WHAT I COOK

Recipe: vegan potato-spinach-cheddar pie by Bike Basket Pies!

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:38:41 -0800

My favorite day of the week is Bike Basket Pies day. NOW IT CAN BE EVERYDAY.

vegansaurus:

The lovely Natalie from Bike Basket Pies has supplied us with a Vegansaurus exclusive (!!!) recipe for her famous vegan potato-spinach-cheddar pie. It’s ridiculous so get ready for a party in your mouth!! AND PANTS! What? Yes, the pie is that good.

You’ll need:

pie crust!

1 stick Earth Balance shortening

1 stick Earth Balance buttery stick

12 oz flour (about 2 1/2 cups)

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

8 Tbsp ice cold water, mixed with the vinegar, plus 4 Tbsp reserved

filling!

2 lbs or so, maybe less, yukon gold or russet potatoes, washed, peeled, and sliced to 1/4 inch thickness

1 lb spinach

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/8 tsp fresh ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 lb Daiya shredded cheddar flavored cheese substitute (now available at Rainbow!)

salt

pepper

To make the pie dough:

Cut the Earth Balance sticks into small cubes and put them in the freezer while you prepare everything else.

Mix the flour, salt, and sugar.

Using a food processor (use the pulse setting) or hand pastry blender, cut the very cold Earth Balance cubes into the flour mixture until the shortening pieces aren’t much bigger than peas.If using a food processor, transfer to a bowl.

Slowly add the apple cider vinegar and ice water, and gently but quickly mix until the dough forms a ball. I use my hands. Add more ice water as necessary.

Divide into two balls, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap and throw into the refrigerator. Chill dough for at least an hour.

After the dough is chilled, remove from fridge, liberally flour a clean surface, roll out one disk and line a 9-inch pie pan. Trim edges that hang over so only about 1 inch hangs out. Put back in the fridge.

Assemble the pie:

Heat the red pepper and the garlic in the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add washed spinach and slowly turn to wilt all of it. Add nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste—definitely over-season. Transfer to bowl, chop with kitchen sheers if using adult spinach (as opposed to baby spinach).

Line the dough-lined pie tin with a layer of sliced potatoes; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Liberally sprinkle Daiya “cheese.”

Layer spinach.

Add another layer of potatoes; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

Add more spinach and Daiya; repeat until the pie is filled.

Roll out second dough disk, place on top of pie, trim edges, fold under other dough disk’s edges, crimp and flute. Wet your fingers with a little ice-cold water during this process if you wish, and maybe even sprinkle the pie with a little kosher salt (be light). Cut pretty slits in the top.

Put back in fridge, preheat oven to 425 degrees while your pie is chilling. Bake the pie at this temperature for 20 minutes; then lower temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 35 minutes or until crust looks golden and gorgeous.

Let it cool on a rack for 20 minutes or more until you slice into it.

Eat it all and be the fattest and happiest person in all the land. Which actually isn’t hard because this is San Francisco and most people are skinny and depressed!

Adorable photo of Natalie & her delicious pie (perv!) is courtesy of Rachel Styer!

I wish I had a good falafel recipe. Also a good deep...

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:16:14 -0700

I wish I had a good falafel recipe. Also a good deep fryer.

Maybe you love me?

bread pudding is one of my favorite terrible for you foods. I...

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:18:32 -0700

bread pudding is one of my favorite terrible for you foods. I can only imagine the delight this dish contains. I’ve got a good savory bread pudding recipe that I want to show you soon!

thisiswhyyourefat:

Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding

(Submitted by Trina, via Food Network)

I AM SO EXCITED.

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:53:46 -0700

I AM SO EXCITED.

I would watch! epsareshort: I’m domestic! I took this picture...

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:09:04 -0700

I would watch!

epsareshort:

I’m domestic! I took this picture bc I looked amazingly dorky with the apron, scarf, wooden spoon combination, and it was just too droll to not share. As I took the picture, I started thinking. I have a webcam. Perhaps it would be entertaining to start posting vegetarian cooking videos on my blog! I don’t know if anyone would actually watch them, but it would be a lot of fun to pretend to be on a cooking show. And I could demo really easy and cheap vegetarian dishes.

"The word “avocado” comes from the Nahuatl word āhuacatl (“testicle”, a reference to the shape of the..."

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:58:58 -0700

“The word “avocado” comes from the Nahuatl word āhuacatl (“testicle”, a reference to the shape of the fruit). Historically avocados had a long-standing stigma as a sexual stimulant and were not purchased or consumed by any person wishing to preserve a chaste image.”

- Wikipedia

The more you know.

(via kaytee)

(via caterpillarcowboy)

Paula Deen and I both love avocados. TAKE THAT WORLD.

falvo: I made peanut-butter muffins. Don’t tell anybody, but...

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:40:40 -0700

falvo:

I made peanut-butter muffins. Don’t tell anybody, but there’s jelly inside.

This sounds fucking great.

If I had to live on a desert island with only one food for the...

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:36:46 -0700

If I had to live on a desert island with only one food for the rest of my life, I would choose tomatoes. I love them. I have pounds upon pounds of them in cans in the pantry, and currently a few pounds of some very ripe roma tomatoes that the CalMart had on sale. I can do almost anything with a tomato.

Also, before you get all feisty about the fact that I am using a hardly known arabic spice mix, do not fret. There are a ton of places online where you can get Za’atar (zatar, satar, or zahatar) for cheap, or you could just visit your local arabic or jewish market (could za’atar be the road to peace?). I got mine because a friend smuggled it back when she went to Jerusalem. My next batch is coming from Le Sanctuaire (at $32 a pound it may seem expensive, but you have to realize that you’re getting a full 16 ounces of it rather than the 1-3 ounces you can buy in the supermarket).

MAYBE MIDDLE EASTERN SEARED TOMATO CROSTINI
Time: <1 hour.
Amount: 10-12 servings.

INGREDIENTS:

Olive Oil
3 roma tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 baguette
2-3 ounces feta cheese
2-3 tbsp za’atar spice blend

DIRECTIONS:

Heat enough olive oil (1-2 tbsp) to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.
Cut the baguette into small disks 1/2” or so thick. place them on a baking sheet.
Preheat oven to 400.
Cut the roma tomatoes into disks and gently place them on the hot oil. Cover for 2-3 minutes, then flip and recover. Remove them directly onto the baguette slices.
Cover the tomato with feta and za’atar.
Bake at 400 for 5-10 minute or until feta starts to brown and toast is crispy.
Allow to cool slightly and serve.

These are great hors d’oeuvres or a perfect addition to a pot-luck picnic! If you don’t have za’atar, you can totally use oregano or basil or marjoram or some other awesome spice. Also if you are cooking for yourself, 5-6 will totally fill you up, not that I’d know or anything.

TEX MEX FEAST TODAY. Cilantro Lime Rice. Black Bean Mole....

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:13:34 -0700

TEX MEX FEAST TODAY.

Cilantro Lime Rice. Black Bean Mole. Margarita Chicken. BACON GUACAMOLE.

CILANTRO LIME RICE
Time: 20 Minutes
Amount: 2 cups.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup long grain rice. I used basmati because I had it on hand.
2 cups water
2 tbsp fresh cilantro
2 limes

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse your rice in a colander until the dirty water is clear. This makes it less starchy. If you choose not to rinse, your rice is going to be thicker and slightly heavier. FYI.
Chop cilantro roughly.
Heat in a pot water and rice over medium high heat, stirring frequently. When it boils, reduce to medium low heat, add in cilantro, and cover.
Simmer for 12-15 minutes until the rice has absorbed the water.
Juice limes directly into the rice, fluff with a fork, and serve.

BLACK BEAN MOLE
Time: 40 Minutes
Amount: 3 cups.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp crushed garlic
1/2 red onion
1 hot pepper
1 tbsp cumin
1 can black beans
1 can tomatoes
2 oz dark chocolate
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pan, heat your oil over medium heat.
Chop garlic, onion and hot pepper very fine. Saute.
Add cumin and rinsed black beans. Cook for approximately 5 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook until most of the juices have evaporated.
Chop chocolate and add to sauce.
If you have an immersion blender, blend your heart out. Me, I have the magic bullet blender, so I have to pour it into the blender when it is still super hot (and I almost always burn myself). Puree until the sauce is smooth. Add water in single tablespoon increments if it is too thick to blend.
Continue to cook (and now I’m going to make a mess trying to pour my hot mole back into a hot pan) for about 5-10 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken again. Serve.

MARGARITA CHICKEN
Time: 30 Minutes
Amount: 1 chicken breast

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken breast
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 oz tequila
1 oz orange liqueur
2 oz lime juice
2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

In a pan with a lid, heat your oil over medium-high heat.
When oil is hot, add chicken. Don’t let the oil splatter you. I always dry off my chicken before adding it to oil, so it doesn’t explode.
Allow the side down to cook for 4-5 minutes until edges of chicken are white and the bottom starts to brown. Flip the chicken.
Add all the booze and the lime juice to the pan to deglaze. Cover the pan to keep your chicken swimming in those delicious flavors. Cook for another 4-5 minutes.
As you plate, sprinkle salt on the chicken. Margaritas should ALWAYS be served with salt. NO EXCEPTIONS.

BACON GUACAMOLE
Time: 15 Minutes
Amount: SO MUCH DELICIOUS GUACAMOLE

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 oz bacon fat
1/2 large red onion, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes, juiced
2 avocados
1 firm roma tomato

DIRECTIONS:

In a small pan, heat the bacon fat over medium-low heat. You do not want to heat this over super high heat or it could splatter when you put your onions in. Trust me.
When the fat is warm, sweat your onions. This is going to make your kitchen smell fantastic. Remove before they start to caramelize. Don’t just pour the contents of the whole pan into the blender, actually remove the onions from the oil. Even the biggest carnivore will have digestive problems with insides coated in such small quantities of bacon grease. As always, allow the grease to cool and then throw it away in a trash can rather than down the drain.
In a large blender, combine the onions, cilantro, lime juice, avocados (peeled and pitted of course), and roma tomato (with the top cut off; no one wants to bite into the stem). Blend until creamy.

So here’s the thing. My roommate Colin doesn’t like bacon. I’m pretty sure he hates when I cook with it because our poorly ventilated apartment smells of it for HOURS, but even he loved this guacamole. Now it is hard to eat a ton of it because of the bacon fat, but it is so good. Serve it at parties (but let your vegan and vegetarian friends know… or don’t).

This feast will surely keep your taste buds happy and stomach full: you’ve got salty, sweet, sour, creamy, spicy, meaty (umami!). Who can argue with something so delightful?

Let’s see if I can sneak this one in without anyone...

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 22:20:15 -0700

Let’s see if I can sneak this one in without anyone noticing.

So I love salads, but hate eating healthy. DILEMMA. So here’s a great way to keep those skinny bitches who are concerned with glycemic index and fat contents. Tell them to shut up and stop worrying; life needs its fattening salads.

MAPLE CANDIED BACON
Time: 20 Minutes
Amount: As much as you’d like. I’m not going to stop you.

INGREDIENTS:

Bacon
Maple Syrup (1/4 cup per 4-5 pieces)

DIRECTIONS:

Cook your bacon over medium heat in a VERY GOOD nonstick or VERY DURABLE stainless steel pan until just crispy. I don’t care if you like chewy bacon; you are gross and wrong. Also you are going to put a nice candy coating on it, so it is going to be crunchy.
Pour maple syrup (1/4 cup for every 4-5 pieces) directly over the bacon, still hot in the pan. Toss around to make sure it is all covered and simmer on low. The sugars in the maple syrup will start to cling to the bacon as the water evaporates. When the bacon becomes pretty shiny and the syrup is mostly evaporated, remove the bacon to a raised cooling rack. Don’t touch it with your fingers, and you won’t get sugar burns all over your greedy little paws.

For the salad, I just crumbled it up and threw it in with some baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, crumbled, warm baked mac and cheese (with a teaspoon of ground mustard in it instead of bacon). The oils from the cheese are good enough to be a dressing, but if you must add, I’d choose a good honey mustard.

You bring this to a cookout, and all your skinny-assed friends will forget what a glycemic index even is. Let’s all get fat and happy together.

I'm not dead.

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:47:32 -0700

Even though Tumblr says I’m worthless. Even though I haven’t posted anything in forever. Even though I’m letting you down.

I just needed a little time off to travel. BUT NOW I AM BACK (and I’m bringing CAPSLOCK back with me). So get your forks ready because I’ve got a few more delicious recipes for you. We’re going to start off with a tex-mex feast on Sunday. Things will only get more delicious from there!

I love Paula Deen more than almost anyone. meganom: Ok, I had...

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:07:47 -0700

I love Paula Deen more than almost anyone.

meganom:

Ok, I had to… it’s Paula Deen’s keyboard.

crystalheartslol:

jbvylette:

i miss sushi. humblecuisine: hi! and thanks,...

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:33:45 -0700

i miss sushi.

humblecuisine:

hi! and thanks, jennalmighty:

MM! Lobster roll. My ALLTIMEFAVORITE Sushi. <3333333

it’s one of mine, too. welcome to humble cuisine!

(p.s. i just wanted to let you know i’m going to follow you over at my other, non-food related, tumblr, real reason, so that i can like/reblog more of your posts. thanks for following! ♥)

abligurition

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:24:20 -0700

theslyestfox:

We need to bring this word back because it’s all I do, all the time.

stephf:

wordjournal:

noun • (obsolete) Extravagant spending on food and drink.

Making apple candy is SO EASY, you just need to make sure you...

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:48:40 -0700

Making apple candy is SO EASY, you just need to make sure you have the time. Also a non-stick pot is pretty excellent.

APPLE CANDY SYRUP
Time: 3-4 hours
Amount: 1 1/2 cups

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups apple juice
1/2 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Add apple juice and sugar to pan and heat on low for 3-4 hours until reduced, stirring often.
When the apple juice has become a thick syrup, take off heat.

Grab a big bowl of vanilla (or any other barely sweetened ice cream), toast some pecans, and pour the hot apple candy over the two for a great sundae. The candy will harden on contact with the ice cream giving it a delicious and sweet candy coating. Take THAT Hershey’s syrup. It’s also super good on crepes (and there are about a dozen people from a brunch I went to who can back me up on that).

LAZY CURRIED CAULIFLOWER AND POTATOESTime: <1 hourAmount: A...

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:16:35 -0700

LAZY CURRIED CAULIFLOWER AND POTATOES
Time: <1 hour
Amount: A lot

INGREDIENTS:

1 onion, chopped fine
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 potatoes, cut in 1” cubes
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 cup white vinegar
3 tbsp curry paste
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cups frozen peas

DIRECTIONS:

In a 350 degree oven, bake the potato cubes that have been sprinkled with the cumin for 20-30 minutes until cooked through.
In a large pan, saute the garlic and onion in the oil on medium-high heat until they start to brown.
Add the vinegar. Stir.
Add the curry paste. You have to do this before you put the other stuff in the pan because it’s pretty hard to incorporate into the mix; you’ll mash up the other stuff if you add it too late.
Add the potatoes, salt, and cauliflower to the pan. Cook on medium for 10 or so minutes, stirring often. If the mixture gets too dry, add water.
Throw the peas in, stir, and take off the heat. Allow to sit for about five minutes before serving; this will allow the peas time to cook into the sauce without getting too mushy.

I serve this with bolani and some protein. Here I’ve cooked chicken in a little oil with some tandoori powder and a bell pepper. I super love this simple combination.

If you’re a little more adventurous, use this as a delicious filling for veggie samosas: the cauliflower will give the potatoes a meatier texture that will keep people coming back for more.

I don’t buy pasta sauce in jars. It isn’t worth it....

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:51:00 -0700

I don’t buy pasta sauce in jars. It isn’t worth it. Most of them have sweeteners, preservatives, and thickening agents which is totally not my scene. Give me something straight. Give me a good sipping vodka, give me a natural ice cream (haagen dazs five, anyone?), and give me a can of tomatoes where I know the ingredients. Pretty much all I need in life.

Also, making a sauce is so easy, and you can use up whatever you have in the fridge. Got basil leaves? Throw them in. Got onions? Go ahead. Got eggplant? Absolutely. Too many martini olives? You’ve got yourself a dish. Just not this dish.

I had to finish up my pound of bacon (though some was thrown away after an unfortunate assault incident concerning a leather belt that had previously touched the seats on the 22-Fillmore muni bus), and had gotten a tiny can of olives on sale for $.60, so I figured I was mostly there.

SPICY BACON, FENNEL, AND OLIVE PASTA SAUCE
Amount: 4-6 servings
Time: <1 hour

INGREDIENTS

1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 strips of bacon, cut into 1” slices
1 can black olives (it was a little less than 4 ounces)
2 cans of crushed tomatoes (regular size)
1/2 pound of pasta

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pan on medium heat, toast the fennel for about 2 minutes.
Add red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt and bacon. Cook until bacon is firm: it will soften up in the sauce. You’ll have a fair amount of bacon grease that’s got all the great flavors of the fennel & red pepper flakes, so if you HAVE to be health conscious, pour some out (not in the sink), but I didn’t.
Add the olives to the bacon & grease and cook until bacon is crispy.
Add your crushed tomatoes. Personally, I buy diced or petit diced tomatoes and then put them in my magic bullet blender for a few seconds until they are smooth; crushed tomatoes cost extra for some reason. At this point, do not cover. If you cover the tomatoes, they’ll get a stewed tomato taste, and that is not what you are going for. Allow some of that water to evaporate.
Boil water for pasta. Salt the water & cook pasta until almost al dente. Then drain.
Throw your pasta in with the sauce, stir, cover, and reduce to low. Cook for another 3-5 minutes. Serve immediately. You should be hungry.

Man, bacon is awesome. The smokiness goes great with the fennel and red pepper flakes. If you wanted something a little more mild, reduce the red pepper flakes and throw maybe 1/2 cup of half and half or cream in the tomato sauce when you put it on low, stir it well, and you will be set.

nathanhenry: whaticook: PEACH PRALINE CRUMBLE PIE Eleven...

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:41:18 -0700

nathanhenry:

whaticook:

PEACH PRALINE CRUMBLE PIE

Eleven tablespoons of butter? Paul I like you too much for you to die so young.

I’ll die happy. Don’t you want me to be happy?

I hope you’ve finished all your dinner BECAUSE IT IS...

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:37:22 -0700

I hope you’ve finished all your dinner BECAUSE IT IS DESSERT TIME.

PEACH PRALINE CRUMBLE PIE
Time: about 2 hours
Amount: 1 pie

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans
11 tbsp unsalted butter (seriously)
1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup & 1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 cup & 2 tbsp white sugar
5 large peaches, cut into thin slices
1 tub ice cream

DIRECTIONS:

Crust:

Combine the flour, salt, finely chopped pecans, and 8 tbsp butter in a large mixing bowl. Work the butter into the dry ingredients until it is all well combined.
Refrigerate for at least an hour. Start working on the pralines. Idle hands are the devil’s playground.
Lightly flour & knead the dough, then roll out. I used half for the bottom crust which rolled out pretty well, but I could not for the life of me get the top crust to roll out, so I just crumbled it up a little bit and sprinkled it on top of my pie.

Pralines:

In a sauce pan on medium-low heat, put the milk, 1/2 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of white sugar. Stir until it starts to boil.
Add the roughly chopped pecans. You could use whole pecans, but they do get a little unwieldy when you’re stirring them.
Keep stirring until the syrup starts to thicken up. I’ve never used a candy thermometer, so I don’t really know what temperature they should hit. Sorry. It shouldn’t be hardening at all at this stage.
Take about 1/3 cup out and store it in a microwave safe bowl. This is going to be the best drizzle you’ve ever tasted. Let it cool before covering and refrigerating it.
Keep cooking the rest until it starts to stick to your spoon or spatula, then add 1 tbsp of butter. Keep stirring until it bubbles up and is thick on your spatula.
At this point, pour it onto a piece of parchment paper. You can spoon out individual pralines instead, but I prefer to just chop it up and sprinkle it on top of the pie: your call.

Pie:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
On your crust layer your peach slices. I used both white and yellow peaches because I like the two flavors mixed together, but it is up to you.
Sprinkle the last two tablespoons of white sugar on top and cut up the last two tablespoons of butter and sprinkle them as well.
Put your top crust (or crumble in my case) on the pie.
Bake for 25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Let it cool, add the crumbled pralines, cut, and serve with ice cream.
Microwaved that praline drizzle we reserved for about 20 seconds and slather it on top of the vanilla. Perfection.

Now my pie was a little bit dry, so I HAD to serve it with vanilla ice cream. So. Good. If you get a little worked up because your dough isn’t staying together, feel free to add an egg yolk and a touch more flour. It should firm up nicely then. Also, if you want to go sans top crust, feel free, but you might want to blanch the peaches first.

christatos: 5 Cheese Spicy Mushroom Macaroni Lightning It...

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:40:06 -0700

christatos:

5 Cheese Spicy Mushroom Macaroni Lightning

It doesn’t look very exciting but it is. I was inspired by Paul’s food posts

So you start out with your choice of macaroni, i picked corkscrew

boil it

mix the following:

1 can of mushroom soup, 1/2 cup of mozzeralla, 1/2 cup of parmesian, 1/2 cup of chedder, 1/2 cup of provalone, 1/2 cup of Romano

and the secret ingredient: red pepper flakes (you judge how much you want to use)

mix it all together in a casserole dish

bake at 400 for 20 min.

get fat

It looks freaking delightful. Were there not a continent between me and this mac and cheese, I would be its best friend.