Saturday:

Winter Veggie and Dumplings, banana cream pie @Scratch Bakery

Vegetarian Pho with braised tofu

Sunday:

brunch: virgin bloody mary @Motorco, faux buffalo chicken slider with sweet potato fries @KoKyuBBQ

dinner: blueberry pancakes and roasted winter veggies (maple-dijon Brussels sprouts and carrots)

Monday:
curried lentil and spinach with fried paneer cubes

Tuesday:
tofu burrito mejor at Carrburritos
mud pie a la mode from Elmo’s Diner (a Valentine’s tradition)

Wednesday:

Sort-of kimchi tempeh reuben: tempeh with melted asiago cheese, warmed kimchi. served over mustard-dressed salad greens and avocado.

Thursday:

seared vegan Field Roast sausages with Mark Bittman’s roasted brussel sprouts and buttered broccoli (Pine Knot Farms produce rules!)

***
Favorite tip of the week: making scrambled eggs this way, especially with Chapel Hill Creamery raw milk Hickory Grove and last year’s thawed pesto.

Friday:

Fish tacos @Nanatacos

Dessert: mango boba popping balls over ginger lemonade sorbet @Local Yogurt

Saturday:

Chocolate tortino @Scratch Bakery

fried pickles and fried cheese curds @Tyler’s Taproom

30ish beers at Raleigh Rare and Vintage Beer Tasting (whoo!)

So dinner was a small bowl of ramen, a shared big bowl of edamame, and another shared big bowl of popcorn.

Sunday:

blood orange-avocado salad (recipe here) with Chapel Hill Creamery Danizger cheese

lentil soup from Jewels of New York (mods: used 4 c broth, 1 c water, don’t drain tomatoes, also, use ketchup instead of tomato paste)

Monday:
raw kale salad with roasted chickpeas (recipe here), Highlight: kale came from our garden

Tuesday:

lunch: leftover lentil soup with fried paneer cubes

dinner @Carrburritos

Wednesday:

dinner: green vegetable dumplings, Homestyle Tofu, Eggplant in Garlic Sauce @Happy China (new to us)

dessert: cake batter with strawberry popping balls @Local Yogurt

Thursday:

dinner:  chile relleno taco, vegetable quesadilla @Chubby’s Tacos
also, a tad too much Highland Park scotch

Saturday:

Brunch @Scratch Bakery: Fullsteam stout waffles with sorghum butter for me; kale country captain for him

Dinner: Quick Curried Tofu Scramble with Spinach and dumplings

Sunday:

Mason jar love at French Broad Chocolate Lounge

Dinner @Early Girl Eatery pan-fried catfish with green beans and beets

Sarsaprilla Float for the boy

Dessert @ French Broad Chocolate Lounge dark chocolate macaroon with raspberry-lemonade filling, half-pint of Pisgah Nitro Stout

Monday:

Lunch@ Rosetta’s Kitchen Family Favorite (peanut butter tofu, sauteed kale, smashed potatoes with nut gravy)

Dinner @Rosetta’s Kitchen (yes, again): The Mountain (Korean BBQ Tempeh, sauteed kale, brown rice)

Dessert/Drink: Flight of 4 beers at Thirsty Monk, cheese straws, ginger-maple cashews

Tuesday:
Dinner @The Junction: Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts w/Caramelized Apples, Butternut Squash Cream, Parmesan & Sage Oil

Pan-Seared NC Shrimp, Three Graces Goat Cheese NC Stone Ground Grits ‘Air’, Mushroom Ragout, Pisgah Pale Ale Braised Collards, Preserved Lemon Beurre Blanc

Drink: Decca- House-smoked pears and vanilla, shaken over Eagle Rare bourbon, Vya sweet vermouth, and bitters

Dessert @French Broad Chocolate Lounge: Counter Culture espresso over Ultimate ice cream Belgian dark chocolate (basically an affogato), plus a few nibbles of their chocolate cake.

Late Drink @Thirsty Monk: Founder’s and Troubadour Imperial Stout

Wednesday:
Breakfast @Early Girl Eatery: Early Girl Eggs Benny (fried grits, spinach, tomato gravy, avocado, toast)

Lunch @Rosetta’s Kitchen (shared with the boy): tempeh reuben and smoked tofu wrap

Nibbles @The Chocolate Fetish: espresso bark, chocolate-covered dried figs

Thursday:
Pie Pushers Pizza: half cheese, half sundried tomatoes and broccoli

Saturday:

Naked Vegan Tacos, again. No one really complains about this.

Sunday:

roasted tofu with mellow miso dressing (from my new roots). sweet and sour red cabbage. charred red spring onions mixed with quinoa.

Monday:
Pizza from Pie Pushers (cheese and winter veggies)

Tuesday:
Tofu Burritos from Carrburritos

Wednesday:

quinoa with feta, walnut, turnip greens. honeyed roasted turnips. roasted carrots with thyme and garlic.

Thursday:
food from Boxcarr Farms:
pasta with lemon thyme beurre blanc, boursin, arugula (really the best excuse for having pasta)
smoked farmers cheese swiss chard tart with sherry vinagrette greens
frito misto
Smores: dark chocolate pudding with caramel, swiss meringue, graham cracker

***
Can you tell I like routines? Next week will be different- let’s call it an Asheville special.

And this week’s favorite snack:
greek yogurt mixed with sorghum syrup (seems to be featured everywhere, such as nytimes and bon appetit), walnuts, and freeze-dried raspberries. blissfully tart and sweet at the same time.

Hot and sour soup is one of these things that seems very simple but when you look at the recipe, the ingredient list seems daunting because it is so long. It’s even worse when you learn that you need some fairly obscure Chinese food ingredients: wood ear mushrooms and lily buds. The thing is, it is actually a fairly simple recipe- it’s just a spicy and sour broth, with vegetables in it, and I made a version based on common ingredients I could get from my local farmers’ market. Napa cabbage makes a very nice subsitution, and the soup reminds me a bit of kimchi jigae (casserole-soup).

It’s very good when you have a cold and need a sinus-clearing soup, but it’s also very comforting in winter. A note- if you are using dried shiitake mushrooms- do not discard the water you use to rehydrate the mushrooms- you can use the liquid as part of the broth for the soup. If there is debris, run mushroom water through a strainer.

Hot and Sour Soup

• 1 1/2 TB sesame oil

• 1 small onion, quartered and sliced

• however many you want cloves garlic
• 3 TB minced ginger
• 4 cups water or broth (including mushroom water)
• 4 tb soy sauce
• a pinch of two of brown sugar
• dried shiitake mushrooms (from Spain Farm), rehydrated and destemmed and sliced
• 1-2 shredded carrots (from Vollmer Farm)
• 3/4 cup sliced napa cabbage (from Hurtgen Meadows Farm)
• 2 TB minced hot chile peppers (I used my pickled peppers)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 package tofu, sliced in strips
• 5 tB apple cider or rice vinegar

1. Heat sesame oil in pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add ginger, garlic, onions and saute until soft and fragrant.
2. Add broth, mushrooms cabbage, carrots, jalapeno, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, sugar, and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add tofu and vinegar and simmer for 10 more minutes.
3. Salt to taste with a TB or so of soy sauce. Serve by itself or with rice. You could garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Friday:

Hot and Sour Soup (recipe soon!)

Saturday:
Roasted Turnips/ sauteed turnip-beet greens over quinoa

Sunday:

Winter Roots plate: roasted beets with red wine vinegar and feta/ sauteed turnip-beet greens over quinoa/ last of radish-carrot salad

Monday:
last of hot and sour soup

Tuesday:
tofu burrito mejor @Carrburritos

Wednesday:

black beluga lentils over brazilian collards with roasted carrots dish from My New Roots

Thursday: Boxcarr Farms food truck night!
-leek and goat cheese tart with red pepper puree, salad greens in red wine vinagrette
-spaetzle with smoked farmers goat cheese, roasted sweet potatoes. smoked farmers cheese. hazelnuts. herb brown butter jus
-misto frito: broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, potato, onion, mushroom
-grapefruit upside down cake with grand mariner sabayon

***
New Favorite: Sipping chocolate via The Teacup Chronicles

My recipe:
1 cup lowfat milk
at least 3 ounces dark chocolate (I used Valhrona)
pinch of salt
teaspoon or so of vanilla sugar (left over from holiday baking)
optional: pinch of cayenne, cinnamon

Put all in a saucepan under medium heat and let chocolate melt, whisk into milk, and heat for 5 minutes or so. Best drinking hot chocolate ever!

(this photo is misleading, but please enjoy the cheese on my behalf.)

This week was a challenge, as I’ve been sick since Sunday. I may or may not have a recipe for you this weekend, depending on how it turns out…

Friday:
broccoli slaw with braised tofu

Saturday:

Bombay Fish and Chips at Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe

Sunday:
Pad See Ew from Thai Cafe

Monday:
Kale/Egg Panini with Seafood-broth soup from Toast

Tuesday:
Tofu Burrito Mejor from Carburritos

Wednesday:
Hot and sour soup from Whole Foods

Thursday:
Kale and Corn Chowder from Whole Foods and some roasted local sweet potatoes

Today:
Hopefully something I make myself!

***

When I’m sick, I have a hard time cooking (no energy for it) so I resort to takeout or even just bowls of ramen. I never really grew up with chicken soup for colds, just a lot of noodle bowls, so it’s a habit that stuck with me.

One thing I’ve found that makes ramen better is adding some fresh greens (pea shoots are a favorite; cilantro, bean sprouts, spinach, shiitake mushrooms are also good) and pouring in a beaten egg to make a sort of egg-drop soup style. Add more soy sauce (for salt) or sriracha (for spice- it will make your nose clear).

Since my throat really hurts this time, I’ve found smoothies to be a really handy way of getting fresh fruit/veggies. You can find my smoothie recipe here all the way at end of this post- adding greens is optional.

This is one of my better meals- I used whatever I had in the fridge and it all worked out wonderfully. This is a iron-packed dish and is just plain delicious. And probably great for detoxing.

I got inspired by a lentil and spinach curry recipe in Pinterest, added some modifications after consulting Madhur Jafrey’s Indian Cooking (probably my first “foodie” cookbook). On a whim, seeing all the cilantro I bought, I made cilantro chutney and I’m glad I did- the leftovers go well with eggs in the following days.

Lentil and Spinach Curry (adapted from Kitchem Demure and Madhur Jafrey)

• 4 TB canola oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 2 tsp curry powder (I used S&B curry powder because that’s what I had on hand- use whatever works for you)
• 1 cup lentils
• 2 cups water (I used leftover broth from making sneaky collards)
• 1 bag spinach (from Elodie Farms)
• salt an pepper to taste

optional: paneer cubes, basmati rice, naan

1. Heat oil over high heat. When hot, add cumin seeds. When it gets fragrant, add onion, stirring until they get soft, then garlic, ginger, and curry powder. When you get a thick mixture, add lentils and water.
2. Simmer until it gets soupy and thick, about 20-30 minutes.
3. Add spinach and let it wilt into the lentil mixture.
4. Serve with paneer cubes, rice, or naan. Goat cheese or even greek yogurt (I’m not that traditional) would work well too.

Coriander Chutney (adapted from Madhur Jaffrey)

• 1 bunch cilantro (Maple Spring Farms)
• 1/2-1 chile pepper (I used some of my pickled peppers that I grew myself- half of a serrano and half of a lemon hot)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Chop stems from cilantro.
2. Add all ingredients in blender or food processor and mix well- you should have a vibrant green sauce.

Saturday:
Naked Vegan Taco (a variation of this. Used lettuce instead of cabbage and used carrot/radish slaw.), plus New Year’s Eve snacks and 5? glasses of champagne

Sunday:

sneaky collards (Lee Bros), hoppin’ John (modified Ruhlman recipe), fried paneer cubes (suggested by Heidi Swanson), fried cornbread (Alicia’s fault)

Modifications to Ruhlman’s Hoppin’ John (think of it as chili-style):
-saute onions in butter and olive oil to the point of caramellizing.
-add salt and spices (bay leaf, cumin, pepper flakes, and black pepper, smoked paprika (my addition)).
-add tomatoes and juice, carrots, and peas.
-simmer until it gets thick.

I used frozen blanched black eyed peas from Kings Red and White market, so I didn’t do the precooking step.

Monday:

Braised cabbage with tempeh bacon, fried egg, and sauteed mushrooms. Mushrooms are basically cooked in butter with thyme, salt, and pepper.

Tuesday:
Tofu Burrito, Mejor

Wednesday:

Lentil and Spinach Curry, with paneer cubes, avocadoes, and cilantro chutney.
Served with roasted purple sweet potatoes slathered in butter and sorghum syrup. Recipe for lentil and spinach curry to come soon…

Thursday:
Pizza from Pie Pushers and Dumplings from Chirba Chirba (hey, it was first Thursdays at Oval Park…two blocks away from my house!)

Friday:
to be determined.

***
Eunice’s Food Resolutions for 2012:

1- Cook more from my cookbooks (I have so many!)

2- Do more refrigerator-cleaning experiments

3- Post once a week on Accidental Southerner

4- Make something you haven’t made before. I’ve never made a bean burger. Must change that.

If you are trying to eat healthy despite the holidays, this is the dish for you. Add some braised tofu or fried egg and you have a healthy vegetarian meal. Also, cabbage is in season at our local market (Catbriar Farm and Flat River Farm have a nice selection of them) and is very, very cheap for the amount of food it produces (one head of cabbage can probably feed a family of four-six very easily).

What makes this different from most slaws is the slow pickling/marinating process. I learned this from Andrea Reusing’s book, Cooking in the Moment, when making her recipe for hot slaw. She pickles cabbage in lemon and lime juices with a little salt, sugar, and jalapeno for about 30 minutes before cooking. I accidentally pickled them overnight and found that they had a lovely sauerkraut-y texture, and that’s been my favorite method for seasoning cabbage.

The rest of ingredients come from various recipes for cabbage crunch, which apparently involves ramen noodles and ramen seasoning. I didn’t have that on hand, so I provided crunch in form of chopped roasted peanuts (and if you read my last post, I had a lot of roasted peanuts on hand), and added whatever else I had in the fridge: cilantro, carrots, scallions.

Cabbage Crunch/Slaw

• 1 head cabbage, shredded
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp turbinado sugar
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or 1 chopped jalapeno)
• 3 carrots, julienned
• 3-4 scallions, chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup-1 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
• Dressing:
  • 1 TB sesame oil
  • 3 TB apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
  • 2-3 TB agave nectar to taste
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper

1. Mix shredded cabbage with lemon and lime juices, salt, sugar, hot pepper flakes/jalapeno and set aside for at least 6-8 hours or overnight.
2. Add carrots, scallions, cilantro, and peanuts to cabbage (do not drain cabbage) and mix well.
3. Mix the dressing (oil, vinegar, agave) and pour into cabbage mixture. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste.