Tag Archives: #vegetarian

Long time, no see….did you miss the food?

The spring semester is over, and fall will be here before you know it. I keep checking the Fresno Fair page daily to see if they have added the competitive exhibits book for 2023. So far, no go. There’s always tomorrow.

I’ve been super busy this spring. I work full-time as an office manager for an undergraduate program at Fresno State and go to school part-time. I was accepted last year into the College of Social Services Honors program, so this spring was full of doing research and interviews, writing an undergraduate thesis, and covering both old and new desks at work. I also presented at the Southwestern Anthropological Association convention in April, where I placed second in the poster competition. I presented my project a total of four times in the span of a month, and one was recorded by the campus. Pretty cool if I say so.

I’m putting the final touches on my thesis, and it will be ready for the final turn-in within the week (fingers crossed). The topic is pertinent, and I learned quite a bit about the research and interview process. I’ve already set my sites on next year. I won’t be in the Honors class, but I can still conduct research and present it at the SWAA conference next spring.

And now, on to upcoming fun. I will have my first in-person cooking demonstrations for the Fresno County Library in June and July, plus a new video that will be released on July 1st. I think it will be a lot of fun, and the best part is snacking on the goodies afterwards. We are going to film them and post on the HFWT YouTube channel so you can watch afterwards. You can always send an email to foodgroupie@forktravel.com if there is something that you want me to make. If you are in the Fresno/Clovis area, swing by the Fig Garden or Pinedale branches and watch the demo. It’s free and open to all ages.

There’s also a fun cooking challenge that I’ll be joining in a few weeks, and I’ll post more info as it gets closer. No spoilers, but it should be a blast.

Colcannon

This recipe is easy to pull together in a short time, which makes it perfect for weeknights. One way to change this recipe up is to substitute mustard greens or kale for part of the cabbage. The leftovers (if there are any) make a great filling for pierogis. This dish can be a meal by itself, the star of the show, or just a supporting actor. The choice is up to you.

Colcannon and corned beef

3-4 potatoes (about 2-2 1/2 lbs), peeked and cut into chunks
salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups of chopped cabbage
1/2 leek, diced (trim off dark green part)
2 green onions, minced (including the green tops)
1 cup milk or cream (1/2 and 1/2 works too)

Put the cut potatoes into a medium pot and cover with cold water, then add 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are fork tender. Drain well in a colander, the place in a large bowl.

With the potatoes in a bowl, return the pot to the stove. Over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the cabbage (and greens if using them). Cook for 5-8 minutes, until the cabbage is softened and given off some water. If using greens as well, cook until the greens are wilted, about 4-6 minutes. Add the green onions and tops, and cook 1-2 minutes more.

Using a fork or potato masher, mash the potatoes with milk or cream and fold into the greens. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and mix in. Reduce the heat to medium. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more butter or milk/cream.

Taste the colcannon, and add salt and pepper to taste. Let cool and form into patties, then fry in a few tablespoons of oil until golden.

*optional serving – serve hot with a dollop of butter in the center (more like a thick mashed potatoes).

NOTE: If you are substituting greens for part of the cabbage, I wouldn’t change out more than half of the cabbage. It loses part of the Irish feel if there isn’t enough cabbage.

Quinoa Stuffing

The annual holiday debate seems to center around stuffing or dressing. They are the same thing, but dressing is cooked outside of the bird and stuffing is, well, stuffed into the bird before cooking. I grew up with stuffing, but as an adult I prefer is prepared as dressing. When a turkey or chicken is stuffed, it takes so long for the poultry to get to a safe temperature to eat that the meat winds up drying out. If your family prefers stuffing, I suggest preparing dressing and then fill the cooked bird right before taking it to the table.

1 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock (you can use plain water as well)
1 cup quinoa
1/8 cup olive oil
1 small butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and cubed)
1 zucchini (diced into 1-inch cubes)
3 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon ground sage or poultry seasoning
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
chopped parsley for garnish
1 tablespoon lime juice, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

Put chicken or vegetable stock into medium pan and bring to a boil. Add quinoa and sage or poultry seasoning, then cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Add the diced zucchini and butternut squash until slightly browned.

Stir in the cooked quinoa, chopped green onion, dried cranberries, then drizzle with parsley and lime juice. Enjoy.

Note: this recipe works really well to make stuffed portobello caps.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

2 portobello mushroom caps, stems and gills removed
3/4 cup prepared dressing, or enough to fill both (leftover stuffing/dressing works wonderfully)
1/4 cup shredded cheese (I love using a colby cheddar mix), plus more for topping
1 green onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (optional, but recommended)
Salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning, if desired

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine stuffing and cheese in a small bowl. Add additional seasoning if needed. Keep in mind that the cheese will add additional salt as it melts.

Brush the tops (curved side) of mushrooms with olive oil and place in a baking dish, top side down. Lightly brush the bottom edges the cap (now facing up) with the oil.

Fill the caps with the stuffing and cheese mixture, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered for 10-12 minutes until mushroom is tender.

Potato Chickpea Stew

We have been doing pretty well at not gaining the Quarantine 15, but eating healthier is always a good idea. We have started swapping out a few meals during the week to vegetarian/plant-based, and with recipes like this potato chickpea stew we don’t miss the meat at all. It is easily adaptable for what you have on hand, and you can add the protein of your choice (or not).

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
4 medium potatoes
1 red or orange bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon 5-spice mix
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup onion
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 cups vegetable broth
4 tablespoons raisins
1/2 cup cashew pieces
3 cups spinach or kale leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 small lemon, cut in half
1 tablespoon peanut or almond butter (optional)

In a small dry pan, cook the cashew pieces over low heat for 2-3 minutes until smelling toasted. Remove from heat and put in a small bowl.

Wash and dice the potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, and cut the bell pepper, carrots, and celery into bite-sized pieces. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, potato, celery, garam masala, 5-spice, and cumin. Saute for 2 minutes, then add the bell pepper, garlic and onion.

Add the vegetable broth to the skillet and bring to a boil. Let boil for 3 minutes, then stir in the drained chickpeas and raisins. Place the lemon halves in the pan. Cover and turn the heat down to medium-low. Simmer 15-20 minutes (until the potatoes are tender). Gently stir in the peanut or almond butter, and turn to low. Cook for 5 more minutes.

Stir in the spinach or kale and let the leaves wilt for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the cilantro leaves and top with the toasted cashews.

This is good by itself, but you could also serve it over rice, or with buttered naan or garlic bread on the side.

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