how we make our sauerkraut

i've mentioned the mister's homemade sauerkraut when i made reubens and piroshkis.  i've also devoted countless facebook statuses to the stuff. so you may be wondering, "what's the big deal with sauerkraut?"

i had it in my head that i didn't like it (stemming from many unreasonable fears & general disgust for a great number of now-awesome (to me) foods (like rye bread, bananas, and sauerkraut). yet i used to eat mcdonald's happy meals and hot dogs.  go figure.

just before christmas 2009, the mister started doing intense research (as he tends to do) on sauerkraut and the vessels used to make it at home. mrs. claus brought him a harsch stoneware crock for xmas (she ordered it from this website - based out of alabama and very reasonable shipping rates for such a heavy item). since then, we've tried to keep a batch going at all times, although we experience some down time when he goes on tour. and then i have to buy bubbie's or boar's head just to get my fix.

so the mister made the very first batch, but it didn't really like it. i'm not even sure if i remember the first time sauerkraut really clicked for me, but i think it may have been triggered by a seitan reuben i had in chicago last spring. and now, i can't get enough. i like to eat it with mashed potatoes and kale (a la colcannon)...but it is also great all by itself. it gives me energy and makes me feel clean.

so what goes into making our kraut? (the mister used to be the sole kraut-maker, but i've helped out the last two times. so now i think it's safe to say we're co-kraut conspirators).

• cabbage procurement (usually 6-8 heads).  ideally, we'd get locally grown / organic (or in a perfect world, we'd grow our own), but most of it has come from the grocery store.  reserve a few of the big outer leaves to put between the mashed cabbage & weight stones. 

 29 cents a lb at publix. we couldn't pass that up.

•  clean it WELL, then cut the core out.

• i shred/cut, while the mister salts (roughly 3 TBS per 5 lbs of cabbage) and mashes it down. (they do make cabbage-specific mandolins (and we own one), but usage resulted in a near decapitated fingertip (they recommend wearing kevlar gloves) and it doesn't cut the cabbage as thin/consistent as we'd like).

 the wooden cabbage tamper (also purchased from the wisemen trading company) is a very useful tool. prior to buying it, the mister used a standard mashed potato masher. 

• basically, you mash the ever-loving stuff out of the shredded cabbage in order to draw the liquid/water out (the salt also assists in this process).  put the saved outer leaves on top. then you place the weights on top of everything. after the weights go on, you need the water level to be at least 3cm above the stone. Push everything down with the tamper, using all your might.

• put the lid on (making sure the "lip" of the lid constantly has water to keep a tight seal), then wait 3-6 weeks (depending on the season/weather/temperature of the house).

not our photo. i wish we could make the lid levitate like that though.

and that's it! (let me just say that the cleaning/cutting/mashing is at least a 2-hour process (with both of us working. solo, it used to take him 3-ish hours). your hands cramp up and your muscles hurt. but it is oh so worth it.
Still need some convincing?  Check out some info i found here:

Specific Health Benefits

1. Sauerkraut as immune booster
   One of the not so secret benefits of sauerkraut is the boost it gives to immune systems. Packed with vitamins andminerals, sauerkraut has been used as a lay immune booster for centuries.Sauerkraut contains phytochemicals which are created during the fermentation process. These naturally occurring, beneficial by products of sauerkraut help boost the immune system which leads to a decrease in a number of health problems. The common cold, skin problems, weight gain and tainted blood are all fixed by a healthy functioning immune system.
2. Sauerkraut as cancer fighter
   The most recent evidence of sauerkraut's status as a Superfood is found in numerous studies on the cruciferous wonder's cancer fighting properties. The results of a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry concluded that sauerkraut is a cancer inhibitor. The study discovered that the fermentation of cabbage produced a substance called isothiocynates, which prevents cancer growth, particularly in the breast, colon, lung and liver. Although raw cabbage is normally rich in a compound called glucosinolate, the researchers found that during the fermentation process enzymes are released that completely decompose the compound into several breakdown products. The majority of these products are cancer-fighting isothiocyanates. The University of New Mexico published a study linking sauerkraut consumption by adolescent females to a reduced risk for breast cancer earlier studies indicate sauerkraut may reduce the risk for other forms of cancer including lung, colon, prostate, and liver We are finding that fermented cabbage could be healthier than raw or cooked cabbage, especially for fighting cancer, says Eeva-Liisa Ryhanen, Ph.D., research manager of MTT Agrifood Research Finland, located in Jokioinen, Finland. A recent study by the American Center for Cancer Research has found that sauerkraut has a profound effect in preventing and healing breast cancer. Based on reports that breast cancer rates amongst polish women in the United States were much higher than those in Poland researchers set out to find out why. Their answer; the women who still lived in Poland ate significantly larger amounts of sauerkraut especially important while they were in adolescence. The research found that the women who immigrated Americanized' their diets and stopped eating as much of the super food that is sauerkraut thus increasing their rates of breast cancer.
3. Digestive Aid
   Eating sauerkraut is a great way to protect the balance of bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract. Sauerkraut is one of the few foods that contain the bacterium Lactobacilli plantarum. L. planatarum is a very dominant strain of healthful bacteria which helps your digestive system in the following ways: boost the immune system by increasing antibodies that fight infectious disease help inhibit pathogenic organisms including E.coli, salmonella and unhealthy overgrowth of candida (yeast) create antioxidants (glutathione and superoxide dismustase) that scavenge free radicals which are a cancer precursor transforms hard-to-digest lactose from milk to the more easily digested lactic acid. It neutralizes the antinutrients found in many foods including the phytic acid found in all grains and the trypsin-inhibitors in soy generates new nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, digestive aids and the trace mineral GTF chromium. These various properties are the best scientific reasons given for what has been known by loyal users for millennia, sauerkraut cures an upset stomach and is the best natural physic there is. Many sources say raw fermented foods are beneficial to the digestive system by increasing the healthy flora in the intestinal tract or creating the type of environment for them to flourish. Sauerkraut and its juice are traditional folk remedies for constipation. Fermentation actually increases nutrient values in the cabbage, especially vitamin C. Fermented foods are also said to facilitate the breakdown and assimilation of proteins. They have a soothing effect on the nervous system. The benefits of sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice have been recognized for generations. In some families of southern Germany, the children are fed raw sauerkraut twice weekly to support their intestines. Today it is thought that these benefits may relate to a high proportion of lactic acid in sauerkraut and sauerkraut juice that naturally supports the digestive processes, maintain intestinal flora, and increase the feeling of well-being.
4. Flu Fighter
   With the spread of Avian Flu spreading across the globe, one enterprising Korean scientist, Kang Sa-Ouk of Seoul National University, took 13 chickens infected with avian flu virus and a couple of other diseases, fed them Kim chi extract and found that 11 of the birds recovered. Experts think the vital bacteria are created during the fermenting process and this gives the dish its health-boosting qualities.

crispy fried plantains

i think there's 2 kinds of cooks out there: those who plan out meals, print out recipes, and scour cookbooks (that's me). and the other type throws meals together on a whim, based on what's on hand in the fridge and pantry (that's the mister).   i have to admire his ability to spice things just right, and he really is an ace at indian food and "asian"-ish noodles (made with tofu & whatever veggies we have in the fridge). 

the other night, i remarked that the plantain was about to go bad, and he immediately said, "you know what would be good..." and before i knew it, he was crunching up corn flakes and we ended up with these guys:

my only input was suggesting that he needed a liquid before "dredging" the plantain in the coating.

crispy fried plantains
serves 2. good for snacking or dessert

ingredients:
1 plantain
coconut oil
coconut milk creamer (or coconut milk...or almond milk)
crushed up corn flakes
a few dashes of ground ginger
a few dashes of cayenne pepper
a little bit of brown sugar
honey, for drizzling

directions:
peel the plantain and cut into small discs.   crush up the corn flakes in a small bowl, and mix in your spices and sugar.  pour a little coconut milk creamer in a separate dish.  melt a bit of coconut oil in a nonstick pan. then create a little assembly line: dunk each piece in the creamer, cover with the corn flakes, and place in the frying pan. flip the pieces after each side gets brown and crispy, and drizzle with honey.

the recipe-follower in me apologizes for the vagueness of this recipe (i.e.: "a little bit of this..."), but since this was just thrown together on a whim (mainly by someone else), i did the best i could!

steel cut oats - rice cooker recipe (vegan)

ever since i've discovered my love for steel cut oats, my rice cooker has (almost) been granted permanent space on the countertop (i think the stand mixer and food processor are a bit jealous, actually).  i tried making them in the crock pot overnight and wound up with a burnt, sticky mess (and no breakfast) the next morning.  next, i tried using my 3-cup rice cooker and discovered a fool-proof (and fast) way that gives me perfect oats every time. we found this rice cooker on closeout at kroger years ago for $4 and couldn't be happier with it.


rice cooker steel cut oats recipe (vegan)
makes 2-3 servings

ingredients:
2/3 cup steel cut oats (this kind can be found at trader joe's & it's cheaper than mccann's)
2/3 cup almond milk
1 cup water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash salt
dash vanilla extract
3 tsp pure maple syrup
3 tsp ground flax seed meal (optional)

directions:
combine/stir all the ingredients in the rice cooker and set to "cook".  it'll take about 20-25 minutes.
stir and top with your favorite toppings (i like a little more syrup, a little earth balance, and some dried fruit or fresh blueberries).

pizza time!

there are as many pizza dough recipes on the internet as there are chocolate chip cookie & brownie recipes (i'm sure you have googled "best ____ recipe" before). after looking at a few on the 'net, i looked at my cookbooks and decided to modify mark bittman's 'how to cook everything vegetarian' pizza dough recipe (by "modify", i mean follow exactly as-is, except i added a teaspoon of sugar & lengthened the rise time).

recipe can be found here.

notes: for my flour mixture, i used 2 cups bread flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour.
rise time: 3-4 hrs instead of 1-2 (i went to target).  when i got back, i put half the dough in the freezer for later, so the cooking method below assumes you're using half the dough.
toppings: a little salt & dried basil, muir glen organic canned pizza sauce & galbani mozzarella fresca
cooking method: dust a little cornmeal on a pizza stone and preheat it in 500 degree oven. roll out the dough to a good-sized circle (probably about 12 inches...the dough wasn't sticky at all & very easy to work with. i rolled mine out on a floured silipat).  place on a floured pizza peel. brush a little olive oil on the crust and put your toppings on. slide onto pizza stone and cook for approx 6-8 minutes (i turned my oven light on and watched it like a hawk the entire time...turned it occasionally since my oven heat was obviously stronger in the back).

it was DELICIOUS. the crust is a perfect blend of crispy & chewy. i am exercising great restraint because the mister is out of town and i have no one  to share this with. i would really like to eat the whole darn thing but limited myself to 3 slices.

"chickpea salad"...kinda like tuna salad (vegan)

not the most photogenic thing, but i promise it's delicious

i didn't eat tuna (or anything else from the sea) prior to becoming a vegetarian, so it's not as if i've been sitting here missing the wonders of tuna salad sandwiches or tuna casserole. but i saw this on a blog & realized i had everything on hand, so i threw it together for lunch the other day. AND IT'S ROCKED MY WORLD ever since. it's fantastic on toasted wheat bread. or with whole wheat crackers. or as a sandwich with lettuce & tomato. and now it's all gone, so my life can go back to not-at-all rocking.

vegan yumyum's chickpea salad

ingredients:

1 15oz can Chickpeas, rinsed well
3-4 Tbs Vegenaise
2 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Mustard
1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
1/2 tsp Paprika (sweet, hot, or smoked)
1/2 tsp Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
directions:
Mash all the ingredients to form a chunky spread. Refrigerate or serve immediately.

notes: i added some finely diced red onion. i also made it in my small food processor, just a few quick pulses since i wanted the chickpeas to keep some of their integrity. 

spinach salad with quinoa, apples & peppadew dressing (vegan)

this was inspired by the "catalan couscous salad with pears" recipe from isa chandra moskowitz's appetite for reduction cookbook.   i had a craving for kale, but it was kinda moldy at food lion, so i ended up buying a bag of baby spinach. when i got home, i flipped though the cookbook and realized i could throw this salad together with what i had on hand.  sorry, kale craving.


for the salad:
-put baby spinach in a bowl. add however much quinoa you desire (make sure it's cooled, see below for cooking directions). chop up your apple. add however much dressing you want.

notes:
-original recipe calls for whole wheat couscous; i used 1/2 red & 1/2 white quinoa. 
-original recipe calls for a pear; i used an apple.
-switched up a few ingredients for the dressing


"peppadew" dressing, modified version of "romesco dressing"
ingredients:
3 TBS toasted slivered almonds
2 TBS chopped red onion
1/4 cup peppadew peppers (jar available at trader joe's)
1/2 cup water
3 TBS red wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp agave nectar
3/4 tsp salt

directions:
pulse the almonds and the onion in a food processor. add everything else and blend until smooth. store leftovers in a jar in the fridge.

to cook quinoa:
add 1 cup quinoa & 2 cups water to a small pan. bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.  fluff, cool, serve.  store whatever you don't use for the salad in the fridge.

Quinoa Salad with Mango and Black beans

this flavorful and healthful (and colorful) salad comes together very quickly. i got it out of the veganomicon cookbook, but you can also find it online here.  i used half regular and half red quinoa.
while eating this salad, i got the same sensation as when i eat kale. like my body is thanking me for the nutrients and saying it's glad i didn't give it chili mac and french fries again.

there's a little asian grocery store about 2 miles away, and i got the green onions and cilantro (as well as some mint, basil and dill and a honking big piece of ginger) for DIRT CHEAP. probably about 1/2 less than the grocery store. henceforth, i plan on getting all my herbs & stuff there.

potato leek piroshkis (vegan)

for the grimey's employee holiday party, i made crescent dragonwagon's "potato leek piroshkis" from her passionate vegetarian cookbook.

first, you create a SIMPLE yeast dough in the food processor:

this was taken after the rise/punch down (see my fist impression?) 

while the dough is rising, you make the filling, which consists of potatoes, leeks, roasted garlic, fresh dill, sauerkraut and cabbage.  my filling is a pretty purple color since i used our homemade red sauerkraut:

bowl of awesome, i could eat it by the spoonful.

next, you divide the dough into 16 small balls & roll each ball into a 6-inch circle. fill with the potato mixture and create little half-moon pockets:

bake until golden:

and eat (with mustard!):

if you are curious about the recipe, let me know and i will make a photocopy for you. i tried (and failed) to find a transcribed version online, although you can see it here on googlebooks.

Pre-Thanksgiving Musings (and a Recipe)

I was inspired by Kim to make my own pre-Thanksgiving post. My family’s traditional thanksgiving meal is a pretty all-American, meat-and-potatoes sort of affair. My dad handled the turkey (with my sister Carrie eagerly assisting--stuffing and handling that raw bird while Courtney and I looked on with disgust). He also made the stuffing, mashed potatoes and store-bought gravy, while my mom would make her infamous “yams” (sweet potatoes with a bunch of brown sugar and butter). Cranberry sauce (homemade) supplied by my brother-in-law. Add some canned corn and some Pillsbury biscuits, and dinner was served. My dad also made dessert: usually an apple pie or two (fresh filling, but a pre-packaged crust) and a peach pie (canned peaches + pre-packaged crust)…

Not that there’s anything wrong with any of this. This meal has deep-rooted traditions and we all happily dined upon all of its yeasty, starchy glory.

But a few years ago, the official pie torch was passed along to me, after I brazenly declared that I wanted to make “real” pie crust. So for the past few years, I’ve made a crumble-top apple pie, as well as a more traditional one too.

Last year was my first Thanksgiving as a vegetarian, so I wanted to bring some more health-conscious and veggie-friendly dishes. I made a hearty vegetable soup for lunch (since we don’t typically eat T-day dinner ‘til 6 or 7, because Carrie & co. lunch with her in-laws), and some roasted root vegetables.

This year, I’m taking Wednesday off work and going to bake 4 (FOUR!) pies - we’re expecting a few guests for dessert (Courtney’s boyfriend’s family & my dad’s Arizona ladyfriend). I am going to  roast a real pumpkin for a pumpkin pie (instead of canned), but I haven’t settled on a recipe just yet. And 2 apple pies and a to-be-determined 4th pie (if you have a knock-out recipe you’d like to share, please do).

I’m also going to make a soup again for lunch (maybe that bean soup from last week) and pumpkin garlic knots (to take the place of the pillbury rolls). And a pistachio/cranberry goat cheese log for snackin’. Oh, and I got myself a Gardein fake turkey thingy for my “main course” (although I feel somewhat guilty about relying on something store-bought. If I am pretty under control on the pie front on Wednesday, I may make myself a shepherd’s pie instead…)

I hope I’m not coming across as some sort of food elitist – my dad works his butt off every Thanksgiving to prepare the meal (he makes my mom’s Yams now, too). But I’ve gained such a greater awareness about my food over the past year & a half, and I want to see if I can add a little bit of my influence to the family meal.

What is your family dinner like?

Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple and Green Onions

Serves 8-10
Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
3 large beets, peeled, quartered
2 Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
2 carrots, peeled, cut diagonally into 2-inch-long pieces –the thin ones with green tops taste best
2 parsnips, peeled, halved or quartered lengthwise and cut into 2-inch-long pieces
1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large red onion, peeled, quartered through root end
Brussels sprouts
1 small butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1-2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix oil, syrup and garlic in small bowl. Place all remaining ingredients except butter, green onions, and additional syrup on heavy large rimmed baking sheet. (You may want to cover the baking sheet with foil). Pour oil mixture over; toss to coat. Spread out vegetables in single layer. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer vegetables to platter. Drizzle vegetables with butter and a little more maple syrup. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve immediately.

aloo gobi (with sweet potatoes)

i was flipping through the channels one night and caught "the spice goddess" show on the cooking channel. she was making cauliflower with sweet potatoes - seemed easy enough so i found the recipe and made it a few days later.  this is a good thing to try if you've never fixed indian at home - no weird spices required, so you won't have to make a run to the international market just to make this.  the recipe doesn't note this, but on the tv show she ended up adding some water to the mixture (which i did). it ended up a bit mushy (due to the water & way longer cooking time) but i like it that way.  i also added some cayenne pepper.  not the most photogenic dish, but it IS tasty:

turmeric sure does make things super yellow

vegetarian matzo ball soup

since the number of jewish vegetarian readers i have is approximately ≤ 0, i don't really know why i am posting this link. but - i made this vegetarian matzo ball soup over the weekend.  this is my first time attempting mazto ball soup (normally the task falls to my catholic dad - go figure - i don't think my jewish mom ever made it).  anyway, it turned out ok - it's hard to judge because i am used to the way my dad's tastes, and this is my first time ever eating a tofu-based matzo ball.  i actually like matzo balls when they're a little hard, and these were a little too fluffy/soft.  but there may have been a critical error on my part (mine didn't do the float/drop thing when i lifted the lid, but after reading the comments on the recipe site, i should've lowered the temperature after putting the lid on the pot).  the broth was fantastic.  and i also made yeast rolls, but they were gross.  too yeasty and no flavor. but it's fun to see dough rise and i'd love to attempt other breads in the future.

my balls, pre-boiling

• if you're wondering, "what is matzo ball soup?" - click here.

• other traditional jewish food info here
  

yum sandwich

I put these halves together for a little sandwich:

earthgrains thin buns + leftover kale pesto sauce sauce + sliced peppadews + smoked havarti + cherry tomatoes + sprouts + avocado = yum sandwich.

(first i put the pesto, peppadews and cheese on the bread & placed in the toaster oven for a few minutes, so it was a little melty and warm. then i topped with the other stuff).

Sweet Potato and Vegetable Soup

Sweet Potato and Vegetable Soup, from Jeanne Lemlin’s Vegetarian Classics.

1/4 cup olive oil

2 onions, finely diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

6 cups vegetable stock, storebought or homemade *(see below)

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

1 (15 oz) can small white beans, rinsed well and drained

2 cups diced green beans

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground pepper

A few dashes cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil, or ½ teaspoon dried

4 cups frozen corn

1.     Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and sauté until tender and golden, about 10 minutes.

2.     Mix in the tomatoes and stock, and bring to a boil. Stir in all the remaining ingredients except the corn. Return the soup to a boil, lower to a lively simmer, and cook until the sweet potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the corn and heat through, about 2 minutes.

Homemade Stock – Makes 7 cups

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 onions, roughly chopped

1 bunch scallions, roughly chopped

3 celery ribs, roughly chopped

6 mushrooms, chopped

½ bunch parsley with stems, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

10 cups water

Dash nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper to taste

 

1.     Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, and scallions, and sauté 10 minutes, stirring often.

2.     Mix in all the remaining ingredients and bring the stock to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Strain the stock through a large strainer or a colander set over a large bowl. With the back of a large spoon, press out as much liquid as possible from the vegetables. Discard the vegetables. Let the stock cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the stock up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.

My Notes:

• Making the homemade stock seemed like the logical (and tasty) thing to do, and since I had 2 weeks off of work, I had no excuse not to.
• I simmererd the soup for more like 3-4 hours.  It was good the day of, but even better the following days.
  
• I used 1 12-oz bag of frozen corn rather than 4 cups - seemed like plenty.
• I think the quality of canned tomatoes is important in soups like this, and i am a fan of the Muir Glen Organic brand.
  

wrap-up of holiday foodstuffs

i did lots of cooking/baking/treat-making over the holidays - here's a sampling of the recipes - all of this stuff has gotten the seal of approval by me, the mister, and/or members of my family!

the savory:

Pasta With Kale Pesto i was going to make store bought butternut squash ravioli & i was gonna whip up a little sauce w/ sage, brown butter and balsamic vinegar, but the ravioli had all this weird pink stuff on it (?) and i wasn't sure if it was some wacky mold or something, so i had to scrap that plan. but it was raining & cold, and i did not want to go to the store. i did a search for "butternut squash" and "kale" and found this. remarkably we had all the ingredients on hand. it was awesome. i recommend some sort of whole wheat pasta.  i plan on tricking my pesto-loving nephew and my picky-eater sister with this to see if they can tell that it's not "real" pesto.

Sun Dried Tomato Spread (adapted from Jeanne Lemlin's "Vegetarian Classics" cookbook) made for christmas eve snackin'

Roasted Root Vegetables  made for christmas dinner. first had this at a canadian thanksgiving celebration back in october & got pretty obsessed with them. parsnips rule!

the sweet:

Butterscotch Corn Flake Candy made for christmas eve snackin'. really simple - really good. i like the trader joe's corn flakes because the flakes are smaller than kellogg's.

Lemon Cheesecake with Shortbread Cookie Crust made for a dinner party at our house. i was also responsible for the vegetarian chili, but that was just a bunch of random stuff thrown together in a giant pot (like all good chilis should be).


Cinnamon Crumble Apple Pie made for christmas day dessert. this is my go-to apple pie recipe for thanksgiving too. everyone seems to love it.


Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars made for alexis and dave's housewarming/christmas party. a co-worker made these and i freaked the heck out after eating them (in a good way). they were a little mushy when i made them & i imagine they didn't have enough time to firm up before i cut them and brought them to the party.

"grandma's friend julie's rugelach" made for carolyn & david's party, dylan & louisa's party, and the grimeys 10 yr anniversary day.  i needed to bring a little jewish/Hanukkah-ness to these holiday gatherings.

the mister got the kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment for christmas, so i aided in the creation of vanilla strawberry ice cream. real vanilla bean KILLS vanilla extract.  he also got a german fermenting crock, so we should have some rad sauerkraut in 4-6 weeks.  i will also transcribe a really great soup recipe from one of my books - but that will have to wait for another day.
until then - stay warm!

tabbouleh

i've been eating the heck out of store-bought tabbouleh (from trader joe's), so i thought i'd try making my own. very easy to do, but prepping the parsley is a little time consuming. bulgur can be found in the bulk bins at whole foods (pretty affordable way to buy your grains!) this recipe is adapted from mark bittman's tabbouleh recipe in "how to cook everything vegetarian" (he used more olive oil & scallions instead of red onion). 

Tabbouleh

½ cup bulgur

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (or more as needed)

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped parsley, leaves and small stems only

1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves

½ cup finely diced red onion

 several cherry tomatoes, chopped into small pieces

1) soak the bulgur in almost-boiling water until tender, 30-45 minutes. Drain well in a sieve, squeezing out as much water as possible. Toss the bulgur with the oil and lemon juice and season with salt & pepper.

2) Add the parsley, mint, onion and tomatoes and toss gently. 

Kasha!

(picture: from the internet)

maybe it's because i'm half jewish. or maybe my distant russian heritage. but this is one of the best comfort foods imaginable. and it doesn't even involve cheese! this is really easy and delicious. don't be afraid of kasha. it rules. (recipe from http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kasha-Varnishkes-at-Wolffs-in-New-Jersey-40010)

Kasha Varnishkes at Wolff's in New Jersey

Ingredients
2 large onions, sliced in rounds
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
1 large egg or egg white, slightly beaten
1 cup medium or coarse kasha
2 cups water or bouillon
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 pound large or small bow tie-shaped noodles
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (optional)

Preparation
1. Sauté the onions in 2 tablespoons of the margarine or chicken fat in a heavy frying pan with a cover until golden. Remove to a plate.
2. Beat the egg in a small mixing bowl and stir in the kasha. Mix, making sure all the grains are coated. Put the kasha in the same frying pan, set over a high heat. Flatten, stir, and break up the egg-coated kasha with a fork or wooden spoon for 2 to 4 minutes or until the egg has dried on the kasha and the kernels brown and mostly separate.
3. Add the water or bouillon, salt, and pepper to the frying pan and bring to a boil. Add the onions, cover tightly, and cook over low heat, steaming the kasha for 10 minutes. Remove the cover, stir, and quickly check to see if the kernels are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. If not, cover and continue steaming for 3 to 5 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the bow-tie noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain.
5. When the kasha is ready, combine with the noodles. Adjust the seasoning, sprinkle with the parsley and coriander. If desired, add a bit more margarine or chicken fat.

milkballs

rollum made us an incredibly delicious (but highly involved) meal last night: milkballs!  (that's what his dad called it; it's essentially fried, homemade indian cheese balls (paneer) with peas and tomatoes). the whole process took about 2 1/2 hours.  first step: homemade ghee (clarified butter).  you melt butter and skim the inpurities off the top.  in the meantime, bring a gallon of milk to a slow boil. after it boils, add the juice of two lemons.  then curds form.  (i missed the next part - i went to the store to get some cilantro).  for the "sauce" - rollum used a variety of spices (probably about 10 different ones), canned whole tomatoes, and peas.  when i got back from the store, he had the milk curds in a cheesecloth and we formed little balls out of the cheese.  this part's hard because the little buggers don't really want to stay together, but you have to pack the curds in kinda tight.  then he fried the balls in the ghee and transferred them over to the sauce.  i think he also added some of the whey to tomato juice (and maybe some ghee) to make the sauce more liquid-y.

THEN he decided he wanted to try his hand making poories for the first time - ghee solids, water, and whole wheat flour.  we rolled the dough out and then fried it in the ghee. they're supposed to poof out, and while they weren't as good as the indian restaurants, we did a pretty awesome job.  2 1/2 hours later...dinner time.  i literally said "mmmmm!" after every bite.  cheers to my awesome husband for making an awesome, authentic indian meal.  he is quite the cook now...he's been making different thai-ish stir fries with veggies, tofu and rice noodles.

  (LOOKS SEVEN YEARS OLD BECAUSE OF THE SHIRT AND SMILE)

in other news, i did a supported headstand for the first time in yoga tonight!  (shoulders rest on 2 chairs with my head inbetween 'em, go into downward dog and kick up, lay the legs against the wall).  in the past, i was always too afraid to just let myself go for this pose and to be upside down.  i had to close my eyes when i was inverted because it freaked me out. 

with all this talk of paneer, poori and yoga, i hereby declare this to be my hindu post.  

cooking mama

i ended up making  a Cherry-Streusel Coffee Cake  for easter brunch.  {this is one instance where the one i made almost looks as good as the picture!  ha!}  it got the krampf family seal of approval, but i'm not sure i'll necessarily make it again. 

today i worked from home and whipped up a very german-ish lunch for myself...leftover bratwurst fried up with some butter and onions, with a side of potatoes (i baked them first in the toaster over, then moved to the frying pan during the last few minutes). yum. *may cause heartburn