Catering: Asian-Themed Bridal Shower

I was so happy to cater my sister-in-law's wedding shower. It was such a special day and I loved that I could be such a big part of it.  Randa & Shonna love sushi, so, to their surprise, I threw them an Asian-Themed Bridal Shower!  We had gorgeous paper lanterns, sushi platters, hand painted chopsticks, mini take-out box favors...it was beautiful.  Ok, on to the food...

Main

Sushi

Vegetable Potstickers*

Inari*

Mini Egg Rolls

Chicken & Cilantro Wontons

Spicy Peanut Noodles in Cucumber Cups*

Corn Dip

Dessert

Mini Fudge Cakes

Blackberry Fool

Cake Batter Truffles

Mini Coconut-Lemon Bundt Cakes*

Mini Cannolis

*Vegan

There are some beautiful photos in this slideshow.  Thank you Tom Driscoll Photography!  Looking for a whole foods caterer?  Contact me @ ericainthecity@yahoo.com.

Think On Your Feet!

I swear this has been my motto for the past 4 months.  So, in my last post I mentioned how I went on vacation and never went home.  Yes indeed.  Well, that still stands.  4 months later, I still have yet to "go home."  I have officially, unofficially, moved back to Massachusetts.  This is so crazy.  I will go to DC and get my things in a week- then it will be officially official!  I get to relax on my own couch!  When we moved to DC we rented out our home and now in exactly 2 more days I will be moving back in!  Hallelujah!  I spent 3 months living with family in beautiful Connecticut and the last month renting a great apartment from my friend Dave.  I have the most amazing friends who have stepped in in every way, shape, and form.  How lucky am I to have a friend who owns 3 apartments and just happened to have one vacant until my house frees up??  I am blessed and I count my blessings every day. 

Cooking has been simple.  I have one skillet, one pot, one cookie sheet, one casserole dish and one spatula.  I also have 2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 coffee cups, and SIX wine glasses (a girl has got to live!).  That is it my friends.  This has been one crazy experiment of sorts.  In the midst of all this chaos, I am happy to reveal that my eating habits have not changed.  I still eat real food that nourishes my soul.  This makes me happy.  I can say that this way of eating will last forever.  Now matter what happens in my life, I don't fall back into old [eating] habits and that is a true change.  My life has changed drastically and will not be going back to what it was for over a decade, but I am excited about my future.  The world is mine and I am going to create the exact life that I want to live!

"I've come to see that I have two choices in how I approach change; I can either resist change or be open to what's ahead and feel the peace that "all is well in the universe."  When I lean into the latter, I feel excited about the future."  -Marci Shimoff

2 girls chatting, wine, and nothing to eat... impromptu appetizer.  Thinking on my feet...

Think fresh when you are trying to whip something together.  We had a zillion local tomatoes, so I started there.  After eating a few slices with just salt and pepper (yum), I visited her fridge.  Next up: ricotta and pesto.  So, I did pretzel thins smeared with ricotta and pesto and topped with a sliver of the most juicy tomato you'll ever have.  Not gourmet, just a snack with what we had on hand...and it was fun (and cute!).  Next time, I'll just smear the ricotta and pesto ON the tomato with salt, pepper, and olive oil and get out a fork and knife.  The pretzel thins can hang next to the bowl of guacamole- they like each other...a lot.

 



Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos

Finally a new recipe!!!  Can I get a collective woo hoo??!!  Oh, if you only knew...  My life has completely turned upside since my last post.  I'm going to make a long story really short- I essentially went on vacation...and never went home. Seriously.  Who does that?  This girl.  I'm still cooking in a tiny kitchen, eating wonderful delicious wholesome food, and blogging about it, so here we go...

This recipe is a knock out.  There is so much flavor.  I love how the creaminess of the sweet potato pairs with the crisp green cabbage and the tang of fresh lime juice....yummmmmmmmmmm.  The ingredient list is lengthy, but prep is pretty simple and all well worth it once you eat.  Make sure to dig out that shredder attachment for your processor- your cabbage will be done in a flash.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Tacos with Cilantro Cabbage Slaw

Cilantro Cabbage Slaw:

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp ground pepper
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp canola oil (sesame oil is great too)
1 tsp salt
1 small head green and red cabbage/ or 1 large green cabbage, shredded
   (approx 8 cups)

Sweet Potatoes:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Spread

Black Beans:

2 (15-ounce) cans black beans
1/2 small yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 chili powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 bell pepper (red or orange)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro

Hard taco shells
Lime wedges

Combine all ingredients for slaw in a large bowl.  Toss to combine and set aside.  Note:  This recipe makes a lot of slaw. Feel free to half if you don't want leftovers.

Fill a medium saucepan with water over high heat and bring to a boil.  Add cubed sweet potato and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

While sweet potatoes are cooking, heat vegetable oil in a small saute pan. Add onion, bell pepper,garlic- cook 5 minutes.  Add cumin, chili powder, and cinnamon and stir to combine.  Add drained black beans and heat through, about 5 minutes.  Add vinegar, salt and pepper.  Stir in chopped cilantro.  Reduce heat to low until ready to serve.

Drain the cooked sweet potatoes and place in a food processor with the salt, cumin, and butter.  Pulse until desired texture.  To assemble tacos, line taco shells with sweet potatoes, black beans, and slaw.  Serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4

Simple Pizza Wontons

My father recently celebrated his 60th birthday and I was in charge of the menu!  For this portion of his birthday, I was to come up with 5-6 light bites for guests to munch on while listening to a live band in my brother's backyard.  It was awesome!  Everything was a hit.  I came up with pizza wontons for the kids, mostly, but I heard rave reviews from everyone.  You can use either wonton or egg roll wrappers, it's entirely up to you.  I like them both ways.  If you choose to use egg roll wrappers, make sure to fold accordingly and leave the string cheese whole (don't chop).  These are perfect little treats- and of course I hid some veggies in them.

Pizza Wontons

1-2 Tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 (12 oz) package wonton wrappers
2 packages organic string cheese (12 1-ounce sticks in each), chopped into thirds
2 cups marinara sauce

Preheat oven to 425˚F.

Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add garlic, mushrooms, bell pepper, and onion.  Saute until vegetables are soft and season with salt and pepper.

Lay 5-6 wonton wrappers on work surface and keep the remaining wrappers covered with a damp towel.  Add a piece of string cheese to the middle of each wrapper and top with a little vegetable filling. Dip your finger in a small bowl of water and moisten 2 sides of the wonton wrapper.  Fold moistened side over filling to the dry side to form a triangle and seal by pinching with your fingers.  Lay finished wontons on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat until the entire package of wontons has been used.  Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly brown.  Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Makes 50 wontons.

Vegan Brunch: Scallion Muffins, Veggie Dip, and Oat Sausage

One of my favorite meals...BRUNCH.  How genius to combine breakfast and lunch into one meal!  You can wake up late, worry only about 1 meal, and it really can be anything and everything you like.  My spouse and I have a deal:  I sleep in every Saturday, she sleeps in every Sunday.  We've done this since our son was a baby and it's great.  We're two people who love to sleep, with a son who doesn't.  I didn't sleep in too late this time- about 8:30 am-when I heard my spouse say, "what do you want me to make for breakfast?"  That phrase alone made me pop out of bed.  Very sweet yes, but she's the worst cook.  Sorry, but it's true.  Overcooked eggs, gooey pancakes- she knows all these things, so I'm not talking behind her back.  Sometimes, fine, but I just wasn't in the mood.  I woke up wanting elegance really.  I must have been dreaming about a little cafe or something.  The first thing that popped into my head was to make a scallion muffin.  I have no idea why.  I wanted a savory muffin, a homemade vegetable cream cheese dip, and some oat sausage.  Yes, yes, and yes! 

Why vegan brunch?  Well, I'm what Alicia Silverstone would call a "flirt."  I eat a lot of vegan food each week, but just can't commit the full 100%.  Maybe one day.  However, the amount of vegan meals in my house has escalated even more in recent months since realizing that dairy triggers our son's asthma.  I'm certainly not going to make 2 meals at every sitting.  So, he's off dairy and I'm making a lot of vegan food these days.  This oat sausage is my absolute favorite, a definite staple in my house!  So good with a drizzle of maple syrup.  The scallion muffins are savory and the veggie dip is so fresh and light.  We gobbled up this brunch.  Oh, and take a look at the craziness that goes on when I try to photograph food in my house...

 

(sorry about the black on black!)

 

 

 

 

Scallion Muffins

5 Tbsp Earth Balance Butter
1 bunch scallions
1 1/2 cups white wheat flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 Tbsp raw sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 cup plain soy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Ener-G egg replacer for 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 400F.  Coat 12 muffin cups with an oil spray.  In a large skillet, melt the Earth Balance over medium heat; add the scallions and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and cayenne; stir until well blended. 

In a separate bowl, combine soy milk and apple cider vinegar and let sit a few minutes to curdle.  Prepare egg replacer for 2 eggs according to package directions and whisk into soy milk mixture; whisk in scallion mixture.  Add to the dry ingredients and fold just until evenly moistened.  Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.  Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 20-22 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack before removing from the pan.  Slather on some butter!

Makes 12 muffins.


Vegetable Cream Cheese Dip 

1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung dry

1 tofu cream cheese

2 cloves garlic, grated

1/4 cup onion, grated

1 can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped

4 scallions, whites and greens, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it creates a rough purée.  Delish smeared on the scallion muffins!  Also a great dip for tortilla chips.

Courtesy of Rachael Ray


Oat Sausage
MY FAVORITE!  Thank you Whole Food Mommies!

4 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup Bragg's, low-sodium soy sauce, or shoyu
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (gently crush in processor)
1 cup pecans or walnuts (grind nuts in processor into meal)
2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried sage
Real maple syrup, optional

Bring water, soy sauce, and olive oil to a boil in a large saucepan.  Add oats and simmer 10 minutes.  Remove from heat- add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Allow to cool and form into patties.  Place patties on an oil-sprayed cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, flip, then bake an additional 15-20 minutes.  The best drizzled with maple syrup!

Makes about 24 (depending on size)
Courtesy of Whole Food Mommies

Green Pea Hummus

For some reason, I just keep buying peas.  I don't even like peas.  I use them sparingly in recipes, but that's about the end of it.  I guess I kept thinking I didn't have any because I've picked up at least one bag at every grocery trip recently.  Hence, to my surprise, I had 3 bags in the freezer.  Green pea hummus instantly popped into my head when I saw all these peas!  It was a Saturday afternoon, perfect time to make a new hummus for lunch.  I don't know about all of you, but we never sit at the table for an entire meal at lunch.  We sit down at the table for dinner, and my son and I sit at the table for a quick lunch during the week, but how cool is it to put a full meal out on the table at lunchtime?  Well, it was very cool.  I whipped up this pea hummus along with a few other goodies and the 3 of us sat at the table on a Saturday afternoon and lunched together.  It was really really nice.

Don't be afraid of pea hummus.  Like I said, I don't like peas, and I like this.  It's a great summertime food and it gives you a break from the traditional chickpea hummus.  It's sort of sweet and savory and tastes good with pita wedges or on a sandwich.  I used frozen peas, but I'm sure fresh peas from one of the great farmers markets popping up would be divine!

Green Pea Hummus

2 cups frozen green peas
Scant 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
3 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp ground sumac
Fresh cracked pepper

Cook peas in boiling water 3 minutes; drain and rinse with cold water.  Place peas and next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a food processor, and process until smooth. Spoon pea mixture into a small serving bowl; chill. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with sumac and cracked pepper just before serving.

Serves 6
Recipe Courtesy of MyRecipes

Breakfast Cookies

I was a little leery of the title, "Breakfast Cookie" at first.  I started to think this would give my toddler the wrong idea, but these little gems are so good, easy to transport, and full of good stuff!  No regrets.  I make sure to always address them as "breakfast cookies" so he doesn't get in the habit of asking for cookies for breakfast.  It has worked.  They aren't as sweet as regular cookies and are light and airy.  I LOVE dunking them in my coffee.  Well, we are running off to Toddler Time @ the art studio, so I am going to stop talking and post this recipe.  Don't let the length of the ingredient list scare you, really easy...you are going to love them!


Breakfast Cookies

3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour OR whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Earth Balance, softened
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp raw sugar (or other natural sugar)
Ener-G egg replacer for 1 egg OR 1 egg
1/4 cup carrot puree (or applesauce, sweet potato puree, etc)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup bran cereal flakes
1/3 cup raisins OR cranberries
1/3 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted in a dry skillet for 2 minutes, until fragrant, then chopped
Handful sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Place rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350 F.

Whisk together flours, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Combine butter, oil and sugars in another bowl and mix on high speed, scraping down sides if necessary, until sugars have dissolved and mixture is light in color, about 1 minute. Add egg replacer or egg, carrot puree and vanilla and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add flour mixture and beat an additional 30 seconds. Add oats, flakes, raisins, walnuts and seeds and mix over low speed just until incorporated. Dough will be slightly sticky and less cohesive than traditional cookie dough. 

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Using between 3 to 4 tablespoons of batter, form a ball and place on cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining batter, leaving about 3 inches between cookies. Wet hands and use palm of hand to flatten cookies until about 1/4-inch thick. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are fragrant but still soft. Let cookies cool slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 cookies
Recipe adapted from Healthy Eats