Davey's Macaroni

About a month ago I tried a relatively new restaurant in Oakland called Home Room.  This hip place features a menu of many macaroni and cheeses with ad ins that make the combinations nearly endless!  To my enjoyment they even have a vegan option!  The service is wonderful the ambiance is just to die for and the food is decent.  The brussel sprout appetizer was by far my favorite, but the fresh green salad had a simplicity that was refreshing without being boring.  The mac and cheese was unfortunately not that great.  It was good, with a  soft cheesy flavor but the sauce was watery and the extra cost for mushrooms was way too much for the quality. Unfortunately the sauce was too thin and I am used to a more bold flavor for my not-cheese sauces.  Still I would recommend it for an quick bit in Oakland.

Homeroom mac 'n cheese with peas and muchrooms

At this point I have to admit that I am biased against most mac 'n cheeses because I have had what is arguably the best mac 'n cheese.  It was introduced to me by my friend Davey.  Brussel sprouts still being too expensive I made a side of collard greens and a kale salad.  

Lets get down to it and turn this:

into this!

Mac ' Yeast

What I love about this recipe is how surprisingly simple it is to make with amazing flavor! This is one of those dishes that really proves anything can be transformed by a good sauce.  As the name may suggest the basis of this 'cheese' sauce is nutritional yeast.  In a blender place:




1 C soy milk
1 C water
1/3 C Soy sauce
1/2 C firm tofu
1 1/2 C nutritional yeast
1 Tbs paprika
1 Tbs powdered garlic
1 Tbs salt (or powdered vegetable bouillon)
1/2 C safflower oil (or your oil of preference)

This all get blended together until it is smooth and creamy.  As with most sauces the importance is the balance between fat and flavor (where flavor is usually water based).  The tofu in this acts as a great source of protein and more importantly as an emulsifier to keep the water and oil mixed.  The proportions above are good for about 1 lb of pasta and you can adjust the thickness of the sauce by adding more or less water (though I tend to go for a thicker sauce).  This sauce is going to be baked so don't make it to thick or you will burn! 

I used 2 lbs of pasta and doubled the above proportions with one bag of frozen peas (aprox. 12 oz).  It is ok to under cook the pasta a little, even preferred, because we are going to bake this whole mess at 350 F for 15-25 minutes.  if you made your sauce to thin you can bake it longer to thicken it up but really this step is for mixing the flavors and giving a nice crust to the top layer of macaroni. 

before oven                                  .  

after oven                                         .

The extra sprinkle of paprika and nutritional yeast is just for effect and hardly effects the flavor.  

Kale Salad

I did some pretty simple side dishes with steamed broccoli and a kale salad. This kale salad was a mix of karinata kale and red Russian kale with shreds of carrots and golden beats.  The dressing was an orange ginger vinaigrette and the sesame seeds were added in excess (just the way I like it).  I have done kale salad a few times so feel free to look at old recipes.  Again the secret is in the sauce, balancing acid with fat and flavor.  Sometimes Kale makes this extra tricky because you want the acid to sit on the kale for 20- 30 minutes before you add the fat and flavor.

Steamed Broccoli

The broccoli was simply cut up and steamed but the secret to delicious broccoli is getting ti fresh as possible.  the less time ti sits off the plant the sweeter it will be.  If you can get a young broccoli and get ti picked fresh that day you probably dont need to steam it and could serve it raw with a  spicy or savory dipping sauce where the natural sweetness of the broccoli balances out the flavors.  I know you probably dont think of broccoli as being sweet but man it can be surprising! 

Collard Greens

If you are trying to eat local and winter comes rolling round you best make friends with collard greens.  The nice thing is that they are such a common treat for some sub cultures in the USA that figuring out how to cook them is not that hard.  As you might suspect it is high heat with a  good oil and some onions and garlic for the yum factor.  Collards come in big broad leaves (we are talking a foot wide) that are easy to wash and prepare.  Just cut out the stem (save them) and then slice the leaves into manageable strips.  make sure you use 'too many' leaves as this is much like spinach and other dark greens you cook, they loose a lot of volume when you apply heat.  It is common to blanch the leaves before cooking (dip them into boiling water fr a minute) as this cuts down on the bitterness and makes a more manageable volume.  I prefer to use an acidic cooking stock to cut down the bitterness, typically lemon juice.  By avoiding the water you get to hit the leaves with full heat of the skillet and it gives them a nice sauteed flavor that I always have trouble getting if I blanch first.  

Eat it up!

Comfort in Quinoa

I didnt intend this blog to keep track of my mood but it turns out it does without my intention.   When life gets crazy I tend not to post.  Only when my mind settles again do I think 'ok food yeah i should talk about food'.  The moral is if I dont post for 2-3 weeks I am either out of town or my life is going nuts!

only thing to do when life gets nuts?  eat quinoa!  This is one of those modern day 'super foods ( a term I really dont like) because it is a plant based complete protein, yeah they exist.  NASA started using it on flights because of the way it balances fiber and protein without fat or cholesterol (though I like fat).  It is also my go to grain when I need something to eat and my mind is blank.  The great thign about quinoa is it cooks just like rice in a quarter of the time!  1 cup Quinoa 1 1/2 C broth (though just water is fine too) bring ti to a boil then let it simmer for 15-20 min.  The quinoa in this lunch was slightly toasted before I cooked it and had sauteed onions and garlic added.  I balanced the meal with a broccoli carrot teriyaki and boy did the sweet/savory hit the spot!   

What I missed while in Vietnam

I have been gone for nearly a month spending time in a country I never imagines I would be in, Vietnam!  I went to teach for tow weeks and while everyone told em I couldnt be vegan there I found it to be quite easy.   As the title suggests this post is not about my food experience in that beautiful country, it is what I missed!

the first thing I ate when i got back, Re-fried beans and potatoes!  I think the only beans I ate while I was in Vietnam was tofu, boy they eat a lot of tofu!  but me I am happy to come home and have fried potatoes over re-fried beans with salsa fresca to top it off! I already had the beans so this only took me 15 minutes to make and it was like heaven!

More than beans I missed cooking!  oh man all my vietnam food is a restaurant/vegan living review (coming soon) but all I want is to cook!

Two Weeks in the Appalachia Hills of NC

So I really do mean to do this on a more regular basis but life does not always slow down enough for me to show off my meals the way I want to.  So after two weeks of INCREDIBLE meals all you get is a quick report on the foods and only the scantest of clues on how to make it.  If I were not leaving tomorrow for another trip I would honestly try to be more detailed in my meal preparation and thought process.  

Two Weeks of Tasty Food

Kale Salad

Kale salad with an avocado lemon vinaigrette with fresh corn, grated beets and carrots.  The body is hefted up with a bit of shredded cabbage and topped with crushed walnuts and a few more slices of avocado

Buffalo Fries

It seemed abnormal to go to the south without having buffalo wings but the next best thing is buffalo fires with home made 'wing' sauce.  I used a lot of extra pepper and pinch of salt and so much garlic that I ahrdly tasted the spicy delicious wing sauce

 Buckwheat Pancakes
I was visiting a wheat free friend but that did not deter us from pancakes with maple syrup.  The amazing thing about the east coast is blueberries grow wild!  the bananas are still imported but a morning walk to harvest blueberries made these things so much more worth it!

Shredded salad and mushroom risotto 

One of the many amazing dinners consisted of carrot/beet/cabbage salad with almonds, raisins and, sesame seeds.  The salad was dressed in balsamic vinegar and olive oil.  The risotto was rich and delicious and could have used more mushrooms but was a nice compliment to the salad.

Indian Dinner
One lovely night we threw a dinner party with Red Dhal soup, turmeric rice (didnt have any saffron so did our best), pumpkin curry and a green salad.

more salad

massaged kale with romaine lettuce.  The tomatoes and peppers came from the small garden on site and the diced almonds came with me from Cali!

 Simple Dinner
Steamed carrots and purple cabbage topped with sauteed potatoes and bell peppers.

Hash brown Breakfast
shred potatoes, shred yams, garlic and onions!  I am always a fan of hash browns but for some reason these were extra good.  Top potatoes with avocado and Chihuly hot sauce and you are always on the right track.

potato stew

I was not thrilled with my first go at buckwheat biscuits but they added a nice body to the stew as they melted in.  The stew was a slow roast with potato carrot cabbage in a tomato base with a lot of garlic and some onion.  

Mexican Dinner
Turns out North Carolina does not offer a lot of Mexican food.  This was the last night as a going away treat to remind my friend what is waiting for her in California.  Salsa fresca Mexican spiced black beans with a side of Spanish rice. Fresh corn and guacamole to make tacos with corn tortillas was like heaven!

Salad once more

On the night I met Debra Frasier, Liz and I shared kale salads.  Shredded carrots, shredded beats, tomatoes from the garden, fresh corn, bell peppers and a lemon vinaigrette.  I ate it and wanted more and more and more!  I dont thing there is anything I like as much as a well made salad!  

I have no idea what I am going to eat for the next two weeks but once I am back we will all know! 

Eat Lunch!

I am still not tired of okra!  Todays version?  This is garlic brazed okra in coconut oil with rosemary.  I served it over re-fried beans with a helping of sliced cherry tomatoes.  I ate it with tortilla chips but ti would have been fine with rice or quinoa or any other grain.

a not on cooking okra:  most people don't like it because of the slimy texture it has when cooked improperly.  The trick is to fry it alone in oil, the thick gooey part which most people find unpleasant is a water soluble  compound that is not 'activated' in oil.  Meaning if your fry the okra in a really hot pan with oil you make something delicious! 

Boxed Lunch

Between TA second summer session, taking photos for as many events as I can, some recurring emotional turmoil, recovering from my sprained ankle, an internship and trying to find a stable job I am going to be boxing up my lunch more often.  Unfortunately for me that means having to think a lot harder about what I make, not only do I need to think tasty but I also need to think about what travels well, stores for 3-5 hours and is tasty edible at close to room temperature.  That makes a quick Mexican meal an easy choice.  

I made re-fried beans with sauteed onion garlic, jalapeno and corn and a hearty amount of salt and oil (key to making it creamy smooth and yummmmm).  The tortillas are home made from white masa flour with garlic added in.  In place of Spanish rice I had a large couscous salad made with grilled summer squash and okra.  To top it off salsa fresca smothers the re-fried beans to increase the vegetable content.  

Honestly it is better hot with tortillas fresh off the grill but a life on the go has particular demands.  Keep watching for more quick meals (though I am likely to be eating a lot of left overs from dinner for lunch)

A Dinner for Fun!

If you are eating seasonally sometimes it is hard to keep the meals interesting. I have to admit that for the last three weeks I have eaten some version of tomato/eggplant/okra for lunch and part of the reason I have not gotten tired of it is because I keep playing with flavors on top of the base.  

The meal featured here starts with a savory quinoa where I pre-toasted the quinoa (simmered it in oil until it popped a bit, giving it a more nutty taste)cooked it in vegetable broth and added sungold tomatoes for the last 3-5 minutes of cooking so they stayed firm.  

We have too much cucumber coming out of our garden and I am kind of sick of it but there are still ways to make it seem new.  These are thick cucumber slices tossed in a sauce of lemon juice agave and mint (about a teaspoon or two of each) then chilled while the rest is cooked.  It comes out sweet with a cool zing that is very refreshing.  

Usually I make this succotash type meal i use balsamic vinegar and try to accent the summer flavors.  In an effort to do something new I sauteed in coconut oil and added shredded coconut.  In place of the balsamic I went with rice vinegar and added in powdered ginger to go for a more Asian flavor.  First brown together the onions, bell pepper and okra then toss in thinly sliced Japanese eggplant (thin makes it cook faster).  Chopped tomatoes go in last with an extra dash of olive oil (1 Tbs), minced basil and garlic and get put on lower heat until it becomes saucy and delicious.