Posts from the ‘Vegetarian’ Category

Apr 17

Orange Blossom Tahini Cookies

2012 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

Have you ever cooked or baked with tahini? I’ve been using it quite a bit recently in salad dressings and dips. In case you’re not familiar with it, tahini is a flavorful paste made from ground sesame seeds, and it’s one of the primary ingredients in hummus. My friend Shannon says she actually craves it, and I don’t blame her! Tahini is an incredibly versatile ingredient that lends itself to kitchen experimentation. It’s smooth and dense like peanut butter, with a unique, nutty flavor. Since I always have it in the pantry, I’ve started experimenting with ways to use it in desserts.

When I was younger my mother would sometimes bring home halvah, which is a sweet, rich candy made from tahini. That was my inspiration for these cookies. They’re soft, moist and unlike any cookie I’ve ever tasted. One or two is more than enough to satisfy a sweet tooth. Orange blossom water enhances the sweetness from the sugar and honey and provides a pleasant floral aftertaste. Enjoy!

Apr 1

28 Comments

Muesli

I’ve always had a bit of a cereal addiction. I find it to be a great comfort food, no matter what time of day. In fact, I love it so much that I had to stop buying it! I’ve recently come up with a way to bring cereal back into my life in a healthy way: muesli, which is a homemade cereal based on oats, fruit and nuts. I love how all the ingredients are fresh and not processed. I feel good about eating it.

The recipe is very forgiving and adaptable. I typically use sunflower seeds, but pumpkin seeds would work perfectly (try using both!). You can get additional fiber by adding a tablespoon of flax seed. My favorite dried fruits to use are cherries and dates, but raisins also work perfectly well. The goji berries and cacao nibs are optional if you’re not one for fancy ingredients. You can find them at most health food stores and they’re both considered superfoods. I say yes to superfoods! Might as well sneak a bit of extra nutrition in there, right? They’re both very tasty; the cacao nibs add a lovely hint of chocolate crunch, while goji berries are sweet and chewy. If you leave these out, add more nuts and dried fruit.

Because I find cereal to be such a tempting snack, I prefer to make this one serving at a time. But to save time you can easily multiply the recipe and store it in an airtight container in the pantry. It will stay fresh for weeks, if not months. Instant, healthy cereal!

Mar 14

39 Comments

Tri-Color Curried Potato Salad

Over the past several months I’ve been seriously attempting to cut down on the dairy in my diet. I have no intentions of cutting it out completely, mind you. I’m a big believer in moderation. It’s tough, because I love cheese, ice cream, cream sauces, soups etc. But I don’t need them all the time.

I’ve found coconut milk to be a fantastic substitution in a variety of recipes (now that warmer weather is here I might have to make some coconut milk ice cream!). For something a bit different, I decided to try using it in potato salad. I love curries made with coconut milk, and this recipe evolved from that concept. If it makes a great stew, maybe it will make a great salad! This is a much healthier alternative to vegan potato salads that use soy mayonnaise. No one will ever convince me that stuff is healthy.

If you’re not familiar with coconut milk, it’s often separated when you first open the can. The thicker, creamier coconut milk rises to the top, leaving a more watery mixture underneath. You’ll have best results with this recipe if you use the creamy stuff.

Feb 29

42 Comments

Fruit and Nut Bites

This may be the easiest recipe I’ve ever shared on Savory Simple. But truthfully, I think the simplicity of these bites is what makes me love them so much. They’re fast, healthy, and are perfect for killing a late night sugar craving. There are only 3 ingredients- medjool dates, pistachios and pecans. That’s it! This recipe is a blank template open to your interpretation. You can try it as is, or use any combination of dried fruits and nuts in your pantry. Feel free to add spices such as cinnamon or cardamom. You can roll them in coconut flakes if you like. Enjoy!

Feb 15

43 Comments

Meyer Lemon Mint Granita

Meyer lemons are everywhere right now! Have you ever tried one? They have a slightly sweeter and less acidic flavor than regular lemons, with a hint of orange. I use them everywhere: in tea, baked goods and savory dishes. Meyer lemons work wonderfully in this granita recipe.

A granita is a refreshing Sicilian treat that’s often served as a mid-meal palate cleanser. It’s similar in texture to sorbet or Italian ice, and works wonderfully as a light dessert. The combination of lemon and mint in this recipe reminds me of a mojito. I bet a splash of rum drizzled over the top before serving would be fabulous.

If you don’t have access to Meyer lemons or they’re not in season, simply substitute regular lemons.

Feb 8

38 Comments

Valentine’s Day Treat: Passion Fruit Geleés

Hello Lovers! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and I have a special treat for you. Sometimes a heavy dessert can kill the mood, but a few bites of these passion fruit geleés will be the perfect end to a romantic meal. They need to be made the day before but the recipe steps are very easy. Also, you may have to go searching for a few of the ingredients. I ordered passion fruit puree from L’Epicure, but you can use any fruit puree sold at your local grocery store (check the freezer and international sections). A good quality fruit nectar, such as Goya, will also work perfectly in this recipe. I think mango, strawberry or blood orange would all look beautiful and taste delicious. The recipe calls for glucose, which you can find for sale online as well as in many baking and craft stores, such as Michael’s.

I used a silicone mold from Sur la Table to shape the geleés. Most shops that carry cookware will sell an assortment of molds. I’ve also seen a nice variety at online shops such as Amazon. Silicone molds are great for creating perfectly shaped confections. Because the silicone is flexible, the geleés are very easy to unmold. If you don’t have a silicone mold or don’t want to use one, you can simply use a brownie or lasagna pan lined with parchment. After the geleés have set, you can use a knife to cut them into individual pieces. Geleés in a silicone mold need approximately 12 hours to set. If you use a baking pan they’ll take up to 24 hours. I attempted both methods and found that the candies will hold their shape a bit better when using the molds.

I recommend using a baking scale for this recipe to measure ounces, which is how I measured ingredients. I’ve converted everything to cups and spoons but the measurements aren’t 100% the same. Baking scales are inexpensive and a great way to achieve consistent results.

Jan 30

42 Comments

Blood Orange Curd and Buttermilk Scones

My friends and I had a tea party today! Not to be confused with anything political, this was just a good old-fashioned girl gathering with tea, coffee, finger sandwiches and dessert. I brought blood orange curd and buttermilk scones. I also made these cucumber tea sandwiches, which were a hit.

Blood orange curd is no different than lemon curd, if you’ve ever had it. You can make curd with any citrus fruit. It’s a rich, tangy custard that goes well in tarts or spread thick on fresh scones. If you’re feeling especially decadent it’s also heavenly by itself. Blood oranges are typically available in winter months, and sometimes you can find the juice bottled at the grocery store near regular orange juice. The recipe yields 5 cups, which is clearly a lot of curd and more than you’ll need to serve with the scones. You can certainly cut the recipe in half, but I think it makes a great gift! Buy some decorative canning jars and add cute labels. I gave everyone at the party a small jar of blood orange curd. Homemade gifts are always a special touch.

With regards to the scones, I only made a few changes to the original recipe. Most notably, I cut down on the sprinkled sugar since I knew I’d be serving them with sweet curd. If you’re making these scones as a stand-alone recipe, I recommend increasing the sugar to 4 tablespoons.

Jan 22

52 Comments

Super Foods Power Smoothie

This is my daily breakfast. It’s very filling and so healthy. I like this smoothie so much that I used it to kick my morning caffeine habit. I used to look forward to coffee. Now I crave my smoothie.

May I talk about flax seed for a moment? One of the most common nutrition complaints I hear from people is that they don’t get enough fiber in their diet. Indeed, it can be quite difficult to get the recommended 20-35 grams per day, especially if you don’t eat a lot of fruits and veggies. 1 1/2 tablespoons of flax seed has 4 grams of fiber! That’s the same as eating a cup of brussels sprouts. In addition to containing fiber, flax seed has omega-3 essential fatty acids and lignans, which have antioxidant properties. There’s evidence that flax seed may help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Adding flax seeds to a smoothie is a perfect way to incorporate natural, healthy fiber into your diet. I recently discovered roasted flaxand prefer the flavor and texture over standard flax seed. But either will work fine.

This recipe is totally customizable. I like using almond milk and butter because almonds are another super food. But feel free to swap out the almond milk for soy or coconut (coconut milk tastes amazing with the other ingredients and is a healthy fat). Use any nut butter you prefer. You can also add more nut butter for decadence. I know a lot of people are squeamish about green smoothies, but I promise you won’t notice the kale. It’s so good for you and this is any easy way to fill your tummy and add nutrition. I freeze individual servings of banana and kale so I simply drop them into the blender. The kale chops up better when frozen. Read more

Jan 8

62 Comments

Basil Apple Lime Juice

I don’t know about you, but I’m still feeling really stuffed from the holidays. Getting back into my work and exercise routine has been slow moving, to say the least. At times it has been downright painful. Since returning home I’ve been watching my processed sugar and gluten intake to try and detox from all of the heavy food I consumed for 11 days straight. I’ve also dusted off my juicer. A glass of fresh juice can do wonders when I’m feeling rough around the edges.

This basil apple lime juice is very refreshing and full of health benefits. Basil contains antioxidants, can improve digestion and aid in stress relief. Lime juice is a great source of Vitamin C. Apples are believed to have cancer fighting properties. I feel almost like new after enjoying a glass!

Almost.

Dec 14

52 Comments

Sweet Pecan Kugel

2011 © copyright Savory Simple, all rights reserved

This beautiful kugel was passed along to my mother many years ago and she’s been making it at holiday parties ever since I was a child. We have a variety of kugels in the family but this is a particular favorite of mine. It’s sweet, but it’s versatile. It can accompany breakfast or a light lunch, and it works well as a side dish with meat, chicken or fish for dinner. And it works great as a dessert! You make it very much like an upside down cake, flipping it over after it’s done baking and has cooled for a few minutes. You can make the first part (the topping) one or two days beforehand and leave it covered in the refrigerator. You can make the entire kugel ahead of time and freeze it; defrosting it the day before you use it. Enjoy!

Dec 10

50 Comments

Rose and Orange Blossom Shortbread Cookies

I love going to High Tea every now and then with friends. Tea rooms are full of elegant touches that create a pleasant atmosphere for girl time. Everyone is served their own pot of tea and tiered trays full of mini sandwiches and desserts. It’s a great way to enjoy a few hours on the weekend.

I’ve had rose and orange blossom water sitting in my pantry for a few months after picking them up at Dean and Deluca. When I made lavender shortbread cookies I realized they would work perfectly in the same recipe. Now I just have to master mini sandwiches and I’ll be able to host High Tea at home!

These are cut smaller than the lavender cookies so that they’re the perfect dipping size. I also divided the batch in half after creaming the butter and sugar before adding additional ingredients. This recipe makes quite a few shortbread cookies, so a half batch of each flavor is plenty (for me).

Nov 22

62 Comments

Flavored Marshmallows

I think of these as seasonal marshmallows but I’m pretty sure they’ll be wonderful any time of year. But really, what’s better in the cold winter months than hot chocolate with marshmallows? I decided to make three separate flavors to give away in goody bags at Thanksgiving this year. I made pumpkin spiced marshmallows, cardamom marshmallows and cinnamon marshmallows. This recipe is incredibly flexible and you can use just about any spice or extract you want. How about peppermint or nutmeg marshmallows? Have fun with it!

You’ll need a stand mixer and a candy thermometer. A pizza cutter is useful for cutting even marshmallows but you can use a regular knife. I’ve used gelatin sheets but you can easily substitute them with powdered gelatin.

Nov 18

72 Comments

Homemade Coconut Milk

Things have been a bit quiet here at Savory Simple. It’s because I’m currently doing a 7 day detox from Baltimore Health Coach! No sugar, dairy, gluten, caffeine, soy, corn, or processed foods for one week. The first few days were rough, but now I’m feeling great! It’s amazing how much the foods we consume effect our bodies. I’m waking up without coffee and my night time sugar cravings are gone. I feel clear-headed and energized. I think I may do this once per month since I work with sugar and gluten so often.

As you can imagine, it’s been difficult to cook and bake for the blog this week. Next time I detox I really need to bank some entries in advance. However, I’ve been wanting to make coconut milk ever since I made raw almond milk. This was the perfect week to try. And it was so easy and delicious. It has a consistency similar to regular milk, but tastes like the canned variety. Canned coconut milk is much thicker and I tend to use it in curries and ice cream. I’d recommend this version for cereal and smoothies, or wherever you might use regular milk. You can store it in the refrigerator for a few days but I wouldn’t let it sit too long. Natural separation will occur, so shake it before using. I store my milk in a mason jar for easy shaking.

Nov 3

83 Comments

Mushroom Risotto

A few months ago I was perusing Williams-Sonoma and came upon their Wild Porcini Sea Salt. I believe it was at that moment when I came up with the idea of making an “extreme’ mushroom risotto, using as many complementary mushroom ingredients as possible. This risotto came out very well; it tastes earthy and rich. I really like the taste of truffle oil but you may want to cut back slightly if it’s not your thing.

Nov 2

69 Comments

Almond Butter

Since I now regularly make raw almond milk, I decided to invest in bulk almonds to save money. Totally worth it! I can now make milk for pennies on the dollar. It got me wondering what else I could do with them, and I decided to try homemade almond butter. It’s unbelievably easy and incredibly economical.

Oct 30

71 Comments

Pumpkin Bagels

Bagels were a staple in my house growing up. They’ve always been a favorite for easy weekend breakfasts as well as brunch with friends and family. Homemade bagels are surprisingly easy to make and you be creative with the flavors. Since pumpkin is the star ingredient of fall cuisine it makes a perfect seasonal bagel that you won’t find in many shops.

If you’ve ever made soft pretzels, the process for preparing homemade bagels is quite similar. You combine ingredients, kneed the dough, let it rise, shape your bagels, let it rise again, and finally you boil and bake them. As with most bread recipes there are many steps but none of them are difficult. For this recipe I got borrowed some basic ingredient ratios from Emeril Lagasse’s homemade bagels recipe. I was thrilled with the results. The outside has a wonderful crunch and the inside is soft and chewy. The spice levels hit all the right notes. Pumpkin powder is optional, but I love using it. It’s all-natural and enhances both flavor and color. I first discovered it when I made pumpkin challah bread, and it’s been a staple fall ingredient ever since.

Oct 22

39 Comments

Apple Doughnuts with Caramel Glaze

I’ve been trying to come up with new and unusual ways to use apples since I have to get through another 15 lbs of them (35 lbs between two trips to the farm). I’ve made apple butter, apple pancakes, apple pie, apple cookies, apple chutney…so many apples. Since I’ve been on a sweets kick, I decided to make donuts in my new deep fryer (thank you, wedding registry). You can make these without a deep fryer, just use a large pot and a high smoke point oil (see temperatures below).

A few notes: under the ingredients, I list the apples as either grated or diced. I decided to dice them so I could bite into big chunks of apple, but I recommend grating them. I think the apple flavor will be more pronounced throughout the doughnut and they will be easier to roll if you’re not used to working with sticky dough. This dough is very fluffy and sticky, so keep the palms of your hands oiled and keep a small bowl of flour handy. Try not to incorporate too much additional flour, because that will make the doughnuts dense.

Oct 16

43 Comments

Pistachio Cardamom Cookies

I was inspired to make these cookies after visiting my favorite dessert spot in Baltimore, Pitango Gelato. I always get their pistachio flavor, and when I saw they were offering cardamom gelato, I got one scoop of each. The flavors paired wonderfully together. And these cookies are equally fabulous. The cookie is soft and chewy. The pistachio and cardamom flavors shine.

Oct 11

56 Comments

Raw Almond Milk

I recently watched the documentary ‘Forks Over Knives’ and it was a life changer. The movie provides some stunning scientific evidence supporting the relationship between animal product consumption and disease. I want to live a long healthy life! I’m nowhere close to maintaining an exclusively plant-based diet, but I’m making changes. For example, I’ve never been a big meat eater but I consume quite a bit of dairy. To offset this, I’ve been alternating between milk and non-dairy alternatives.

Out of the wide array of non-dairy milk alternatives available, my favorite is almond milk. It has a mild, smooth flavor and works great in cereal, coffee and smoothies. I have yet to try baking with it but I’ve heard many success stories. I decided to try making my own to see how it compared to store brands such as Almond Breeze.

Oct 9

42 Comments

Apple Chutney

I love making chutneys. They’re simple to make and pair perfectly with chicken or pork for a tasty weeknight meal. Many chutney recipes use raisins; I decided to use dried cherries instead.

Posts from the ‘Vegetarian’ Category

Orange Blossom Tahini Cookies

Muesli

Tri-Color Curried Potato Salad

Fruit and Nut Bites

Meyer Lemon Mint Granita

Valentine’s Day Treat: Passion Fruit Geleés

Blood Orange Curd and Buttermilk Scones

Read more

Super Foods Power Smoothie

Basil Apple Lime Juice

Sweet Pecan Kugel

Rose and Orange Blossom Shortbread Cookies

Flavored Marshmallows

Homemade Coconut Milk

Mushroom Risotto

Almond Butter

Pumpkin Bagels

Apple Doughnuts with Caramel Glaze

Pistachio Cardamom Cookies

Raw Almond Milk

Apple Chutney

Recent Posts

Elsewhere

Links

Copyright Notice

Creative Commons

Blog Stats

Tags

Pages

Follow

Archives

Follow “Savory Simple”