Vanilla Maple Carrots January 21, 2008

Believe it or not… this is one of the recipes that started it all.  I found this recipe in the November 2007 issue of Martha Stewart Living, did it and was sooooo easy and tasty that I shared it with my friend Kathleen.  She made it, liked it and posted it on her blog Kathleen’s Vegetarian Kitchen.  The rest… is blogosphere history.

 So far, I have made this about 3 times at the Yoga Center I attend and I always get requests to make it again.  I know my pictures are not yet to Martha’s standards, but with practice, I hope to get there one day…  at least the flavors are already there.

 Again, the times I have done this, I have done 5 lbs. of carrots at a time.  So I will follow the original recipe’s quantities to adapt to the regular household amounts.

VANILLA MAPLE CARROTS

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 cup water

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

1-2 tbsp honey

2 tbsp butter

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Combine carrots and water in a large skillet or saucepan. Season the water with salt and scrape the insides of the vanilla pod and mix in with the water. Throw in the vanilla pod left as well.
2. Bring to a simmer and cook carrots until they’re tender, about 10-13 minutes. Martha’s recipe says the water evaporates, mine never does evaporate a lot. So….
3. Drain all the water from the carrots.
4. Add syrup, honey, pepper and toss to combine. Be careful not to break up any carrots.

 This makes a great side dish on any night, but would also work particularly well for Thanksgiving or for any potluck dinner.

Sweet Potato Flan November 26, 2007

This is a recipe to dissipate any myths that good desserts can only be made with eggs.  This is an egg-less flan full of flavor and smooth texture.

 I use the sweet potato with an orange-colored flesh, which are also called yams.  In Spanish, or at least in Puerto Rico, we call these “batata mameya”.  I included some pictures for reassurance.  These, I find, are tad less sweet than the white sweet potato. 

            

SWEET POTATO FLAN

1 medium sweet potato, baked - about 1 cup of baked flesh

1 carton evaporated milk

1 can condensed milk

1 pack of cream cheese - you can use 1/3 less fat version

2 tablespoons vanilla extract or vanilla powder

3 tablespoons cornstarch

strip of lemon rind or grated lemon zest

3/4 cup brown sugar - for caramel

1. Bake the sweet potato in a 400 degree oven for 30-45 minutes.  I encourage you to do this ahead of time.  Just cut the ends of the potato, pierce it with a fork all around and bake.
2. After baking, remove the flesh from the skin and mash it well with a fork.
3. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. 
4. Place brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Mix a bit of water and  carmelize about 10 -12 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, mix in a blender or food processor the baked sweet potato flesh, milks, cream cheese, vanilla and cornstarch.  You’ll also mix in the grated lemon zest, if using.  If using a piece of lemon rind, don’t put it in yet.  If you feel the blender is too full, just mix the milks first.  Take some out, blend the sweet potato with the remaining milks and then put it all together.  It will fit.
6. Drizzle the caramel in a glass dish and twirl making sure you cover the whole bottom of the dish with caramel.  Careful if using a metal baking dish… the caramel is hot and heats the metal FAST.
7. Pour flan mixture on top of the caramel.
8. Drop in the piece of lemon peel.
9. Place baking dish in a water bath. 
10. Bake in oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  You’ll know it’s done when the top is browned and a knife or wooden skewer comes out clean.
11. Take out of the water bath and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
12. When ready to serve… Release over a dish  so the caramel side is on top.

If you rather make a traditional vanilla flan, just omit the sweet potato and only use 2 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

Arugula-Red Onion and Orange Salad November 24, 2007

This is a recipe I learned while I was at a cooking seminar this past April called the Conscious Gourmet.  This was a wonderful 5 day vegetarian cooking course in Jupiter, FL.  It was lead by Diane Carlson and I learned to work with new ingredients and new flavor combinations.

I chose this salad for my Thanksgiving menu because it has curry and that gave me a Autumn feel to it.  My apologies for forgetting to take a picture of this…  I will make it again a do a whole photo shoot for you.

ARUGULA-RED ONION AND ORANGE SALAD

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 tablespoon light sesame oil or canola oil

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced crosswise

4 cups arugula leaves

2 navel oranges

1. Pour the orange juice into a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and reduce, uncovered until you have 1/3 cup, about 15 minutes.

1. Combine the reduced juice in a small bowl with the garlic, salt and vinegar.  Whisk in the curry powder and oil.  Cut the top and bottom of the oranges.  Peel them with a knife, removing all the white pith exposing the flesh.  Cut segments of the orange following the line of each orange division.  or you can  just cut them crosswise, making discs of orange.
2. Heat 1″ of water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil and add onions. Blanch for 30 seconds.  Drain and plunge in cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again.
3. Place the arugula in a bowl along with the onions and orange segments.  Just before serving, toss with the dressing and serve.

My mom loved the salad.  Even though we normally do not mix vegetable salads with fruits, she admitted the orange helps cool off your palate from the heat of the curry dressing.  This is a very tasty salad. 

Try it and tell me your impressions.

Roasted Broccoli and Zucchini November 24, 2007

This was included to bring a punch of color in an otherwise, very orangy, beta-carotene laden menu. 

ROASTED BROCCOLI AND ZUCCHINI

1 zucchini, diced

1 head of broccoli

1 onion, sliced

olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Toss the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper.
2. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Super simple.  Super tasty.  Eat it fast… with time, the veggies get a bit soggy.

Cinnamon Vanilla Baked Plantains November 17, 2007

 

Cinnamon Vanilla Baked Plantains

4 ripe plantains**

cinnamon powder

vanilla powder

Liquid margarine

**If ripe plantains are not available, use IQF plantains.  King Crown is an excellent brand. 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. In a baking dish, smear some liquid margarine.
3. Cut the plantains in diagonal slices and arrange on the baking dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon and vanilla powder.
4. Drizzle some additional liquid margarine on top.
5. Bake in oven for 30-45 minutes, until plantains are done. (If using IQF plantains, you only need to bake until the plantains are defrosted completely, about 20 minutes)

I made these plantains together with my Eggplant Parmesan and Pasta with Marinated Tomatoes.  Look them up.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese November 17, 2007

In the next few posts, I will share with you the Thanksgiving Menu I have chosen for this year.

For the main course, I will prepare a Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese.  This mac and cheese packs a lot of nutritional punch and color from the butternut squash in the cheese sauce.  You can substitute the squash for regular pumpkin.  I works just the same.

 

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Steamed pumpkin or butternut squash - about 1 pound
1 pound whole-wheat elbow macaroni or other tubular pasta
2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
4 ounces Blend of melting cheeses - Mozzarella, Asiago, Fontina, etc.
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Steam the butternut squash or pumpkin in a pot with just an inch of water.  Season with salt.  When it is cooked, puree in a food procesor.
3. Bring a large pot to a boil for the pasta.
4. Meanwhile, start building the cheese sauce.  In a pot under medium heat, mix together the milk, blend and melt the cheeses, mix the mustard, and pureed butternut squash.  Season with salt and pepper.  Make sure the pot is big enough to accomodate the sauce and the pasta when it’s cooked.
5. Add the macaroni to boling water seasoned with salt and cook until tender but firm.
6. Drain cooked pasta and transfer to the pot with the cheese sauce.  Mix well together.
7. Transfer to a buttered baking dish.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and some of the leftover Melting Cheese blend all over the top.
8.  Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.  Everything is already cooked, you’re just heating everything together and browining the cheese on top.

This recipe is delicious.  The mustard gives it a different and grown-up taste.   You can also roast the butternut squash, which gives it a more robust flavor.

 

I did this recipe a few weeks ago at our Yoga Center and my friend Kathleen reviewed it in her blog.

Hope you like it too.  Tell me all about it if you try it.