Friday, June 6, 2014

Les Bouchées Quotidiennes

Have you ever tried broccoli slaw? This was the first time I've made/tasted it, and it was amazing. Good thing it keeps well in the fridge for a week because I kept eating it for days. It has the perfect balance of tangy, sweet and toasty. I made mine in a food processor, which cut down on some of the prep time. I served it with baked potatoes and baked BBQ tofu for a well-rounded meal. This tofu recipe was super easy and delicious too!

Lately I've been trying to make recipes that I put in my notebook 3 or more years ago, when I was still living at home. It's a weird feeling for me to make something that I made years ago in my parent's kitchen. I cooked a little when I still lived with them, but I didn't start really experimenting until a couple of years ago when I was on my own. In my own kitchen, I kind of flew off the handles and tried cooking everything. I was completely enamored with it, and still am (obviously). I have faint memories of my mom making this lemony collard green pasta with me, when I still lived with them. I was probably still learning to mince garlic with out slicing my fingers. It blows my mind how far I've come with cooking in just two or so years. Anyways, this pasta recipe is incredible and a cinch to make, so it's perfect for any weeknight dinner! 

I love potato salad, but this is no ordinary kind of potato salad. It's made with blue potatoes (although you can use red), chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, fresh corn, cilantro, and many other delicious ingredients. Although it's pretty spicy, it's refreshing at the same time. This is perfect for any hot summer night and this dish is definitely better if you let it chill in the fridge a couple of hours. It reminds me of the burrito bowls from Chipotle, which sounds weird I guess, but much healthier! Serve over romaine with some beer and you're set! This recipe is originally from Appetite for Reduction.

My latest and greatest downfall (besides buying more cookbooks): sushi with ikura. And yes, I ate all of this. I also FINALLY bought a sushi rolling mat yesterday! Can't wait to use it because I can't keep going out for sushi once a week.

Salads are one of my favorite things to pull together on days where I don't have leftovers. This one is adapted from this fully loaded kale salad and includes: farmer's market tomato and raw kale, carrots, red onion, avocado, hemp seeds, leftover toasted pecans (from the lemony collards pasta), and a delicious maple tahini dressing. I always feel full and energized after eating a big salad, so I'm trying to incorporate them into my lunches lately.

I have a thing for corn chowder. The best thing my mom makes, hands down, is any type of soup. But her corn chowder is something else all together. It's perfect in winter, when it's super cold, or in the summer, when fresh corn is abundant. The best thing about corn chowder is there are a million different variations on it, and you guys know how much I love recipe variations! This one is a summer curried corn & vegetable chowder from Appetite for Reduction. Isa was the first person to hook  me on to adding coconut milk and lime to corn chowder, after making this garden version with fresh basil and chives. The coconut milk and lime adds a completely different flavor profile to a regular corn chowder. This one also has a lot of curry powder and cilantro, so it's bursting with different flavors. You will certainly be seeing different corn chowder recipes on here all summer! 

One reason why I love summer is that I can go crazy in the kitchen for a few hours with out having to worry about (too much) homework. This is all I can say about these chipotle lentil burgers: they are the best veggie burgers I've ever made or tasted. And besides that, they are incredibly easy to make! I don't know how to explain the flavor of these except it's a deep, smoky one. Top with vegan mayo and maybe add some bread & butter pickles, if desired. I also made these baked onion rings to serve with the burgers. I used GF all purpose flour and GF breadcrumbs (some with GF panko). This was my first time tasting onion rings (ever) and they were magnificent! I could have eaten an entire plate of these. Both of these recipes originally come from Appetite for Reduction.

We haven't even had these banana pepper plants for two weeks and they are growing fast! Earlier this week they were just tiny flowers. I can't wait to pickle these!

One of my other food downfalls are spicy vegan sandwiches with avocado, tomato, and vegan mayo. I adapted this from the buffalo tempeh recipe in Appetite for Reduction. I used tofu instead of tempeh because I accidentally bought tempeh with gluten in it (whoops!). I didn't let the tofu marinate, but I certainly would if you have time. It was still delicious with all the sandwich fixins and sides. I highly recommend adding a few fresh basil leaves to the filling above for an extra tasty summer sandwich!
Update for a third sandwich option: vegan mayo, bread and butter maple bourbon pickles, buffalo tofu & fresh basil. Trust me.

1 comment:

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