FFtVSC: Wild Rice Pilaf with Peas, Lemon Zest, and Tarragon

This Wild Rice Pilaf from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker is unexpectedly one of the best recipes of this cookbook. I'm a relative novice when it comes to tarragon. I remember the first time I tried tarragon it seemed too licorice-y and sweet, and I generally prefer savory flavors. But I'm beginning to learn how it can be used in unexpected ways. I didn't want to run out to buy fresh tarragon, so I used a teaspoon of dried instead of the Tablespoon of fresh that the recipe calls for. I must admit that lemon and tarragon make a lovely pairing, and the two together helped balance out the natural swampiness of the wild rice without masking it's rich nuttiness. I also want to mention that cooking the wild rice in the slow cooker is pure genius. I used my rice cooker last time I made wild rice, and it's so tricky to get it beyond the crunchy stage and into delightful fluffiness. The slow cooker cooks the wild rice slowly enough that it doesn't burn, and the glass lid allows you to easily monitor the cooking progress without releasing all of the wonderful steam.

Veganomicon: Spicy Tempeh Nori Rolls

I'm back!

These babies made an appearance as Sunday lunch. They were pretty good. I've never had sushi with mayo in it, though I've heard it's very popular here in the States. I added all the hot oil that I had which was much more than the recipe called for, and it still didn't qualify as spicy for me, so either my hot oil wasn't very hot, or the mayo took away too much of the hit. The tempeh filling was a bit like "tuna" salad, and the fillings squished out the sides as I was forming the rolls. I think I would like to see some red pepper strips in this next time for a touch of color and sweetness.

Brown and Wild Rice with Asparagus and Basic Broiled Tofu

This meal is the sort of meal that makes you feel energized, light and virtuous. I found the wild rice and asparagus recipe on the Fatfree Vegan Kitchen blog when I was searching for a way to combine two ingredients that I happened to have on hand. It is the perfect weekend lunch for this time of year when Winter lingers but the weather warms up just enough to make your soul yearn for Spring. The wild rice and almonds convey the warmth and comfort of Winter while the asparagus hints at the promise of Spring. I was almost tempted to add oil to this dish, either by adding a dab of Soy Garden at the end or by sauteing the asparagus in it instead, but Susan V has never led me astray, so I made the recipe as written, and I'm so glad I did. The result was a nutty and delicate pilaf without any sort of heaviness of greasiness. I'm all for fat when it serves a purpose, but sometimes it's just unnecessary.

The Basic Broiled Tofu from the Veganomicon was a wonderful protein accompaniment. The lemon juice provided the perfect link between the flavor palettes of the two recipes. I was a bit concerned that this recipe wouldn't work out since the tofu that I had was the 99 cent tofu from Trader Joe's rather than extra-firm like the recipe called for, and then when the tofu was broiling and the tofu released its water into the pan I thought for sure that the tofu would end up soggy and fall apart. But with only an additional 3 minutes under the broiler, the tofu firmed up and the liquid evaporated. Without any additional oil, the tofu managed to take on a wonderfully chewy texture on the top while maintaining a smooth creamy interior. WIth such a low fat content, and no sugary sauce, this is one of the healthiest tofu recipes that I've encountered.

Veganomicon: Green Pea and Lemon Risotto with Roasted Red Peppers

I love risotto. This risotto is a lovely combination of the sweet peas and roasted red peppers and the rich, herby, and creamy rice in harmony with the sparkle of the lemon. I think this would be a dreamy dish for a Valentine's dinner with the one you love.

Veganomicon: Pumpkin Saag and Saffron-Garlic Rice

The Pumpkin Saag reminded me of a red lentil, quinoa, spinach salad recipe that was in Veggie Life in the grains issue. Unfortunately I didn't read the recipe carefully before shopping for ingredients and planned on using the pureed pumpkin left-over from my pumpkin bread recipe. The difference only seemed to affect the texture and not the flavor. I think this is one dish that I would make spicier, since I tend to expect it in a curry.

The Saffron-Garlic Rice had a wonderful flavor, but just a bit too much oil for my taste. I think if I make this one again I will cut back the oil to less tan a tablespoon. I also changed the slivered almonds to frozen peas added right at the end and lightly steamed on the hot rice (with the lid on). I think that almonds would be just as wonderful, I just felt like bright green peas would make a nice light alternative in such a weighty dish.

Basic Stir-Fry

1 carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 onion, cut into thin moons
12 oz fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 crown broccoli cut into small florets
1-2 cloves garlic minced
1 T freshly ground ginger root
sushi vinegar
toasted sesame oil
hot oil
tamari

The keys to a good stir fry are fresh ingredients, prepping everything before the oil hits the wok, and only adding 1 ingredient at a time.

Heat the wok on high and add a small amount of a high heat tolerant oil like canola or peanut oil. Add the onion, breaking up the moons into strips. stir til coated with oil and starting to wilt. Add carrots and stir to coat with oil and if you like your carrots softer than crunchy, cover the wok with a lid to trap steam for 15-30 seconds. Uncover, stir and add the mushrooms, stir until mushrooms reduce in size and release liquid, then add the broccoli, stir, and cover again for a few seconds. Uncover, stir add garlic, ginger, and sushi vinegar, sesame oil, hot oil, hot oil and tamari to taste.