30 Days of Vegetarianism

Today marks the one month anniversary of my move to a completely vegetarian diet.  And you know what? It turns out it was not a challenge at all.  Even today we had a friend over and bought a new grill and everyone else was bbq'ing hotdogs and I wasn't prepared with veggie burgers or something similar, but eating wasn't a challenge and didn't feel like a sacrifice at all.  I steamed a big bunch of broccoli with butter and garlic, salt and pepper, and quickly marinated a box of mushrooms I had in the fridge with soy sauce, olive oil, salt, pepper, Dash, Emril's spice, and onion powder and then grilled them up.  No one else was interested in my veggies, but I wasn't offended - more for me!

Now, is a month long enough to declare myself a vegetarian? I don't know. I also don't claim a vegetarian lifestyle, only diet.  Although I'll admit that I'm not sure what I do other than wear leather shoes that is not vegetarian.  I even switched to cloth napkins in order to save on paper goods use :)  Maybe I'm not sure what a completely vegetarian lifestyle entails?

Charity Clothing Swap in NYC - Saturday April 21st

Celebrate Earth Day a day early by attending the 2nd Annual Charity Clothing Swap to benefit HEART!  The event, sponsored by Ecorazzi, Girlie Girl Army, Vaute Couture and hosted by Ali Berman, is being held on Saturday April 21st from 11 am to 2 pm at Trinity Lutheran Parish on East 9th Street in the East Village of NYC.  

I attended the inaugural event last year and went home with some great clothing finds, including a Paper Denim denim jacket that has become my favorite of all time and a staple to my wardrobe.  I also contributed designer coats and shoes to the swap, as I will be doing again this year - including a mid-length pleated Calvin Klein coat (tags still on) and a pair of brown leather Delman slingbacks.

Along with great clothes and accessories, there will also be a vegan bake sale!  I will be baking banana chocolate chip muffins and I have on good word that the host will be making chocolate covered cookie dough bites (vegan, so you don't need to worry about raw egg!) - yum!

For further details and to purchase tickets online, click here.

I am really looking forward to this event and hope any readers in the NYC area can attend! What's not to love about the opportunity to clean out your closet, spruce up your wardrobe, eat some great sweets, and all while contributing to a great charity and helping the environment with some completely green "shopping"?? Win win win for all!  Hope to see you there!

Pasta & Peas: Italian Peasant Comfort Food

When I was a child, my neighbor Grandma Gerry, a big motherly Sicilian woman, was my babysitter.  She was more than a babysitter, taking care of us for nearly 12 hours of the day - more like a nanny - but, middle class people don't have nannies, so we called her our babysitter :)  And everyone in the neighborhood called her Grandma (well, Grandma Gerry).

As you would assume, Grandma Gerry, a woman who grew up in Brooklyn during the depression, prepared a large portion of our meals.  I fondly remember many of the dishes that came out of her hands, but the one that remains with me most today is the simple dish of pasta and peas, something she called peasant food, which I now call comfort food. 

Years after Grandma Gerry started experiencing senility and stopped caring for my brother and I, my mom adopted this dish as one of her own.  After all, Grandma Gerry still lived next door and we still ate dinner with her, her daughter and her two grand-daughters on a regular basis. Their cooking remained a big part of our lives.  Pasta and peas was something my mom and I would turn to on nights when no big cooking was to be done, and usually when my brother was not around as his teenage self scoffed at meatless meals.  

Pasta and peas was probably one of the first dishes that I began to make by myself on nights my mom would be returning home late from law school.  That was back in 7th or 8th grade.  And now more than 15 years later, it's a dish I probably cook once or twice a month.  A dish I always have the ingredients for on hand.  A dish I've cooked for numerous boyfriends (one from Italy whose mother made her pasta and peas more as a soup, in vegetable broth - I had her version, and I much prefer my own) and vegetarian friends.  A dish that is all comfort food as far as I'm concerned.  

Here is my recipe, if you can even call these simple directions a recipe: 

Pasta and Peas

Ingredients:

olive oil

garlic, minced

medium to large yellow onion, chopped

kosher salt

fresh cracked pepper

frozen petite peas

pasta - bow-ties or ditalini

Method:

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.  In the meantime, begin to boil water for pasta in separate pot.  Toss garlic into heated oil and brown for 3-4 minutes.  (As I've said before, I lower the temp at this point to be sure not to burn the garlic - nothing worse than burnt garlic!)  Add in the chopped onion and saute until translucent, about 7-8 minutes.  Salt generously, add cracked pepper as you like.  Throw in the frozen peas, toss and saute.  Once peas are no longer frozen, reduce heat to low and continue to cook as pasta boils.  Taste pea mixture to determine if additional salt and pepper is needed.  

Once pasta is cooked to al dente, add to saute pan and mix with peas and onions.  Additional olive oil may be needed at this point - depends on how you like it.

Easy pea-sy, that's all there is to it! Some people may top with grated cheese.  I don't, but feel free.  And enjoy!

Mushroom Parmesan risotto, anyone?

Risotto has always been a favorite dish of mine to order in restaurants.  My mother and grandmother never cooked it at home, which I now find surprising.  I suppose people have a misconception that it is a difficult dish to cook properly, but I find risotto dishes to be simple and oh so satisfying.  

Sure, it's a somewhat labor intensive dish because the risotto needs to be stirred very regularly and the temperature needs to be regulated so that the rice cooks and absorbs the broth slowly.  But at dinner time, aren't most of us chatting and walking around the kitchen with whatever errands, anyway?  That's what I do, and in between I stir and check on the risotto. 


Now that risotto is part of my regular repertoire, I have the basics down and can play with the other ingredients, which can really be just about anything.  So far I've made butternut squash, lemon, asparagus, sun dried tomato, and of course, mushroom risotto.  

My mushroom risotto preparation differs from many recipes you'll find online in that I dehydrate the mushrooms in the oven first.  This is something I learned to do with mushroom mac and cheese, and since I like the flavor of the oven roasted mushrooms decided to do the same for the risotto.  The alternative preparation would be to saute the mushrooms in a pan and then set aside cooked mushrooms and the reserved broth to be added to the risotto once the rice is near done.  I think the mushrooms can be too wet with that method, so instead I present to you my own recipe: 


Mushroom Parmesan Risotto

Ingredients: 

1 & 3/4 c. arborio rice
4 tbs olive oil 
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium sweet onion (I used a small portion of yellow onion that I had leftover and a medium red onion)
1 c. white wine
6 c. vegetable broth (plus some water if you start running low on broth)
8 oz package of white or baby portobello mushrooms
1 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to taste
1/4 c. chopped parsley
kosher salt, to taste
fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Wash and slice mushrooms, then toss with 1-2 tbs olive oil, kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Spread out the sliced mushrooms on a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet, and dehydrate mushroom in the oven for about 30 minutes.  Keep an eye on the roasting mushrooms, as cooking time will vary depending on large the slices are and on your personal preference for how well done  you want the mushrooms.  

In the meantime, begin heating the vegetable stock on the stove-top, as the rice will absorb the heated broth better.  Then, mince the garlic and chop the onion.  Preheat a large saute pan over medium high heat and swirl in about 2 tbs of olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, add garlic and brown for about 3 minutes.  I like to lower the heat at this point, because there's nothing worse than burnt garlic and there is less room for error cooking at the lower temperature for longer.  I then raise the heat just before adding the chopped onion.  Saute onions until they become tender and somewhat translucent, about 8 minutes.

Next, lower the heat to medium low, add the arborio rice and mix well with the onion, olive oil, garlic combination, moistening the rice.  You want to saute the rice along with the onion for a couple of minutes before adding the white wine.  Stirring consistently, watch the rice closely as the wine will absorb quickly.  Then add a ladles worth of vegetable broth, and continue to stir consistently (not constantly, but don't leave the risotto alone for more than a minutes or so without giving it a quick stir - if you have to abandon the stove top for longer, reduce or shut off the heat momentarily).  As the rice absorbs the broth, continue to ladle in more in small portions.

I find that it usually takes 35 to 45 minutes to cook the risotto.  I usually add the rest of the vegetables, in this case mushrooms, about 25 minutes in to cooking the rice.  Add mushrooms and continue adding broth as needed.  If you run out of broth, adding some water is fine, but be sure to heat cold tap water up before adding to risotto.  When the risotto is tender but still al dente, add Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper to taste, and stir thoroughly.

Serve immediately, top with a little extra Parmesan cheese and maybe a pinch of parsley, and enjoy!

I enjoyed this dish so much for dinner that I ate the leftovers for breakfast :) True story.

Oh, and by skipping the cheese, you can easily make this vegan.  Really, the risotto is creamy enough without the cheese, it's not a big sacrifice to the dish. 

Why You Should Join Me in Boycotting Belvedere Vodka

Let me begin by saying that I am not someone who is easily offended.  Maybe we all think that about ourselves, but in my case, I swear it is the truth.  Some of my favorite TV shows include It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Absolutely Fabulous, Arrested Development, Family Guy, South Park, Tosh.0, Louie, and anything by Ricky Gervais.  I can genuinely appreciate crass, offensive humor when done intelligently.  And okay, I can agree that Tosh.0 may not be considered intelligent, but I still laugh very loudly and uncomfortably when I watch the program, offensive humor, grotesque internet clips, et al.

Tweeted Advertisement

That being said, THIS is not humor in any way.  It's not even clever.  

The offense in question (pictured right) is a Belvedere Vodka advertisement the company tweeted last week that directly compares their product to an unwilling sex act - to sexual assault.  With the tag line, "Unlike some people, Belvedere always goes down smoothly," and a photograph of a frightened female trying to remove herself from the grasps of a man, this advertisement is very clearly making light of a woman being forced to perform oral sex, as if it is a totally socially acceptable occurrence.  And well, maybe it is often accepted behind closed doors and even sometimes in public spaces, but that is the PROBLEM we need to correct.  Not promote. 

This ad is reprehensible and grossly irresponsible.  It is also an insult to the customers of this brand of liquor.  Not to mention an insult to victims of sexual assault everywhere.  I think I find it particularly disturbing because it makes light of rape between friends or acquaintances, or even lovers.  Too many of us know that being raped by someone you are supposed to trust is possibly the hardest type of rape to report, or hell, to even admit to or discuss.  And for this reason, this ad makes me physically ill. 

Belvedere Vodka has issued two apologies: one, incredibly insincere, the second, slightly more sincere, paired with a donation to RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network), but still completely inadequate in my mind.  You can read the full apology here at Business Insider.   

Why is Belvedere's apology inadequate?  Sure, the president of the company has said of the ad that it shouldn't have happened and that he will make it sure it never happens again.  But it did happen.  And where is the accountability if every time a corporation or public figure that causes a gross offense can simply issue an apology and write a tax-exempt check?  No, I'm sorry but that is not good enough for me.  Even if they now regret it, the company did create and distribute this advertisement.  It happened.  And there should be repercussions.

I understand that Belvedere Vodka is not going to publicly name and fire the group of individuals who created and distributed the advertisement, and nor should they.  To do so would be foolish and irresponsible, as it could put those individuals in personal danger - and while I think they are probably a big group of a**holes, I don't wish them physical harm. And I don't want Belvedere Vodka to be able to use the limited actions of their creative ad team as a scapegoat because ultimately Belvedere Vodka, in its fullest and grandest sense, is the guilty party.  And a five sentence apology and donation doesn't make the wrong they committed right. 

And so I will boycott Belvedere Vodka for the foreseeable future in the hopes that the company experiences a very real backlash in the way of financial agony.  I will continue to spread the word and encourage others to discontinue any future ties with the vodka company.  I hope you agree with me and join in sending a meaningful message to Belvedere Vodka that we will not accept their promotion of a rape culture.  Rape and sexual assault of any kind are never okay.  Let's take a stand.

Spinach Apple Salad Redux & Curried Couscous

Spinach apple salad and curried couscous

I must say, eating completely vegetarian has not been a challenge at all.  In fact, it has influenced me to seek out new recipes featuring different ingredients, and that's awesome - welcomed new experiences!  I really have not missed eating meat at all and it's been ten days.  

Last night I revisited the spinach apple salad that I raved about last week.  This time I made it with toasted walnuts, a preparation that is considerably lower in calories as I simply used cooking spray and toasted the nuts with the maple sugar sprinkled on top, instead of sauteing them in butter or oil.  Again, the salad was a big hit and thanks to me, there was not a bite left over. 

Paired with the salad I made a curried couscous dish, following this recipe by the Barefoot Contessa.  It was also a great success, although in the future I would use less dressing as I thought it was a little overly moist.  The one substitution I made to the dish was that I added English cucumber and omitted carrot, which I think made a lovely change.  

Couscous is something that I've only made once or twice in the past and if memory serves me well, it was a WeightWatchers recipe that I followed.  Now I can't wait to try some new couscous dishes!  Any recommendations?? 

Homemade Butternut Squash Ravioli

One of my new favorite dishes is Butternut Squash Ravioli. I've made this dish twice now, each time basing the recipe on the one found here , each time making a few changes.  Yes, even with the use of wonton wrappers, this dish is pretty labor intensive, but the ravioli can easily be prepared a few days in advance, the sauce takes only minutes to whip up, and really, the taste and texture and the satisfaction at having made this beautiful dish by hand, make all the effort well worth it.  Definitely make this on a night you have guests, as this is a dish sure to wow. 

Homemade butternut squash ravioli

The recipes I have found online for this dish usually call for using one cup of butternut squash.  But one butternut squash yields more like 2 1/2 cups of fleshy squash, so I double the recipe and change the proportions a bit.  This dish is vegetarian, not vegan, but I could see a cashew or other nut "cheese" making a nice substitute for the cheeses I have used.  Here's my recipe:

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash

kosher salt (~1/2 tbsp + more to taste)

fresh cracked black pepper (~1 tsp + more to taste)

nutmeg (~ 1 tsp + more to taste)

cayenne pepper (~ 1/2 tsp)

1 cup soft cream cheese

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

3 tbsp heavy cream

1 package wonton wrappers (seek out egg-free brands if cooking vegan)

2 tbsp butter

fresh sage (or dried, if you can't get your hands on fresh like I couldn't)

pumpkin pie spice

2 tbsp olive oil

sliced blanched almonds (optional - I did not have these on hand)

To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees in order to roast the butternut squash.  Wash the outside of the squash, cut off the ends, then slice it in half lengthwise.  Use a spoon to remove the seeds and the stringy surrounding flesh.  Place the two halves in a roasting pan, fleshy side up, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Then, pour water over the squash, also filling the pan with a shallow (less than a cm) layer of liquid.  (The first time I made this dish, I poured a combination of orange juice and water over the squash for the roasting, which worked nicely.  I would have done the same this time around only I didn't have any juice on hand and none of the recipes online called for the use of anything other than water as far as I could see.)  Cover the pan with tin foil and roast for 35-45 minutes.  Then go have a drink, because you really can't proceed until the squash is done roasting and has cooled a bit :)

Spiced butternut squash and cheese ravioli filling

Once the butternut squash has fully cooked and cooled a bit, scoop it off the rind into a mixing bowl.  You will probably have about two and a half cups of squash, which is going to make a lot of ravioli filling.  If you don't want so much, cut the recipe in half.  Or freeze half the filling.  Or use it for something else, like I did - I used about half of the filling to make 44 ravioli, then I used the leftover mixture to make butternut squash risotto two days later.

Add to the butternut squash the cream cheese, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and pumpkin pie spice.  The amount of spice is something you really need to determine by tasting the butternut squash mixture.  It will also largely depend on how ripe and flavorful the butternut squash was to start, so each time you make this dish the spice amounts may vary greatly depending on the particular squash.

Once the butternut squash filling is seasoned to your liking, set up your ravioli work station: a flat dry surface on which to lay the wonton wrappers and a finger bowl of water.  (Begin heating water to boil the finished ravioli around this point.)  Scoop about 1/2 tbsp size dollops of filling into the center of each wonton wrapper.  Use either a basting brush or your finger to moisten the outside edges of the wonton so that you can then fold and press the ravioli closed. 

As the water is almost ready to boil, heat butter and olive oil in a saute pan.  Add sage, salt, pepper, sliced almonds and pumpkin pie spice and heat over low heat stirring frequently.  Cook the ravioli in the boiling water for approximately four minutes.  Remove from water with a large pasta utensil, add butter sage sauce, top with some more freshly grated Parmesan cheese and viola! Delicious homemade butternut squash ravioli!!