Monday, April 6, 2009

tonight's big plans:

Tempeh Spinach Rustic Pie

from 'have cake will travel'

For the filling:
2 teaspoons orange zest, about 2 oranges
1/2 cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice, about 2 oranges
2 tablespoons (40 g) all-fruit orange marmalade
1 tablespoon (15 ml) toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional, to taste
2 teaspoons ground ginger
8 ounces (227 g) tempeh, crumbled
1 tablespoon (15 ml) peanut oil
2 cups (380 g) frozen chopped spinach

For the crust:
3 tablespoons (48 g) tahini
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/4 cups (150 g) light spelt flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 ml) fresh orange juice

To make the filling:
In a medium bowl, whisk zest, juice, marmalade, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, optional red pepper flakes, and ginger.
Stir in tempeh. Marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Cook marinated tempeh, along with marinade, on medium heat until it browns up, for about 8 minutes. Add spinach and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5). Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat, such as Silpat.

To make the crust:
In your stand mixer or food processor, combine tahini, salt, and flour. Add orange juice, 1 tablespoon (15 ml) at a time, until dough forms.
Shape into a disk. Roll out dough to approximately 11 x 10 inches (28 x 25 cm), a little over 1/8-inch (3-mm) thick.
Transfer onto prepared baking sheet.
Place filling on top of the prepared crust, leaving about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the edges: the filling will pile up high. Level it, fold the edges of the pie crust up and over so that the filling is visible: it’ll look rustic, and that’s the point.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the top of the crust is golden brown.
Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.





....camera phone pictures to follow bc the good camera's out on lone all the way in LA. yum cityyyy

to blog or not to blog.

So, it has certainly been a while, but I'm back in the blogoshere. Is that what it's called?

...who am I kidding? I can barely send a text message.


Anyway, I had a really good tofu florentine day last week. It's lazy American-style rather than English (read as: braised, broiled tofu with spinach and cheezy sauce over garlic mashed potatoes rather than over toasted english muffins).





It's really sad that I only take pictures of cats and food. and sometimes myself if I'm having an especially "on" day. Tough life, I know!




Living alone is:

Making a really beautiful dinner for two for yourself and your best friend.<3

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

These were all Hannah

Tea-infused cupcakes. We ended up making WAY more cupcakes than we have friends to eat them with...

Swear I'm working on making friends. Hungry friends. because I don't have my vegan garbage disposal boyfriend to eat my leftovers for me anymore. /:










Living alone is:

having a good relationship with your freezer.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Thursday, October 2, 2008

ah, the kittens.

my cats are way more interesting than thedailykitten.com
the user comments are ASININE. sheer stupidity.




Wednesday, October 1, 2008

the pizza thing

it's fun until you have to preheat the oven for 500 degrees! and then you've realized the COOKIE SHEETS NEVER MADE IT EITHER! and then you've got pizza half stuck and burnt to the top rack and you need two spatulas and four hands to get it out of the oven and then go back to do the same thing, but DEEPER IN THE OVEN so that when the pizza sticks this time, you can close the oven door.

UGH.

Totally worth it though. I'm dead serious.



Also note the vegan blue cheese dressing next to the buffalo chicken pizza. It's:
1/2 cup veganaise
1 tsp tahini
the juice of 2 lemon slices (i'm talking the size of the garnish on your cocktail)
a splash of white vinegar
garlic powder to taste.

you can crumble a bit of tofu for texture, but i think it's silly. unless someone's going to wake up early and make tofu scramble for you with the left overs and bring it to you in bed. otherwise, skip it. and you're not spoiled enough.

a day in the life. round #1

You're right. It has been way too long since I've posted, but it's because I've been very busy cooking. I've embarked on the terribly romantic practice of soaking one's own beans. and then cooking them. but before cooking, falling in love with that floral smell of pre-cooked beans.

It makes me hate all canned goods. It also helped me not notice that a can opener never made it here during the move. I think we had three before we left. Obviously, I'm great at packing things. and keeping track of my belongings.

those are a black bean burrito stuffed with garlic mashed potato and curried broccoli.

I also won "best girlfriend ever" award that evening upon leaving this for the bunny on the stove:


I overloaded on pizza this evening with jon. Buffalo fake-chicken pizza and a vegetable pizza with tomato, broccoli, and spinach. Holy fuck. Follow your heart cheese on both.


Everyone gets that everything I do is vegan, right?