Spanakopita

A slice of pizza, pita bread wedges, a slice of pie or cake, a tea sandwich...What is it about triangle foods which makes us gravitate towards them?   Would you eat a Doritos chip if it was round? [gasp]  Even a samosa, which is more tetrahedral, is still in the highest tier of the triangle...pyramid.  See how all of this geometry is quickly getting out of control?

Triangle foods.  Why must we insist that the pointiest and most dangerous corner should lead the trajectory into our mouth? Have you ever bitten the blunt side first? Only to experiment. Like standing in the elevator with your back to the door. Be juvenile. 

Everything about triangles should steer us away from them, not attract.  That's why it's shaped that way - to resemble the head of an arrow, directing us away.  The words 'isosceles' and 'hypotenuse' alone are enough to scare toddlers and bad spellers. (And can i just add that it is no coincidence that the greek word, Hypotenuse, sounds a lot like "High: pot-in-use".  (?)   Pythagoras took some study breaks in his little dorky math lab.  I'm just sayin'.  ...rolling some doobies on stone tablet.  Stoner.  Yeah.  Consider me your new History Channel and I'm your chief Etymologist. 

Spanakopita

recipe by rabbit food rocks

makes 30 triangles

I love Spanakopita as a heavy snack or light lunch.  The flavors are simple and mild, which makes it kid-friendly too.  Feta is too much of a salty bite for me, so I use tofu as a lighter alternative.  You might have purchased a block of tofu and thought, "Now what am I going to do with you?"  This is it.

Ingredients:

14 oz extra firm tofu, drained well

1/2 medium yellow onion, quartered

2 shallots

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 lb baby spinach

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 T. cornstarch

4 T butter or vegan butter, melted

1/2 package of phyllo sheets (20 sheets), thawed well (according to directions)

Directions:

1.  In a food processor, finely pulse garlic cloves and shallots.  Scrape the work bowl down and pulse again.  Add onion and spinach (spinach in batches if needed) and salt and pepper.

2.  Empty food processor contents into a large mixing bowl and use hands to crumble tofu finely.  You can put the tofu in the food processor too, but then I'll say you're no fun...at all.

3.  Mix 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch with a teeny weeny bit of water to make it into a paste.  Add it to the mixing bowl and mix well.

4. Preheat conventional oven or toaster over to 350.  GENTLY unroll the phyllo sheets.  Keep the sheet stack covered with a damp towel.  Lay one sheet on your work surface and lightly brush the entire sheet with butter or vegan butter.  Lay another sheet on top of that one, as evenly as possible, without being OCD about it. 

5.  Using a pizza cutter or a knife, cut the phyllo pair into thirds, lengthwise.  Take a healthy Tablespoon of the tofu-spinach mixture and place it at the top.  Fold one of these top corners to meet the opposite edge, keeping the mixture contained.  Continue folding this like the American flag.  Brush top and bottom sides with butter again before placing on a baking sheet.

6.  Prepare all 10 pairs of sheets to yield 30 triangles.  Bake for 17 mins or until edges brown.

7.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Reheat on lowest heat in the toaster oven if necessary.

My Guest Post on Herbivoracious (Black Chickpea Curry)

When he offered to publish a rabbit food rocks guest post on his site, I almost crapped my pants. 

It was a reminiscent feeling of middle school, when I had a crush on a guy and he didn't know who I was and then one day suddenly he says....[insert drumroll]  "Hi."  And then for days I had my head in the clouds instead of listening to the lesson about probability...although, I had just learned what the probability of one in a million felt like.

Michael Natkin knows who I am?  He acknowledged me in cyberspace.  I feel...cool. 

When I first started a vegetarian blog, I did some benchmarking to see what other sites were out there. 

And then I saw Michael's all vegetarian site, Herbivoracious, and I felt slightly defeated.  Who can compete with such beautiful pictures, unique signature recipes, flawless recipe writing, and charm?  His food IQ is top notch and of course, he's a dude.  This is engineering school all over again!

Fortunately, the blogging community is not a ruthless corporate competition and many people, like Michael, only encourage their peers.  Michael, one of my favorite tweeps, has always been really friendly, and maintains outstanding composure against the most brutal cynics of vegetarianism. 

I am anxiously awaiting his upcoming cookbook, Herbivoracious, on shelves this May! Please peruse his site and compelling story on how he came to be a vegetarian, blogger, and published cookbook author...all while fulfilling his day job duties of being a corporate software engineer.  He is the poster child grown-up of "finding your calling".

...oh yeah...and check out my guest post and Kala Chana (Black Chickpea Curry) recipe on his site! :)

2012: Not a Strong Start

So....."blog more often" was clearly not one of my New Year's Resolutions.  Not a strong start.  2012 is starting to look like the 400 meter dash after the gun goes off, and I'm still tying my shoelaces.

I've been packing a sorry excuse of a lunch, even though I'm at the grocery store buying all sorts of Real Food like raspberries, etc.  "Tomorrow, I'm going to pack a good lunch!"

I've been waking up later in the mornings than I intend to the night before. That always happens.  "Tomorrow, i'm going to wake up earlier!"   Ambitions start lofty at 11pm and then somewhere between then and 7am, a REM cycle decides to take a big nasty crap on your ambition.  "This time, i'm really going to wake up earlier!"   That song and dance seems to be on Repeat lately.  Actually it's just song.  No dance.  Unless you consider me running in the morning from the kitchen to the closet to the garage back to the closet...a dance.  In some countries, maybe.  I've seen a similar dance in the movie Coming to America.  Parents should make their kids watch this dance before the first day of school.  "If you don't wake up on time, this is the dance you will have to do in order to get dressed and make it to the bus on time"

I currently owe eight people a phone date.  This would be ideal if I was in high school, and the phone dates were with cute boys.  But now, I've waited so long to talk to these people that I know I'm getting a lecture before proceeding with real conversation...so that, in turn, triggers further delay and procrastination. ...And they aren't boys.

What HAVE i done this year. 

• I've been using anti-aging cream
• I've been exfoliating.  Eh?  Shedding more cells in the universe. 
• I stopped wearing my lounge pants (bourgie pajamas) to the grocery store....but I am wearing other pants in lieu of those...I'm not going to the store pant-less.  (Can pant ever be singular like that?...Why was is ever plural to begin with?) 
• I started wearing clean clothes to work...or at least Febreze the clothes I plan to wear.

 So far my New Year resolutions concern improvement of the exterior me. 

For January, this is good.  I'll just work from the outside in.  Maybe by December, I'll discuss my bone health and how I've reduced risk of getting osteoporosis.

The following recipe has nothing to do with anything I've been talking about.  But it's yummy.

Sesame-Roasted Tofu with Satay Sauce and Broccoli

by Rose Elliot Vegetarian Supercook

(I loooove this cookbook.  She has many books and I think she is very creative!  This recipe is really quick and the ingredients are easily available.  I also think this is a great recipe to try on your kids.  It's a finger food and the dipping sauce is a sweet complement.  A good protein meal.)

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 lb tofu, drained
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 medium-sized bunches of broccoli, trimmed and broken into florets

Satay Sauce
4 heaped tablespoons peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 14-ounce can coconut milk  (I omit this and add water and some rice wine vinegar to thin it out)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
½ teaspoon dried red chili flakes
2-3 teaspoons honey
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro, to garnish

Directions:

1.  Blot tofu dry on paper towels and cut into thin strips about ¼ inch thick. Put the strips on a plate in a single layer, pour the soy sauce on top, then turn the strips so that they are all coated.

2.  Heat the sesame oil in a grill pan or shallow roasting pan under a preheated hot broiler. Put the tofu strips in the pan in a single layer and scatter with half the sesame seeds. Immediately turn them over and coat with the remaining sesame seeds.

3.  Put the pan back onto or under the heat and grill or broil for about 10 minutes, or until the tofu is crisp and browned, then turn the pieces over and broil or grill on the other side.

4.  Meanwhile, make the satay sauce. Put the peanut butter into a saucepan and gradually stir in the coconut milk to make a smooth sauce, then add the garlic, ginger, and chili. Heat gently, taste, and add honey to taste. Remove from the heat and set aside until required.

5.  About 5-10 minutes before the tofu is ready, heat ½ inch depth of water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli, cover, and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

6.  Put some broccoli, tofu, and a serving of satay sauce on each plate, scatter the sauce with some cilantro and serve.

NYE: Party For One

If you're at home this New Year's Eve, lucky you.  So many people wish to be in your shoes, more than you think.  Most people are entering a spending freeze at this time and are generally less interested in NYE than they let on.  They have to go buy an outfit and shoes, wait for an hour to be seated at a restaurant, and then pretend to be interested in the midnight hour...oh and find someone to kiss of course....which can be awkward and sloppy.   Whether you're at home to co-exist with a sleeping baby, or waiting up for your 20-somethings to arrive back in one piece, or have bravely decided you cannot come to terms with going out this year, there is still a small celebration to be had.

We make Limoncello (LIM-un-CHELL-oh) almost every year, just after Thanksgiving.  Limoncello  is an Italian lemon liqueur from the Ligurian coast and also from South Italy.  It's a sweet lemon flavor, so you won't feel the typical pucker from lemons.  But it will kick your butt...and will get your friends drizzunk for the Holidays.  Drink cautiously.  I found the recipe years ago and I've been using the same recipe ever since.   The instructions are absolutely perfect.  7-UP, sparkling wine, or sparking water are ideal mixers.

You can also infuse the syrup with something like Basil or Thyme.  Simply boil the leaves with the sugar.

Change into PJs, enjoy some Basil Limoncello and artisan cheeses and desserts, organize something in your house, watch fun movies like "Mean Girls" and "Old School", and then have a PFO (Party-For-One) Dance party to this playlist!  

(Download with one click on iTunes Ping - search for Amee Meghani) 

New Year's Eve - 2012

Adele - Rolling in the Deep
Britney Spears - Till the World Ends
Coldplay - Paradise
Cobra Starship - You Make Me Feel
Deep Forest - Sweet Lullaby
Ellie Goulding - Lights
Enrique - Tonight I’m Loving You
Enur - Calabria
Flo Rida - Good Feeling
Foster the People - Life on the Nickel
Imogen Heap - Hide and Seek
Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
Janet Jackson - All Nite (Don’t Stop)
Jay-Z (featuring Alicia Keys) - Empire State of Mind
Katy Perry - E.T.
Kelly Rowland - Motivation
Kris Allen - Live Like We’re Dying
La Roux - Bullet Proof
LMFAO - Sexy and I Know It
Metric - Gold Guns Girls
MIA - Boyz
Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal
Mike Posner - Cooler Than Me
Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA
Muse - Undisclosed Desires
One Republic - Good Life
Sade - Soldier of Love
Seal - Crazy
Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People
Sonique - It Feels So Good
Spiller - Groove Jet
Télépopmusik - Breathe
The Naked and Famous - Young Blood
The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition
White Hinterland - Icarus

Favorite Things Foodie Holiday Gifts 2011

Here's my Favorite Things Foodie List for 2011. If you have any specific requests, pls post a comment. Enjoy!

1. For The Love of Soup cookbook by Jeanelle Mitchell, Anthropologie, $19.95

Perfect for: the aspiring cook, recently wed, or recent grad.

I can't resist anything to do with soups! 

2.  Dinner Napkins, set of 4, World Market, $10

Perfect for: The Hostess, Sisters, Mother-in-law, Stocking Stuffers

I love the color scheme and prints of these napkins. 

3.  How are You Peeling? Food with Moods by Saxton Freymann, Barnes & Noble, $6.99

Perfect for: Kids, Nieces, Nephews

See how a fruit or a vegetable makes a statement without saying a word.  Don't let these veggies get all up in your grill.

4. Soup Bowl, World Market, $5.99

Perfect for: Bachelor/Bachelorettes, Spouse at Work, College Student, White Elephant

Sooooo, I know...enough with the soups...I love soup almost as much as I love cordoruoy, BUUUUUUT, this one is cool.  This bowl is shallow and wide and ramen-friendly, microwave and dishwasher safe, and, and, and...it stacks!  ...oh, oh, oh...and it comes with a spoon to match!!  eh, eh, eh??...perfect for your fella....ella...ella...

5. Toaster Oven cookbook, Crate&Barrel, $9.95

Perfect for: Young Professional, Eco-peeps, Singles, Empty Nesters, Newlyweds, Small Apartment Dwellers

Why heat up the entire oven when you're cooking for you or two?  The toaster oven is faster, cheaper, and safer...as the scars on my arm would tell you. 

6.  Pasta of the Month Club, Flying Noodle, Prices vary (can choose every month or every other month)

Perfect for: Families, Workaholics, Athletes, Corporate Gift, Parents, Inlaws

2 Pastas and 2 Meatless Sauces every month.  Send the gift and sign "You're Welcome."

7.  Copco Water Bottle for Single Serve drink mixes, Amazon, $9.99

Perfect for: Athletes, Workaholics, Busybodies...who doesn't need (flavored) water??

Besides the obvious ergonomic designer-y features, it has a secret showcasing compartment for flavor mixes.  Perfect for boasting when someone approaches you to admire it.  "What? This ol' thang?"  or "Your water bottle doesn't have that?"

8. Yogurt Maker, Bed Bath and Beyond, $39.99

Perfect for: Healthy Foodies, Young/New Moms, Newlyweds, The Gadget, Someone with a lot of counterspace

You say you don't eat much yogurt?  You don't like buttermilk biscuits? You don't like a perfect marinade? You don't like any smoothies?   You don't want something to balance all that spicy food you've been eating? You don't like imposter ranch dressing?  Baked Potatoes? Soups? Parfaits?

9.  Red Blossom Teapot, WorldofGood.com, $22.00

Perfect for: Inlaws, Parents, Empty Nesters, Homebodies, Girlfriends, Roomies, Hostess, Housewarming

This belongs in an Anthropologie magazine held by a woman with messy ponytail, wearing a pleated yellow skirt, a navy and green polka dotted blouse (tucked in), a crocheted cardigan, and a ginormous bracelet cuff...which I don't think goes together...until I see it on her.  because we all want to look like that when we drink tea. 

10. Ceramic Compost Bin, Uncommongoods.com, $65.00

Perfect for: Families, Eco-guy/gal, DINKs

So I know nothing about composting except that I'm waaaay behind in this eco movement.  But, if I did, I would purchase this one.  It has one small flaw.  It's TOO cute.  I can see myself gossiping with my sister in my kitchen as she (in slow motion) reaches for the "cookie jar" mid-sentence, out comes doo-doo tipped fingers and I say "noooooooooooooooooo!"... (can't you just see that)

11. Rachael Ray Square Casserole Dish, Kohl's, $53.99

Perfect for:  Young Professionals, DINKS, Families, Inlaws, Parents

I know - you hate Rachael Ray.  But first of all, ahem, I don't.  And this is my blog.  And second, this is Christmas, so stop haaaatin' and talkin trash.  And third, her bakeware is colorful and has handles, and a LID.  Why don't you try to put a lid on it, huh?  Oh and, it's not translucent so the world doesn't need to find out that I scorched the bottom of the lasagna.  Whatcha got on that, Pyrex??  Bring it.

Still didn't find anything?  Then I gather you aren't shopping for me?  I'm mildly offended, but I can divert you to a mall of choices...check out some of these select gift lists:

Favorite Things Foodie Holiday Gifts 2010 by me!

20 Gift Ideas for Healthy Foodies by Eating Rules

7 Thoughtful Kitchen Gifts for Indian Cooking by Shefs Kitchen

Great Gifts for Kid Chefs by Jolly Tomato

Top Ten Gifts for People Who Love to Cook by Cooking on the Weekends

LAST MINUTE Gifts for Foodies by me!

Thanks for the Extension

I'm very late writing this, but I would rather post it late, than never.  So....

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!!!  Woohoo!!!

(not the same effect one week later?) 

When Cathy at What Would Cathy Eat? asked for a submission for her awesome HealthyThanks (Healthy Thanksgiving) campaign I really really wanted to do it.  And my head was all over the place (more than normally) and i was thinking should i make dessert? a side? something different? traditional? easy? labor intensive and impressive?

And then I gave her nothing.  Went on vacation.  Luckily my blog boss is very very lenient.

But the whole time during my vacation I was regretting not writing a Thanksgiving entry.  There is so much I am thankful for and I wanted to say it.

I returned from vacation and went to the grocery store and bought a few things and suddenly a dish was organically created in my kitchen.  Not realizing that I had made an ideal dish for HealthyThanks - healthy, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian...and you'd never know it that the Healthy component was hiding underneath so much flavor.

Without further delay, I want to say I am grateful for:

• Cathy- thanks for the 1 week extension and inspiring me to write this post.
• My Husband - Thanks for taking the trash out today.  And emptying the dishwasher.  And starting the laundry so that I could write this post.  Thanks for making me laugh every day.  And please...no more dutch ovens.
• My Parents - I am so grateful to have both of them still around, and I will use their remaining years to make fun of my dad and to annoy my mom as much as possible.
• My Inlaws - Again, grateful to have both of them around.  My MIL is an amazing cook and a very nurturing spirit and my FIL is an exceptionally optimistic person and always has a spring in his step, smiling no matter what.
• My sister - A talented energetic workhorse who exhibits incredible work ethic and integrity and inspires those who surround her...even though her Type A ness is way out of control.
• My brother-in-law - The man working silently backstage in the giant production of my sister's household.  He even calls me occasionally.
• My nieces - The two cutest buttons on the planet.  They don't even have to say a word to make me smile.  And I only have to say one word to make them smile.  Candy.
• My sister-in-law - The glue of our family.  It always feels empty at home if she's not there.  Thanks for being the one that talks. 
• My sister-in-law's husband - Thanks for being the other foodie in the family. I don't feel so alone!  We have to stick together!
• My friends - Thanks for just being you.  Old, new, near, far.  You will always be appreciated.  You were carefully chosen and I hope you are here to stay.  Especially because you have a lot of dirt on me.
• My new co-workers - Thanks for making this a pleasant place to be every day.  You make me smile and  laugh.  I am so so glad to be here, part of your team, and wish I had been here sooner.  I'm really digging this whole mutual respect thing and the absence of racoons in my workspace.
• My yoga class - Thanks for building a warm community.  I feel the warm energy and love when I walk into the room.  I feel healed instantly when I see each of you...even if I see you while I'm upside down, seeing you through the legs of the person standing between us.
• The blogging community - Thanks for the support and championing my talents and championing the talents of others.  We are a new type of family/community...and A Pie For Mikey demonstrates our magnitude and strength.
• My readers, subscribers, and commenters - Without you, I would not keep coming back to write.  Thank you for making this so enjoyable for me.  And thanks for pretending that you are actually going to make one of my recipes one day. 
• I am also grateful for running water, a roof and shelter, heat and a/c, food, and everything that satisfies  Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

...and my smartphone.

Roasted Root Vegetable Soup

gluten-free; vegan; vegetarian
recipe by rabbitfoodrocks

You can't deny the sweet flavors of roasted root vegetables.  This is hearty all on it's own paired with some good whole grain bread.  Any combination of root vegetables work here.  Enjoy this during the winter months!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1" chunks

1 fennel bulb, quartered (cut again crossways to make them smaller, if needed)

1 turnip, cut into 1" chunks

1 yellow onion, cut into 1" chunks

2 carrots, cut into 1" chunks

2 cups butternut squash (optional), cut into 1" chunks
1 head of garlic

4 sprigs of rosemary

6 cups vegetable broth*

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Slice the very top of the garlic bulb off, just so the top of each clove is barely exposed.  Drizzle 1 tsp of olive oil over the top of the exposed cloves.

2. Put all of the diced root vegetables in a bowl and toss with 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil.  Not too much - just so that they are barely shiny-looking.  (Do you like my technical and precise instructions?)

3.  Spread all of the veggies on a baking sheet.  Bury/nest the sprigs of rosemary between the veggies.  Put the head of garlic on the baking sheet also.  Bake for 1 hour, or until the vegetables are nicely browned.  Meanwhile, you can make the vegetable broth (see note below).
4.  Remove from the oven, turn off the oven and allow veggies to cool for 15 mins. 
5. Remove the garlic cloves from their pods.  Puree the vegetables and garlic cloves with the vegetable broth in batches.  I recommend 3 batches.  Puree to the desired consistency and empty into a large soup pot until all of the veggie and broth have been pureed together.   You can always add more water to thin it out.
6.  Heat on low, constantly stirring, until warmed through.  Add salt, pepper to taste. (You can also add heat (Tabasco) and an acid component if you like, such as lemon juice)  Serve with garlic crostini or whole grain bread.

*Keep all of the vegetable peels, skins, etc - you can use them to make the vegetable broth.  Boil 6 cups water and add salt, and then add the peels, ends, etc.  (Seems weird and gross, but I did it...and it worked well, and  I lived long enough to write this recipe.)  Let simmer for 40 mins on lowest while root vegetables bake (during step 3).   Then cool for 15 minutes.

Restaurant Review: Southpaw's Organic Grill

I learned about it when I was doing Thermodynamics homework in 1999 with Joey Clements.  He would spend half of the time that I would on Thermodynamic homework and get twice the grade.  Not an exaggeration, as the scores ranged from 26 to 84.  He said "Hey, we're both South Paws!"

"Huh? What is South Pause?"

"You know, South Paws!...You've never heard of a Southpaw?  Left-handed...we're both left handed."

"Oh.", as I made a mental note for writing my future book, What White People Know Which My Immigrant Parents Didn't Teach Me.  I'll add this after my chapter about What You Should Say You Had for Dinner Last Night.

So when I walked into Southpaws for a sandwich, I at least knew what the name meant.  Yeah...I'm bad.  You know it.   Then, into a sea of lunch clientele, I walked.  (I just turned into Yoda...after being Michael Jackson...let me undo that). 

There were lots of options.  Some for the traditionalist, like a club sandwich, and some for the adventurous.  A veggie sandwich.  There were other veggie options as well: 3 or 4 PB&Js, 3-4 Grilled Cheese, a make your own, a Chef's choice (which is both scary and exciting to put the fate of your sandwich into someone's spontaneity).  I just kept it simple. Let's see if their Veggie is just a shredded iceberg lettucehead embraced by bread. 

I liked the Veggie Sandwich and have since been loyal to the Veggie.  I haven't had a need to go beyond that, although, it's nice to know I can.  And I do love the fruit sides...not a sorry melon fruit cup but real, manly, fruit sides, like oranges wedges and watermelon cut into perfect isoceles.  But it's not just the sandwich and fresh fruit that keep me coming back.  Southpaws is a scene.  Move out of the way, online dating, Southpaws at Preston Center is climbing up on top.  The place is energized by a diligent staff of active, mid to late 20-something bachelors.  And what's not hot about a guy making me a sandwich?  "get in the kitchen and make me some sandwich, boa'!"

Veggie on Marble Rye

The place is already bumpin' and rockin' at 8 am from their signature organic energy smoothies and expansive breakfast menu.   And you can order things like a Soopaman.  The bodies behind the counter reel in the cougars and the single ladies by the handfuls.  I watched one attractive woman walk by wearing an interesting interpretation of winter attire.  With barren arms while wearing Uggs, I questioned if we might expect to witness a volleyball game in the snow.  But then I realized, she's not dressed for winter--she's dressed for Marcus, one of the hearththrobs of this Southpaw location.  I look down and thank my wedding ring for saving me from embarrassment, which at one time I could have easily subjected myself to.  Thank you, Lord, for bringing me to Southpaws as a married woman who knows what a Southpaw is.  I can eat my sandwich shamelessly.