My Veggie Table

Well, I also knit....

2012-02-23T08:00:00.000-08:00

Felted 20's Style Cloche shown with curious cat

Just so you know that I do not spend all my time in the kitchen, I thought I would share what else it is that I do with my time. I suppose most of my time is spent with my children (translation: yelling at my children), but I have a strict no photos of the kids(at least not their faces)on the interwebs policy. So, you'll have to learn to live with photos of my knitting and occasionally my cat instead.

I learned to knit almost 5 yrs ago by taking a couple of classes through our local Adult Learning Center. I feel very fortunate to have had access to the classes and the great ladies who taught them. Sadly, due to budget cuts and limited registration, neither of these classes are offered anymore. I was an absolute wreck after my first class, but unlike everyone else in the class I had never even held a pair of knitting needles before. I spent that entire night on knittinghelp.com attempting to truly master what I had learned in the class and by the next class the teacher had me helping a new student.

Here is the first thing I ever finished.


Mitered square scarf

This it the most complicated thing I have ever knitted.

Intarsia Vertical Striped Scarf


With fringe

It took me over a year to complete the above scarf. I had never done the intarsia technique and all the wrapping took a while to figure out. Plus you're dealing with 6 small balls of yarn while making a something like this, and keeping those bad boys from knotting up is at times a nightmare.

This is the funnest thing I have ever made.

Squared edge hat with super fun tassels

This is a hat I knit for the youngest Veggie Kid. He loves nothing more than to wear this hat and shake his head so that the tassels move. He is a great source of amusement to his older brother's classmates at school drop-off, of course, the fact that also tries to climb the water pipes on the side of the school does not hurt.

Spaghetti with Pear and Walnut Sauce

2012-02-21T08:00:00.001-08:00

Blue cheese, and walnuts....nom, nom, nom!

This recipe is quick, easy and nearly obscene in its deliciousness. But I guess most things which are quick and easy are usually deliciously obscene. I used blue cheese for this recipe, but you can use any pungent cheese, such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola or Stilton. Also, any ripe pears, save for Asian pears, will work nicely. The absolute crux of this dish has to be poaching the pears in the wine/water mixture. The recipe called for the use of vegetable broth, but I wanted a clean wine taste, so I skipped the broth and went with water. The wine and the resulted poaching sauce are amazing.

The Ingredients

8 ounces spaghetti

2 medium sized ripe pears, peeled, cored and sliced

2/3 cups water

6 tablespoons white wine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red onion, sliced thinly

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cups walnuts, chopped

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cups blue cheese

The Tools

stock pot

2 large saucepans

slotted spoon

The Cooking

Cook the pasta in boiling water for 8-10 minutes on until al dente.

Place the wine and water into a medium sized saucepan and bring to a very low gentle boil

Add the pears and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and allow the fruit to cook until tender, but it still retains some firmness.

Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onions and saute for about 3 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds

Add the walnuts

And the lemon juice

Continue stirring as the flavors incorporate.

Using a slotted spoon transfer the pears to the walnut mixture.

Add about 6 tablespoons of the poaching liquid as well.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the cheese.

Gently stir the cheese into the sauce until well incorporated and warmed through.

Serve over the spaghetti and enjoy

Recipe Source: What's Cooking Vegetarian

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Deep Fried Falafel

2012-02-20T08:00:00.001-08:00

I know, I know. This is what, my third Falafel recipe? But, this one is different. I swear. This time, I got brave and I fried the Falafel. While this may not be the healthiest way to make anything it certain turned out to the best Falafel I have ever made or eaten, for that matter. This time the Falefal balls did not seem so heavy. I did not expect that they would be so light and delicate on the insides, especially given that they were deep fried. Heck, I did not expect the recipe to turn out at all, as this is the first time I have ever deep fried, anything, ever. Attempt to contain your shock. Yes, I am from the South and I have never deep fried anything, EVER. I should probably have to turn in my accent or something.

I went into this largely blind, with only the barest of knowledge on how to deep fry. Thankfully I used to religiously watch the Alton Brown show, Good Eats, or I would have completely lost. I simply used a large saucepan, with the candy/frying thermometer attached to the side and off I went. It is important to note that once your drop something into the oil the temperature of the oil drops (thanks Alton for explaining this), so you will need to give it a chance to come back up between batches. Once you got this down the most important thing is safety. If you are using a gas range, watch the flame and for everyone watch the splatter. Keep the kids out the kitchen and be prepared to clean the entire cooktop when you are done.

The Ingredients

For the Inside

6 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained

1 red onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

3 1/2 ounces plain Panko bread crumbs

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the Coating

1 egg, beaten

1 cup plain Panko bread crumbs

For the Frying

Enough oil to fill your sauce pan about 2 inches deep

The Cooking

Combine the garbanzo beans, onion, garlic cloves, 3 1/2 ounces plain Panko bread crumbs, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and cayenne pepper in a food processor.

Process for about 1 minute or until well combined

Transfer to a bowl and begin shaping them into walnut-sized balls

Walnut-sized Falafal balls patiently waiting to dropped into boiling hot oil.

Place the oil in a large saucepan and place the thermometer on the side of the pan were is can clearly be seen. Make sure it is where you want it, because once the oil is hot you are NOT going to be able to move it easily. Over medium heat, heat the oil to 350°.

Place the beaten egg into a shallow dish, and roll each ball into the egg.

Place 1 cup of plain Panko bread crumbs into at shallow dish and roll the already egg coated balls into the bread crumbs.

A-ha! The oil is up to 350° and it time to fry those balls.

Fry the balls in small batches, about three at a time for 2 to 3 minutes. Don't over fry your balls.

Place the balls on some paper towels to soak up some the oil. Serve them with flat bread and Tzatziki sauce.

Recipe Source: What's Cooking Vegetarian by Jenny Stacey

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Butternut Squash Soup

2012-02-17T08:00:00.001-08:00

I first had Butternut Squash Soup about 10 years ago at my mother-in-law's house. I was immediately enraptured with this soup which is at once both savory and sweet. Over the years I have blended together several recipes, including my mother-in-law's, to create the recipe below.

I think the most intimidating part of any recipe that involves butternut squash is, how the heck do you get the darn thing open! I will be brutally honest with you, it involves nothing more than brute-force strength. I am currently working without a tri-pod or I would provide you with step by step butternut squash dismemberment photos. Since the first step of cutting any thing is safety I had to give up photographing cutting for the time being. Just do you best, this is for a soup and it need not be perfect. Just be careful, as butternut squash is very hard and can easily roll on you.

The Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large shallot, diced

3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

1 teaspoon salt

6 cups water

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

The Tools

large stock pot

blender or food processor

The Cooking

Melt the butter in the large stock pot over medium heat, and add the shallots

Cook the shallots in the butter until the mixture is foamy.

Add the butternut squash

Cook and stir until the squash is coated in the butter and shallots.

Add the water

And wine

Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.

Fully delicious, but not done yet. Use an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.

Return the smooth soup to the cleaned out stock pot and add the cream. Allow the soup to warm through and serve.

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Yorkshire Pudding

2012-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

This dish is fast becoming a standard for Christmas dinner. This is a classic dish from England which was traditionally made with the drippings from a roast. Of course, as a vegetarian cooking blog roast drippings is just will not cut it. Instead I use butter seasoned with salt. I suppose I could break down and purchase some salted butter, but I don't typically use salted butter so this seems the best route for me.

There are a couple of points I need to make about making at Yorkshire Pudding. First, all your ingredients MUST be at room temperature. This is very important. Second, your oven must be at the right temperature. If you are uncertain as to the accuracy of your oven's temperature reading invest in a thermometer for your oven. Third, be patient. You cannot risk the temperature on your oven dropping so once your Yorkshire pudding is in the oven you may not open the oven for 20 minutes.

The Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup milk, at room temperature

1/4 cup unsalted butter and 1/8 teaspoon salt

The Tools

bowl

whisk

handheld mixer or stand mixer

9x13 baking dish

The Cooking

Whisk together the all-purpose flour and salt.

Beat together the eggs and milk. Allow the mixture to sit for about 20 minutes.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix together. Then allow the batter to rest again, for about 20 minutes. Take this time to preheat the oven to 450°.

A few moments before you are to place your Yorkshire Pudding in the oven place the butter in the 9x13 inch baking dish topped with about 1/8 teaspoon of salt.

Allow the butter to melt in the oven, once it is melted pour the batter into the now very hot baking dish and return the pudding to the oven.

Bake the pudding for 20 to 30 minutes, but it is imperative that you not open the oven for the first 20 minutes to insure that the oven stays hot.

A Major Award

2012-02-15T08:00:00.000-08:00

Well, we did it! I made it into the Top 25 Vegetarian & Vegan Mom Blogs of 2012. A big thanks to everyone who voted day after day. I really appreciate it.

In addition to the fine badge you see above and on the side bar of my blog, I also completed an interview about my blog and about not being attacked by cows. Here is a widget for that interview.

I will be back with some recipes soon, I promise!

Top 25 Vegan/Vegetarian Moms~ LAST TWO DAYS TO VOTE

2012-02-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

You have until 5pm, tomorrow Tuesday, February 14th to vote!

My Veggie Table had been nominated for the Top 25 Vegan/Vegetarian Moms. Please take a minute to vote for me. You may vote daily, and I would love to be in the Top 25.

Here is the link, http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/top-vegan-vegetarian-mom-blogs-2012?trk=t25_top-vegan-vegetarian-mom-blogs-2012

Or you can click on their lovely badge in the left hand column of my blog or at the top of this post. Once on the Circle of Moms site, you'll have to scroll down a bit to my blog, but please vote. You can vote every 24 hours and the more the vote, the less scrolling you'll have to do each time you vote.

Thanks,

Amy

The Veggie Mom

Roasted Cauliflower

2012-02-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

As a mother and as a human being in general I am always trying to add more vegetables to our meals. Often I am lucky enough to make a recipe which is largely vegetable in base and I in those cases do not have to worry about a side dish. More often than not our main dishes are made up of primarily starch foods and therefore I feel compelled to serve a vegetable on the side. My standard side is roasted broccoli, but honestly there is only so much broccoli on person can take.

I decided to stay away from broccoli and try some other vegetables. Not being one to stay from too far from the norm, I picked Cauliflower. I have shared a mashed cauliflower with you the past and it turned out to have been on the Veggie Dad's favorite dishes, but this time I thought I would roast the cauliflower.

The Ingredients

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 cloves of garlic, minced

freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste

The Tools

large bowl

9x13 in baking dish

The Cooking

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl until the cauliflower is well coated.

Pour the coated cauliflower in the baking dish and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes.

Shells Florentine

2012-02-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

This recipe was always a classic in my mother's house when I was growing up. Basically, these are like tiny spinach lasagnas. Tiny delicious spinach lasagnas. However unlike with my Spinach Lasagna, I used a homemade Marinara Sauce for these shells. This recipe captures the taste of lasagna, but it much less labor intensive and does not take nearly as long to cook.

The Ingredients

16 large pasta shells, prepared al dente

1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg white

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups marinara sauce

The Tools

large stock pot

bowl

pastry bag or zip loc bag

9x13 in baking dish

aluminum foil

The Cooking

Add the pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. While the pasta cooks, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Thaw and drain the spinach

Combine the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, egg white, Parmesan cheese and seasoning together in a large mixing bowl.

Add the spinach to the cheese mixture and spoon the entire into a ziploc bag with a corner snipped off ( of course you can use a pasty bag as well).

Pipe the spinach mixture into the each individual shell

Place the stuffed shells into the 9x13 in baking dish and cover them with the marinara sauce.

Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake it for 30 to 40 minutes.

Top 25 Vegan/Vegetarian Moms~ Reminder

2012-02-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

My Veggie Table had been nominated for the Top 25 Vegan/Vegetarian Moms. Please take a minute to vote for me. You may vote daily, and I would love to be in the Top 25.

Here is the link, http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/top-vegan-vegetarian-mom-blogs-2012?trk=t25_top-vegan-vegetarian-mom-blogs-2012

Thanks,

Amy

The Veggie Mom

Black Forest Cake

2012-02-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

I had the above cake for the Veggie Dad's birthday this past November. I would divulge his age, but I am uncertain as to how would feel about me telling y'all. So, let's just say that he is over 29.

Years ago, when I was pregnant with my youngest Veggie Boy, I attempted to make this cake and boy it was a dismal failure. In the intervening years my cooking skills have increased exponentially, so this year I wanted to do something a little more challenging and since I messed up with the Black Forest Cake before that meant I had to master it.

I would typically have made the cake from scratch, but at this years Foodbuzz Festival we received a Dunkin Hines Triple Chocolate Cake Mix, so I decided to start with the cake and go from there. I infused the cake with a Cherry Brandy Syrup, created a cherry filling/topping and iced the whole thing with homemade whipped cream topped with chocolate shavings. I think I just gained a pound from writing that.

The Ingredients

for the syrup

1 cup cherry juice

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon cherry brandy

for the cherry filling/topping

1 jar Trader Joe's Dark Morello Cherries

3 tablespoons cherry brandy

for the frosting

1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon cherry brandy

1 extra dark chocolate bar, grated and shaved

1 Duncan Hines Triple Chocolate Cake, baked according to the box instructions for two 9-inch round baking pans. Cut the top off the cake layers if desired to make them less round on top and easier to decorate.

The Tools

sauce pan

silicone pasty brush

stand mixer

box grater

bag for piping whipped cream

wax paper

The Cooking

Add the 1 cup of cherry juice and the 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan and stir to combine

Add 1 tablespoon of cherry brandy

Stir to incorporate the brandy and bring to a slow boil. Continue to cook until the mixture has thickened and reduced by almost half.

The finished product will be a nice thick cherry syrup.

Place some wax paper between the one cake layer and the serving plate.

Using a silicon brush, brush the top of the cake layer liberally with the cherry syrup. Allow the cake layer to sit, so that the syrup soaks in. Let it sit for at least, 20 minutes.

Place the Morell cherries into a sauce pan

Add three tablespoons of brandy to the cherries.

Stir to combine and bring mixture to a boil. Continue cooking until mixture is thickened and slightly reduced. This should take about 20 minutes.

When the liquid has reduced, use a slotted spoon to remove mostly cherries from the pan.

Place the cherries on the thoroughly soaked cake layer

Completely cover the cake layer with cherries.

Place the second layer on top of the cherries and first cake layer. Brush the top of the second layer with the cherry syrup and allow it to sit for about 20 minutes.

While the syrup soaks into the top layer, make the whipped topping. Start by placing the heavy whipping cream into the bowl of a stand mixer, which is fitted with the whisk attachment.

Add the powdered sugar and whisk on high to combine.

Add 1 tablespoon of cherry brandy

Continue whisking on high speed until medium peaks are formed

Some oh, so lovely whipped cream!

While you continue to allow the cherry syrup to soak into the top layer of your cake, grate and shave the chocolate. Above I am using the large shredding side to grate the chocolate bar. Be very careful with this step. Admittedly, I should have used a larger block of chocolate, but this is what I bought. You should be smarter and if you are not smarter, than me I'm sorry.

Also, shave some of the chocolate using the largest grate on your grater. Again, be smarter than me and use a larger block of chocolate. Also, to be smarter than me you should major in something science or math related in college.

I did it. Shave and grated chocolate and look, NO fingers!

Using an off-set spatula spread a nice layer of whipped cream on the side of the cake.

Place some of the whipped topping into a pastry bag or a large zip lock bag fitted with a basic star-shaped tip. When using a ziploc bag, just snip a corner off of on of the corners of the bag (just a little bit of the tip) and place the pastry tip in the opening, then fill the bag with the icing.

Pipe some of the whipped cream onto the top edge of the cake to make a base for cherries which will soon go on top of the cake. This will keep the cherries and their juice from flowing down the side of the cake.

Using a slotted spoon place the remaining cherries onto the top of the cake.

Carefully sprinkly/placce the chocolate shaving onto the sides of cake. Sprinkle the grated chocolate on the top of the cake on the whipped topping.

Place the cake in the refrigerator until you are ready to cut it.

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Naan

2012-02-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

This recent flourish of Indian dishes began with the Dal. Of course, the Dal needed a friend. So, I made the Samosas, and not to be outdone I decided to make Naan. I am not sure that last sentence makes sense, but I don't care because now I am blinded with desire to eat Indian food.

This time, my search for a Naan recipe began and ended on the King Arthur website. See, I learn fast. As has been the case every other time I have consulted the King Arthur site, this bread was a winner. I made only the most minor of changes to the core of the recipe and that is only to reflect my choice of yeast. Additionally, the original recipe called for topping the Naan with seeds, I however chose to top our Naan with Garlic. You may top your Naan as you desire, or leave it plain.

I do wish that I had attempted to make Ghee for this recipe. Ghee is a clarified butter commonly found in Indian cuisine. I should have tried, but in the end I opted for the easy route and used basic melted butter. Perhaps next time, I will be more brave.

Regardless of how to top it, this is recipe is a tasty, and easy way to add Naan to any Indian inspired meals.

The Ingredients

2 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 teaspoons sugar

3/4 cup milk, slightly warm

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup plain Greek Yogurt

2 tablespoons melted butter (or ghee)

1 large egg

The Tools

Stand mixer

large bowl for rising the dough

plastic wrap

silicon mat for working with the dough

baking stone or parchment paper lined baking sheet

The Instructions

Place the warm milk in the bowl of a stand mixer

Add the yeast and the sugar to the milk

Whisk the milk, yeast and sugar together and let sit for 5 minutes. While this sits, preheat the oven to 200°. Once the oven comes up to temp, TURN IT OFF, this will create a warm place for your dough to rise.

At the end of the 5 minutes the yeast/milk mixture will be bubbly and alive, like a 15 year old cheerleader on meth.

Add the flour to the yeast mixture

Add the salt

Then, add the baking powder

Then, the melted butter

Then, the yogurt

Last, but not least add the egg

Place the mixing bowl back on the mixing stand and using the paddle mixer, combine all the ingredients on low speed.

Add the dough hook

With mixer still on low, use the dough hook to kneed the dough

Kneed for about 7 minutes or until the dough becomes a well formed ball.

^^ A well formed ball ^^

Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Place the dough in a warm oven, but be certain that the oven is turned off. Allow the dough to rise for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size.

^^ Ooooo Big Dough^^

Divide the dough into four oval disks, place them on a silicon mat, cover them with plastic wrap and allow them to rise again at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Roll the oval disks out and shape them into a teardrop. While you wait, preheat your oven to 475°. If you are using a baking stone, place the stone in the oven as it preheats. If you are using a baking sheet, line it with parchment paper.

Cover the rolled out dough with plastic wrap and allow them to rest for 5 minutes.

Place the dough onto the preheated baking stone and bake the bread for 2 minutes on each side. I only own one baking stone, so I did my Naan in shifts. If you are using a baking sheet, place all four loaves (if able) on the sheet and bake them for 8 minutes.

Combine some minced garlic with melted butter or Ghee and brush the bread. Serve warm and enjoy!

Don't forget to vote for My Veggie Table!

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Vegetarian Samosas

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

I recently tried my hand at making Vegetarian Samosas. Samosas are among the most delicious things on the face of God's green Earth. They once flaky and light, but rich and filling. I first discovered Samosas when the Veggie Dad (then the Veggie Boyfriend) first discovered an all vegetarian Indian restaurant in Atlanta, GA, called Udipi Cafe. For those living in the Atlanta area or for those who might be visiting Atlanta, Udipi Cafe is actually in Duluth, Ga, to connect to their website simply click on the restaurant name. Since that first meal at Udipi Cafe I have been smitten with the Samosa and with Indian food in general. In short, it's like a party in my mouth every time I eat Indian food.

I would never suggest that the Samosas I made were as good as those one would find at a Indian restaurant, so you should still check out your town's local Indian cuisine, but these Samosas will surely get you through those dry spells between visits.

First, I wanted something rather easy, but still authentic. And I wanted something that did not need to be deep fried. Health issues aside, I just don't know how to deep fry anything. I know! A Southern Girl not knowing how to fry, it's just plain crazy, but it's true. Sure, I could learn how to fry, but then I would still be stuck with gallons of leftover oil. Ewww, old oil.

I tried several cookbook and looked around the internet, but in the end I decided to check and see if them had a recipe for at least the dough on the King Arthur website. Low and behold, they not only had a recipe for the dough, but for the filling, too! I must say, the more I use King Arthur's site, the more I love it. Their bread recipes have thus far always worked out, and I love that they give you non-machine baking instructions for their bread machine recipes. Now, I am discovering that their other recipes are also amazing.

As always, I made a few changes to reflect our personal tastes and to reflect the type of yeast I use. The only other change I made was to how I shaped the Samosas. The original recipe had you cut the dough in circles, but in the end I chose to do my Samosas in more of a pyramid shape like you would find at an Indian restaurant. Above I have pictured both shapes. You will get a larger yield of Samosas is you follow the King Arthur instructions.

Ingredients for the Dough
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into squares
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Tools for the Dough
bowl
whisk
pastry cutter (or two forks)
plastic wrap

The Making of the Dough

Use a whisk to combine the all purpose flour and the salt

Cut half the chilled butter into the flour with the pasty cutter

Cut the rest of the butter in with the pastry cutter until the flour/butter clumps are the size of cranberries.

Add the ice cold water a little at a time

Using your hand, gently work the flour/butter and ice cold water together. Add more ice cold water until a dough is formed.

You should still see clumps of butter in the formed dough.

Form the dough into two discs, wrap the discs in plastic wrap and chill them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

While the dough chills, prepare the filling.

Ingredients for the Filling
2 cups cooked potatoes, drained and cubed
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masrala
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
pepper to taste

Tools for the Filling/ for the baking of the Samosas
large sauce pan
silicone baking mat for rolling out dough
parchment paper
baking sheet

The Cooking for the Filling and the Samosas

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan for medium heat.

Add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onions and garlic turn translucent.Take care not to burn the garlic.

Add the curry powder and the garam marsala. Stir and cook until fragrant.

Add the potatoes

Stir gently to coat the potatoes with the spice/onion mixture.

Add pepper to taste

Turn off the heat and add the peas.

Stir gently until the peas are well incorporated and set aside while you roll out the dough. Preheat the oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a clean floured surface or a silicone baking mat, roll the dough out.

Roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/8 of an inch.

Place about 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of the dough (cut into circles, squares or rectangles). Brush water onto the edges of the dough to bind the edges together.

Pull the dough into the desired shape and place the Samosa on the lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the outside of the Samosas are golden brown.

Serve with the dip of your choice and enjoy!

Recipe source: kingarthur.com

Don't forget to vote for My Veggie Table!

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Top 25 Vegan/Vegetarian Moms

2012-01-28T11:39:00.000-08:00

My Veggie Table had been nominated for the Top 25 Vegan/Vegetarian Moms. Please take a minute to vote for me. You may vote daily, and I would love to be in the Top 25.

Here is the link, http://www.circleofmoms.com/top25/top-vegan-vegetarian-mom-blogs-2012?trk=t25_top-vegan-vegetarian-mom-blogs-2012

Thanks,

Amy

The Veggie Mom

Split Pea Dal

2012-01-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

Dal is a traditionally a thick stew made with peas, lentils or beans. Split peas were a natural chose as my husband is a huge fan of anything containing peas. I also like that split peas need not be soaked overnight.

My children were mixed on this soup. Truth be told, my oldest son hates soup of any kind. In fact, when recently asked what he did not like, his first response was SOUP. I love to make soup, so the poor kids is usually out of luck. This soup at least peaked his interest because he felt it looked like Shrek. My youngest, at least tried the soup, and appears to be taking after his father when it comes to his culinary tastes. If I make this soup again, I think I will add more curry and garam masala to it.

The Ingredients

1 pound dried green split peas

2 quarts water

1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon curry powder

1 tablespoon garam masala

The Tools

large stock pot

blender

The Cooking

Add the peas to the 2 quarts water

Add the onion

Add the minced garlic

Add the salt, curry powder and the garam masala

Stir to completely combine and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for 1 hour.

For a creamier texture, puree half the soup in a blender

Add the puree back to the soup

Serve the soup with some Naan and enjoy!

recipe source: The Grit Restaurant Cookbook

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Spicy Nuts

2012-01-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

Nothing hits the spot like a some spicy, salty nuts. They are just the right thing for a Super Bowl party, even if the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers are NOT in the Super Bowl (insert heavy sigh here). Regardless of sporting events these are a lovely snack, low in sodium and high in delicious nuts.

These spicy nuts can also be added to salads for an extra crunch. I used an assortment of nuts, but you can use whatever kind of nuts your heart desires.

The Ingredients

2 cups mixed nuts

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon salt

The Tools

a small saucepan

a small bowl

a foil covered baking sheet

The Prep

Preheat the oven to 300°

The Cooking

Warm the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat

Add the spices and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds

Pour the flavored oil over the nuts

and stir to mix

Pour the nuts onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes

Yum!

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Spinach Lasagana

2012-01-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have posted this recipe before, but this is my step by step version. This recipe is a classic and all time favorite in our house, and it was originally my mom's recipe.

While making a lasagna from scratch may seem daunting, it need to be. You can use any type of vegetables in your lasagna, just swap out about the same amount as I have here for the spinach. Of course you could also replace the vegetables with a vegetarian/vegan sausage or vegetarian meat product.

The Ingredients

8 ounces lasagna noodles

15 ounce package ricotta cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

16 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 eggs

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

12 ounces marinara sauce of choice

1/4 cup water (sorry, I forgot to include it in the photo)

The Prep Work

Preheat the oven to 350°. You will need aluminum foil and a 98x13 inch baking dish for this recipe

The Cooking

Boil the pasta for 12 minutes or until al dente

Combine the ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese, eggs, spinach, and herbs/seasoning together in a medium sized bowl.

Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish

Top the sauce layer with three noodles

Spread 1/3 of the filling on top of the noodles

On top of the filling, add a layer of sauce

Repeat the layering

And repeat, again

Top with the last cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Pour the 1/4 of water around the edges of the lasagna and top with aluminum foil. Bake for an hour.

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My Veggie Kitchen is now Re-Open

2012-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

We recently had some work done on our kitchen. It started with a new refrigerator and dish washer in December and ended with new hardwood flooring in January. Getting the appliances went off without a hitch, but the flooring was much more involved then anticipated. First there was the choosing, the measuring, the waiting and finally, the installation. Of course for the installation one must move the three tons of stuff one keeps on ones furniture and in ones furniture. This took at weekend. I must say, the installers did an amazing job, but it was a harder job than anyone anticipated. The problem was that our floor was all cock-eyed. We knew this as the previous owners of the house told us the floor was cock-eyed when the disclosed that they could have fixed, but decided that doing things correctly was simply not something they enjoyed. We did not know what would be involved in correcting it. The correction process involved sanding down the concrete sub floor in some areas and adding more concrete in other areas. This was a dusty and stinky process and I am eternally grateful that the installers from Carpet One did it for me.

I had hoped that I would able to take this time with the kitchen closed to upload photos and update the blog. Unfortunately it was too noisy and dusty in here for kids or me. And let's face it, we would have just been in the way. So we spent most of out time at parks, or in the car or at the Lego play place.

Before

After: Please note the lovely new flooring, Fridge and dishwasher. The stovetop and oven are still holding steedy, but one day I will replace it with an all black version.

Now I have to decide what to do about the cabinets. They are looking pretty this 80's House with the granite countertop and those new floors. What to ya'll think? We will reface them, but what would work better: the painted look or a stained look???

Beer Bread

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Every open a beer and not drink it? No? Me either. But over this past holiday season, the Veggie Dad did just that. He opened a beer and took only the smallest sip of said beer before abandoning it opened to the refrigerator. Not being one to let a good beer go to waste, but not being one to be able to tolerate flat beer, I decided to make a Beer Bread with the left over beer. I did a quick search and found a yummy and easy looking recipe on Food.com. Food.com is a basically a database of recipes submitted by home cooks, think allrecipes without all the annoying upgrades. Plus in my experience the recipes on Food.com seem to turn out with a higher rate of success then to those I find on some other sites.

This bread was hearty, but not too heavy. The beer takes the place of the yeast, so it needs not time to rise. Of course a bread without traditional yeast will be a bit heavier than a yeast-ed bread, but this one was not too heavy at all. The addition of melted butter to the top of the bread makes for a yummy, crispy, top.

The Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup sugar

1-12 ounce bottle or can of beer

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Prep Work

Move you over rack to the lower middle position and preheat the oven to 375°. Grease a loaf pan unless you are using a truly non-stick loaf pan.

Measure your flour, and then sift it. Unless otherwise noted always measure first and then sift.

Shifting is fun!

Add the baking powder

And the salt

And then add the sugar

Mix them together

Add the beer and stir until well incorporated.

Press the dough into a greased loaf pan

Pour the melted butter over the top of the dough and bake the bread for 1 hour at 375°.

Allow the bread to cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack.

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/Beer-Bread-73440

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Vegetarian Gravy-The Step-by-Step Edition

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

I have posted this recipe before, but that was before I started doing step by step instructions with pictures. You are going to see me re-post a lot of my recipes with the photos and with step-by-step instructions. The change to a step-by-step with photos format is very much a work in progress and I am still getting everything figured out. I appreciate any and all feedback, so if you see that I missed something or feel that something is not clear, please let me know. As always I can be reached via email at theveggiemom@gmail.com.

And yes Mom, I know the print feature is no longer available, that went tango uniform some time ago. Of course with the new format, it would make for some very long print outs, so I am trying to figure how to create a printable version. Mom, this is about the time you should be lamenting not sending me to private school.

This recipe is from the Grit Restaurant cookbook and as if often the case I have made changes to the recipe. So, if want the original you will need to purchase the cookbook. Heck, you should purchase the cookbook anyway. In fact get, two because you'll soon wear out your first one.

The Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

2 cups milk

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 3/4 cups hot water

2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce

Melt the butter in a heavy, large saucepan and add the flour

Stir to combine

And begin whisking. It is very important that you whisk constantly, as this will help avoid burning the flour and you do not want that burnt flour taste in your gravy.

Add the nutritional yeast flakes

Whisk and whisk

And whisk and whisk

Whisk it for four whole minutes

Slowly add the milk, a little at a time. After each addition, whisk until the milk is completely incorporated.

Combine the soy sauce, hot water and worcestershire sauce. Slowly add the soy sauce mixture to the roux, whisking after each addition until completely incorporated.

The gravy should be well combined and thickened. If for some reason you add the soy sauce mixture too quickly just keep whisking and cooking until the gravy thickens up.

Source: The Grit Restaurant Cookbook

Eggplant

2012-01-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

Some of my readers were willing to contribute some of their eggplant recipes for my blog. Not being an eggplant fan, I am going to make any of these recipes, but I will do is share their links.

Aubergine and Feta Dip from Faceless Food

Eggplant Cacciatore from Dancing Veggies

Israeli Eggplant Stew with Poached Egg from Dancing Veggies

Eggplant Etouffe from Dancing Veggies

Thank you so much ladies!

Eggplant: The Confession

2012-01-04T08:00:00.001-08:00

Dear Veggie Lover,

Now is the time for the Veggie Mom to confess. I hate eggplant. That is right, I hate eggplant. It is my shameful secret as a vegetarian food blogger. Because of this strong dislike, I have zero eggplant recipes on my blog and I feel that I need some. I could find some, but the Veggie Dad does not like eggplant either, so there would be no one to eat the meal.

So, it is with toque in hand that I ask for your help. I would love to have some eggplant recipes to share with my readers. So, I am asking if you can help me out. I would love to include your recipe on my blog. I require only that you love it and that you have a picture of the finished product.

This is not a contest, and you won't get anything but my love and many mentions of your blog, if you have one.

So, help a Eggplant hater out and send my your favorite eggplant recipes.

xoxo
The Veggie Mom

Hashbrown Casserole

2011-12-29T09:58:00.000-08:00

2lbs frozen hashbrown potatoes (the shredded kind)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese colby cheese

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside
Combine the soup, melted butter, salt, pepper, onion powder and cheese in a very large bowl .
Gently mix in the hash browns. until well coated.
Pour into baking dish and bake for 35 minutes.

Serves 8: 299 calories, 18 grams of fat, and 3 grams of fiber

Cornbread

2011-12-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

2 cups self rising cornmeal
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
1 2/3 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup melted shortening or vegetable oil
1-2 tablespoons white sugar (optional)

Mix corn meal with sugar (if using) buttermilk and egg. Add the melted shortening or oil. Pour into greased skillet or 8X8 baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 425°

Black Eye Peas

2011-12-27T09:50:00.000-08:00

This recipe was created according to the specifications of my pressure cooker. All pressure cookers are different, so please familiarize yourself with yours.

2 cups dry beans, soaked overnight (instructions to follow)

1 3/4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup water

2 tablespoons my versions of The Grit's Vegetarian Gravy

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

To soak the beans: place beans in cooker. Add to beans, enough water to cover, 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of salt. Allow beans to soak overnight. They should be their normal size after the soak. Drain and rinse the beans thoroughly before the next step.
Place the soaked beans, back into the clean cooker. Add the broth, water, gravy and seasoning to the beans. Place the lid on your cooker, lock it, place the rocker on top.
Over medium high heat bring your cooker to a nice steady rock. Adjust your heat to maintain the steady rocking for 20 minutes.
Remove the cooker from the heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Please check the instructions on your cooker for the best way to achieve this.
Serve warm with cornbread or rice.

Serves 8, 1-cup servings: Calories 115, 1 gram of fat, 4 grams of fiber