tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77306686969595614642024-03-14T13:06:17.500-04:00The Goofy GourmetProfiting from my mistakes.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.comBlogger251125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-20312086731554759982014-01-03T14:11:00.002-05:002014-01-03T14:11:27.509-05:00Mushroom, Lentil, and Chestnut RagùA ragu is meant to be a little bit sauce-like, but mine was more solid. This is my version of the Myra Kornfeld recipe in my favorite cookbook, the Voluptuous Vegan. I bought my copy about 10 years ago and have slowly worked my way through ever since, triumph by delectable triumph. Allow yourself a generous 3 to 4 hours. It tastes like Thanksgiving! All the picky eaters in my family loved it. Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-30885631953107197552014-01-03T13:52:00.001-05:002014-01-03T13:52:24.071-05:00Three Minute PolentaFor Snowed-In Blizzard Day, I made an extremely fancy dish from my favorite cookbook, The Voluptuous Vegan by Myra Kornfeld. The meal included a carbohydrate base of baked polenta triangles with broccoli rabe. Kornfeld suggested reducing the usually burdensome cooking time by mixing the stone-ground polenta with quick-cooking corn grits. She wrote that it should take 15 to 20 minutes of Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-9088577247227578762013-10-14T12:22:00.000-04:002013-10-14T13:01:39.824-04:00Tortilla Adventure and Huevos AmericanosYou have my deepest apologies for the ridiculously long absence. Unfortunately for my goofy cooking adventures, my career seems to be taking off, which means too much work, writing work. That wouldn't be such a problem if Goofy Toddler weren't also taking off, all the time, in every direction at rocket ship speed, and then keeping me awake half the night screaming, "nurse the OTHER boob! nurse Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-56538495650774992852013-06-23T16:18:00.001-04:002013-06-23T16:18:12.621-04:00Spring Sabzi, Persian Greens with Black-eyed PeasIn Farsi, the word "sabzi" means green and can refer to herbs or vegetables. This version of Sabzi is hardly the last word on the matter and—although easy and quite delicious—is a far cry from the top-of-the-line meals I enjoyed at the home of my Persian friend Roshanak. Roshanak loves to cook together several kinds of greens and herbs into a dense stew, or ash (AWSH). Then her family Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-24241455501412447232013-05-16T09:51:00.004-04:002013-05-16T09:51:51.245-04:00Mexican Vegetarian: Breakfast of Tortillas, Beans, Rice, and Eggs or AvocadoMy neighbor Alicia from Mexico kindly invited me over for breakfast twice this week. It turns out that whenever she has time to make breakfast, it's naturally vegetarian (but not vegan). Alicia assured me that if I went to a Mexican restaurant for breakfast, they would always serve the same thing that she makes herself: eggs, beans, and rice with salsa spooned generously over everything and a Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-24280725043590866352013-04-22T18:40:00.000-04:002013-04-22T18:43:38.931-04:00Mexican Vegetarian (also Gluten-Free): Enchiladas, Tamales, Empanadas, Chile Rellenos
I hope the title didn't mislead you; I don't have recipes for the above foods. What I do have is a neighbor, Laura, from Mexico who barely speaks any English and who cooks to order from her home. Her food is quite inexpensive so I've been experimenting almost weekly with vegetarian requests from her (and learning Spanish food words). This post will report on some vegetarian possibilities for Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-71307472472740368022013-03-15T12:16:00.000-04:002013-03-15T12:16:05.412-04:00Improvement on Green EnchiladasYou know what's wayyy better than those Green Enchiladas? This: Omit the sauce. Spoon a hefty dollop of Mexican crema onto the middle of a cooked tortilla, add the filling (or even some steamed broccoli, I'm serious!), sprinkle with your favorite cheese, fold into taco-shape, and gently maneuver food into orifice. Repeat.
And repeat.
And repeat.
Mmmmmm.... So luxurious.Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-83091686850881471042013-03-11T22:49:00.001-04:002013-03-11T22:49:48.310-04:00Mexican Vegetarian: Green EnchiladasThe Goofy Family is going gluten-free for two months to test for intolerance, so pretty much everything I'm posting for a while will be gluten-free. This coincides nicely with Passover, although the (Ashkenazi) Passover diet is much stricter. Let's compare gluten-free with Passover.
Gluten-free:
Nothing that contains wheat, rye, or barley. Most oats are quite contaminated.
(Ashkenazi) Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-35922468754257577782013-03-08T10:34:00.001-05:002013-03-08T10:35:04.618-05:00Kimchi Fried RiceI thought this kimchi fried rice would be exciting and invigorating. Instead I felt comforted and warmed. The spiciness increases gradually from the back of your mouth, but the rice keeps the heat from overwhelming your palate.
Kimchi Fried Rice
adapted from one of my favorite recipe authors on Serious Eats, Nick Kindelsperger
Serves 4
vegetable oil
4 Cups kimchi, chopped into bite-sized bitsSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-31618195850079702902013-03-04T11:02:00.001-05:002013-03-04T11:02:15.564-05:00Bread Pudding CasseroleThis casserole took me a whopping 4 hours to make!
…Are you still here?
Even without careful rationing the casserole fed me through three-and-half days of lunches and dinners, so it ended up saving me about 2 hours. The picky Goofy Baby loved it, I loved it, and its gorgeousness warmed my hungry heart. The bon appétit site from which I adapted the recipe tried to market this recipeSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-73108389552409497542013-02-24T10:44:00.002-05:002013-02-24T10:44:17.984-05:00ProspectusHi My Voracious Groupies,
I'm sorry to have let my blog lapse so much recently. Goofy baby plus the due date of my prospectus last Friday meant that food took last place in my priorities (after sleep). But don't worry, I'm trying out a bunch of casseroles and I'll get back to you soon on how awesome or shame-laden they make me feel.
Take care all,
SarahSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-4754808459713401352013-01-13T16:19:00.001-05:002013-01-13T16:19:33.232-05:00Pumpkin Treats: Pancakes and MilkshakesI have been called "pumpkin" by the maternal parent for much of my life, but pumpkins didn't become my favorite food until I moved to Japan. In Japanese markets they sell "kabocha," which are medium dark green round ridged squashes with bright orange insides. I could buy halves of them, just the right amount for a two-person dinner. The flesh is sweet and firm, not stringy like the flesh of many Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-73733117822004755032012-12-29T11:34:00.005-05:002012-12-29T11:34:57.705-05:00Greens and Quinoa PieI made this pie first thing after the major December holidays had finished up. For my recipe I adapted an old Myra Kornfeld recipe in the March 2010 Vegetarian Times feature on Passover.* Passover recipes in magazines usually fail to follow the rigorous dietary requirements of Ashkenazi Jews in one way or another, but I suspect that with a name like "Kornfeld," Myra figured out the rules the Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-48045330619359120262012-12-03T13:59:00.000-05:002012-12-03T13:59:39.522-05:00Two Kinds of Pasta with BeansMy friends, I apologize for how long I have gone between posts. I am doubling down on my dissertation prospectus, and meanwhile the Goofy baby has been battling an ear infection and my life is a whirlwind of insanity. Thank goodness I am not a snob about food, and I have been managing to get enough nutrition by eating these two cheap, quick dishes. And actually, they're good enough to serve to Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-8013411242453225682012-10-27T21:08:00.000-04:002012-10-27T21:08:15.621-04:00Perfect Scrambled EggsThe Goofy Family felt quite unwell one morning last week, so I offered to make eggs. For eggs to work effective magic, they have to taste, look, and feel like sunshine with a side of toast. So I looked up Science Food Man Harold McGee's recommendation for how to make "perfect" scrambled eggs, by which he means tender and moist eggs, safely cooked-through, and with even, fluffy curds. This Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-34384455900449490212012-10-26T21:29:00.003-04:002012-10-26T21:30:01.894-04:00Tangy Herbed BeansI've been seeking a quick way to freshen up cans o' beans. My pantry overflows each week with cans o' beans, and I find myself occasionally—okay, often—bored at the thought of MORE BEANS. And worse, I don't really like beans cooked in pressure cookers or slow cookers because they don't allow me enough control over the tenderness. So I'm stuck with home-boiled beans or salty canned beans (or thoseSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-59921724355445863242012-09-27T21:11:00.000-04:002012-09-27T21:11:03.509-04:00How to Reduce Food Waste, and an Easy Autumn SupperAfter reading some good advice on how to reduce food waste, I now wash and/or prepare almost all my vegetables as soon as I get back from the market. Because of this one change, I waste almost zero fresh food and eat more vegetables. Plus, I find that simple meals like this one come together much more quickly and with less expenditure of my waning end-of-day energy.
Some people Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-89558493819540322582012-09-21T12:08:00.002-04:002012-09-21T12:08:58.816-04:00Skillet Pizza"Kid tested, mother approved!"
How many times have I heard that slogan? So annoying. (Thanks a lot, 1978 Kix cereal ads.) And I don't believe that slogan for a second. I don't believe there exists a single cooked or processed food that the children in my neighborhood like AND I consider healthy.
So when 11-year-old Hannia told me she liked my skillet pizza—as long as she picked off the Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-79753536423442568012012-09-02T14:11:00.000-04:002012-09-02T14:20:07.110-04:00Moong Bean Tomato Soup
Doug and I eat a lot of bean soups. After all, why not? Bean soups answer every need: cheap, healthy, filling, and comforting in the winter. Also, practically no one is allergic to them. The only problem is that bean soups bore the palate after a while, especially if you eat them for dinner every single night. Doug varies his bean soups by adding canned pumpkin or Italian sausage. I like Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-31573615270389288772012-09-01T17:54:00.003-04:002012-09-02T14:20:55.351-04:00Alternatives to Soda and JuiceApparently, drinking sweet beverages ruins your teeth, makes you obese, and gifts you with diabetes. With any scientific discovery that a certain foodstuff or drinkstuff hastens death, you have to decide, "Am I content to live 10 years less, as long as I fill those 60 to 70 years with delicious glasses of iced guava and pineapple juices?" The jury is still out on that one, for me.
People are Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-81804556589547140272012-08-13T17:36:00.002-04:002012-09-02T14:21:26.892-04:00Hot BeansWhile on our three-week tour of the good ol' U.S. of A., I managed to sneak in a breakfast at Rick Bayless's Tortas Frontera. In the airport! I ate an egg and rajas torta with sides of smoky salsa verde and guacamole and a glass of lime juice. Crikey, it all tasted amazing!
So when I returned home, I felt very "F@*k yeah, Mexican food!" Ahem. So to speak. Then I invented this super super spicy Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-45577954947303525232012-07-08T18:03:00.000-04:002012-07-08T18:03:40.068-04:00Baked Eggs with Scallions and CheddarMy neighbors returned in the twee hours from a very long vacation to the West Coast. They more certainly did not feel like rushing out to go shopping and cooking, so I invited them over for a lazy late afternoon "brunch" (if you factor in the three-hour time difference). I made frozen strawberry banana smoothies and served them in shot glasses. Spilling in golden profusion from 3 large bowls on Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-88169075718720849982012-06-15T19:05:00.000-04:002012-06-15T19:05:32.532-04:00Bean TacosAfter making the below taco salad, my refrigerator overflowed with taco-friendly leftovers: sour cream, scallions, cilantro, lime, and avocado. So I bustled over to my local Mexican tienda and purchased fresh hand-made corn tortillas, a can of black beans, and some fresh tomatoes. As soon as I had laid taco fixings out on my kitchen counter, hungry neighborhood people began mysteriously drifting Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-15740910323772132092012-06-13T13:30:00.002-04:002012-06-13T13:30:55.399-04:00Father's Day Taco SaladWhen all six people in our family really enjoy a dish…well, that pretty much never happens. Except for this recipe. Imagine Tex-Mex taco innards, without cheese but with much more lettuce than usual, dressed simultaneously with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. In your mind's eye, crush the taco shell in your burly fists and crumble it on top. That is this salad: crunchy with lettuce and tortillaSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7730668696959561464.post-46948110159465393362012-05-23T12:20:00.000-04:002012-06-13T13:02:41.317-04:00Sweet Potato Fries—Oven-BakedWhen someone gives you a box of 16 waxed sweet potatoes, and you've only got 1 1/2 weeks to cook and eat it all, what strategy would you use? First, I pricked one and microwaved it about 5 minutes, then slit it open, mashed the flesh with a fork, and drizzled on a little bit of butter, salt, and pepper. That was good lunch for the two of us, but I didn't want to do that 15 more times in a row. SoSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16727926854306433280noreply@blogger.com1