Fruit-Forward Frozen Treat

March 7, 2021 Sam

This isn’t ice cream. Some people call it (or variations of it) “nice cream” but I am too ambivalent about that term to use it as the title. My main problem is that it replaces the word “ice”, which is the one word of the phrase that is still true – there is ice in there. There is no cream, or at least there may not be any cream. Also, “nice cream” may be someone’s intellectual property.

There are many variations here. I am going to include the basic recipe and then variations below that. The variations would change the nutritional profile, but generally the bananas or other fresh fruit are going to provide the primary source of calories and nutrients.

Print Recipe

Fruit-Forward Frozen Treat

So good it doesn't need added sugar

Prep Time10

Cook Time0

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Substitutes

Servings: servings

Calories: 88kcal

Equipment

Food processor or high-speed blender

Ingredients

3 large bananas peeled, sliced and frozen
½ cup strawberries cubed and frozen
½ cup mango peeled, cubed and frozen
½ cup yogurt
¼ cup flax milk

Instructions

Peel the bananes and slice into 1"-thick slices. Add to a bag or container and place in the freezer until they are fully frozen, at least 6 hours or up to a few days. Also prepare the other fruit. In this standard recipe of strawberries and mangos, I am assuming they are already cleaned, cubed and frozen.
Add all frozen fruit to a large food processor or a high-speed blender.

Notes

Variations

Chocolate tahini: 3 frozen bananas, ½ cup yogurt, ¼ cup flax milk, 2 tbsp tahini, 3 tbsp cocoa, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 pinch salt
Peanut butter and chocolate: 3 frozen bananas, ½ cup yogurt, ¼ cup flax milk, 2 tbsp peanut butter, 3 tbsp cocoa powder

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Fruit-Forward Frozen Treat

Amount Per Serving

Calories 88 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 3mg1%

Sodium 16mg1%

Potassium 321mg9%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 2g4%

Vitamin A 234IU5%

Vitamin C 18mg22%

Calcium 44mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Breakfast

Breakfast Naan

March 7, 2021 Sam

Excellent way to use leftover naan and yuba bacon! A delicious second-day meal to follow up the naan and sausages.

You can reduce the calories and fat if you make simpler scrambled eggs, without the 4 tbsp of butter. Or even reduce the eggs to just 1 egg per serving. But really, why would you do that? This is decadent!

Print Recipe

Breakfast Naan

For when you just have too much naan, if that's even a thing

Prep Time5

Cook Time5

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 762kcal

Ingredients

6 slices yuba bacon
4 scrambled eggs
2 pieces naan
2 oz cheddar cheese
Hot sauce optional
Green chilies optional

Instructions

Prepare all of the ingredients. Warm the naan and bacon.
Place the naan on a place and top with bacon, eggs and cheddar cheese. Add the optional hot sauce and green chilies. Serve.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Breakfast Naan

Amount Per Serving

Calories 762 Calories from Fat 441

% Daily Value*

Fat 49g75%

Saturated Fat 28g175%

Trans Fat 2g

Cholesterol 478mg159%

Sodium 1412mg61%

Potassium 258mg7%

Carbohydrates 50g17%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 1699IU34%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 361mg36%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Breakfast, Dairy-Free

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

March 7, 2021 Sam

Print Recipe

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Prep Time10

Cook Time5

Total Time15

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: Basics

Servings: servings

Calories: 351kcal

Ingredients

2 tsp cornstarch
4 tbsp unsalted butter cold, cut into ¼" cubes
4 large eggs
⅕ tsp salt

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 tsp cornstarch with 1.5 tbsp water until there are no lumps. Add half the butter cubes to the mixture. Add eggs and salt. Whisk until the eggs are well-beaten. (Yes, the butter cubes will remain.)
The rest goes very quickly, so prepare your plates next to the stove. Heat 1 tbsp water in a large skillet over medium-high. Swirl with a spatula gently until the water evaporates. As soon as the water is all-but gone, add the remaining 2 tbsp butter and push around with the spatula for just a few seconds until the better is almost entirely melted but not brown.
Add the egg mixture and cook, pushing and folding the eggs with the spatula. Do this until they are just less cooked than you like them, which usually takes about 1-2 minutes depending on how you like eggs, and then transfer them to a plate. Faster stirring leads to finer, softer chunks, while a slower stir will result in larger, fluffier curds.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Amount Per Serving

Calories 351 Calories from Fat 288

% Daily Value*

Fat 32g49%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 432mg144%

Sodium 378mg16%

Potassium 145mg4%

Carbohydrates 3g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 13g26%

Vitamin A 1240IU25%

Calcium 63mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Fall, Great Leftovers, Rotation, Seasons, Spring, Summer, Weeknight Dinner, Winter

Naan & Sausages

March 6, 2021 Sam

This is inspired by Short Leash, which is the first place I saw that put sausages in naan and filled them with delicious toppings.

Print Recipe

Naan & Sausages

Relatively easy and simple, if you already have naan, beans and yuba bacon

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Vegetarian

Keyword: Simple

Servings: servings

Calories: 864kcal

Ingredients

1 cup pinto beans
4 pieces naan
4 vegetarian sausages Beyond Meat "Brat Original"
4 tbsp green chilies
1 tbsp canola oil
2 yellow onions
1 jalapenos
8 pieces yuba bacon optional

Instructions

Prep

These do not count towards the total time for this meal, because hopefully you are cooking this part of a larger meal plan. Make sure you have naan, pinto beans (or other bean that holds it shape) and yuba bacon (if using).
1 cup pinto beans, 4 pieces naan, 8 pieces yuba bacon

Cooking and Assembly

To a large skillet or sauté pan, add the 1 tbsp canola oil and heat over medium. Then add the yellow onions and jalapenos and fry until they develop some color and are well-softened.
1 tbsp canola oil, 2 yellow onions, 1 jalapenos
Remove the onion mix while preserving the oil in the pan as much as possible. Once removed, add the sausages. Cover and cook for a few minutes. Remove the cover and turn. Adjust heat. You want the sides to develop some light color over 5 minutes per side. Continue to rotate and adjust heat so they sausages crisp up and cook. Check internal temperature so it reaches at least 165°F.
4 vegetarian sausages
Assemble by placing each naan on a plate and topping with the sausage, ¼ cup of beans, 1 tbsp or so of green chilies, and some of the cooked jalapenos and onions. You can add a small amount of mayonaise or a light mustard. A little cheese would be fine too.
4 pieces naan, 8 pieces yuba bacon, 4 tbsp green chilies

Notes

Makes 2 very hefty servings; nutrition assumes inclusion of Yuba bacon.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Naan & Sausages

Amount Per Serving

Calories 864 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 4g25%

Trans Fat 3g

Polyunsaturated Fat 5g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Cholesterol 6mg2%

Sodium 2404mg105%

Potassium 805mg23%

Carbohydrates 127g42%

Fiber 17g71%

Sugar 17g19%

Protein 42g84%

Vitamin A 337IU7%

Vitamin C 27mg33%

Calcium 229mg23%

Iron 9mg50%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Dry Beans, Pressure Cooker

Pressure Cooker Dry Bean Recipe

March 5, 2021 Sam

Print Recipe

Basic Bean Recipe

This recipe assumes you're using a Instant Pot. It is only a minor difference to instead use a stovetop pressure cooker; just use a timer and assume high pressure (except when low pressure is mentioned).

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Soak Time6

Total Time7 5

Equipment

Pressure cooker
Spice bag

Ingredients

¾ cup dry beans
1 piece kombu about 4 square inches, which could be a 1” piece if it’s wide, or a 4” piece if it’s skinny – place in a spice bag to make it easy

Bean spices (options; place in spice bag, usually)

1 Bay leaf I put one in nearly pot of beans
½ tsp Peppercorns
¼ tsp Red pepper flakes up to 1 tsp or so, great addition to make the beans spicy to their core
⅓ tsp Oregano
Other potential herbs: rosemary, sage, and thyme
1 clove garlic or about ½ tsp granulated / powder
¼ onion or shallots
1-2 stalks carrots and celery these are particularly good additions if you plan on using the bean cooking water as the base of the rest of the dish.

Instructions

I recommend pre-soaking. Rinse the beans and remove any broken pieces. (You can leave in broken pieces if you are making a mashed-bean recipe.) Add to a medium mixing bowl along with about 1 quart water and 2 tsp salt. Mix well. Set aside for 4-8 hours, covered to make sure nothing gets into the soaking beans.
If you pre-soaked, drain the beans well before moving to the next step. If you did not pre-soak, measure and rinse the beans well before proceeding.
Place the beans in the inner pot of the Instant Pot. Cover with about 1” water – I think this is usually about 1 quart water, but it’s not more than 2 quarts for this few of beans. You don’t want too much water. Add your bean spices (from above options), either in a spice bag (or wrapped in cheesecloth) or into the pot directly. Secure the lid.
Set the desired pressure-cooking time and bring to pressure. See below for times.
Once the machine has stopped the pressure cycle, I would recommend canceling the “Keep Warm” function (if applicable). Allow pressure to release naturally. I think this is the most critical part for soft, well-cooked, but unbroken beans. You should, however, not let this go longer than 25 minutes if you want whole beans as letting the pressure stay elevated (and therefore the water to stay above-boiling) may overcook the beans.
If beans are not fully soft, you can bring to pressure again for 1-2 minutes and then release pressure manually and that should finish them off. If they seem to need a lot more time, try cooking for an additional 5 minutes and then releasing pressure after 10 minutes.

Dairy-Free, Side

Red Onion Quick Pickles

February 28, 2021 Sam

Print Recipe

Red Onion Quick Pickles

A quick way to add flavor and crunch to a meal

Prep Time10

Pickling Time30

Total Time40

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Garnish

Servings: servings

Calories: 10kcal

Ingredients

1 red onion thinly sliced
¼ cup white vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
½ tsp salt
1 tsp epazote (Mexican Oregano) optional

Instructions

If using the epazote, briefly toast in a dry skillet. Set aside.
Start a kettle of boiling water. In a large, heat-proof bowl, add the thinly sliced red onion. Pour enough of the boiling water to cover the red onions. Allow to set for about 60 seconds. Drain the red onions and add the remaining ingredients (including epazote, if using) to the bowl and mix well. Allow to marinate for about 30 minutes.
Use immediately and store the remaining onions in some (if not all) of the juice.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Red Onion Quick Pickles

Amount Per Serving

Calories 10 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 195mg8%

Potassium 30mg1%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 2IU0%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 5mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Dairy-Free, Side

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

February 28, 2021 Sam

Print Recipe

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

Great for Burrito Bowls

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Rice

Servings: servings

Calories: 145kcal

Ingredients

3 cups water
½ tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lime zest from 2 limes
1 large bay leaf
1½ cup brown rice medium or short-grain
½ cup cilantro chopped
2 tbsp lime juice from 1 lime
½ tbsp lemon juice from 1 small lemon
½ tsp salt

Instructions

Boil at least 3 cups of water in the kettle.
3 cups water
Heat olive oil over medium heat in large sauce pot or Dutch oven. Add the lime zest, bay leaf and rinsed rice.
½ tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lime zest, 1 large bay leaf, 1½ cup brown rice
After the rice starts to crackle and smell aromatic, add 3 cups boiling water. Give everything a good stir and bring it to a boil again (if not already) before turning to just above low. Cover and let the rice cook completely undisturbed and covered for 30-35 minutes.
Turn off the heat and discard the bay leaf and fluff well. Add the cilantro, lime and lemon juice and salt and stir well to combine.
½ cup cilantro, 2 tbsp lime juice, ½ tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp salt

Notes

Nutrition based on 8 servings

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Cilantro Lime Brown Rice

Amount Per Serving

Calories 145 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 147mg6%

Potassium 111mg3%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 70IU1%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 14mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Dairy-Free, Sauces

Cilantro Hemp Pesto

February 28, 2021 Sam

Print Recipe

Cilantro Hemp Pesto

Great for Burrito Bowls

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Sauces

Servings: servings

Calories: 136kcal

Equipment

Food processor

Ingredients

2 cups cilantro leaves with tender stems from about 2 small bunches
½ cup shelled hemp seeds (hemp hearts)
1 jalapeño
2 clove garlic
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp lime juice
¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

To the bowl of a full-size food processor, add everything except the oil (2 cups cilantro, ½ cup hemp seeds, 1 jalapeño, 2 cloves garlic and ½ tsp salt, 2 tbsp lime juice). Process until everything is finely chopped; pause to scrape down the bowl as necessary.
Slowly add the olive oil while still mixing, continuing until it is all well-combined and creamy.
Use immediately or store in an air-tight container.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Cilantro Hemp Pesto

Amount Per Serving

Calories 136 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 148mg6%

Potassium 33mg1%

Carbohydrates 2g1%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 355IU7%

Vitamin C 5mg6%

Calcium 22mg2%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Basics, Bread and Pasta, Dairy-Free, Dinner Party, Favorites, Projects, Rotation

Four Focaccia

February 15, 2021 Sam

The best timing is probably this: make the biga one early evening (6-7pm) on a Friday or Saturday. And then you can make the dough the next morning. When you mix the dough (second step), you can leave out one portion (one-quarter, about 14 ounces) and proceed through the steps with that one until you bake it about 5 hours later. The other three-quarters (42 ounces / 2lbs, 10oz) can go into the fridge for a long, cold bulk ferment. Then, each morning, you can remove another portion (14oz) and place into the square pan with olive oil, to warm up and stretch to the edges. Then you can bake after about 2 hours.

Print Recipe

Four Focaccia

Prep Time40

Cook Time20

Rising Time21

Total Time22

Course: Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: Comfort Food, Italian

Keyword: Basics, Bread

Servings: servings

Calories: 236kcal

Equipment

Closable large container for dough

Ingredients

Biga

6.4 oz bread flour
3.8 oz water
⅛ tsp instant dry yeast

Second portion

25.6 oz bread flour
19.6 oz water
0.6 oz salt about 1 tbsp
0.13 oz instant dry yeast about 1.25 tbsp
4 tbsp olive oil for greasing the pan

Instructions

First Day / Evening

First, make the biga a day before. Gently mix the yeast into the water, warmed to about 70ºF. Slowly add in the flour and mix until just smooth. It should be stiff and dense, but you can add a few drops of water if it seems overly dry. Cover the bowl tightly and leave for 12 to 16 hours at about 70ºF. You will know it’s ready because it should be domed and just beginning to fall in the middle.

Second Day / Morning

Second, prepare the final dough. Add the dry “second portion” ingredients to a stand mixer, mix with the paddle, and then add about half of the water at about 72-75ºF and mix for 3-5 minutes in order to incorporate the ingredients. As it comes together, switch to the dough hook and begin adding the biga in chunks. Mix on second speed for several minutes, at least 5 min, to develop dough strength. You’re looking for a dough that is developing strong gluten. It will be fairly dry at this point. Once you have good strength going, add the remaining water by pulling the dough off the dough hook and pouring the water in there. Mix until the water is incorporated.
At this point, you can take one fourth of the dough (about 13 ounces) and proceed through the steps, while the other three-fourths can be cold fermented for up to a few days. (See notes at top.) For the cold ferment, it may be valuable to still fold in the container once or twice, as the dough cools.
For the portion you are baking in the same day, put into a large, flat, shallow container, like the glass baking pan (which you can cover with plastic wrap or waxed canvas). Fold every 45 minutes, for three folds over three hours (with 45 minutes after the last fold, too).
At the end of the bulk ferment (regular or cold), remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape into an 8” square, the size of your pan, without pushing out too much air. Cover briefly – or cover and allow to sit if you’re unable to stretch it to full size right away. In order to get it to stretch, you may need to let it rest for a bit, especially if you’re doing this after the cold ferment.
Once the dough is the right size, prepare the 8” square metal pan by adding a little over 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan and swirl around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Gently place the fermented dough into the pan and make sure it reaches the edges. Allow to rise for 2-2.5 hours.

Bake

Pre-heat the oven to 500ºF. Spray the top of the bread gently with olive oil. Gentle press your fingers into the top of the dough to make dimples. Sprinkle the top with sesame seeds and salt.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. When done, the top will be golden and the dough will have pulled from the sides of the pan appealingly. The sides and bottom should be closer to brown or golden brown. Allow to cool briefly and then cut and serve.

Notes

Each serving is ¼ of a square, if you’ve made four focaccia as instructed

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Four Focaccia

Amount Per Serving

Calories 236 Calories from Fat 36

% Daily Value*

Fat 4g6%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 415mg18%

Potassium 57mg2%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 1IU0%

Calcium 10mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Dairy-Free, Side

Yuba Bacon

February 13, 2021 Sam

Surprisingly delicious! This was excellent for some BLTA sandwiches I made. It’s not like it tastes like bacon, exactly, but it is savory, crunchy and full of that umami flavor.

Print Recipe

Yuba Bacon

Crispy umami blast you can use anywhere you would use bacon

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Marinating Time30

Total Time1 15

Course: Ingredient, Side Dish

Cuisine: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Vegetarian Replacement

Servings: servings

Calories: 102kcal

Ingredients

5 oz yuba (aka tofu skins)
¼ cup soy sauce or tamari low-sodium
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
½ tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp onion powder
1 tsp balsamic vinegar optional
1 tsp tomato paste optional

Instructions

In a large, sealable container (preferably fairly broad), mix together the ingredients (besides the yuba). Mix well so everything dissolves, if possible.
¼ cup soy sauce or tamari, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, ½ tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp black pepper, ¼ tsp onion powder, 1 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp tomato paste
Remove yuba from the package and gently try to separate the layers. Some may come apart well and others may stick together like thicker slices. Slice into bacon-like strips about 1.5-2” across and 6-9” long, whatever makes sense based on the folds. Place into the marinating container and mix gently but well. Place in the fridge for a while – at least 10 minutes, up to 1 hour.
5 oz yuba
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Lay out the strips on the parchment paper so they do not touch.
Bake for about 15 minutes. Smaller pieces may need to be removed towards the end and larger pieces may need 20 minutes or so. You want them to just hit the darkening stage but not to get too dark.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a container quickly, so they can continue to dry and cool. They will get crisper as they cool.

Notes

Nutrition based on 8 servings

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Yuba Bacon

Amount Per Serving

Calories 102 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Sodium 425mg18%

Potassium 63mg2%

Carbohydrates 13g4%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 136IU3%

Vitamin C 3mg4%

Calcium 37mg4%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.