Good Date, Good Risotto

 I was really hoping to put together a bitter, man-hating cookbook full of vegan recipes and bad date stories. To further that goal, I had a friend over to cook risotto, play scrabble, and drink a bunch of red wine. Secretly, I think I was hoping for some fantastic story about burning down my apartment or him spilling red wine all over my carpet. It would have been great if he got belligerently drunk and had to be forcibly removed from my apartment. Unfortunately, all that happened was that we made a killer risotto and I got my ass kicked in Scrabble. I suppose I could always do a chapter on good dates and good recipes, but I'm not sure how many of the 23 dates I went on between January and May would make it into that category.
So, it looks like it's back to the drawing board on the whole cook-book concept, but there's more than one reason behind that. I can save all that for another post, in the meantime, let's get down to the risotto.
A risotto is created by gently pan-frying grains of aborrio rice and then slowly adding liquid to the rice as it cooks. The secret to risotto is that you have to stand there and stir the rice almost constantly for about 20 minutes. That's what makes risotto the perfect date meal, because you can do all of the exciting work and then make your date stand at the stove and stir it for you. I actually busied myself about the task of making vegan brownies, but it is entirely possible to make up a task on the far side of the kitchen, and as long as it is more interesting than stirring, you would be coming out ahead. Now, this can probably blow up in your face if your date doesn't know what they are doing. It's amazing sometimes how people manage to screw up the simplest things. I was lucky enough to leave my risotto in competent hands and we were rewarded with a risotto so rich and creamy that it's hard to believe it's actually vegan. The mushrooms and peas in this recipe pack in a solid serving of vegetables and the spices that we ended up using were delicious, if a little unconventional. I paired the risotto with a salad, although I suppose you could use it as a side dish. However, it's so delicious that you won't want to touch anything else on your plate and so filling that you don't need anything else for a perfect meal, except maybe some witty banter and a nice glass of pinot noir?

My First Time

The other day I was sifting through my desk at work, and somehow a recipe had gotten trapped in a folder full of very project management important documents. It was a hand-written copy of my very first vegan recipe. My younger sister went vegan when I was in college. I believe that she ran into some "vegangelists " at a concert and was quickly converted over to a plant-based diet. I am not proud of the fact that I was not as understanding as I should have been. It just seemed so foreign to me that she would choose to avoid all animal products. Plus, she's always been thin and gorgeous, so the benefits to her appearance were not as evident as they were on someone like me. Now I realize that she had it right back then. One Christmas I went home and, as a show of good faith, baked vegan pumpkin muffins for breakfast. Even though I wasn't sold on the whole "vegan thing" at the time, I do remember very distinctly that these muffins were more delicious than I thought they would have been.
I've tweaked the recipe just a little bit, because it did include a fair bit of sugar and fat. I left out some of the sugar, which leads to a spicier muffin, and replaced most of the fat with applesauce. Applesauce is hands-down the best fat replacer when it comes to breakfast breads. It keeps them moist and delicious without adding unnecessary inches to your waistline. These muffins are really delicious and perfect for a chilly morning, or, if you live in Southern California like me, just any time that you get a craving for some pumpkin awesomeness.

Potato Pancakes

One of my favorite Easter memories dates back to my senior year in highschool, when my friends Phil, Siobhan, and I made potato pancakes over Easter break. We used Phil's mom's recipe and ended up with what I remember to be about 3 million potato pancakes. They were delicious, but we deep fried them in oil, which is fine when you have a 17 year old metabolism, but not now. I have also been known to frequent the Red Lion in Silverlake, an open-air beer garden where the hefeweizen is cold and the potato pancakes are delicious (but so not vegan and so not low-fat).
After having some success with the idea of baked eggplant Parmesan, I wanted to try something similar with potato pancakes. Taking the eggs out of the mix created a binding issue, so I used a batter-like mixture to hold it all together. By broiling the pancakes and brushing oil on top, I got the crunch that comes from a good potato pancake with a very small amount of the fat. Also, I pre-cooked my onions, because I hate the taste of raw onions, which you can easily get stuck with if your pancakes aren't well-cooked all the way through.

Pumpkin Pancakes

On Easter, I left my comfortable sanctum of the west side and made the drive over to Silverlake to try  out the Meet Market's much-buzzed about vegan brunch buffet. I was particularly impressed by the  pancakes, which were spicy and sweet and had the distinct hint of cinnamon. I spent most of the ride back pondering what might have made those particular pancakes so special. It wasn't until I got back home that it hit me. A little light bulb went off over my head, and if I were a comic book character, my thought bubble would have been flashing "pumpkin" in some sort of comic sans font. On my next Whole Foods trip, I picked up a can of organic pumpkin puree. I like that Whole Foods stocks pumpkin puree all year long, whereas Trader Joes will usually on carry it seasonally. Libby's makes an organic 100% pure pumpkin puree, but to buy that I would have to go to a Ralphs or Albertsons. Similar to my failed experiment with adult education classes, I do not do well when I venture out into the general populace. More on that particular quirk of mine later.
I was very pleased with how these pancakes turned out. They are slightly denser and thicker than "the pancakes", which would make them perfect for a hearty fall breakfast. I know it's a bit early to plan for these things, but I will probably whip these babies up for Thanksgiving.

Light and Refreshing Fruit Salad

Is this really a recipe? I guess that I'm not sure. I think that on a very technical level, any time you put together more than 3 or 4 ingredients, it can be considered some kind of a recipe. Also, my fruit salad is more than just a couple of pieces of fruit cut up and thrown in a bowl. It has a very secret, very special dressing that is chock full of cinnamon. When I make it in the afternoon, I use champagne, but when I make it for breakfast, I use orange or pomegranate juice or whatever juice I have laying around. Obviously, such a fancy dressing gives this fruit salad a wow factor that makes me look brilliant and the people around me look very satiated.

Fruit Salad "Recipe"
4 cups of assorted fruit. I like apples, strawberries, and bananas. You can get exotic and use kiwis or even throw in some berries, it's up to you.
1/4 c. fruit juice or champagne
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. agave
I'm not going to belittle you with instructions, just be sure to mix the dressing before you toss it with the fruit.

Tofu Curry

I've said it before and I will say it again. I have recently become obsessed with Indian food, and it's not just because I'm trying to use the huge jar of curry powder I bought. Since so many Indian recipes are already vegetarian, it's really easy to adapt them to be completely vegan. Plus, the spice and strong flavors are a nice break from my staple convenience foods like salads, veggie burgers and "quesadaiyas".
Tangent: I think it's important for everyone to have a couple of go-to dishes that require little to no cooking and can be put together in a matter of minutes. It's what keeps me from breaking down and running to the nearest drive-thru. However, any really healthy lifestyle does require commitment to the kitchen. It's not easy to come up with new, nutritionally balanced meals every week. I feel like I dedicate a lot of time to researching and building recipes, and that's before I even set foot in the kitchen.
I just felt like I had to vent my semi-frustration with everyone out there, because I don't want to come off as some sort of preacher. The next time that you are stressing out about meal planning, or feel like you spend too much time in the kitchen, just know that I have been there too. The bottom line, though, is that we spent a lot of time doing a lot of things: working, hanging out with friends, running errands, etc., and it's just as important to spend time nourishing and strengthening our bodies. So, here's a recipe that I came up with so you wouldn't have to.

Vegan Cinco de Mayo

I was never a huge fan of Mexican food, and would eat it every once in a while, despite living at the epicenter of Americanized-Mexican food. Most Mexican restaurants put chicken stock and/or cheese in just about everything, and I had no problem giving them up when I went vegan. However, sometimes absence makes the heart grow fonder. As a result, when Cinco de Mayo started looming closer, I started thinking about a taco night. I was planning on being at work pretty late tonight, so I celebrated Cinco de Mayo eve last night. Please note that in some regions, it is referred to as Quatro de Mayo, and some may just know it by it's more commonly occurring instance: Taco Tuesday. I enlisted the help of a talented and capable sous chef to help bring my vision into being.
Trader Joe's has great fat-free vegan refried beans, and we jazzed them up by heating them and then mixing in about a quarter cup of cheddar daiya. They may look a little weird coming out of the can, and fresh beans would always be preferable, but as a quick side dish, they cannot be topped. Unless of course, you are also making Spanish rice. Usually I will cook brown rice in vegetable stock, but last night I also cheated and used pre-cooked brown rice, which I mixed with some sauteed onions, garlic, vegetable broth, and half a can of crushed tomatoes. We just set that on medium heat and let the liquid cook off. We took quite a few shortcuts last night, but I feel like we illustrated a very important point: it is possible to cook a quick and healthy dinner on a week night. Plus, it was delicious.
I rounded out the menu with mushroom tacos, home-made pico de gallo, and guacamole. My guacamole recipe is very simple. Take an avocado and mash it with a tablespoon of lime juice and a touch of garlic salt. That's all you need. Avocado is delicious on it's own, and if you think you need to muck it up with a bunch of other things, you are sadly mistaken. If you need to be fancy, you can garnish it with a sprig of cilantro. Otherwise, you can find an outlet for your fancy cooking by referring to the recipe that follows.