Tangerine Sorbet with Fennel Seeds

Our market had bags of tiny tangerines on sale for next to nothing. So I gleefully stocked up, thinking the kids would still enjoy them, even with a few seeds and their tiny size.

However, spoiled by the easy-to-peel, seedless Clementines we'd had all winter - my Sprouts did NOT enjoy them - the rather plentiful seeds and their difficulty in peeling made eating one quite a task. (This always seems to happen when I think I've scored a bargain!). So there they sat.

Admittedly, citrus keeps a long time, but after two weeks, I decided they weren't disappearing, time to get creative...

I modified this recipe from a "palate-cleansing" tiny dab of fennel-citrus sorbet I once enjoyed between courses at a far-too-expensive and snooty restaurant. I hope they won't mind my aproximate copy. You'll be surprised, the fennel is an interesting and AMAZING addition!!

Yes, I suppose you could make this with any orange, or even canned mandarins, though the flavor of fresh-squeezed tangerines is intense and perfect for this sorbet.

Tangerine-Fennel Sorbet

2 egg-sized tangerines, peeled, seeded and chopped into chunks

3 1/2 cups tangerine juice (like... maybe 20 or so?)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup coconut milk (the kind in a can, not the beverage kind)

2 Tablespoons tangerine zest

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

Juice the tangerines by hand (ugh! Sore wrist!) Or pick out all the seeds and blend and strain (just as much tedious work) Combine juice and sugar in a pan and simmer until sugar dissolves. Stir occasionally. Add zest and refrigerate juice overnight. Refrigerate coconut milk overnight as well.

Mix the coconut milk and juice together and put the cold ingredients in your ice-cream maker. Turn on or start freezing process, however your machine works. After it starts to thicken and freeze, add the mandarin chunks and keep freezing. When it's almost done, (It takes ours about 1/2 hour) chop the fennel seeds medium fine with a wide-blade knife and add to ice-cream-maker. Mix a few minutes more. Store sorbet in freezer to harden, an hour or so.

Serve in tiny scoops. Yum.

A Few Tofu Thoughts...

Woo-hoo! Jackpot!

Went to my favorite Asian grocer tonight, and they had just filled the bulk buckets in the cooler with fresh tofu.

Their fresh (not the stuff in the little plastic box) tofu sells out within a couple HOURS, so I rarely manage to get my hands on any. You just grab a chunk out of the water with the tongs, put it in a plastic bag. Tonight I stocked up - it keeps for quite a while if I put it in a Tupperware and change the water daily - and it freezes great!

If you've never had fresh (I mean REALLY amazingly fresh) tofu from a bulk bin or tub, I suggest you try it - it's SOOOOO good! Trina, my Vietnamese friend, told me about this particular market - said they're known for having the best tofu in town. I have to agree, and now I'm spoiled - this is the only way I'll buy the stuff.

OK, so now I have this white blob - what to do with it?

Not that I have ANY trouble findng a use for tofu, but Littlest Sprout wanted "Chicken Tofu Sticks" (with barbeque sauce of course!!) and since it's so quick and simple and we were running late - well, we basically made a meal of fried tofu and salad. Maybe not the most healthy supper on the planet, but I can think of worse.

I'm not really sure where this recipe came from or if it ever WAS a recipe, but I've been fiddling with it for years (like most of my recipes); since my oldest still likes real (*gasp*) chicken when out with her Dad once in a while, I've tried to season these sorta the way she likes. Go with less cayenne or lemon pepper if you prefer. Cold, the next day, these things are very scarily chicken-like...



"Fried Tofu Chik'n-Style"

6 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. Nutritional yeast
1/2 cup finely ground dry bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dry vegetarian "chik'n" bullion/broth powder
1/2 tsp. sage
1 tsp. garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper
lemon pepper to taste

1/2 cup soymilk
1/4 cup Vegenaise or other vegan mayo. of your choice
2 Tb. nutritional yeast
peanut oil for frying
1 pounds firm, fresh tofu, drained, blotted dry and cut into "sticks" - if you use super-market variety, regular water-packed tofu, you may want to "press" it for a bit to remove excess moisture, but I skip this step.

In a small bowl, whisk the Vegenaise, soymilk and 2 Tb. nutritional yeast; in a separate dish, toss the cornstarch, breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast with the salt and spices.

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a cast-iron or non-stick pan. (I know, I know!!)

Dip each tofu stick in the soymilk mixture to coat, then roll in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing the mixture on. Carefully lower into the hot oil and cook for 2 minutes. Turn with tongs and continue cooking until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with dipping sauce.

Your Basic Hummus, and then some...

Why anyone would buy hummus is completely beyond me.

I know, I know, convenience. I do understand that, I suppose.

Seriously though - The stuff takes maybe five minutes to make (if you have cooked/canned beans and a food processor), tastes a zillion times better, costs a fraction of what they charge in the stores, plus you can flavor it exactly as you prefer...

If you've never tried hummus (and I would first have to ask "WHY!!!???!!!") , give the basic recipe a whirl - in your food processor that is. Then once you know what you like (less garlic, more tahini, etc..) you can advance to flavored additions in your hummus. You'll never look at those pricey little plastic tubs again!!

I've included directions for making hummus with canned beans or those you cooked from scratch. If you haven't ever cooked garbanzo beans/chick-peas from scratch, they're very easy and have a better texture and nuttier flavor than their canned counterparts. Plus, (always a high point for me) they are SO SO cheap!!! Here are some good directions for cooking them from scratch.

Another hummus tip: if you don't have tahini (sesame seed paste), don't rush out and buy it just for 1 Tablespoon! Peanut butter works very well instead (I can hear the gasps of horror from hummus-purists everywhere).

Seriously, try it - I'm betting no one will know!! If you're convinced you need tahini, try and find a Middle Eastern Market that sells real Lebanese tahini (sesame paste) or similar. It is much sweeter and lighter than the Western brands you usually find in health-food and grocery-stores

Basic Hummus

• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed VERY well or 2 cups cooked-from-scratch chickpeas, drained
• 1 Tbsp tahini (toasted sesame paste- found in your international market, health food store or large supermarkets) OR use 2 Tbsp peanut butter. I'm cheap and have used peanut butter in my hummus for years and no one's ever complained or noticed...
• 2 cloves garlic
• juice of 1/2 lemon+ more to taste
• 1/2 tsp. crushed, dried oregano
• 1 tsp. cumin or to taste
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup of olive oil, more or less
• broth from chick-peas/garbanzos

Directions
1) Combine everything in the food processor
2) Grind as finely as possible
3) Stream in olive oil until the mixture becomes smooth and fine. If it's too dry and thick (or you're oil phobic and don't want to use any more oil) , add some bean broth until it's the right consistency for you.
4) Adjust everything to taste

Variations:

To the above recipe, add whatever ingredients you like, in the amounts you like, either during the blending or chopped finely and added afterwards. The sky's the limit (or your imagination) but here are some suggestions.

• Basil
• Sun Dried Tomatoes
• Cilantro (use lime juice instead of lemon if you want, in the basic recipe)
• Roasted Eggplant
• Kalamata Olive (add these chopped. If blended, they give the hummus a very odd purple-grey color. Still tastes good though!)
• Chopped Jalapeño
• Chipotle Peppers
• Roasted Red Peppers
• Fire-roasted New Mexico Green Chiles
• Fresh chopped parsley, oregano and mint (makes a wonderful, herb-y topping for potatoes and salads!)
• Chopped Pine-Nuts
• Artichoke Hearts
• Medeterranean Herb blends like Za'atar or Sumac

Easy, Fool-proof, Vegan Peanut-Butter Cookies

It's a lazy Sunday; grey, cold, rainy - just a "cookie" sort of day.

When I dragged out this tattered, scribbled-on, annotated-a-hundred-times recipe, I knew it was time to post it to my blog, mainly so I remember where it is!!

Now, you have a yummy recipe in front of you, the rest of a Sunday to waste, no excuses, go make some cookies!

Easy Peanut-Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter (any type; crunchy or smooth)
1/3 cup Earth Balance or other vegan margarine, cold - do NOT use Smart Balance (OR use 1/4 cup coconut oil, cool and firm but NOT rock-hard, I prefer the finished texture when using coconut oil)
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, cream sugar, peanut butter, and margarine or coconut oil together just until mixed. Add vinegar, water, vanilla, salt, and baking powder. Mix in flour until well blended. You may need a Tbsp. or so more flour, the dough should be "play-dough" consistency but not dry!

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Using a sugar-coated fork, make an “x” on the top of each cookie, gently press and flatten just slightly as you do so. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes depending on elevation and oven - or until browning on the edges and firm, but not hard and crispy.

Cool on cookie sheet several minutes until firm enough to remove with spatula.

Fluffy Quinoa Almond Pancakes

This weekend, I am cleaning out my freezer, pantry and so forth, trying to use those odd ingredients I have stuck away for whatever reason. I ran across this package of quinoa flour and decided pancakes sounded the easiest and most appropriate for a lazy stay-home morning.

This recipe is a modification of several recipes I often use and the pancakes turned out LOVELY!!! Better yet, I think(?) quinoa is gluten free, should anyone need that option.

Quinoa-Almond Pancakes

2 cups quinoa flour
2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup raw almonds (or almond meal)
1 cup warm soy or rice milk
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon light molasses or brown rice syrup

In a mixing bowl, whisk together quinoa flour, baking powder, and baking soda. In your blender or food processor, grind nuts to a fine powder, scraping the sides several times. This will take a while. (skip that step if you have almond meal, obviously) Add to blender or processor: milk, water, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and molasses.
Blend 3 to 4 minutes. Pour liquids over dry ingredients and whisk a few times, eliminating lumps. If batter is too thick, add water as necessary.

Pour a scant 1/4 cup of batter onto hot non-stick, or lightly greased griddle (heated until water dances on it) for each pancake. Turn when bubbles appear on edges and pancake is starting to brown. Cook until done to your liking.

As always, pancake recipes need a little personal "tweaking" - the batter can be made thicker or thinner, depending on your personal preference.

Holiday Cashew "Cheese" Log

I DID IT!!! Perfected (well, sorta, I won't say it's actually "perfect" yet) but I did come up with a vegan "cream-cheese" sorta thing that's reasonably "cheesy", creamy, spreadable and AWESOME to make into those cool-looking 1970's style "cheese logs" or rolls for parties...

The first batch got eaten right away by hungry teenagers - so much for fancy party snacks!! The second batch got served at an office party get-together-sorta thingy last week and everyone loved it and no one even batted an eye or asked "what's IN this?".

I rolled mine in pecans and cranberries but I think dried herbs, black pepper, or red paprika would be pretty too!

And I like that there's not a fakey soy-tofu-cream cheese product in the recipe. Don't get me wrong, Tofutti has it's uses, but there's something satisfying (and a bit fussy!!) about making your own from scratch.

I think (?) it could be made as a RAW "cheese" too, depending on the ingredients you use, and cooking it, in the final step, in a much lower oven - but I'm not totally up on all things raw, so don't quote me there.

Try it and let me know what you think!!!

Cashew "Cheese" Log

3/4 cup raw cashews

3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 Tbsp fresh-squeezed, strained lemon juice
a pinch of finely grated lemon rind
1 Tbsp tahini

water as needed
1 3/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries

Place cashews in a large bowl; cover and soak with 3 inches of water, overnight.
Drain liquid, rinse cashews under cold water.

Puree cashews, oils, lemon juice, tahini, salt and 2 tbsp (or less) water in a food processor until smooth and creamy. (Only use as much water as needed to make it blend well).
Place large strainer over the bowl, and line w/ triple layers of cheesecloth.

Scrape cashew mixture out of food processor bowl into cloth.

Fold sides over cheese and form into a longish oval loaf, whatever fits in the strainer. Twist ends of cloth and secure w/ rubber bands like a big sausage. (You'll have to cut your cheesecloth to fit beforehand probably, I fiddled with this part quite a bit because I really wanted that "log" shape...).

Set the log in strainer over bowl, and let stand 12 hours at room temperature. Dump excess liquid.
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees F.

Line baking sheet w/ parchment paper or spray lightly. Unwrap cheese from wet cheesecloth and roll/scrape and scrape into the same log shape on a fresh pc. of dry cheesecloth. Rewrap and twist ends to secure. Put on baking sheet and bake.

Bake 35+ minutes, or until cheese becomes set on the outside but still soft, turn it occasionally. This may take longer. Cool and chill (still wrapped) in fridge several hours.
Unwrap cheese.

Gently roll in the chopped cranberries and then the pecans, pressing to adhere and keep "log" shape. Chill until serving.

Slice and serve with crackers. SOOOO yum!!

Garlic Kale and New Year's Black-Eyed Peas

Happy New Years! It seems black-eyed peas are traditional (somewhere, not sure where?) at New Years, and they are supposed to bring good luck. Well, I happen to love the things though (I'm hesitant to admit) my kids are not such huge fans. Unfortunately their luck in dinner choices was working against them, as I decided I needed to invent SOMETHING featuring black-eyed peas for tonight's supper.

Pantry (and refrigerator) being at a post-holiday low, I was stuck scrambling for options to go with my cute little, spotted, smoky beans. Not to fear, the garden (such as it is at this point in the winter) is still out there in the grey and mist...

Greens seemed the obvious choice, or so my Googling options indicated. And since I had plenty of winter kale, I went with that, plus a few lingering carrots I found lurking in the dregs of the garden - surprisingly none the worse for the wear.

With lots of garlic and olive oil, the resulting "Beans-and Kale" mixture turned out, not only quite delicious, but actually deemed as "acceptable" by my children. And surprisingly... well... somewhat pretty, (if kale can be pretty) too.

Enjoy, and have a GREAT, and lucky, New Years.

Garlic Kale and New Year's Black-Eyed Peas

2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
2 carrots, scrubbed and sliced into thin rounds
1 large-ish bunch of curly, or dinosaur kale, (this amount is up to you), washed, and coarsely chopped

1/2 cup vegetable or faux "chicken" broth

1/4 tsp. smoked salt or liquid smoke, to taste
3 (or more) cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup canned or home-cooked black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
Salt and fresh pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, kale and broth; cover and cook until kale is tender, about 15 minutes. Check once or twice during cooking time; if necessary, add a little water to keep the kale from burning.
Add the smoked salt, garlic and black-eyed peas; stir to combine. Add a Tablespoon or so more water if needed. Cover and cook 2 to 3 more minutes, until peas are warmed through and garlic is translucent. Season with salt and/or pepper as needed. (A little shot of Tabasco would be good here too!!!)