homemade vegetable broth

Even after I had been cooking seriously for a few years, it took me a while to come around to making my own vegetable broth.

There is nothing complicated about making vegetable broth. Now that I regularly make my own broth I always have vegetable bits in my freezer; I save all of my onion skins, carrot peels, and garlic skins in a freezer bag or tupperware. Once I started making broth on my own broth, I realized that there are important benefits to this simple task. First, homemade vegetable broth is far superior to the store bought boxes, which are about $5 a carton at my grocery store. The flavor is deeper and more complex, and the broth is clear and more like a consommé than the murky store-bought broths. Second, it makes you feel a bit better about making the most out of your vegetable trimmings. Third, if you are in the right mindset, you can glean a lesson or two from the vegetable broth.

The metaphor is a blunt one; taking the seemingly worthless bits of the cooking process, and turning them into something of value... a product bigger than the sum of its parts. A generous interpretation of the metaphor might claim that the same is true of life experiences; that the gnarly, nubby lessons that seemed worthless at first might play an important role later on in life.

If you don't buy or grow organic vegetables, think about which skins/ends you want to use. The nice thing about peeling vegetables that have been exposed to pesticide is that you know you're not eating the out layer. So consider how you feel about those issues before using non-organic onion or other peels.

vegan reuben

I have never had a Reuben. The sandwich is on a long list of things that I have never had the "real" (non-veg) version of, like Pad Thai, southwest scrambled eggs, and croque-monsieur (feast your eyes on the evidence below). Growing up in Texas afforded me a library of varied, delicious, and complex salsas, but I didn't eat Thai food until I was 25. Of course, my ignorance doesn't stop me from trying! Even though I have no idea of what these things should taste like, full speed ahead.

culinary advenchas

In an unrelated quest to make vegan Ceaser, I came across this recipe for Reubens on Post Punk Vegan. According to Isa, vegan Reubens all the rage- news to me! While I loved her Vegan Cesar, the buffalo salad did me wrong, so this is PPK redemption time. But, when I came across low-carby pumpernickel wraps in Wegman's I decided to have my first reuben! I suppose that I could technically call these wraps a "Rachel," (har har) because of the tempeh, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Veganized and in a wrap? I think we've deviated from the classic enough to keep it simple and call it a mock Reuben. 

I was surprised at how easy and quick these wraps were. I made mini wraps for dinner to make sure they tasted good, and then packed them for lunch.

1 What a motley crew of ingredients

2 Veganiase, chiil sauce, nooch, and chives 

3 Sauerkraut 

3 Marinated tempeh

4 Wrap it up

5  Treat yo self

100 Island dressing (not even going to try to pretend it's 1000)

2 Tbsp Veganaise 

1 Tbsp Chives

1 Tbsp Mustard

1 splash ACV 

Pinch nutritional yeast

1 Tsp garlic chili paste

Eden's Sauerkraut

Marinated Tempeh  quickly sauteed 

Pumpernickel or sourdough wrap

Reuben, assemble!

lemongrass miso soup with mushroom dumplings

adorable miso dumplings

This month, the Branch Ranch is splitting up. What a beautiful, crazy ride it has been. Our origin story began in March of 2011, when I put an ad on Craigslist looking for roommates. At the time, I had no idea that I would find four roommates and friends that would help me survive grad school in rural Pennsylvania. Feeling nostalgic, I rifled through my hotmail to find the original ad, and when I read it, I found myself getting a little Ramotional. 

It's just Ramotions, takin me over...

The ad that started it all:

 $600 Hey Roomie! Female PhD student (Near Downtown)

Hi,

I know some people who have had success with this, so I am going to try it out. I am beginning a PhD program at Penn State in the fall, and it looks like it is a lot easier to find a nice place with a good location if you have a roommate. I am looking for housing:

- close to Downtown, in walking distance to campus
- non-carpeted floors (wood, concrete, wood laminate), with an open kitchen
- with or without pets

I have a Google Excel sheet full of possibilities if you are interested, price range: $500-750.

I am looking for a roommate who is:

- Female grad student (s), preferably who have lived in an apartment before
- Non-smoker
- With or without pets (I love animals!)
- Neat in general living areas (I don't care if you are a mess in your own room :) ).

I love to cook and cook almost every meal... would love to cook for you too if you are up for some vegetarian food. I have a car but don't plan to use it except for groceries.

If you are interested, email me with some information about you and if you think we would be a good fit! I have a few places in mind, some 2 and 3 bedrooms. Hope to hear from you soon!

In the ad, I was hoping to strike a chord as "fun and carefree," but not the kind of carefree that is cool with hosting cockfighting in the backyard. It turns out I didn't get anything on my "apartment wishlist," but I did get something I didn't even know I needed. The Branch Ranch has been a little like ADPi: The Sequel, the story of "five strangers" who supported each other through two years of grad school hazing. 

We have celebrated many milestones together. Katie and I traveled to Philly to celebrate our first two weeks in grad school, and wound up at a piano bar popping champagne. This was just the first of many memories we've created together. And I'll never forget my first conversations with Desiree -never afraid to get deep- we debated the restrictions on food stamps over Gchat. Over a year later, I beamed with pride when she was the darkhorse MVP of the CAS softball team. Amber and I have navigated graduate school and traveled around the country, flying first class for the first time together (it pays to be sweet to the ladies at the counter!) Jessie changed my life; she introduced me to long-distance running and we finished our 3rd race together in May. Much like in my sorority, I find myself continually inspired and supported by these women. I feel so lucky to know them. 

Those who know me well I know that I express my emotions through cooking. In our two years together, it turns out my four roommates took me up on my offer to cook. None have accepted so enthusiastically as Katie, who recently sprung for a few bags of groceries in exchange for a week of lunches. My first endeavor was this make-ahead dumpling soup. Click the hyperlink for the recipe.

lovingly packed little bishop's hat dumplings

Pro tips:
Be sure to drain the mushrooms; the moisture really makes a difference.
Pack the dumplings with parchment paper, not touching each other.
Grind the lemongrass mixture in a molcajete.
Cook the dumplings in the microwave for four or more minutes; the dumplings take a bit longer than the recipe states.

dumplings for my dumpling!

vegetarian breville mini pot pie

pint-sized pot pies

This winter in PA has been the worst I have ever experienced. I now have a set of skills I never thought I would need, including: shoveling snow off of my car, shoveling sidewalks, de-icing my windows, and "layering" clothes to brave the biting wind chill (yes, that means two pairs of pants).
Fie on this weather!

snowflakes that fall on my nose and eyelashes (and eyebrows)

All of the icicles and slush call for some piping hot flaky vegetable pot pies. My Auntie Maureen gifted me the Breville mini pie maker for Christmas (thanks Auntie Reen, generous benefactor of kitchen adventures!). This appliance resembles a waffle maker, but has four cute pockets for mini pot pies. I used the pie maker to make savory vegetable pot pies.

mini pies!

The pot pies are very simple.

1 diced red potato
.5 diced red onion
1 diced carrot
1 c lima beans
1 c of peas
a handful of spinach or other green you have around chopped in to ribbons
One can of Amy's cream of mushroom soup
herbs of your choice (Dried oregano and thyme work nicely here. Or got fresh parsley? Go nuts.)

Your favorite pie crust (I used a combination of some pies with Pilsbury and some with spelt crust)

For the filling:
Saute the potatoes, carrot, greens and onions until the onions become translucent. Add herbs just before the frozen items. Then add the lima beans and peas, and allow the ribboned greens to wilt over the vegetables and legumes. Finally, add the can of Amy's. Let heat through. This recipe makes around six mini pot pies.

For the pie crust:

Follow the instructions for the Breville pie maker. Some pro tips found on http://www.brevilleusa.com/the-personal-pie.html:

- Don't twist the pie mold; just press down and release. Twisting messes up the edges.

- Pre-heat the machine three times for the first use.

- Chill the mini pie crusts before you use them.

- Use a rounded 1/3 cup to fill the cups.

- Cool the pies on a cookie rack to keep the bottoms crisp.

- Puff pastry works best for the top crust.

tempeh tips and brussel sprouts

The weather this week in central PA has been mild, and the snow has paused for a bit. This respite is a signal for every driver in State College to hoof it to the car wash. Everyone hopes that the snow, and the resulting film from the dirt, grime, and salt will hold off for long enough for us to enjoy our clean cars (even if mine is held together by duct tape). Nevertheless, it still very much feels like winter, which means hearty greens and potatoes are still seasonal and a dinner staple.

My friend Kelly and I do weekly dinners- one week we cook at mine, one week we cook at hers. This week, she had some brussel sprouts to use, and I had just made a huge batch of tempeh bacon. So I took the marinade from the tempeh bacon, tossed the brussel sprouts in the marinade with a bit more maple syrup, and roasted them up. I guess you could sell this to your meal companions as sort if brussel sprout with "tempeh tips," but don't tell they I said that. That ish doesn't fly in Texas, so maybe just go with tempeh and sprouts.

I served the sprouts and tempeh with parsley-speckled smashed red potatoes, and a kale salad. This salad followed my formula: kale, walnuts, apple, avocado, and a splash of this trader joe's orange muscat vinegar. 

tarragon chickpea salad sandwich

In the sorority house, we always knew it was a special occasion when the chef would make tarragon chicken salad sandwiches. I nibbled these little sandwiches when I was decked out in pastels, wearing the most subtle heels I own, with a signature half up-do. Just like Reba said, "I's gonna be a lady someday, but I didn't know how...".  Here's your one chance Fancy don't let me down.  I'd be on my best behavior, at my most civilized.

The chicken salad was chock full of grapes and nuts, laced with tarragon, and served on pillowy and sweet little brioche rolls. This sandwich recipe is a twist on the chickpea of the sea salad sandwich, and is less savory, sweeter and juicier, and texturally more interesting. This sandwich would be great on a menu for a baby or bridal shower, served on mini-rolls.

So fancy.

'fancy' chickpea salad sandwich (makes one sandwich)
 
1/3 can chickpeas
handful of grapes, cut in half
.5 handful of walnuts, crushed and toasted
1 small celery stalk, finely diced
handful of tender greens
1 tbsp tarragon
1 tbsp veganaisse
pinch of salt
crack of black pepper
squeeze of lemon juice

Mash the chickpeas. Mix the tarragon, veganaisse, salt, black pepper, and lemon juice. Stir together all of the ingredients gently. Spread generously on your sandwich!

the best hummus- the *BEST* hummus (and quinoa tabbouleh)

Hummus often serves as the "token vegetarian option" on party platters, but the ubiquitous and lackluster bean spread can be disappointing enough to make you forget about how delicious hummus can be!  But there is no need to accept mediocrity. Gilt Taste has cracked the code on the most velvety, sumptuous, and silky hummus!

I usually make my own hummus; store-bought hummus can have preservatives like sodium benzoate, and you never know the quality or amount of oil they put into the hummus. Unfortunately, I have never reached the kind of heavenly smooth hummus achieved by the really good Mediterranean restaurants. I have tried everything from blending the garbanzos with ice cubes to heating the beans before blending them, with very little success. Fortunately, I found this article on Gilt for 'elevated' hummus. I followed all of the instructions exactly (which go against all of my instincts) and it's worth it!

With out further ado, the recipe copied exactly from Gilt Taste:

"1. If you want great hummus, you must use dried chickpeas--the canned ones will never become transcendent. Buy the smallest ones you can find, and plan ahead to soak them overnight.

2. Soak and cook the chickpeas with a little baking soda to make the beans very tender. Baking soda creates an alkaline environment that allows water to penetrate the chickpeas more easily; it make an enormous difference, giving you a hummus that’s as smooth as satin.

3. Remove all the skins from the chickpeas after cooking. This takes a while, but it’s a meditative process that I find enormously pleasurable. Don’t rush it.

4. Cool the chickpeas before you puree them: The starch crystals in the chickpeas break down more easily when they are warm; this is not a good thing, since it will make the puree pasty. Cool your chickpeas, and you’ll have lighter hummus.

5. Use the best tahini you can find. Its flavor will dominate the hummus, so if you’re using one that is bitter (like the most commonly available commercial kind), your hummus will suffer. Taste it before adding it to the puree; it should be slightly sweet and quite nutty, and it doesn’t have to be fancy—I use one I buy at a kind of earthshoe / vegetarian store.

6. Use good garlic - and not too much. The flavor of hummus is so subtle that one bad clove of garlic is a death sentence.

7. Hummus will keep for a couple of days, but like many things, it is at its peak the moment it is made. (The great hummus places in the Middle East all make theirs daily.) Rush your hummus to the table as soon as you have made it.

8. Serve your hummus with good pita and an array of condiments, allowing your guests to tailor their hummus to their own tastes.

Hummus

1½ cups dried chickpeas
1 tablespoon baking soda plus ¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ to ½ cup raw (as opposed to roasted) tahini
1 lemon, juiced
1-2 garlic cloves
salt, to taste
olive oil, to taste
cumin, to taste

1. Put the chickpeas in a colander and go through them carefully, discarding small stones and broken peas.
2. Wash the chickpeas, and put them in a bowl with enough water to allow them to double in volume. Stir in a tablespoon of baking soda and soak them overnight.
3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and put them in a large pot. Cover with about 5 cups of water (the water should be about 2 inches above the beans) and add the remaining ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. Bring the water to a boil, turn the heat down, cover, and cook over low heat until the chickpeas are very soft; it should take about two hours. If the water cooks away, add more. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.
4. Rub the chickpeas between your fingers under cold running water to remove the skins. Put on some music; it’s a time-consuming process.
5. The chickpeas should be cool now. Put them in a food processor with the garlic, and lemon juice, a quarter cup of the cooking liquid and the tahini. (How much you use will depend on your taste; traditionally you’d use about half a cup, but I find that makes the sesame flavor too dominant for my taste.) Process for 4 or 5 minutes, until it is smooth and creamy, with the dreamy texture of just-made frozen custard. It should be very soft and smooth. If it’s too thick add more liquid. Add salt to taste."

BONUS! My proteinaceous tabbouleh 

quinoa tabbouleh

1 c quinoa 

1.5 c water

as many ripe tomatoes as you can find

fistful of cilantro

bunch of green onions

lime juice from 2 limes

salt

Cook the quinoa over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, or until it is tender as you like it. Carefully dice the tomatoes, slice the green onion (break up the rings so you don't get big chunks) and finely chop the cilantro.Gently toss the cooled quinoa with the chopped ingredients and lime juice. Salt to taste.