The Bored Vegetarian

I made my first Bored Vegetarian post on May 3rd, 2010, a little...

Mon, 13 May 2013 22:28:00 -0400

I made my first Bored Vegetarian post on May 3rd, 2010, a little over a three years ago! Without getting too cheeseball (mmm cheeseball), I can’t thank you enough for reading and cooking along with me. Can’t wait to see where this goes over the next few years…

love, Bethany

Ricotta Crostini with Grilled Pineapple, Red Pepper & Green...

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:20:51 -0400

Ricotta Crostini with Grilled Pineapple, Red Pepper & Green Onion Salsa

per serving

1 piece sliced Rustic Bread
3-4 Tbsp Ricotta Cheese (if you’re feeling adventurous, make your own!)
4-5 pieces Sliced Pineapple
1/2 Red Pepper, seeds removed, chopped small
2 Tbsp Green Onion, chopped
1-2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to broil. Cut bread in half on a diagonal and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle bread with olive oil on both sides, sprinkle with salt. Broil in the oven until bread becomes crispy, a few minutes (flip on either side). Remove from oven. On a stovetop grill, grill the pineapple on each flat side until there are grill marks. Remove from heat and allow to cool until they’re cool enough to handle. Chop into small pieces. In a bowl, combine pineapple, red pepper and green onion. Sprinkle with salt and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Spread ricotta on each slice of bread. Spoon the desired amount of salsa on each piece and salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

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Roasted Cauliflower & Steamed Kale Salad1 small head of...

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:02:00 -0400

Roasted Cauliflower & Steamed Kale Salad

1 small head of Cauliflower, broken into florets
3 cups raw Kale, large stems removes, leaves chopped small
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Juice from half of a Lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste
Toasted Sesame Seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. On a baking sheet, toss florets in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cauliflower is soft and begins to brown (toss about halfway through to brown on different sides). Fill a soup pot or large sauce pan with an inch or two of water and place over medium/high heat. Place a vegetable steamer in the pot and add the kale. Steam the kale until tender. Remove cauliflower from oven and let cool until you can handle it. Chop up cauliflower into very small pieces. In a bowl, toss with steamed kale and season with salt and pepper. Add to a serving bowl and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Can be served warm or room temperature.

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Quinoa with Roasted Sweet Potato, Dinosaur Kale, Chickpeas and...

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 07:36:54 -0400

Quinoa with Roasted Sweet Potato, Dinosaur Kale, Chickpeas and Green Onion

Serves 3-4

1 cup Quinoa
2 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
3 cups Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
2 cups Dinosaur Kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
1 cup Chickpeas (recommend that you use dried and follow cooking directions on the bag)
1/8 cup Green Onion, chopped (white/light green only)
1 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 tsp Paprika
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat. Season with salt and sprinkle with paprika. Roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft, tossing halfway through. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups of vegetable stock to a boil. Add quinoa and stir. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the quinoa is cooked through and the liquid has mostly evaporated. In a saute pan, saute the kale and chickpeas in remaining olive oil. Add quinoa and sweet potato and toss everything together. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a serving bowl and top with green onion. Serve warm.

Moroccan Cous Cous with Blackened Red Pepper, Olives, Apricot...

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 09:55:40 -0400

Moroccan Cous Cous with Blackened Red Pepper, Olives, Apricot and Toasted Pine Nuts

Last weekend I threw a dinner party at my apartment for six of my lovely friends. Work has become increasingly busy as we head into wedding & events season (I’ll be helping seven awesome couples get married and four teens get bar/bat mitzvahed over the next three months), so I wanted to get people together for one last hurrah until I have more free time again in July. I made a giant feast of Mediterranean & Middle Eastern inspired meze.

On my search for ingredients, I visited Kalustyan’s in Flatiron. The store is incredible and full of any sort of specialty item you could imagine and I’m in love.

This cous cous dish is a nice balance of savory and sweet and can be tossed together as a nice side, or served layered like I did.

2 cups cooked Moroccan Cous Cous (follow instructions on the box or bag. Use olive oil instead of butter if vegan)
1 large Red Pepper
1/2 cup Dried Apricot
1/8 cup Moroccan Olives
1/8 cup Pine Nuts
Cilantro (optional)
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Prepare cous cous as you’re prepping the other ingredients (should take about 10 minutes max. Preheat oven to 350. Toast pine nuts on a baking pan until they start to brown. Remove from oven and set aside. Remove top and seeds from the red pepper and cut into large pieces. Toss with olive oil and season with salt. Grill on a stovetop grill until soft and starting to blacken, grilling both sides of the pepper. Remove from heat, chop into small pieces and put into a small bowl. Chop olives (removing pits) and toss with the red pepper. Chop up dried apricots into small pieces. If using cilantro, chop into small pieces. In a bowl toss cous cous with apricots, pine nuts and cilantro. Season with salt. Spoon cous cous onto plate or into a bowl and top with red pepper and olives. You can toss everything together if you’d prefer. Serve warm.

Open-Faced Egg Sandwich inspired by the “Tomato...

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:49:34 -0500

Open-Faced Egg Sandwich inspired by the “Tomato Burger” from Blue Hill (via NYT’s Recipe)

As some of you may know, my day/night/weekend job is as an event planner for a catering company here in Brooklyn. Part of what I do is discussing menu ideas with couples/clients and discussing how to bring their backgrounds, family recipes and inspiration from their favorite restaurants into their menu. Recently a couple had mentioned how much they love Blue Hill Farm’s “tomato burger,” so I had our chefs do a take on it for their tasting. I got to sample it myself and was so obsessed with the balance of sweetness from the “bun,” the savory tomato and the creamy goat cheese, I made a mental note to try it at home. As someone who loves savory and sweet breakfast foods together (“don’t judge me!” I exclaimed as I dumped syrup all over my eggs and potatoes the other morning), I thought this would be perfect with a delicious sunny side up egg on top.

Serves 4

For the “bread”

1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp Almond Flour
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Powdered Sugar
2/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (honestly, I would recommend using less than their recommendation - it turned out a lot heavier and greasier than I would have liked. Might reduce as much as half next time.)
1/2 tsp Salt
4 large Egg Whites, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325. Coat a 9x9 baking pan with cooking spray. In a bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Pour in egg whites and whisk with dry ingredients until combined. Continue to whisk and slowly add olive oil in a stream. Pour into baking pan and bake on middle rack for 20-25 minutes or until golden yellow. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Tomato Filling:

2 pounds ripe Tomatoes
1 cup Sundried Tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped
1/4 Tbsp Shallots, finely chopped
1/2 Balsamic Vinegar

Cut a shallow x in the bottom of the tomatoes. Blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and run under cold water. Skins should easily slip off. Remove seeds and chop into a small dice. In a bowl, toss together diced tomato, sundried tomato, shallots, balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Goat Cheese Filling:

2/3 Goat Cheese, room temperature
6 Tbsp Mascarpone Cheese, room temperature
2 Tbsp chopped Chives
pinch of salt

Stir together all of the ingredients and set aside.

Egg:

4 Eggs
2 Tbsp
Salt & Pepper to taste

Fresh basil

Melt butter in a pan. Crack eggs into pan and cook on low/medium heat until whites begin to firm up. Cover with lid until whites are about done. Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble:

Cut a four rounds out of the “bread.” Layer each with some of the goat cheese, a generous amount of the tomato filling, fresh basil and top with an egg. Serve hot.

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Sunny Side Up Egg with Quinoa, Sauteed Kale, Tomato and Basil...

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 15:37:20 -0500

Sunny Side Up Egg with Quinoa, Sauteed Kale, Tomato and Basil & Scallion Puree

It’s a slow rainy Saturday in New York.

1 egg
1/2 cup dry Quinoa
1 cup Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
1 cup chopped Kale, large stems removed
1/4 cup Baby Heirloom Tomatoes
2 generous handfuls of fresh Basil
1/2 cup chopped Scallions
1 clove Garlic
4-5 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup White Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a saucepan 1/2 cup of water and 1 cup Vegetable Broth to a boil. Add quinoa and season with a bit of salt. Cover and bring down to a simmer until the liquid cooks off (about 15 minutes). In a saute pan, saute minced garlic in a bit of olive oil until soft. Add the cooked quinoa and toss. Cook on low heat, continuing to cook off any remaining liquid in the quinoa. In a blender, liquify basil, scallion and a 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. With the blender going, slowly stream in the white wine vinegar, which will thicken the puree. In a saute pan, saute the kale and tomato in a bit of olive oil until soft. Add to quinoa and toss. Season with salt & pepper. In a saute pan, melt butter over low-medium heat. Crack the egg into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid until the whites have firmed up. Serve quinoa in a bowl, top with the sunny side up egg and spoon some of the basil & scallion puree over the top. Serve immediately.

Cauliflower Soup with a Parmesan Crisp and Truffle OilWhen...

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 23:44:00 -0500

Cauliflower Soup with a Parmesan Crisp and Truffle Oil

When I’m feeling a little uninspired in the kitchen, sometimes all it takes is a visit to an amazing restaurant or two to get the wheels turning again. Usually it’s because I’ve had a new combination of ingredients or take that I hadn’t considered, but sometimes I get inspired to recreate a dish that isn’t as good as I think it could have been. Case in point the cauliflower soup I had a place in Bushwick recently. While it wasn’t terrible, I thought it was missing the rich silkiness (ew, that word) that cauliflower can create. I decided I should try my hand at it at home to see if I could make a version that captured the comforting and warm feeling that soup should give in the deep hellish depths of winter (also known as February in New York.)

1 head Cauliflower, trimmed of stalk and leaves
1 cup chopped Onion
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6 cups Vegetable Stock
1 cup Half & Half
Salt and Pepper to taste
Truffle Oil (optional)

In a large pot, saute chopped onion and garlic on low/medium heat until translucent. Chop cauliflower into small, manageable pieces. Add to pot and cover with vegetable stock. Turn heat to medium/high until cauliflower is very soft, about 15-20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly. Using an immersion blender, blend the stock and vegetables until smooth. Add half & half and continue to blend. Salt and pepper to taste. If soup is too thick, you can add a little water or more half and half. If it’s too thin, continue to cook until to desired thickness. Serve hot in a bowl with a drizzle of truffle oil and a parmesan crisp

For the Parmesan Crisp

1 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

(for those asking, BelGioioso makes a rennet-free parm)

Preheat oven broil. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread cheese in an even layer so that you can’t see the area of paper, about 4-5 inches around. Broil in oven until cheese melts and begins to crisp and brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Break into pieces and serve with soup.

Thanks to Mardi of Sprout & Pea for coming over for dinner and to share an amazing bottle of First Fruit from Shinn Vineyard on Long Island that I’ve been holding onto for far too long. It’s time I made a trip back there…

Roasted Cauliflower Steak with Whipped Feta and Scallions1 large...

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 17:42:00 -0500

Roasted Cauliflower Steak with Whipped Feta and Scallions

1 large Cauliflower head, trimmed
1/4 pound Feta Cheese
2 ounces Cream Cheese
2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Scallions for garnish
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Place flat side of cauliflower on cutting board and cut 3/4 inch “steaks” from the middle of the head. In a pan, heat olive oil and sear each side of the cauliflower, flipping to brown each side. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and roast on a cookie sheet on the lowest rack of the oven until tender. In a food processor, blend feta, cream cheese, cream cheese and lemon juice until smooth. Spoon whipped feta onto plate with a cauliflower steak. Garnish with scallion.

Last week’s Valentine’s Market was a great time, even with the blizzard. Thank you to everyone who stopped by our table and sampled or bought a jar of nutella. Markets of New York did a nice post about our wares. Check it out!

When Harry Met Salad

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:03:45 -0500

When Harry Met Salad

I’ll be selling jars of my homemade...

Fri, 01 Feb 2013 18:53:53 -0500

I’ll be selling jars of my homemade “Nutella” at the Greenpointers Valentine’s Day Market next Saturday! I’ll have Original, Bourbon and Spicy for $7 for a 4oz jar. Come by and pick up something sweet for your sweetie (or for yourself)!

Greenpointers Valentine’s Day Market
Saturday, February 9th, 2013
From The Source
69 West St., Greenpoint Brooklyn
Noon-6pm

Over the weekend, my friend Whitney and I took the 7 train to...

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0500

Over the weekend, my friend Whitney and I took the 7 train to Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens to explore the structures left behind from the 1964-1965 World’s Fair. The Unisphere is still in good shape, but the observatory towers and pavilion are rusting away and being taken over by stray cats.

I was under the impression that the World’s fair expositions ceased to exist after a certain point, but apparently they still happen: The next one’s in Milan in 2015.

The Breakfast Club

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 02:00:45 -0500

The Breakfast Club

Butternut Squash & Gorgonzola Galette with Caramelized Onion...

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 23:18:00 -0500

Butternut Squash & Gorgonzola Galette with Caramelized Onion and Crispy Sage Galette

I’ve been laying out my goals for 2013 and I must say I’m pretty excited about what’s to come for The Bored Veg in the next several months. Some things are already in motion, some I’m still working on (hey, it’s only January 2nd). One area I want to focus on is incorporating more baking into the blog. It sounds silly, but baking has always intimidated me. It’s so exact and… scientific. So much of what makes a delicious baked good is ingredients reacting with one another, temperature etc. Not to mention the fact that my convection oven is a giant POS and it’s difficult to evenly cook anything. Anyway, my point is that 2013 will be the year of baking. Or slightly more baking. This galette was the perfect way to get things started.

Dough (recipe from Smitten Kitchen)
1 1/4 cups Flour, chilled in freezer for 30 minutes
1/4 tsp Salt
8 Tbsp (1 stick) cold Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces and chilled again
1/4 cup Sour Cream
2 tsp fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 cup Ice Water

Crust Glaze
1 Egg Yolk beaten with 1 tsp Water

Whisk together flour and salt in a bowl. Add chopped butter and use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the flour until the butter pieces are no bigger than a pea. The flour should be a meal consistency. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, ice water and sour cream. Add to the flour & butter mixture and mix together with your hands until the dough forms into large lumps. Pat the dough into a ball, being careful not to overwork. Wrap in plastic and chill for an hour in the refrigerator.

Filling

1 small Butternut Squash, peeled and slice thin (about 1/4 inch thick)
1 small Red Onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup Gorgonzola, crumbled
15-20 fresh Sage Leaves
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Canola Oil for frying
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Preheat oven to 350. Toss butternut squash with olive oil and spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and roast in the oven, turning occasionally until the squash is cooked through. In a saute pan, heat 1 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil. Add onion and toss in olive oil. Saute over low/medium heat for a few minutes and then sprinkle onions with salt. Continue to cook over low/medium heat until onions caramelize (up to 30 mins). In a saute pan, add a couple of inches of canola oil and heat over medium heat for about a minute. Test a sage leave - it should crisp up in about five seconds. Be careful not to brown the leaves. Fry all sage leaves and drain.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove dough from the fridge and roll out into a 12-inch circle on a well floured work surface. Transfer onto an ungreased baking sheet. Leaving about 2 inches around the edge, layer the butternut squash in a spiral towards the center. Spread the caramelized onions over the top. Fold over the edges of the dough, pinching together where needed so that it partially covers the filling. Brush the crust with the egg yolk mixture. Bake in the oven about 30 to 40 minutes until the crust is a golden brown. Turn off the oven, pull the galette partially out and sprinkle with cheese and sage. Return to the oven until the cheese melts slightly. Remove from oven and transfer to serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Creamy Sweet Potato & Apple Mash with Mascarpone & Brown...

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 22:17:00 -0500

Creamy Sweet Potato & Apple Mash with Mascarpone & Brown Sugar Whiskey Sauce

It’s peak sweet potato season… and whiskey is in season all year round.

1 large Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
1 Apple, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup Heavy Cream
4 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp Whiskey
Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes and boil until soft. In a pan, melt 2 Tbsp of butter. Add add apples and saute until slightly soft, but not mushy. Drain sweet potatoes and put back into pot. Add sauteed apples and cream and mash until potatoes are smooth. The apples will retain their shape. Salt to taste and keep warm as you make the sauce. In a saute pan, melt remaining butter. Add brown sugar and whiskey and whisk together over low/medium heat until it reduces a bit. Serve sweet potatoes hot topped with mascarpone and drizzled with whiskey sauce.

Poached Egg over Lemony Kale with Asiago and Crispy...

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:30:00 -0500

Poached Egg over Lemony Kale with Asiago and Crispy Shallot

While I have your attention, have you liked The Bored Vegetarian on fb? You should! It’s a lot easier to interact that way. Almost like real life, except not at all.

1 Egg
2 cups fresh Kale, chopped well
1/2 Lemon
2-3 Tbsp Asiago Cheese, finely grated (Bear Flag and Vella Cheese make rennet-free asiago)
1/2 Shallot, chopped in rounds
Cooking oil
1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

In a bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp juice & zest from the lemon with the olive oil. Toss with the kale until coated evenly, seasoning to taste. Pile into the bowl you’re going to serve it in. In a pan, heat cooking oil to between 365 or 375 degrees. Toss in shallots and fry until they begin to crisp and brown. Carefully remove (I used a fork, not the safest method) and place on a paper towel or paper bag to drain some oil off and cool. Next, follow these instructions to poach an egg! Once egg has been drained, place on top of kale. Season with salt & pepper and top with a pile of crispy shallots. Serve immediately.

Why You’d Want to Live Here LA and I have had somewhat of...

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 19:53:00 -0500

Why You’d Want to Live Here

LA and I have had somewhat of a contemptuous relationship since it stole away two of my closest friends a few months ago and have yet to return to them to Brooklyn, but as it was one of the cities I had yet to explore in my adulthood, it was time to go. The weather didn’t quite behave (those who say it never rains in California lied…) but we got to explore tons of neighborhoods and most importantly, eat a lot of delicious food. I came back feeling pretty inspired foodwise, which is one of the best things one can ask for.

Nickel Diner (Downtown) : Try the strawberry donut.

Little Dom’s (Griffith Park/Los Feliz) : Eggs Fungi Poached with Roasted Mushrooms, Grilled Bread, Fennel Pollen Hollandaise; Fried Potatoes

Cafe Gratitude (Venice, thanks for the recommendation, Nicole!) : Warning - their way of ordering (I AM ____________, to which the waitperson replies YOU ARE _________________) is a bit pretentious and off-putting, but it’s the most delicious vegan food I’ve ever had.

I AM VIVACIOUS: Live marinated Kale Chips with Hempseed Ranch

I AM HUMBLE: Indian Curried Lentils over Quinoa with Sauteed Seasonal Vegetable, Sweet Potato and Spinach, drizzled with Spicy Mint Chutney & Sweet Tamarind Sauce

Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe (Santa Monica) : Quinoa, Butternut Squash, Rutiz Kale with Sunny-Side Up Eggs (pictured above); All of the baked goods (we had blueberry ciabatta and roasted fig flatbread)

Jitlada (Hollywood) : Tom Kha Soup; Freshy Rolls; Native Fruit Green Curry with Coconut and Tofu

Wurstkuche (Downtown/Arts District) : Vegetarian Smoked Apple Sage (apples, yukon potatoes & rubbed sage)

The Pie Hole (Downtown/Arts District) : I forget which we had, but it was tasty!

Other highlights:

The Varnish (in the back of Cole’s, Downtown) : Delicious cocktails

Cosmos (Little Tokyo, Downtown) : Karaoke with a 2 drink min., tiny stage and rules like “no jumping, no gum.”

Point Dume : Beautiful state beach (pictured above)

Disneyland : Weird, nostalgic feeling (and a Dole whip)

(special thank you thank you to Brooke, Mads, Mei and Joel for showing me a good time)

Where do I go next? I’d like to plan a trip abroad and at least one in the US for 2013… advice?

Brie & Dijon Mustard Apple Slaw Sandwich2 slices of bread (I...

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 19:53:18 -0500

Brie & Dijon Mustard Apple Slaw Sandwich

2 slices of bread (I used a baguette that was leftover from Thanksgiving)
3-4 slices of Brie
2 Tbsp Grained Dijon Mustard
3/4 cup Apple, cut into matchsticks
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

In a bowl, whisk together mustard and apple cider. Add apples and toss together with the dijon vinegar mixture. Layer bottom piece of bread with brie. Pile with a generous amount of slaw. If there’s any leftover liquid, pour on to other piece of bread and make a sandwich with the brie side. Grill in a pan, flipping once one side is brown and cheese begins to melt. Serve hot.

Kale & Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes2 lbs Potatoes, skin on...

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 10:43:00 -0500

Kale & Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs Potatoes, skin on (optional)
5 ounces Goat Cheese
2 cups Kale, raw, stems removed, leaves chopped thin
3 Tbsp Butter
1 1/2 Milk
4 cloves Roasted Garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cut potatoes into 1-2 inch pieces and put in a large pot. Cover with water and add a few pinches of salt. Bring to a boil and cook potatoes until very soft. Drain and put back into the pot. Add 1 cup milk and 2 Tbsp butter and mash with a potato masher. As the potatoes start to get smoother, add goat cheese, garlic, remaining milk and butter. Mix in chopped kale. Warm on low heat until kale wilts. Seasonal with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Greetings from California

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:50:22 -0500

Greetings from California