New BLOG!

This blog is no longer. But my fellow vegetarian chef in crime, Christin has started a new similar blog about good, gourmet quality vegetarian/vegan food. Check it out!
WHAT VEGETARIANS EAT FOR DINNER

You can also check out a documentary by Ola Waagen about the Oslo Veg Fest, and you can see my booth in a clip:)

Oslo Vegetarfestival 2011 from Ola Waagen on Vimeo.

http://vimeo.com/25451729

SPICY WINTER VEGETABLE SOUP

Sorry for lack of updates! ive been busy with the revolver kitchen, which should debut on sept1. meanwhile, ive also been doing the vegetarian catering for a host of concerts including: nick cave & the bad seeds, iron maiden, kylie minogue, bruce springsteen, iron maiden, and KISS!!!

Its been hard work but Ive learned a lot about the professional world of cooking, and made quite a few dishes Im proud of.

Tonight, since the cold is starting to set in, I was craving this veggie soup I made back at Bruce Springsteen, but I was also thinking how gratifying it would be to make it with a cheesy top via French Onion soups. So voila! My version of a cheesy (spicy) winter soup.

Need for two people

1/2 stick butter

1-2 large onions chopped thinly

1 clove garlic

2 bay leaves

lots of fresh parsley

1 veggie boullion

i chili

celery root

kolrabi (swede)

carrot

potato

celery

(you can mix and choose your veggies but i put the all above to give nice color-- also make sure chopped in neat nice little squares)

garlic powder

parmasean

swiss cheese

2 pieces of older french bread

two bowls heat proof

1. make the stock-soup first. start in one large pot, the stock, bayleaves and a few onions.

in separate pan, fry on low heat in butter and some olive oil, the chopped onions, garlic and chili.

once the pot is boiling and the onions look golden (about 15-20 mins) pour the onion butter mixture into the boiling pot of stock.

2. bring to boil, the turn down and simmer for about 30 mins. add salt and pepper. 

3. after about 30 min, spoon out any heavy chunks of onion to make a bit more room. then dump in ALL your chopped veg with a handful of parsley. cook for about 15 mins more (dont overcook the veg), then taste if needs more seasoning, but basically done.

4. with the bread, lightly grill on one side, then turn over and drizzle oil olive. cover in parmesan and take out when you see parmesan has melted.

5. put the bread slices into flameproof bowls, pour in soup, top with  parmasean, chopped parsley and slices of swiss cheese so it almost melts down on the sides. mmm.

my dream menu

sorry for lack of updates, ive been cooking lots, i promise... in fact, hoping to help open or at least manage a kitchen in OXLO! check out my proposed menu so far...

º KJØKKEN º

(V or VV = Vegetarian or Vegan option available)

SOUPS & SALADS

Crab salad, avocado, citrus oil, pink grapefruit

Rocket salad, roasted pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, mandarin slices w/ raspberry vinaigrette

Chicken Caesar salad (V or VV)

Seafood soup

Winter vegetable soup, herb oil

Carrot & coriander

Cream of tomato & dill


BREAKFAST

English Breakfast – eggs any style, beans, hash brown, tomatoes, sausage, bacon, toast (V or VV)

Spanish Breakfast – spinach omelet, peppers, mushroom, ham, cheese w/ side frittas (V)

French Breakfast – croissant, a cigarette, espresso

Italian Breakfast – fresh pastry, croissant, cappuccino

Vegetarian Breakfast – tofu scramble sautéed in scallions, tomatoes and artichoke hearts w/ roasted rosemary baby potatoes


LUNCH

Deli club sandwich – roast beef, turkey, salami on wheat

The Revolver Burger (V or VV)

Tuna au gratin in a rigatoni bake

Three-bean chili, veggie mince, jalapeños, parsley

Taco salad, homemade guacamole, salsa verde (V or VV)

Dagen’s Pasta (e.g. Three cheese lasagna w/ spinach, mushroom)


MAINS

Sea bass/trout, tomato & crab risotto, ginger foam

Salmon confit, avocado, rocket, creamed potatoes in balsamic dressing

Beef/lamb dish

Pork/chicken dish

Nut roast, honey roasted parsnips, red wine gravy

Lentil ragu, wild forest mushroom, stewed tomatoes, onion and celery tossed with warm cumin, goat’s cheese


SIDES

Honey-roasted parsnips and carrots

Butter mash potatoes

Soul-melting English fuckin’ chips

Roasted garlic cloves in olive oil

I'm Stuffed

My evaluation: a bit dry and the consistency is a bit weird, but the stuffing's not bad, and maybe I shoulda cooked it longer. Not as good as the Picard-Bohler Canadian Thanxsgivings', but a bit o' sage and rosemary, a better gravy (see entry for red-wine gravy) than the pre-packaged one, and fresh cranberry sauce-- and I think this mock turkey does do the trick. And a lot more conscious I think, seeing as that everyone on this side of the world seems immediately flushed into super Thanksgiving-Xmas material madness.....

(pictured center.....)

Cheese?

Ok, this is not so much theory, but at least we're getting there. This is about cheese. I (used) to love cheese, but since dairy does not so much love me, I've (mostly) stopped eating it for the past year. And, guess what?, over the summer I've realized that I'm not addicted anymore! Check this out...

"Some have argued that the high fat content in cheese (up to 70 percent of its volume, and most of it saturated) and its creamy texture and characteristic aroma make it an especially desirable “comfort food.” Holistic health and nutrition counselor Cynthia Stadd points out, “High fat foods tend to calm us down.”

Amy Lanou, PCRM’s nutrition director, argues that it’s more likely something called casein that makes cheese addictive. “Cheese is a concentrate of protein and fat, and casein is a type of protein found naturally in milk. Caseins convert to casomorphines, which are chemically similar to morphine, when they break down during digestion. It’s these casomorphines that are addictive,” says Lanou. “All mammalian mothers’ milk contains casomorphines so that the young will return to the breast for milk.” Since we are the only mammal that regularly drinks the milk of other animals, Lanou posits that it’s this process that’s behind humanity’s affection for cheese.

Research by Dr. Neal Barnard of PCRM, the author of Breaking the Food Seduction: Behind Food Cravings and Seven Steps to End Them Naturally, has shown that naloxene, an opiate-blocker used to treat morphine and heroin overdoses, reduces the desire for chocolate, sugar, cheese and meat. This suggests, writes Barnard, that “their attraction does indeed come from drug-like effects.”

(This from March/April 2004 E! magazine).

So now this is what I eat instead....It tastes pretty good, and not so gas-making. Cheese? Addictive?

VEGGIE MABU(MABO) TOFU

I think I really impressed both my dad and I when I randomly came up with this today(Mabu tofu is traditionally made with pork, but tvp makes a great replacement), and it turned out to be a success. Yumyumyum. My mom's gone so I've had the duty of cooking for dad who not so conveniently, only eats Chinese food.

p.s. Don't order this at P.F. Chang's. Its a posh Chinese chain in the States, but this dish on their menu is a failure. Inauthentic, too heavy, fried tofu that's overbearing in oyster sauce when its supposed to be light, flavorful and spicy. And cheaper to make than 7 bucks.

You need:
(for 2 ppl)

1 large head of Broccoli

1 Firm tofu (cut into about 1cmx1cm squares)

TVP

chopped or pressed clove of garlic

shaved or shredded ginger

sesame oil

chinese vinegar, or apple vinegar even works

soy sauce

chinese spicy condiment la-jiao, AND/or chili flakes

green onions

steamed rice (separately)

optional - bok choy

optional - sesame seeds

1. Fry onion, garlic, ginger in sesame oil for a few minutes on med heat. Throw in the chopped broccoli, green onions, bok choy and 1/8 cup of water. Cover and let steam for a few minutes.

2. Throw in tofu and TVP, stir. Then put in your sauces- vinegar, soy sauce, spicy stuff and continue to stir on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Or until the broccoli is looking soft.

3. Cover and let it cook for about 15 more minutes on low heat. We really want to let the tvp and tofu absorb all the spicy juices.

4. Taste. If not spicy enough add more. If not salty enough add more soy sauce, etc.

5. Top with sesame seeds and serve with steamed rice.

Piece of cake, huh?

VEEGGIE BURGERS!

I give full credit to Kezia for this recipe. I modified here and there to things I had/didn't have, all in all it turned out to be a scrumptious dinner.

"Anything goes veggie burgers"
Ingredients:
Tofu or TVP or Tempeh
Any kind of mashed beans (i used carribean-esque beans, with lime)
or lentils
Tomato paste
peanut butter
soy sauce
worchester sauce
fried onions or leeks
onion or garlic powder
chopped nuts of any kind
flour or wheat germ
corn meal
nutritional yeast
olive oil
grated or mashed carrots
coriander
dill
paprika
egg
liquid smoke (optional)

"This recipe is a work in progress. You just need to add any or all of the ingredients and mash them up in a bowl until they keep ball shape but aren't too dry. Roll them in a mixture of corn meal and sesame seeds. Bake (--or shallow fry, like I did) until they're crispy and firm. These freeze well.

Serve with baked potato wedge topped with dill and paprila. Sprinkle some vinegar over the raw wedges before you put them in the oven to make sure they're yummy and moist inside."