African Curried Chickpea Soup (or, could we please have a snow day tomorrow?)

Unlike Ms. Cush, I'm not in sunny Cali; I'm in snowy Cleveland. We're in the midst of a moderate snowstorm tonight, and it seemed like good weather for soup. Actually, the way I make this recipe, it's more of a stew.

Song for Chickpea Soup: Sarah MacLachlan, "Song for a Winter's Night" (cliche, you say? no. classic.)

This recipe is from Epicurious, my online culinary bible, and they got it from The Tropical Vegan Kitchen. My comments, additions etc. are in pink.

African Curried Chickpea Soup

* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 medium onion (about 6 ounces), chopped
* 1 medium red bell pepper (about 6 ounces), chopped
* 1 jalapeño chili, seeded and finely chopped
* 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped (or just a little bit more. But then, I like garlic.)
* 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
* 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (low sodium for me -- not to sound too self-righteous)
* 1 cup chopped tomatoes, seeded and peeled, fresh or canned
* 1 teaspoon tablespoon mild curry powder (otherwise it's too bland)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
* Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
* 3/4 cup cooked white or brown rice (brown is much better here; white falls apart)
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley (honestly, who would choose parsley? cilantro makes all the difference in this one.)
In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and chili; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, curry powder, salt, and black pepper; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Perfection. It's great for lunch as leftovers, too -- or in warm weather it can be really delicious cold. On a night like tonight, though, it's spicy and warm and filling. Yum.

Brownies We Like in an 8x8 Pan

My husband has a big sweet tooth, especially for anything
chocolate. It's actually a genetic condition, I recently learned.
I'm more of a ginger/carrot/butter vanilla/caramel person than a chocolate person,
but as we learned earlier, marriage IS about compromise.






Brownies We Like
(song for brownies: Digable Planets' "Where I'm From" because great hip hop uses references to Marx and Camus)

Butter and dust lightly with flour an 8x8 baking pan. I use a ceramic one, so I refuse to accept any responsibility if you use Pyrex and it comes out weird. I'm naturally suspicious of Pyrex and census workers. Preheat oven to 350.
1 stick unsalted butter
2 ounces good quality unsweetened chocolate (I use a half a Ghirardelli 4oz baking bar)
1 cup sugar (I use the slightly golden looking natural kind that you get in bulk, or at Trader Joe's)
2 eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour (unbleached...I like King Arthur's)

Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or over very low heat. Let the mixture cool.
Beat sugar and eggs together with a whisk until foamy. Add vanilla. Stir well. Fold in chocolate mixture. Add flour gently and stir until JUST mixed.
Pour into your pan, bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a knife poked into the brownies comes out clean.

Cool for a few minutes, then cut. Yummy with ice cream (coffee or mint chocolate chip are our personal favorites). But then again, what ISN'T yummy with ice cream?
Sometimes, if I'm feeling affectionate, I make my beloved husband these brownies and cut out little hearts with a cookie cutter for him to take to work. (No wonder he eats by himself.)

Monsoon Season in the East Bay

While I'm waiting for my new pink rain boots to arrive via post, I'm trying to keep my spirits up despite the gray rainy weather. Hello cheerful pink boots. Please come to me soon.


When the weather is like this, my favorite food is soup.

Last night I made an Asian inspired noodle soup, which for me is the vegetarian equivalent of good chicken soup: simple, comforting and delicious.

Asian Noodle Soup for Rainy Days
(song for noodle soup: Cat Stevens' "The Wind")

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 large shallots (chopped finely)
6 cloves of garlic
several slices of fresh ginger (4-6 slices, 1/4 inch thick)
1-2 stalks of lemongrass, outer layers peeled, cut into 2 inch pieces and bruised a little (I use a rolling pin)
6-8 cups of water (more or less depending on the number of people you are serving)
1 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach
2 bundles soba noodles
1 tablespoon soy sauce
salt to taste
cilantro (for garnish)

Warm oil over medium heat in a 4 quart pot. Add shallots, garlic (I pressed the garlic into the pot with my garlic press), lemongrass and ginger. Saute until shallots begin to brown. Add water and bring to a boil. Add garlic-chili sauce. Cover the pot, lower heat to a simmer, and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Before you are ready to serve the soup, turn the heat back up so the soup boils, add the soba noodles, cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, add spinach and soy sauce. Stir until spinach is wilted. Ladle the soup into bowls, and garnish with cilantro. If you are afraid of ginger slices in your bowl or pieces of lemongrass in your mouth, you can strain the soup before you add the noodles.

Note: Sometimes I add tamarind, brown sugar, and lime juice to turn this into a tangy hot and sour soup.

Mexican Night

I am from New England. Translation: I am hardy and I think everything should be made out of wool.
My husband is from California. Translation: He is freckled and thinks everything should be made out of burritos.

I decided to brush up on my basic Mexican fare for several reasons:
1. We went to a neighborhood Mexican restaurant. I asked the waiter if the beans and rice served with my cheese enchiladas were vegetarian. He looked at my quizzically.
"Are they made with lard, or chicken stock?" I asked, trying to be helpful.
"Yes."
"What about the black beans?"
"They definitely have less lard than the refried. It's a better option for you," he told me, smiling.
Hmmmm.

2. When I mentioned using brown rice, my husband said gently, "Maybe we could have spaghetti and meatless meatballs instead."

3. I have a completely irrational fear that my husband may begin having an affair with the lovely abuela who takes his order at our favorite taqueria. I also have an irrational fear of giant squid. Let us never speak of them again.
On a happier note, here is a clip of us at one of our favorite spots on the island (yes, we really do live on an island), Calafia Taqueria, on a rare day when Jeff was in Alameda for lunch.

So, in an attempt to preserve our marriage and become affiliated with the local customs, I decided to create my own veggie friendly Mexican rice and refried beans.

Mexican Rice
(song for rice: Sara Bareilles' "Many the Miles")

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 decent sized onion (chopped)
4 cloves of garlic (chopped finely, or as they say in cookbooks, minced)
1 cup of long grain white rice (I used basmati, because that's what I had in the house)
2 cups fake chicken broth (see note)
1/2 teaspoon of chili powder (and I mean ancho chili powder, not that mixed stuff with the garlic salt. I get this in bulk at my favorite health food store.)
1 tsp. coarse salt
chopped cilantro (optional)

What do we want? Rice. When do we want it? In 30 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a pot with a lid over medium heat (I used a 4 quart pot because my 2 quart pot is MIA after our cross country move)
Add onions and garlic and saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add butter and rice, cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add fake chicken broth, salt, and chili powder, give it a stir and bring it to a boil. Cover and turn stove to lowest heat, and let rice steam for 20-25 minutes or so. Turn off heat and keep covered until serving.
If you'd like, stir in some chopped cilantro and a spritz of fresh lime juice before serving.

Musings on fake chicken broth:
There are a number of ways to prepare this. I sometimes use bouillon cubes, I sometimes use the powder that come in bulk at our favorite health food store, helpfully titled "Vegetarian Chicken Broth Powder," I sometimes use the "No Chicken Chicken Broth" in a box, and sometimes I use plain old vegetable broth, either canned or homemade.

Refried Beans recipe coming soon (with some helpful advice on eating beans)...I know. I'm excited too.

What to Eat in Winter (or, It's 55 Degrees in California and We're Wearing Parkas)

Do you fear vampires? Or teenagers who love vampires? Or are you just a little under the weather?
Did I mention my husband has an unnatural love of garlic?

Easy Garlic Soup
(song for garlic soup: Alexi Murdoch's "Orange Sky")

I don't like peeling garlic. My husband bought me this garlic peeling device, and I was disappointed because I thought I was getting a pony. So, I make this soup when I can find peeled garlic in copious amounts.

The amounts here are variable, depending on how much soup you want in your freezer, or how many people you'd like to feed. This soup has been tested on my in-laws.

1 cup garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, chopped, if you happen to have one in the house
4-6 cups of vegetable broth (or water with one or two veggie bouillon cubes)
1 spring fresh rosemary (if you've got it)
1-2 cans of white beans (cannellini beans) rinsed well and drained
1-2 bunches of chard (or another green if you desire), washed well, stems removed, and chopped
salt and ground pepper to taste
shaved Parmesan cheese

In a medium stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic (and shallots) and saute for several minutes until golden, add broth or water, rosemary and beans, and bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.

Take out the rosemary spring, if you used it. If you have an immersion blender, now is your big moment. Blend that soup until it is smooth.

Add the chard and cook for 5-10 minutes. Add some kosher salt (you might need more than you think) and some freshly ground pepper. Ladle into bowls.

Sprinkle each bowl with a little bit of Parmesan. If you want to put some croutons in there, that would be delicious too.

This should cure what ails you. This and years of therapy.

Vegetarian Pot Pie (marriage is about compromise)

I love my husband. And my husband loves pot pie. Pot pie is delicious, and although it's not the healthiest food in the world, it's probably not the worst dinner to have on occasion.

Here's what I did. I had a pie crust I made last week in the fridge. You can make your own with your own favorite recipe (I use the one from the Moosewood dessert cookbook), or if you are short on time, you could buy a ready-made crust. More on the challenges of making pie crust later...

Vegetarian Pot Pie
(song for pot pie: Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice It's All Right")

Ingredients:
1 pie crust for the top of the pie

For the filling:
3 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion (chopped)
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons flour
vegetarian bouillon cube
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
3-4 cups of your favorite veggies (like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, carrots, potatoes) cubed into small chunks

This is how we do it (baby):

In a pot (I used a four quart stockpot with a heavy bottom), melt 3 tablespoons of butter on medium heat. Add one medium chopped onion and veggie bouillon cube (I use Rapunzel brand). Cook until translucent. Add 3 tablespoon flour, and stir well. Add about 1 cup milk (I used 2%), stir and let bubble a little and thicken. Turn down the heat if the bubbling gets too vigorous. Add your favorite veggies, cut up in small chunks.
Last night, I used:
1 large russet potato (unpeeled)
about 1 cup broccoli
about 1 cup cauliflower
about 2/3 of a cup of green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces

Stir the veggies in the mixture for a few minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste, and one tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese.

Pour the vegetable mixture into a pie pan and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over the top. Cover with your pie crust, add some slits in the crust for ventilation, place on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil (to make life easier for the person cleaning up) and bake at 425 for 30 minutes or so...until your crust is golden brown. If it starts to get TOO brown before 30 minutes, you can cover it with some tin foil.
Let cool for a few minutes before you dive in.

Makes 4-6 servings. That means there are leftovers for my husband to take for lunch, which is the perfect antidote against the In-n-Out Burger dangerously close to his work. Warning: this dish IS heavy and rich. My husband thought it was the perfect food. I like my veggies a bit more crisp and a lot less saucy, but then again, marriage is about compromise.