Lit - Tasty in Portland, OR

lit-lab: Springtime is for buttered radishes.

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 10:37:58 -0700

Springtime is for buttered radishes.

Sweet-Tart Fruit Salad with Basil

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 12:23:35 -0700

I had to throw something together for a potluck Friday morning and had a bunch of fruit and basil begging to be used up. Often my favorite foods are the simplest - made with whatever I happen to have on hand. I’d hardly call this a recipe - but the combination of tart grapefruit and blackberries with juicy peach and sweet strawberries is definitely one I’ll use again.

Sweet-Tart Fruit Salad with Basil
Serves 4

1 grapefruit sectioned, plus juice
1 quart blackberries
1 quart strawberries
1 peach
2 T finely chopped basil
Section the grapefruit, reserving the juice. Slice your strawberries and peach, and chop the basil. Gently toss all the fruit with the juice from the grapefruit and basil. Garnish with extra fresh basil.

Curries are a great way to use up leftover veg at the end of the...

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 21:10:02 -0800

Curries are a great way to use up leftover veg at the end of the week. Fancy it up by serving in Acorn Squash bowls and leftovers never looked so good. Recipe coming soon!

Rosemary Pancakes

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 13:18:13 -0800

I usually don’t like sweet without a dash of something more savory, so these Rosemary Pancakes were a perfect way to slip into a relaxing Sunday.

Just add 1 T finely chopped, fresh Rosemary to your favorite pancake mix or recipe, and cook as usual (gluten-free folks, I’m a huge fan of Pamela’s pancake mix, the texture and flavor are right on). Top with a pat of butter, a drizzle of syrup, and a scattering of apples and walnuts and the morning’s off to a sweet (and savory) start.

Have found the perfect gluten free muffin base recipe - and it...

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:18:00 -0800

Have found the perfect gluten free muffin base recipe - and it also takes about 5 minutes to throw together, and is only sweetened with honey. Score!

Substitute whatever you like for the Chamomile in Roost’s recipe and it seems to come out heavenly (or you know, just make it like the recipe says, like a normal person). I made a batch subbing 1 TBSP of finely chopped lavender back in Dec. This month it was cheddar jalapeno version to go with chili.

Two potato hash with kale, serrano pepper and thyme

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:16:40 -0800

1 medium red skinned potato, scrubbed and diced into 1/2” pieces (leave the skin on)
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2” pieces
1 small shallot, sliced into rounds
1/2 bunch of kale, washed, stems removed, chopped into small pieces
1 Tbsp grapeseed or olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
knob of butter or ghee
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tsp minced serrano pepper*
1 tsp minced fresh thyme*
green onion to garnish

Heat oven to 400 F.
Place diced potato, sweet potato and shallot in a mixing bowl, breaking up the shallot rings just a bit. Toss with oil, sea salt and a couple pinches of ground black pepper. I prefer grapeseed oil for roasting since it holds up better under hot temperatures, but olive oil can stand in if that’s what you have in your pantry. The potatoes should be glistening and evenly coated.
Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, tossing once after about 15 minutes.
When the potatoes have about 5 minutes left, heat a knob of butter or ghee in a large saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. When the ghee is melted, add garlic and serrano, if using, and let it cook until fragrant, but not browned, 1-2 minutes.
By this time your potatoes should be done. Remove from the oven and add to pan with ghee, garlic and serrano, giving it a quick stir.
Throw the kale on top, raise heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally until kale begins to lose it’s structure.
Add thyme and let cook 1 minute more.
Serve and garnish with thinly sliced green onion.

Notes: The serrano really gives this dish a nice dash of heat, but if you’re not a fan of spicy foods, you could omit it. Please be careful while chopping if you do use it - avoid touching the seeds and wash your hands well when you’re done. If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can substitute 1/2 tsp dried thyme or oregano.

Think less, enjoy more

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 11:01:50 -0800

Think less, enjoy more

Scandic Grand Central interior with way finding rug. By 25ah.

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 10:57:49 -0800

Scandic Grand Central interior with way finding rug. By 25ah.

Clearly obsessed with gluten free baking experiments lately....

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 21:58:42 -0700

Clearly obsessed with gluten free baking experiments lately. Trying to do without has an odd way of creating cravings!

These are a family recipe for brownies substituting a hand-milled, gluten free blend of oat flour, brown rice flour, teff flour and corn starch inspired by gluten free girl. The taste was exactly how I remember it, and the texture was close - just a tiny bit grainy.

I think the texture problem could be solved by blending more types of flour into the mix and using an actual kitchen scale instead of janky volume > weight calculations though. I do love the idea of having an “all-purpose” gluten free blend on hand.

I’ve always loved baking, but we’re a savory people...

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 18:00:02 -0700

I’ve always loved baking, but we’re a savory people around here, so baked goods tend to go to waste. I’m also not super into the way I feel after eating a bunch of refined flour and sugar.

These (almost) raw cookie bars solve all of those problems. No refined sugar or flour, and they’re best eaten straight out of the freezer so they have a long shelf life without preservatives. It doesn’t hurt that they’re deliciously addictive either.

If you want to take them all the way raw, you could substitute cacao nibs for the chocolate chips and forgo the chocolate glaze. I think glazing them helps entice people who might normally be frightened off by the terms “vegan” and “gluten free” though.

Bars

Inspired by Oh She Glows peanut butter chocolate crunch cookie dough balls

1/2 c. raw, unsalted almonds
1/2 c. rolled oats (use gluten free oats if you want to keep it GF)
1/4 c. brown teff flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3 T. raw almond butter
3 T. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. walnuts
1/4 c. dark chocolate chips

Line a 9”x9” pan with parchment paper so the edges of the paper hang over the pan. I use binder clips to secure it.
In a food processor, pulse almonds, oats, teff flour and salt until a course flour forms.
Add almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract and pulse until combined.
Add walnuts and chocolate chips and pulse a few more times to break them up a little. You should have a very loose dough at this point. If it’s too sticky, add oats 1 T. at a time. If it’s too dry, add 1 T. maple syrup.
Put the mixture into your parchment lined pan, and using a wooden spoon, spatula, or your hands, press the mixture down into the pan in a thin even layer.
If you’re using the glaze, set it aside. If not, put them in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before cutting into bars.

Chocolate glaze

1/4 c. chocolate chips
3 T. milk, your choice - I used almond milk

In a double boiler, or a heat-proof bowl set over boiling water, melt the chocolate chips.
Add almond milk 1 T. at a time and mix in until you have a pourable consistency.
Pour over bars and use a knife to spread or zig-zag the glaze. Put in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before cutting bars.

I like them best straight from the freezer - because of the oils from the nuts they won’t freeze completely.

I love this idea of stowing leftovers with washable fabric...

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 22:08:52 -0700

I love this idea of stowing leftovers with washable fabric covers instead of plastic.

Does this really need a caption?

Tue, 24 May 2011 15:34:43 -0700

Does this really need a caption?

Oat, banana, chocolate chip bars

Sat, 01 Jan 2011 17:36:38 -0800

Wet ingredients:
2 medium very ripe bananas
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. coconut oil (or other light tasting oil), melted
1/4 c. coconut milk (or other)
1 T. ground flax seed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Dry ingredients:
1.5 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. unsweetened coconut
1/4 c. whole wheat or oat flour
1/3 c. chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 and place parchment paper in an 8”x8” pan so the bottom is covered and the parchment hangs over the edges.
Place wet ingredients in bowl of food processor and pulse until smooth.
Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine.
Press mixture into parchment lined pan, pushing down to even out and allow the bars to form a crumb while baking.
Bake for 35-40 minutes until edges are golden brown. Cool in pan. Use parchment as a sling to remove the bars from the pan and cut into 8 rectangles or 16 squares.

Adapted from oh she glows.

After shelling out all fall for larabars for my afternoon snack,...

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 20:40:00 -0800

After shelling out all fall for larabars for my afternoon snack, I was really excited to find that people all over the interwebz are DIY-ing larabars.

If you’re not familiar, larabars are a natural bar made with fruit and nuts - there’s no soy, gluten or added sugar like some other energy bars that are basically candy bars in disguise.

I got my recipe for a chocolate chip cookie dough version from Oh She Glows and I’m on my second batch this week.

1/2 c. cashews
1/3 c. roughly chopped medjool dates (5 or 6 total)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
dash cinamon
1 T. cacao nibs (or chocolate chips)

Place everything except the cacao nibs in the bowl of a food processor and process until the dates and cashews are a fine meal.
Pour the date/cashew mixture into a bowl, add the cacao nibs and knead into a ball.
Put the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap and roll it out or use your hand to flatten into a bar shape. Cut in 3 pieces, or however many you want really. Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator, try not to eat all at once.

Well's Vegetarian Thanksgiving

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 16:54:06 -0800

Well's Vegetarian Thanksgiving:

There are some great ideas for winter vegetarian fare here. I just tried the maple roasted brussels sprouts tonight with brown rice and tempeh bacon - can’t wait to try the other recipes.

I’m almost certain that I need these. Via house and...

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 11:43:06 -0800

I’m almost certain that I need these. Via house and universe and one sydney road.

I’ve been on a serious posting hiatus while we settled...

Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:12:19 -0800

I’ve been on a serious posting hiatus while we settled into our new house and time has just flown by - and here we are in November. Seriously, how does that happen?

To get back in the swing of posting and the winter months, I took on some comfort food tonight.

Roasted potatoes with mushrooms, garlic, sage and taleggio via martha, topped with a fried egg and blanched green beans with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Now if only our new house had a fireplace…

I’m in lust with this camp kitchen - especially the barn...

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 08:58:57 -0700

I’m in lust with this camp kitchen - especially the barn light, the stainless shelves and the wine crate storage.

via remodelista.com and nytimes.com

Stainless, meet black. Modern flatware by Almoco. via...

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 22:49:34 -0700

Stainless, meet black. Modern flatware by Almoco.

via remodelista.com

Mac and Cheese - finally!

Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:54:00 -0700

One of my great food disappointments is that I can’t drink or cook with milk, but I love mac and cheese. It’s one of my all-time favorite comfort foods, and one of the hardest to replicate sans milk.

I’ve had a lot of sad trials and errors with vegan versions, and I don’t even want to talk about the vegan boxed versions they sell at the store… those are a crime against humanity. But after tweaking a recipe from Veg News, I’ve finally found a recipe I like, and even my brutally honest better half had seconds and cleared his plate, which I’ll take as a good sign.

Vegan Yum Yum has an interpretation of the same recipe on her site (where the photo is also from, because we were too ravenous to photograph anything tonight) that uses more common vegan mac and cheese add-ins like tahini and nutritional yeast, but I think it tastes better without those.

All I want from mac and cheese is for it to be creamy, savory and salty and maybe just a little smoky, and this one lives up on all 4 counts. No chalky texture, no strange aftertaste, no tofu required. I also love that the orange color is actually natural in this case, it comes from the carrot.

8-10 ounces whole wheat fussili or rotini
2 c. broccoli florets
1/4 c. non-hydrogenated margarine
1 c. red or yellow boiling potatoes, peeled and chopped (~1 medium potato)
1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped (~1 small carrot)
1 c. water
1/2 c. cashew cream (or sub 1/4 c. raw cashews)
1.5 tsp. sea salt
scant 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 T. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/3 c. panko breadcrumbs (sub regular breadcrumbs, or feel free to make your own! I had some panko begging to be used up).

In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Add pasta. When pasta has 2 minutes of cooking time remaining, add broccoli florets. Drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, add potatoes, carrots and water, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.
In a blender, process the cashew cream (or cashews), salt, 1/4 c. margarine, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, cayenne, paprika and chili powder. Add softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender and process until perfectly smooth.
In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and blended sauce until completely coated. Spread mixture into a 9 x 12 casserole dish, sprinkle with panko. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has turned golden brown - I usually do the last 2 minutes under the broiler to get the top browned without drying out the pasta too much.