September 2009 Archives

I was driving home to visit my family in Snohomish last week. My brother Andrew called me and said, "Are you hungry? I'm making you something vegan! Come home soon!" Ten minutes later I walked into the house to discover my mom and brother leaning over stuffed squash in the open oven. They had used round zucchinis, young carrots, tomatoes and basil all from my dad's garden.
It was delicious. I am thoroughly impressed with Andrew's budding culinary skills. You may remember me discussing his eating habits in a previous post.
So this recipe is my mom and brother's. Enjoy.

How to make: Cut squash in half length wise, and scoop out the innards [and reserve]. Put the halves face down in about an inch of water, and boil for 20 minutes, until tender.

Stuffing:

Cut cubes of favorite bread, add to the innards with assorted veggies, onions, carrots, mushrooms. Mix with spices (basil, cardamon, sage, garlic, white pepper, salt) and about a tablespoon of olive oil.

When done boiling the squash, brush inside with olive oil or butter. Fill with the stuffing. Bake with the stuffing side up (no water in pan) for another 40 minutes (or until stuffing has sufficiently browned).

Garnish with tomato and basil.

Chimichurri is a sauce or marinade originating from Argentina and featuring flat-leaf parsley. This recipe for tofu marinated in chimichurri on grilled bread is way delicious. Red pepper flakes in the chimichurri don't make it spicy but give it a pleasant heat.

Flat-leaf parsley has a more robust flavor than curly parsley, which is also called Italian parsley. Fresh herbs tend to come in large bunches that I can't use before they go bad, but I have found a way to deal. Putting them in jars of water helps them last and doubles as a bouquet. Purple-flowered savory, white-flowered basil, flat-leaf parsley: even if I can't use them before they wilt, they have added a lovely fresh green to the dining table and are cheaper than bouquets of flowers.

Ingredients

15 oz firm tofu
4 slices whole grain bread

Chimichurri Ingredients

1/2 c. minced red onion
1/2 c. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 c. sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp. chopped oregano
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. crushed red-pepper flakes
Black pepper

1. Press tofu dry with a paper towel. Cut into four pieces and press again.
2. Combine all the chimichurri ingredients in a bowl; reserve half cup. Marinate the tofu in the remaining chimichurri for an hour. Baste occasionally.
3. Brush sides of bread with chimichurri. Grill on medium heat until crisp. Grill tofu until lightly charred. Serve the tofu on the bread with a dollop of the reserved chimichurri.

Katie, our friends, and I first made this recipe when we lived in the Fairhaven dorms. We used the communal kitchenette and didn't even have a blender so we ate it with grated chunks. We paired it with whatever we'd happened to pick up at the grocery store, garlic bread and chips and salsa, apple cider too.

The peanut butter makes this soup creamy and the cayenne gives it a kick. This recipe comes from my trusty Holden Village cookbook Cook Boldly, and remains a favorite for potlucks and get-togethers. I like best when I have a friend around to do the grating for me, like last night when I just stood by and directed while my friends cooked. Serve with a good crusty bread.

Ingredients

1 1/3 c. onions, minced
1/2 tsp. oil
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
1 1/3 c. carrots, grated
2 2/3 c. sweet potatoes, grated
2 2/3 c. water
10 oz. tomato juice
2/3 c. natural peanut butter
Salt and pepper
Chopped peanuts for garnish

1. Sauté the onions in oil until soft. Add cayenne, ginger, and carrots; continue sautéing.
2. Add sweet potatoes, salt, and water; bring to a boil. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
3. Purée with tomato juice and peanut butter.
4. Heat and serve, garnished with chopped peanuts.