Janet's Delicious Rhubarb Cake

I am breaking a cardinal rule of this blog with this post. Firstly, this is NOT a Moosewood recipe. Those of you familiar with the Moosewood books would guess this immediately given the amount of sugar involved. Secondly, I have no photos for this post at the moment.

So why am I posting this? Because it is delicious. And because my friend Liz wants the recipe. So Liz, this is for you!

Cake:
1 2/3 cup sugar (I think you could reduce this significantly if you wanted, though I've never tried)
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 egg
2 cups rhubarb (I like rhubarb a lot, and I tend to have a lot of it from the garden so I often add a generous 3 cups)
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup margarine or butter

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg. Beat well. Add yogurt or sour cream.
Sift soda and salt with flour and stir into first mixture. Add vanilla. Coat Rhubarb with Tbsp flour and add gently to batter.

Pour into greased 13 x 9 pan.
Spread batter evenly.

Blend ingredients for topping together and sprinkle over batter. You don't want to spread it, you want it drizzled so that it melts through the cake when it bakes.

Bake 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. Enjoy!

Southwestern Corn and Potato Soup

From "Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favourites"
Serves 4-8

So the book says that "everyone who has tried this soup absolutely loves it." I wouldn't say I LOVE it, but it is quick, easy and tasty. It was just a little sweet for my taste. I think a heartier portion of cilantro and perhaps the seeds to the chiles would have packed more of a punch. Also play around with the amount of lime you put it, I found it needed a lot to cut the sweetness.

1 cup finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 small fresh chile, seeded and minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups vegetable stock
2 tsp ground cumin
1 medium sweet potato, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
salt to taste

lime wedges
finely chopped cilantro leaves

In a covered soup pot, simmer the onions, garlic, chile, and salt in 1 cup of vegetable stock for about 10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. In a small bowl, make a paste with the cumin and a tablespoonful of the stock, stir it into the pot, and simmer for another 1 or 2 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and the remaining stock and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sweet potatoes soften. Add the bell pepper and corn and simmer, covered for another 10 minutes, or until all of the vegetable are tender.

Puree about half of the soup in a blender or food processor and return it to the pot. The soup will be creamy and thick. Add salt to taste and gently reheat on low heat. If desired, serve with lime wedges and top with cilantro.

Low-Fat Macaroni and Cheese

From Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites

After fantasizing about the creamy goodness that is macaroni and cheese for a few days, I found this recipe on the internet. I wanted to see if even though it didn't have a lot of cream and butter in it, if it would still be satisfying. And...it was! I was really hesitant to put the raw noodles into the casserole, but it worked great! I couldn't use usual macaroni noodles as I just moved to Los Angeles, and I haven't found a regular grocery store that stocks normal trashy stuff. Trader Joe's and Whole Foods only sell whole wheat or brown rice pasta in fancy shapes, the closest I could find to good ole trashy macaroni was whole wheat penne. But, with all those melty cheesy flavours with a bread crumb crust, I didn't even miss the noodles.

1 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese
1 1/2 cup skim milk or buttermilk (I used skim, and it was still very yummy)
1 tsp dried mustard or 1 tbsp prepared mustard
pinch of cayenne
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated onion
1 cup extra-sharp Cheddar Cheese
1/2 lb. uncooked elbow macaroni
2 tbsp finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan Cheeses
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat the over to 375 degrees. Grease a 9 or 10 inch square baking pan.
In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, skim milk/buttermilk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg, salt and pepper and puree until smooth.
In a large bowl, combine the puree, the onion, macaroni and cheddar cheese and stir thoroughly.
Pour the mixture into your pan.

Combine the Pecorino/Parmesan and the bread crumbs and sprinkle on top of the mixture.
Bake about 45 minutes, until the top is browned and the center firm.

Enjoy with a big generous helping of salad! I think Caesar Salad tastes the best with it.

Cauliflower-Cheese Pie with Grated Potato Crust

Tasked with making a dinner for eight on a particularly hung-over Sunday in February, I made this dish as a side. I'm not sure I should actually review this dish as, in my foggy state, I forgot to add both the eggs and the milk to the dish. But since everyone seemed to enjoy it even without these ingredients, here it is!

Note - a real pie pan will be my next kitchen investment. In addition to the missing ingredients, this would have made this dish much much better as sadly the potatoes really stuck to this pan.


From The New Moosewood Cookbook
Serves 4 to 6

Convenience Tips: Use food processor with grating attachment to grate cheese, potato, and onion in that order. (No need to clean in between.) Prepare the filling while the crust bakes.

Crust:
2 cups (packed) grated raw potato
1/4 cup grated onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
flour for your fingers
a little oil

Filling:
1 Tbs olive oil or butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp basil
1/4 tsp thyme
1 medium cauliflower, in small pieces
2 eggs (or 1 whole egg plus 1 egg white)
1/4 cup milk (lowfat ok)
1 cup (packed) grated cheddar cheese
paprika

1. Preheat over to 400F. Oil a 9-inch pie pan.

2. Combine grated potato and onion, salt, and egg white in a small bowl and mix well. Transfer to the pie pan and pat into place with lightly floured fingers, building up the sides into a handsome edge. (Those are Mollie's words, not mine - haha)

3. Bake for 30 minutes, then brush the crust with a little oil and bake it 10 more minutes. Remove from oven, and turn the temperature down to 375F.

4. Heat the olive oil or butter in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs and saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, stir, and cover. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally (about 8-10 minutes)

5. Spread half the cheese onto the baked crust (OK if its still hot). Spoon the sauteed vegetables on top, then sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Beat the eggs and milk together, and pour this over the top. Dust lightly with paprika.

6. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until set. Serve hot or warm.

Satyamma's Famous Cauliflower Curry

I have to address this picture before anything else. I wish I could blame the appearance of this meal on my lack of a good camera, however it really does look like... well... dog poo. I know, it isn't a nice comparison but admit it, you were thinking it already. Luckily it tastes delicious and so the comparison quickly fades from your mind. It tastes particularly good the next day, on a bed of rice (brown or white), doused in a good squirt of fresh lemon juice, and cozied up to a large heaping of sauteed swiss chard or baby bok choy.


From The New Moosewood Cookbook
Prep time: 30-40 minutes
Serves 6

2 medium-small (3-inch diameter) potatoes, cut into small chunks

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 Tbs. mustard seeds
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
1.5 Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup lightly toasted peanuts
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp. ground cloves or allspice
2 Tbs. toasted cumin seeds
1 to 2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 cup water (more, as needed)

1 to 2 Tbs. peanut oil
1.5 cups chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 large cauliflower, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
option 1 cup cooked chick peas
3 to 4 Tbs. lemon juice

1. Boil the potatoes until just tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Place the next 11 ingredients in a blender and puree until fairly homogenous. Add extra water, as needed to form a soft, workable paste.
3. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven, and add onion and salt. Saute for 5 minutes over medium heat, then add cauliflower and carrot and mix well. Cover and cook about 10 minutes, then add the paste. Mix well. Cook, covered, over low heat until the cauliflower is tender, stirring every few minutes. Add more water, if necessary, to prevent sticking.
4. Add the cooked potatoes, chick peas, and lemon juice, and cook a few more minutes. Taste to adjust salt, and serve hot, with rice and condiments.

Suggested sides: raita, lemon slices, orange slices, toasted nuts, toasted coconut, raisins, sliced cucumbers, sliced tomatoes, thin strips of bell pepper.

Lemon Date Bars

From Sundays at the Moosewood Restaurant

Classic, healthy and delicious! I use a third of the sugar and it still turns out great. Make sure you use UNSALTED butter! The first time I made these I didn't realize that I put salted butter in them and I brought them to a party. It was really awkward as people bit into them and tasted how salty they were, and then looked all disappointed and embarrassed. I had to resort to putting the tinfoil back on top of them in shame.

Prep time: about 45 minutes

2 cups chopped pitted dates
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cups of water
1/2 cups of margarine or UNSALTED butter, softened
3/4 cups unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
1 cup rolled oats
preheat oven to 350 degrees celsius


In a saucepan, combine the dates, lemon and water. Cook, covered on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.



In a bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar Stir in the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the oats and mix well, using your hands. The dough will be crumbly but will hold together when squeezed. Press 2/3rds of the dough into an oiled 8 or 9 inch square baking pan. Stir the date mixture and spread it over the dough. Crumble the remaining dough on the top. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool in the pan. Cut into 16 bars.

East African Groundnut Soup

From Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

I've made this soup about three or four times now, and I'm always happy with the result. It is really easy and cheap to make, with the most expensive ingredients being the peppers. This last time I made it, I used a new natural peanut butter I haven't bought before which was terrifically sticky. I filled a bowl full of soup for my boyfriend who took it to eat in the other room. All of a sudden I heard a "ahhhhhh!" coming from the room, and called in to ask what was wrong. He answered that he just got a huge clump of peanut butter in his mouth. "Oh my god, I'm sorry!" I called back, but after a pause he responded by saying, "No, it was delicious." Probably others wouldn't be so supportive of an unsuspected peanut butter clump, so my advice to you is to stir the peanut butter (one of the last ingredients) in carefully and thoroughly.

Serves 6-8 Time: about 1 hour

3 cups chopped onion
3 celery stalks diced (one cup)
1 tablespoons canola oil (or other veg. oil)
2 green bell peppers
1 red bell pepper
1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons garam masala or other curry powder
1 cup raw brown rice
3 cups canned chopped/diced canned tomatoes in juice (28 ounce can)
6 cups water
1/2 cup peanut butter
1-2 tablespoons sugar (if desired)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
chopped fresh cilantro
chopped scallions

In a soup pot, saute onions and celery in the oil for about ten minutes on medium high heat, until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the bell peppers and saute for 5 more minutes. Stir in the cayenne and garam masala; add the rice, tomatoes, water and salt and stir well. Cover and bring to a boil; then reduce the heat and simmer for about forty minutes, until the rice is tender.
Whisk in the peanut butter, sugar & lime juice. Top each serving with chopped cilantro and scallions, if you like