Posts by admin:
- 20 corn tortillas
- 1 can vegetarian refried pinto beans
- toothpicks
- 1 1/2 lb. fresh tomatillos (green tomatoes with husks)
- 1 large jalapeno, seeded
- 1 can diced green chiles
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
- Salt to taste (1 tsp)
- 2 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup pine nuts
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Colorful Asian Wontons with San Juans
June 21st, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
I know the title does not combine but the fact is it is what we enjoyed the other night. Can I tell you that it is really HARD to cook for one person? My husband was gone for 3 days and I pretty much feasted on hummus and pita and snacks while he was away. You know what made it harder for me as well? Hearing his voice on the other end telling me he can’t wait to get home to see me and to enjoy my home cooking. What a compliment! It is not like this all the time, but somehow after returning from New Mexico and settling in after cooking a bit over there, I guess I did not FEEL like it. I was a poo-poo head, I know.
Now Ryan is back and I was back at making something super delicious! While in New Mexico, I made crab rangoons for a party my friends had. I really did not have too much time to make a vegan option even though I made 3 with a tofu combination. Well, yesterday I decided to try my hand at another variation I tested in my kitchen.
Match vegan chicken comes to the rescue! This stuff is so delicious it took on every spice and ingredient I added as a filling for the wontons.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
I then fried in coconut oil for 5 minutes:
Until they looked like this:
Yum! Ryan thought they were SUPER delicious and claimed he was VERY happy to be eating good food and not just camp food! 🙂 I like taking care of him can you tell?
Now, the filling is perfectly flavorful without having a dipping sauce since we made a huge green salad on the side. A good sweet and sour sauce would be good and would be a great option, but these wontons were so moist and full of flavor that they did not need a sauce.
While I prepared the wontons and salad, Ryan prepared a drink he had come across called the San Juan. Sounds more Cuban than Asian, but we decided they would be nice. It was definitely VERY delicious and a different flavor.
Update: This recipe and picture made it on Foodgawker!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Colorful Asian Wontons
makes 12 to 14 (serves 2 to 3)
1 cup Match vegan chicken
1/2 cup green onions,chopped
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp ground ginger powder
2 tsp soy sauce
Mix vegan chicken with all the vegetables and spice and blend well. Let mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes.
Heat 1 cu to 1 1/2 cups coconut oil on medium heat in a small pot. Sprinkle a little water over the oil to see if the oil is hot enough. It should make a sizzle sound.
Assemble
12 to 14 wonton wrappers
water
Take each wrapper and lay on flat surface and add 1 Tbsp of filling to the middle of each wrapper. Moisten the edges with water and close one tip to its opposite end. Repeat witht he rest of the wrappers until all prepared.
Add 2 wontons at a time and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to dip out each wonton, placing on a paper towel to soak up excess oil. Repeat with rest of wontons.
Make salad before hand so wontons are fresh and hot.
San Juan
from the New York Bartender’s Guide
makes 1 serving (double for 2 servings)
2 ounces light rum
1 Tbsp Brandy
1 1/2 ounce grapefruit juice
1 Tbsp coconut milk
1 Tbsp lime juice
Combine all ingredients, except brandy, with cracked ice in a blender. Blend until smooth and pour into chilled glass. Float brandy on top.
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Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Icing
June 18th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
UPDATE: This recipe made it on Foodgawker and on Foodbuzz’s Top 9 out of 2,790 posts.
Can you tell I have been on a berry kick? I made these for party while in New Mexico and had fun doing them, despite not cooking and baking in my own kitchen.
Have you ever opened up your kitchen and let someone else cook for you? How did it feel? Our friends were nice enough to let me use their kitchen to add to the yummy dessert and appetizer party they had for their music colleagues. It was fun!
This recipe is so much of a keeper and so easy to whip up. You know one thing I like abuot vegan cupcakes? They do not require a ton of butter or sugar but are light and fluffy and easy to enjoy. Do you agree?
Speaking of raspberries, a friend at the music camp told us that he was going to send us great jam made in New Mexico because he usually sends some to our other friends. Lo and behold, I opened the mail yesterday and there was a bottle of delicious raspberry jam. Can’t wait to use it. Thanks Greg! I love getting food gifts in the mail.
On another note, I wanted to share another wonderful place we experienced in Santa Fe called Kakawa Chocolate House. Here is a little about them:
Our passion is authentic and historic drinking chocolate elixirs. Historic drinking chocolate includes traditional Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Mayan Aztec drinking chocolate; 1600’s European drinking chocolate, Colonial American and Colonial Mexican drinking chocolates. Kakawa Chocolate House chocolate elixirs are representative of these historic recipes and span the time period 1000 BC to the mid-1900’s AD.
So delicious y’all. Remember when Starbucks introduced a thick hot chocolate that was not popular and was pulled from their menu after 6-8 months? I do. Well, this place is better.
After a nice light dinner, this place is the PERFECT place to enjoy different types of hot chocolate or handmade truffles. Everything is practically dairy-free. Their chocolate elixirs are made with either almond or rice milk. Fanastic for a vegan right? Agreed. If you ever find yourself in the area, rememeber this place. I had a French elixir called the Marie Antoinette, which had orange blossom aftertastes with almonds. So creamy. Thank goodness they serve it in a 3.5 ounce cup.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Raspberry Cupcakes with Raspberry Icing
makes 12
1 cup soy milk
1 tsp apple vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup raspberry puree
1 1/4 cup Bob Mills Whole Wheat White Flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 + 1/8 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Raspberry Puree
1 1/2 cups fresh or previously frozen raspberries
In a food processor, blend raspberries. Press puree through a sieve to separate seeds from puree.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Cupcake Mix
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add cupcake liners to a muffin tone with a dozen spots plus a Pyrex muffin cup. In a medium bowl, mix soy milk and apple cider vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes for mixture to curdle.
Add sugar, oil, vanilla and almond extract, and raspberry puree and blend well.
In a small bowl, mix dry ingredients. Slowly add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well. Pour cupcake batter into muffin tins and place in oven.
Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare icing.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Raspberry Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 Tbsp non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
3/4 cup raspberry puree
Blend and mix 3 cups powdered sugar, shortening and raspberry puree with an immersion or hand mixer until well combined.
Assembly
After cupcakes have cooled, cut the center of each baked cupcake. (Do not cut all the way down to the base of cupcake, just a little past the middle section) Add 1/2 tablespoon of icing in each center. Cover each cupcake with the cut out cupcake portion. There should not be too much a gap but should fit right into the cupcake.
Ice each cupcake with a knife or by slowly spooning icing of the top portion of cupcake.
Best when consumed the first day, otherwise refrigerate in covered container.
Raspberry Cupcakes With Raspberry Icing
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Sauteed Spinach w/ Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts
June 17th, 2010I returned home to find all my herbs looking SO happy. It is amazing how much plants can grow in 10 days!! My basil plant is tall, while the hot pepper plants look amazing. Most of all the pineapple mint looks fantastic. I cannot wait to prepare some goodies with these herbs. I am happy to come back and take care of household chores and everyday life. Can you believe I missed it. Yay for washing laundry! I know, I know. It sounds sick. 🙂
I have to say that I miss seeing the gorgeous beauty that is New Mexico. Here are more pictures I captured.
Earlier today I sent a quick poll asking whether my Facebook readers would prefer to see this recipe:
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
OR THIS:
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
So guess which one won?? Oh, whoops. I guess the title gave it away. I read this recipe on a nice cookbook I checked out of the library. Did I tell you that this is the best way to not have to spend so much money buying cookbooks? Hey, at least it is good for me!
This recipe was probably the only vegan recipe in this cookbook but it spoke out to me. Get this. The title of the cookbook is called Big Buy Cooking from the editors of Fine Cooking. I got to hand it to you, but I had to modify this recipe just a bit since the finished product lacked flavor. Boo! But never fear, the spice queen comes round and improvises. Enjoy this delicious recipe. I paired this with my lovely gazpacho soup. It was perfection.
By the way, do not forget to enter my easy giveaway for $40 to use on anything in the CSN Stores. Check HERE.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Sauteed Spinach w/ Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts
serves 2 to 4
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
3 garlic cloves,minced
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp coarse salt
1 bunch (about 1 pound), trimmed
Toast the pine nuts in a skillet over medium-low heat on the stovepot until golden brown, tossing every 30 seconds to avoid scorching.
In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, heat the raisins and pine nuts in 2 Tbsp of olive oil for about 1 minute. With a slotted spoon, transfer the raisins and pine nuts to a plate.Add the breadcrumbs, garlic, white pepper and salt. Cook until slightly browned for 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Put the remaining 2 Tbsp oil in the pan with the spinach, and cook until spinach just wilts. Transfer to a serving platter, toss with raisins and pine nuts, top with bread crumbs and serve.
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Best of New Mexico
June 16th, 2010
Hi everyone! It feels like I have been out of pocket for a while, but it has felt good to rest and relax from the computer. We finally returned home after a long trip in New Mexico visiting friends and sightseeing in the great Santa Fe area. The weather was fantastic most of our trip with amazing thunder and lightening storms to windy and gusty days.
It feels good to be back home and to see all my herbs growing like crazy. It has been reported to me that there has not been much sun here in MI so I guess the herbs have enjoyed a break. Here are a few pictures of our travels.
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Flautas with Tomatillo Salsa and Pine Nut Crema
June 8th, 2010 |
| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
The Lord has been wonderful these past 2 days y’all! I mean He is great all the time, but as far as the heat goes, it has been significantly cooler here in New Mexico. I was able to take a nike ride this morning before the peak of the heat could hit this morning. Sometimes it takes me a little longer to get warmed up to a smaller town because it tends to intimidate me just a bit, but since I knew I needed outdoor air I was glad when I could borrow our friend’s bike.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
On my ride out this morning I decided to drive around the cemetery. I have always thought that cemeteries were beautiful even though death is somewhat of a sad situation. I like reading the epitaphs and there certainly were touching ones on my ride through. I just wondered if these young folks got a chance to hear about Jesus’ love for them. It was touching to me today.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
My eats these past two days have been great despite not being in my own kitchen, but it has also been great to know I can keep up my exercise routine as well. A sign of discipline! Yay, thanks God!
For breakfast I had oatmeal with half a banana and some coffee with almond milk.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
For lunch I had a hummus and crispy kale sandwich on a whole wheat bun that was super delicious! I finally toasted my own kale in the oven with some olive oil and nutritional yeast and I have to say it is my new favorite thing!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Last night I was excited to make a meal I had not cooked in over a year! This was one of my husband’s requests so since I was in the perfect area to acquire the ingredients for flautas, I got down to business.
I made out friends flautas with shredded chicken with tomatillo sauce and a regular sour cream to drizzle with some queso fresco. On the other hand I decided to veganize this dish. It was not quite to difficut to work on 2 dishes since I prepared the chicken the night before as well as the tomatillo salsa. It was all about the assembly process.
Since I was a bit pressed for time, I decided to use a can of vegetarian refried beans that were already seasoned and I proceeded to make a cream out of pine nuts. Even though I served the sour cream on the table along with the pine but crema, our friends decided to try out the pine nut crema over the sour cream. Hey who knew? I was glad they tried my substitute. All in all I was happy with the results y’all! I hope you enjoy this vegan version for flautas.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Flautas
Tomatillo Salsa
Pine Nut Crema
Flautas
Tomatillo Salsa
Pine Nut Crema
ASSEMBLY
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
