, minced

Directions:

In a heavy bottomed skillet (preferably cast iron) cook the peppers and onions in the canola oil until the pepper skin is blistered and the onion is softened. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the vegetables have given up their liquid. Allow the mixture to cool so that you can fill the enchiladas without getting burned.

To fill the enchiladas I place the tortilla (or whatever thin flat bread you are using) in the pan I am going to bake in. Next place ¼ of the filling in the flat bread and gently roll the flat bread around the filling with the seam ending on the bottom. Continue until all four flat breads are filled.

Open the can of tomato sauce and add the chili powder and grated garlic (if using) to the can and stir to thoroughly combine. Top the filling enchiladas with the sauce. Sprinkle the top of the sauce with the cumin (if using). Place the baking dish in the oven at 350 for at least 30 minutes. If the to is beginning to brown and the edges of the flat bread are starting to crisp the enchiladas are ready to come out of the oven. If you aren’t certain you can use a thermometer to check the internal temperature (you want at least 180 degrees on the inside).

To make the salsa, add chia seeds to the water in a measuring cup and stir to thoroughly combine. It will take 15 minutes or so for the seeds to absorb all the water and the mixture to get thick. Process the pumpkin seeds in the your food processor until they are completely ground. Add the chia seeds, garlic, cilantro and cumin to the food processor and pulse until everything is homogeneous. Place the pumpkin seed salsa in the refrigerator in the covered dish until needed.

For the cucumber salad, toss the cucumber, tomato and bell pepper with the acid, to taste. Add oregano, salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate until needed. Add the fresh cilantro just before serving.

Place the enchilada on the plate, top with the pumpkin seed salsa and serve the cucumber salad along side.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 477.46
Calories From Fat (13%) - 63.54

Total Fat - 7.9g
Saturated Fat - 1.22g
Cholesterol- 0mg
Sodium - 1231.21mg
Potassium - 1964.91mg
Total Carbohydrates - 88.67g
Fiber - 21.59g
Sugar - 13.31g
Protein - 27.95g

Comments:

I know this isn’t going to sound right …. but did you see those nutritional stats? I was so psyched by the numbers (that is my finance geekiness coming out a little I fear). The fat percentage was perfect for the Life Over Cancer book (happy dance occurring at my house). Add to that over 21 grams of fiber and almost 28 grams of protein. I am one happy girl let me tell you. How can you not love a meal with those statistics that also tastes great? I know we loved it. Even my opinionated 80year old omnivore parents enjoyed it. We didn’t have any leftovers (not one bite).

Now you all know my favorite kitchen book what is yours? Do you have a favorite cookbook? I would love to know what it is and why you like it.