Beet Hummus & Edamame Hummus

Almost two months ago, I decided that it was time for my return to the blogosphere. And since then, I've posted one measly post. Where does the time go? Within two months, the weather has changed from snowy to springy, I've had several slight panic attacks while thinking about my future, I've inched this much closer to finishing my thesis that I'm incredibly burnt out on, and have daydreamed about my upcoming trip to Europe with my wonderful boyfriend. I have reached the sluggish point in my homemade cooking where I'm tired of shopping the brightly lit aisles of the supermarket and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of the farmer's market. I've become a bit...er...lazy in the kitchen (our freezer has never been so full of veggie burgers and pizza). Nonetheless, fresh-produce-season is on the horizon and I can already smell the fresh rhubarb and asparagus that will soon grace my cutting board.

Here are two bright recipes for hummus alternatives. I love love love hummus. However, I still haven't found a recipe for chickpea hummus that creates a silky comparison to Sabra. In my search, I stumbled upon several recipes for unique takes on hummus. One is made with beets and the other is made with shelled edamame. Both are really delicious served with pita chips, crackers, or spread on sandwiches.

dip me or spread me

vibrant ruby and chartreuse

welcomed change of taste

Beet Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound beets
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• generous pinch of salt and pepper 

Directions:

1. Cook the beets. You have some choices here. You can either scrub them clean and then place them in a saucepan, cover with slightly water, and boil about 30 minutes until they're tender. Or, you can roast them by wrapping each beet with aluminum foil and baking them for about 60 minutes at 400 degrees until they're tender. Either way, you can easily peel them once they've cooled by running them under cold water as you slide off the skin. 
2. Chop the cooked beets and place them in a food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Pulse until it reaches your desired consistency. 

Edamame Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound frozen shelled edamame
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest   
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• generous pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Defrost the beans either in the microwave or by boiling them in salted water for about 5 minutes. Drain and cool.
2. Place all the ingredients except the olive oil into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the ingredients are well incorporated.

I'm back, with whole wheat chocolate chunk cookies

My gut has been telling me to come back to you, cauliflower power, for quite some time now. And right now is probably not the best time to be worrying about cooking delicious things / taking photos of said deliciousity / writing stories about said deliciousity and photo / sharing these wonderful things with you, granted my master's thesis is due in 28 days. And I have quite a ways to go with it. But because I have officially entered extreme panic mode and I don't always listen to the left side of my brain, I've decided to put my thesis off even further by returning to the blogosphere. I'm coming back to you with the most amazing cookie. Ever. Really. It's adapted from 101 Cookbooks. I'm in love with this cookie because as the title suggests, it's a whole wheat cookie. But so many recipes that claim to be "whole wheat" are actually a combination of whole wheat + white flour. This recipe calls for rolled oats, whole wheat flour, and wheat bran, so it is truly whole wheat.

chunky and wholesome

velvet chocolate peeking through

perfect crumb effect

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup wheat bran or germ
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar (light, dark, natural cane, or a combination)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chunks/shavings/chips

Steps:

1. Preheat then oven to 350F, with the racks placed in the middle. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silpat. Set prepped sheets aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, wheat bran, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. 
3. Using an electric mixer, cream the   butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar for 3+ minutes, scraping down the sides a few times along the way. Add the egg and vanilla and continue to beat, scraping the sides of the bowl another time or two. Add the dry mixture, and stir until everything barely comes together. Then stir in the chocolate, mixing until it is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
4. Scoop the dough by the tablespoon into your hands and roll and flatten the dough to make thick little disks. Arrange each cookies on the prepped baking sheets, with at least 2 inches between each cookie. Bake until deeply golden on the bottom, about 15-20 minutes. Rotate the pans once about 2/3 the way through baking - back to front, top to bottom. Once ready, cool the cookies on a rack.

Makes about 16 cookies
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min

Returning later

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to share that I'll be taking a break from CauliflowerPower for a little while while I focus on school and finding groundedness. Graduate school has been nothing short of overly stimulating and incredibly stress-inducing. It felt like it consumed my whole life last semester, and I felt a bit out of touch with myself and the world around me. Thus, my goal for the new year is to work on feeling rooted -- through eating more mindfully, being more active, tuning into my body, feeling a sense of purposefulness in everything I do, and being genuine in my connections with other people. I know there is a time and a place for everything, and I know that in the future I want to keep sharing my experiences -- culinary and otherwise -- with you. It has been inspiring and exciting to build this blog up so far, and I fully intend on returning to posting here later when the stresses of everyday living have died down a bit. In the meantime, I wish all of you a very happy and healthy new year, filled with wonderful people, food, and memories. And I hope that you have found healthy things to work towards in the coming year, and I wish you all the luck in those endeavors. Until next time :)

Yours truly,

Naomi

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

It was my boyfriend's birthday on Monday, so I snatched the opportunity to make a really intense cake. He loves anything peanut butter + chocolate (who doesn't?), so I found this recipe on Smitten Kitchen, a really cool website that I recommend you guys snoop around if you have an extra couple minutes. This chocolate peanut butter cake is REALLY intense, but as my bf so nicely put it, is "the best birthday cake ever." Just make sure you have a gallon of milk handy because that's all you're going to want with this cake. There are three steps to this cake: (1) make the chocolate cake (2) make the peanut butter frosting (3) make the chocolate peanut butter ganache. That being said, set aside a good chunk of time for this cake. 

Makes an 8-inch double or triple layer cake. Serves 12-16 people.

For the cake:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2½ cups sugar
• ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream and it worked well)
• 1½ cups water
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs

 1. Preheat the oven to 350. Butter the bottoms and sides of 2 or 3 8-inch round cake pans (this recipe made a triple layer cake, but I just made it a double layer cake). Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment/waxed paper and butter the paper

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk to combine them well. Add the oil and sour cream and whisk to blend. Gradually beat in the water. Blend in the vanilla and vinegar. Whisk in the eggs and beat until well blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure the batter is well mixed. Divide among the 2 or 3 prepared cake pans.

3. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool in the the pans for about 20 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners, and let cool completely. (These cakes are very, very soft. I found them a lot a easier to work with after firming them up in the freezer for 30 minutes. They'll defrost quickly once assembled. You'll be glad you did this, trust me.)

For the frosting:

• 10 oz cream cheese, at room temperature (I used reduced fat cream cheese, and it worked great)
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 5 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn't separate out)

1. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add the confectioner's sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.

2. Add the peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

3. Frost the cakes. Place one layer of cake, flat side up, on a large serving plate. Spread 2/3 cup of the frosting evenly over the top. Repeat with the next layer. Place the last layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.  Once the cake is fully frosted, it helps to chill it again and let firm up. The more set the peanut butter frosting is, the better drip effect you'll get from the chocolate ganache.

For the chocolate peanut butter ganache:

• 8 oz semisweet or dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup (I replaced with honey because I didn't have corn syrup, and it worked out great)
• 1/2 cup half-and-half 

1. In the top of a double boiler or in a bowl set over simmering water, combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

2. Remove from heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth. Use while still warm.

3. Remove the cake from the fridge. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, and spread it evenly over the top just to the edges so that it runs down the sides of the cake in long drips. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the ganache and frosting to set completely. Remove about 1 hour before serving.

Mashed sweet potatoes with vinegar-glazed shallots

I'm really sorry for the lack of blogging on my end for the past month or so. Finals just finished up last week, and life was absolute chaos for a little while. Our fridge was full of quesadilla and PB&J making ingredients. It was a sad sight. I even ate leftover lasagna on my birthday. But now that school is over for a whole 3 weeks, I expect to make up for lost time and cook some wonderful things over the holidays.

I'm posting this amazing recipe for mashed sweet potatoes, that are then mixed with balsamic vinegar glazed shallots. The combination is to die for. The recipe is from 50 Best Mashed Potatoes. You might be thinking, vinegar + sweet potatoes? But the balsamic vinegar reduces down and becomes so sweet, and it blends so well with the vibrant roasted sweet potatoes. That's the other thing, the key to making the best sweet potatoes is not boiling them, but rather roasting them and then mashing. By roasting the potatoes, the flavor and color intensify, and the potatoes adopt this incredibly deep, rich flavor. So, I say spring for the extra 30 minutes and roast the sweet potatoes; you'll see why.

Ingredients:

• 3 large sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 large shallots, sliced
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork, and place them on a baking sheet. When the oven is ready, place the potatoes in the oven and roast for about 1 hour or until soft.
2. While the potatoes bake, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Then add the shallots. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are lightly browned (about 4 minutes). Then cover and cook about 6 minutes longer, or until soft.
3. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and the sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until the vinegar reduces and the shallots are glazed (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat.
4. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let stand 5 minutes to cool. When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins and place the potatoes in a bowl or food processor (depending if you want to mash by hand or puree in the food processor). Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, salt, and pepper, and mash/puree. Stir in half of the vinegar-glazed shallots, spread into a serving dish, and garnish with the remaining shallots.

Curried Coconut Squash Soup

I found this incredibly simple, yet richly flavorful, soup on 101 Cookbooks -- an incredible blog whose author shares many of my same beliefs; that the best food is simple and wholesome, made from local and organic ingredients when possible. This soup is the kind that warms your bones and soul on a gloomy, rainy day like today, and it is so simple to make. There are only 3 ingredients in it, although the flavor is really bold and well-rounded.

1. Preheat the oven to 375.
2. Halve two acorn squash (or some other pumpkin or small winter squash) and scoop out the seeds and goopy insides. Place the cleaned halves in a baking pan, skin side down, and rub the squash with butter and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until tender, about one hour.
3. When the squash is cooked, remove from the oven and let cool. Meanwhile, put a medium saucepan on the stovetop and add:

• 14-ounce can of coconut milk (I used 'light' coconut milk, and it was perfectly creamy, if you're looking to save some calories)
• 1 teaspoon (or more) of red Thai curry paste (available at most grocery stores in the Thai food section; it's sold in little jars)

4. Spoon the cooked squash flesh and add to the coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes so the flavors can mingle. Transfer the squash/coconut mixture to a food processor (or use a handheld immersion blender) and puree until creamy. Add about a cup or more of water to the soup until it has reached your desired consistency. A mild vegetable stock can be used instead of water. Add salt, pepper, and more curry paste to taste (depending on how spicy you'd like the soup).

Korean roasted chicken wings (tong dak)

My fingers are sticking to the keys ever so slightly as I'm typing. I could barely lick my fingers clean before I ran over to my computer to share this out-of-this-freakin-world recipe with everyone. The sauce is the perfect balance of sweet and spicy -- a blend of garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, sesame, and red pepper paste for the kick. Yesterday, I went on a little ethnic market tour around Iowa City with some friends, so I tried to find some simple recipes before going and that's how I came across this recipe. It is from www.koreanfood.about.com. For anyone who likes Asian inspired foods and/or wings, these wings will blow your taste buds. 

1. First, make the marinade. In a medium bowl, combine:

• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ small onion, minced
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon red pepper paste (known as kochujang, which I found at a Korean market in town)

2. Place 2 lbs. of chicken wings and drumettes into the marinade. Mix the chicken to coat, and then place the bowl in the fridge for several hours. 

3. When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400. 

4. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the wings and drumettes to the pan and brown the chicken on all sides (about 2 minutes per side), reserving the rest of the marinade.

5. Transfer the chicken to a shallow baking dish and pour the reserved marinade over the chicken. Place the dish in the preheated oven. Roast for 40 minutes, turning the chicken to coat halfway through cooking. 

Serves 3. 

We made some spicy sweet potato fries on the side and the flavors went way too well together. So when (not if) you make these, I really suggest making some sweet potatoes too!

Popovers with rosemary lemon butter

Last weekend was Halloween, and I had some friends over for a potluck and pumpkin carving. It was really exciting for me because it was the first time I had so many people in my little apartment, but I love having people over and a really wonderful time was had. For the potluck, I made a big pot of apricot rum punch, apple crisp, and popovers. Everyone loved the popovers and have been talking about them since, so I decided to post the recipe for them for all my friends and for everyone else who wants to make the people in their lives really happy. The recipe is from Mollie Katzen's Moosewood cookbook, my all time favorite. For those of you who are unfamiliar with popovers, they are these ridiculously eggy, bready balls of amazingness that puff up in the oven so they are full of air and delicate layers of custardy goodness. I remember Mirabelle's, a breakfast cafe in Burlington,VT, that served giant popovers that were split in half and filled with herbed scrambled eggs; that was one of the best breakfasts I had ever had. I made some rosemary lemon butter to go with the popovers and it was deeelish. I don't have a picture of the butter, but I'll tell you how to make it because it is way too easy and it can be used on anything.

For the popovers:
1. Preheat the oven to 375. Brush the insides of 12 muffin cups with melted butter (about 2 tablespoons of melted butter is sufficient).
2. Beat together in a medium sized bowl:

• 2, 3, or 4 eggs (I've always used 4 and I love them that way; the more eggs, the more custardy they are) 
• 1¼ cups milk

3. Add to the eggs and milk:

• 1¼ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt

4. Beat with a whisk until reasonably well blended. It's fine if the batter has a few lumps.
5. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. Bake for 35 minutes. Try to refrain from opening the oven during baking.
6. Remove the popovers from the pan immediately, and prick each with a fork to let the steam escape. This helps them hold their shape. Serve as soon as possible, either plain or with butter or jam.

Makes 12.

For the rosemary lemon butter:
1. Soften a stick of butter (leave out at room temperature for a couple hours).
2. Place the softened butter in a bowl. Add:

• ½ tablespoon of dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon of lemon zest
• ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder

3. Blend together well with a fork. Take out a piece of wax paper. Spoon the butter mixture onto the wax paper, and roll the wax paper so the butter takes the shape of a log. Twist the ends of the wax paper like a candy. Put the butter log into the fridge for an hour or so until it hardens again. Voila!

Carrot apple muffins

The irresponsible side of me decided to make muffins instead of studying this afternoon. But I have an arguably good excuse: my apples were rapidly approaching their final days, so I needed to reincarnate them into something more palatable than what they would have been in their raw form. But because I do have too much studying to attend to, this very short introduction to tickle your taste buds, a simple recipe, and a few pictures is all I can offer.

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease 24 muffin cups (2 muffin tins).
2. In a large bowl, combine:

• 2 cups flour
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ salt
• pinch of powdered ginger 
• 2 teaspoons cinammon

3. In another large bowl, combine:

• ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ½ cup raisins
• ½ cup chopped nuts
• 2 cups finely grated carrots
• 1 grated apple

4. In another medium bowl, whisk together:

• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5.  Pour the egg mixture into the carrot-apple mixture and mix until well combined.
6. Make a well in the center of the flour, then add the egg-carrot-apple mixture. Mix until just combined. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 of the way with the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Turkey and three bean chili

I have been wanting to make chili for a long long time, but was waiting around for the perfect recipe. There's something about the approach of fall that has inspired me to sit down and finally find that recipe. I found a great looking recipe on epicurious.com called "Turkey Chili with White Beans," which was published in the February 1997 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. The chili that I made is a take on this recipe, although I made some of my own minor adjustments, like reducing the amount of chili powder (since my chili powder is really spicy), using crushed tomatoes instead of whole tomatoes, and using 3 different kinds of beans instead of just white beans. I made this a few days ago and it's still just as good the day after (and the next day, and the day after that, etc.). But you better be in the mood for chili, because you're going to have tonsss of this.

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add:

• 2 medium onions, chopped

2. Sautee until translucent, about 10 minutes. Then add:

• 1½ tablespoons dried oregano
• 1½ tablespoons ground cumin

3. Stir about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high, then add:

• 1½ pounds lean ground turkey

4. Stir until no longer pink, breaking up the turkey with the back of large spoon. Stir in:

• ¼ cup chili powder (this may be a lot depending on how hot your chili powder is, so definitely lessen this if you're not a big fan of spicy food or have really hot chili powder...remember, you can always add more at the end if you need a little more kick, but if you put too much in now, be prepared to be stuck with it)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

5. Once the spices are incorporated, add:

• 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes with their juices
• 3 cups beef, chicken, or veggie broth
• 1 cup tomato sauce

6. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add:

• 3 15 oz. cans of beans (I used kidney, great northern, and black beans)

7. Simmer until the flavors blend, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a side of cornbread.

Strawberry applesauce

My apologies for my hiatus as of late. Grad school has proven to be a bit more stressful than I had imagined and although I've been cooking a lot to keep myself sane, I've hardly had any time to post any of the awesome recipes that I've been making. I've realize though, in the past 6 weeks of grad school, that cooking is my release; it is one of the only ways that I can destress instantly. Some people like to work out, others enjoy a glass of wine, others watch TV...my ideal way to put the stressful day behind me is to crack open a cookbook, take out the knives and pans, and get lost in the aromas, colors, and familiar actions of concocting gustatory pleasure.

My parents came to visit us here in Iowa City this past weekend. We went to a local apple orchard and picked lots of apples. After I came home today from taking a surprisingly difficult exam (I hope the professor believes in curving), I decided to make some strawberry applesauce as reinforcement that the test is behind me and now I'm home. It is so delicious that I caught myself shoveling hot spoonfuls into my watering mouth right out of the food processor, not even allowing it to cool first.

In a large saucepan, combine:

• 5 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 10 strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup water
• between 1/4 and 1/2 cup white sugar, depending on how sweet you like your applesauce
• 1 cinnamon stick

Simmer over low heat for about 20-30 minutes until the apples are tender. Once the apples are soft, transfer everything in the pot (except the cinnamon stick) into a food processor. Pulse a few times until everything is uniform. Depending on how chunky/smooth you like your applesauce, process until you've reached a desired consistency.

Vegan almond butter cookes with crystallized ginger

I'm a little late on posting this recipe. I made these cookies a couple weeks ago when I was invited to a vegan dinner (the one where I made the olive and roasted red pepper tapenade) and I decided to make something for dessert as well. In trying to think of an easy, vegan dessert, I was haphazardly typing in combinations of all the sweet vegan things I could think of into the Google search bar, hoping that a worthy recipe would be found. And as usual, the internet came through. This recipe is from www.food.com, a website I had never gotten recipes from before. These cookies are amazing you won't even know they're vegan. I added my own touch to this recipe by sprinkling some chopped crystallized ginger on top of the cookies right before putting them in the oven. It was a really good idea, not to toot my own horn to loudly or anything. And I apologize in advance for the sub par photo...the lighting was really dim in the room, but this recipe is too good not too post just because of a mediocre picture.

1. Preheat the oven to 350. 
2. In a large bowl, combine:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

3. In a separate bowl, mix together:

• 1/3 cup almond butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons canola oil

4. Combine the wet mixture into the dry until everything is well incorporated.

5. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, drop the batter by the tablespoonful onto the sheet leaving ample room between the cookies because they will spread quite a bit (about 2 inches of space should be good).

6. If you like, chop up some crystallized ginger and sprinkle a little bit on each cookie. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown. When they're done, cool them on a rack.

Lemony blueberry muffins

I went on a bit of a cooking rampage today to cope with the news that we can't adopt our kitten until next week. She contracted an upper respiratory infection that needs to be cured and then she needs to be spayed. This was really hard to hear because we were expecting to be able to pick her up today. So, as a result, we have a kitten-proofed apartment, chicken hanging out in a yogurt-curry marinade in the fridge, a giant bowl of corn salad, and a dozen glorious lemony blueberry muffins. Although the former two dishes are yummy, the muffins are definitely a recipe worth sharing. This recipe comes from Mollie Katzen's Enchanted Broccoli Forest. Although the height of blueberry season has passed, in the slight chance you froze some fresh blueberries or can come across some great looking blueberries at the store, I really recommend you make these when the moment arises. In the meantime, I doubt these will hold us over until our kitten arrives.

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.
2. Sift together, then make a well in the center:

• 1.5 cups unbleached white flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

3. In a separate container, beat together:

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• 3/4 cup milk (lowfat ok)
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4. Pour this mixture into the well, and stir gently until blended, gradually adding:

• 1 cup blueberries (fresh or unsweetened frozen, defrosted and drained)

5. Fill the muffin cups just to the rim. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted all the way into the center comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the pan right away; cool on a rack for 10 minutes before devouring.

Olive & roasted red pepper tapenade

My friend and I were wanting to make some bruschetta for a vegan dinner we were going to. We were in charge of bringing appetizers, and bruschetta seemed like a fitting complement to the vegan lasagna we were going to have for entree. I thought about how we could add a twist on your typical tomato bruschetta, and I thought about making an olive tapenade to spread on the crostini, and then top it with the tomato topping. This tapenade was so delicious, with or without the bruschetta topping...I really recommend this simple recipe, it's a very easy appetizer to make the next time you have friends over.

In a food processor, pulse together:

• 1/2 cup chopped kalmata olives
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Simple as that!

Broiled sockeye salmon with citrus glaze

Sockeye salmon is totally different from what you think of as salmon. The texture is meatier, a bit tougher, yet still delicate. The color is a deep reddish pink, like the color of red coral. It is typically more expensive, but trust me, if you can spare the extra few dollars, it is well worth the expense if you're a salmon lover. I remember watching an episode of Alton Brown's "Good Eats" on the Food Network where he made this recipe, so I searched the Food Network website for this recipe and was so glad I found it. This recipe makes the sockeye incredibly tender and flavorful, I urge you to run out to the store before dinner and get a piece of this fish to make tonight. You won't regret it, I promise.

1. To begin, get a nice piece of sockeye salmon, about 1.5 to 2 pounds with the skin on one side. Ask them to take out the bones. When you get home, rinse the fish in cold water and pat it dry. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and place the dry fish on the foil.

2. To prepare the marinade, in a small bowl combine the following:

• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3. Mix the marinade ingredients until well combined. Then evenly spread the mixture onto the salmon and allow to sit for about 45 minutes at room temperature.
4. When the salmon is just about finished marinating, set the oven to the high broil setting, and position the oven rack in the middle of the oven. (Alton Brown says to position it 3 inches from the broiler, but I believe this is way too close...I imagine that this would burn the fish instantly.)
5. When the oven has been on broil for a few minutes, place the salmon in the oven and broil for 6 to 8 minutes. Depending on the thickness of the fish, you may need more time than that. The salmon is done when the thickest part of the fish reaches 130 degrees (use a meat thermometer for this).

I served this alongside orzo mixed with fresh herbs and lemon zest, and some sauteed snap peas. Paired with a glass of crisp white wine, this is probably the most delicious, satisfying meal you'll have all week.

French potato Salad

Potato salad is a staple for any barbecue, and my family has been having a bunch of barbecues this summer which has been a lot of fun. This recipe for potato salad comes from Ina Garten's "The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook," one of my mom's favorite cookbooks. I really like this potato salad because it doesn't have any mayo in it so it isn't creamy like most potato salads; this recipe makes the potatoes taste fresh, especially with all the fresh herbs in it, and makes you feel good eating it.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then drop in:

• 1 lb. small white boiling potatoes
• 1 lb. small red boiling potatoes

2. Cook the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, until they are just cooked through. Drain.
3. As soon as you can handle them, cut the potatoes in half (quarters if the potatoes are larger) and place them in a medium bowl. Toss gently with:

• 2 tablespoons good dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons chicken stock

4. Allow the liquids to soak into the warm potatoes before proceeding.
5. In a small bowl, combine:

• 3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6. Slowly whisk in 10 tablespoons good olive oil to make an emulsion.
7. Add the vinaigrette to the potatoes. Then add:

• 1/4 cup minced scallions (green and white parts)
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
• 2 tablespoons chiffonade of fresh basil leaves
• 1 and a half teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

8. Toss gently. Serve warm or at room temperature

I added some quartered hard boiled eggs to decorate the salad a bit and also allow those people who like eggs to take some, while not imposing on those guests who are partial towards eggs. Ina Garten also has a recipe for Provencal Potato Salad, which takes the above recipe for French Potato Salad and simply adds some additional ingredients, like:

• 1/2 lb. steamed hericots verts
• 6 oz. Italian tuna, drained and flaked
• 1/2 cup capers, drained
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup small-diced red onion
• 1/2 cup good black olives, pitted

Doesn't that sound good? I will definitely try to make this Provencal Potato Salad the next time we have a barbecue.

Sour cherry cobbler

Sour cherries are such a wonderful way to enjoy the height of summer. Although it takes a lot of sugar to make them delicious, it is a taste that I can never get tired of. We've been buying sour cherries every week at the farmers market the past few weeks. Last week, we made sour cherry preserve. For anyone out there that wants a jar of the yummiest preserve on earth, simmer together some sour cherries, sugar, and a squeeze of lemon juice and your taste buds will never be able to thank you enough. A good ratio for making this preserve is 1 part cherries to 3/4 part sugar. Simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes, and then spoon into your favorite jar. The week before last, we made a sour cherry pie. But this week, I made a sour cherry cobbler and I have to share the recipe with you because it was sooo good. The only problem is that leftovers don't stay very well. So you should probably plan on sharing and eating the dishful before you go to bed (not actually a problem).

A really helpful tip that I learned from my mom is that to pit the cherries, all you need is a safety pin; no need to go out and buy a cherry pitter. Using a safety pin, all you do is hold onto the end with the clasp, and stick the other end with the tiny circle hinge into the top of the cherry where the stem comes out, and dig out the pit. Easy as that :) However, expect to sit there with your bowl of ready-to-pit cherries for a good hour. But trust me, it is well worth the labor.

I found this recipe online from www.theveggietable.com. It goes as follows:
1. Combine the following in a pot over medium heat:

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/2 cup sugar

2. Stir well until the cornstarch and sugar are dissolved, then add:

• 4 cups sour cherries, pitted

3. Mix well until all the cherries are evenly coated, then spoon the cherries into a casserole dish.
4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
5. In a large bowl, combine:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar

6. In a separate small bowl, whisk together:

• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or cream

7. Add the butter/buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix minimally, but until you have a uniform, really sticky dough. Dollop large spoonfuls of the dough on top of the sour cherries in the casserole dish.
(Because the dough is so sticky, the easiest way to do this is to get a spoonful and use the other spoon to scrape it out.) You'll end up with a lumpy biscuit that does not quite cover the fruit.
8. Place the dish on a baking dish and bake it in the oven for 20-25 minutes. (The baking dish will catch the bubbling cherry juices that will inevitably trickle down the outside of the dish). Serve it warm or at room temperature, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened creme fraiche.

Apricot bread

Sorry for the leave of absence lately. It's not that I haven't been cooking; in fact, I've been on a bit of a cooking rampage lately with a lot of yummy things to post. So to make up for a few silent weeks, I'll make up for it by sharing a bunch of great recipes with you. I'll start out with a  truly delicious apricot bread that I made yesterday morning. I bought myself a loaf pan for my new apartment in Iowa City, and this recipe came on the Cephalon label attached to the pan. It is a really great recipe and I will definitely be making this bread often.  This bread is a marriage of orange and apricot, and it could not be any better. I didn't have a full cup of dried apricots on hand, so I mixed in some golden raisins and it was still delicious.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a loaf pan.

2. In a small saucepan, place:

• 1 cup dried apricots (or if you're like me and don't have enough apricots, substitute some golden raisins or another dried fruit of your choice that you think would go well with these flavors)
• 1 cup cold fresh water

3. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the apricots are tender.
4. Drain, while reserving 1/4 cup of the apricot water. When the apricots are cool enough to handle, chop them coarsely. Set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, sift together:

• 2 cups flour (I used 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking boweder
• 2/3 cup sugar

6. In a separate bowl, whisk together:

• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• reserved 1/4 cup apricot water
• 2 teaspoons apricot or orange liqueur (optional, but I'd really recommend adding it)
• 1 teaspoon orange zest

7. Gradually add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients. Then add the chopped apricots to the batter. Once the batter is well mixed, spoon it into the prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Once it's finished and you've taken it out of the oven, let it cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving plate.

Broiled barbecue salmon

There's something about the smell and taste of barbecue in the summer. This recipe is so easy and the salmon is delicious when paired with this barbecue sauce. The lemon juice thins the sauce out and goes so well with the salmon, while the brown sugar caramelizes the fish. This recipe comes from a wonderful cookbook called, "Food to Live By" by Myra Goodman. I would highly recommend this cookbook for anyone who loves fresh, healthy, seasonal recipes; every recipe in this book makes your mouth water just by reading the title.

1. Preheat the broiler setting on your oven to high.
2. In a bowl, whisk the following to blend:

• 1 cup of barbecue sauce, mild or spicy
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

3. Pour half of the barbecue sauce mixture into a shallow baking pan just large enough to hold 4 salmon fillets.
4. Arrange the 4 salmon fillets (6-8 oz. each) in the pan and cover with the rest of the barbecue sauce mixture.
5. Broil the salmon fillets about 4 minutes, then using a spatula, carefully turn them over.
6. Continue broiling the fillets until the sauce glazes the salmon and the interior of the fish is nearly opaque but still moist, about 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.
7. Using a spatula, transfer the fillets onto the serving plates and spoon some of the sauce from the pan over the fish. Garnish with lemon slices, if you like.

Serves 4.

Peanut tofu

I've been in a longstanding battle with tofu. I have shied away from it because of its bland taste, mushy texture (the "extra-firm" label is hardly accurate), and my inexperience in cooking it in such a way that it became palatable. For most of my vegetarian years, I stuck with marinating it in a soy sauce-based marinade (often whisked with garlic and garlic), but nothing hardly noteworthy. But I always ate tofu anyways because I needed my dose of protein. All I can say is, I wish I had found this recipe earlier because if I had, I would have been eating - and adoring - tofu every day. The preparation of this tofu adds an incredible amount of texture to the tofu and the sauce is so flavorful, you'll hardly realize you're eating tofu.

1. Drain 1 carton of extra-firm tofu. The easiest way to get as much moisture out of the tofu as you can is to put the block of tofu on a plate, then place another plate on top of the tofu, and place something relatively heavy on top of the top plate for at least 15 minutes; this will extract a lot of water and your tofu will be firmer and absorb the sauce's flavor better.
2. Once the tofu has drained, slice the block in half so you have two sheets of tofu that are half the width of the original block, then slice each square into 2 triangles so you end up with 4 big triangles of equal size.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame or peanut oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, bring the tofu triangles to the pan. Fry one side until that side becomes golden brown, then flip each triangle and fry until the other side becomes crispy too.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. In a bowl or food processor, whisk/blend together:

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup nut butter (I used peanut butter, but you can use sesame paste or cashew butter instead)
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons white, raw, or light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes or chili oil
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup water or stock
• a pinch of salt, if desired

5. When the tofu has finished frying, add the sauce to the pan and cook for a few minutes until the sauce is bubbling and has reduced a bit.
6. Serve topped with finely chopped scallions and some toasted sesame seeds.