Hot Toddy Taste Test

As you know by now, I've had a cold for a few weeks. Desperate for any advice that might help, I've turned to the hard stuff--hot toddies. A cousin suggested I knock a few back with this easy recipe:

1.5 ounces of Bourbon (or rum or cognac), tea, hot water, lemon and honey. Use a big mug. Drink a few and you will feel much better.

Simple, right? But with the variety of liquors and teas out there, I was able to try a few variations. But first, a few words about the hot toddy itself. It's a mostly Scottish, and sometimes Indian, concoction that has a history in soothing the common cold. According to Wikipedia, The American Lung Association recommends against the hot toddy as a treatment for a cold because "alcohol causes dehydration". But just like everything else in life, there's little harm in moderation. And it won't hurt to keep up with your fluids if you are fighting a cold or flu like me.

I decided to start with a concoction that was about as close to my cousin's recipe as I could feasibly make with the ingredients I had in my kitchen. The second and third toddies were variations on the tea + alcohol + lemon juice + honey combination.

Hot Toddy #1

1 Black Tea teabag (I used a mixed berry variety--my favorite)
1 oz dark rum
a splash of lemon juice
12 oz hot water
honey, to taste (about 2 teaspoons)
1 cinnamon stick

The verdict: Surprisingly delicious! Obviously the rum was strong, so I recommend drinking this with a full belly of food and plenty of non-alcoholic liquids. But it was sweet, not too strong, and it really helped rid me of my cough. After drinking about half of it, I was ready to curl up and go to sleep. A success!

Hot Toddy #2
1 sweet tea bag (vanilla would be ideal--I used english toffee)
2 oz amaretto
a splash of lemon juice
12 oz hot water
honey, to taste (about 2 teaspoons)
1 cinnamon stick

The verdict: I had forgotten that I'm not a huge fan of this particular tea...it's too...buttery? The amaretto just wasn't strong enough and I couldn't taste it at all. While warm, this potion just didn't have the same soothing quality as the first toddy.

Hot Toddy #3
1 herbal tea bag (chamomile would work nicely--I used Sleepytime)
2 oz becherovka
a splash of lemon juice
12 oz hot water
honey, to taste (about 2 teaspoons)
4 whole allspice berries

The verdict: Because the becherovka and sleepytime tea have the same licorice/spicy undertones, the combination was actually quite nice. Did it cure my cough as well as the first toddy? Not so much. But it was definitely enjoyable.

And what was Doni doing while I mixed up all these toddies? Creating his own spin on the warm, comforting, alcoholic drink. So maybe the chocolate won't soothe your cough or make your cold a little lighter, but an Amaretto Hot Cocoa is always delicious!

Amaretto Hot Cocoa

1 serving of your favorite hot cocoa, prepared according to package directions.
2 oz amaretto
a whopping dollop of whipped cream
a dash of sprinkles

I think you can figure out the details on your own. Cheers!

All the Sweet Stuff: Candy Cane Varieties

This month, due to a really long cold that just won't go away, my posts have been few and far between. I just haven't been able to do much cooking. So what's gotten me through these cold winter days? Besides Doni serving up lots of hot cocoa, it's all about the candy canes. Why buy cough drops when there are so many varieties of candy canes out there right now (at about 40 - 60 calories a pop)? Here's a little photo essay of the canes I love and those I definitely want to try.

(Kosher note: I cannot guarantee the kosher status of these candies, so please check before purchasing if this is important to you.)

Midnight Snack: Sloppy Kettle Corn Treats & Hot Cocoa

I always get the munchies at midnight. Tonight, I couldn't decide between kettle corn and a sloppy krispy rice treat (with marshmallow fluff and the famous cereal) to go with my fat free hot cocoa. So I decided to go a little nuts and combine the two. The verdict? Delish!

Do try this at home: Combine 1 bag of 100 calorie kettle corn microwave popcorn, popped and 2 T fluffy stuff. I put the fluff in a baggy and piped it out over the bowl, while stirring with one hand. If you want to go nuts, add 1/4 cup of melted chocolate chips, using the same method.

Now this makes so much to eat that I really think it's two servings. (Just in case that gave you the wrong idea--I totally devoured the entire thing myself!) With that in mind, I think that the calorie count is 70 calories per serving. You could bump it up to 100 or 120 calories with some added chocolate.

As for the hot cocoa, it's exactly what it looks like. 1 packet of store brand, fat-free hot cocoa mix, hot water, whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. Sweet dreams!

Low Cal Lunches: Veggie Chicken Sammy

Because I'm always throwing something together for a quick, healthy--and usually very late--lunch, I decided today to create a new post series on just that. Low Cal Lunches will be short and sweet and always diet friendly.

On today's menu? A veggie chicken patty sandwich! I prefer mine to be all Morningstar Farms all the way. Today, I spread some light mayo and mustard on my new favorite thing: a 100 calorie "everything" flagel, microwaved (I was just too hungry to commit to waiting for the toaster oven!) the patty and put it all together with a quartered orange on the side.

Total Calories: about 250 (higher if you add more condiments) + 64 for the orange.

Okay, so I took the photo with my cell phone and it's not so clear. We'll call it arty.

Variations on this recipe? You can use any other fake chicken (or real if that's your sort of thing!) and bread varieties out there. I think some fake bacon, a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, some romaine lettuce or spinach, even pickles would all be delicious on this sandwich. Go nuts!

Breakfast of Champions: Asian Pear Cream o'Wheat

Last night was New York City's first real snow. When I woke up this morning, our street was lightly dusted with the white stuff and I was desperately craving a warm, healthy breakfast. Trying hard to shed the cold that I (and the rest of my family) caught from my adorable baby niece over Thanksgiving, I finally felt strong enough to return to my trusty kitchen and give myself the nutrition that I needed. After rummaging through the fridge and pantry, I found an asian pear and a nice big box of semolina (Cream of Wheat) and I knew that was all I needed to feel better.


Asian Pear Cream O' Wheat

3 T Semolina
2/3 cup, 2T water separated
1 asian pear
1/4 cup milk, if desired
1.5 t butter (I use Smart Balance)
1/4 t cinnamon
dash freshly grated nutmeg
1 t stevia
1/4 t vanilla or almond extracts

In a small bowl, mix together the semolina and 2/3 cup water and microwave for 1 minute. Meanwhile, chop the asian pear into small chunks, cover with 2T water in a small bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Toss the fruit, spices, butter and milk (if desired) into the creamed wheat and stir until just combined. If the mixture is too thick, add in a T or two of water or milk. If it is too thin, microwave for an additional 30 seconds. Microwave cooking times vary.

Enjoy!

Flashback to Tofurkey Day

One upon a time, when I was an angsty teenager, Thanksgiving was my not my cup of tea. A whole day dedicated to two of my least favorite things (football and poultry)? No thanks. Over time, however, two major factors dramatically changed my point of view.

First, during and just after college, I elected to spend the national holiday with friends and boyfriends and their families. Through these experiences, I realized that this time the grass was not greener on the other side. My family, it turned out, was actually kind of awesome and it felt as if no other family had such a fun and traditional holiday. Similarly, I really began to miss seeing my family. While so many take this for granted, living almost 2,000 miles away for almost 10 years really changes things. Especially when my adorable and tiny niece and nephew, and three (originally 5) feisty grandparents are thrown into the mix.

The second major change in my approach to Thanksgiving is, big surprise!, my foodie ways. You probably know by now that I'm mostly self-taught in the kitchen. So back during those teenage years of aforementioned angst, it just hadn't quite yet occurred to me to make Thanksgiving my own. But now that I am a little too comfy in the kitchen and utterly obsessed with fall flavors (cinnamon, nutmeg, pecans, anything pumpkin) I understand better than ever that Thanksgiving has more foodie potential than just about any other holiday I know. And my family's turkey? No match for my favorite tofurkey. (Just because no one I know agrees with this, doesn't mean it's not true!)

When cooking and baking throughout the year, it's usually just me and my pan. Sometimes I'll bake for Baked from the Heart with one of the talented Js, but more often than not cooking is a solitary affair. Thanksgiving, however, is a whole other crock pot. Unless your time in the kitchen is after everyone else is asleep, which I did a few times this year--I won't lie, it's pretty much impossible to work alone. Almost every dish on our Thanksgiving table this year was a collaborative effort. There's something really lovely about that--even if some people like the heat more than others. Here is the spread from our Turkey day buffet (A special thanks to my sister for providing the photos!) :

From left to right, top to bottom: Our Shabbat candles were an important part of the spread because we actually had our feast on Friday night (all the men in the family spent Thursday at a football game). No Thanksgiving is complete without a Corn Casserole--my absolute favorite dish!--and a Green Bean Casserole, which we made from scratch this year. Naturally, my non-veggie family has a kosher turkey on the table--my beloved tofurkey had the honor of a special place on the actual table next to my plate. This year, I added to the spread a savory squash. If you look closely, you'll notice that I carved Butternut Squash Leaves from the thick trunk of the gourd. We also made an Orange-Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce, a recipe that my mom and I created last year. After years of hearing from the rest of the family all about her incredible Apple-Cranberry Sweet Potatoes (below), I was really excited to try it out this year in place of the old standard, marshmallow-topped dessert, er, I mean casserole (which obviously I adore).

I wouldn't dream of posting about Thanksgiving without a pie montage! This year, I made a Classic Pumpkin Pie with Leaves of Crust. This recipe was actually a challenge because I was not so sure how to make the pie parve (non-dairy). As it turns out, you can just replace the condensed milk from any recipe (including that one from the back of an orange can) with the same amount of parve soy milk.


Meanwhile, my Grandma Sylvia made an Apple Pie with a nice melted brown sugar topping and my sister created the classic Jello Chocolate Pudding Pie.

You didn't actually think I'd deprive you of some recipes, did you?

Corn Casserole

1 can creamed corn
1 can regular corn, rinsed and drained
4 T corn meal
1 c milk (or ½ c soy milk)
½ c butter, melted
3 eggs, beaten
3 T sugar
dash salt

Butter a 9x13 casserole dish and preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together every ingredient thoroughly. Pour into casserole dish and bake for 1.5 hours, or until set.


Green Bean Casserole

1 - 2 cups fried onions
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
14.5 ounces mushroom or veggie broth
1 cup soy milk

Pinch salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Parboil green beans until just tender, about 5 minutes. Soak in cold water, drain and dry. In a large saucepan, melt margarine over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sautee until soft. Sprinkle salt, pepper and flour. Stirring constantly, cook for 1 minute then pour in soy milk and broth. Whisk until smooth. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Fold in the green beans and pour into a 9x13 casserole dish. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the casserole is bubbling around the edges. Top off with fried onions in any pattern you choose and enjoy! This recipe is an adaptation.

Butternut Squash with Leaves (low calorie!)

1 whole butternut squash
cooking spray
chili powder
garlic powder
salt
pepper
dried oregano

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut squash trunk into several 1/4 inch round slices. Peel bulb, scoop out seeds and chop into small chunks. Place in a greased baking dish. Coat squash with cooking spray and set aside. Use a small leaf-shaped cookie cutter or a pairing knife to cut the squash into leaves. Make small lines with a knife to create veins and coat with cooking spray. Place leaves on greased cookie sheet. Lightly sprinkle a desired amount of spices over the tops of the squash leaves and chunks. Bake until squash is soft and can just be pierced with a dull fork. Form a wreath with the leaves around squash chunks in the dish.

Orange-Cinnamon Cranberry Sauce

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup water
12 ounces fresh cranberries
2 t cinnamon
zest of one half orange

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Toss in the cranberries and return to a boil. Toss in the zest and cinnamon. Stir and let boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside until cool. Refrigerate for an hour and serve cold.

Apple-Cranberry Sweet Potatoes
Recipe TK!

Classic Pumpkin Pie with Leaves of Crust

pie filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground nutmeg
2 eggs
15 oz pumpkin puree
12 oz soy milk

pie crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp cold butter, cubed
1/2 cup ice water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together the flour, sugar and salt. Combine with butter and ice water. Knead on a floured surface and cut in half. Refrigerate for 30 minutes – 1 hour. Roll out into 2 large circles or 10 small circles. Place one circle in pie pan and trim edges to fit. Pinch the edges to make a decorative trim, if desired. In a large bowl, combine all filling ingredients and mix thoroughly; pour into pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Use tinfoil or silicon cover to cover the crust of the pie to prevent burning. Decrease heat to 350 degrees and bake for 40 -50 minutes, or until set. Meanwhile, use a leaf-shaped cookie cutter and make several leaves. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until golden. Place decorative leaves on pie as desired.

Halloween Dinner Party

I am a HUGE Halloween nut. As a kid, I loved trick-or-treating and eating from my huge bucket of candy every day after school, all year long. But it wasn't until I went to college that I started craving a fun, sophisticated Halloween experience. You see, I went to a small university where the students just weren't interested in the spooky holiday. I almost went trick-or-treating for UNICEF once, but I sprained my ankle and was sidelined indefinitely. When I moved to New York, I was so excited to watch the annual village parade and attend parties thrown by friends and acquaintances, and I had a great time doing so. Just over two years ago, though, after being a devoted Martha fan for a few years, I began to crave a slightly different Halloween experience: the dinner party. This year was our third annual Halloween party and I think I have finally come up with a magic formula. To throw a successful, but still small, bash you need:

• A spooky but sophisticated ambiance

• Several courses of tricky treats

• A grand dessert finale

• And of course, required costumes!

Before delving into recipes, I'd like to say a little something about the meaning of the holiday. Although the day has roots in several cultures and religions (Roman Parentalia and feast of Pomona, Celtic Calan Gaeaf, Mexico's Day of the Dead, and All Saint's Day, amongst others), I believe that it's current meaning is more secular and philosphical.

You see, I hate all things scary. Horror movies, frightening practical jokes, any potentially dangerous situation, and above all, the dreaded nightmare. I prefer to be safe, secure, and away from all that stuff. So, why then, do I love this spooky and scary day? I finally get the chance to mock and tease all of the things that I am afraid of! I find it really empowering. I'll admit that I still tend to focus on fictional frights (goblins, ghosts, vampires and zombies) rather than the grotesque and possible (psych units gone awry and anything slasher), but I still feel satisfied and relieved by the end of the frightful night.

This year, I opted to place a menu with silly, spooky names at each place setting. This was a huge hit at the party and guests loved to look back and forth between their plates and the menu in order to figure out which tricky dish they were eating at the time. My favorite recipes from our 2010 Halloween Dinner Party:

Eyes of Newt Salad with Cockroaches Combine fresh baby spinach leaves with cubed apples or pears, and candied pecans. Top the salad off with peeled concord grapes. Served with my signature Spiced Sesame Salad Dressing.

Sauteed Broken Bones with wild fungus in a garlic creme sauce. This recipe was adapted from a ricotta gnocci from The New York Times. I sauteed an assortment of mushrooms in olive oil with fresh sage and tossed with the "broken bones" before serving. I can't wait to make this again, and maybe with a butternut squash sage sauce (for semi homemade recipe, cartoned soup would work nicely).

Goblin Claws Roasted artichokes, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with breadcrumbs. Roast at 425 degrees until the outer leaves are golden and fanning outward, while the bottom of the stem is easily pierced with a fork.

Jack O'Lantern Brulee I combined Emeril Lagasse's pumpkin custard with Martha Stewart's candied pumpkin. This was one of the biggest hits of the whole night and I hope to be able to make it again for Thanksgiving! Guests loved being able to eat the shell.

Throughout this post, you've found a few photos from this year's bash. I'd also like to show you some of my favorite photos from Halloweens past:

Red Velvet Skull with marshmallow fluff icing

Red Velvet Zombie
with Cranberry Sauce, Twizzlers and White Chocolate Covered Figs

Pear Skull Pops with butterscotch and white & milk chocolate
Meringue Bones dusted with cocoa powder Witches Fingers

Homemade Candy Corn Boozy Chocolate Fig PumpkinsHard-Boiled Eyeballs with guacamole
I hope you had a happy Halloween!

Food Photography

Because I have taken so many photos over the years of foods that I or others have made, I thought it would be fun to upload them all here in a slideshow. Enjoy!

Planning Ahead: A Veggie Thanksgiving

I was perusing the New York Times food section this morning and stumbled upon a fantastic post about veggie thanksgiving recipes! I felt a little giddy at first, amazed at all of these fantastic recipes and pretty excited about starting to plan Thanksgiving with my mom. Then I realized that this is actually a collage of recipes from an array of amazing articles on various food sensitivities, restrictions and diets. My favorite recipes out of the bunch?

Harvest-Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms

Gordon Maybury's
Baked Kataifi-Wraped Goat Cheese

Chloe Coscarelli’s
Maple-Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Toasted Hazelnuts

Silvana Nardone’s
Gluten-Free Apple-Pecan Cornbread Stuffing

Garden Vegetable Gratin

Skillet Macaroni and Broccoli and Mushrooms and Cheese

All of these photographs are property of The New York Times.

If you like the above recipes, check out these articles as well: Vegetarian Comfort Food at Thanksgiving, Joan Nathan's Jewish-French Thanksgiving, A Gluten Free Thanksgiving, Dr. Weil’s Simple Roasted Root Vegetables, A Vegan Chef Dishes Up Thanksgiving, Food Festival Cuisine for Thanksgiving, and Giving Thanks for Vegetables, Not Turkey,

Happy Eating!

Family Dinners Past: Nacho Night & Pizza/Soup

Because I've been busy the past few weeks and only now really given the chance to catch up on all of my posts and organize photos, I thought it would be a good time to bring up some photos of family dinners past.

A couple weeks ago I was watching tv on a saturday night and someone had the gall to say the word "nachos"! Just like my 3 year old nephew, J, at the slight mention of the words "cookie" or "treat", my ears perked up, my pupils widened and I knew that I simply must have nachos--and soon! It was just my luck that our pantry was running low on Mexican meal ingredients, so I made a quick run to the store and came up with this delicious treat:

I scoured the market for the lowest calorie tortilla chips available (by weight, of course) and eventually chose a bag of the scoop variety. I added some Amy's Refried Black Beans, my absolute favorite, sliced black olives, a blend of shredded "Mexican" cheeses from Shop Rite, a dash of chipotle seasoning, some jarred, spicy tortilla sauce and last, but definitely not least a huge pour of chilie powder (those little black and red speckles you see in the photos add so much delicious flavor without overwhelming the palate with too much spice--highly recommended!). I microwaved the dish for 1.5 minutes. My craving was satiated and I was a very happy camper.

One night that same week, I didn't know what to serve for dinner and hadn't really thought much about it until 6 or 7pm when Doni came home from work. We had some leftover apple/potato soup from the previous shabbat dinner, though the flavor was getting a little too mild. So I chopped up some honeycrisp apples for sweetness, tart and texture and put a handful in my and D's soup bowls. I topped off the soup with some veggie bacon bits and chopped chives and suddenly the too-mild soup was teeming with flavor:


Because few things make me happier than pizza, I grabbed some small pitas from the fridge, turned them into a slight garlic bread with olive oil, garlic and spices, added cheddar cheese (what we happened to have in the fridge) and some veggie pepperoni. I baked the pizzas at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes--just wait until the cheese is bubbly. I really thought that the pitas would dry out, but I was pleasantly surprised. This really easy recipe might be one of my favorite pizzas out there. Who knew?

Tip: The key to working with veggie pepperoni is brushing the tops of each one with a touch of olive oil, or spraying them with nonstick cooking spray. If you skip this key step, the pepperoni dries out a bit and doesn't have it's full potential of flavor.

Two very easy & delicious (semi?) homemade dinners that would make our new governor's girlfriend very proud. Bon appetit!

Family Dinner: Southern-Inspired Goodness

Because I just returned from a fantastic trip to California (link to Baked from the Heart blog post TK) I found myself sitting on the couch tonight around dinnertime in a bit of a jet-lagged haze. Famished, I knew that I needed some serious food nourishment and fast. Proud of myself for actually losing weight in CA thanks to a hotel gym and a serious art therapist dancing session, I wasn't in the mood for take out. So I turned to one of my favorite comfort food meals: a veggie adaptation of KFC's bowl o' favorites.

I remember when I first saw a commercial for this brilliant dish. I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped in the same way that it did when I was 12 and my friends and I first opened a Tiger Beat magazine. Mashed potatoes with chicken, corn and cheese? Brilliant! Since then, I've made several veggie versions, all of which pretty much depend on the random ingredients we have in the pantry and freezer. Sometimes I add cheese on top, often I'll use breaded veggie chicken, and many times I actually serve this in a bowl. For tonight's recipe of sorts, as always, I just winged it:

Southern-Inspired Goodness

1 can of corn
1 block of frozen green beans
3 servings of flaked mashed potatoes (follow directions on box)
1 recipe of Bisquick Heart Smart biscuits
4 Morningstar Farms fake bacon strips
Morningstar Farms veggie chicken strips or nuggets

Prepare the corn, mashed potatoes, biscuits, fake bacon and veggie chicken as per individual directions. Defrost green beans (I prefer french cut for the thin texture) and prepare as desired. I added in some soy sauce, a light touch of honey, garlic powder and salt and pepper. Pile together in a bowl or on a plate. Enjoy!

Tonight's substitution: I realized halfway through making dinner that I was out of milk and I needed it for the mashed potatoes and biscuits. To sub, I used sour cream with a couple tablespoons of water. It worked and neither Doni nor I noticed the difference!

In Lieu of Watching Mad Men...

Drink like you are mad yourself! My friend Mike just sent me this awesome link to Paste magazine that gives readers tips in drinking like the classy characters of the show. While it makes me a little thirsty, I can't help but disagree with their depiction of Don as a classy drinker who shows restraint. Seriously, Paste Magazine? I will give you some benefit of the doubt, since this was written before Season 4 premiered, but it still seems way off to me.


Last note about this article? I need that penguin cocktail shaker! Hanukkah, anyone?

Shabbat This Week: A 5 Course Menu

I won't lie, I'm super excited about shabbat this week because for the first time in so long I am hosting a shabbat dinner! Granted, it's a small one, but I'm very happy to get off my lazy bum and actually have some people over.

I just got off the phone with my good friend Joanie and together we created what I think will be a really fun and delicious menu. I'll post photos of the foods if I can before I light the candles tomorrow evening. Here's my menu:


Shabbat Dinner:

Course 1: Challah and hummus
Course 2: Apple/Potato Soup
Course 3: Kale salad, corn salad
Course 4: Individual Mock Chicken Pot Pies, Roasted Butternut Squash, Green Beans with Almonds, Rice
Course 5: Poached Pears in a Red Wine Glaze with Candied Pecans and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Off to the grocery store!

Low Calorie Tricks & Treats: Protein Water!

I know that Crystal Light has been around for what seems like forever, but I just had to share my latest obsession: Crystal Light Hunger Satisfaction! It's 30 calories a packet--which can be mixed into a bottle of water (or a liter, which is what I prefer) and filled with fiber and protein. I like to drink it first thing in the morning or before a high calorie meal to keep myself on track. At first, I was concerned that the strawberry banana flavor would taste like medicine, but I lucked out: if anything, it tastes just like my favorite smoothie. Try it out!

Family Dinner: Okra Stir Fry

You may remember from a previous post that I am a huge fan of okra. Maybe that's because I'm originally from Texas (where it's pickled, fried and stewed all the time), but it just as likely may be the flavor (yum!) and it's overall healthfulness.

According to the Good Eats episode currently paused on my DVR, okra is a fantastic source of dietary fiber--one cup has a whopping 4 grams--Vitamins A, C and Folate. So if you are expecting (just passing on the info, people) okra is an excellent veggie to add into your weekly menu. Additionally, the slimy goop that many kids and husbands, like Doni, are turned off by is actually pectin. According to Alton Brown, you can't make a gumbo without okra as a helpful thickening agent.

Tonight I reached for the okra because I just happened to have a bunch of it hiding away in my freezer. D is working late so I made myself this simple and hearty peanut sauce stir fry. This is a very versatile recipe--feel free to replace the broccoli with your favorite veggies or the tofu with actual meat. I also think that some baby corn would be a great addition.

Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce
Parve and Vegan
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bag of frozen okra
1 box of tofu or meat substitute
1 bag of frozen broccoli1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper, as desired

For the sauce:
2 Tablespoons peanut buutter (I used chunky)
2 Tablespoons Hoisen Sauce (or soy sauce to taste)
2 Tablespoons water
Cayenne pepper (or red pepper flakes) as desired

Directions. Coat the bottom of a wok or large pan with olive oil and toss in the garlic over medium heat. Let cook for 2 minutes. Add in the okra and broccoli, cooking for about 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated and completely defrosted. Toss in the tofu and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If the stir fry begins to stick, add some water and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon to loosen up all the overcooked goodness. Let the stir fry sit on medium heat until the water is completely cooked out and the ingredients are cooked to your liking. (I like it on the charred side.) Meanwhile, whisk together the peanut sauce ingredients and microwave for 45 seconds. Serve the stir fry with rice or couscous and top with the sauce. Enjoy!

All the Sweet Stuff: Vegan Cupcakes!

When my good friend Mike showed me this article, I knew I had to share it! Such a great example of tasty vegan/veggie friendly treats. Enjoy!

All the Sweet Stuff: Cinnamon Babka

When I think of babka, I think of two things: the way my Dad's face lights up at any mention of the yeasty, sugary pastry and the classic Seinfeld episode, below. Babka is like a hybrid of challah and gooey cinnamon rolls. It typically comes in two flavors: chocolate and cinnamon. Though some people feel very strongly about their preferences (my dad doesn't understand why anyone would waste their time with a babka that isn't cinnamon) I personally love both flavors so much, I can't choose.

Seinfeld -) The Babka - The best video clips are right here

A few weeks ago, I was obsessed with another classic NYC/Jewish treat: rugelach. I just couldn't get the recipe right. One night I decided to play with a basic rugelach recipe by adding yeast. After doing lots of online research and kitchen experiments, I came up with a dough that's a hybrid between a buttery biscuit and a croissant. I found myself with some extra dough and decided to roll it in chocolate chips and braid it like a challah. Though it didn't taste a thing like challah, it was incredible and reminded me and Doni of babka. I told myself that as soon as I had the opportunity, babka I would make.

I mentioned a pot-luck picnic in my last post. I thought saying goodbye to J, A, and cutie-pie N would be the perfect time to try out my recipe. It was such a crowd-pleaser! Soft, gooey, sweet and full of cinnamon goodness. Next time, I plan on doubling the fillings (which I did in the recipe you'll find below) because the dough absorbs some of it while baking. The recipe makes 1 extra large babka or 2 small babkas. I plan on making this again and again and bringing it to all sorts of holidays and family events.

Cinnamon Babka
dairy, parve or vegan

3 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
dash tsp salt
2 sticks butter
2 packets yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick cold butter
1 Tbs melted butter
dash cinnamon

Directions. Pour the water over both packets of yeast and a pinch of sugar in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes, or until the yeast is frothy, bubbly, and twice its size. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. The following can be done by hand or in a food processor: Add the butter in small pieces (or margarine) and knead together until the entire mixture is crumbly.

In a small bowl, beat together the vanilla and both eggs. Pour into the flour mixture and combine. Next, mix in the sour cream (or parve alternative). Lastly, knead in the yeast until the dough is firm. Place in a greased bowl and let rise, covered with a towel, for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 340 degrees. Roll out the dough in a large rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the cold butter (or margarine) into small pieces. In a small bowl, coat the pieces of butter (or margarine) in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Evenly cover the rectangle of dough with the cinnamon mixture, including the edges. Roll dough like a cinnamon roll--from one long side of the rectangle to the other. Close the seam by brushing melted butter on top and pinching together the dough. Form the tube of dough into a large circle, closing the ends together just as above.

Twist the circle of dough into a double helix and place in a loaf pan, prepared with parchment paper. Brush the remaining melted butter over the top of the babka and sprinkle with a dash of cinnamon, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and, when wiggled, the babka no longer jiggles in its pan.

Vegan Note: I was actually out of eggs when I made this at home, so I used Ener-G egg replacer and it turned out beautifully. If you also use margarine, as I did, this becomes an easy, delicious VEGAN treat! Who knew?