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

Lebanese Vegetable Soup

From Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

This soup is, so far, my favourite soup in the Moosewood canon. It is chock full of ingredients that make Lebanese food so healthy and delicious: chickpeas, artichokes, tomatoes, and parsley. It has a nice briny kick to it, with a tart and sharp finish. It's also extremely hearty if you add a bunch of potatoes (which I do). My boyfriend likes this soup so much that I call it "his" soup---just between us! This soup is also a great bring-to-work item, as the veggies inside aren't overcooked and won't lose their shape after being popped into the microwave to warm it up. It will give you a nice lemony briny delicious kick in the middle of your work day.

Serves: 6-8 Cooking time: 30 minutes

1 large Spanish onion, chopped (2 cups)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium-large carrots, chopped (2 1/2 cups)
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (I put double this)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped potatoes (I usually add about 3 cups for a heartier soup)
1 teaspoon salt
4-5 cups vegetable stock (use whatever brine is left from the canned artichokes and then water for the rest)
2 large tomatoes (chopped)
10 artichoke hearts, cut into 1/8ths (2 14 ounce cans)
1 can of chickpeas, or 3/4 cups of cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 lemons, cut into wedges

Saute the onion in oil for 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots. Cover. Stir again after 3 minutes. Add the ground red pepper, coriander and garlic. Cover and cook for a few more minutes.

Add the potatoes, salt & 2 cups of the stock. Cover the pot and bring the soup to a boil, reduce the heart and simmer until the potatoes are nearly tender. Be careful not to overcook them. Gently stir in the tomatoes, artichoke hearts and chickpeas. Cover and simmer for about 3 - 4 minutes. Add the remaining 2 - 3 cups of stock, heat gently. Garnish with parsley and have everyone squeeze a wedge or two of lemon into their soup right before they eat it. YUM!

Mediterranean Eggplant Casserole

From Moosewood Restaurant Cooking for Health

This casserole goes great with a strongly flavoured salad and is something good to bring along to work. Everyone in the lunch room was very curious about this particular casserole and I bragged that I had made it myself. It does look kind of fancy once you are done, especially with the custardy cheesy topping, and everyone is impressed by eggplant for some reason. However, this casserole is a little bit of work, and you have to use at use a few pots and pans, and me being a little bit lazy I think I might be reluctant to do it all again.

I also would be reluctant to make this particular casserole again because I had one of those "I'm a bad cook and also probably an idiot" kind of experiences when I was making this dish. I assembled the casserole one morning before work (so I would have something delicious for my lunch that day) and put it in the oven with the timer set so I could get ready (aka read my horoscope online on a hundred different sites) and when the timer went off and I checked the oven, I saw that the oven wasn't on and obviously, from the cold state of the casserole, hadn't been on the whole time! I seriously considered calling into work to tell my boss that I would be late because "something came up", but when I thought about my boss asking me the obvious question of "what"?, I knew I couldn't make up an excuse. And I just didn't think she would be understanding about a casserole emergency. So I had to stick my cold casserole in the fridge and then cook it when I got home. The good news is I had something delicious to eat for lunch. It was just a day later than I planned.

Serves 6 to 8
Hands on time: about an hour - baking time: about 55 minutes

1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds)
salt
2 teaspoons dried marjoram
1 cup bulghur
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, pressed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup currants
3 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups crumbled or grated feta cheese
2 cups small curd low-fat cottage cheese
3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup chopped basil or parsley
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon lemon juice
ground black pepper
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced
1. Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch-thick rounds and arrange them in a single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Brush or spray the slices with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and 1 teaspoon of the marjoram. Bake uncovered in a preheated 400 degree oven until tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

2. While the eggplant is baking, put the bulghur and boiling water into a heatproof bowl. Cover and set aside until the water has been absorbed and the bulghur is tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, oregano, salt, and the remaining marjoram, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in the currants and remove them from the heat.

4. In a separate bowl, stir together the eggs, feta, cottage cheese, 1/2 cup of the parmesan, and 1/4 cup of the basil. Set aside.

5. Fluff the bulghur and sitr in the onions and currants, the remaining 1/2 cup of the basil, and the toasted walnuts and lemon juice. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

6. To assemble the casserole, spread the bulghur pilaf evenly in a lightly oiled 9 X 13 inch baking pan. Layer the baked eggplant slices and then the tomato slices. Spoon on the egg and the cheese mixture and spread it evenly over the top. Sprinkle on the rest of the parmesan.






7. Cover the baking pan with foil, rounding it so the foil won't stick to the custard. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40 minutes, until the casserole is mostly set. Uncover and bake until the top is golden and the custard is firm, about 15 minutes.

Thai Butternut Squash Soup

From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Serves 4

My darling husband doesn't like tofu. He will eat just about anything that I put in front of him (a real treat for a new cook) but when the meal has tofu in it he suddenly looks rather pained. But I can happily report that the tofu in this recipe is so deliciously marinated that even he proclaimed: "This one is a keeper!"
SOUP
1 cup coconut milk
0.5 tsp Thai red curry paste
4 tsp sugar
0.5 tsp salt
2 cups vegetable broth
1 Keiffer lime leaf (optional)
2 12-ounce packages of frozen cooked winter squash
1 lime
2 cups fresh baby spinach
chopped fresh cilantro

PAN- FRIED TOFU
0.5 cake firm tofu (about 8 ounces)
1 tbsp soy sauce
0.5 tsp Thai red curry paste
1 tsp vegetable oil

In a soup pot, whisk together the coconut milk, curry paste, sugar, salt, and broth. Add the lime leaf and frozen squash, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the squash is thawed, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the Pan-Fried Tofu. Cut the tofu into small cubes and put them in a bowl. Toss with the soy sauce and the curry paste. Heat the oil in a small skillet on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the tofu and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Lightly grate the lime peel and juice the lime. Add 1 teaspoon of the zest and 2 tablespoons of the juice to the simmering soup. Stir in the spinach and tofu and cook just until the spinach wilts. Add more sugar and salt to taste. Serve the soup garnished with cilantro if you like.

*Packaged frozen winter squash is perfect for this recipe, but if it's not available, look for pre-cut butternut squash in the produce section of your market, or peel and seed your own squash. You'll need 4 cups chopped. Puree the soup in a blender before adding the spinach and tofu.

Vegetarian Chili

From The New Moosewood Cookbook
Preparation time: 1.75 hours
Serves 6

This has been one of my favourite recipes since Sarah introduced me to it months ago. Though this recipe claims that the bulgur will provide a "ground-beef-like texture" I didn't believe this claim until I tried it. Sure enough, it does!
I like to make some alterations to the original version shown below. As Sarah once said: "There just aren't enough recipes that call for lima beans." And since, to the horror of my lima bean-hating mother, it turns out I actually agree with Sarah I like to cut back on the kidney beans and add in some lima beans for good measure. Last night I was out of these so I threw in a can (yes a CAN) of mixed beans and also one of black eyed peas. Also add the juice of one lemon to the recipe right at the end. It infuses it with zesty goodness! It turned out well enough that I took a sample in to work today for my boss to try. Result? Success! The photo? Not so much... Sorry!

2.5 cups dry kidney beans, soaked
1 cup tomato juice
1 cup uncooked bulgur wheat
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
6 to 8 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 medium stalk celery, diced
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. chili powder (more, to taste)
1.5 tsp. salt (more, to taste)
black pepper and cayenne, to taste
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 14.5-oz. can tomatoes
3 Tbs. tomato paste (half a small can)
Optional toppings (but highly recommended by Cari!):
finely minced parsley (or cilantro)
grated cheese

1. Place the soaked beans in a Dutch oven or kettle, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Partially cover, turn heat down to a simmer, and cook until tender (about 1.25 hours) Watch the water level during cooking, adding more if necessary. Drain off any excess water when the beans are done.

2. Heat the tomato juice to boiling. Add it to the bulgur in a small bowl, cover and let stand 15 minutes. Add this to the cooked beans.

3. Head the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add onion, halt the garlin, carrot, celery, and seasonings. Saute over medium heat about 5 minutes, add bell pepper, and saute until all the vegetables are tender.

4. Add the sauteed vegetables, tomatoes (au jus), and tomato paste to the beans. Simmer over lowest possible head, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes or longer. After about 15 minutes, add remaining garlic. Taste to adjust seasonings, and serve hot, topped with parsley and/or cheese.

Broccoli-Cheese Wrap

From Moosewood Restaurant: Cooking for Health



I made these wraps and took a bunch of blurry unattractive pictures while realizing that I was totally behind schedule, so I apologize about the less than beautiful picture. I don't know about this recipe, I think it would have been really good if I had a chance to eat it right away, still warm, instead of bringing it with me to work and eating it out of the fridge at lunch. It probably would have tasted better if I put it in a wrap instead of pita too. Although it was better than a peanut butter sandwich, I doubt I would make these again.

Serves 4 - Time: 20 minutes


1 tablespoon oil
1 cup onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped broccoli
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated feta cheese or chevre
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
salt and ground black pepper
4 large or 8 small whole wheat tortillas

1. Warm the oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add the onions and salt and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the broccoli, garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes, if using, and cook until the broccoli is bright green and tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the ricotta, mozzarella, and feta cheese and the basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. To make wraps: In an unoiled skillet or griddle on medium heat, warm each tortilla for about 30 seconds on each side, until softened, or warm the stack of tortillas in a microwave oven for about 20 seconds. Roll the filling in smaller tortillas like an enchilada. For larger tortillas, place filling in the center, fold one side and then the other up and over the filling, and then tuck the open ends under. Eat as is, or brown lightly in an oiled skilled on medium heat.

Spicy Mexican Squash Stew

From Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special

I have a bad habit of shopping without a list and being inspired to buy produce on a whim because it looks pretty. Which is how I ended up with a butternut squash the size of my head that was begging to be be used. Actually I left it to beg too long and had to borrow as squash from Sarah after I had already found this recipe. Unfortunate but I gave her a bowlful of this stew and she seemed happy enough with the deal.

The Moosewood Collective is nice enough to provide a number of their recipes for free on their website and this is one of them. I found this tasty but next time I would add more jalapeño, a stronger cheese and throw it on top of some quinoa or some brown rice. Enjoy!

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 butternut squash
1/2 small fresh jalapeño or other chile, minced (seeds removed for a milder "hot")
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/ teaspoons ground cumin
3 cups water
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or undrained canned tomatoes (15-ounce can)
2 cups chopped red and /or green bell peppers
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (10-ounce package, frozen)
salt and ground black pepper to taste
sour cream, or grated Monterey Jack cheese or cheddar cheese

Place the oil, onions, garlic, and salt in a nonreactive soup pot. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are translucent.

Meanwhile, halve and peel the squash, scoop out and discard the seeds, and dice into 1/2-inch cubes (see Note). Add the squash, jalapeño, cinnamon, cumin, and water to the soup pot and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bell peppers and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until all of the vegetables are tender. Stir in the corn and return to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve each bowl topped with a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkling of grated cheese.

Note: If the cubed squash is 5 cups or more, you may need an additional 1/2-3/4 cup water. You can also substitute packaged raw, peeled and cubed squash that is available the fresh vegetable section of some supermarkets. The pieces may need to be cut in half to make 1/2 inch cubes.

French Barely Salad

I bought barley six months ago because I was trying to keep a well stocked dry pantry (it helped that the packaging was cute) and I hadn't used it yet. So in an attempt to use up all the food I bought while I was in yet another nesting phase I found myself searching the index of all my cookbooks last night for the word "barley". Low and behold the "French Barley Salad" recipe in the Moosewood Restaurant Daily Special cookbook. I didn't have dill so I made it sans-dill, which in retrospect probably wasn't the best idea but, meh, it is still super tasty. Though with lemon, garlic, olive oil and mustard making up the core components of the recipe, is that really a surprise? PS. Walnuts taste like magic.

1/2 cup raw barley
2 cups water

Dressing
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1.5 lemons)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill (1 1/2 tsp dried or 2 tsp freeze dried)
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 cup halved or quartered mushrooms
1 cup peeled and diced carrots
1 cup cut green beans, trimmed and halved
1 cup thinly sliced red or yellow bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons butter
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Using a strainer, rinse the barley and drain. In a small heavy skillet on low heat, roast the barley until fragrant and beginning to brown. Place the barley and water in a small saucepan, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat until most of the water has been absorbed and the barley is soft, about 40 minutes.

While the barley cooks, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. In a separated bowl, pour half of the dressing over the mushrooms and set aside. Blanch the carrots in boiling water for about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large serving bowl. Blanch the green beans for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Stir the bell peppers and parsley and marinated mushrooms into the bowl of carrots.

In a skillet, heat the butter. When it sizzles, saute the walnuts until they are coated and the butter begins to brown. Remove from the heat.

When the barley is tender, drain it in a colander. Add the drained barley and the remaining dressing to the serving bowl and mix well. Allow the salad to sit for at least 30 minutes before serving. Just before serving, gently toss the green beans and walnuts into the salad.

Turkish Spinach and Lentil Soup

From Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

This isn't one of those eye-catching recipes, I don't think I would have ever made it if I didn't make the recipe on the page before: Lebanese Vegetable Soup (which is divine by the way) and kept accidentally turning the page. However, once I realized that it used bulghur, and I have so much bulghur from making Moosewood Chili (yum yum change your life yum) I decided to give it a try.

Serves 6 to 8


1 cup dried lentils
5 cups vegetable stock or water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

2 cups chopped onions
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup raw bulghur
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup tomato paste
pinch of dried rosemary (or to taste)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups stemmed, cleaned and coarsely chopped spinach

chopped fresh parsley


Rinse the lentils Bring them to a boil in the salted stock or water. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a heavy soup pot. Saute the onions until translucent. Add the garlic, cayenne, bay leaves, and raw bulghur. Stir the mixture on medium heat until the onions and bulghur are lightly browned.
Mix in the parsley and tomatoes. When the tomatoes begin to give up their juice, gently stir in the tomato paste.
Pour the lentils and the liquid into the soup pot with the onions and bulghur. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes. Add the rosemary, salt, and pepper to taste. If the lentils and bulghur have adsorbed too much liquid, add more stock, water, or tomato juice. Remove the bay leaves.
Just before serving, stir in the fresh spinach and let it wilt in the hot soup. Garnish with more fresh parsley and serve with crusty bread.


This was absolutely delicious the next day. I tried some right after I made it and was quite disappointed, I blamed myself that I didn't go to the effort of adding stock instead of water. If I'm given the option of adding water, I do, because I am lazy. I was consumed with my water adding laziness on my way home on the bus today, so what a pleasant surprise I had when I warmed up a bowl for myself on my arrival, and it was very tasty! Filling and very wintery, though I would suggest adding some chilies to the recipe if I was to do it again.