Turkish Zucchini Pancakes
February 9, 2009 at 10:05 pm | Posted in cooking, Flexitarian, Food, photography, Recipes, Vegetarian | 5 CommentsTags: cooking, feta, Food, recipe, Turkish Zucchini Pancakes, Vegetarian, zucchini, zucchini pancakes
Every once in a while, we all have one of those great orgasmic-like responses to a certain food. Don’t lie, you know you do. Or maybe it’s just me?
Well, these zucchini pancakes gave me one of those responses.
I have always loved zucchini pancakes, but these aren’t just any old zucchini pancake–these are Turkish. I know, I know, every Turkish grandmother has her own way of making these wonderful little treats, and I know this recipe cannot hold a candle to her’s, BUT it has to be the next best thing.
I read the reviews on Epicurious.com–many people eliminated the nuts, but I’m pleading, unless you have a nut allergy (God love ya!), add the nuts to this recipe.
ABOVE: Turkish Zucchini Pancakes
I added a dallop of plain yogurt for garnish, but you can add sour cream if you want to.
Turkish Zucchini Pancakes (with my adjustments)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
4 eggs, beaten to blend
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoons dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)
2/3 cup chopped walnuts (about 3 ounces)
Olive oil
Place zucchini in colander. Sprinkle zucchini with salt and let stand 30 minutes to drain. Squeeze zucchini between hands to remove liquid, then squeeze dry in several layers of paper towels.
Combine zucchini, chopped green onions, 4 eggs, flour, chopped dill, parsley, tarragon, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in medium bowl. Mix well. Fold in crumbled feta cheese. (Zucchini mixture can be prepared 3 hours ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate. Stir to blend before continuing.) Fold chopped walnuts into zucchini mixture.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Place baking sheet in oven. Cover bottom of large nonstick skillet with olive oil. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop zucchini mixture into skillet by heaping tablespoonfuls. Fry until pancakes are golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer each batch of pancakes to baking sheet in oven to keep warm. Serve pancakes hot.
Super Easy Granola on a Rainy/ Romantic Seattle Day
February 9, 2009 at 9:44 pm | Posted in baking, cooking, Flexitarian, Food, photography, Recipes, Vegetarian | 5 CommentsTags: breakfast, cereal, cooking, food baking, Food Matters, fruit, granola, homemade granola, Mark bittman, nuts, rain, recipe, romance, Seattle, weather
ABOVE: Fog in settling over the tree in my backyard.
It’s been a rough winter. Snow, ice, fog, freezing temperatures, and our usual–rain.
I’ll tell ya, I’ve struggled with the overcast skies for years. At some point, the wise Western Washingtonian finds a way to turn the weather into a positive. For the past ten years, I’ve referred to our weather as “romantic”. I now realize romance is a bit over rated. Enough with the romance already.
I do believe my love of cooking and baking is directly related to Seattle weather. Can you think of anything more enjoyable than cooking or baking on a rainy, overcast day? I didn’t think so.
After reading Mark Bittman’s “Food Matters”, I’ve challenged myself to eat more vegetables and fruits. As I write this post, I’m snacking on a mixture of chopped oranges, apples, pecans, unsweetened coconut, sliced and bananas. It tastes like I’m eating dessert. Granted, fruit is full of sugar, but this has got to be good for me.
I could make a smoothie, but they seldom fill me up. I’m sure it’s all in my head, but I only have the one head, so I tend to believe it.
I made Mark Bittman’s granola recipe a few weeks ago. It has to be better for me than boxed cereal. It certainly tastes better!
I did manage to buy most of my ingredients in bulk, and that saved a bit.
I added my nuts whole, and coarsely chopped–for a heartier bite. You might prefer smaller pieces.
I really love to have granola in my yogurt too, so this will be both a cereal and a topper for me.
HOMEMADE GRANOLA Food Matters, by Mark Bittman
5 cups rolled oats (not quick cooking or instant), or other rolled grains
3 cups mixed nuts and seeds, like sunflower seeds, chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews, and sesame seeds
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tsp ground cinnamon, or other spices to taste
1/2 to 1 cup honey, or maple syrup to taste
salt
1 tsp vanilla (optional)
1-1 1/2 cups raisins or chopped dried fruit
Heat oven to 350. In a lg bowl combine oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, cinnamon, sweetener, and vanilla. Sprinkle with a little salt (not too much!). Toss well to thoroughly distribute ingredients. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet, bake for 30 minutes ,or a little longer, stirring occasionally.
The granola should brown evenly. The darker it gets, without burning, the crunchier it will be.
Remove pan from oven and add raisins. Cool on a rack, stirring now and then until the granola reaches room temperature. Put in a sealed container and keep in fridge. It will keep indefinitely.
WHAT I USED:
-5 cups rolled oats
-3/4 cup thick chopped almonds, 1/2 cup whole almonds, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1/3 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds, 1/3 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
-1 cup large shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 tsp cinnamon
-3/4 cup blackberry honey
-about 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
-1 tsp vanilla (I stirred it into the honey)
-1 cup of dried blueberries
DON’T forget to stir in oven as it gradually turns golden
I thought it was browning too fast, so immediately after removing from oven I poured it onto another sheet to stop the cooking. It browns, but as you stir, the unbrowned surfaces. It was done in 25-30 minutes.
Let it cool completely before storing. I use 1/3- 1/2 cup per serving.
To see the steps, click below for more.. Continue Reading Super Easy Granola on a Rainy/ Romantic Seattle Day…
Winter Vegetable Soup and Tassajara Honey Wheat Bread
January 21, 2009 at 5:37 pm | Posted in Awareness, baking, Breads, cooking, Flexitarian, Food, photography, Recipes | 12 CommentsTags: baking, baking bread, bread, cooking, diet, healthy, homemade bread, Honey Wheat bread, How to Cook Your Life, recipe, soup, Tassajara Bread, vegetable soup, vegetable soup recipe, Vegetarian, wheat bread, whole foods, Winter Vegetable soup
WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP-Garnished with cranberry goat cheese and scallions
I enjoy food. I seriously enjoy eating a great meal. How I define a good meal, depends on my mood. Sometimes a slice of pepperoni pizza and an Italian chop salad is a great meal. One of my favorite meals is spaghetti and meatballs–just like my Great Grandma DeFranco used to make–oh, is that ever a great meal!
As the depth of winter reaches in and tries to snuff out my light, I know I need to eat more vegetables. I don’t know if anybody else experiences this, but I know I do.
There are times when I’m going forward with my day, minding my own darn business, when all of a sudden I have a beet attack! Seriously, I crave beets. Not only that, but once I get my hands on some beets, I eat them so fast I have to remind myself to stop and breathe! Obviously, something in my body is craving the nutrients of the beet, and I need to pay attention to it.
Every now and again, I get these little whole food cravings: carrots, curried soups, sauteed spinach with pecans, chard with garlic and crushed peppers, fruit salad, pomegranates, sweet potatoes with butter–the list goes on and on.
In the middle of writing this, I have succumbed to another craving–avocado with oranges and vinaigrette. I just sliced up an entire avocado, chopped an orange, mixed them together and sprinkled them with olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper. See? I feel better now.
I was having a vegetable soup craving the other day, and I found a recipe at Epicurious.com that looked quite appetizing. I cooked it last night and served it with my homemade honey wheat bread. It would also be wonderful with a roast chicken dinner.
This soup is vegetarian, but you can replace the vegetable stock with chicken stock, which I did.
Leave off the goat cheese and you have an amazing vegan soup.
Winter Vegetable Soup (Click on recipe name for original recipe)
This soup calls for: 1 c. chopped: turnip, sweet potato, butternut squash, granny smith apple, carrots, and onion(I doubled and added 2 cups of each)
Also, 3 Tbsp olive oil ( I doubled it to 6 Tbsp) 5 cups chicken stock (I doubled and used only 8 or 9 cups) 1/4 cup maple syrup and cayenne pepper to taste. I used 1/2 tsp for the double batch–it was indeed spicy!
I thought buying organic vegetables and maple syrup was going to put me over the top and make the cost too high, but I ended up with enough vegetables to double the recipe! I didn’t double the maple syrup, as I found it sweet enough with the 1/4 cup. For less than $12, I had a huge pot of vegetable soup that will last us all week.
I might experiement with this soup by adding curry and coconut milk or cinnamon and cloves.
Of course, no soup is complete without a great loaf of homemade bread!
Allow me to start, by saying, I’m not a fan of wheat bread. I’m a white bread gal. Seriously. I’m trying to acquire a taste for wheat bread because I’m told it is so much healthier than white bread. I’m not about to give up my Artisan bread or baguettes, Italian bread, or any white bread for that matter. I am, however, open minded, and I have wanted to try this bread recipe every since I watched the documentary, “How to Cook Your Life”. I went right out and bought The Tassajara bread book too!
This is the first Honey Wheat bread I’ve ever loved! I’m not kidding, I love this stuff. Now, granted, I did add two cups of regular white flour–yes, I know that is cheating, but there is a whopping 6 cups of whole wheat flour in this recipe as well.
These babies were bursting out of my large bread pans!
The next day, it still sliced and tasted beautiful!
Want to see the Tassajara Wheat Bread process and read the extensive instructions with photos? Click below…
Continue Reading Winter Vegetable Soup and Tassajara Honey Wheat Bread…
CAKE, Mark Bittman, and Flexitarianism
January 20, 2009 at 11:57 am | Posted in Awareness, baking, Chick stuff, cooking, Flexitarian, Food, my life, photography, Recipes, Vegetarian | 6 CommentsTags: angel food cake, chocolate frosting, dark chocolate frosting, yellow butter cake, yellow cake
I have been dying to make a Heavenly Angel Food Cake with the girls’ eggs.
I finally did just that.
I used my strawberry sorbet from the freezer that I had made a few months back. I simply let it melt and poured it over like syrup. This cake is simply divine.
Since it took 13 egg whites to make the angel food, I decided to make another cake that used the egg yolks.
We dug into this cake before I had the chance to take a prettier photo. It was just too good to wait!
There is nothing better than a good old fashioned homemade cake. It tastes different than the box cakes. I like box cakes, but this cake doesn’t have that”candy” sweet taste that many box cakes have.
My intention was to freeze this cake, but between Mark and I a few guests, there wasn’t a crumb leftover!
Speaking of FOOD, I went to see Mark Bittman speak at the University of Washington. He really gave me a lot of food for thought- pun intended.
Mark Bittman talks about many of the things that I’ve been thinking about in recent years–especially with the push toward high protein, low carb diets. I have always believed I need to eat more vegetables and fruits, and less meat. I’m also not into extreme diets that involve elimination (except for medical reasons), and I find Bittman’s views more balanced. It sounds like common sense to me.
In his latest book, “Food Matters”, Bittman is talking about eating less meat (he is not a vegetarian), more vegetables and fruit, and cut out overly processed foods. I’m in! (except where homemade cakes are concerned!)
He also writes: We are finally starting to acknowledge the threat carbon emissions pose to our ozone layer, but few people have focused on the extent to which our consumption of meat contributes to global warming. Think about it this way: In terms of energy consumption, serving a typical family-of-four steak dinner is the rough equivalent of driving around in an SUV for three hours while leaving all the lights on at home.
Tonight I made up a recipe for a dinner of brown basmati rice, chopped organic brocolli, and homemade lemon tahini sauce. I sprinkled toasted pine nuts over the top. I served an organic garnet yam on the side with a little maple syrup and butter. It was healthy, tasty, easy to make, and very filling. We still had a slice of homemade cake for dessert. I’m not interested in elimination–I’m simply learning balance.
In the past few days I’ve consumed more chard, beets, brown basmati rice, legumes, apples, oranges, pears, spinach, and nuts, than I’ve eaten in a week. I think it is giving me more energy. Who knew?
I am now considering using less meat in the meals I cook, and/or adding two-three vegetarian dinners to our weekly menu. I think it will be more challenging for Mark. Mark grew up with heavy meat and potato dinners. I’m so happy he wants to make this change too. I like the fact that we don’t have to feel like we’re giving something up. As a flexitarian, if we want steak, we’ll eat steak! We just won’t eat as much of it.
I can hear the vegans laughing at me now.
AUTUMN RECIPE: Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries
November 4, 2006 at 6:24 pm | Posted in baking, cooking, Flexitarian, Food, Recipes | 2 CommentsTags: garnet yam, oven french fries, oven fries, sweet potato fries, sweet potatoes, yam
These are really good and stick to your ribs better than a regular “French Fry”, and they are oven fried, which means healthier for you. I used a garnet yam, as explained below, because they’re prettier and sweeter than the regular sweet potato. Easy to make and yummy!
1 lg garnet yam, sliced into sticks
1-2 egg whites with a few tbsp water, whisked
kosher or sea salt
canola oil spray or olive (Trader Joes has affordable)
Drop potato sticks in egg mixture and coat , then place a cookie sheet thoroughly covered in oil –I even added a little from the bottle to make sure it was enough to watch it drip when titled. Then spray the tops of the potato sticks with oil–again be very generous–go over them about 3 times (layers of spray oil), Bake in 400 degree oven about 5-7 minutes each side. When you flip them spray oil all over them again in layers. WATCH them , they burn fast. (the slightly overdone fries tasted good though).
I sprinkled sea salt over some and kosher over others–some before cooking and if needed a little after. Here’s a look at a batch of mine. One potato actually made around 3 batches.
Notes: Americans use the word “yam” to refer to a sweet, moist, orange-fleshed variety of sweet potato. To everyone else in the world, a yam is what Americans call a tropical yam, a firm tuber with white flesh. Varieties of American “yams” (sweet potatoes) include the garnet yam (pictured here) and the jewel yam. Substitutes: sweet potatoes (drier, less sweet, and often more expensive)
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