Family, Food, and Fun!

Family visits are fantastic.  We had such a wonderful long weekend with family this past weekend.  At first, we thought simply that our cousin was coming on her mini-break between school terms, but then, her parents came to join her.  With the onset of their collective visit, our family in CT decided to come up to the house as well.  Given the massive snow and our general tendency to hibernate in these coldest months, it was such a warming event to have everyone together.  Of course, this also provided all the more reason to have some fun in the kitchen!

Menu highlights from the weekend:

Black bean and squash empanadas (Veganomicon):
Yes, they were so amazing that we couldn't help but make them again.  Interestingly, we made the dough thinner this time, and we liked that set up better.  With the same recipe as last time, we made 28 empanadas in total and fed five of us somewhere between comfortably and deliciously uncomfortable, if you catch my drift.  You could probably even stretch the dish to six people with additional sides available.

Resolution Guac (Spruced up "Green Pean Guacamole" from Whole Foods Market):
Have you seen those recipes calling for peas or edamame in place of and in addition to avocado in a guacamole recipe?  They seem to be popping up on food sites and in flyers with increasing frequency, probably in relation to this prime health resolution time of year.  Although curious about these adaptations, I previously resisted such interference with the extant perfection of avocado-only guacamole.  I take my guac seriously; I request and make it often; I do not like to share it, unless the batch is extremely large, because I like it.  A lot. Though I loathed the possibility of wasting good avocado,  I coerced myself into trying this recipe with the rationale that I could, in fact, eat twice as much guac without the accompanying guilt of eating a small child's weight in avocados.  I'm glad I tried it.  I did add an extra half of an avocado to this recipe (just because I needed to use it up), as well as some hot sauce (approx. 1 t), 1 T extra lime juice, and salt and pepper; I'd probably add some more spice, cilantro, garlic, and maybe tomatoes next time.  Although the recipe looks like it might not make enough for two people, not to mention eight, the peas really do extend the size of the dip.  Most tasters did not notice the peas and commented only that it was a bit heartier than the usual guacamole; they felt the taste was the same.   It nicely accompanied the empanadas and chips that were served at two different times over the weekend.  Will I convert to  "Resolution guac" at all eatings? Not necessarily, but I do think it is a tasty and more affordable alternative to avo-only guac, which is especially great when serving a larger crowd or when trying to mind the pennies.  Finally, this variation resists the unappealing oxidation of standard guac and thus extends its serving life.  Yay!

Maple-Sauteed Brussels and Broccoli
You know I'll eat brussels and broccoli all the time.  I wanted to do something with these that would help them accompany the empanadas.  Since the empanadas had a bit of maple syrup in the dough, I thought having  a maple presence with the Bs would be a fitting complement.  My only error with this dish was that I did not make enough; if you can prep these two items in a way that will have people battling to clean out the bowl,  I think it is worth a shot, especially if you have anti-brussel and broc folks in your home.  Here's my approximate recipe which I would double to serve 4-6 as a side dish, especially if a few of the diners already love these veggies.

1 T. olive oil
1/4 of a small red onion halved and thinly sliced
2 c. thinly sliced brussel sprouts
2 c. thinly sliced broccoli florets
1-2 T. maple syrup (I eyeballed -- I would add one, stir, taste, and add more as needed to desired
           sweetness)
 Salt and pepper

Heat oil over med. to med.-high heat in soup pot or large saute pan.  (I used a smaller saute pan, and I had escapees.)  Saute red onion, brussels, and broccoli until veggies are tender and lightly tanned. Eat immediately.

Mushroom and Spinach Lasagna (Ricotta from Vegan with a Vengeance)
I used a box of brown rice lasagna noodles, one container (approx. 16 oz.) baby bellas -- cleaned, destemmed, and sliced, and 12 oz. of one bag (16 oz.) of frozen chopped spinach (thawed).  Next time, I'd just use the whole bag of spinach and maybe add an additional 8 oz. of mushrooms.  I used silken tofu for the ricotta this time, because I bought the wrong tofu (oops!).  It worked out just fine and even gave some additional creaminess to the ricotta filling.  I was most proud of the sauce, however, as it was my adaptation of the family recipe.  I used 32 oz. for this lasagna.

Mom's Pasta Sauce (Veganized)
Makes 48 oz. of sauce; freezes well.

1-2 T olive oil

3-5 shallots, peeled and finely diced (# depends on size, approx. 1.5 c. total)

3-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 c. red wine
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
28 oz. diced tomatoes (DO NOT DRAIN!)
1 T basil
1 T parsley
1/2 t. salt
pepper to taste

1. Lightly coat bottom of soup pot with oil (use as little as needed not to burn); heat to med./med.-high and saute shallot and garlic for 3-4 min. until just softening.  Deglaze
2. Reduce heat to med.-low.  Add crushed and diced tomatoes, basil, and parsley.  Stir,  and let simmer for 40 min, stirring occasionally during this time to make sure nothing sticks.  Add remaining wine, stir, and simmer for 10-20 min.  Should be thick and somewhat chunky at the end.  If you like thinner sauce, you may want to add a cup of water or stock or reduce cooking time.

Standard lasagna directions:
1. Cook noodles as directed; prep vegetables; make ricotta and refrigerate it until ready for layering.
2. Heat approximately 1 T of olive oil over med. heat.  Add mushrooms -- stir for about 1 min.  Then, add spinach, salt, and pepper (approx. 1/2 t. each sprinkled around). Saute for 2-4 min. until mushrooms are softened.
3. Put about 1/2 c. of sauce over the bottom of a larger rectangular pyrex dish (about the length of one noodle).  Then, layer 3 noodles over the sauce (they run the length of the dish), spread 1/2 of the ricotta mix on top of the noodles, sprinkle 1/2 of the mushroom/ spinach mix over the ricotta, and spread approx. 1 c. sauce across top of the veg. mix without disrupting layers below.  Repeat the direction in the last sentence (in this round I break noodles and place them the width of the pan).  Then, add last layer of noodles and top with remaining sauce.  (The truth is, I don't really measure anything here, just eyeball to reserve enough for all layers.)

Garlic Flatbread (Quick and Easy Vegan Bakesale):
I first made this recipe last summer when testing for this cookbook was wrapping up.  It has been requested repeatedly ever since.  There are so many willing cooks in our family -- what fun to make goodness together in the kitchen!

Sue's QEVB flatbread

The family that bakes together...:)

Just talking about this weekend is making me hungry.   We also enjoyed Dandie Krispie Treats, Snickerdoodle Donut Holes, and Peanut Butter Chocolate Vanilla Cheesecake which will be pictured and discussed further on The Revisionist's Treatery (just click on the link on my blogroll to check these out!).

To conclude our eating delights and our wonderful weekend, we went to an amazing restaurant in Boston called Tantric India Bistro that should be added to all vegan (and non-vegan) "Must-go" restaurant lists.  As evident on the website, the place is chic and modern, but it is also very welcoming with an incredibly warm, knowledgeable staff.  They had an actual vegan menu in addition to their standard menu (not just a note that items could be made vegan etc.), and the staff were knowledgeable about the lifestyle and dietary guidelines in general.  I have found that at non-vegetarian/vegan restaurants, this awareness and understanding is quite rare, so it was amazing to feel my choices were valued and accepted.  I tried the veg. samosa (YUM -- and I generally think these are way too greasy and heavy), the Aloo Gobi Masallam, and the Lauki Kofta in Tomato Gravy.  The last dish was my favorite by far, and I seriously could have eaten the gravy alone and been quite happy. I highly recommend you visit this restaurant if you live in the MA/RI area; it is worth the trip to the city.

Thanks again to our family for visiting; it was a delicious and enjoyable weekend!