Sushi Bowl

From 101cookbooks.com, by Heidi Swanson.

Ann:  Can you tell I really like Heidi Swanson's recipes?  Someday I'm going to buy your book, Heidi. The dressing has a nice citrus tang and somehow I got hooked on nori seaweed, so anything with that ingredient always catches my eye.  Filling and lets me pretend I'm in Asia.

I've included the instructions for cooking brown rice here, but when I'm pinched for time I just grab for frozen, pre-cooked brown rice (freeze it yourself, or look for it in the freezer section at Whole Foods).

2 cups short-grain brown rice
3 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 (4-inch) square sheets nori seaweed
6 ounces extra-firm tofu
grated zest and juice of one orange
grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons (raw) brown sugar (reg. sugar is ok too)
2 tablespoons shoyu sauce (or soy sauce)
2 tablespoons (brown) rice vinegar
4 green onions, chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Rinse and drain the rice two or three times. Combine the rice, water, and salt in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, cover, and simmer gently until the water is absorbed, about 45 minutes.
Toast the nori in a preheated 300F degree oven or a medium-hot skillet for a few minutes. Crumble or chop coarsely.
Drain the tofu and pat it dry. Cut the block of tofu lengthwise through the middle to make four 1/4-to 1/2-inch thick sheets of tofu. Two at a time, cook in a dry skillet or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high for a few minutes until browned on one side. Flip gently, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy. Let cool, enough to handle, then cute crosswise into matchsticks (see photo). Repeat with the remaining sheets.
To make the dressing, set the sheets aside. Combine the orange juice lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 1 or 2 minute, the add the shoyu and vinegar. Return to a gentle boil and cook another 1 or 2 minutes, until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the zests.
When the rice is done, stir in 1/3 cup of the dressing and add more to taste. Scoop the rice into individual bowls and top with the toasted nori, green onions, tofu, avocado slices, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds.
Makes 4-6 servings.

Peanut Butter Cookies

From 101cookbooks.com, by Heidi Swanson

Ann:  Ok, these cookies were way too good and I ate just about the whole batch.  They were soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  I vow to make another batch only if I have someone else present to manage how many I pop in my mouth.

Spelt flour bakes into a slightly darker cookie (photo), whole wheat pastry flour is slightly blonder - more traditional in appearance in the end. Finish the cookies with chopped nuts or a sprinkling of flaky salt. I'd also recommend seeking out a peanut butter that is well combined, and not super-oily (extra slick) looking - to avoid problems with the cookie batter.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, spelt flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup organic, chunky natural peanut butter
1 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Place racks in the top third.
In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. in a separate larger bowl combine the peanut butter, maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla. Stir until combined. Pour the flour mixture over the peanut butter mixture and stir until barely combined - still a bit dusty looking. Let sit for five minutes, give one more quick stir, just a stroke or two. Now drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Press down on each one gently with the back of a fork. It's a loose batter, so if you're set on doing criss-crosses, go ahead and chill the batter for an hour or so before this step. Bake for 10, maybe 11 minutes - but don't over bake or they will be dry. Let cool five minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.
Make 2 - 3 dozen cookies. 

Creamy Black Bean Soup

Taste tested and approved by Micah. On my schedule for dinner tomorrow night.

Saute in Olive Oil:

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

Add:

3 C. chicken/veggie broth

3 cans black beans (don't drain, don't rinse)

1/2+ tsp chili powder

1/2+ tsp cumin

Simmer on low for 8 min.

Add a handful of cilantro and 1 Tbsp lime juice.

Let cool a bit and then scoop out most of the beans and coarsley puree.  (Is that possible?  I just made that up? :))  I did a chunky puree because I wanted some chunks in my soup.  Do whatever you want.  It has a really good flavor.

Servce with sour cream, cheese, cilantro, chips and avocados.  (I just put a little cheese on top with some tortilla chips...YUM!)

Easy Little Bread Recipe

From 101cookbooks.com by Heidi Swanson.

Ann: In my heart I want to make bread every day, or at least often, but I'm intimidated because I don't have a mixer and I don't want to knead away my few precious moments of Me time while my boys nap. Then I came across this recipe and I whipped up a loaf for dinner tonight. Easy, tasty and will be on my table again.

1 1/4 cups / 300 ml warm water (105-115F)
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
1 tablespoon runny honey
1 cup / 4.5 oz / 125 g unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup / 5 oz / 140 g whole wheat flour
1 cup / 3.5 oz / 100 g rolled oats (not instant oats)
1 1/2 teaspoons fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted, for brushing

In a medium bowl, sprinkle the yeast onto the warm water and stir until the yeast dissolves. Stir in the honey and set aside for a few minutes, until the yeast blooms and swells a bit - 5 - 10 minutes.
In the meantime, mix the flours, oats, and salt in a large bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir very well.
Brush a 8-cup loaf pan generously with some of the melted butter. Turn the dough into the tin, cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth, and set in a warm place for 30 minutes, to rise.
Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C, with a rack in the middle. When ready, bake the bread for 35-40 minutes, until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan. I finish things up by leaving the bread under the broiler for just a heartbeat - to give the top a bit deeper color. Remove from oven, and turn the bread out of the pan quickly. Let it cool on a rack so it doesn't steam in the pan. Serve warm, slathered with butter.
Makes 1 loaf.
Adapted from Gran's Kitchen: Recipes from the Notebooks of Dulcie May Booker.
Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 35 min

Baked Farro Pasta

From 101cookbooks.com, by Heidi Swanson.

I'll be honest, this recipe requires quite a bit of preparation but I liked the result.  My husband was so-so about it, but in the end he ate the left overs quite easily.  I love cabbage recipes and used brussels sprouts in this one.


You can use pretty much any green cabbage here - savoy, napa, or even shredded brussels sprouts if you have some to use up. On the pasta front I call for farro tagliatelle, but you can substitute a wide range of pasta shapes and types. For example, fettuccine, penne, broken lasagne, etc. And you can experiment beyond farro - whole wheat pastas, buckwheat, spelt, they'll all work nicely here. Lastly, I don't hammer this point to death down below, but do your best to salt/season each of the casserole components as you go. Each should taste great on its own.

1 pound small waxy potatoes, for example Yukon gold, fingerling, Yellow Finn
fine grain sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
2 medium leeks, trimmed, thinly sliced, well washed
3 garlic gloves, minced
1/2 medium head of cabbage (about 1 lb / 16 oz / 450g), cored and shredded
1/2 cup / 120 ml vegetable broth or water
1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
16 fresh sage leaves
12 ounces / 340 g dried farro tagliatelle, broken into 3-inch segments
4 ounces soft-rind, creamy cheese, cut into tiny cubes (for example, I used this Ardrahan farmhouse cheese, but Stracchino, fontina, or tallegio could all work too)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for cooking the pasta.
In the meantime, in a separate pan, cover the potatoes with water and a few big pinches of salt. Simmer until just tender, somewhere between 30 - 45 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes. Drain well, then slice into 1/4-inch rounds, toss gently with a bit of salt. Set aside.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and cook until soft, a few minutes. Stir in the garlic. Stir in the cabbage, and then the broth. Season with salt and cook, covered, for a few minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. Remove from heat and stir in the mustard, then 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and half of the slivered sage leaves. Taste, adjust the seasoning if needed, and set aside. It should taste good on its own, with an assertive mustard flavor at this point.
Cook the pasta in generously salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Generously butter a 9 x 13-inch (23cm x 33cm) baking dish, or equivalent. Arrange 1/2 of the noodles evenly in the bottom of the dish. Layer half the cabbage mixture, half of the potatoes, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, and half of the cubed cheese on top of the noodles. Arrange the remaining noodles over the cheese and cover with the remaining cabbage, potatoes, and cubed cheese. Finish with the remaining Parmesan and slivered sage.
At this point you can cover and refrigerate the casserole for up to a couple days, or bake in a 400F degree oven for 45 - 60 minutes - until the top is nicely golden, and it is hot throughout. Serve hot.
Serves 6 - 8.

Prep time: 60 min - Cook time: 60 min

Szechwan Tempeh over Rice

From One-Dish Vegetarian Meals by Robin Robertson.

I made a few substitutions with this one using things I found in my fridge and it turned out great. Tofu instead of tempeh, and added in cauliflower and sugar snap peas.  I like a recipe that is flexible enough to be made last minute with ingredients on hand.

1 T safflower oil
1 pound poached tempeh, cut into 1/2-in-wide slices
1 carrot, cut diagonally into 1/4-in pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-in pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
2 t minced fresh ginger
2 scallions, minced
1/4 t red pepper flakes
2 T dry sherry
2 T tamari
1/2 c vegetable stock or water
1 T cornstarch dissolved in 2 T water
4 to 5 c hot cooked long-grain white or brown rice

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the tempeh and stir-fry until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot and bell pepper and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Stir in the garlic, ginger, scallions, and red pepper flakes and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Stir in the sherry, tamari, and stock. Then stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook until the sauce thickens. Serve over the rice.

Mediterranean Bean Salad

From allrecipes.com by sourdough girl.

This is one of my favorite summer salads, and now one of my favorite winter salads.  Great over crisp romaine lettuce with warm bread.

1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained
1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 c chopped red onion
1/2 c chopped fresh parsley
1 t capers, rinsed and drained
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t salt, or to taste

In a large bowl, stir together the garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lemon juice and zest, tomato, onion, parsley, capers, olive oil and salt.  Cover, and refrigerate for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, before serving.