Autumn Pilafs

Well, it turns out the inability to cook saps my desire to write about cooking. But I'm pretty much back on my feet enough to prepare simple dishes and make short trips to the nearest market, so my interest is once again piqued. So it's about time I shared those Autumn dishes I promised so long ago! Just in time for winter. Oops.

I just reread my last post, Vegan Refried Black Beans, and thought I'd get back into the swing by showing my successful experiments using French Onion soup in place of vegetable broth in cooking grains.

Vegetable broths are often tinny with off flavors, and lack that umami flavor I love so much in chicken and beef broths. In my search for a satisfactory alternative, I first made some weird attempts with mushroom broth, since mushrooms are packed with umami. But everything just came out tasting like musty mushrooms. But then I saw onions in a list of foods that contain the molecule or whatever that has that delicious meaty umaminess and had an epiphany that has delivered many successful vegetarian dishes. French onion soup, available in most grocers' soup and broth aisles, makes a great vegetarian substitute for beef and chicken broth. It has become the standard vegan base for my favorite grain, Kashi 7 Whole Grain and Sesame Pilaf, as in these three recipes. Feel free to substitute your favorite whole grain or whole grain blend.


Veronica's Kashi Pilaf

The simple starting point from which my pilaf dishes grew, this is a super easy and delicious way to add whole grains to any meal.

1 packet (1 cup) Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf
2 cups beef or onion broth
1-2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2-3 dashes garlic powder
2-3 dashes onion powder (omit if using onion broth)

Cook according to package directions using the above ingredients in place of water.


Kashi Stuffed Acorn Squash

I found this recipe in the comment section of Kashi's website. Yes, I'm that big a fan of Kashi Pilaf, as well as a number of their other products, that I have been on their site and even read the comments of other fans.

Of course, the day I finally made this, I did my shopping at a market that sacrilegiously did not carry Kashi Pilaf, so I used a blend of red & brown rice with rye and barley instead. I cooked one cup of the rice blend according to package directions, substituting onion soup for water. I omitted the diced onion since I figured the broth would add plenty of oniony flavor. Also, always remember to add garlic only for the last 30-60 seconds of sauteeing, just enough time to become fragrant. It really should never be sauteed as long as other vegetables. I added pressed garlic cloves at the end of the cooking time with the carrot, almonds, and spices/salt. I skipped sprinkling with grated cheese before serving because the thought of curry and cheese together weirded me out. Instead, I served the squash with raw brown sugar on the side for copious sprinkling by the spoonful. The extra sweetness was perfect to balance out the super strong spices and saltiness. This was just the final touch this fragrant autumn dish needed to reach true culinary heights.


Delicata Kashi Pilaf
  

I developed this dish as a faster, simpler alternate to the stuffed squash I love so much. Delicata makes  a great substitute for the cook in a hurry. Since the skin is edible, you can bake thin slices much faster than preparing other varieties, and you can then toss everything together and skip the second baking post-stuffing. The removal of spices, omitted to recover the extra time it takes to bloom the spices on the stove, also makes this version more versatile and easier to pair as a side dish with a larger variety of entrees.

The tiny delicata squash has a thin, edible skin that reduces prep time.

1 packet (1 cup) Kashi 7 Whole Grain Pilaf
2 cups onion broth
2-3 dashes garlic powder
2 Tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apricots, etc.)
1 delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices

1 Tablespoon olive oil 

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup toasted almond slivers (these are just so handy to have around)

Cook pilaf according to package directions using onion broth, garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce instead of water. Add raisins or other dried fruit during final 15 minutes of cooking. In the version pictured above I used freeze dried Just Apricots to add tang and sweetness.

Meanwhile, toss squash slices with oil, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Spread in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Roast in upper third of a 475º oven 15 minutes, or until squash is just tender. I even use the toaster oven to avoid preheating time.

Combine rice, squash, and toasted almond slivers.

Refried Black Beans For All!

Due to surgery, I've been unable to cook for awhile with awhile longer to go before I get back to the stove. Luckily, I tried to fit a lot of cooking under my belt before going under the knife, so I can keep this blog going.

I was deliberating which Fall delight to share first when I learned my dad had bought an enameled Dutch oven of his own - and we all know my love for my Le Creuset! His first dish was Creole Fried Chicken from the Cook's Country cookbook I gifted him. Sigh, I've been wanting to tackle their various fried chicken recipes. I was thinking of more great recipes from the America's Test Kitchen family for him to try and remembered the highly successful Mexican Rice I made for our tamales party. And why make the rice if you don't make the amazing refried beans, too? So I thought I'd share the vegan version I created through altering the America's Test Kitchen recipe.

My only complaint about ATK's refried beans was the onion. The onion flavor was perfect, but when I included a whole medium onion as instructed, it meant there was nearly as much onion crunch as smooth bean. It caused a texture issue. I've been experimenting with using French Onion soup broth as a vegetarian alternative to chicken and beef broth, since I usually find vegetable broths disappointing. I'll post other times I've successfully used this option in the weeks to come. I suspected this might be the answer to both veganizing this recipe and retaining the onion flavor. With the onion reduced from 3/4 cup to 1/4 cup and the chicken broth replaced with French Onion soup, it was simple to replace the 1 Tblsp. rendered fat from 3oz. of salt pork/bacon with cooking oil and doubled the salt to replace that lost when tossing out the salty grease. And, voila! Vegan refried beans! I also chose to use black beans, but you could very easily stick to the pinto beans used in the original version. These were so darn tasty it was hard to put down the fork, and the leftovers were perhaps even better after the flavors melded. Definitely a new favorite, and so very easy and healthy!

Vegan Refried Black Beans

2 (15oz.) cans black beans, drained and rinsed lightly
3/4 cup French Onion Soup (found in the broth and soup aisle of most grocery stores)
1 tsp. salt (more or less to taste)
1 Tblsp. cooking oil
1/2 very small onion, finely chopped  (1/4-1/3 cup)
1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
2 Tblsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime

In a food processor, process all but 1 cup of the beans with soup until smooth, about 15 seconds. Add the rest of the beans and pulse until slightly chunky, about 10 pulses.

Heat oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet to medium-high. Add onion, jalapeño, and cumin and sauté 3-5 minutes until soft and starting to brown.

Stir in Garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the pureed beans. They will be runny.

Cook at medium heat until thick and creamy, about 4-8 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice before serving.

If you want the original recipe, reverse engineer my changes to sub back in the original ingredients. Or purchase The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001-2010 (excellent purchase no home cook would regret) or a membership at CooksIllustrated.com (or just sign up for a 14-day free trial membership). And again, no, they don't pay me. I'm just a big ol' fan girl they've never heard of.

Bacon Popcorn

We all know it's Halloween, but it's also another pretty significant day: the last day of National Popcorn Popping Month. And I've saved a pretty interesting recipe for last.

How do you like the sound of Bacon Popcorn?

I found the recipe here during some random Google search at some point and gave it a try to use up leftover bacon way back when I made BLTs. The reason for my cryptic remark about having a use for rendered bacon fat finally revealed! I'm sure you've all been wondering. I've been holding on to this just waiting for Popcorn Month.

Like I said, you start with rendered bacon fat.

Then you pop the corn using this fat.

To add more flavor, you freeze, chop, and grind bacon slices and sprinkle it on like salt.

The end result is very subtly bacon flavored and quite rich. Definitely another way to cancel out all nutritional value of the pre-seasoned corn. If you don't get the bacon fine enough by grinding it, you will definitely need to add a little salt. This is a really fun one to bring out in the presence of carnivores - meaty popcorn!

This may be my finale recipe, but that doesn't mean it's the last way to spice up your corn. How could I forget all those days in a friend's basement in junior high and high school munching on pungent corn coated with onion powder, garlic powder, onion salt, and garlic salt? A reader told me about "kamikaze" popcorn he made as a kid using butter, tabasco, salt, and soy sauce. One of my friends seasons hers with tamari and yeast. Another tops hers with furikake, the Japanese rice seasoning. Then there are a couple more of my personal favorites - popping corn on the stove in duck fat and adding copious amounts of sea salt, or drizzling truffle oil over the top of air popped corn, again with lots of sea salt. And that doesn't even begin to skim all the varieties of cinnamon and sugar topped corn, the pink squares my husband grew up savoring in the park, balls of sticky caramel goodness - the varieties are endless! And I'm always looking to try new versions. Please comment with your favorite popcorn recipes, or send me a personal note. Popcorn Month is over, but my love for this snack continues.

Popcorn, Indiana

It wouldn't be a proper Popcorn Month if I didn't discuss the most popular genre - movie theater style. The ultimate in popcorn, many would say. Or maybe it's just pandering to the lowest common denominator. Either way, I admit I'm a sucker for the salty, buttery deliciousness. I even sometimes suggest the husband man and I go to some crappy movie he's been wanting to see but I know I'll hate just so I can get my hands on a tub. But my discovery of today's popcorn tribute makes the theater obsolete when I all I want is the snack.

Popcorn, Indiana. I discovered this delectable bag of corn at Walgreen's, of all places. They make the standards, like kettle corn and cheese corn, plus a spate of other flavors from bacon ranch to wasabi, but the basic Movie Theater Popcorn with real butter won me over.

Now, this is an example of how toppings can remove the nutritional value of these healthy whole grains, but darn this stuff is so good I find it hard to care. And at least it's natural fat, right? This isn't just some bag of neon yellow kernels popped in the microwave, only half of which actually have any flavor, all of which have the texture of styrofoam. No, this stuff tastes like the real deal. Better even, since we've all had the stale, greasy wadding churned out by some apathetic theaters. Even out of a bag, Indiana, Popcorn delivers fresh, buttery popcorn that tastes fresh from a top shelf concession. But I warn you, it's hard to share even this gigantor bag. Seriously, seriously addictive. The kettle corn is pretty darn good, too.

Indiana, Popcorn is pervasive enough to land on my drug store's shelf, so I'm guessing it's not hard to find at least some of the flavors. But all flavors are available on their site, so this nosh is out of no one's reach.

Thatcher's Gourmet Popcorn

So far I've left out a very deserving category of popcorn that simply must be recognized for National Popcorn Popping Month - caramel. And local SF gourmet poppers Thatcher's just happen to make my favorite store-bought caramel corn. Whether classic or in whimsical flavors such as Tiramisu Cappuccino, Thatcher's delivers a satisfying crunch from a thick candy coating chock full of flavor, never bland sickly sweetness.

They also have bold, full flavored cheese varieties, and cheese might just be my favorite type of popcorn of all time.

I find Thatcher's at CalMart in Laurel Village, for those of you in the Bay Area. Everyone else, keep an eye out at your local grocer or purchase from one of many online vendors.

*** I apologize for the low quality images. I've recently had ankle surgery that prevents me from going anywhere, much less the market, and I admit I counted on the Internet providing better than it did. But trust me on the contents of the packages stamped with a cable car, even if you can't quite make it out in these images. Thatcher's will not disappoint. ***

Texas Popcorn

As National Popcorn Popping Month continues, the inspiration for this new-to-me popcorn recipe came from an unlikely source: a Disney star on a late night talk show. Yes, I learned about "Texas Popcorn" by watching Selena Gomez make it for Jimmy Fallon. It sounded just bizzarre enough to intrigue me.

Selena's version of Texas Popcorn entails tossing popped corn in a paper bag with Tabasco and salt. The coup de gras, though, is to then dip the pieces into pickle juice. She had me at "pickle juice."

We don't really keep Tabasco around the house, so, after popping a batch of hot air black diamond popcorn (which is why the popcorn has black hearts - it's not burnt, I just like how it photographs) I tossed half of it in a paper bag with popcorn salt and Cholula hot sauce

And the other half with popcorn salt and Pickapeppa sauce (which I love tossed over cream cheese served with crackers - an appetizer that seems super fancy but is actually super easy - I have old family friends to thank for that one!)

I may have overdone it with the Pickapeppa. The flavor was great, but it softened the popcorn to the point of sogginess. Oh well, first attempt!

I then served it all up with a small bowl of Claussen dill pickle juice.

And you know what? It was just weird enough to work! The flavors mingled while keeping separate places on the palate, a true menage of taste sensation. A little spicy, a little salty, and a little something else that just brought it all together. Each sauce was equally as successful, which tempts me to experiment with different hot sauces and blends (the Cholulah and Pickapeppa together was fantastic!) I'd also love to experiment with different pickle juices, with bread & butter and especially Wickle's pickle juice at the top of my list, but the purity and tartness of dill will be hard to beat. So this strange little experiment came out a huge success! I highly recommend serving Texas Popcorn at your next movie night.

Rosemary Popcorn

Yesterday I shared my favorite store bought popcorn in celebration of National Popcorn Popping Month. Today I share my favorite popcorn recipe, Popcorn with Rosemary Infused Olive Oil from Giada di Laurentiis.

This recipe starts by infusing oil with rosemary. This is done very easily by placing 5-6 sprigs of fresh rosemary in a small sauce pan with 1 cup olive oil and cooking it together at medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. After removing the pan from the heat and allowing the oil to cool, the infused oil and sprigs can be stored in the fridge for up to a month. I find that the fat molecules tend to solidify in the fridge, so it's good to plan ahead and set the oil out on the counter an hour or two before you plan on using it.

Giada goes on to suggest using half a cup of this oil to pop 1 cup of kernels on the stove, then tossing the popped corn with a further 2 tablespoons of infused oil and plenty of salt. This creates a very decadent dish perfect for bringing out at a movie party with friends. For a more sensible snack, I find that air popped popcorn drizzled with a couple of tablespoons of oil and plenty of fine sea salt delivers just as much flavor while saving on lots of calories and fat.

The added bonus is all the other wonderful things you can do with the infused oil. Add it to salad dressings and marinade in place of plain oil for a richer, more complex flavor, or sprinkle a pan with a few drops to toast bread to elevate your sandwiches to restaurant quality. I used both techniques for my Rosemary Balsamic Portabella Sandwich.

This recipe also inspired me to branch out into other infused oils. I found that garlic infused olive oil also makes a great popcorn topper, especially when paired with garlic salt to really umph up the flavor. To infuse olive oil with garlic, heat half a cup of olive oil in a small saucepan until just bubbling. Add 4-5 medium cloves of sliced garlic. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool and transfer to a container such as a bottle or cruet. This will keep in the fridge up to one week, so a much shorter life span than rosemary oil, which is why I only make half a cup at a time. This oil also works very well in many recipes as a substitute to plain oil, like in my Ultimate Summer Quinoa Salad. The garlic flavor it provides is smooth, and even a little sweet, never sharp.

Keep coming back for more great popcorn recipes and products throughout the month!