A few folks have asked about how to whip up a nice 'lil vinaigrette dressing. Here's my take:
Ingredients
-1.5 parts vinegar to 2 parts olive oil (I know that sounds weird, but the exactly amount doesn't really matter...just that you have a bit more olive oil than vinegar. Also, I usually use balsamic, but you can use red wine vinegar, or other kinds.)
-salt
-pepper
-squirt of mustard
-just 1-2 little pinches of fresh-chopped or dried basil or oregano
Add vinegar to jar first. Whisk oil w/ fork while adding to vinegar, to break it up. Add all other ingredients and whisk/shake 'til it's mixed.
Possible additions, for variation:
-fresh minced garlic
-tablespoon or so of plain yogurt (makes creamy balsamic vinaigrette)
-a couple pinches of sugar
-splash of orange juice
-teaspoon of raspberry or blackberry preserves
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Food creations!
Look at all these colorful dishes, from Potato Bar night and Breakfast at Dinner! Thank you everyone for your creative contributions to recent TNDs.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
NANA BARS!!!
Okay, I am finally going to post this Banana Bar recipe. It is extremely easy - it's basically just a simple vegan banana bread, with chocolate chips and vanilla frosting to make it a dessert (although, I have been known to eat these for any meal!) They are VERY addictive, so enjoy responsibly!!!!!
you'll need:
egg replacer (1 egg worth)
1/4 cup vegan margarine for the cake, + 2 tablespoonsish for the frosting
3/4 cup sugar
2 bananas (overripe)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract for the cake, + another teaspoon for the frosting
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar for the frosting
2 tablespoonsish of soy or rice milk for the frosting
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 and oil a cake pan. Blend the egg replacer, margarine, sugar, bananas, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the banana mix into the flour mix and stir gently (til "just mixed"). Mix in the chocolate chips. Pour into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Frosting: mix powdered sugar, margarine, vanilla, and soy milk together to taste.
Cool, frost, and serve! YUM!!!
On the left in the picture is a variation i did recently, making cupcakes instead of bars. So good!!! Happy baking, everyone :)
you'll need:
egg replacer (1 egg worth)
1/4 cup vegan margarine for the cake, + 2 tablespoonsish for the frosting
3/4 cup sugar
2 bananas (overripe)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract for the cake, + another teaspoon for the frosting
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar for the frosting
2 tablespoonsish of soy or rice milk for the frosting
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 and oil a cake pan. Blend the egg replacer, margarine, sugar, bananas, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the banana mix into the flour mix and stir gently (til "just mixed"). Mix in the chocolate chips. Pour into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Frosting: mix powdered sugar, margarine, vanilla, and soy milk together to taste.
Cool, frost, and serve! YUM!!!
On the left in the picture is a variation i did recently, making cupcakes instead of bars. So good!!! Happy baking, everyone :)
Monday, August 17, 2009
Terrific Tapas!
On the menu:
Sangria
Pan y Tomate
Tomates Fritas
Patatas Fritas
Pepitas Fritas
Ceviche Salad
Ceviche Tacos
Mushroom Tacos
Queso Fresco
Gardein Stir-fry
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Pictures!
On the menu: Sloppy Joes, Stuffed Peppers, Salad, Garlic Bread, and some (very late) Carrot Cake - all vegan!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Pan Asian Feast
Good friends and great cuisine headlined this weeks TND. With a spicy Szechuan stir fry and a coconut curry, all diners declared: "deee-lish!"
Brian Doell's usual crass humour kept those tickled by fart jokes in stiches, while the more sophisticated diners enjoyed a glass of cool sake.
Fresh basil made it's dessert debut in a supberb coconut-lime sundae topped off with mango puree, and afterward the men dominated a late night game of catchphrase with the help of hostess Sarah Grams. (<-- this was written by a man.)
We look forward to seeing you all next week for TND!
Brian Doell's usual crass humour kept those tickled by fart jokes in stiches, while the more sophisticated diners enjoyed a glass of cool sake.
Fresh basil made it's dessert debut in a supberb coconut-lime sundae topped off with mango puree, and afterward the men dominated a late night game of catchphrase with the help of hostess Sarah Grams. (<-- this was written by a man.)
We look forward to seeing you all next week for TND!
Dessert Creations
People are getting creative with their desserts here! It doesn't take a pro, and you don't need to pay restaurant prices for it, folks. Check out these yummy conconctions.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Food for Thought!
Yo, this is Grams. I thought of you all when reading an article today. Congrats on going against the grain of American food culture today! Here's an excerpt:
Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch
...Cooking is no longer obligatory, and for many people, women especially, that has been a blessing. But perhaps a mixed blessing, to judge by the culture’s continuing, if not deepening, fascination with the subject. It has been easier for us to give up cooking than it has been to give up talking about it — and watching it.
Today the average American spends a mere 27 minutes a day on food preparation (another four minutes cleaning up); that’s less than half the time that we spent cooking and cleaning up when Julia arrived on our television screens. It’s also less than half the time it takes to watch a single episode of “Top Chef” or “Chopped” or “The Next Food Network Star.” What this suggests is that a great many Americans are spending considerably more time watching images of cooking on television than they are cooking themselves — an increasingly archaic activity they will tell you they no longer have the time for.
What's wrong with this picture?
FULL ARTICLE AT: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/magazine/02cooking-t.html?_r=1&hpw
Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch
...Cooking is no longer obligatory, and for many people, women especially, that has been a blessing. But perhaps a mixed blessing, to judge by the culture’s continuing, if not deepening, fascination with the subject. It has been easier for us to give up cooking than it has been to give up talking about it — and watching it.
Today the average American spends a mere 27 minutes a day on food preparation (another four minutes cleaning up); that’s less than half the time that we spent cooking and cleaning up when Julia arrived on our television screens. It’s also less than half the time it takes to watch a single episode of “Top Chef” or “Chopped” or “The Next Food Network Star.” What this suggests is that a great many Americans are spending considerably more time watching images of cooking on television than they are cooking themselves — an increasingly archaic activity they will tell you they no longer have the time for.
What's wrong with this picture?
FULL ARTICLE AT: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/magazine/02cooking-t.html?_r=1&hpw
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