Thai Green Curry Rice (Being Vegan day three!)

Eating fruits and vegetables has been incredibly easier than I had even thought it to be. :) Which is great! Especially with the new year, almost everyone I talk to is making resolutions and thinking about getting their health back on track. If all things go well this month I've been thinking about going a version of vegan for the rest of the year. I love to bake and although I've worked at a vegan bakery and sometime I bake vegan at home, I don't think I'd be able to give that up. And cheese! I LOVE CHEESE, oh and honey. :) Everything is better with a little honey. But for the month of January I'm veganveganvegan and that's rad. Anyhooooow here's a recipe that my dad and I cooked up last night. {Another thing I love about my whole household going vegan is we have more family time together. Whether it be...between passing in the hallways, we check up on each other, ask how we're doing with this whole new vegan thang. Or it be over the stove when we're preparing a meal together (like last night!) I never realized it till now, but it's definitely something I've missed.


Thai Green Curry Rice
Prep: 20 minutes, Cook: 12 minutes

NOTES:
* Make sure you cook the rice before hand! We didn't read through the recipe, and learned that the hard way
* Coconut extract mixed in almond or rice milk makes a great substitution in recipes that call for coconut milk. It has a lot of fat so it you're looking for low-fat ideas....^^^ try this one!

1/3 cup vegetable broth
1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1 to 2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
2 cups coarsely chopped napa cabbage
1 cup broccoli florets
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 tablespoon regular or reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 cups cooked long-grain brown rice
1 tomato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh Thai or common (field) basil
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup almond milk or rice milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions;

Place the broth in a large saucepan along with the onion, red and yellow peppers, and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the curry paste, or up to 2 tablespoons for a spicier dish. Add the cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, and soy sauce. Mix well, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the rice, tomato, basil, cilantro, almond milk and coconut extract.
Stir well, then cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes
Serve hot, on plates or in bowls.

It turns out to be a bit like a stir-fry with a little saucey stuff at the bottom. And it makes enough for about five or six people, so plenty of leftovers for us!

xxo
Laura


 ( Found on forksoverknives )

Happy Hoildays from LifeislikeaCupofCake!

Happy Holidays everybody! I hope everyone has had a great time so far, and here's for the New Year!
So, I'm excited and nervous to say...that for the next 28 days I'm going to be going VEGAN! Wowza. Big leap, but since we're bringing in the new year I thought I'd try something new! (and my dad is doing with me as well...he's the one who convinced me to do it ;) )
In my mind it's a pretty crazy idea, but I'm trying to get more in touch with a healthier side. I've been eating pretty badly lately (especially since the holidays have started) and it's affecting me for the worse (I just found out my blood pressure levels have increased).

I'll be posting updates and some recipes, probably not a lot will involve baking or pastry but I'll try my best to squeeze some in.
Let me know how you're Holidays have been going! :)

xxo




Tis the season tralalalala falalala

I've stumbled across this really amazing blog spoonforkbacon, and I can't stop searching through their lovely pages for recipes! All of them, fabulously plated, all the recipes look absolutely delish, and they're posted with great pictures and easy to follow directions.
Ok, the real reason to my ohmygod I'm in love, love, love with this blog deal. A friend of a friend of a friend posted drippy droppy-drool worthy pictures of her home made Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn balls. And as I sat there drooling on my keyboard, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. I decided on the spot, heck-yes I'm making these. Now let's get on the internet and make these. What am I doing tonight? Making bite size popcorn balls and avoiding my fav. mug post, (mostly because I'm incredibly indecisive) and can't decide which ones are my favorites.

Bite-Sized Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn Balls

 Makes 24-28

Ingredients:
5½-6 cups popped popcorn, lightly salted
 ¼ cup Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips, optional
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons honey
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 - 16 oz bag milk chocolate chips

 

Directions:
1. Place the popcorn and peanut butter chips into a large bowl and set aside.
2. Place the sugar and corn syrup into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Once the mixture has reached 240°F (soft-ball stage) add the honey, peanut butter and vanilla.
4. Stir together until fully combined.
5. Pour the sugar mixture over the popcorn mixture and begin folding together until all of the popcorn mixture has been evenly coated and distributed.
6. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
7. Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, lightly grease your hands and form golf ball sized popcorn balls.
8. Place the formed balls onto a sheet pan lined with parchment and allow to cool completely.

9. Place chocolate chips in the microwave to melt, 2-4 minutes or until melted all the way

10. Roll each ball in the melted chocolate and place back on the parchment paper

11. Once the popcorn balls have set, 2-4 hours, wrap them in plastic wrap or wax paper before serving.

(Adapted from spoonforkbacon )

More posts soon!
xxo

thanksgiving thanksgiving thanksgiving

a night full of laughs and great food, to give thanks and look around the table only to realize you have everything you need sitting next to you, and on a plate in front of you.

to hide identities I thought of a nifty way to do so! a still homey picture with some-what censored faces... ( I forgot to ask) + (we're running from the CIA....hehe just kidding)

Here are a few of my new favorites...

Cardamom Ice Cream
makes 1 to 1 1/2 quarts


2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
pinch kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Put all the ingredients into a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid and cook, uncovered, over medium heat, whisking occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat. Cover and let the mixture steep at room temperature for 20 minutes. Pour the micture into a shallow pan or bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill completely, 1 to 2 hours.

When the mixture is cold, pour it into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's instructions. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the ice cream to an airtight glass or plastic freezer container. Cover tightly and freeze until the ice cream is firm, at least 4 hours.

I made these little tartlets with the leftover filling

Pumpkin Brûlée Tart
Makes 2, 13 x 4" tarts

Dough;
1 1/2 cup flour ( I did half all purpose, half whole wheat)
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cubed

Whirl together flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and pulse into pea-size pieces. Drizzle 1/3 c.very cold water over crumbs and pulse just until moistened.
Turn dough onto a work surface and gather into a ball, turning to combine any dry crumbs.
Divide dough in half, form each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes.

Filling;
2 cups pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
2 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups half-and-half

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for caramelizing top

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

 

 Cut dough in half and shape each piece into a rectangle. Roll each out on a lightly floured work surface into a rectangle measuring about 7 by 16 in.

Preheat oven to 375°. Lay each dough rectangle over a 4- by 13-in. tart pan with removable bottom.

Lift and lower dough into pan (pushing can cause cracking). Trim edges flush with rim of pan, using your thumb or a metal spatula.

Cut pieces of parchment paper to fit into tart shells with about 1 in. overhang on all sides. Fill shells with pie weights. Set pans on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake until dough is starting to brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on sheet until only slightly warm, then carefully pour out pie weights and remove parchment.

Meanwhile, blend remaining ingredients (except sugar for caramelizing) in a large bowl. Pour custard mixture into prepared tart shells, dividing evenly.

Reduce heat to 325°. Bake tarts until custard is set and is slightly puffed at edges, about 30 minutes. Cool 1 hour, then chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days, covering with plastic wrap once cold.

Remove tarts from pans and set on a serving platter. Sprinkle tops of tarts generously with sugar. Pass flame of a blowtorch over tops until sugar melts and turns golden brown. Let sugar cool until hard, then cut each tart into pieces.

 

 

 

 

xxo

tossing around some ideas

hand-crafted clay flowers on the side of the canal bank in Brugee, Belguim (from summer)

I'm always looking for new and fun ways to inspire myself to make new blog posts. I've been thinking about doing a post about my favorite teas and mugs, since you know, tis' the season to be cold and rained on. Maybe even snowed on! (SNOW, GUYS! SNOW!) Throwing around the idea for fun kitchen gadgets and some grand winter essentials. Maaaybe winter DIY's? :) Fav cookbooks even? Stay updated ladies and gents, I'll be pumping out the fun posts soon.

Lemon Ginger Zucchini Bread

As of late I've had two things on my brain, vegetables, and healthy baking. I have decided that if I'm going healthy this is going to be my extreme favorite of guilty pleasures. Lemon Ginger Zucchinni Bread! It's hearty, and has whole wheat flour in it! As well was candid ginger.

I found it on one of my most favorites of  favorited blogs. 3191milesapart. They the are two lovely ladies who wrote this wonderful book A Year of Mornings and a few other new collaberations. Maria Alexandra Vettese (MAV) and Stephanie Congdon Barnes (SCB). Their blog as well as their books are absolutely beautiful, I would recommend checking them out! Maybe even spending the day looking throughout their blog like I do.

All of these things tie into eachother! The colors, green zucchini, yellow ginger, the brown sugar and whole wheat flour add to it and create a smooth and beautiful brown that really comes out when the bread browns on the top in the oven. Zucchini and Whole wheat = healthy, Lemon = tastey, and Ginger = Laura's favorite accent spice EVER. Combimed together equals the most delicious savory and a little sweet bread loaf I have yet to come across. Bake it. Eat it. Share it. Then freeze it!

I used Whole Wheat Pastry flour instead of Whole Wheat, because whole wheat has a thicker texture, where as the pastry flour is thinner so you'll still get the whole wheat flavor without a grainy texture. I also used the grater on our food processor and found that it was as easy as one, two, three! No cut fingers, and you can avoid the zucchini that can turn to mush when using a hand held grater.

Lemon Ginger Zucchini Bread

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups grated zucchini
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 cup crystalized ginger ( found mine at PCC, I believe you can find it at Trader Joe's too)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a large loaf pan, 9" x 5".

Place grated zucchini in a towel and wring out as much moisture as possible. Cream butter and brown sugar in a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, mix to combine, add zucchini.

In separate bowl, mix together flours, baking soda and powder, salt and cinnamon. Toss in crystalized ginger and lemon zest. Make sure the ginger pieces are coated with flour, so they won't stick together.

Add the dry to the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Fill the prepared pan with the batter.

Bake for 45-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out cleanly and the loaf is nicely browned on top.

Store bread at room temperature, or slice up and freeze for a nice treat later on!


From: (3191milesapart)

Almost Fall

Fall has been visting us in Seattle. Seeping through the defined line of summer and turning into fall, through the leaves changing colour and getting darker earlier.
Now is the time for light jackets, long pants, and boots, boots, boots. Then comes the rain and having everything be dark by 5 or 6:30pm.
I start school on the 24th. Not so sure that I'm ready for it, but I know I'll go into it with an open mind and open arms.

Loving the sunshine, but craving the curl-up-with-a-book and warm socks weather. This month I've got popcorn on the brain.

Mmmm mmmm yummy

Honey Caramel Corn

 

10 - 12 cups popped popcorn (around 1/2 cup kernels)

1 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Sea salt

 

 

Melt butter, sugar and honey over medium heat in a medium saucepan. When mixture reaches a boil, reduce heat and simmer for three minutes. Take off heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda (the mixture will foam a little bit when you add in the baking soda) In a large bowl, toss popcorn, nuts (we went sans nuts this time) and caramel mixture to thoroughly coat. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spread popcorn on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with seat salt. Bake in oven for 45 minutes, making sure to stir at the halfway point. Allow to cool, break apart and store in an air-tight container.



(Adapted from: 3191 Miles Apart)