rad dog meatless gourmet hotdogs

i love street food. and i love hot dogs. so when i heard about a new vegetarian hot dog vendor in town, i had to check it out.
rad dog veggie hot dogs doesn't disappoint, i think this is as good as vegetarian hot dogs get. a friend and i ate our dogs on a high street bench and thoroughly enjoyed the change of pace in the old lunch routine.
rad dog offers kraut, chili or peppers & onions for toppings in addition to the standard ketchup, mustard and relish. they also offer blue sky soda (made with real sugar!) and delicious vegan cookies from pattycake bakery. yummy, cheap, healthy and fun! rad dog moves around town, so check out his website to see where you can catch him.

the hulk

when i want something yummy, easy, good for you, and satisfying, this dish really fits the bill. i usually make "the hulk" pasta on sunday evening and parse it out for lunches that week. i call it "the hulk" for two reasons: as a tribute to a bonotogo pizza called the "hulk" that is topped with green toppings and because this is a really nutritionally dense dish that will make you as strong as the hulk.

the hulk pasta

1 lb whole wheat pasta (or barilla plus, which i prefer)
1/2 lb frozen edemame
1/2 lb frozen broccoli
1/2 cup prepared pesto (i like trader joe's)
pecorino romano

cook pasta, with 4ish minutes left, add broccoli and edemame to pot. drain and return to pot. add pesto. top with pecorino romano when serving.

i heart sauce cartel

sauce cartel is a fantastic local purveyor of hot sauce. i've gushed about them in the past and here's a review of two of their best sauces:

green wave
this is a great sauce. it is so enjoyable i’d suggest that sauce cartel start selling it in at least 10 oz jars. the peppery notes are the first thing you’ll notice upon smelling green wave, they hit the pepper just right in this sauce with both jalapeno and black pepper prominently featured. the second thing that I noticed about green wave was the slightly sweet taste of pineapple. the lighter citrus flavors of pineapple are the perfect foil to the darker, more complex pepper of the jalapeno. for those who don’t want to hurt themselves when eating hot sauce, this is great. you get a nice middle-of-the-tongue heat that just builds slightly the more you eat. as tempting as it is to eat directly from the bottle, i really wanted to use it in a way that highlighted the excellent flavors. using the green wave, i came up with this recipe for fresh pineapple salsa:

pineapple jalapeno salsa

2 cups diced fresh pineapple

1/3 cup diced red onion

¼ cup diced jalapeno

¼ cup chopped cilantro

juice of 1 lime

2 tbs green wave sauce

locura mayan
locura mayan really highlights sauce cartel’s flair for flavor. these guys aren’t afraid to make a really mild sauce, the complex flavors stand on their own, with no need to hide behind a million scoville units. this sauce has a savory, smoky aroma, but that’s just where locura mayan begins. the balance between the smoky and sweet is what really stands out about this sauce. in the background there’s the magical complexity of sun dried tomato and the slight bite of vinegar. my husband commented he’d love to pour it on a chipotle burrito. hey sauce cartel – want to wholesale to chipotle?

veggie soup

i've been craving veggie soup and came up with this hearty version this weekend:

veggie soup

2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion
2 stalks celery
2 handfuls of baby carrots
18 cups vegetable stock
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 package frozen spinach
1 lb shelled edamame
1 tbs basil
1 tbs oregano
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 package harvest grains blend from trader joe's

dice onion, carrots and celery and saute in olive oil until softened in large stock pot. add all remaining ingredients except harvest grains and simmer for 40 minutes. add harvest grains and simmer for at least 20 more minutes.

i really like the edamame in this soup. they retain their texture and add a great boost of nutrients. the harvest grains from trader joe's consist of israeli couscous, yellow lentils, orzo and quinoa. any other healthy grain, like barley for example, would do for substitution.

dates with manchego and walnuts

here's an elegant little appetizer that can be made a day in advance and tastes better together than three simple ingredients should. the dates are sweet, the manchego has a bit of a bite and the walnuts add a nice clean and crunchy element. and let's face it, if you're trying to pull off a nice dinner for guests, you don't really have time to be fussing around finishing off appetizers and finishing dinner and entertaining your guests and being the consummate hostess. if you do assemble them the night before, be sure to allow them to fully come up to room temperature before serving.
what you'll need: pitted dates (sliced open), whole walnut halves (cut in half) and a smallish hunk of manchego cheese. put those babies together and enjoy!

pecan pie bars

this recipe comes from my neighbor back home, who is an excellent baker. it's fairly easy to put together and is rich, gooey and nutty. the recipe calls for brickle chips, which can be hard to find. i found mine at meijer after striking out at kroger. heath brand makes both toffee bits and chocolate toffee bits. i've never tried the chocolate ones, but i can't imagine it would be bad.

i like to use a little trick with tin foil to make cutting easier. before baking, line the pan with tin foil, using a long piece of foil running the long way in the pan. make sure the foil comes up to and covers the short sides of the pan. now take a second piece of foil and lay it across the pan the other way, so that the long sides of the pan are covered in foil. when the pecan bars are completely cool, lift them out of the pan with the foil. this helps to avoid making a mess with cutting and then scooping the fragile bars out of the pan. the same trick works really well with brownies.

pecan pie bars

2 c flour
1/2 c confectioners sugar
1 c cold butter

14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 8 oz. package of brickle chips
1 c chopped pecansA

cut butter into flour until course, press firmly into 9" x 13" pan. bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

beat egg, milk, vanilla, and then stir in pecans and brickle chips. spread over crust. bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. cool completely and cut into 1 inch squares.

black bean stew over coconut lime rice

i'm really struggling to be inspired to cook winter food. flipping through magazines and cookbooks, the only recipes that are jumping out at me are ones involving fresh sweet corn, strawberries and summer tomatoes. digging deep, i came up with this recipe tonight:

black bean stew over coconut lime rice

for the black bean stew:
2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
large handful of yellow baby carrots
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cans black beans (30 oz total)
half a pound of frozen corn
large can of stewed tomatoes

sweat the onion, carrots and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat in a stock pot until onion is soft. add seasonings and cook for a few minutes more. enjoy lovely aroma of onions and cumin. add stock, corn and one can of rinsed black beans. bring to a simmer. in a mixing bowl with a stick blender (or in a food processor) puree the tomatoes and second can of rinsed black beans. add tomato mixture to pot and simmer on low about 20 minutes.

for the coconut lime rice:
1 1/2 c basmati rice
14 oz can of lite coconut milk
1 1/4 c water
1 tbs sugar
juice of one lime
2 tsp salt
1/8 c chopped cilantro

incorporate all ingredients except cilantro in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. reduce heat and simmer until all liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes. fluff rice with a fork and mix in cilantro.

this is really a stick-to-your-ribs meal. and it's fairly balanced nutritionally speaking, which is important post holidays. the slight sweetness of the rice is a nice balance to the acid and heat in the stew. if you wanted to go light on the carbs, skip the rice all together and add 4 cups of veggie stock to convert the stew into a soup.

*update: having this left over, i served the stew over plain white rice with a dollop of sour cream. it was better than the coconut rice!

cajun cashews

this recipe was given to me by a colleague's wife and i quickly adopted it as my holiday gift to family and friends. this year i made 20 pounds! these are easy to put together, the recipe can be adjusted to your heat preference and they are highly addictive. you'll need raw cashews. they can be found at trader joe's (best value), whole foods (organic) or krema nuts (big, beautiful and expensive).

cajun cashews

2 tbs butter
2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs tabasco or other hot sauce
1 tbs cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp salt
4 cups raw cashews

preheat oven to 350 degrees. incorporate all ingredients except cashews in a saucepan on medium heat. when butter is melted and mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat and pour in cashews. stir until cashews are completely coated. pour cashews onto a foil lined jelly roll pan and bake for about 12 minutes or until nuts begin to turn golden brown. let cool for 5 minutes on pan and then scrape into mixing bowl and toss.

this year i used frank's red hot sauce but if you wanted more heat you could use something from cajohn's. you can also use more or less cayenne pepper to adjust the heat level. they taste great with my favorite beer.

cocktail sauce, with a side of shrimp

having a craving for shrimp cocktail got me to thinking, why buy nice shrimp and then serve it with crummy jarred cocktail sauce? so i mixed up a batch of my own. i like the extra heat of a lot of horseradish and the lime goes above and beyond the average lemon in standard recipes.

cocktail sauce

1 cup chili sauce
juice of 1 lime
3 tbs horseradish
1 tbs finely chopped cilantro

mix ingredients and refrigerate. serve with shrimp. congratulate yourself on not succumbing to the lure of jarred cocktail sauce.

carrot cake pancakes

after eating these beauties in boston, i just couldn't get the idea of carrot cake pancakes out of my head. today i gave it a shot and i think they came out pretty well. the next time i make these i think i'd sweeten the cream cheese a bit more.

carrot cake pancakes

pancakes:
2 eggs
1 c milk
2 tbs olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c brown sugar
2 c flour
2 tbs baking powder
1 tbs baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 c shredded carrots

maple cream cheese:
1/2 block cream cheese
1 tbs maple syrup
2 tbs chopped pecans

garnish:
chopped pecans

beat eggs, milk,vanilla extract and oil together. in a separate larger mixing bowl combine sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. mix in egg mixture. mix in shredded carrots (i used orange and yellow carrots). allow mixture to sit for 15 minutes. cook on a griddle at medium heat. cook slowly to allow the pancakes time to puff up and carrots time to cook. combine cream cheese, maple syrup and pecans. top pancakes with maple cream cheese, garnish with chopped pecans.

creamy potato yam soup

a rich and hearty potato soup is the perfect warm up after raking those leaves you've been putting off for the last couple of weeks. i often make this on a sunday night and take it for lunch all week. and as far as creamy soups go, it's pretty light. no heavy cream or inordinate amounts of butter. unless you want it that way.

creamy potato yam soup

1 medium onion, diced
2 tbs butter
2 medium potatoes
3 medium yams
4 -5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/8 c chopped parsley
1/2 tsp ground thyme
1/2 tsp celery salt
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 c milk
1 tbs flour

in stockpot, cook onions and butter until soft. peel potatoes and yams, then cube. add potatoes, yams, stock (less for thicker soup, more for thinner) and seasonings to stockpot. simmer for 30 minutes, or until potatoes and yams are tender. remove from heat. mix flour into milk and add to soup. with a stick blender, puree. i like to leave some chunks of potato & yam. bring to a simmer until thickened.

you can't go wrong with goat cheese and caramelized onions

here's an appetizer so easy and tasty, you just can't go wrong. it combines the irresistible flavor combination of caramelized onions and goat cheese on a crispy, puffy little pillow of puff pastry. they can easily be made ahead and finished off in the oven for that "i make entertaining look soooo easy" start to any party.

goat cheese & caramelized onion appetizers

1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
1 large onion
2 tbs butter
1/4 c goat cheese

equipment: mini muffin pan

preheat oven to 400 degrees. slice onion and place in saute pan with butter. cook at medium heat for about 40 minutes until nicely caramelized. cut sheet of puff pastry into 24 squares (approximately 2" x 2") and push into mini muffin tins. bake for 9 minutes. add small piece of goat cheese (about 1/2 tbs) to each puff and top with an equal amount of caramelized onions. at this point you can either put it in the fridge overnight of just pop it back into the oven for 5-10 more minutes. or if they're coming from the fridge, probably 15 minutes would be best. they are done when the edges of the puff pastry just starts to turn golden brown.

my favorite fall foods

visiting my parents in western ny brought two of my favorite fall foods: pumpkin seeds and concord grapes.
we have concord grapes here in ohio but they are a weaker imitation of western ny's concords. they have a rich, deep complex flavor and i love the pop of sweet juice in my mouth. here's the quart i picked up:

my other favorite is pumpkin seeds. there are many schools of thought on the best way to roast seeds, but here's my favorite method:

scoop the guts out of your pumpkins and carve them:
pick the seeds out of the guts
and rinse. drain, removing as much water as possible.
spread on parchment lined jelly roll pan and add equal parts of celery salt and table salt to taste. roast at 275 degrees until totally dry and just starting to brown:

raspberry lemon creams

raspberry lemon creams

for phyllo cups:
1 lb package of phyllo dough
2/3 cups sugar
2 sticks butter

for lemon curd:
(from epicurious)
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
3/4 stick butter, cut into bits

for cream:
2 cups chilled whipping cream
3 tsp powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

for garnish:
1 pint raspberries
lemon zest

equipment:
mini muffin tins
pastry bag
cooling rack
zester

prepare lemon curd using the following method: whisk together juice, zest, sugar & eggs in a heavy saucepan. stir in butter and cook over moderately low heat, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold marks of a whisk and first bubble appears in surface, about 8 minutes. transfer to a bowl and chill for at least one hour.

prepare phyllo cups using following method: melt butter. layer 6 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing with butter and sprinkling with sugar between layers. cut into squares big enough to lay in mini muffin tin cups. bake cups at 375 degrees until golden, about 10 minutes. cool on baking racks.

for filling: beat cream ingredients together until stiff peaks form. fold in lemon curd and beat briefly.

assembly: put filling into pastry bag and pipe into phyllo cups. garnish with raspberries and lemon zest. refrigerate until serving, but not longer than 6 hours.

makes about 48 pastries

after my tart issues, i needed to redeem my baking abilities. i have to say this recipe was a lot of work but really worth it. they make a pretty presentation and they taste excellent. i am glad i made my own lemon curd, it's easy and it tastes great. i am not glad i made the phyllo cups. they were a pain to make and i've heard a rumor you can buy them pre-made. i'd go for this next time.

strawberry tart

i made this strawberry tart from an everyday food recipe found here. i added about 1/8 c ground almonds to the dough. it turned out fine, but there were two aspects that were less than perfect:

1. fresh out of the fridge, the dough was too tough. you had to exert a fair amount of force with a fork to break off a bite. after the tart came up to room temp an hour or two later, the dough had a nice shortbread-y consistency and was easy to eat. however, by this time the cream cheese had really gotten runny. i can't figure out if this is a function of the dough recipe or temperature. i don't know enough about pastry to figure it out and that frustrates me. mix it less in the food processor? don't add almonds? serve at just below room temperature? grrr.

2. also, the glaze wasn't as smooth as i wanted. despite spending about 20 minutes in whole foods examining every jelly they had by holding it up to the light to see if it looked clear enough, i still had trouble with it. this happened with the orange, honey & pistachio tart too and i used orange marmalade. it seems like the jelly gets up to a certain temperature, boils a little and then doesn't fully liquefy. i'm trying not to burn it and i both times i heated for over 20 minutes. next time maybe i should use a whisk and heat even longer?

lack of patience and an unwillingness to follow a recipe to the letter are just a few examples of why baking is not my calling. this being said, i do love to consume baked goods, so i guess i'll soldier on and hope to improve along the way.

on a positive note, the taste of the tart was really delicious and was a great way to highlight strawberries that are finally in season!

grilled pineapple

this is so tasty, it should be much more difficult to make.

i bought my pineapple already peeled and cored. all you have to do is slice it, sprinkle brown sugar on the slices, pour a little rum over it and let it marinate for a bit. then grill it on medium heat for 15 or so minutes, occasionally spooning the leftover brown sugar & rum until it's done. i had these with a meal of bison burgers and grilled vidalia onion slices.
so fresh and juicy and sweet. the perfect summer side dish.

grilled asparagus and strawberries with balsamic reduction

two summer foods that rule: asparagus and strawberries.

grilled asparagus and strawberries with balsamic reduction

1 bunch asparagus
1 lb strawberries
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
olive oil
kosher salt
fresh cracked peppper
3 tbs crumbled feta

place balsamic in a small saucepan and turn heat to medium low. allow to reduce by half or more until it coats the back of a spoon.
trim asparagus and hull and half strawberries.
toss asparagus in olive oil, pepper & kosher salt.
grill asparagus over medium heat. toss with strawberries. sprinkle feta over and drizzle with balsamic reduction.

i love the way these flavors go together. something very magical and heavenly happens when ripe strawberries, balsamic and feta get together. it is important to patiently cook the asparagus at medium. cook them too fast over high and you'll get char-y asparagus on the outside with centers that are still too raw.
tonight i served this with some grilled baguette, first drizzled with olive oil, grilled, then generously salted with kosher salt.

southwestern black bean dip

i have to say that upon reading this recipe through the first time i wasn't so sure how it would turn out. however, it was really easy to put together and the flavors in this dip really pop. it tastes fresh, not refried beany. one of the best black bean dips i've had. i served the black bean dip with trader joe's tri-color flax seed tortilla chips.

southwestern black bean dip
(from epicurious)

2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large bell pepper (i used orange)
1/2 medium onion. chopped
1 tsp olive oil
two 15 oz cans of black beans, rinsed & drained
3 tbs fresh lime juice
1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
fresh ground pepper
2 tbs water

sautee garlic, pepper & onion in oil until onion is translucent. in a food processor, blend beans, lime juice, cilantro, spices & water until smooth. add onion mixture & puree until smooth. chill dip, covered, at least 3 hours and up to one day.

roasted beet salad with fresh dill

i really love beets. and i'm ashamed to say this is the first time i've roasted them myself. i used to think "they're just so easy and tasty out of a can, why go to all the trouble?" today i am converted. fresh roasted beets are really so much better than their bland canned relatives, there's no reason to ever look back.

fresh beets have to be one of the most beautiful raw vegetable (and by vegetable, i mean root). i was literally transfixed while scrubbing them over the sink. check it out:

roasted beet salad with fresh dill

salad:
6 medium beets (i used 3 golden & 3 red)
1/4 cup dill, roughly chopped
1/3 cup red onion, thinly slivered

vinaigrette:
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs muscat wine vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp sugar

roast beets using the following method: trim roots and stems away from beets. scrub clean. wrap in tin foil and roast for about 1 hour in 415 degree oven. let cool. using paper towel, gently slip off skins.
slice beets and combine with slivered onions and dill. whisk together vinaigrette. pour over beet salad and toss. cover and refrigerate over night.

greek panini

here's another olive bar special. warm feta, mmm...

if you've got a panini press, put it to work. if not, put the panini in a non-stick pan, place flat metal turner on top of the sandwich and then place a soup can on top of the turner to weight it down.

greek panini

2 slices italian bread
olive oil spread (or butter)
artichoke heart
roasted tomatoes
feta
cippolini onions
zucchini, sliced with a vegetable peeler and marinated in greek vinaigrette
quindilla peppers
peppadews
sliced greek olives

slice ingredients and assemble panini. grill until golden brown.

clockwise: artichoke heart, roasted tomatoes, feta, cippolini onions, zucchini, quindilla peppers, peppadews, sliced greek olives (center)