What I Made: June 18, 2012

You know what today is?  It's VEGAN DAY!  All dishes came from "Vegan Diner" by Julie Hasson.  I'm about at the end of what I want to make in this book, so if anyone has any suggestions for a vegan cookbook, please let me know.  I want recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Back to the cooking...

I was supposed to make breakfast, but didn't get up early enough to do so.  Not feeling quite myself this week.  No matter, this dish is called Blueberry Loaf Cake and worked well for a late afternoon snack and dessert.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Blueberry Loaf Cake

What I Made: June 11, 2012

After recuperating over the weekend, I got right back on track with my Meatless Monday.  Not just Meatless, but Vegan too.  I'm still making my way through Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson.

I do have a complaint about the book... not enough pictures.  I know that sounds silly, but when you're making your own protein/meat, it would be really helpful to know what the end result is supposed to look like.

Good recipes though.  Anyway...

I've already tried my hand at making meatless-meat and it tasted really good.  Today, I was going to make some homemade Rough Rider Barbecue Sauce and make Barbecue Ribz.

How did they turn out?

© You Want Me to Cook?
Barbecue Ribz with Rough Rider Barbecue Sauce

They look good, right?  

Curry-Tomato Sauce with Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Chickpeas

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – August 24, 2011

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Recipe originally published in Every Day with Rachael Ray – May 2011.

It had been a while since I had made (and eaten) a vegetarian meal and I had been staring at this recipe for a long time.  I’m not sure why I was hesitant to make it.  It had many of my favorite things (curry, pasta, tomatoes) and had some healthy elements (whole wheat pasta, chickpeas, vegetarian).  Still, I never seemed to have a taste for it.  In fact, I bought all the groceries and didn’t make it for almost three weeks.

Finally, I sucked it up one night and made it.  Ringing endorsement, right?

© You Want Me to Cook?
Curry-Tomato Sauce with Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Chickpeas

Sure, it looks like a pasta you’d want to eat, but it wasn’t as chunky as the one pictured with the recipe.  I also didn’t realize what a difference the parsley made in presentation… not that I wasn’t going to eat it.  Their dish looks prettier, that’s all.

Saucy Portobello Pitas

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – April 14, 2011

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Recipe originally published in Taste of Home – April/May 2011.

There’s nothing I love more than a greasy gyro.  When I lived downtown (Chicago that is), I would walk past this beef joint on my way to and from the EL that had the most delicious gyros ever.  I would have them at least a couple of times a week.  (Don’t judge)  Of course, they aren’t the most healthy things to eat and the older I’ve gotten, the less they agree with me.

I found this recipe and my eyes lit up with excitement.  It was combining my love of mushrooms, gyros and eating healthier in a single dish.  It even included a recipe for Tzatziki sauce.  I couldn’t wait to try it.

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Saucy Portobello Pitas

The mushrooms look divine and the “fixins” look scrumptious, but the pita looks kind of weak and thin.  For me, it destroys the look of the dish, but it did smell fantastic.

Walnut-Breadcrumb Pasta with a Soft Egg and Chive & Cheese Breadsticks

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? – March 14, 2011

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Walnut-Breadcrumb Pasta with a Soft Egg recipe originally published by Cooking Light – January/February 2011

Chive and Cheese Breadsticks recipe originally published by Simple and Delicious – December/January 2011

I’m writing this post angry today.  I decided to make myself an omelet for breakfast this morning and it sucked.  It made me cranky.

Then I got a headache that will not disappear.  This made me surly.

Now I’m watching the Bears game and it isn’t making it any better.

Okay, focus… I’m going to focus… I promise I won’t be a Debbie Downer and I’ll just get to the recipes.

I love pasta and I enjoy finding recipes that don’t involve the traditional pasta sauce.  I remember the first time I took a chance on pesto and fell in love, so when I saw the recipe for the Walnut-Breadcrumb Pasta in Cooking Light, I was ready to take a chance.  Also, I was intrigued by the soft boiled egg.  I’ve got the technique for hard boiled down and this presents a new challenge.

I decided that I wanted to have savory bread with this dish.  Regular bread and butter just didn’t seem like they would cut it.  Luckily I didn’t have to look too hard – the recipe for the Chive and Cheese Breadsticks was in the next magazine that I read.  My meal was complete.

© You Want Me to Cook?
Walnut-Breadcrumb Pasta with a Soft Egg
and Chive & Cheese Breadsticks

My pasta looks okay.  I’m a little disappointed in the pasta color though.  I used regular pasta in this case, so it shouldn’t be as brown as it is.  The goat cheese on top looks messy… like it doesn’t belong there.

As for the breadstick, this was one of the prettiest ones in the bunch.  Nicely browned and it held the twist.  However, if I’m being honest, I have to admit that not all of them looked like this.  In fact, not many of them looked like this.

Corn, Black Bean and Pepper Jack Burritos

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook - March 1, 2011

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Recipe originally published in All You, February 2011.

My husband LOVES Chipotle.  Seriously, it’s one of the only foods that he’ll drive for 30 minutes, one way, in rush hour traffic to get.  In fact, if he had to use ChipotlAway, he’d probably still eat it.  By the way, if you don’t like South Park or gross humor, just skip this video.

Also, I’m looking for more vegetarian meals to make.  Don’t get me wrong, I love meat, but I’m not a blind omnivore that thinks there’s nothing wrong with eating my weight in steak every year.  Vegetables are good for you, and frankly, I need more of them in my diet.  If I can make a filling meal out of veggies, I’m there.

Flipping through my All You, I stumble upon a recipe for Corn, Black Bean & Pepper Jack Burritos.  Could it be?  I read through the ingredient list.  Yes, it is.  This is going to be as close to Chipotle as I’ve ever gotten.

My finished meal:

© You Want Me to Cook?
Corn, Black Bean & Pepper Jack Burritos

It looks very close to the recipe… and Chipotle.  Well my husband's version of Chipotle - I like rice in my burrito.  My burrito does look thicker and appears to have more cheese than that of the published recipe.  I’m okay with that.

Porcini Mushroom Soup

Recipe modified by You Want Me to Cook? on February 21, 2011

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Recipe originally published in Gourmet, December 2008.

If you read my blog regularly, you know I have a certain love affair with mushrooms.  I’ve experimented with a lot of different types of mushrooms, but I’ve always wondered about the dried and exotic mushrooms at the end of the counter.  I’ll be honest – they smell funny.  I know they’re supposed to be delicious, but I simply didn’t know where to start… until now.

Soup is one of those things I love to make, but seem to get tired of quickly.  Luckily, my husband eats everything I make until it is gone.  I think it is a quest for him to empty the refrigerator before I do the weekly grocery shopping.  The reason I point this out, is that I try to choose my soup recipes wisely.  It has to make me happy, but be appealing enough to my husband that he’ll finish it once I tire of it.  This recipe had it all:

• It wasn’t creamy (creamy soups are not my husband’s favorite)
• It has mushrooms (obviously for me)
• It has “fancy” mushrooms (exciting for me to try)
• It is chock full of healthy vegetables (both of us need this – especially the mushrooms Vitamin D for me)
• It is vegetarian (we are trying to eat meat-free at least a couple times of week)

My finished product:

© You Want Me to Cook?
Porcini Mushroom Soup

Just looking at this picture makes me wish I had a bowl.  It is rich, yet doesn’t rely on cream to make it that way.  Of course, I wish I had used fresh herbs (the dried just kind of float there), but I can’t justify buying a bunch that I know will go bad after I use 2 tablespoons.

Cashew-Pesto Pasta

Recipe modified by Gretchen Wilson – July 30, 2010

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Recipe originally published in Every Day with Rachael Ray, February 2011.

Pesto has quickly become one of my favorites.  You can put it on pasta, salad… heck you can even put it on a sandwich!  Traditionally, pesto is made with basil leaves, olive oil, garlic, and pine nuts/walnuts.  Of course, I’ve also tried alternative pesto, including one that used asparagus and I’ve enjoyed it every single time.

When I was flipping through my copy of Rachael Ray, I saw this recipe and thought it sounded delicious.  Bonus points to it being a meat-free dish as well.  Of course, as I was assembling the ingredients, I feared that it wouldn’t have a lot of flavor.  Cashews are my favorite nut, but they don’t have the most kick and parsley – eh, not one of my favorite herbs.  I decided to go ahead and make it though, although I did make it on the same day I cooked something else.

My finished product: © You Want Me to Cook?

Picture published with recipe: © Every Day with Rachael Ray

Since you know how I HATE it when they don’t use the same thing, let me tell you it was my choice to use a different type of pasta.  I stuck with the same kind, but used a tri-color (more on that later).  Also, my tomatoes are a little more roasted, but I also did that by choice.  Finally, both recipes used Parmesan, but I chose the shredded variety and I plated it with the extra on it as well.  Still, it looks pretty close and I was pleased with the presentation portion.

Lemon-Artichoke Risotto

Recipe modified by Gretchen Wilson – January 26, 2011

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Recipe originally published in Every Day with Rachael Ray, published February 2011.

I had an incredible lobster risotto not too long ago and it inspired me to make my own.  I’ll be honest, I had my local pizza joint all fired up on speed-dial – that was my level of confidence with this dish.  I had nothing to fear, and neither should you.  It seems really daunting, but risotto is a pretty easy dish to make.

Here’s my complaint.  This was in the magazine and listed on the website as being a $10 meal.  Are they kidding?  Okay, if you already have the rice on hand, the portion you use is their estimate, but who has risotto rice on hand?  It isn’t like it is a pantry staple.  And let me tell you, they recommend one of the most expensive types of risotto rice - arborio.  I spent $15 on the rice alone and if you aren’t aware of the price before visiting the grocery store, you’re going to be in shock.

My finished product: © You Want Me to Cook?

Picture published with recipe: © Every Day with Rachael Ray

I think my risotto turned out creamier than theirs!  This could be in part because I used only half of the artichokes and chopped up my walnuts well.  It looked so good on the plate that I couldn’t wait to eat it.

Peas & Cheese Tortellini

Recipe modified by Gretchen Wilson – June 22, 2010

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Recipe originally published in Every Day with Rachel Ray, May 2008.

Cook’s Thesaurus describes tortellini as “circles of pasta that are stuffed with meat or cheese and then folded into little hats.”  That description aside, who doesn’t love tortellini?  Those little tiny pockets of dough filled with ooey-gooey cheese.  Mmmmmm… 

One of the best things about tortellini is that it doesn’t need a heavy sauce.  The sauce for this dish consists of a little skim milk, peas and a little Parmesan cheese.  I wanted to make it because it’s a vegetarian meal that allows one of my favorite pastas to really shine by not drowning it in sauce.

My finished product: © You Want Me to Cook?

Picture published with recipe: © Every Day with Rachel Ray

Clearly Rachel Ray’s recipe writers have no idea about the difference of grated and shredded Parmesan cheese.  I used shredded because it is what I had on hand, but the recipe clearly states grated.  No matter, the dish turned out delicious and I didn’t wonder if my selection of cheese was going to hurt the dish.

As a side note:  I’ve often thought about writing in to Rachel Ray, but if there is one thing I noticed in reading her magazine, when someone questions her or complains, she’s kind of nasty.  For example, someone once wrote in and asked why she didn’t include nutritional information with her recipe.  Her response (or the editor’s response – who really knows) was curt and rude with a “we believe you have to moderate your food intake.”  What she fails to understand is that with moderation, you have to understand what you are taking in.

Creamy Baked Ziti

Recipe modified by Gretchen Wilson – December 15, 2010

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Recipe originally published in Kraft Food & Family – Holiday 2010.

I love Italian food, but I’ve never had baked ziti.  Ever.  So this quickie-version of the dish intrigued me.  If you cringe at the thought of eating sauce from a jar, you can always make your own favorite marinara sauce and use that.  Of course, don’t discount all jarred pasta sauces.  My favorite is an organic sauce with no preservatives that has a great taste.

My finished product:

Picture published with recipe: © Kraft Foods

As you can see, I ended up with what Kraft intended when they created the recipe.  I even managed to get it to brown like they did.  Although they didn’t show a serving, I wanted to make sure you could see how nicely it scooped out of the dish and how the cheese melted all the way through.

Black Bean & Salsa Soup

Recipe modified by Gretchen Wilson – October 14, 2010

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Recipe originally published by allRecipes.com daily e-zine “The Daily Dish”.

It is a vegetarian soup that isn’t a broth.  I couldn’t WAIT to try this!  First I have to say I was shocked that a vegetarian dish had such high sodium content.  Looking at the ingredients, I couldn’t figure out where it came from, so I turned to the recipe’s comments.  Now I have to admit, nothing angers me more than people who “review” a recipe just to say they didn’t even bother because of “xyz”, in this case sodium.  You want to impress me anonymous reviewer?  Tell me how you would lower it.  Anybody can whine – I mean, I do it all the time – but it takes someone with talent to fix the problem.  I was really happy to see that allRecipes did a little research (it was the broth) and posted some information in the comments about lowering the sodium level.  Also, I did a little research on my own, so the recipe changed for all this information.

Comments can also come in handy when looking at recipe sites because people often will give substitutions or ways to fix mistakes.  The bad thing is they can also scare you too.  I always look at the lowest ratings because if you’re raving about it, I have no worries about the recipe.  Sifting through the whiners about the sodium level, I found a lot of comments regarding the “bland taste” and “bad texture.”  Since the dish is fairly inexpensive to make and I already had most of the ingredients, I decided to give it a try anyway.

My finished product:

Picture published with recipe: © allRecipes.com

The picture from AllRecipes looks a little thicker, where my soup looks more like a rich broth.  Mostly, they look very similar.  I have to say that I think this soup has plenty of flavor and was delicious, but if you don’t like beans, this will not change your mind.

Pasta Skillet with Tomatoes & Beans

Recipe modified by Gretchen Wilson – August 25, 2010

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Recipe originally published by myRecipes daily e-zine “Dinner Tonight”.

I’m not going to lie.  Chickpeas freak me out.  I don’t know why.  Maybe it’s because I think of hummus, which I like, but find bland when not flavored correctly.  By the way, if you’ve never tried hummus, you’re missing something.  Pick up a small container of Sun-Dried Tomato hummus and a bag of pita chips – you won’t be sorry.  Anyway, this very simple recipe contains chickpeas and not many spices, so I was a little nervous about how well this was going to turn out.  I’ve really made an effort to try to make vegetarian dishes more often (and more than just mac ‘n’ cheese) so I decided to give it a go.

My finished product:

Picture published with recipe: ©myRecipes.com

I chose not to garnish with basil leaves, but my result is pretty close.  Again, my plating isn’t as pretty, and I SWEAR I’m trying to get better at that.  In this case, I shouldn’t have used a pasta bowl and found something a little more compact.  Other than that, the dishes look very similar.  One thing to note, the recipe calls for grated cheese.  They clearly used shredded, and so did I.

Potato Leek Soup

Recipe modified by Gretchen Wilson – December 13, 2010

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Recipe originally published in Kraft Foods Magazine, Holiday 2010.

Potato soup is one of those dishes that is perfect for a cold winter day.  Also, there’s a lot you can do with it.  For example, you can add cheddar cheese and make it a cheese-potato soup.  Got some extra bacon from breakfast?  Crumble it up with a little green onion and sour cream and you’ve got baked potato soup.  What I’m saying is you can make a big pot and serve it one way one night and serve it in a different form the next.  That’s why I’m always open to trying a different recipe when I find one.  This was the first time I saw a recipe using leeks that blended them directly into the soup. 

My finished product:

Picture published with recipe: © Kraft Recipes

My potato soup didn’t turn out as creamy.  Honestly, I like a little bit of potato chunk in my potato soup, but this wasn’t intentional.  I also didn’t dress it with the chives for the photo, but neither did Kraft.  No, they actually put bacon on top of theirs.  Of course, this is an absolutely delicious way to serve the soup, but not what the recipe calls for.  If you’ve read any of my other posts, you’ll know that I’m not very fond of that.

Mushroom Goulash with Pierogi

Recipe modified by Gretchen Wilson – June 2010

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Recipe originally published in Every Day with Rachael Ray, April 2010.

First, let me say that I’m not a chef.  I may be able to cook and tweak a recipe, but I can’t create dishes.  Not only do I not have the knowledge, but I just don’t have the time or money to play around with different types of ingredients.  The reason I bring this up is about eight months ago, my husband told me he wanted to start eating more vegetarian food.  This did not make me very happy, but not because I didn’t think it was a healthy move or I hate vegetables.  No, I wasn’t happy because I rarely find a vegetarian dish that sounds appetizing to me and I don’t know how to substitute veggies in where meat should be.  I searched around in my endless number of e-mails and magazines and found this delightful dish that uses mushrooms as a meat substitute.  Now I am addicted to cooking with mushrooms and this is one of the very few recipes that I make on a regular basis.

My finished product:

Picture published with recipe: ©Every Day with Rachael Ray

My goulash has a little more “sauciness” to it and I always seem to find jumbo pierogi.  This is one of the most savory vegetarian dishes I’ve ever eaten.  It tastes as good as it looks!  Yes, I have made my own pierogi in the past, but although pierogi isn’t hard to make, it is ridiculously time consuming.  When I’m looking for a weeknight meal, homemade pierogi isn’t in the cards.

Eggplant Parmesan

Published in Cooking Light – September 2010

This was a recipe makeover, which surprised me because, it’s eggplant.  Of course, fry it and even vegetables become fattening.  This recipe eliminates the frying, uses Japanese panko instead of bread crumbs and uses significantly less cheese.  Of course, I made a goof while making this recipe, but I’ll get into that later… Let’s start with what this luscious dish is supposed to look like & the dishes stats:

© Cooking Light

318 calories per serving 8.2 grams saturated fat 655 milligrams sodium Looks good, doesn’t it?  And the calories & fat content make me smile too.  I’ve been trying to eat more vegetarian and this is right up my alley!  Also, I remember eating it fondly as a child, but now when I see recipes with eggplant I make the crinkle face.  You know the one.  I decided that it was worth a try after all this time has passed.