pareve – Page 11 – morestomach

CMP : chocolate, marshmallow & peanuts ice cream

Published on February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach16 Comments

in our Real Life
it’s no secret that
woodberry kitchen is dw’s favorite restaurant.
i like it just fine,
(ahem. fine enough that we had our wedding there…)
but dw really likes wk.

they have this dessert
that is simply put:
amazing.
so good that it made it on
The Best Thing I Ever Ate
so delicious that
we requested it for our wedding.
the recipe changes every so often:
i’ve had it with chocolate mint sorbet,
in the video malt ice cream is used,
it’s whatever ice cream flavor they have
and for me,
i can request it made dairy free
and that, friends,
is why i usually have one all to myself.
and then i stare longingly at dw’s too.

we made this version in preparation
of Ice Cream For Breakfast Day.
the marshmallow fluff recipe made an assload amount,
so that’ll be coming with us to the party
the ice cream base is vegan
and as such, we upped the chocolate flavor.
and the wet peanuts:
well. we used a combo of honey+water
though the first time we attempted it
it was all just honey and it solidified.
oops.

super chocolate ice cream – vegan
*note: i made the ice cream base less sweet than usual, because i knew it was being consumed with sweetened nuts and fluff. if eaten alone, i’d up the sugar amount to maybe 1/2 cup or even 2/3 cup.
**note: we used king arthur’s marshmallow fluff recipe, using honey instead of corn syrup, without the vanilla, and used organic, cage free, free range eggs
***note: the wet peanuts was just raw peanuts that were coarsely chopped, roasted in a dry frying pan and then doused in some water and smidge of honey

2 cans of full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 generous TBL cocoa powder, we used Scharffen Berger
1 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips, we used enjoy life
2 tsps pure chocolate extract, we used Nielsen-Massey
1/2 TBL cornstarch

in a saucepan, heat the sugar with 1 1/2 cans of the coconut milk. don’t scald the liquid, you want it to be just warmed through and the sugar to dissolve and be fully incorporated.

mix in the cocoa powder, stir for a minute or two, just until the coconut milk is a lovely shade of brown. next add in the chocolate chips. you want the chips to melt and to be fully mixed in. it’s going to look all fleck-y as the chips melt, just keep a consistent stir. add in the extract.

with the remaining coconut milk stir in the cornstarch, then add to the hot liquid. mix thoroughly.

pour into bowl and allow to cool completely befor covering with plastic wrap. store in fridge over night.

when ready, pour into ice cream maker and churn according to machine’s directions.

to assemble, layer the wet peanuts and ice cream and top with marshmallow fluff. if you’re feeling fancy, you can make sugar shards and/or torch the fluff.

BAM!

lan-devin-eng-00798 photo courtesy of luke eshelman

other ice cream concoctions:
coffee chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
peppermint chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
spiced coconut pecan ice cream – dairy free, gluten free
strawberry ice cream + almond waffle cones – gluten free, dairy free

brinjal pickle hummus

Published on February 2, 2015February 3, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach20 Comments

things i don’t like right now:
the cold
my hair length, it’s that in-between thing
doing dishes
bad internet connection
coffee creamer saying it’s non-dairy
but closer look at the ingredients list lists milk.
WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!
the ravens not making the superbowl

things i like right now:
not having cable
watching mpt/pbs/bbc
burt’s bee’s skincare line
blooming cyclamens
this taytay mashup
smothering my superbowl disappointment with ~~dip~~ two dips
one dip is usually fine,
but two makes it all the more bearable

brinjal pickle hummus – vegan & gluten free
brinjal pickle adapted from the Splendid Table
basic hummus adapted from Ottenlenghi’s Jerusalem, click on link for full ingredients or purchase the book for instructions. Or, use your own fave hummus recipe, but for the love of gawd, don’t add olive oil!

note about the brinjal: original recipe calls to store in jars in dark corner and ignore for a month before consuming. that’s not happening, we’ll likely finish this batch in a week. it also says can be ignored, unopened for MONTHS and once opened can be kept in fridge for at least 2-3 months. we might test that. in the meantime, we’ll add it to our hummus or eat as a side along with rice.

brinjal pickle:
2 lbs indian eggplants, trimmed & cubed
2 TBL salt
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp brown mustard seeds
2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2″ knob of fresh ginger, minced
2 red peppers, seeded and diced
1 generous TBL tamarind paste
1 cup vinegar
5 generous TBL light brown sugar

place cubed eggplant into colander in sink and sprinkle with salt. ignore for an hour as the eggplants supposedly releases its bitter juices.

toast cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and fennel seeds in dry frying pan. when warmed through and fragrant, grind in mortar & pestle (or as dw would’ve preferred, in a spice grinder). when finely ground, add in the cinnamon stick, ground tumeric and mustard seed, ignore until needed.

rinse eggplant and pat dry. or like me, ignore for awhile until sufficiently dry.

in batches (i did it in two) fry up eggplant cubes in oil, add more oil as needed. brown and soften.

when done, remove eggplant and set aside. heat remaining oil and saute onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper over medium high heat, until soft. add in ground spices, mix through, then add in the tamarind paste and brown sugar. finally put the eggplant back into pan and mix it thoroughly. last, pour the vinegar over the mixture and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until very tender. some pieces will be mush, don’t be alarmed.

taste for seasoning. cool completely before storing in clean jars.

to assemble the dip, take the hummus out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes, to soften.

in a food processor ladle two generous scoops of the brinjal pickle and pulse. i like a chunky texture but i wanted to break down the brinjal a little.

the point is to add these two dips together. dw likes it all mixed together, i like some division, it’s up to you. serve with pita chips, veg sticks, or as a spread.

BAM!

other dippy dips and appetizers:
za’atar socca + middle eastern smashed avocado – vegan & gluten free
mango pomegranate guacamole – vegan & gluten free
homemade lactose free ricotta cheese
green tomato & mint chutney – vegan and gluten free
roasted bone marrow

african chicken stew

Published on January 29, 2015January 28, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach14 Comments

we’ve been working,
like it’s a regular work week.
which isn’t out of the ordinary.
i mean,
there are no holidays this week.
but you see,
there was supposed to be a blizzard
of epic proportions.
friends.
we were misinformed.

the one thing the meteorologists
got correct though:
freezing temps.
on sunday, after making our
weekly soup,
experimenting with egg tarts,
and other chinese new year prep work
i had it in my head to make
another pot of soup
because
i figured a snow ~~day~~ ~~week~~
warranted comfort in a bowl.
we didn’t get the former,
but the latter was just fine.

african chicken stew
loosely adapted from simply recipes
makes 6 servings

4 drumsticks, about 1.25 lbs.
olive oil
1/2 large onion, sliced or diced, either way
3″ piece of ginger, peeled and minced
4 garlic cloves, chopped roughly
4 carrots, rough chopped into chunks
2 parsnips, rough chopped into chunks
1 15-ounce can of fire roasted diced tomatoes, we use muir glen
4 cups chicken stock (i used the last of my bullion cubes + water to equal 4 cups)
2-3 generous TBL peanut butter, honestly, i don’t remember but that seems about right
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1 TBL coriander seeds, roasted and then ground
1 tsp cayenne, or to taste
Salt and black pepper

season chicken drumsticks. brown in a bit of olive oil in a large pot. set aside.

in same pot, add more olive oil if you need to, add in the onions and saute for a few minutes. your goal is to brown the onions and pick up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. season with salt & pepper. add in the garlic and ginger, as well as the ground coriander and cayenne, mix through.

add in the broth, crushed tomatoes, peanut butter and peanuts. stir until the peanut butter is thoroughly incorporated. last, return the chicken drumsticks to the pot, nestle them in. cover & simmer on low for about an hour.

after an hour, remove the drumsticks. add in the carrots and parsnips. cover and simmer. when the drumsticks are cool enough to handle, remove all the meat off the bones, shred and return back to the pot. stir and simmer till the vegs are tender, but not mushy. adjust seasoning if needed.

serve with rice, or as is, which is how we ate it.

BAM!

other soups & stews:
autumn harvest soup
3 bean chili
vietnamese beef stew
caribbean oxtail stew
miso ramen bowl
chicken pho
portuguese chicken + chorizo curry
chickpea & sausage stew
beef, squash & white bean chili

apple molasses cookies

Published on January 14, 2015January 12, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach8 Comments

to combat the cold
that has permeated the east coast
turn your ovens on.
create bread.
make soup.
roast something.
bake cookies!

these warm gems are a riff on a dear friend’s
recipe, shared years ago,
now recreated.

for the full recipe, go here.

lentil tacos – vegan

Published on January 12, 2015February 5, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach20 Comments

we haven’t been to the market
in weeks.
grabbing toilet paper
that one time
last week doesn’t count.
dw & i discussed a pantry purge,
cooking with what we had
left on the shelves
in the fridge
in the freezer.
in part to save money,
but mainly to see if we can.
in many ways it’s limiting —
dried beans, rice, and spices
can get you so far.
but there’s a challenge in there —
making dried beans, rice and spices
taste good can stretch one’s creativity.

while planning for market day
to replenish the pantry,
to focus on a proper meal plan
we face yet another dynamic to our situation:
the challenge AND excitement
of re-stocking
the shelves
the fridge
the freezer.
it’s a nice problem to have, yes?

edit to add: maria of some infinite thing made these
for lunch, perfect!

lentil tacos
makes a week’s worth of dinner aka serves two for 5 nights

*note: this is something that we’ve made for a number of years, especially during the height of summer csa vegs. toppings and add ins are interchangeable. we’ve had it with soft and hard tacos, we’ve had it with and without cheese, it’s whatever is available that season, or in our case, in our pantry!
**note: the taco seasoning is based off of alton brown’s #19 taco potion that we quadruple and keep in a jar.

homemade taco seasoning:
1 TBL ground chipotle peppers
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp salt

lentils:
1 cup dried lentils, soaked overnight
half onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 carrots, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced (this is hit or miss, depending if in season)
2 TBL olive oil
water
2-3 TBL of taco seasoning, recipe above

add ins etc:
tortilla wraps or taco shells
arugula or shredded cabbage
shredded cheese (sometimes we use daiya vegan cheese if we’re feeling fancy)
avocado, diced or sliced
salsa
pickled vegs (once we added pickled turnips and it was DIVINE)
sliced peppers
limes
cilantro

to make the taco seasoning, just add all the ingredients in a jar and shake. will keep for about a month, though truth be told, longer.

when ready to prepare meal, discard the water the lentils were soaked in and rinse.

in a big pan or pot, heat up some olive oil. when sufficiently warmed, add in the onions and garlic. allow the onions to get translucent. add in the carrots and red bell peppers and stir to evenly mix and coat. last add in the lentils and again, mix it around to coat everything in oil.

per your taste buds and preference, add in the taco seasoning. sometimes i do more, sometimes i do less (it’s less when we’re finishing the jar). mix through. add in enough water to just barely cover the lentils.

keep heat at medium low and allow to gently simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed, stirring occasionally. check on the softness of the lentils, if it’s still got bite, add more water and cook for longer. my cook time varies anywhere from 30 minutes – 45 minutes, i just check every 5 minutes. also check taste, there is salt in the taco seasoning but you may want to add more to your preference.

it’s done when the liquid has been absorbed and the lentils and carrots are soft.

serve on tortilla wraps or in taco shells and top to your heart’s content.

BAM!