Eating low on the food chain

We've been enjoying some outstanding vegetarian food lately, two from the redoubtable Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks, and two old favorites.

Last night it was cold, a real Fall evening. MZ took a long nap, we had work to do and by the time I realized we would need dinner, I also realized I hadn't made it to the meat market. I had all the ingredients for a recipe I'd been wanting to try, a vegetarian chili loaded with legumes and whole grains. It seemed the perfect dinner for a cold night, and lo, I also had all the ingredients for her lovely-sounding apple cake, thanks to a bag full of apples our neighbor dropped by.

Both recipes came out great, definitely something we'll make again:

Pierce Street Vegetarian Chili

I made it exactly per the recipe, using the recommended veg bouillon. For a garnish, I stirred 1 t lemon juice and 1 t salt into a bowl of nonfat Greek yogurt. It was delicious, although her oregano oil sounds pretty tempting, too.

Unfussy Apple Cake

This has a nice biscuit quality. I made it in a ceramic tart pan, and it took 35-40 minutes. I'm not fond of apples and cinnamon, so I used 1 t ground cardamom and 1/2 t ground cinnamon, but other than that followed the recipe exactly. Perfect with some agave-sweetened whipped cream.

These followed on the heals of two other winners, a surprisingly satisfying tofu-based onion "quiche" that we've enjoyed for years and a twist on the Greens tofu salad which is also a family favorite.

Brother Ron's Alsatian Onion Pie

This quiche-like pie comes from a vegan cookbook called Friendly Foods, by Brother Ron Pickarski, a Franciscan friar. Since I'm not vegan, there are certain time-consuming meat-imitating recipes in this collection that I'll never make, but so many recipes really shine that it's been worth packing and unpacking for the last 15+ years. I've made a few additions over the years, and this remains a favorite. It's savory and very satisfying, I don't miss the eggs and cream at all.

Right now I have a surplus of sweet potatoes from our farm box, so this time I quartered and sliced a small sweet potato, steamed it in the microwave while I sauteed the onions, and tossed it in. I also had chanterelles instead of shiitakes, so in they went. Both went beautifully with the other flavors. I usually use a frozen whole wheat pie crust, which increases the baking time, but if you make your crust and bake it in a tart pan, this will cook in just 30 minutes.

2 T vegetable oil

5 dried shiitakes, soaked in warm water till softened, stemmed and thinly sliced

3 large onions, quartered and thinly sliced

1 t minced fresh thyme

1 cup soy milk

2/3 cup firm tofu, crushed by hand

1.5 t kosher or sea salt

1/4 t black pepper, freshly ground

1/8 t nutmeg

2 T unbleached flour

1 T whole wheat couscous

1 whole wheat pie shell

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line the frozen pie shell with foil or parchment, and add pie weights. Bake 8-10 minutes, till the crust has browned just a bit.

Lower oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil on medium heat, add the onions and 1/2 the salt. Saute the onions till translucent, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme and mushrooms, stir and remove from heat.

Whisk the soy milk, tofu, salt, pepper, nutmeg and flour until smooth. Add the onions and the couscous, stir to combine and pour into the prepared pie shell. Bake for 40-55 minutes until filling is set. Test by pressing lightly with a knife, if liquid pools, bake longer.

Greens' Tofu Salad

This next recipe is another long-time favorite from a cookbook I've been carting around since my first apartment. I love this cookbook, the soups and tarts are delicious, as are the salads and sides. Far from vegan, The Greens Cookbook leans on cheese and nuts for protein and I tend to avoid the main dishes because they can be so heavy. There are only 2-3 tofu recipes, all of which are excellent. This tofu salad is wonderful on whole-grain bread. I've successfully substituted 1.5 T curry powder, some minced ginger and 1/2 t rice vinegar for the herbs, sherry vinegar and capers.

18 oz firm tofu

5 T bell pepper, finely diced

5 T celery, finely diced

4 T carrot, finely diced

2 T scallion or red onion, minced

2 T fresh herbs: parsley, thyme, marjoram or a combination

1/2 t Dojon or whole grain mustard

2 t capers or cornichons, chopped

1/2 c mayonnaise

1 t nutritional yeast (optional)*

Rinse tofu, then wrap in a clean kitchen towel and twist to wring out excess moisture. Place the now-crumbled tofu in a bowl and combine with the rest of the ingredients through the cornichons. Stir lightly, then add mayonnaise as needed until you reach the desired consistency.

Wonderful on a sandwich of whole grain bread with lettuce and sliced tomatoes. This keeps about one week.

Dinners Week of 11/8: Chicken Sweet Potato Curry!

Shopping on Fridays means the week of menus starts on Fridays, ahh Shabbat, ahh the weekend. In these weeks of school tours, that time is more welcome than ever. Weeks are frantic right now with 2-3 tours eating into our work days and the constant catch-up that entails. We've been trying to keep it simple and healthy, and I've been relishing the chance to be more elaborate on the weekend.

Fri: Grilled steak, potato-stuffed pasilla peppers

Sa: Date night! Velvet Cantina is a good spot for groups

Su: Vietnamese pork chops, stir fried bok choy and brown rice

M: Out for meetings, MZ home with M&P

Tu: School Open House, Mac 'n' Cheese and Peas for MZ

W: Chicken Sweet Potato Curry* over Brown Rice

I made double the rice on Sunday to have some to reheat tonight

Th: School Open House, lamb steaks and string beans w Bubbe for MZ

* Chicken Sweet Potato Curry

I recently picked up Mark Bittman's Kitchen Express. It's organized by season, and touts 404 recipes that can be made in 20 minutes or less. More than a cookbook, it's really a series of ideas, it doesn't offer ingredients lists so much as a series of steps you might take in pulling dinner together. I thought I'd hate it, but I'm finding it really suits the way I cook. I find Mark Bittman's recipes tasty and dependable, and felt pretty confident leaving this for R to put together. I did all the prep the night before, and left the dry ingredients out on the counter along with a more detailed take on the recipe.

I'm the primary cook in our household, but R has been picking up Wednesday nights as my commute is so hideous. Truth be told, he has a much better palate than I do. When I came home, he had made the most delicious, comforting curry, and some significant changes to the recipe. This is definitely a keeper, and absolutely perfect for a chilly Fall or Winter night. I could eat this every week. MZ loved it, too. Yellow curry is mild enough for most kids, and the addition of fish sauce, ginger, lime juice and lemongrass peps up the prepared curry paste nicely.

This would be perfect with a cucumber and red onion salad, if you have time.

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1.5 cans coconut milk (do not shake the cans!)

3 T Thai yellow curry paste

1 can-full low sodium chicken broth

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced ~3/4" pieces

2 handfulls string beans, cut to 1" lengths

Juice of one lime (or more to taste)

1 T fish sauce

2 t. minced ginger

1 stem lemon grass, pounded and cut to 1" lengths (optional)

2-3 Keffir lime leaves, slivered (optional)

1 lb. chicken breast tenders, cut to 1" pieces

Open the coconut milk and heat a saucepan over medium heat. Skim the thick coconut milk from the top of the can and put in the saucepan. When it liquifies, add the onion and garlic and cook till just softened. Turn heat to medium-high and add the curry paste. Stir and fry till fragrant, about 60 seconds, then add the rest of the ingredients through the lemongrass, if using. Stir, bring to a simmer and cook 7-9 minutes till the sweet potato is tender. Add the chicken, stir and simmer 6 minutes. Adjust flavors, adding more lime juice or fish sauce as needed. Serve over brown rice.

Speedy Deliciousness: Miso Udon Halibut Soup

This is so easy and so good we have it every few weeks. R and MZ put it together while I make my commute home, it takes all of 15 minutes. We buy organic fresh udon noodles without the soup base, I usually get them at Nijiya but I recently saw them at the SF CostCo in the refrigerator section. There are three servings to a package, which easily makes enough noodles for four. The noodles and miso have a long shelf life, so we always have them on hand. It would also be good with tofu or thinly sliced chicken breast, the recipe remains just as speedy (add the chicken a minute or two before you add the sliced greens). Great with shiitakes or other vegetables if you have the extra time, but the idea is to keep it quick so we try not to add too many flourishes. MZ loves it best with Napa cabbage and halibut, in general kids love the big fat udon noodles.

4 T white miso paste

2 t fish sauce

2 T soy sauce

6 cups warm low-sodium chicken broth

3-4 slivered green onions, white and green parts separated

1 lb firm fish such as halibut or rock cod, cut into bite-size pieces

Four good handfuls of sliced quick cooking greens such as baby bok choy, Napa cabbage or spinach

3 servings fresh udon noodles (see above)

Gomasio for garnish

Bring a medium pot of water to boil and cook udon noodles per package directions.

Meanwhile, bring chicken broth to simmer, add miso, fish and soy sauces and the white part of the green onions. Return to simmer, cook 1 minute and add fish and greens. Cook 2 minutes.

Drain noodles, place a serving in each bowl and ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with remaining green onions and gomasio and serve.

Zucchini Bread (sweet) and Zucchini Muffins (savory)

I know it's summer when I'm desperate to find a good zucchini recipe. All through my childhood, summer meant lots and lots of squash, there was always more than most of us wanted to eat. I remember my mom's zucchini bread, zucchini soup, zucchini cake, zucchini in tomato sauce and a whole lot of steamed zucchini. So much of it that not a single one of those recipes holds any appeal.

Fast forward to adult me, an urban non-farmer but CSA subscriber. And yes, there is plenty of zucchini. None of us are that partial to it, but since I don't have pigs to feed, find a recipe I must. Here are two that are outstanding, thanks to the brilliant Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks.

The first is her "My Special Zucchini Bread" and it is without a doubt the best zucchini bread I've ever had. Gone is the cloying cinnamon dullness, replaced by curry powder and ginger, with poppy seeds, chopped nuts and whole wheat pastry flour for texture. It makes two loaves, so 1 stick of butter is pretty moderate in the fat department. I used almonds instead of walnuts and would half the amount of crystalized ginger next time, as MZ and others loved it for a few bites and then had enough. It's strongly flavored. With those few changes, I will happily make this recipe for as long as the zucchini lasts. This isn't a super-moist quick bread, but it goes down easy with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. Delicious!

The second is a riff on two of Heidi's recipes, the Zucchini Ricotta Cheese Cake and the Cottage Cheese Muffins. I'm not fond of dill, and muffins work better for the quick meals we require around here. I'm also not as much of an ingredients purist. I've made this hybrid with almond meal, but since nuts aren't allowed at MZ's preschool, I use flax meal instead, hoping she'll warm to them as they would be perfect in her lunch box. These light, quiche-like muffins make a great breakfast, and an even better lunch lightly warmed with a crisp green salad.

Zucchini Ricotta Muffins

2 cups zucchini, unpeeled & grated

1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 15 oz. container part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
4 large eggs, well beaten

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 T water

Preheat oven to 400F degrees, place racks in the middle of the oven. Line a muffin pan or two (this makes 18 muffins) with medium-sized silicon or paper baking cups.

In a strainer, toss the shredded zucchini with the salt and let sit for ten minutes. Wrap the zucchini in a clean cotton kitchen towel and wring out as much moisture as possible. Fluff lightly and set aside.

In the meantime, combine the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, shallots, garlic and basil in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs and continue mixing until well combined. Add the flour, flax seed meal and baking powder and stir lightly to combine, then add the shredded zucchini.

Fill the muffin cups with the mixture and place in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until set, slightly risen, and golden brown. Serve as hot or at room temperature. Makes 18 muffins.

Dinners Week of 08/09

Sunday: Dinner out in Berkeley after Peter Pan

Monday: Korean Braised Tofu*, soba noodles and pan-roasted pimientos de padron and shishito peppers; blackberries, plain yogurt and brown sugar for dessert

Tofu recipe was a definite keeper, riffed off of a recipe from Quick and Easy Korean Cooking, from my beloved Chronicle Books series. The pimientos de padron have been running hot, so the folks at Happy Quail Farms suggested we buy Shishito peppers, which she described as "just like the padrons but never hot." "Really?" I asked. "Really," she assured me. Not so, they have a different, floral but slightly more bitter profile and much tougher skins. The padrons win hands-down.

Tuesday: Shrimp Egg Foo Young

We had been talking about old school childhood foods. Mana made a lightened up version with just eggs, shrimp, bean sprouts and green onions, and a light oyster sauce. It was delicious with brown rice.

Wednesday: Tacos los Altos with friends

Too hot to cook.

Thursday: Shrimp, Pea and Orzo Pasta, Green Salad and Banana Bread

Aunt D brought her A game for sure. I used the Cook's Illustrated Banana Bread recipe as usual, but replaced half the flour with w/w pastry flour. Absolutely the best ever.

Friday: Grilled flank steak, potato-stuffed pasilla and bell peppers**, cherry tomato couscous***

Shabbat dinner with friends combined with major fridge cleaning in anticipation of vacation. I came across the two sides recipes this week, each made ample use of something that needs using from the CSA box. Both were outstanding, totally worth making again. R LOVED the peppers, MZ went for the couscous salad.

Saturday: Zuni Cafe for our anniversary

*Korean Braised Tofu

This recipe should be quite spicy, but since MZ isn't there yet, I changed the recipe quite a bit and we added gochujang at the table. So this is hardly Korean at all anymore, but it is very very tasty. It was great served over soba noodles, but I really would have loved it with short-grain white rice.

1 block firm tofu

2 T canola or grapeseed oil

2 T warm water

1 t white miso

2 T soy sauce

1 T mirin

2 garlic cloves, minced or run through a garlic press

4 green onions, sliced thin on the diagonal

1 T sesame seeds

Wipe the block of tofu dry and slice the tofu into 1/2" slices. Set the slices out on a jellyroll pan lined with paper towels while assembling the rest of the ingredients. Pat the tofu slices dry on top and sides.

Heat a 10-12" nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and when it is very hot but not yet smoking, add the tofu slices. Brown on each side ~5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the warm water and miso, whisk, then add the remaining sauce ingredients.

When the tofu is browned on both sides, pour the sauce over and around the slices, flip any pieces with a lot of garlic on top, cover and turn heat to medium. Cook for 3 minutes and serve. Garnish with additional green onions for a shot of color.

**Potato-Stuffed Pasilla Peppers

Adapted from a recipe on the Happy Quail Farms website, this recipe reminds me of the best street tacos we've ever had, served from a cart in Mexico City's main Zocalo. The tacos included grilled steak, peppers and onions with a smear of mashed potatoes, topped with cotija cheese. They were so addictive we went there on our last night instead of someplace fancy. So it was a natural to serve this with grilled flank steak. Serves 6

6 pasilla or green bell peppers
5 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup crumbled feta
salt and pepper
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350° and lightly spray a shallow baking pan that is big enough to hold peppers snugly together, holding each other upright (use balled up foil if they need propping). Slice the top (stem end) from each pepper and set aside. Keeping pepper shells intact, remove seeds and ribs. Arrange shells in prepared dish and bake while making the filling.

In a large skillet, over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil while chopping the flesh of the pepper tops, discarding stems. Add peppers to pan and sauté while peeling and slicing the potatoes. Add potatoes and 1/4 cup water, cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring half-way through, until potatoes soften.

Remove from heat and stir in mustard, cilantro, feta, salt, and pepper. Remove partially baked pepper shells from oven and fill with potato mixture. Return to oven and bake, uncovered, until filling is golden brown and peppers are tender, about 25 minutes.

***Cherry Tomato Couscous

The perfect foil for high summer produce, this recipe came together easily, was ridiculously tasty when freshly made, and overnighted well in the fridge for a delicious cold salad the next day. I made very few changes: I used whole wheat couscous; I added 1/4 t Dijon mustard to the citrus juice mixture in the bowl prior to whisking in the EVOO to emulsify the vinaigrette; and I added three thinly sliced scallions (which, incidentally, were extremely popular with the 4 yos at the table). Another winner from 101 Cookbooks!

Dinners Week of 07/26

This week's challenge: how to turn MZ into a chile head? I am craving good hot food, where the heat is cooked in rather than added at the end. But what would MZ eat? I know she could get used to chile if I made consecutively hotter dishes over a few intensive weeks, but I don't think she'd enjoy the ride. So I continue to dumb the recipes down, and hope that she develops an appreciating for the sensation of hot food on her own.

Sunday: Dinner at Friends' house

Monday: Grilled Lemongrass Beef Noodle Salad (Bun Bo)

Lemongrass-marinated grilled flank steak sliced over a layered salad of rice vermicelli, julienned zucchini, cucumber, shredded carrots, thinly sliced romaine lettuce, chopped mint, cilantro, Thai basil, green onions and crushed roasted peanuts. I marinated the meat, made the nuoc cham and prepped the veggies (all except the herbs) the night before. When I got home from work, I marinated the carrots and zucchini in the nuoc cham, boiled the noodles and chopped the herbs while R grilled the meat. MZ enjoyed hers deconstructed.

Tuesday: Grilled halibut, boiled new potatoes with butter, steamed broccoli

Wednesday: "Spicy" Grilled Chicken, "Spicy Eggplant with Tomatoes", Whole Wheat Chapati, Cucumber Raita

The chicken was from Madhur Jaffrey's Quick and Easy Indian Cooking, minus most of the cayenne. I made the marinade and put it in a zip lock with the chicken the night before. We received both eggplant and roma tomatoes in our farm box, so this quick recipe from 5 Spices, 50 Dishes was perfect. When I got home, I quickly cut up the eggplant and tomatoes. I added 1/2 t garam masala at the end to make up for the missing cayenne, thinking otherwise it might be bland. Definitely a make-again dish. The chapati, purchased from the frozen case at our local pan-Asian market, was an easy accompaniment. I made the raita from a diced cucumber and some yogurt and spices while the vegetables and chapati cooked. R and I added lime pickle for heat, MZ prefers the sweeter taste of tamarind chutney.

Thursday: Slow Cooker Tacos - FAIL

Wow, this estofado recipe did not work at all. When I started it in the morning, I thought it needed more liquid, but then thought more would be created as the pico de gallo salsa cooked down. R called me at 5 pm to suggest that it hadn't quite gone to plan, but was very polite and so I just thought it wasn't a lot of meat. It was shoe leather. Very salty shoe leather. We ate it in warm tortillas with a lot of sour cream and salsa.

Friday: Lemongrass Chicken, Asian Slaw and Judy D's fabulous Coconut Lime Rice

Angie's lemongrass marinade was outstanding! The chicken went really well with this new slaw recipe. I made brown Kalajiri rice in the rice cooker and stirred in a can of light coconut milk, some lime zest and the juice of one lime at the end. Also on the table: delicious heirloom tomatoes and good bread to start, grilled corn, teriyaki flank steak, edamame, and Mitchell's ice cream for dessert. A feast with good friends.

Saturday: Leftovers for MZ, NOPA for the adults

Asian Slaw

This recipe is based on the Ginger Pickled Red Cabbage Slaw in the China Moon Cookbook. I love this cookbook, but rarely have all her house-made pantry items on hand these days. To compensate for the lack of handmade pickled ginger, I added handfuls of fresh, tasty herbs and some carrots for contrast. This salad is gorgeous and tasty. It was great with grilled meats and hot rice, and would be good on a SE Asian-flavored burger.

2 T minced pickled ginger (sushi ginger)

1/4 cup ginger pickling liquid

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 T sugar

1.25 t kosher salt

1 lb red cabbage, cored and cut into fine strands

2 medium carrots, grated

3 green onions, finely sliced on the diagonal

2 T each chopped mint, cilantro ad Thai basil

1 T black sesame seeds

Combine the first five ingredients in a nonreactive, shallow bowl. Toss with the cabbage. Toss again in 15-20 minutes, cover and refrigerate for a day, tossing occasionally. The mixture will turn hot pink. Just before serving, add remaining ingredients, reserving some sesame seeds for garnish. Serve.

Dinners Week of 07/19

Robert away, but MZ and I ate well...

Sunday: Potato-Sorrel Soup and Heirloom Tomato Salad

A Greens recipe, completely violated by a bit of pancetta and low-sodium chicken broth. Potatoes from the farm box and sorrel from the garden!

Monday: Moki's with friends

Tuesday: Mission Beach Cafe for Barbecue Night! (MZ at g'parents)

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Chile con Carne with Salsa Cruda, red cabbage coleslaw and corn muffins

The basic chile recipe from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cookbook made with lean ground beef, cooked all day. Salsa from the tomatoes, cilantro and red onions from the CSA box. Mana made the cornbread, but next time I'll prep the wet and dry ingredients in the morning, the muffins bake in just 18 minutes.

Thursday: Teriyaki pork tenderloin, microwave-baked yams, stir-fried zucchini and Korean cucumber salad

Friday: Hula's in Monterey (definitely worth a return visit)

Saturday: Roasted cherry tomato and shredded chicken pasta

Leftover roast chicken, a dozen or so cherry tomatoes, sauteed scallions and garlic and some chicken broth worked well together. I topped mine with goat cheese, MZ opted for Parmigiano.

Summer Vegetables: Cucumber and Zucchini

We've been getting tons of cucumber, zucchini and red onions in our farm box lately. I love cucumber, but am less fond of zucchini. Both these recipes worked well enough to make again, MZ loved the zucchini. I prepped them the night before and served with microwave "baked" yams and pan-grilled teriyaki pork tenderloin.

Stir-fried Zucchini with Red Onion and Black Soy

3 large-ish zucchini cut in 1/4" half-moons

1/2 red onion, feather cut

1/4 t salt

1 clover garlic, thinly sliced

1/2 t minced ginger

1 T soy sauce

1 T chicken broth

1 t black soy

1/2 t sesame oil

Heat a wok to hot hot. Swirl in a scant 2 t canola oil, add onion, sprinkle with salt and stir and fry until the onion softens a bit. Add garlic and ginger, stir and fry 30 seconds and move mixture to upper edges of wok. Add zucchini, spread out across bottom of wok and allow to char around the edges. Stir and allow the other side to char. Add soy sauces and broth, stir and cook to desired doneness. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve.

"Korean" Cucumber Salad

This recipe is riffed from a salad from Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen by Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall. We need to work MZ up to the spice level she recommends... I used a combination of Persian, lemon and standard cucumbers because that's what I had on hand. I seeded the lemon and standard cucumbers with spoon before slicing. No seeding required for the Persian cucumber. Serves 4-6 as a side dish

3 lbs. cucumbers, peeled, halved and thinly sliced

1.5 T sea or kosher salt

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1 T vermouth

2 T sugar

2 T fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, pressed

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

1/2 red onion, feather cut

1 T sesame oil

1 T toasted sesame seeds

1 T slivered almonds

Place the sliced cucumbers in a strainer and sprinkle with the salt. Toss to cover. Let sit for 15 minutes. Meanwhile. combine ingredients through black pepper, whisking till sugar dissolves. Add red onion and toss to combine.

Wrap cucumbers in a dish towel and squeeze out liquid. Place in a bowl with dressing ingredients, stir to combine, drizzle with sesame oil and refrigerate one hour or overnight. Toss with sesame seeds and almond slivers and serve.