Happy Holidays

I’m taking a break from posting over the next week or so. Enjoy the holidays and see you back here next year!

Vegetarianism at the Holidays

Ah, holidays. Time for family, friends, overeating, and, um, stress. At least that’s what I find, and apparently a lot of other people feel the same way.

One cause of stress can be if you are the only vegetarian at the holiday meal (or if you are one of just a few vegetarians). Now, some hosts are accommodating and will happily make a meat-free dish or two. But some hosts find this very difficult and/or upsetting. So if I’m invited somewhere, I usually offer to bring a dish that I can eat. That eases some strain on people who can’t possibly imagine what a vegetarian might eat (even though those same people make plenty of vegetable-based dishes, of course; it’s just that they consider them to be side dishes, not main courses).

One things that’s often overlooked, as people are quick to complain about vegetarians’ “strange” eating habits or “demanding” needs, is that for vegetarians, it can be difficult to look at the table laden with animal products and to watch people, sometimes even people they love, shove dead animals parts in between their teeth. Most of us manage not to show our disgust or to give lectures, but it can be hard at times.

Holidays can be hard in and of themselves – we’ve all experienced the alcoholic relative or the arguing couple or the burnt meal – but we should all try to show a bit more sensitivity. If you’re the vegetarian guest, bring your own dish and don’t lecture people about health and morality. If you’re the host of a vegetarian, make sure you have enough vegetable-based or tofu-based dishes, and have a generous cheese tray, and also remember that your vegetarian guest might be struggling too.

It’s the holidays. If we can’t be cheerful, at least we can be kind. Right?

Quinoa and Lentils with Spinach

I love those Merchant Gourmet packages of quinoa and lentils. They’re so easy to make (you boil the bag) and you can vary them in many ways. Quinoa is protein-rich and very tasty, so I love to use it in my cooking. A simple dish I often make is to cook quinoa and lentils and make it with spinach and yogurt. That’s enough for M, but I add plenty of Tabasco to my bowl.

Ingredients:
1 package quinoa
1 package lentils
1 package baby spinach (about 100 g)
1 tsp salt
1 cup yogurt

Instructions:
1. Boil the quinoa and lentils according to the directions.
2. Wilt the spinach with the salt over low heat.
3. Open the packages and pour the contents in with the salt. Add the yogurt and stir.

Cheese Balls/Buns

These cheesey treats can be shaped into balls or buns, depending on what you want. They can be served with drinks or with soup, or simply on their own as a snack. You can vary them by adding different herbs or spices or by using different types of cheese. I like using a strong cheddar.

Ingredients:
50 g cheddar
30 g butter
pinch black pepper
1 tsp parsley
½ cup flour
2 eggs

Instructions:
1. Grate or chop the cheese. Melt it together with the butter over low heat. Then add the pepper and parsley.
2. Remove the mixture from the stove and add the flour. Mix well, until it turns into a dough ball.
3. Whip the eggs and add them. The dough should be thick and shiny.
4. Place spoonfuls of the cheese dough on a tray and bake for about 20 minutes at 170 C.

Lussekatter, or Swedish Saffron Buns

These Swedish saffron buns are traditionally eaten on the Santa Lucia holiday. Lucia, also called Lucy, was supposedly a Christian martyr who is considered to be patron saint of light. That’s ironic because she blinded herself rather than agree to marry a suitor who found her beautiful. She wanted to devote her life to God.

The buns taste like winter to me and the bright yellow colour brings a welcome shot of light to the dark days. They’re great with a mug of tea or coffee, or a nice steaming glass of hot mulled wine or glögg.

Look at the previous post to get advice on using dried yeast.

Ingredients:
.5 g saffron
1 tsp sugar
75 g butter
½ cup milk
25 g yeast
1 egg
½ cup sugar
3½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 handful of raisins
flour for the surface

Instructions:
1. Crush the saffron with the 1 tsp sugar in a mortar with a pestle until finely ground.
2. Melt the butter in the milk over low heat. Let it cool and then add some of it to the yeast.
3. Whisk the egg. Mix it into the rest of the butter and milk mixture. Then mix in the ½ cup sugar, the flour, the salt, the saffron, and the yeast, stirring frequently.
4. Cover the mixture with a cloth and let it rise for about an hour.
5. Boil the water and soak the raisins in it, so that they get plump.
6. Take the dough out of the bowl and knead it on a lightly floured surface. Pinch of bits of dough and make bun shapes. The traditional Swedish lussekatter are made in S-shapes, but any shape is fine. Place the buns on a baking tray.
7. Let the buns rise for another 30-60 minutes. Decorate them with raisins.
8. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 200 C. Serve warm.

Re-activating Dried Yeast

Some recipes call for fresh yeast but it isn’t always easy to find fresh yeast. So dried active yeast can be used instead, but it has to be reactivated. A simple rule of thumb is that you use half the amount of dried yeast than you would if you were using fresh yeast. Also, one tablespoonful of dried yeast is approximately equal to 15 g. So this recipe will tell you how to reactivate 15 g of dried yeast.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup boiling water
2/3 cup cold water
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp dried yeast

Instructions:
1. Mix the waters and then dissolve the sugar in it.
2. Add the yeast and mix well.
3. Leave it to sit for 20 or so minutes.
4. Then use in your recipe as directed.

Courgette with Yogurt and Mint Sauce

This is a really easy side dish. You can also use the yogurt and mint sauce for other vegetables or to cook tofu in.

Ingredients:
2 courgettes or 3 baby ones
oil
sea salt
2 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tsp dried mint

Instructions:
1. Wash and slice the courgettes. Fry them in oil until they are lightly golden on both sides.
2. Sprinkle with salt and add the yogurt to the pan. Continue to cook over low heat until the yogurt breaks apart and becomes a loose sauce.
3. Sprinkle with mint and serve.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

As I mentioned, last week it was my sweetheart’s birthday. I made a big meal that included recipes I’ve posted here before, such as my goat cheese soufflé and roasted Jerusalem artichokes. For dessert, all M would say was that she’d like chocolate, so I decided to make a chocolate mousse cake.

What I did was to make two portions of chocolate mousse, one with eggs and one without. The one with eggs I baked, so that it turned into a very cream and rich base. The one without eggs I slathered on top of the base. In other words, the cake was composed of two types of chocolate mousse, one cooked and the other not. Mousse overload? Not at all.

This would be a great cake to make for someone who is gluten-intolerant, as it has no flour. You can also vary it quite easily by adding nuts or fruit to the mousse topping. You can also use milk chocolate, but I always prefer dark myself.

Ingredients:
butter and cocoa for the pan
375 g dark chocolate
50 g butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp sea salt
12 eggs, divided
¼ cup sugar
another 1/5 cup sugar

for the topping:
125 g dark chocolate
1 ½ cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup sugar

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 150 C. Butter a springform pan. Instead of dusting it with flour, I always dust it with cocoa.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. Add the vanilla and salt. Let the mixture cool.
3. Beat the egg yolks with the ¼ cup sugar. Mix with the chocolate.
4. Beat the egg whites with another 1/5 cup sugar until stiff. Fold this gently into the chocolate mixture and mix well.
5. Bake for about 40 minutes, until just firm in the middle. Let cool completely.
6. Melt the chocolate for the topping, stirring frequently so it doesn’t burn. You can always add a touch of milk, butter, or water to the pan to prevent burning.
7. Whip the cream with the vanilla and the sugar. Fold the chocolate into the cream.
8. When the cake has cooled, spoon the mousse over the top. You can serve it right away as it is or you can put it in the refrigerator overnight, so the mousse hardens into a firmer frosting.

Noodle Casserole

A baked noodle casserole is simple and comforting. All you do is cook some noodles (ideally macaroni or penne) until just al dente. Then you mix the noodles with some vegetables, such as peas or spinach, add a protein, such as tofu and/or cheese, and bake it in the oven for 30 or so minutes. The noodles get chewy, with just a touch of crispiness on the top layer, and if you include a cheese sauce, as I do here, the whole dish gets a lovely melted cheesiness. And it’s so easy to vary according to your own tastes, such as by adding ground pepper or smoked paprika, or adding more vegetables. Many people will be familiar with a variation of this dish that includes tuna and either tinned or powdered soup, but I prefer not to use pre-made ingredients, such as tinned cream of mushroom or onion soup.

Ingredients:
about 150 g pasta (macaroni or penne)
100 g frozen peas
olive oil
1 package tofu and/or an additional vegetable
75 g cheddar cheese
¾ cup milk

Instructions:
1. Boil the past and peas until the pasta is al dente. Drain.
2. Lightly oil an oven-safe dish. Pour the pasta and peas into it.
3. Add the tofu and/or the other vegetable and mix with the pasta.
4. Grate the cheese and melt it slowly in the milk, stirring often.
5. Pour the cheese sauce over the pasta and vegetables.
6. Bake at 180 C for 30 minutes.

Orange Sauce

This is a simple orange sauce that you can use over vegetables, potatoes, tofu, or even fish, if you’re a pescatarian. M thought it was too orangey for her tastes, so if you find that’s the case for you too, you can simply use one orange instead.

Ingredients:
2 oranges
2 tbsp butter
½ cup cream
cinnamon
salt
sugar or agave

Instructions:
1. Zest the oranges and mix the peelings, butter, and cream in a pan over low heat, until the butter has melted.
2. Add cinnamon, salt, and sugar to your taste.
3. Serve over vegetables, potatoes, tofu, or even fish.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

As I posted a couple of days ago, I baked two types of cookies for my students. One kind was coconut macaroons and the other type was oatmeal raisin cookies. This recipe can be varied. I often add half a cup of nuts and/or chocolate chunks and/or coconut to it. And sometimes I use different spices, such as cardamom or nutmeg. You can also soak the raisins in rum, for a more adult flavour. Try it out and see what combination appeals to you.

Ingredients:
¾ cup raisins
boiling water
¾ cup butter or other vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¼ cup water (I use the water that drains from the raisins after I plump them)
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
salt, optional

Instructions:
1. Add the raisins to the boiling water, so they get plumper.
2. Beat together in a large bowl the butter, sugars, egg, water, and vanilla until creamy.
3. Add the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt if you want.
4. Add and mix in the raisins
5. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on baking sheets.
6. Bake 12-15 minutes or until golden brown at 180 C.

Happy Birthday, M

This blog is a somewhat strange mixture of recipe posts and love letters to my beloved M. Today it’s her birthday and so I just want to use the blog to wish her a very happy birthday and to tell her that I love her.

M is the best and I’m really lucky to have met her. Happy birthday, M! I hope this will be your best year ever.

Coconut Macaroons

I’m a teacher and as it’s the last week of the semester, I baked for my students, as I always do. I made two types of cookies for them; young people tend to go for sweet treats. The first kind I made was coconut macaroons. They taste just like the macaroons I remember from Passover when I was a child and they’re so easy to make.

Ingredients:
5 1/2 cups (or about 400 g) flaked coconut
1 (14 ounce or 400 g) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine coconut, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla; mix well.
3. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto aluminium foil-lined and generously greased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.

Spinach and Cheese Omelette

I eat a fast bowl of cereal for breakfast on weekdays, but on weekends, when M and I sleep a bit later and can have a more leisurely, relaxed morning, I want to make a nicer breakfast. The other day, I made an omelette.

M and I both love spinach and we had a big bag of fresh baby spinach leaves. And a strong cheese such as cheddar or spinach goes well. Serve with some toasted bread and butter and big mugs of coffee and you have a great weekend breakfast.

Ingredients:
oil or butter
4 eggs
½ cup milk
1 tbsp flour
100 g fresh baby spinach
50 g cheese (cheddar or feta work well with spinach), crumbled

Instructions:
1. Warm the oil or butter over low heat in a frying pan.
2. Mix the eggs, milk, and flour together well. There should be no lumps.
3. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and immediately top it with spinach and crumbled cheese.
4. Cook for 5 or so minutes, until the egg has set and the cheese has melted. Then flip it over and cook the other side. If you can’t flip it perfectly, don’t worry. You can make scrambled eggs or several mini-omelettes instead.

Tomato Soup with Mascarpone and Ricotta

I’ve already posted a recipe for tomato soup, but I wanted to post a slightly different one. I had mascarpone and ricotta leftover from other dishes and I needed to use them before M and I went away for the weekend. So decided to make an extra creamy version of my tomato soup. It was very rich and flavourful and it was a great way to make sure I didn’t waste the leftover mascarpone and ricotta cheeses.

Ingredients:
1 onion
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sugar or honey
olive oil
1 stock cube, or equivalent amount stock powder
2 cartons chopped tomatoes
1 cup milk
75 g mascarpone
50 g ricotta
garlic baguette to serve with it

Instructions:
1. Peel and dice the onion and garlic and put the pieces in the pot. Fry in oil for 5 minutes, then add the sugar and the stock cube and let caramelise for another few minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes. Then add the milk and cheeses.
3. Puree the soup with a hand blender.
4. Serve with a garlic baguette.