Arborio Rice Pudding

This weekend, I happened to come across a print-out of Dave Lieberman's recipe for rice pudding
in a kitchen drawer at the home of my partner's mother here in Oceanside (Long Island), NY.

Dave Lieberman is the chef who hosted, "Good Eats with Dave Lieberman," on Food Network a few years ago. I would watch this show every Saturday morning thinking, He's cute. I would totally do him. Ha!

Dave Lieberman's rice pudding tastes similar to the rice pudding I get down the street at the A & S Italian deli. Both use arborio rice, which is a short-grain Italian rice that releases a ton of starch and becomes creamy when cooked. Yum!

As I frequently do when making desserts, I substituted Splenda for sugar to help knock down the per serving calorie count. While this dish is quick and easy to prepare, some planning ahead is required, as it does need to be cooled before serving.

Arborio Rice Pudding
Serves approximately 4

1 cup water
Pinch salt
1/2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup arborio rice
2 cups whole milk
4 tablespoons sugar or Splenda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon
Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Add the first three ingredients to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the rice and reduce to heat to low. Continue cooking the rice until it has absorbed most of the liquid but is still al dente, about 10-15 minutes.

In another saucepan, bring the milk, sugar, vanilla and a couple of dashes of cinnamon to a simmer. Add the cooked rice. Continue cooking the rice over low-medium heat until it has absorbed most of the milk and the mixture starts to thicken and become creamy, about 10-15 minutes.

Pour the contents of the saucepan in a large bowl or baking dish. Cool to room temperature. Sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon over the top. Cover and place in the refrigerator and chill for at least three hours. Serve with whipped cream.

Tempeh Bolognese

My apologies (again) for the irregular posts.

I've been spending a majority of my time (5 days per week) in Oceanside, New York to help care for my partner's mother, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor (inoperable) last year. Since December, my partner has been living in Oceanside full-time to care for his mother, with the assistance of a home health aide.

Between the weekly commuting (from Alexandria, VA) and care assistance, I've had little time to try new recipes. Lately, dinner has consisted of super quick, and inexpensive, pasta dishes that have already been posted on this blog, such as pasta with marina sauce or Batali's basic tomato sauce and penne alla vodka.

Recently, though, I came across this Vegetarian Times recipe for a tempeh bolognese. Admittedly, I prefer the taste of Giada DeLaurentis' vegetable bolognese over the tempeh bolognese. However, the tempeh bolognese is especially good if you want something that is seriously protein-packed.

Tempeh Bolognese Serves approximately 6

1 8-ounce package tempeh, crumbled (by hand)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth or red wine
1/2 cup chopped flat fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the crumbled tempeh and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, garlic, carrots, dried herbs, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for about five minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the tomato paste and broth/wine. Continue cooking for another five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the crushed tomatoes. Simmer over low-medium heat for about 20 minutes. Stir in the fresh parsley and basil, and serve over pasta.

About Pressure Cookers

This is the pressure cooker set that I own, and I love it!

This Fagor set comes with two pot sizes (4 quart and 8 quarter), a pressure cooker lid and a glass lid that fits both pots, and a pasta/steamer insert.

Because I do not do a lot of pressure cooking, I appreciate the fact that the pots do double duty. I keep the smaller pot on the stove and use it almost daily for regular cooking. It heats up water quickly, and it's large enough that I can cook spaghetti in it. I typically use the larger pot if I'm making a large batch of tomato sauce.

Initially, I was going to purchase the set manufactured by Kuhn Rikon. Ultimately, price dictated my decision to go with Fagor.

Split Pea Soup In Under 30 Minutes

I could have titled this post, "Easy Split Pea Soup," but having looked at the titles of my two previous posts . . . .

Making split pea soup can be time consuming. Normally, you would be required to either soak the split peas overnight or cook the split peas for about 1 1/2 to 3 hours before pureeing them in a blender.

A pressure cooker, on the other hand, absolutely pulverizes the living $&%# out of dried split peas in about 12-15 minutes. No soaking required. No blender required. With a pressure cooker, you can make split pea soup for dinner on a weekday after coming home from work and not have to serve it at 9 p.m.

Split Pea Soup
Serves approximately 4-6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cups green split peas

8 cups vegetable broth (plus an additional 2 cups broth or water to thin out soup, if necessary)

1-2 teaspoons dried thyme

Salt, to taste
Sour cream (optional)

Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the next five ingredients listed above. Stir, cover, lock the lid in place, and increase the heat until high pressure has been attained. Lower the heat enough (usually low-medium) to maintain that pressure for an additional 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes has elapsed, turn off the heat and let the pressure begin to fall naturally. (If you have an electric stove, as I do, take the pot off the hot burner.) After 10 minutes has elapsed, open the valve to release any remaining pressure, if necessary.

If the consistency of the soup is too thick, thin it out with some water or additional vegetable broth. Stir in the thyme and salt. Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

"The Cove"

I've started living part-time in Oceanside (approximately 30-45 minutes outside of NYC) to help care for a family member. Initially, I was taking the train. Recently, though, I have been taking the bus and have been impressed by this mode of transportation for long distance travel. It's approximately $18 from DC to NY Penn Station on Bolt Bus. The return trip costs approximately $25 on DC2NY.

While en route to NY last week, I fired up my laptop and watched the film, "The Cove." It's a documentary film about the efforts of activist Ric O'Barry (the dolphin trainer from the "Flipper" television series) to expose the dolphin hunting practices of villagers in Taiji, a small fishing town in Japan. It's suspenseful and literally had me on the edge of my (bus) seat.

This film is highly rated, with a Metacritic score of 84 out of 100.

Easy Greek Style Salad

When I'm cooking, I have a tendency to focus on the main dish. For a side dish, I frequently find myself throwing together a mixed salad with bagged greens, tomatoes and avocados, which I toss in a dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. It's a mindless effort.

Last night, I made this simple Greek style side salad. I love cucumbers, and this was nice change-up from the usual. And I wrapped the leftovers in lavash bread to have for lunch this afternoon.

Greek Style Salad
Serves approximately 4

3 small tomatoes, chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 large green bell pepper, seeded, cored, and chopped
20 pitted kalamata olives
6 ounces feta cheese, cubed or crumbled

For the dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. In a large bowl, toss the vegetables, olives and cheese with the dressing and serve.

Easy Tiramisu

On New Year's Eve, I attended a small, potluck-style party at a friend's home.

This year, I volunteered to bring a dessert. I made tiramisu using savoiardi (Italian lady fingers) I had purchased last month at Litteri's, a small Italian grocery store located in the District. (In an article I read in Cooks Illustrated, the author stresses the importance of using savoiardi cookies rather than the spongy, cake-like lady fingers more commonly found in regular supermarkets.)

While I'm not really a dessert person, I do love tiramisu. And it's so simple to make, as demonstrated below. To knock down the calories somewhat, and to get an early start on my goal of losing 10 pounds during the new year, I used Splenda instead of sugar.

Ideally, this tiramisu should be refrigerated overnight before serving to allow the egg/mascarpone mixture, which is layered between the coffee-soaked cookies, to set.

Tiramisu
Serves 10-12

• 40 lady fingers
• 3 cups strongly brewed espresso coffee, cooled
• 1 cup Splenda
• 5 eggs, whites and yolks separated
• 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
• 1/4 cup cognac
• Cocoa powder for dusting
  

Add the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of coffee, Splenda and cognac to a large bowl and beat for 2-3 minutes. Add the mascarpone cheese and beat another 3-5 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed. Gently fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.

Take each lady finger, dip one side into the remaining coffee, and layer on the bottom of a 9-inch-by-12-inch baking dish. Spread half of the egg/mascarpone mixture over the lady fingers. Dust with a layer of cocoa powder. Repeat with the remaining lady fingers and the egg/mascarpone mixture. Dust with a final layer of cocoa powder.

Cover the baking dish with plastic or foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, before serving.

Ratatouille for Christmas

I've made ratatouille before, but this version - from Julie Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" - is the best I've had. It was so flavorful!

I decided to make ratatouille for dinner on Christmas, with couscous on the side, because my partner's mother had not had any version of this dish before. This dish also fit my need and my partner's need for a main course that was healthy and low in calories, to offset the candies and cookies we had been noshing on throughout the week.

This ratatouille did take me a bit longer to make than anticipated, because I had forgotten that the eggplant and zucchini needed to be salted and set aside for about 30 minutes before sauteing. It took an additional 40 minutes to finish preparing dinner.

You will need a skillet with a cover and a 2 1/2-quart pot with a cover. As for how to peel, seed, and juice a tomato, instructions may be found here.

Ratatouille
Serves approximately 4

1/2 pound eggplant, peeled, cut into 1-inch-by-3-inch pieces
1/2 pound zucchini, ends cut off, and cut into same-size pieces
1/2 pound yellow onions, thinly sliced
1 pound ripe (but firm) red tomatoes, peeled and seeded
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 green bell peppers, sliced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons minced parsley
Salt and pepper

Separately toss the eggplant and zucchini in salt, place in bowls (or colanders), and set aside for about 30 minutes. Rinse the salt from the eggplant and zucchini and pat dry with a dish towel.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the eggplant until browned on both sides, about 1 minute. Remove from the skillet and repeat with the zucchini. Remove the zucchini from the skillet.

Cook the onions and peppers in the same skillet until the onions become soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Slice the tomatoes into 3/8-inch strips and lay them on top of the onions. Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes start to release their juices. Uncover and baste the tomatoes with their juices. Continue cooking over medium-high heat for several more minutes until the juices have almost evaporated.

Divide the tomato-onion mixture into thirds and divide the eggplant and zucchini into halves. Place one-third of the tomato-onion mixture on the bottom of a 2 1/2 quart pot. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of parsley over this layer.

Layer half of the eggplant and zucchini on top of the tomato-onion mixture in the pot. Repeat this layering process with another one-third of the tomato-onion mixture and parsley and the remaining eggplant and zucchini. Finish with the remaining tomato-onion mixture and parsley.

Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Uncover and tip the pot to baste with the juices. Cook uncovered for another 15 minutes, basting several more times, until most of the juices have evaporated. Serve and enjoy!

Happy Holidays/Very Merry Christmas

"Someone's Happy for the Season!" from Robert Snache

To all of you and your families!!!

-David

Gratin Dauphinois

'Tis the season for cheap eats, at least in my case. Around this time every year, I find myself cringing each time I review my credit card balance.

This gratin dauphinois is inexpensive and simple to make. This version uses low fat milk, as opposed to whole milk, and light cream, instead of heavy cream or creme fraiche. I think serving it in individual gratin dishes classes up the meal in terms of presentation. Recently, I was in a restaurant supply store in the District and stumbled upon some gratin dishes I really liked. They were the right size and the right color for just $3.99 each.

For two persons, take two large russet potatoes (between 1 1/2 to 2 lbs) and cut them into 1/8" to 1/4" slices. A food processor or a mandoline slicer is helpful here.

Put the potatoes in a large pot or pan and cover with 2-3 cups of low fat (not skim) milk. Add a dash or so of salt and bring to a boil over medium to medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and continue cooking the potatoes for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, rub the inside of a baking dish or individual gratin dishes with crushed garlic cloves. Next, rub the inside of the baking dish or individual gratin dishes with unsalted butter. Drain the potatoes and layer half the potatoes along the bottom of the baking dish or gratin dishes. Sprinkle grated gruyere cheese over the potatoes and then some fresh thyme leaves and salt. Splash some light cream on top. Add the remaining potatoes and repeat with the cheese, thyme, salt and cream.

Place the baking dish or individual gratin dishes in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven when the top or tops become golden brown and the edges bubbly. Let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Koyo Foods Brand Packaged Ramen Soup

Making ramen noodle soup from scratch isn't difficult at all.

Sometimes, though, I get a craving for ramen, but don't want to spend more than, say, 4 minutes preparing it.

The packages of ramen soup (Nissin or Maruchan brands) that are commonly found in grocery stores aren't vegetarian friendly. Their flavor packets typically contain animal byproducts. I also avoid these ramen packages because their flavor packets contain monosodium glutamate (MSG).

While the vegetarian Koyo Foods brand packages of ramen soup I recently purchased at My Organic Market in Alexandria contain no MSG, their sodium content is nonetheless high. For example, the Seaweed Ramen I had for lunch on Sunday contains 785 mgs of sodium, which is, unfortunately, comparable to the amount of sodium found in packages of Nissin and Maruchan brands of ramen.



As for taste, the Koyo ramen soup was quite good. The broth for the Seaweed Ramen was like a very light miso soup. I'll definitely keep a few packages on hand, for a quickie lunch or snack.

If you can get your hands on this product, it's worth checking out. Amazon sells 12 packages for about $15.

My Vegetarian Thanksgiving (Photos)

I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving!

I decided earlier this week to make a vegetable pot pie and serve it with a simple tossed salad (approximately 2 parts olive oil to 1 part white vinegar for the dressing). I used this recipe for the main dish. For a light pie crust topping, I used sheets of filo dough. I had seen Ellie Krieger do the same during a recent episode of her Food Network show, "Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger," in which she made chicken pot pie.



Vegetarian Pot Pie
Serves 4-6

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (I used 2 tablespoons)
• 2 small heads fennel (anise), core removed and finely chopped (I used 1 medium head)
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (I used the entire onion)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped (I used 3 carrots)
• 12 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced (I used one 8-ounce package of pre-sliced mushrooms )
• 1 small russet potato, peeled and diced small (I used 2 small potatoes)
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup mushroom broth
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives
• 1/4 cup chopped flat Italian parsley
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

For the crust topping:

• 3 sheets filo dough
• Extra virgin olive oil, for brushing
• Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots and fennel and saute until the onions soften, about 2-5 minutes. Add the potatoes and mushrooms and continue cooking for about another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables. Stir until the vegetables are coated with the flour. Add the milk and broth, bring to a simmer. Stir in the peas, chives and parsley, and continue cooking until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the filling into an 8-inch-by-8-inch baking dish. Brush 3 individual sheets of filo dough with olive oil (one side only) and layer on top of the filling. Tuck the excess filo along the inside edges of the baking dish.



Sprinkle the top with grated parmesan cheese and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven when the crust topping becomes golden brown. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

More photos of the pot pie:





The nice thing about this main course is that it's not heavy at all. This meant that I was able to enjoy dessert afterward - a generous slice of apple pie made by my partner's mother using Granny Smith apples!



And, of course, the post-meal nap:

(More) Vegetarian Thanksgiving News

"My mother's pumpkin pie" via Maggie Hoffman

More vegetarian-themed Thanksgiving news articles:

• "In lieu of turkey, Thanksgiving sparks vegetable-inspired creativity" via CNN
• "What, No Turkey?!" via Epicurious

I've decided to do a vegetable pot pie, with a simple side salad, on Thursday. I was going back and forth this morning between that and Mark Bittman's tomato paella. I just returned from the grocery store (where turkey is priced at only $1.19 per pound, while apples are priced at $2.49 per pound) with all of the ingredients. Hopefully, I'll have some decent photos of the meal to show you on Friday.

Hope y'all have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Ideas for a Vegetarian Thanksgiving Meal

"Vegetarian Herb Stuffing (3)" from ccharmon

I thought these articles might be of interest to readers who are preparing Thanksgiving meals next week. The post from Chef in You was particularly good.

• Thanksgiving 2009" via Chef In You
• "What to feed your vegan guest on Thanksgiving" via Newsleader
• "A Very Vegetarian Thanksgiving: Best Restaurant Feasts & Tips for Cooking at Home" via Digital City
• "Vegetarian Thanksgiving Menu" via River Wired

My partner and I are probably going to cook something Italian for Thanksgiving, which will be a gathering of four, including his mother and his aunt. I was thinking of a really nice lasagna. But after reading the articles above, I really like the idea of a vegetable pot pie.

What are you ideas for a vegetarian or vegan Thanksgiving?

Vegetarian Cassoulet

Leftover cassoulet - thick and hearty!

Work has eased up somewhat, so I'm back to weekday cooking . . . sort of.

Recently, I restocked some pantry basics, such as pasta, extra virgin olive oil, vegetable broth, and canned diced tomatoes. I still need to get my butt over to the big Asian supermarket in Fairfax, Virginia, to pick up some Asian noodles, kombu (dried seaweed used to make vegan stock for soups), and rice.

I'm still arriving home from the office later than usual. What I've been doing lately is finding recipes that I can prepare in mass quantities to avoid cooking everyday. The plan: cook one day; reheat the next. The chili recipe that I posted two weeks ago is a perfect example of this.

As good as that chili recipe was, I think this vegetarian cassoulet recipe that I found on Epicurious might be even better. A cassoulet is a French "peasant stew" typically made with meat and beans. It is a hearty dish that, like the chili, tastes better the next day when all the flavors have had time to meld.

I incorporated some of the suggestions that were made in the comments section on Epicurious, including the addition of a can of fire roasted tomatoes. I also doubled the ingredients listed below, which ended up being a mistake. I was only cooking for two, and I ended up with an insane amount. The recipe, as written, is more than sufficient for two people over the course of two meals.

Vegetarian Cassoulet
Serves 4 to 6

• 3 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, cut in half lengthwise and then in 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 medium carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/4 extra virgin olive oil
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 2 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 14-ounce cans cannellini or Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 quart water (I used half vegetable broth and half water)
• 1 14-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Bread Crumb Topping:

• 4 cups fresh bread crumbs from a baguette
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or other large heavy pot. Add the leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, herb sprigs, bay leave, cloves, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Continue cooking for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Add the beans, water (or broth), and canned tomatoes and simmer, partially covered, until the carrots become tender (not mushy), about 30 minutes.

While the cassoulet simmers, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and begin preparing the bread crumb topping. Toss the first three ingredients together and spread on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet on a middle rack and toast for 10-15 minutes, until the crumbs become crisp and golden. When the crumbs cool, stir in the parsley.

When the cassoulet is near done cooking, remove the bay leaf and herb sprigs and take a potato masher (or large spoon) and mash some of the beans directly in the pot to thicken the stew. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the cassoulet into bowls, sprinkle the bread crumbs on top, and serve.