Spice Cabinet Organization

Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or a conventional cook, seasonings and spices will add wonderful dimensions to your cooking.   I admit to being somewhat of a spice and seasoning junkie.  When I see a recipe that I want to try that has an obscure spice, I tend to go out and buy it, even if I can't think of a second use for it.  Yes, that may seem totally impractical, but I figure it's a small indulgence given how much I enjoy cooking and baking.

I did realize earlier this week, however, that our "spice cabinet" (aka, two shelves in the cabinet above our toaster), had gone somewhat awry.  Because we just kind of shoved everything in there, it was very difficult to find anything when we needed it.

So, today, I decided to tackle a quick kitchen organization project.  Earlier this week, we ordered a cabinet organizer so we could stack our spices in tiers, and it arrived yesterday.  Today, we took all of the seasoning and spice bottles out of the cabinet and wiped them down the shelves.

Since husband and I lived on our own for quite awhile before we co-habitated, we ended up with duplicate seasonings, so we consolidated those.  I then organized the remaining bottles by brand so that they'd look visually nice when we put them back in the cabinet- kind of like how closet organizers suggest organizing your clothes by color.

I assumed that I would be able to read the labels of each bottle when I put them on the shelf organizer, but we quickly realized that wasn't going to be the case.  So, after we got all the bottles how we wanted them, I made a quick map like you might see in a box of chocolates, and taped it to the inside of the cabinet.

The map has two benefits.  Not only will we know exactly where each spice is located, but we'll also now have a quick inventory of what spices and seasonings we already have.  So, when I find a recipe I want to try, we can consult the map before we go shopping.  And, I also said we could use the map like a game - close our eyes, point to the map and whichever seasoning we touch can inspire a cooking experiment.

Yes, we have more seasonings that don't fit on the organizer, but I feel like our spice cabinet has come a long way! 
  
What spices and seasonings are your favorites to cook with?  Cumin tends to be my go to, and I've also enjoyed playing with za'atar.  We also put crushed red pepper flakes in dishes to add heat.

What other tips do you have for keeping your kitchen organized?

Can't Wait to Make This and That

Since I'm working through leftovers, I'm not cooking tonight.  But, that does give me some time to browse through some recipes I would like to make sometime soon.

Sweet Potato Torte from Vegetarian Times.  I'll figure out if I want to use actual dairy for this one or find a good sub.  But, regardless, the mandoline will make slicing the sweet potatoes ridiculously easy, and I do love swiss chard.  I'll play with it.

Vegetarian Times also has a video on how to make your own seitan, which is now on my list after my amazing pan-seared seitan meal at Blossom in New York City.

Chocolate Mousse Pie from Science of Spirituality Vegetarian Life.  I don't see myself jumping on the raw bandwagon anytime soon, but I am curious about this vegan dessert, which gets its creaminess from avocado and almond milk.

The Whole Foods website has oodles of holiday recipes, including both vegan and vegetarian options.  The two that caught my eye were Harvest Stuffed Acorn Squash and Celebration Lentil Loaf.  The stuffed squash dish has walnuts,which are a big allergy no-no for me, but pecans would be an easy sub.

Awhile back, at a work function, the vegetarian option was a quinoa stuffed bell pepper.  This recipe from Chef In You looks quite similar and tasty.  Since I'm not a frozen pea fan (and they also are technically an  allergy issue for me, which likely contributes to my lack enjoying them), I'll tinker with this a bit.

Husband and I have been discussing Shepherd's Pie, and I've been searching for a recipe that will satisfy his desire for a more traditional preparation and my vegetarian adventurousness.  This recipe from Clean Eating Magazine looks like it has the potential to make us both happy.

Of course, with winter fast approaching, soup sounds like a great idea.  Healthy Bitch Daily recently sent out a vegan autumn minestrone that looks like it will hit the spot.  And, if I want to give my immersion blender a workout, I can make a vegetarian version of this butternut squash soup.

Lastly, we all know of my great love for macaroni and cheese.  Since I am eschewing packaged foods and dairy, I will be staying away from the kraft deluxe and the velveeta shells and cheese (I may need help from a sponsor here - any volunteers?).  Fortunately, I came across a great looking Fancy Mac & Cheese recipe on Daiya's Facebook page, courtesy of Natalia Eats.

Well, that's enough food to last for weeks now, isn't it?  Now, must find the time to try all these out!

What vegetarian and vegan recipes are you looking forward to trying?

Stuffed Pattypan Squash, Brought To You By Multiple Cousins

Last weekend, when my cousin Rachel came over with her culinarily adventurous 14-month old daughter, she also came bearing some squash from my cousins Greg and Susan.  One of the squashes was a Pattypan Squash, a white, salad plate sized gourd with scalloped edges.  While I was researching them on the internet, I realized I had seen their smaller squash cousins at Whole Foods in their mixed baby vegetable pack.

The Monday after dropping off the squash, Rachel emailed me a New York Times recipe for Pattypan Squash Stuffed with Corn.  I decided to make it today's lunch, but as a vegan meal rather than a vegetarian one.

I was a little nervous about being able to cut the squash in half.  I'm still reeling from an incident with a butternut squash a few years ago that ruined an entire (cheap) set of knives.  But, my good chefs knife slid right through the patty pan.  A good reminder - if you're going to have one good kitchen implement, get a really good knife!

The same good knife also made chopping the onion and the inside of the squash a breeze.  The sharper the knife, the more precise your dice will be.  To get the corn off of the ear, I used our corn stripper.  Before we got the corn stripper, I used a large knife to remove corn kernels, but it was always a bit unsteady and I was always a little worried about cutting myself.  The corn stripper is a lot easier to handle and also keeps the corn contained in a little container, so it's also less messy.

Whole Pattypan Squash

The good knife also came in handy when chopping the cilantro.  A nice tip for chopping cilantro or parsley if you don't want a lot of stem in your food: Hold the herbs upright in one hand.  With the other hand, slide your fingers down the stem.  The leaves should easily slide off and be ready for chopping.

The recipe called for gruyere or swiss, as well as egg and milk to make a custard.  Instead of the gruyere, I used mozzarella daiya.  After filling the squash halves, I poured a little bit of vegetable broth over the top.

I was so happy with the results.  I usually prefer white corn, but accidentally picking up yellow corn was a bonus.  The bright yellow kernels were a nice contrast for the pale interior of the squash.  The vegetable broth soaked into squash flesh, which gave it an added flavor dimension.  Husband came in from some errand running at the end of my meal, had a few bites and pronounced it "hearty and well seasoned."  So, look for more stuffed squash recipes on the blog soon!

So, thank you, Greg and Susan, for supplying the ingredient for this delicious meal, and thank you Rachel, for bringing it to our house and providing a recipe!

Essential Tools (and some fun gadgets) for a Busy Vegetarian's Kitchen

If you're not going to be cooking out of a box, you are going to need some tools and gadgets in your kitchen.  Here are some items I use frequently in my own kitchen (or have gotten recently as wedding presents and plan to put in heavy rotation soon!), ranked from must haves to fun splurges:

Must Haves
Good knives: If you are going to be chopping veggies frequently, a good sharp knife will make your life much easier.  Your prep will go much faster, and you're more likely to have nice, even pieces.  While on the pricey side, these Wustof knives have made my prep go much more smoothly than my bargain basement ones.  In all fairness, we got ours as shower and wedding gifts.  In other words, they make a great gift for the vegetarian cooks in your life! But, you can easily get good, sharp knives at different price points - ask a salesperson for their recommendations.

Saute pans:  I do a lot of stovetop cooking.  It's a healthy way to prep food, and it's often faster than anything you'll make in the ovedn.  Having a nice big saute pan helps with cooking everything evenly, and it's great for one dish concoctions like the ones I often make during the week.  A pan with a lid, like this Calphalon one, also helps when you are steaming down greens like spinach, kale and chard.  Or, get an oven safe pan that you can use both on the stovetop and in the oven for things like frittatas.

Steamer Basket: I like to stream fresh broccoli, cauliflower and lima beans, rather than reheat frozen.  You get a much more vibrant color and better texture.  We do so much steaming that we registered for this nice insert, but we've also had luck with this simple metal one and this silicone one.

Glass Lock Storage Containers: These are my favorite containers for leftovers.  They've got nice, secure latches for bringing meals to work or on the road, and they are microwave and dishwasher safe.  We have a whole stack of them, and it's cut down on our plastic container and bag usage quite a bit. 

Mini Whisk: A large whisk can be cumbersome if you're only beating two eggs or making a small amount of vinaigrette.  Having a few mini whisks on hand makes mixing small portions of food less clumsy, and it takes up less space in your kitchen drawer than a standard whisk.

Fun Additions That Won't Break the Bank
Pizza Stone: Making homemade pizza is a lot of fun, and it's great for parties.  You can make your own dough or buy a store bought crust.   Either way, sprinkling your dough on cornmeal and baking it on a pizza stone in a hot oven makes things extra tasty.  This one by Oneida is very affordable and gets good reviews on Bed Bath & Beyond.

Mini Chopper: I've had this mini-chopper since I got my first apartment after college.  It's great if you have a small kitchen or aren't cooking for a lot of people.  I use it to make pesto,  to mince onions and hot peppers for guacamole and to shred carrots for kugels and other baked dishes.  We now have a big food processor for when we're making a bigger recipe, but I still use the mini when I'm cooking for just the two of us.  A similar product that's also good is this hand chopper.  I use mine to mince garlic almost every day.

Microplane: Adding citrus zest is a great way to incorporate a bright flavor into baked goods and other dishes.  A microplane helps grate lemon, lime and orange peels finely.  You can also use it on hard cheeses.

Rice Cooker: If you're making a lot of rice, it might be worthwhile to invest in a rice cooker.  I prefer the texture of rice cooker rice to boiled rice.  It also cuts the cooking time down, and you can essentially ignore it while it's cooking.  I've steamed rice with water, and made yellow rice with veggie broth and tumeric.  You can also use it for quinoa.  We have one that's essentially a family heirloom of the fiance's, but if we're ever in the market for a new one, I'd probably get something like this.

Splurges
Stand Mixer: My lust for a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer became a running family joke.  My mother got us one as a housewarming gift last summer, and it's been in rotation ever since.  I do bake a lot, so I use it for cake batter and pie crusts.  It's also great for pizza dough, kugels and anything you'd normally make with a hand beater.

Mandoline Cutter: My mother got this mandoline for us as a shower gift.  It helps make even slices, as well as cut your vegetables with some texture.  I anticipate using it for eggplant dishes, vegetable napoleons and to make crinkle cut oven baked "fries."

Panini Press: We're big panini fans.  There's endless vegetarian combinations - roasted red peppers, spinach and portabello mushrooms with cheese or a vegan cheese are particularly yummy.  I'm looking forward to using this Griddler to make paninis, along with some fun breakfast items.  If you're not up for a splurge, you can get a similar effect with a countertop sandwich maker or a George Foreman grill.

Photo courtesy of Michelle Meikeljohn.

Real Simple Yellow Cake with Strawberry Filling and Vanilla Icing

The May issue of Real Simple has a neat article with multiple cakes, frostings, filings and toppings.  The recipes can be converted into sheet cakes, layer cakes and cupcakes, and allegedly there are over 256,000 potential cakes that can be made from this article.

I decided to go with the yellow cake, strawberry filling, vanilla icing and fresh strawberry topping, with the following changes:

• I realized at the last minute we had no baking soda (oops), so I added more baking powder.
• I accidentally liquefied the strawberries instead of just pulsing them (oops again), so I chopped up some additional fresh strawberries and added them to to the filling
• I skipped the glazing of the topping (and you can make do with less than a quart - I had a lot leftover.  Fortunately, we like strawberries).

Here's some step by step documentation:

Cakes cooking on wire racks - I didn't drop them.  YAY.

The recipe said the cakes should take 22-25 minutes.  I felt mine needed to go a little longer in my oven.  Also, I was glad I took the time to butter the pans, add parchment, and butter again.  After the prescribed 15 minute cooling time in the pans, they slid right out onto the racks without breaking.

The filling that ate North Bethesda

 Next came the filling - thanks to my pureeing mishap, it was probably gooier than I intended.  Putting it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before I frosted, like the recipe suggested, was a smart move.  Especially since the stuff kept falling on my feet.  I looked like something out of a George Romero movie.

VOILA - CAKE!

The finished product!  The gooey filling make my icing a little pink, but I think it's pretty (that's what I'm telling myself anyway) and the little strawberry bits offset the pact that there is a pound of confectioners sugar in the icing. 










A couple of baking tips I used here that I generally find helpful:

• Get a mesh strainer if you don't have one - it's great for sifting flour and confectioners sugar.  I have one with two little hooks on it so you can rest it on a mixing bowl and pour your dry ingredients right into the strainer without jugging the whole shebang.
• When cutting parchment paper to fit a round cakepan, make little snips around the side in the shape of the circle, take it off the pan, and connect the snips.  I felt like a genius when I did this today.
• If you are going to make your own buttercream, have a good mixer.  I tried making buttercream a few years ago before I had the stand mixer and my hand mixer made horrible, gasping sounds.  It also helps when the butter is a room temp.
• Speaking of room temp, yes, like the recipe says, eggs and butter should be at room temp when you bake.  It really does make a difference in how well everything comes together.

Concoctions

As I was rushing to get out of work in time to get to yoga class, the fiance called me to let me know he'd be home late.  And then he asked "What are we having for dinner?"

Crap.

Yes, I love to cook ridiculously time consuming recipes.  But, sometimes I am:

A) Lazy
B) Facing a random assortment of things in the kitchen that seem to make absolutely no sense
C) Hungry enough to start gnawing on furniture

When this set of circumstances occurs, dinner is a Concoction.

Concoction is a term of my mother's - we can call her the Queen of the Concoction.  She can survey the fridge and the pantry, throw in whatever random things are available in no set amounts (aka "Enough"), cook it on the stovetop for no set time (aka "Until It's Done").  This, essentially is how I learned to cook, and also why my secret dream is for Chopped to have an amateur competition, because Mom and I would so take everyone down.  In fact, as I was sharing the blog with Mom, she said she liked it, but also asked "Are you just going to do recipes?" and I replied, "No, I promise to blog about Concoctions."

Behold the Concoction as it sautees and bubbles!

So, tonight, when I first walked in the door at 9:30, fiance was still at the gym and hunger was hardcore setting in, it was definitely Concoction time. 

First, I surveyed my options - we needed a grain, a protein and lots of veggies.  Since I love weirdo grains, we fortunately had a lot of options.  I decided to go with one with a shorter cooking time - pearled couscous.  Pearled couscous is also known as israeli couscous.  The grains are slightly larger and rounder than regular couscous.

As for protein, we had a ton of canned bean options.  I decided to go with chickpeas, since the couscous was taking us in a middle eastern direction anyway.

Next, I surveyed my produce options - leftover green onions from my veggie enchilada experiment, leftover celery root from the lasagna experiment, garlic cloves, mushroom slices and broccoli raab (okay - so I might have picked the last two items up at Safeway on the way home from yoga, but I didn't have to use them tonight).  In case you're not familiar with it, broccoli raab is a slender green vegetable.  And, as I learned tonight, it's not a form of broccoli.

After I chopped everything up, I heated olive oil in my large skillet and got the couscous going.  The onions went in first, followed by the mushrooms, fresh ground pepper, celery root, broccoli raab and chickpeas.  I added some leftover vegetable broth and let the whole thing cook down.  When the veggies were sauteed to my liking (maybe 12 minutes or so - I only know because that's how long the couscous took), I tossed in the couscous and shredded parmesan and, voila, Concoction in around 18 minutes.  And yes, it was tasty!

The finished product!

Ultimately, when you're pressed for time, you can eat a frozen meal, which is about as appetizing as a frozen brick and likely about as good for you, or you can make a Concoction.  So, if you are looking to make your own Concoction, here are some tips:

1.  Concoctions work well if you tend to have good stuff already in the fridge.  If the only stuff in your fridge is mustard, a leftover hot dog bun and bologna, you are not going to be happy with your Concoction.  So, start eating fresh produce, whole grains and beans if you're not already.

2.  Keep a well stocked pantry - As much as I eat fresh, there are a number of non-perishable items that aid any cook.  Canned beans keep well, and if you're leery of BPA, you can get ones that are BPA-Free.  Also, having a variety of quick cooking whole grains - quinoa, couscous, whole wheat pasta - will help you out.  If you really are in a crunch, I am also a fan of microwaveable pouches.  Seeds of Change makes a nice grain blend.  You should also have olive oil, an arsenal of spices and herbs (fresh is better in most cases, but dried works in a pinch . . . ha), and garlic cloves.  Cartons of vegetable broth are also a nice touch.

3.  Prep produce in advance - if your stuff is pre-washed and chopped, your Concoction will come together more quickly.  You can also have fresh-cut items on hand, like the sliced mushrooms I bought.  There are also fresh stir-fry mixes, shredded carrot and cabbage, chopped pepper mixes, bagged greens, etc. The faster you cook, the faster you eat.  And the more produce you eat, the healthier your meal is.

4.  Make Sure It's Pretty.  This is another edict of Mom's - "Food should be colorful."  As the saying goes, you eat with your eyes first.  The more of a variety of colors there are on your plate, the more appetizing the Concoction will be.  And, since fresh vegetables are the best way to put a lot of color in your meals, incorporating them in the Concoction will make your meal healthier.  So, you can do brown rice and mushrooms if you please, but I guarantee you'll be happier if you put in some carrots, yellow pepper and zucchini.  The trick is having all that stuff on hand in the first place, granted.

5.  Have something to put all this stuff in.  Having a lot of storage containers will facilitate both your prepped items, and leftover ingredients and additional servings of the Concoction for you to eat for lunch the next day.  We like these GlassLock containers.  They seal securely, which is important if you are bringing food to a potluck or bringing leftovers to work. 

I'll likely feature more Concoctions as the blog goes on, so stay tuned.