Raw Imitation “Fried Rice”*
December 5, 2008
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* Or, “Nothing Like Fried Rice, Really, But Still One Darned Tasty Cauliflower Salad”
[Sorry about the blur. I may need to return to my old point-and-shoot until I finally read that new camera manual!]
For those of us fascinated by the topic of food, December is more or less highjacked by baking projects. Cookies for the cookie exchange. Bars and squares for the gift tins. Cakes for the pot lucks. Croquembouche for the neighbourhood party.
Taken to its syllogistic conclusion, the state of affairs in which many of us find ourselves this month would go something like this:
Major Premise: December is filled with many types of baking.
Minor Premise: All types of baking require taste-testing.
Conclusion: Therefore, December is filled with all types of taste–testing sampling quality control eating–something like 4,287 different sweets, types of chocolate, candy, cookies, fudge, frosting, glazed nuts, trifles, truffles, cakes and pies–thereby creating a massive spike in caloric intake for the month, which will lead to outright neglect of all other food groups and the overindulgence of rich, alcoholic and chocolate-based comestibles during the next four weeks or so, to the inevitable result of chocolate overload and the proverbial 7 pound weight gain over the holiday period. *
Well, given my own propensity to binge on sweets and carbs over the holidays, I thought I’d take some advice I heard dispensed by a dietician on a local CBC radio show the other day about “How Not to Gain Weight Over the Holidays.”
Get a load of this: the dietician (who shall remain nameless–she probaby wouldn’t want you to know her name after this advice, anyway, but mostly because I can’t actually remember her name) said something to the effect of, “Well, I know that people are always told to eat a meal before going to a party to avoid overindulging, but I find that people will overindulge anyway. And then they’ve basically eaten two meals, which is really not so good. So what I suggest is, if you do eat a bit too much at a party, then–and I’d never suggest that you do this on a regular basis–but then you can just skip a meal or two the next day to compensate. If you follow this plan over the holidays, you shouldn’t really gain any weight.”
Hallellujah! In a nutshell, here’s December: Pig out. Fast. Pig out. Fast. Pig out. Fast. Pig Out. Cut back a wee bit. Pig out. Fast. Drink champagne and kiss a bunch of strangers.
Truly, I don’t think this plan is very wise, but I’m going to adapt it to my own needs, anyway. During this festive period when I’m more likely to succumb to the siren call of chocolate, I’ve decided to deliberately make the rest of my meals as clean, simple, and vegetable-based as possible. To wit, Raw Imitation Fried Rice.
I came across this recipe a while ago and then, a few days later, happened upon this version by Veggie Delight. Since the dish is raw, it’s much easier to digest than a cooked meal, and won’t tax the digestive system the way heavier, fatter meals can. It’s also mostly vegetables with a hint of dressing, which provided me with yet another novel way to incorporate cauliflower, a vegetable I’m otherwise indifferent about, into my diet.
The salad is crunchy and even a bit juicy, with a hint of toasted sesame and just enough saltiness from the tamari to provide a satisfying contrast to the neutral cauliflower. It’s incredibly easy to make and comes together very quickly courtesy of the processor. I thoroughly enjoyed it and could even feel virtuous as I chomped away.
And it’s the perfect light meal to help you detox between all those tastings of baked goods and treats.
*Okay, so it’s not technically a syllogism. And the conclusion is drawn from the predicate of the premise rather than the subject (totally illogical). And (well, according to Giz, anyway) the average weight gain is only 1.5 pounds over the holidays. As if.
Raw Imitation Fried Rice (aka Cauliflower Salad)
TO VIEW THE COMPLETE RECIPE, PLEASE VISIT THIS PAGE ON THE NEW DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS, BY CLICKING HERE.
Asian-inspired flavors meet light and refreshing salad in this mock fried rice dish. Makes a great side salad or raw main. And a sneaky way to include cauliflower!
TO VIEW THE COMPLETE RECIPE, PLEASE VISIT THIS PAGE ON THE NEW DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS, BY CLICKING HERE.
“Yes, it really is the pits, Mum. It’s also very difficult to lick all the crumbs off the floor with this thing on my head.”
TO VIEW THE COMPLETE RECIPE, PLEASE VISIT THIS PAGE ON THE NEW DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS, BY CLICKING HERE.
Last year at this time: Dog Day: How Elsie Got Named
Last Minute Thanksgiving Ideas
November 26, 2008
I had intended a lovely post today, in honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving long weekend to the south of us. But time constraints (read: massive, unwieldly pile of essays and assignments to mark) have prevented me from following through. So I’ll just have to wait till the next batch of holidays in December to post about some new, frost-and-snow inspired, treats.
Instead, I thought I’d pull together a few recipes from previous posts that are suitably festive for a holiday table, or the breakfast table the following day (I’ve also got a few detox recipes on the blog–I’ll let you seek those out yourselves, as required). Most of these are fairly quick to make as well, as long as you’ve got the ingredients on hand.
Hope everyone enjoys some togetherness with friends and family, great food, and a bit of time to relax and play.
See you after the holiday!
“Mum, will Elsie be able to play again after the holiday? I mean, it’s just so boring with her out of commission. . . ”
Main Meal Dishes:
- Portobello Steaks
- Nutroast Extraordinaire
- Sweet Potato and Kasha Burgers (can be baked as a loaf)
Side Dishes:
- Cranberry Preserves
- Quinoa, Sweet Potato and Black Bean Bites
- Brussels Sprouts Even My Honey Will Eat
- Sweet Potato and Ginger Salad
- Cauliflower, Parsnip and Bean Mash
- Quinoa, Roasted Beet and Walnut Salad
- Sweet Potato and Carrot Casserole
- Sweet Potato-Cranberry Hash
Desserts:
- Chocolate Pecan Pie
- Holiday Bundt Apple Cake
- Butter Tarts
- Butterscotch Mousse Pie
- Decadent Chocolate Pâté
Breakfast Dishes:
- Raspberry Coconut Coffee Cake (what? Not everyone eats cake for breakfast?)
- French Toast Soufflé with Summer Berries
- Plum-Topped Cornmeal Cake
- Sweet Potato-Cranberry Scones
- Baked Oats
- Earth Bowl Breakfast
- The Best Home Fries Ever
DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS HAS MOVED!
If you’re reading this page, you’ve landed on the old site. Please visit the new location by clicking here–and don’t forget to update your readers and blogrolls!
As always, thank you for reading. I look forward to seeing you at the shiny new home of Diet, Dessert and Dogs!
“Mum, we are coming with you, aren’t we? Because (and sorry to have to tell you this), we actually have more fans on this blog than you do.”
* * *
[I’ve decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly, or else is so easy to make that no recipe is required. Here’s today’s “Flash in the Pan.”]
I was seduced by Mark Bittman last week.
Now, hold on a minute–before you go and call the authorities, I should clarify: I’ve never even met the man. I was speaking in the Platonic sense; it was more the ideal of Mark Bittman that seduced me.
Truth be told, I was already harboring a little crush. You see, a while back when Bittman’s new tome, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian first hit the cookbook scene, the entire blogosphere (and pretty much any place else people consume food) was abuzz about it. That book was the latest, greatest thing to hit our kitchens! I had previously whiled away about an hour leafing through Bittman’s earlier oeuvre, How to Cook Everything, during one of my Sunday-morning bookstore browses with the HH. That day, I lingered between “Cookbooks: General” and “Cookbooks: Heart Healthy” for ages, slowly caressing the pages and batting my eyelashes longingly at every enchanting chapter. I really couldn’t take my eyes off it.
In the end, I gave myself over to the enticing reviews and alluring recommendations, dove right in and ordered the darn thing straightaway, sight unseen, from amazon.ca. I mean, how could I not be seduced?
As I discovered during our first meeting (once the book arrived in the mail), it is a very attractive volume (well, more like the entire encyclopedia, actually, at 996 pages long). The fresh lollipop-lime cover conveys a light, whimsical feel, while the choice to forgo photos (there are detailed line drawings) and expanses of text lend more a of a Joy of Cooking vibe. As many reviewers have remarked, it is a terrific, all-encompassing introduction to the basics of vegetarian cooking: with lengthy lists and detailed instructions, it covers a huge array of basic ingredients, basic methods and basic recipes. But would this be sufficient to sustain a relationship? Would the recipes have enduring appeal? And were they recipes I would actually use and enjoy over the long term?
Well, almost immediately, I started having mixed feelings. Because I’m already familiar with vegetarian basics and techniques, I wasn’t much interested in the generic versions of dishes (leek and potato soup, caramelized onions, refried beans, or scrambled tofu.) However, it was the seemingly endless variaitions on each theme ( eleven rubs and 17 sauces for grilled tofu; or 15 toppings for baked potatoes), as well as some of the more unusual or ingenious combinations, that intrigued me. Recipes such as Green Tea Broth with Udon Noodles, Nori Chips, Beets with Pistachio Butter, Quinoa and Parsnip Rösti or Chickpea Fondue each scored sticky-note bookmarks, denoting plans for a future kitchen rendezvous.
One major beef (if I may use the term) I had about the book, however, was its treatment of desserts: there isn’t a single vegan baked good in all 996 pages. The more indulgent, original dessert recipes (such as Chewy Almond Cherry Cookies, Caramel Walnut Bars, or Boozy Apple Cake) all contain eggs, cream or butter; the vegan desserts, on the other hand, are entirely uninspired offerings like No-Bake Granola Bars (hmm, bet they’re crunchy, too); jellies, or rice pudding. Maybe I’ll need to hold out for How to Cook Everything Vegan for those treats.
The first tête-à-tête with my new beau was a heated encounter in which I cooked Millet Mash, a combination of millet simmered with cauliflower florets, then puréed with roasted garlic to mimic mashed potatoes. Unfortunately, the resultant side dish, while fairly tasty, was a wee bit watery, slightly bland, and almost airy (you can see what it looked like as a side dish to a recent BBQ tempeh I made, at left–tempeh recipe to follow in the near future). It wasn’t bad, don’t get me wrong; but sparks didn’t fly.
When this first date didn’t quite live up to my expectations, I decided to seek my own satisfaction in the kitchen (hey, I’m an independent feminist) and created an original version of mock mashed potatoes. As I was still following the Grain Drain (grain-free detox diet) at the time, I opted for a slightly different blend of ingredients.
I suspected that boiling the cauliflower with the millet had produced those waterlogged florets, so I roasted them this time. I also discovered one forlorn parsnip in the crisper and roasted it as well, along with 2 cloves of garlic. Finally, I puréed the resultant mash with some cooked white beans, and ended up with a mixture that was thick, creamy, and richer both in color and flavor than the original combo. Topped with a sprinkling of gomashio, this was truly an irresistible dish.
Call me fickle, but I fell in love with that cauliflower-parsnip mash on the spot. I scooped up two servings the first night, then returned for more mash passion the next. And then I cooked it up once more three days after that.
Another reason to love this dish: it’s actually good for you. Cauliflower is a little-known source of vitamin C (one cup provides 91.5% of the daily requirement!) and parsnips kick in the remainder. In addition, the white beans I used (Great Northern Beans) are an excellent source of calcium, a mineral I’m seeking these days. All in all, this was a fabulous dish–and incredibly easy.
As for Bittman, I haven’t broken it off entirely, though I’ll admit the infatuation for my acid-green beau may have abated just a little. Our short-lived fling wasn’t quite as disappointing as the one with Rocker Guy (he of the black leather pants), but for me, How to Cook Everything Vegetarian was a bit of a tease in the recipe department; it just didn’t provide enough exciting, novel, or foolproof recipes to snag my eternal devotion.
Despite our rocky beginning, I’m sure we’ll remain good friends. This is still the kind of book I can rely on as a solid kitchen companion, full of serious instructions, reliable tips and honest information. At the same time, I’m keeping one eye open for the next recipe-filled rake that will really take my breath away.
Oh, and speaking of true loves. . . Happy Father’s Day to all the loving dads out there (“Yes, we second that, Dad!“)
Cauliflower, Parsnip and Bean Mash with Gomashio
TO VIEW THE COMPLETE RECIPE, PLESE VISIT THIS PAGE ON THE NEW DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS, BY CLICKING HERE.
This recipe is easy to throw together and produces a smooth, comforting and delicious side dish. While it does need take time to roast, you can use the extra half hour to attend to other matters, like reading some of the 996 pages in How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.
TO VIEW THE COMPLETE RECIPE, PLESE VISIT THIS PAGE ON THE NEW DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS, BY CLICKING HERE.
Spiced Cauliflower Soup
March 17, 2008
DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS HAS MOVED!
If you’re reading this page, you’ve landed on the old site. Please visit the new location by clicking here–and don’t forget to update your readers and blogrolls!
As always, thanks for reading. I look forward to seeing you at the shiny new Diet, Dessert and Dogs!
“Um, Mum, we are coming with you, aren’t we? Because (and sorry to have to tell you this), we actually have more fans than you do on this blog.”]
It occurred to me yesterday that the last three food posts on this blog have all been desserts. Is this my chocolate withdrawal talking? Well, maybe so, but that means a contrapuntal savory dish must make its appearance today. No; more than just savory–we need something spicy. No; more than just spicy; we need something SPICE-EEEE! Aye, Carumba!! And I have just the thing. . . .
One of the aspects of blogging I love is reading about others writers’ food adventures. By reading food blogs, you can vicariously cook and eat almost anything, without lifting so much as a measuring spoon. Another great byproduct is how blogging encourages you to try cooking something new almost daily, stretching your culinary muscles and gustatory acumen. Would I naturally think to peruse my cookbooks in search of a novel pasta dish every week? Not likely. Would I ordinarily wax poetic about rice pudding in any other context? Negative. Would I customarily resurrect old standards that I haven’t thought about in years? Certainly not. And yet, today, that’s exactly what I’ve done!
When I read about this month’s No Croutons Required challenge hosted by Holler at Tinned Tomatoes and Lisa at Lisa’s Kitchen, I immediately decided to rummage through my old recipes to locate this particular soup. Back when we were first together, the HH and I would devour this soup at least once a week for several months at a time. In those days, the HH pounced at the opportunity to share dinner prep (what we won’t do in the first flush of a new relationship!). At that time, we cooked together almost every evening. These days, on the other hand, after the HH arrives home from work and we’ve walked The Girls we often embark on a game of verbal ping-pong:
Me: “What should we do for dinner?” (Subtext: I don’t really feel like doing anything for dinner.)
HH: “I dunno. Um, did you cook anything yet?” (Subtext: What the heck were you doing here all day?”)
Me: “No. I was waiting for you to get home from work before deciding.” (Subtext: I’ll be damned if I lift so much as a finger without your help, buster! Just because I work at home doesn’t mean I don’t work hard, too, you know. I’d appreciate just a little acknowledgement of what I do, if you don’t mind.)
HH: “Hmm. How about pizza?” (Subtext: I am lazy and don’t feel like cooking.)
Me: “You know I don’t eat pizza!” (Subtext: How could you forget that I don’t eat wheat, or cheese, or sugar-laden pizza sauce??? Don’t you pay attention to what’s been going on here for the past eight years? Don’t you ever notice what I do or do not eat?? Don’t you ever think of anyone besides YOURSELF?? Oh, I see what’s going on here. I see now how little you appreciate me. Oh, don’t try to deny it. It’s clear that you’ve never really cared for me! You’ve never really loved me at all! Otherwise how could you even suggest–)
HH: “Are you sure? Well, okay, sweetie, if that’s what you want, that’s fine with me. (Subtext: Great. I really would prefer to go out. Man, she’s the greatest. Man, I love this woman. )
Okay, maybe that wasn’t exactly our daily conversation, but we did go out to dinner a lot in those days.
These days, on a slightly tighter budget after my two years away from work, we tend to throw together something quick and easy, or something I’ve come across in search of blog recipes. The HH plays sous-chef and chops or slices according to my directives. He sets the table and plays with The Girls while the dish finishes cooking. And gee, he doesn’t even mind waiting for me to photograph our daily dinners. (Man, he really is the greatest. Man, I love that guy!)
Okay, sappy interlude is now over. Back to the soup.
This is one of the first Indian recipes I ever tried, shortly after I went off wheat, eggs, dairy, etc.. I discovered fairly quickly that my dietary restrictions could be met easily in Asian restaurants, primarily Indian or Thai. As we visited one after the other restaurant in our neighbourhood, I also quickly discovered that I adored Indian food–and that I wanted to learn how to make it myself.
This soup comes from the first Indian cookbook I bought, The New Indian Cooking Course, by Manisha Kanani and Shehzad Husain. It is incredibly easy, quick, and delicious. Not overpowering, there’s still enough zing in the soup to imprint its spicy tingle on your tongue after the bowl is emptied–perfect for the No Croutons Required event.
(PS I’ve finally posted a photo for another fantastic spicy soup, the Moroccan Tomato Soup that I wrote about back in December (and which the HH and I enjoyed again recently). If you like spice, head on over and take a look! )
Spiced Cauliflower Soup
Adapted From The New Indian Cooking Course
TO VIEW THE COMPLETE RECIPE, PLEASE VISIT THIS PAGE ON THE NEW DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS, BY CLICKING HERE.
This soup is a great way to incorporate cauliflower, a vegetable that isn’t particularly exciting on its own. For a more powerful spice, increase the amount of ginger and cumin accordingly.
TO VIEW THE COMPLETE RECIPE, PLEASE VISIT THIS PAGE ON THE NEW DIET, DESSERT AND DOGS, BY CLICKING HERE.