Quinoa and Blue Potato Salad

Sorry for the lack of posts, but the past couple of weeks have been insane. Last week I was at a conference in California, which was hugely informative and inspiring but also tiring. When I wasn't attending talks and poster sessions I was sleeping to prepare my brain for more learning. As soon as I got home it was time for Austin and I to start packing for our move this coming Saturday. As pretty much anyone who's moving says, you don't realize how much stuff you have until you're forced to deal with it all at once. Ugh! Thank goodness we've hired movers.

Needless to say, I haven't been cooking a lot lately. Fortunately, I had a few posts saved (which I'd intended to share while I was at the conference -- so much for good intentions) so I'll be able to keep posting during this crazy time. Because my last few recipes required using an oven (which even I cringe at in this triple digit weather), I decided to focus on more summery foods for a bit.

This salad was inspired by two of our finds at the farmers market: blue potatoes and cherry tomatoes. The potatoes were labeled as "all blue", which I thought meant blue-fleshed, when really they were just tie-dye-ish on the inside. They were still pretty and really tasty, especially when paired with another local favorite, sweet cherry tomatoes, crunchy pepitas, and toothsome quinoa. The salad was light enough for a summer night but hearty enough to be a meal in it's own right.

Quinoa and Blue Potato Salad
Makes 4 servings

• 1 tablespoon plus 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/4 lb / 565 g new blue potatoes (other new potatoes would work just as well), scrubbed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 jalapeño, seeded if you'd like
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• Optional: Pepitas or pumpkin seeds for garnish

1.  In a small pot, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the quinoa, cooking for about 5-7 minutes or until it's toasted and fragrant. Pour in the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes (or however long the package indicates) or until all the liquid is absorbed. Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way with water and bring it to a boil. Salt the water and add the potatoes. Cook them for 8-12 minutes or until tender. Drain them and set them aside.

2.  While the quinoa and the potatoes are cooking, make the dressing. Add the oil, lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper to a mini food processor (or a regular sized one, if that's what you've got) and blend until smooth.

3.  Once the quinoa and potatoes are done, add them to a large bowl along with the bell pepper, onion, cherry tomatoes and cilantro. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Serve chilled or room temperature, garnished with some pepitas if you'd like.

Thai Green Curry

I love Thai green curry. I always -- yes always -- choose it over the red and yellow curries available at most Thai restaurants. So, if I love it so much then why haven't I made it before? Laziness, really. "But Sara", you say, "you've posted some pretty time consuming dishes. How can you be put off by some curry?" Well, I don't know what to tell ya. I claimed to be lazy, not logical. Fact is, this weak I bit the bullet and tried my hand at my favorite Thai dish.

To be honest, I kind of winged it here. I threw a bunch of stuff in the pot that I thought should be in delicious Thai green curry, crossed my fingers and just hoped for the best. Well, the result was really really good but not as good as my favorite green curry (from Twisted Noodles, for those of you in the Triangle), probably because I missed some secret ingredient. Will I stop ordering from Twisted Noodles now that I can make a pretty good curry for far less than $10 per serving? Absolutely not. These two green curries will have to learn to peacefully share my and Austin's curry cravings.

Thai Green Curry
Makes 4 servings

• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 16 oz firm or extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into about 3/4 inch / 2 cm cubes
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 jalapeños or Thai green chilies, seeded if you'd like and finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 medium new potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
• 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch / 1/2 cm thick half moons
• 1 2/3 cups / 400 ml coconut milk (I used the light kind but the full fat stuff would be even more delicious)
• 1 2/3 cups / 400 ml vegetable broth
• 2/3 cups chopped cilantro

1.  In a medium skillet, heat 1/3 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu cubes and fry, flipping occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until the tofu has browned on all sides. Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to drain.

2.  While the tofu is frying, pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Toss in the garlic, ginger and chilies and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in the curry paste. Add in the coconut milk, vegetable broth, salt and potatoes. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and the zucchini and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tofu and simmer for 5 more minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

3.  Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve the curry hot, over rice or as a soup.

Miso Curry Zucchini, Potatoes, Tempeh and Kale

A couple days this week it was over 100 F (with the heat index) here in Durham, NC. In addition to making hell jealous with its temperatures, the air was so thick and humid you could practically swim laps through it. Let me tell you how fun it was to bike about about 10 pounds of veggies home (why, oh why did I order a gigantic cantaloupe from the CSA?) in that lovely weather. Ok, you probably get the picture so I'll spare you the details.

So after swearing up a storm at the heat all day long, what did I do when I got home? Well I cranked the oven up to 400 F of course! You're probably asking yourself why, pray tell, would you do such a thing? Because nothing stands between me and some roasted veggies. Nothing. Especially when they're savory, slightly spicy and overall delicious.

Miso-Curry Zuchini, Potatoes and Tempeh
Adapted from Super Natural Every Day, by Heidi Swanson
Makes 4 servings

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white miso paste (you could use red or yellow miso as well)
• 1 heaping tablespoon of red Thai curry paste (available in the International foods section of most grocery stores)
• 12 oz / 340 g zucchini, summer squash, a combination or any other squash. I used zucchini and summer squash cut into 1/3 inch / 1 cm thick half moons but if you're using another type of squash you may want to cut it into 1/3 inch / 1 cm cubes.
• 1 lb new potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite size pieces
• 8 oz tempeh, cut into 1/3 inch / 1 cm strips and then into bite size pieces
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cup destemmed and chopped kale
• 1/3 cup roasted pepitas or pumkin seeds
• 2/3 cup cilantro 

1.  Preheat your oven to 400 F / 205 C. Whisk together the olive oil, miso and curry. Place the potatoes, zucchini and squash, and tempeh into a large bowl and toss them with about 1/3 cup of the miso mixture until they're evenly coated. Turn the bowl onto a baking pan, lined with foil if you'd like, and cook for about 25-30 minutes, tossing once or twice along the way, or until the vegetables have browned. Make sure to watch the veggies and tempeh closely the last few minutes because they can burn pretty quickly.

2.  While the veggies are cooking, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso mixture. You can use the same bowl you used to toss the veggies in (holla for fewer dishes!). Toss in the kale and work the dressing into it vigorously with your hands. After a few minutes of doing so you should see the kale slightly wilt; that's when you know you're massaging it properly.

3.  Once the veggies are done, toss them in with the kale. Add the pepitas and the cilantro and give everything one last toss. We ate this warm but I suspect it would be great at room temperature too.

Low(er) Fat Three Bean and Potato Salad

There's a very simple reason why I have a tag just for potatoes: I love 'em. In the summer, especially in blazing hot NC, my favorite way to eat them is in a salad. About a month ago, I shared a variation of my go-to potato salad recipe (and another chapter of the anti-mayo chronicles). The salad is delicious, in no small part thanks to 1/3 cup of olive oil, or 1 1/4 tablespoon per each serving. I don't know about you, but that's honestly not enough fat to make me think twice. That's why I hadn't considered making a leaner dressing until about a week ago, when I came across a recipe on Fat Free Vegan Kitchen for a (not surprisingly) fat free potato salad. I thought I'd give it try because, after all, it is bikini season.

My version of the salad does have some oil (couldn't part with all of it, sorry!), but only 3 tablespoons, or 1/2 tablespoons per serving. That's less than half of the fat in the potato salad I mentioned earlier. So, what's the secret? How does one make a creamy dressing without the extra oil? Blended potatoes! When combined with a bit of oil, vinegar, some herbs, garlic, salt and spices they form a thick and tasty dressing. Is Susan Voisin a food magician or what? Using a potato-based dressing will obviously yield a lighter salad, but I'd say one that's just as enjoyable.

Low(er) Fat Three Bean and Potato Salad
Makes 6 servings
Adapted from Susan Voisin's Potato-Green Bean Salad

• 1 3/4 lbs / 795 g new red potatoes (another variety will work too), scrubbed and cut into bite size pieces
• 1 lb / 455 g green beans, ends trimmed and washed
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced small
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 5 tablespoons apple cider (or other) vinegar
• 1 teaspoon miso
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 heaping tablespoon parsley

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water generously and add the potatoes. Cook them for about 8-13 minutes or until a little under done. Add in the green beans and continue to cook for another 3 or so minutes. Drain the potatoes and the green beans by pouring the contents of the pot into a colander. Quickly rinse the vegetables in cold water and then plunge the colander into a big bowl filled with ice and water; this will stop the cooking process. Once the potatoes and green beans are cool, pull them out of the ice bath and let them drain.

2.  Combine the garbanzo and kidney beans, bell pepper, celery and onion in a large bowl. Add the potatoes and green beans. Take about 1/2 cup of potatoes and toss them in a small food processor along with the olive oil, garlic, vinegar, miso, salt, pepper and parsley. Process until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss. Take a few test bites and adjust the dressing to your taste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Vegan Moussaka

Last week I had a serious craving for moussaka, one that needed to be satisfied immediately. While I've had the dish several times I'd never made it before so, full of hope, I consulted one of my first and favorite vegan cookbooks -- Veganomicon. For me, Veganomicon is to food what Zara is to clothing, a resource I can count on to never disappoint. Sure enough, I found a vegan moussaka recipe, one that promised deliciousness no less. And deliciousness is exactly what it delivered.

If you love eggplant, zucchini and potatoes as much as I do you absolutely have to (I put that in italics, people, which I save only for special occasions) give this moussaka a try. The preparation is a bit laborious (bear with me) but please don't be instantly put off. I promise it's not as bad as it initially seems if you make some components of the dish while others are cooking largely unattended. Also, I know the idea of having the oven on for over an hour at this time of year makes some of you break out in hives, but just trust that this is worth cranking up the AC for or just wiping the sweat of your brow.

Vegan Moussaka with Macadamia Nut Cream
Adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terri Hope Romero's Veganomicon
Makes about 6 servings

Vegetable Layers 

• 1 lb / 455 g eggplant
• 1 lb / 455 g zucchini
• 1 3/4 lbs / 795 g russet potatoes (another variety will do too)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Tomato Sauce

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth or red wine
• 1 28 oz / 795 g can diced or crushed tomatoes and their juice
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Macadamia Nut Cream

• 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, preferably soaked for at least 8 hours (the original recipe called for pine nuts, which are much more expensive, but you can use those, without soaking, if you'd like)
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lb / 455 g lite silken tofu (regular silken tofu is fine)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 F / 205 C. Either wash and scrub your eggplant, zucchini and potatoes or peel them (I decided to leave the skins on). Cut the vegetables lengthwise into 1/4 inch / 3/4 cm slices. Place each vegetable on a separate baking sheet with as little overlap as possible, drizzle them with the olive oil and sprinkle them with the salt. Bake the eggplant and the zucchini for 15 minutes or until tender, and the potatoes for 20 minutes or until brown around the edges. If you don't have three baking sheets, or three racks in your oven (I have two of each) bake the vegetables in batches. I baked the zucchini and the eggplant first, then the potatoes. Once the zucchini are cool enough to handle, grab a bunch of slices and gently squeeze out as much of their moisture as possible. This will prevent your moussaka from being too watery.

2.  While the vegetables are roasting, make your sauce. Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots, sautéing for about 4-5 minutes or until the shallots are tender and the garlic is fragrant. Pour in the vegetable broth or wine and cook until reduced by about half, which should take about another 5-7 minutes. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer partially covered for about 10 minutes. Take the cover off and simmer for another 5 minutes.

3.  While your sauce is cooking, make the macadamia nut cream. Toss the macadamia nuts and the lemon juice into the food processor and pulse repeatedly, scrapping down the edges if necessary, until pulverized. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until completely smooth.

4.  To assemble the casserole, first place about 1/2 cup sauce in the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch / 23 by 33 cm pan. Arrange a layer of eggplant on top of the sauce, then a layer of potatoes, followed by a layer sauce and half of the breadcrumbs. Place all the zucchini on top of the breadcrumbs in a single layer and follow with single layers of eggplant, potatoes, sauce and bread crumbs. Pour the macadamia nut cream on top of the moussaka and smooth it out using a spatula. Bake the casserole in for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top starts to brown and crack. Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing. 

Onion and Jalapeño Home Fries

Last Saturday was one of those days when vegging on the couch seems like the only reasonable thing to do. That's exactly what I was up to when Austin asked "Babe, how do you bake a potato in the microwave?". "Just pierce it with a fork and cook it for about 5-7 minutes, if it's small. Wait, why are you baking potatoes?", I said. "Home fries", he responded, then adding "What spices do you think the people at Rick's use on theirs?".  "If I give you my best guess will you make me some?",  I tentatively asked. "Already planned on it", he replied. "I think they use chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper". Yes! If his home fries were even half as good as the ones at Rick's I'd be having a great breakfast.

You see, I power ballad love the home fries at Rick's Diner (I've been known to make them my one and only brunch item). You may not share my enthusiasm if you prefer your home fries dry and crispy on the outside, though. The ones at Rick's are soft, moist, slightly spicy and have a hint of sweetness from the softened onions. Austin's rendition was almost identical to the original dish except for the addition of jalapeños. I really enjoyed the flavor they provided and, since they were seeded, they didn't overwhelm the potatoes. I thought they were so delicious that I ate my share and then snagged a few of Austin's while he wasn't looking.

Of course, Austin didn't measure any of the ingredients so in order to write down the recipe I had to make these again on Sunday. Home fries two mornings in a row? I won't say not to that! And after you taste these, you'll won't either.

Onion and Jalapeño Home Fries 
Inspired by the home fries at Rick's Diner
Makes 2 potato fiend servings, 3 normal ones

• 1 lb 3 oz / 540 g young red (or other) potatoes, scrubbed clean and dried
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and julienned
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.  Pierce each potato a few times with a fork. If you'd like to do this more elegantly, bake the potatoes at 350 F / 175 C for about 45 minutes to one hour (young potatoes are smaller and less starchy so they don't take as long to bake) or until just tender. If, like Austin and me, you don't mind taking a dirty shortcut, you can bake your potatoes in the microwave. To do so, make sure they're all roughly the same size. If that means cutting larger potatoes in half, do so. Place the potatoes on a microwave safe plate and microwave them on high for about 5-7 minutes, or until they're tender, but not falling apart.
2.  While your potatoes are cooking, heat the oil over medium heat in a medium pan. Add the onions and cook them about 3 minutes or until they start to soften. Toss in the jalapeños, and cook for another 3 minutes or so. Slice the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, and add them to pan along with the spices and the salt. Give the mixture a good toss, to make sure everything is evenly coated and cook, stirring a couple times, for about 4 minutes. Serve piping hot alongside the rest of your brunch or, if you're an indulgent potato lover like me, all by themselves.

No-Mayo Potato Salad

It's no secret that I despise mayonnaise. It's ranked number one in my list of most hated condiments and probably in the top five of my most hated foods of all time. I've felt this strongly about the stuff since I was a kid, so I've always avoided it like the plague. Sadly, that means I've also stayed away from all sorts of fare that, if not for the white goo, I would probably find quite tasty. Potato salad is one of those dishes I haven't been able to enjoy. A potato fiend like me, kept from such a potato-centric summertime classic! Absolutely tragic. Fortunately, the sad tune of that story changed a couple summers ago.

I was at a barbecue hosted by my friend Samantha when I spotted some potato salad on the table. To my surprise, it wasn't whitewashed. It also smelled vinegary and looked delicious. "Is it possible", I thought, "that I'll finally get to enjoy the goodness that potato salad can be?". I cautiously put a small serving on my plate and had a bite. Cue celestial music, followed by fireworks. It was all that I'd dreamed it could be. Curious, I asked Samantha about the salad. She was probably thinking the same thing you are, "First of all, it's just potato salad. Secondly, how the heck have you gone over twenty years without encountering a German-style (or vinegar based) potato salad?". But instead of looking at me like I was insane, Samantha graciously offered to send me the recipe, more of a template really, she used to make it. By the next day I had a few scanned pages of Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything in my inbox.

I've been making potato salad a bunch of different ways ever since. For the most part, I supplement the potatoes with whatever veggies I happen to have on hand. The one thing I always add are onions -- green, white or red-- or shallots, though. I make the dressing a little differently every time too, but one thing is for damn sure, I NEVER EVER add mayo.

No-Mayo Potato Salad
Makes about 4 servings
Inspired by Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything recipe

• 3 lb young red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 teaspoon miso
• 1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup sugar snap peas, sliced widthwise on the bias
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped parsely
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped Kalamata olives

1.  Fill a large pot about three quarters of the way with water and bring it to a boil. Salt the water and add the potatoes. Cook uncovered for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and set them aside in a large bowl.
2.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk the miso, mustard, salt, pepper, vinegar and oil together until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients to the potatoes, drizzle in the dressing and toss to coat the salad evenly. Allow the salad to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve cold, or at room temperature if you can't help yourself (I couldn't).

Root Vegetable Torte

If you've been following along for the past couple weeks, you've heard me complain about how the veggies in my CSA box don't seem to have gotten the memo that it's practically summer here in Durham. Just like I did months ago, I seem to be getting tons of greens and root veggies. I realize that having access to local produce is a luxury but that doesn't keep me from whining about it. I don't discriminate against winter produce though; towards the end of the summer I also complain about overdosing on tomatoes, zucchini, and squash. You've been warned.

Last summer I came across this wonderful Smitten Kitchen herbed summer squash and potato torte recipe while trying to make a serious dent in our massive squash stash. It wasn't squash I was trying to get rid of this time though, it was turnips. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan. Most people I know eat them smothered in cream, which isn't really my cup of tea, or in a soup. Since I didn't feel like making a hot blended soup (Austin opposes them on principle; he says they look like baby food) I was at a loss. I decided the best thing to do would be to hide them between layers of root veggies I do enjoy -- Yukon Gold and sweet potatoes -- and sprinkle them with almesan, which makes everything better. To my surprise, the turnips taste does come through and that's actually a good thing. Roasting them slowly brings out their subtle sweetness which complements the sweet potatoes and provides some contrast to the savoriness of the Yukon Golds and the almesan.

This recipe requires slicing all the root vegetables uniformly so that they cook evenly. Doing so is orders of magnitude easier if you use a mandoline slicer. If you don't have one, consider this a knife skills refresher. Either way, give this torte a try. We usually eat it for dinner, but I think it would make a fantastic brunch dish.

Root Vegetable Torte
Makes 2 9-inch tortes, or about 8 servings
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte

• 1 cup almesan
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions or scallions
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 lb yukon gold potatoes, peeled cut into 1/8 inch / 3 mm slices
• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled cut into 1/8 inch / 3 mm slices
• 14 oz / 400 g turnips, peeled cut into 1/8 inch / 3 mm slices
• About 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil 

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, mix together the almesan, green onions, all purpose flour, salt, pepper, thyme and nutmeg.  Then, grease 2 9-inch pie dishes with some olive oil. Arrange 1/4 of the sweet potato slices in concentric circles with a little overlap in the bottom one dish. Drizzle the sweet potatoes with 1-1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/8 of the almesan mixture. Repeat the process with 1/2 of the turnips, 1/2 of the potato slices, and 1/4 of the sweet potato slices, making sure to drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some almesan in between each layer and on the top of the torte. Use the same method to put together the second torte.

2.  Cover the tortes with aluminum foil and cook for about 40 minutes. Uncover them and cook for another 20 minutes or until the top layer starts to brown.

Patatas Bravas (Potatoes with Spicy Tomato Sauce)

Whenever I go back home are several places I always visit: my dental hygenist, my favorite hair dresser, my family and friends' homes, and La Luna. La Luna is a small restaurant and bar in my hometown of Majadahonda, Madrid which I've been frequenting since I was about sixteen. They used to market themselves as a crêperie, although they recently changed ownership so I'm not sure what their specialty is these days. However, I think they stand out thanks to their rendition of patatas bravas*, a Spanish classic.

My love for their patatas bravas, or fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce, has become a joke amongst my friends. When my arrival in the homeland draws near, they tell me they've instructed Andreita (our favorite waitress) to start mass production in preparation for a bravas-deprived Sara. In spite of this generous lead time, the potatoes always take too long to come out of the kitchen. In their defense, I fell like any length of time is too long when I've been waiting months. When the patatas bravas finally make an appearance at our table, with an accompanying bread basket, our forks are ready to attack. We dig in, washing down the spiciness with some cold beer and, in between bites, raise our glasses to great friends who always watch your back and your stomach.

Why it's taken me this long to bring this little taste of home to my kitchen dumbfounds me. A couple weeks ago I decided I needed to make my own version of this tapa and I started looking into how other people do so. I should have known that, this being such a traditional appetizer, there'd be about a million ways to make patatas bravas. Most of them require boiling and then frying the potatoes. I baked them instead because, as some of you know, I hate cleaning the mess that comes with frying. Baking also has the added bonus of making them a bit healthier. As for the sauce, I've seen recipes of varying complexity. I opted to keep it really simple and I'm happy to report the result was still delicious.

What are some food stops you absolutely must make when you're close to home?

Patatas Bravas (Potatoes with Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Makes about 4 servings of potatoes and about 1 3/4 cups of sauce

• 2 lbs / 907 g yellow-fleshed potatoes (I used Yukon Gold), cut into about 3/4 inch / 2 cm die (my potatoes are more like semi-die, as you can see in the picture)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can crushed tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2-1 1/2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper or hot sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C.  Put the potatoes on a baking pan, drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bake for about 30-35 minutes, flipping them about half way through, or until brown on some sides and tender on the inside.
2.  Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the paprika and the cayenne and toast for a minute or so. Pour in the tomatoes and the salt, stirring to combine. Let the sauce bubble for about 5-10 minutes or until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
3.  Once the potatoes are done, take them out of the oven and pour a generous quantity of sauce over them. Enjoy with a cold beverage and have some bread handy to sop up any extra sauce.

Vegan Twice Baked Potatoes

I've always loved baked potatoes. Growing up, I ate them dressed only with salt, so as to not ruin their perfection. When I got older, I realized a drizzle of olive oil or a smear of margarine took them to new heights. Then, few years ago I discovered the twice baked potato. How I hadn't heard of such deliciousness before amazes me. They became somewhat of an obsession, to the point where my coworkers would say "What's for lunch, Sara? Let me guess... twice baked potatoes!" (they were exaggerating... a little bit). If, like me, you live under a rock and have never had twice baked potatoes you might not want to try them. Why, you ask, should you deprive yourself of something so wonderful? Well, twice baked potatoes will probably ruin conventional baked potatoes for you. They are so much better, you probably won't be able to get enough. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Vegan Twice Baked Potatoes
Makes 6 servings or 12 potato halves

• 6 medium or about 3 lbs / 1.4 kg  russet potatoes, scrubbed, dried and pierced in a few places with a fork
• 1 small to medium onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup Earth Balance or other non-hydrogenated non-dairy butter
• 1/4 cup almond or other non-dairy milk
• 1 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• Paprika for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat oven to 400 F / 205 C. Bake the potatoes directly on the oven rack for about 1 hour or until they're soft to the touch.
2. While the potatoes are baking, heat he olive oil over low to medium heat in a small pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's soft, sweet and has started to brown, which should take about 10-15 minutes. Put the onions into a large mixing bowl along with the garlic and the parsley.
3. When the potatoes are cooked, slice them in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, reserving the skins. Since you want to do this while they're hot, it might help to use an oven mitt lined with a paper towel, to prevent potato from getting on your mitt and getting crusty, to hold the hot potatoes. Add the potato insides to the bowl holding the onions, parsley and garlic. Blend in the Earth Balance, salt, and pepper using a fork or a potato masher.Pour in the almond milk and mash it in. The  resulting mixture should be a bit chunkier than mashed potatoes. Taste and adjust the seasonings, Earth Balance and almond milk to your liking.
4.  Using a spoon, refill the empty potato skins. Dust the potatoes with paprika and bake them at 375 F / 190 C for another 20 minutes or until they start to brown. Serve right out of the oven. If you have leftovers, these are also fantastic reheated in the microwave.

Artichoke and Chickpea Soup

This is kind of embarrassing to admit: the only soup I ate willingly before college was my mother's vegetable soup.  It's possible this was because the only other soups I was exposed to were the tasteless, greasy and nasty ones I had as a kid at school (which, in retrospect, were orders of magnitude better than most US school lunches but that's a topic for another post). When I got to college I was faced with limited vegetarian options and forced to expand my horizons. That's when I discovered the existence of all different kinds of soups that were -- gasp! -- as good as my mother's.

Years after this revelation, I've become a soup fiend. While I'm an unconditional fan of all types of soups --(non-dairy) creamy, earthy, brothy, hearty-- I especially adore those that are a meal unto themselves. The soup I made tonight, a version of the Marjoram-Scented Artichoke and Chickpea Stew in Robin Robertson's "Vegan Planet", definitely fits that bill. The potatoes and chickpeas give it some heft, the wine and marjoram make its broth incredibly flavorful and the tender artichokes give it some tang. I decided to add a lonely sweet potato I had in my cupboard and its sweetness gave the soup another layer of flavor. I present to you a delicious meal that sticks to your ribs, warms you up from the inside and can be made in a single pot. 

Artichoke and Chickpea Soup
Adapted from Robin Robertson's "Vegan Planet"
Makes about 4-5 whole meal servings

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large orange or red bell pepper (although the world will not end if you use a green one), chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 celery rib, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 3/4 lb / 340 g / 2 medium red or white potatoes, diced into bite size pieces
• 1/4 lb / 110 g / 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 14 oz / 400 g can of artichokes, drained (which should yield about 8.5 oz / 240 g) and quartered
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 

1.  In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Toss in the onion and saute for 3 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add the garlic, celery and bell pepper and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender, about another 5-7 minutes.
2. Stir in the marjoram or oregano, bay leaf, wine and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the red or white potatoes. After 5 minutes, add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.
3. Mix in the artichokes and the chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve hot, maybe with a nice glass of white wine and a hearty piece of toasted bread.

Kidney Bean Burgers and Spiced Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Want a healthier version of the standard burger and fries? This might be just what you're looking for. If you make the burgers while the potatoes are cooking you could have this meal on the table in under 45 minutes. When you can make your own veggie burgers so quickly, why would you ever buy the packaged processed stuff ever again? I realize that using vital wheat gluten may sound a little scary to some but it's nothing to be afraid of. It's just the little protein found in wheat generally used to make seitan or add chewiness to bread. These days you can find it in most well stocked grocery stores. It does a great job of holding the burgers together and gives them great texture.

While you will want to stick to the recipe for the burgers to achieve the right texture, the recipe for the potatoes is more of a template than anything else. I added seasonings that were similar to those in the burgers but you can vary them according to whatever you're pairing the potatoes with. For example, try adding thyme and rosemary in addition to oil, garlic, salt and pepper for a more Mediterranean side dish. However you choose to cook these spuds, please use garlic. The roasting process makes it so sweet and nutty that coming across a piece of it may just be the highlight of your evening. I could easily eat these potatoes every day, and maybe I do for all you know.

Kidney Bean Burgers
Makes 6 large burgers or 8 smaller ones

• 1 15 oz / 425 g can kidney bean, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 medium onion, coarsely grated
• 1 medium carrot, coarsely grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 medium celery rib, minced
• 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1-1 1/2 tablespoon chopped chipotle in adobo
• 1/2 cup packed chopped cilantro
• 1/8-1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil for frying
• Optional: 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1.  Sprinkle the salt over the minced garlic and paste it by dragging the garlic along the cutting board with the knife while pressing down on it. Keep repeating this process until the garlic and salt have formed a uniform paste. Add the paste, beans and onion to a large mixing bowl. Using a fork or a potato masher, break up the beans until there are no whole beans left, just halves or quarters.
2.  Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the water, to the bowl and mix until the ingredients are combined. Incorporate the water in small increments until you are able to easily form patties that stay together.
3.  Roll the mixture into 6-8 balls and then flatten them to form patties. Optionally, refrigerate the patties for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will help them stay together during the frying process. If you want to cook them straight away go right ahead, just be a little gentler with your patties.
4.  Heat 1/2 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the patties 2-3 at a time for about 5 minutes on each side or until they're brown. Repeat until all the patties are fried.
5.  Serve as you would your favorite burger: in a bun, over greens, with avocado, tomato, cashew "cheese", or any other condiments.


Spiced Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Makes 4 servings

• 1 lb / 455 g young red potatoes, washed, scrubbed,  quartered lengthwise then cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8-1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle or cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 1/2 tablespoons oil

Preheat your oven to 375 F / 190 C. Combine all the ingredients in a baking dish large enough for the potatoes to form a single layer. Toss until the potatoes are evenly coated with all the spices and garlic. Bake for 25-35 minutes, scrapping the potatoes off the bottom and flipping them half way through, or until the potatoes are golden brown some sides and tender on the inside. Serve as a side dish with your favorite veggie burger or other entree.

Lots O'Veggies Shepherds Pie

For a few years now, I've subtly been trying to turn my mother into a vegetarian or even a vegan. While she hasn't fully embraced the lifestyle, she regularly cooks dishes from the vegan cookbooks I give her for Christmas (she get's things she actually wants too, don't worry), often with more than satisfactory results. She was particularly happy when she made the "caulipots" from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction. I had to agree with her: mixing cauliflower into your mashed potatoes makes for a dish that is lighter and, in my opinion, better than the original. She had unveganized them by layering them in a casserole with cod (baby steps, Mom) which gave me the idea to use them in a shepherd's pie of sorts.

I confess I've never had traditional meaty shepherds pie. My mother never made it when I was a kid,  you'd be hard pressed to find it in Spain and by the time I moved to the US I hadn't eaten meat for years. I put together my limited memories of shepherd's pie and some knowledge gained through a bit of internet research to come up with the recipe I've included below. Each of the three layers would make a good side dish on its own, but the combination of all three brings a little extra comfort and deliciousness to the table.

Lots O'Veggies Shepherds Pie
Makes 6 Servings

Tomatoey Chickpeas

• 2 15 oz or 425 g cans / 3 cups cooked chickpeas
• 9.5 oz / 270 g / 1.5 cups tomatoes (I used grape tomatoes), chopped
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Drizzle the olive oil into the bottom of a baking or casserole dish.  I used a 9 by 13 inch dish; if you're making shepherd's pie you'll want to use something at least that large.
2. Mix all the ingredients together in the baking dish. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Caulipots (or Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes)
Adapted from Caulipots in Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction

• 3/4 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 lb / 490 g potatoes (I used a mix of red and russet), scrubbed or peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/4 non-dairy milk or veggie broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons thyme
• 1 tablespoon marjoram or oregano
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Optional: 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1. In a large pot, bring enough water to cover the potatoes and cauliflower to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add 1 teaspoon of salt and the potatoes. Cook them for about 10 minutes or until almost fork tender.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pan (which we'll reuse without washing for the saucy 'shrooms, onions and spinach). Add the garlic and spices, cooking until the garlic is starting to brown and the spices are fragrant.
3. Add the cauliflower to the pot with the potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes or until fork tender.
4. Drain the potatoes and cauliflower. Put them back in the pot you boiled them in. Add in the spice, oil and garlic mixture along with all the other ingredients. Mash with a potato masher until you reach your desired consistency. If you like your mashed potatoes really smooth you could use the food processor.

Saucy 'Shrooms, Onions and Spinach

• 10 oz / 280 g of cremini or other mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp towel and sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 2 packed cups spinach
• 1/3 cup vegetable broth or white wine
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. In a large saute pan (the same one we used for the "caulipots"), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until they start to get translucent, or 3-4 minutes.
2. Bring the heat down to medium. Add the mushrooms and saute, stirring frequently, until they start to brown, which should take around 5 minutes.
3. Add the bread crumbs, thyme, salt and pepper, stirring to make sure all ingredients are evenly mixed. Cook, stirring occasionally, for a couple minutes.
4. Add the vegetable broth or white wine and cook until about half of the liquid has evaporated, or about 4 minutes.
6. Remove the saute pan from the heat and add the spinach. Stir the spinach into the other ingredients until it starts to wilt.

Shepherd's Pie Assembly and Baking
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F /175 C.
2. Layer the onion, mushroom and spinach mixture on top of the tomatoey chickpeas, which should already be sitting in your casserole dish.
3. Spoon the "caulipots" on top of the mushroom layer, smoothing them out with a spatula.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes start to brown.