Spicy Tempeh Crumble Bowl

Today’s recipe is a riff one of my favorites from Andrea Nguyen’s most recent book, Vietnamese Food Any Day. It’s a caramelized tempeh crumble, the sort of thing that immediately becomes the best component in your rice bowl. If you’re on the fence about tempeh, this is the place to start.

What is Tempeh?

Tempeh is a fermented whole food, soy-based, and much loved in traditional Indonesian culture. To make tempeh, soybeans are soaked, partially cooked, combined with a starter, and then spread into a layer to allow fermentation to take place. A lot goes on at this stage, and you can read a more detailed play-by-play about tempeh production here. Soybean tempeh is most common, but other variations are also available. You also might see tempeh combined with other power ingredients like flax, or other grains.

Andrea acknowledges that tempeh isn’t a traditional Viet ingredient, but she uses it in banh mi, pho, and crumbles like this one to mimic meat, “when crumbled into small pieces…tempeh absorbs the seasonings well and fries up nicely.”

Why Tempeh is such a Power Food

Tempeh is widely considered a powerhouse ingredient because it is rich in a good range of nutrients. It also weighs in nicely on fiber, antioxidant, and protein fronts. Add to that the fermentation factor (basically, the fermentation helps with nutrient absorption, and digestibility) and you have a food that is working for you, not against. A lot of people like to substitute tempeh in place of something meaty. For example, this tempeh crumble might take the place of a pork crumble. Here’s where you can find more tempeh recipes, and I also like this list of tempeh benefits on McKel’s Nutrition Stripped Site. More tempeh in 2020!

The Tempeh Crumble recipe

In Andrea’s version she uses 1/2 cup of chopped lemongrass. The lemongrass adds beautifully fragrant citrus notes, and is one of my favorite flavors. That said, the times I was in a hurry to make dinner, I found myself skipping out on the 1/2 cup of chopped lemongrass (the lemongrass in my yard is crazy tough) and repeatedly making this shortcut version. It uses serrano chiles and extra green onions – still really tasty, just quicker to throw together.

Ways to Use the Tempeh Crumble

Here (above) you see the tempeh crumble as a component in a rice bowl. The basic components are rice and the tempeh crumble plus what ever is on easy and on hand in the refrigerator or pantry. I grabbed peanuts, some garden lettuces, cucumber, pickled carrots, and avocado. They’d also be great on these Vegan Nachos, in these Garlic Lime Lettuce Wraps, or in place of the tempeh in this Taco Salad.

Continue reading Spicy Tempeh Crumble Bowl on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/2S5ZZvr

Guacamole

If pressed, I could tell you how to make good guacamole in one sentence. It goes something like this. Mash ripe avocados with finely chopped white onions, a minced garlic clove, a squeeze of lime juice, then salt to taste. But to make great guacamole, it’s the little decisions going between those commas that make all the difference. If you were standing next to me throughout the process, you’d pick up on the dozens of choices and considerations that actually matter. So, I thought I might try to go longer-form with you on this one – walk you through my thought process, step-by-step here, related to one of my favorite things to eat.

Good Shopping is Key

Like most things that end up on the table, your success or failure depends on how you do at the market. The most important step in this entire process is procuring the perfect avocados. Ripe. But not too ripe. Beautiful, buttery, green-fleshed decadence – that’s what you’re after. Sometimes easier said than done.

Choosing the Right Avocados

I spend more time choosing the avocados for guacamole than actually preparing it. You want avocados that are ripe and the only way to figure out whether they’re at their peak is to evaluate them one at a time. To decipher whether or not an avocado is ripe enough, hold it in your palm, and give it a gentle squeeze with the pads of your fingers. There should be some give, like butter that has been out of the refrigerator for an hour in an average-temp kitchen. The give should be uniform across the surface of the fruit. Try to imagine whether that amount of give would translate to good mash-ability. Avocados tend to be more ripe toward the surface, less ripe toward the seed. Keep that in mind as you’re evaluating them.

Look at the color as well. Over-ripe avocados (depending on the varietal) tend to be black with pockets of unstructured softness. I don’t typically use the trick where you wiggle the stem button – if it’s loose, the avocado is ripe (but possible too ripe!), but that is another tactic to decipher whether an avocado is in the zone.

If you buy under-ripe avocados and have a few days before using them they’ll continue to ripen over time. If you’re in a rush – avocados ripen more quickly sealed in a paper bag. To slow down the ripening process, place them in the refrigerator (but bring back to room-temperature before using).

The Right Temperature is Key

Temperature matters here, and you’re going to want to use room-temperature avocados. Because avocados have such a high percentage of fat, imagine trying to mash cold butter versus room temperature. Once is going to be much creamier than the other. So, don’t try to make guacamole with cold avocados. Also, serve at room temperature, not chilled.

The Concept of Guacamole “Stretching”

Avocados can be pricey, so a lot of restaurants will “stretch” or bulk out their guacamole with things like chopped tomatoes. I’m not a fan of this. The tomato addition in particular. I don’t love the way watery tomatoes bump up against fatty avocado – it’s literally oil and water. I like guacamole to be about the avocado, and unless I’m throwing some wildcards in the mix (like the one in my last book), I typically keep it as clean and simple as possible.

Variations

Beyond this – trust your taste buds to balance things out. If you like a bit of spicy kick, add some minced serrano pepper. Use salt and lime juice, adjusting little by little, until things taste just right.

If you want to take your guacamole up another notch, try this favorite Indian-spiced guacamole, and inspired by a Julie Sahni recipe. I also love to use this guacamole on these Vegan Nachos – so good!

Continue reading Guacamole on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/38Js1ne

Super Swiss Meringue

Let’s make beautiful, billowy meringues! Few treats are more charming or versatile. The first order of business is deciding which method to use – there are a number of options. More often than not, I go the Swiss meringue route, which I’ll explain below. A lot of people like to use the French method – where you whisk eggs until they are nice and frothy, adding granulated sugar, a bit at a time. I wouldn’t disagree that it’s the simplest method, but I like the Swiss meringue approach instead, for a number of reasons.

Swiss Meringue Technique

To make Swiss meringue, you basically combine all your ingredients in a mixing bowl. Heat it over a pan of simmering water until smooth, and then pop that mixing bowl back into your mixer. Whisk until you have a beautiful, bright, glossy meringue. It’s quite straight-forward. I think cooking sugar always freaks people out, and to do it right, you should use a thermometer, but don’t let that deter you.

Why Swiss Meringue?

Reason number one, you don’t have to remember to bring your eggs to room temperature. This is major. I always forget to pull my eggs from the refrigerator. You don’t have to worry about this if you’re using the Swiss approach. The second thing, I like to be able to pipe my meringue into somewhat intricate shapes (see photos). I have much better luck with Swiss meringue. It’s stiffer, and holds ridges, dollops, and flourishes better. If you’re trying to avoid blobby meringue, start here.

Keys to Success

1) Use a completely clean, dry  bowl, whisk, spatula, etc. to get the most volume of meringue. Any residual oils will hamper your efforts.

2) Adjust your baking time based on whether you’re like a chewier or crisper meringue. Leave them to bake longer for crisper. Up to a few hours even!

3) If you do leave your meringues to bake longer, just be sure they aren’t taking on any/too much color. Ways to counter coloring: gently rotate pans, propping over door open with a wooden spoon, moving baking sheets either up or down in oven.

4) To maintain a glossy sheen and texture, try not to slam your oven door or baking sheet while baking. They might collapse a bit and end up with a crackled texture.

Favorite Add-ins

The recipe below is a nice base recipe. Once you get the hang of it play around with different add-ins. I love to stir in cacao nibs, toasted coconut flakes, saffron bloomed in the almond extract, dried rose petals + rose extract, lots of mixed sesame seeds, or toasted pistachios.

Continue reading Super Swiss Meringue on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/2Rqne4i

Heirloom Bean and Mushroom “Carnitas” Casserole

What you see here is an excellent, hearty, winter-spirited casserole. It’s simple to pull together, and once in the oven the smell of garlic and herbs baking alongside the heirloom beans, simmering tomatoes, and golden mushrooms will bring neighbors in off the sidewalk. You should make it a.s.a.p!

I found the recipe deep in back of Rancho Gordo Vegetarian Kitchen cookbook – (Rancho Gordo forever around here). The technique for cooking the mushrooms is part of what caught my attention. You cook the mushrooms in quite a bit of liquid and then allow them to cook in the residual fat (olive oil) after the liquid evaporates. The technique is like carnitas, the classic Mexican pork dish. Hence the recipe title. But, of course, unlike the traditional preparation, cooking this with mushrooms makes it a vegetarian casserole.  

Choosing the Right Beans

The recipe falls into the Dark & Hearty Beans chapter of the book, and Eye of the Goat beans, or other brown beans are what’s recommended. That said, many, many types of beans could work here. I went a bit rogue and used some beautiful Rancho Gordo Yellow Eye Beans. They’re creamy, melty, and mild. They took on the bubbling casserole juices beautifully. I also love the way those beans in particular hold their markings. Beyond those suggestions, I imagine using any creamy white bean would be nice here too – for example, the Alubia Blanca, or Marcella. And, if you only have canned beans on hand – it’s ok! Drain them, rinse them, use them!

Cooking the Mushrooms

I just wanted to leave a visual reference here. This is how the mushrooms looked (above) when I take them off the heat. And now that I’m looking, I could have even gone a bit longer. Do you see how there’s nice browning on the edges? That’s what you’re after. Then, you add all the other ingredients to the same pan (below), give it all a good stir, add a bit of cheese and pop it in the oven. I’ve tweaked the original recipe a bit to allow you to go from stovetop to oven in one skillet (reflected below), and bumped the quantity up by half, because this casserole is popular and goes fast.

Variations

Here are a couple ways you might build on this idea!

– With Breadcrumbs: Toss 1 cup of chunky breadcrumbs with a glut of olive oil and sprinkle across the top of the bean mixture before baking.

– Breakfast Casserole: Make three divots in the bean-mushroom mixture prior to baking, crack an egg into each of the depressions & bake until eggs are set, and bean mixture is bubbling.

Continue reading Heirloom Bean and Mushroom “Carnitas” Casserole on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/365NGV5

Pasta with Etruscan Sauce

I thought it might be fun to cook some recipes together this year. Recipes that are new to me, and likely new to you as well. I keep an ongoing list of recipes I want to try from cookbooks, magazines, websites, and e-books, and this Pasta with Etruscan Sauce has been at the top of it for a while. I spotted it while watching Vicky Bennison’s Pasta Grannies series on You Tube. It was the sauce in the video with nonna Luigina at La Vialla, an Agriturismo near Arezzo, Italy that got me. A quick puree of sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, parsley, and garlic, is tossed with pasta. It’s fast, strong, adaptable, and doesn’t disappoint.

The Pasta Grannies video demonstrates how to make a handmade pici pasta to serve with the Etruscan sauce. If you have the time and inclination, by all means make the pici! It’s one of my favorite pasta shapes, easy to do even if you’ve never tried making fresh pasta before. That said, I was a bit pinched for time when I cooked this and reached for a box of ruffled radiatori pasta instead. The Etruscan sauce got wonderfully caught up in all the ridges and curves, and there were no regrets. If you’re Italian, and upset about my pasta choice, I apologize in advance. It might not be “right” but it sure was delicious.

I’ve watched my way through much of the Pasta Grannies archive ( I love them all!), and was lucky to meet the series creator, Vicky, when she came to Los Angeles to promote the Pasta Grannies cookbook at Now Serving. If you haven’t seen it yet, keep your eyes peeled. I’m so inspired by these women, and the book with its stories, is such a nice companion to the video series. If you’re more of an Instagram person vs. You Tube, you can also find Vicky & Pasta Grannies here. 

Etruscan Sauce

Back to the recipe – the sauce is a tapenade of sorts, it gets thinned out (a bit) when you add it to the pasta along with a bit with reserved pasta water. The way the recipe is written below, you’ll have a good amount left over, so here’s a quick brainstorm of other ways to use it.

For starters, this is a sauce that is A+ slathered on all things flat and bread-y or toasted – crostini, flatbreads, pizza, paratha, sandwiches, etc. You can add a dollop to a bowl of beans, for a quick bean salad. I tossed a spoonful with some sturdy lettuces for a side salad at lunch, so good. And you won’t be sorry if you pair it with pan-fried artichokes. Let me know any other ideas you have in the comments.

Let’s Cook!

I like the idea of taking this site back to its roots – cooking from inspiring recipes and cookbooks, vintage & contemporary. So that’s going to be the theme this year. And, I think it’s going to be more fun if we cook recipes together! If you end up making this pasta in the next week or two, send a note, or tag a photo or video on Instagram so I’ll see it (@heidijswanson // #101cookbooks) ! I’ll regram helpful tips, photos, insights, ideas, and riffs we collectively come up with. I’ll also posting some video clips in my “highlights” tomorrow, if you want to see how Pasta with Etruscan Sauce came together for me.

For more pasta recipes, for more vegetarian recipes.

Continue reading Pasta with Etruscan Sauce on 101 Cookbooks

101 Cookbooks https://ift.tt/36ImDA1