meatless pulled pork

Vegetarian Times created the best "pulled pork" sandwich, I tried my hand at making it. It was so delicious! It was a perfect match with VT's corn bread recipe as well. YUM!

best homemade salad

This recipe for shrimp and avocado salad with crispy tortilla was so easy! Also, it was the best salad I think I have ever made.

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 20m | Total Time: 20m

Ingredients

• 6 corn tortillas, sliced into strips
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined large shrimp
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 romaine hearts, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
• 1/4 small cabbage, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the tortilla strips with 1 tablespoon of the oil and ¼ teaspoon salt. Spread in a single layer and bake, tossing once, until golden and crisp, 7 to 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the shrimp with the cumin and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp until golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
3. In a large bowl, combine the orange and lime juices with the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add the romaine, cabbage, avocado, and shrimp and toss to combine. Serve the salad topped with the tortilla strips and pepitas.

paulie gee's greenpoint

Photo © Katie Sokoler/Gothamist.

I dined at Paulie Gee's when a friend was in town from Chicago, it was some of the best pizza I have ever eaten, comparable to Roberta's or Difara. I loved that Paulie G himself was standing outside greeting everyone. The interior is very homey, and it felt like I wasn't in Brooklyn anymore, like I was in a small town, and I found this little gem.

A little bit prosecco with the two pizza's we ordered- "the mootz" and "a whiter shade of Kale". It was a lovely experience, I would definitely visit Paulie G again, and I am glad that it is right around the corner from me!

food curated video

smart spoon

aissalogerot.com

paper and string

what a lovely site paper and string has!

epicurious

"The eagerly anticipated follow-up to Heidi Swanson’s James Beard–nominated Super Natural Cooking features 100 vegetarian recipes for nutritious, gratifying, weekday-friendly dishes from the popular blogger behind 101 Cookbooks."

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups/12 oz/340 g cooked quinoa, at room temperature
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1/3 cup/.5 oz /15 g finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 yellow or white onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup/.5 oz/15 g freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyère cheese
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup/3.5 oz /100 g whole grain bread crumbs, plus more if needed
• Water, if needed
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or clarified butter

print a shopping list for this recipe

Preparation

Combine the quinoa, eggs, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the chives, onion, cheese, and garlic. Add the bread crumbs, stir, and let sit for a few minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a mixture you can easily form into twelve 1-inch/2.5cm thick patties. I err on the very moist side because it makes for a not-overly-dry patty, but you can add more bread crumbs, a bit at a time, to firm up the mixture, if need be. Conversely, a bit more beaten egg or water can be used to moisten the mixture.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add 6 patties, if they'll fit with some room between each, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply browned. Turn up the heat if there is no browning after 10 minutes and continue to cook until the patties are browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and cook the second sides for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties. Alternatively, the quinoa mixture keeps nicely in the refrigerator for a few days; you can cook patties to order, if you prefer.

To cook quinoa: Combine 2 cups/12 oz/340 g of well-rinsed uncooked quinoa with 3 cups / 700 ml water and 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, decrease the heat, and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the quinoa is tender and you can see the little quinoa curlicues.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Little-Quinoa-Patties-365029#ixzz1Kf3RLedD

very scientific

"Modernist Cuisine is a six-volume, 2,438-page set that is des­tined to rein­vent cook­ing. The lav­ishly illus­trated books use thou­sands of orig­i­nal images to make the sci­ence and tech­nol­ogy clear and engaging."

finger food party!

Tonight I am having a small gathering before the new year strikes. What's on the menu? Well, I hit up tastespotting.com to find a delicious recipe for vegetarian lasagna, mango salsa, and maybe a pizza?

collecting cookies

Empire Cookies

Yield: About 4 dozen

For the Cookies:2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/3 cup of your favorite jam

For the Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour and baking powder; set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture just until combined.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a little less than ¼-inch thick. Using a 1¾-inch round or fluted cookie cutter, cut out rounds. Place about one inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until the edges start to color. Watch closely, as they can get too dark rather quickly! Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

5. Spread bottom side of half of the cookies with about ¼ teaspoon of jam. Top with remaining cookies.

6. To make icing, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk, adjusting the milk and powdered sugar to reach the desired consistency. Spread over the tops of the cookies. Let stand until icing is completely dry. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

brownbaker.com

Chocolate-Covered Chocolate-Mint Cookies aka “Thin Mints”

Lightly adapted from Desserts by the Yard by Sherry Yard

Ingredients

1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1¼ cups sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter , cut into 1/2-inch pie

ces
2 large egg yolks
1½ teaspoon peppermint oil
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2½ pounds bittersweet chocolate

Directions

Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse a few times to combine the ingredients.

Add the butter and pulse to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Add the egg yolks, peppermint oil, and vanilla and pulse until a dough forms on the blades of the food processor.

Remove the dough from the food processor and shape into a

2-inch-thick log. Wrap in plastic wrap or parchment paper and

refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Place racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Cut into ¼-inch-thick disks and arrange ½-inch apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Switch the baking sheets from top to bottom and rotate from front to back and continue to bake for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the cookies are light brown. Remove from the oven and allow to coo

l on racks. Make sure to let the baking sheets cool between batches. Do not handle the cookies until they are cool, or they’ll break; they’re very delicate.

Melt and temper the bittersweet chocolate. Keep the chocolate warm while you dip the cookies.

Place a sheet pan upside down on your work surface, next to the melted chocolate. Cover with parchment paper. Dip the cookies one by one in the chocolate

, using a fork to turn them over and then lift them out of the ch

ocolate. It helps to tilt the bowl forward by leaning it on a folde

d kitchen towel.

Set the dipped cookies on the parchment, beginning at the far end so you don’t drip chocolate on other cookies when you set them down. Allow to cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

tastespotting.com

Carrot Cake Crisps (Recipe by Me)
Printable Recipe

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup finely grated carrot
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
1/3 cup crushed pineapple
1/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter, brown sugar and maple syrup until creamy - about 1-2 minutes; beat in vanilla and egg until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in flour mixture until combined. Beat in carrot, coconut, pecans, pineapple and raisins until combined.

Drop flat, round spoonfuls of batter onto cookie sheets, about an inch apart. Bake 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown and firm. Turn oven off and leave cookies in oven for 1 hour or until crisp. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 20 cookies
visionofsugarplum.com

smart and spicy

Great article on how spice effects our brains. Thanks Scott!

beans!

My friend Christina sent me this link- 10 tasty ways to cook beans.
There is really nothing easier then beans, check it out.

vanderbilt

Checking out the Vanderbilt tonight, in Prospect Heights.

rockaway taco

Rockaway Taco, A Selby Film from the selby on Vimeo.

via freewilliamsburg

di fara pizza

di fara pizza

I always forget about this gem when I have guests in town. Di Fara Pizza is supposed to be absolutely amazing. I have heard that it's worth the wait, which could be more then an hour? So this post is a reminder to myself. go to di fara, guests or not.

lovely

I'm headed to Lovely Day tonight before I go to the First Aide Kit show!
I'm a sucker for Papaya Salad, so I'm gearing up to try they're Spicy Papaya Salad. mmmmm
Oh, and SOOO excited to see the First Aide Kit ladies live!!

quinoa + greek yogurt

This looks delicious! I'll try my hand this week. Check out the blog cooking after five.

pickles!

sue veed teaches the art of pickles, check out her serious eats article.

REAL veggie burgers

My friend Christina has a great blog take back your table, a food blog. It's always tough for me, as a vegetarian to feel full and eat well. With that said, I'm am so excited to make her latest recipe-- veggie burgers! Healthy and filling to boot!

Veggie Burger

Makes 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped (about 4-5 medium sized 'shrooms)

1/2 cup beet greens or fresh spinach, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1 -15 ounce can red kidney beans (or any bean you like), rinsed and drained

*optional- 1 teaspoon salt (I find this necessary if you are using organic canned beans. They are not as salty as conventional canned beans and often need a bit of salt.)

1)- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil mushrooms, greens and garlic. Saute for 4-6 minutes or until veggies are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool, about 5 minutes.

2)- In a medium bowl, combine egg, breadcrumbs, beans and cooled veggies. Using a potato masher or your hands, mash the ingredients until the beans become mushy and the entire mixture comes together. If mixture seems a little dry, you can add a dash of water. Form the mixture into four evenly sized patties.

3)- Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a large clean skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties until golden brown on each side, about 4-6 minutes per side. Serve on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and ketchup.

crisp snacks

This is right up my alley. What great packaging and good for you too! Crips.
via notcot

saucey sunday

"(bair-naz) - It is a variation of hollandaise sauce. White wine or vinegar, diced shallots, tarragon, and peppercorns are cooked together and reduced and sieved and then added to hollandaise sauce. The spice tarragon is what gives it a distinctive taste. The sauce is served with beef and some shellfish."
via whats cooking in america


Ingredients
* 2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
* 2 tablespoons dry white wine
* 1/4 cup very finely chopped shallot
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, more if desired
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon leaf
* 3 large egg yolks
* 1 tablespoon water
* 1/2-3/4 cup unsalted butter, very soft (I've always used 1 1/2 sticks)
* coarse salt
* pepper, if desired
* lemon juice, if desired

Directions
1. Combine vinegar, wine, shallots, black pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon in a small saucepan.
2. Cook over medium heat until reduced to 1 tablespoon, 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Add egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of water to reduced vinegar mixture.
4. Whisk until thick and pale, about 2 minutes.
5. Set pan over moderately low heat and continue to whisk at reasonable speed reaching all over bottom and insides of pan, where eggs tend to overcook.
6. To moderate heat, frequently move pan off burner for a few seconds, then back on.
7. As they cook, the eggs will become frothy and increase in volume, then thicken.
8. When the bottom of the pan is visible in the streaks left by the whisk and the eggs are thick and smooth, remove from heat.
9. By spoonfuls, add soft butter, whisking constantly to incorporate each addition.
10. As the emulsion forms, add butter in slightly larger amounts, always whisking until fully absorbed.
11. Continue incorporating butter until sauce has thickened to consistency desired.
12. Season with salt, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped tarragon and, if desired, pepper.
13. Add a few droplets of lemon juice if necessary.



via recipe zaar