Saturday, July 21, 2012

Homemade Granola



Hmmmm....I thought.   What can I snack on other than potato chips (my first love)?  GRANOLA!  Here is the recipe that I used.  I modified the recipe to make it vegan friendly.  

Ingredients (Adapted from here)

  • 2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed
  • 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ flax seeds
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter Earth Balance Margarine
  • 2/3 cup honey agave
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates raisins
  • 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots raisins
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter (vegan margarine)  an 8 by 12-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the flax seeds.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
Place the margarine, agave, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the raisins and cranberries and stir well.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares. Serve at room temperature.



The granola turned out great (after 3 attempts).   They make great gifts too.  I made these for a few friends who were traveling to London.  Apparently, the granola was gone before they arrived:)



Friday, July 20, 2012

Caramelized Tofu and Snap Peas

Caramelized Tofu with Red Onions

A couple weeks ago, I was craving Dau Hu Kho (Braised tofu).  Pair it with snap peas and steamed rice, and you have yourself a satisfying Vietnamese meal.  Enjoy!

Sugar Snap Peas with Garlic

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Pukk Thai Restaurant

Tofu Coconut Soup
(Tofu, mushroom, scallion, cilantro, coconut milk)

The East Village neighborhood provides a lot of options for vegetarian/vegans.  Some of the restaurants in the area include Angelica Kitchen (see post here), Viva Herbal Pizzeria (see post), John's, Bad Burger (hit or miss...Separate veggie kitchen...they also have a location in Williamsburg...24/7 at both locations), Organic Grill, Quintessence, Caravan of Dreams (see post), and the list goes on.  Pukk is an all vegetarian (mostly vegan) Thai restaurant located between 4th and 5th st. on 1st avenue.  Don't miss out on their lunch specials. For $6.50, you can get a soup, appetizer, and an entree.  Unfortunately, I missed out....OOPS, but ordered from their regular menu.  Everything was great....the only complaint...the summer rolls.  I'm pretty sure they pre-make their rolls. I can tell because the texture of the rice paper is somewhat firm and chewy.   Not my idea of a "fresh" summer roll. Favorite dish would have to be the coconut soup.  If you haven't been to Pukk, stop in for lunch sometime or just order takeout.  They'll come in a matter of minutes!
Mini Smorgasbord

"Fresh" Summer Rolls
(Rice paper, carrots, tofu, lettuce, red peppers served with hoisin sauce)


Vegetarian Duck Basil
(Onion, bell peppers with chili basil sauce)

Vegetable Pad Thai (No Egg)
(Smoked tofu, radish, zucchini, carrots, bean sprouts, peanuts, and scallions)

Steamed Veggies
(Broccoli, cabbage, carrots, zucchini, spinach, bok choy)

The Spread


Pukk
Vegetarian Thai Cuisine
71 1st Avenue
New York, NY. 10003

212-253-2742
Website: http://www.pukknyc.com/

Monday, July 16, 2012

Angelica Kitchen

Had lunch at Angelica Kitchen in the East Village a couple days ago. Ordered the Kale chiffonade of kale with miso marinated tofu feta, diced sun-dried tomatoes & toasted walnuts; dressed with olive oil, lemon & garlic. Also ordered 1/2 an avocado and a 5-item pantry plate (baked-marinated tofu, walnut-lentil pate, hummus, curried cashew spread, and the nori maki of the day.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Union Square Greenmarket


Most Saturday mornings you can find me at the Union Square Greenmarket.  I usually go without a shopping list because I like to see what's new and in season.  Each week, I try to find something I've never had before to expand my cooking repertoire and palate.  This week I bought shishito peppers.  I'll probably saute the peppers with eggplant and Rocambole garlic from Keith's Farm.    Looking forward to cooking some tasty meals.  

Shishito peppers

Fairytale Eggplant

Need another idea? See this recipe for grilled eggplant.


Blueberries and plums

Mushrooms and garlic

Cauliflower, zucchini, and cucumbers

Tomatoes and greens

Sweet Bell Peppers