Apple Crisp with Gingersnap and Black Pepper Streusel

Oh, the days of spring. The weather is warmer and the days are getting longer and I think I'm in love with it. And yet, it's cold and rainy days like today that make me think of filling, warm, and delicious comfort food.

Although fall is traditionally the season for apples, I was able to get my hands on some super tasty ones at my local Wegmans. I haven't made an apple crisp in years, but for some reason, that's all I wanted. But not just any apple crisp - it needed some sort of flair. So I kicked it up with some gingersnaps and at the last minute, threw in some freshly cracked black pepper for some extra punch, which was fantastic.
This recipe is super easy to make and incredibly delicious!



Apple Crisp with Black Pepper Gingersnap Streusel

Streusel
1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs
½ cup flour
¾ cup quick-cooking oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
½ cup butter

Crisp
5 cups apples, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375. Combine cookie crumbs, flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pepper in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Cut in butter, using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.
In another bowl, toss apples with lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Place into well-oiled baking dish, and top with streusel. Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, until apples are bubbly and top is golden brown.

Chinese Takeout Night - Stirfry in Curry Sauce

I was on my way home from work tonight and was on the phone with my father. I passed a Chinese buffet and an intense craving for some takeout gripped me. But just as quickly and intense was the conversation I had just had 3 minutes before about the dip in pay I'd be taking after starting my new job on Monday and how I needed to refine my budget. I sadly continued on my way home, visions of takeout eggrolls and fried rice fading in my rear view mirror.

When I got home, I was sadly perusing my kitchen, when the inspiration to just make my own "takeout" struck me. I was thinking some sort of stirfry or lo mein, until the sad realization that out of the plentiful supply of Asian condiments that were stocked in my pantry, I was unbelievably out of soy sauce. I googled "stir fry no soy sauce" a few times, but nothing really caught my eye.

Just as I had decided to give up and eat some pretzels, memories of my second favorite Chinese takeout meal popped into my head - stirfried vegetables in curry sauce! I couldn't find anything like I wanted after a brief internet search, so just decided to see what I could come up with.

And boy, am I glad I did. This is almost exactly like the dish I've enjoyed so many times. The best part about it - it was literally ready to eat after 20 minutes. This recipe can easily be modified to include any vegetables or protein you have on hand, and with the quick ease of making this sauce, you can have your own Chinese takeout night any day of the week.



Stirfry in Curry Sauce
Serves 4

5 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 red onion, cut into slivers
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tbsp flour
2 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups warm water
1-2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
3-4 cups broccoli, cut into pieces
1 (8oz) pkg sliced baby bella mushrooms


In a large wok, heat 2 tbsp sesame oil over medium high heat. Add onion and saute for 2 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and saute for another minute or so. In a small bowl, whisk flour and curry powder together. Add to wok and saute for 30-45 seconds, stirring continuously. Add chili powder and salt, and saute for another 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in water until well combined and thickened. Stir in chili garlic sauce. Pour sauce into a bowl and set aside.
After cleaning out wok, place back on medium high heat and add remaining sesame oil. Add broccoli and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute an additional 2-3 minutes. Pour sauce over vegetables and continue to saute for another minute or so, until well combined and heated through. Serve over rice or noodles.

Hot Sauce Glazed Tempeh

I'm a huge fan of tempeh, although I don't use it enough. I probably make the Tempeh Buffalo Wings the most, but the "Thai Curry Tempeh Salad" is definitely a close second. I had given those recipes to a few friends of mine, who used tempeh for the first time and really loved it. They asked for more recipes using up tempeh, and since i'm always up for a culinary challenge, I agreed to find and post more.

When I'm looking for ideas for vegan recipes, Veganomicon is usually the first book I grab. It's got some really solid vegan recipes, and even non-vegans can find something delicious in the book to make. Although there are quite a few tempeh recipes within its pages, the Hot-Sauce Glazed Tempeh caught my eye.

It's tasty and easy to make, and definitely a great little tempeh recipe to add into your rotation. Instead of making it in triangle slabs like the recipe calls for, I instead just cut it into cubes, which were very easy to broil and get nice and crispy. So if you're looking for another tempeh recipe, I'd suggest giving this one a try!



Hot-Sauce Glazed Tempeh
a slight variation of Veganomicon's recipe
Serves 4

8 oz tempeh
1/2 c wine (i used a Chardonnay)
1/4 c Louisianna-style hot sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp cayenne

Bring 4 cups of water to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, remove tempeh from package. Cut into 1" cubes. Once water is boiling, lower heat to medium high, add tempeh, and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water.
In the meantime, whisk remaining ingredients together and pour in a large ziploc bag. Add tempeh cubes and place in refrigerator for as little as an hour or up to 2 days.
Preheat broiler in oven. Place drained tempeh cubes in oiled baking dish and place under broiler. Broil for 15-20 minutes, turning every few minutes and basting with remaining marinade, until cubes are crispy and heated through.
Serve and enjoy!

Brown Rice Salad with Orange Chipotle Vinaigrette

Well, it's official - I'm snowed in for the weekend. I'm not sure of the exact measurement of how much we got (and it's still snowing) but it's somewhere between over the knee and under the waist. That's a pretty scientific measurement, right?

There's nothing like having all day to be in the house, and it's given me a great opportunity to monkey around in the kitchen. I've got a huge stack of cookbooks next to me and a note pad absolutely covered with ideas, so today should be quite the productive day - foodwise, that is.

I've recently fallen back in love with brown rice. I picked up a gorgeous bag of some organic brown rice and wanted a fun, yet different way to use it, so rice salad it is.

This is a delicious salad. The dressing has just the right mixture of sweet and spicy, and combined with the heartiness of the rice and black beans, you have a salad that could easily stand on its own as the main event. This is also a great make ahead dish, so this is definitely one you may want to file away for future use when guests are coming over.



Brown Rice Salad with Orange Chipotle Vinaigrette
Serves 4-6

Vinaigrette
4 cups fresh orange juice
2 tsp pureed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (or more, should you really want to kick it up!)
1/2 tsp cumin
2 tsp agave nectar (or honey)

Salad
4 cups cooked and chilled brown rice
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 c diced red onion
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

In a medium saucepan, boil orange juice until reduced to 2/3 cup. (This takes about 25-30 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool. In a small food processor, blend reduced orange juice, chipotle peppers, cumin, and agave until well combined.
In a large bowl, combine rice, beans, onion, and cilantro. Pour vinaigrette over salad and toss until well combined. Serve and enjoy!

Indian Cream of Spinach Soup

My best friend Lina will probably agree that there are few flavors that go together as well as spinach and Indian spices. Her favorite thing to order at an Indian restaurant is always Saag, regardless of how many times she's had it.

I had a huge bag of spinach left in the fridge and wanted to use it up. And since the weather is 25 degrees here today, I thought a nice warm soup would just hit the spot.

And let me tell you what - not only is this soup tasty, but it's extremely easy. From start to finish, I probably only spent about 20 minutes in the kitchen. It's also pretty healthy, using just a 1/2 cup of half & half at the end to give it some creaminess. The vegans in the house can easily substitute soy creamer to make this soup completely vegan.

Don't let the picture fool you - this soup is actually rather tasty! (Soups, especially green ones, are notoriously hard to photograph!)



Indian Cream of Spinach Soup
Serves 6

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
8 cups packed pinach leaves, washed
32 oz vegetable stock
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c half and half

In a large stockpot, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saute onions for 5 minutes, until tender. Add spinach and stir well. Add stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until spinach is wilted. Stir in garam masala and salt. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, puree soup. Stir in half and half. Enjoy!

Superbowl!

So I know as a vegetarian that Superbowl parties usually aren't vegetarian friendly. Which is okay with me, because I'm not really a huge football fan anyway. But a girl needs to eat, right?

I'm reposting one of my favorite recipes from last year. It's the Hearty Vegetarian Sub, and I think it would be a perfect substantial little meal to serve to your non-meat eating friends. It's also a snap to make, so it's easy to make ahead of time and have on hand for those craving something hearty and filling.

I'm also reposting two of my very favorite vegan finger foods that are wonderful for having as appetizers, Tempeh Wingz and BBQ Ribz. Even non-meat eaters I know love these recipes! And check back for more snack-type recipes that will be perfect for your upcoming party!



Hearty Vegetarian Sub
Serves 4

3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 c onion, chopped in slivers
2 c baby bella mushrooms, sliced thickly
2 c zucchini, cut into 1" long slivers
1 green bell pepper, cut into slivers
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp fennel seed, crushed
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

In large saucepan over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Add onion and bell pepper and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms and zucchini and saute an additional 5 minutes. Add spices and stir for 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients, stir well to combine, lower heat and cook, covered for an additional 10 minutes until veggies are tender. (I wanted some texture to remain, so I didn't completely cook them until done). Serve on hoagie rolls with cheese.



Buffalo Tempeh "Wings"
1 (8 oz) pkg tempeh
1/3 c soy milk
1/3 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme leaves
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1 cup Italian seasoninged panko crumbs

Wing Sauce
1/2 c Louisiana-style hot sauce
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp ketchup

Bring 4 cups of water to boil over high heat. Meanwhile, remove tempeh from package. Slice into 8 strips. (If you are a first time tempheh eater and have texture issues, I recommend slicing into 10-12 strips) Once water is boiling, lower heat to medium high, add tempeh, and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water.
Set out 3 bowls. In one, pour in soy milk. In the second, combine flour and seasonings. In third bowl, add panko crumbs. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place each strip in milk. Coat in flour mixture, then briefly re-dip into milk. Toss with panko crumbs, coating well. Set on slightly oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tempeh strips. Once all are coated and on baking sheet, lightly spray all "wings" with cooking spray. Place into oven and bake for 10 minutes. Flip "wings" over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
While they are baking, place wing sauce ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Cover with Saran wrap and heat in microwave on medium high setting for a minute and a half. Remove from heat and whisk ingredients together.
When wings are finished baking, toss with sauce. Serve immediately.



Susan V's BBQ Ribz
An ever-so-slight variation

1 cup vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons tahini or other nut butter
1 tsp Better than Bouillon Vegetarian Beef Base (optional)
1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients, from gluten to garlic powder. In a smaller bowl, whisk together tahini, bouillon, Liquid Smoke, and soy sauce. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined. Press and pat into lightly-oiled 8x8 baking dish. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 6-8 pieces. Place into oven and bake for 25 minutes. Start heating grill or lightly-oiled grill pan. Brush top of baked seitan with a generous amount of BBQ sauce. Place, sauce-side down, on grill rack. Brush bottom side with BBQ sauce. When there are nice grill marks on bottom, flip and rebrush with sauce. (Mine took about 2-3 minutes each side) Remove from grill and cut into riblets. Serve with additional sauce if desired.

Winners!

Okay, so thanks to Random.org, we have 2 winners of this gorgeous cookbook, "Chocolates and Confections."

First, is Jenny from Peanut Butter and Jenny, which is a a great blog name, by the way! Her comment was "only one thing makes me happier that I'm awake than seeing little chocolate covered pretzels on my screen... and that would be eating them."

And the second winner is Tennesue, with the comment was "I really want this book. I dream of confections that aren't really viable, such as chocolate covered cherries with a pretzel crust (can you imagine how they'd break apart when you bit in)." That sounds delicious, and if you perfect it, I want the recipe! =)

And those who didn't win, please stay tuned because I have another great cookbook to give away in the next few days!