Grated Beet Salad

Beets – you either love 'em or hate 'em.

Which is sad, considering how great they taste and how great they are for you nutritionally. Nevertheless, beets seem to get the same scornful treatment as other hated root vegetables like turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips. I'd assume that most people held those veggies in contempt because they were subject to some type of vegetable-related torture as a child, but it seems like most people hate them simply for the sake of hating them.

In all fairness, I can vaguely understand why people dislike turnips and rutabagas – prepared improperly they can be rather distasteful, almost bitter. Beets, however, have none of those acrid properties and are, in fact, quite sweet and delicious. I'd compare them more to a carrot than to any other vegetable. If you like carrots, then you'll definitely like beets.

If you don't like carrots...then you really need to reassess your life choices and start eating like a grown up. (Kidding! ...sort of.)

All that being said, adding beets to your diet is a smooth move nutritionally. Beets hold the title of being one of the foremost “superfoods” that all people should strive to include in their diets.

They're low in calories and high in fiber, include decent amounts of Vitamin C and iron, and are high in folate, potassium, and manganese. Furthermore, the compounds that give beets their striking color are also responsible for all sorts of other health benefits.

So, how does one enter the world of beet-eating? Easily. You don't even have to cook them (although they are delicious baked, roasted, or steamed, as well). Grate them in a food processor or by hand (though be prepared for some interesting staining) and toss them with a couple ingredients you've likely already got on hand. 'Et voilà , delicious beet salad!

Grated Beet Salad

4-5 beets, peeled and grated in a food processor or by hand

2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or red wine vinegar, if that's what you have)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

pinch kosher salt

pinch sugar

Toss all ingredients together. Serve either chilled or at room temperature.  

Frozen Raspberry Yogurt Popsicles

When I was a little girl I remember going to U-Pick farms with my mother, grandmother and sister. We picked strawberries, tomatoes, and all sorts of other goodies.

Once we got them home we'd freeze, can, and dry everything at the peak of its freshness so we could enjoy it all year long. My grandmother's pantry in Eastern Washington was a veritable cornucopia of canned and preserved goods. She had everything one could pack in a jar – apricots, beets, onions, green beans, peaches, pears, cherries – even elk meat! The list seriously goes on for a while.

My mother took it one step further and dried foods in addition to canning some. She made the best fruit leather under the sun (Sun...get it?! Dried..sun...never mind.)

Now that I am (according to the government at least) an adult, I haven't been to a U-Pick farm in ages. So, when a friend invited me to tag along for the day I couldn't resist. We picked raspberries, black raspberries, and beets. Having spent the early portion of my life on a defunct raspberry farm, I was eager to gather a haul to bring home to preserve.

Sadly, I forgot just how unpleasant it can be picking fruit in a field all day and that I have very limited space for preserving anything for an extended period of time. So, I limited my picking to just what I could use in the next week or two. When I got home I flash froze half by washing them and laying them out in single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet and freezing them solid. Then I tossed them in a zip-top bag and they're perfect for last minute smoothie additions.

The other half I turned into frozen yogurt popsicles. Considering the ridiculous heat wave we've had in the DC area and the recent storm knocking out our electricity, I was thankful to have something cool and refreshing in my freezer with which to chill out.

Frozen Raspberry Yogurt Popsicles

32 oz nonfat plain Greek yogurt

8-12 oz fresh raspberries, rinsed

½ cup organic sugar

Mix all ingredients together. Freeze in popsicle molds. Dip the popsicle mold in warm water to loosen. Remove from popsicle mold. Enjoy.  

Braised Rabbit with Mushrooms over Smoked Pasta

Anyone who's spent time in the kitchen understands that one is prone to have hits and misses. One of my more notable misses was a curried butternut squash soup in which I managed to both accidentally oversalt and use spoiled chicken broth – let's just say we ordered pizza for dinner that night.

Shortly after moving to Maryland I tried a new curry recipe that utilized a variety of spices, baby corn, eggplant, and peanut butter. It was easily one of the most nausea-inducing things I have ever experienced. I think that night we ordered Thai food.

However, along with the extreme low-points one is also destined to have incredible highs. Those highs are even more satisfying when you're merely experimenting with new ingredients, not yet sure what will come.

As you're adding bits and bobs here and there there's little hints of potential greatness shining through; but it's when the final dish comes together and one is thrust into the involuntary eye-closing, throat-humming, throes of culinary satisfaction (think of those TV personalities who wax poetic about every single thing they throw in their mouths) that you realize you have indeed created something wonderful.

This, my friend, is one of those dishes.

I've eaten rabbit many times, but this is the first time I've attempted to cook it myself. A local farm was selling them at the farmers market last weekend and I couldn't resist trying my hand at something new. I knew I wanted to braise it, and I was hoping it would pair well with this delightful smoked pasta I brought back with me from Italy.

I didn't want to overpower the rather delicate flavor of the rabbit with something heavy like wine, so I used the last vestiges of a bottle of Hennessy in my cupboard to deglaze the pan. As I was about to prepare the sauce to go over the pasta I knew it was just missing...something. So I popped the cork on a beautiful bottle of Bordeaux vinegar I got as part of a birthday present from my aunt (presents you can ingest are always the best) and splashed in a tablespoon or two – and it punched up the flavor perfectly.

It's a rather decadent meal, what with all the butter, booze, and carbs – but it's certainly one of those meals perfect for impressing your friends with a minimal amount of effort. If you can't find smoked tagliatelle (try – it's totally worth it!), then substitute any other tagliatelle-style pasta.

Braised Rabbit with Mushrooms over Smoked Pasta

1 small rabbit (approx. 2 lbs)

4 oz bacon, diced

8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, minced

5 tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons cognac

2 cups vegetable/chicken stock

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ cup all-purpose flour, divided

chopped scallions, for garnish

kosher salt, to taste

smoked tagliatelle or other pasta, prepared and lightly tossed with extra virgin olive oil to prevent sticking

Preheat oven to 300 F

Cut the rabbit into 6 pieces (hind legs, forelegs, and split the back). Season well with kosher salt and sprinkle with ¼ cup all-purpose flour. Set aside.

In a heavy bottomed pan with lid (enameled cast iron works particularly well), cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy. Remove the crisped bacon with a slotted spoon. Set aside. Add the rabbit pieces (in batches, so as not to crowd the pan) and let brown on each side for 3-4 minutes. Remove the rabbit and set aside.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and season lightly with kosher salt. Cook until slightly browned and starting to soften. Add the onion and garlic, stirring well to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook over medium heat until the onion softens and begins to brown – about 4-5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the cognac, scraping any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Nestle the rabbit pieces in the onion and mushrooms. Pour in the stock to cover. Cover the pan with its lid and place in the preheated oven for 90 minutes or until fork tender.

When the rabbit is finished remove from the pan and set aside in a covered dish to keep warm. (Now is a good time to start the pasta boiling). Add the 2 tablespoons vinegar to the braising liquid. In a separate pan over medium heat melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the remaining ¼ cup of flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2-3 minutes or until the roux turns blonde. One ladle-full at a time add the braising liquid, stirring constantly, until all has been added and sauce is thickened.

Serve the rabbit pieces over the pasta, topped with the onion and mushroom sauce, and garnished with the crispy bacon and chopped scallion. 

Corn Pizza

Corn on pizza? Craziness, you say! Oh but how wrong you would be...

Before I went to Italy I assumed that the stereotypes of Italians eating tons of pizza was just that – a stereotype. After spending a few months there, however, I can tell you that they really do eat it as frequently as you would think.

In fact, nearly every single kid in all eight of my classes claimed pizza as their favorite food. Some of them ate it nearly every day of the week. Pizza is simply an integral part of Italian culture. And nearly everything is acceptable as a topping. French fries, hot dogs, pineapple, potatoes – you name it, they'll put it on a pizza.

My first night in Italy – when I was exhausted beyond all belief and completely culture-shocked – my host family served pizza as one course for dinner. Corn pizza. I was a little surprised what with all I'd heard in the US about how Italians only put “this” or “that” on a pizza and everything else is blasphemy.

Much to my surprise, it was delicious. So, when the husband and I were watching a program on television the other night before bed and he saw a “Mais Pizza” featured from a pizzeria out in California or somewhere, and he expressed interest, I decided to make him one to see how he liked it.

Unfortunately I didn't get my dough stretched out as thinly as we like so it was more of a flatbread, but it was still a thing of beauty. There's just something about the way the natural sweetness of the corn interacts with the salty umami of the pork and the yeastiness of the dough – it's lovely.

There's not really a great deal of complexity in creating said pizza. Use storebought pizza dough or make it yourself from scratch. (This recipe's a good one, you'll just have to excuse my crappy photography.) Slap some marinara on it (just enough to wet the dough, don't glop it on), add some nice whole milk mozzarella, sprinkle some fresh (or frozen, if you must) corn on it with a little bit of crispy bacon or prosciutto, throw it on your oven on the highest possible temperature for about 8-10 minutes and presto – corn pizza.

Feel free to thank me later.  

What's the best Vegan/Non-Dairy Cheese?

I am generally of the opinion that fake food should not be eaten. I used to dabble in the world of vegetarian meats, substitute dairy and eggs, and a myriad other lab- or otherwise-created “foods.” But you know what? They’re just not very good.

If you want a burger – eat a burger. If you’re concerned about things like environmental impact and animal welfare (and you damn well should be), then make sure you get your products from a responsible producer. But trying to substitute a Portobello mushroom cap or a Boca burger for a fresh ground beef patty fresh off the grill is never going to work, and you’re not going to be satisfied if what you really want is meaty goodness. Substitutes are nearly always full of artificial, chemical garbage that people have no business ingesting. And even when they’re all natural it’s just far too many strange ingredients that we really don’t need all put together. Eat the real thing or don’t eat it at all.

That being said, sometimes you don’t have that option. The innumerable dietary restrictions people possess have just as many causes – and not all of them are avoidable. Whenever human nature is faced with the forbidden, of course, we want to push our boundaries and obtain it all the more. Even if that boundary is something as seemingly benign as a piece of cheese.

A friend recently reached out to me and tasked me with the objective of finding the least offensive non-dairy cheese. Non-dairy cheese, you say? An abomination! But, my curious nature got the best of me and I agreed to begin the hunt. I always say I’ll try anything once, so I’d better put my money where my mouth is, so to speak.

I went to my local organic market and picked out a variety of cheese substitutes with which to experiment. I decided that the best way to truly test a non-dairy cheese was with the epitome of all that is cheesy holy goodness – a grilled cheese sandwich. What better way to enjoy a piece of cheese than slapped between two crisp, buttery slabs of bread and heated until it’s ooey-gooey goodness?

I wasn’t really sure what to expect out of my little experiment. I’ve been surprised by new foods more often than not (like Quorn is an amazing substitute for chicken and it’s not really a “substitute” in the sense that it’s packed with all sorts of artificial garbage). Read on for my notes and thoughts on all four types I tested:

Rice Vegan – Cheddar Flavor

Galaxy National Foods

Rice Vegan cheese slices are a rice-based non-dairy alternative that claims to be dairy, soy, cholesterol, and lactose free. What it isn’t missing, according to its producer, is “big cheese taste!” Sadly I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree…

Feel: Stiff little squares, not entirely dissimilar to thin pieces of cardboard.

Smell: Meh – a little cheesy, but pretty bland.

Color: Neon-organic – my term for an unnatural shade of orange with artful brown flecks.

Meltability: Nearly non-existent. It half melted, but I had to nearly burn the sandwich to get it there.

Taste: Downright awful – like grainy, orange library paste.

Verdict: If you can’t eat normal cheese and this is your only other option – just stop eating cheese. Please don’t put this in your mouth.

Veggy Slices – Cheddar Flavor

Galaxy National Foods

This soy-based cheese alternative was vastly different from its rice counterpart. These slices more closely resembled Kraft singles more than any of the other cheeses – which I think most people would be inclined to disagree is technically a “real” cheese, either, but hey – it makes an OK grilled cheese.

Feel: A little rubbery – like a Kraft single.

Smell: Moderately cheesy, with a little hint of grain.

Color:  Neon orange

Meltability: Good – melted within the time it took to perfectly brown the exterior of the sandwich

Taste: Surprisingly similar to a Kraft single. A little mellow, it could use some sharpness, but altogether not unappealing.

Verdict: If you’re jonesing hardcore for a grilled cheese Sammy and you don’t mind processed cheese in general, this is your go-to substitute. Dunk it in some tomato soup and you’d be hardpressed to tell the difference from a dairy-based processed cheese.

Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds

Daiya

Daiya is by far the most popular and well-known cheese alternative. I’ve seen it mentioned in numerous vegetarian magazines and many people praise it’s meltability and surprisingly similar taste and texture to regular cheese. I’m going to assume that anyone who has said those words hasn’t eaten real cheese in so long that they are no longer cognizant of what real cheese actually is.

Feel: Shredded cheese-like; a little crumbly.

Smell: Similar to sharp cheddar or goat cheese, but with this weird yeasty quality that wasn’t altogether pleasant.

Color: A kind of orangey-brown color

Meltability: Melty – unless it touches the pan and then it gets hard and brittle

Taste: In a word – weird. It’s kind of cheesy, but it has this weird yeasty aftertaste that is pretty hard to ignore. It’s obvious this isn’t cheese and I don’t think it could be covered up with tomato soup or other accoutrement.

Verdict: Pass – it’s just….weird.

Almond Cheddar Style Shred

Lisanatti Foods

I’d head of vegans turning cashews into great non-dairy alternatives, but this was my first experience with almond alternatives (except of course for almond milk, which is delicious). I’d have to say that my first concern arose with the claims of no gluten, GMO’s, lactose, sugars, cholesterol, saturated fats, or trans fats – what the heck is actually in this stuff then?

Feel:  Shredded cheese-like, but crumbly

Smell:  Strikingly similar to fake nacho cheese dip

Color: A truly frightening shade of radioactive orange

Meltability: Pretty lame – it takes some serious moist heat to get this stuff to melt.

Taste: It tastes like nothing – zero flavor. It’s not just that it doesn’t taste like cheese, it doesn’t taste like anything. Not really surprising considering the lack of all ingredients that actually provide flavor.

Verdict: Pass – not even remotely cheese-like.

And the winner is…. Veggy Soy Slices!

Are they perfect? No. Are they going to obliterate your craving for cheese? Probably not. Will they satisfy an undeniable need for a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup? Most likely.

This is actually the one that’s still in my refrigerator. After a single bite of the other ones they made a direct journey into my trash can – so that’s got to be in their favor.

Ultimately, cheese substitutes are just that – substitutes. There’s never going to be anything that will ever taste like cheese except cheese. But, when your body simply won’t cooperate and you’re at the point of either shanking a fool or risking serious gastrointestinal distress from eating real cheese – pick up a package of soy cheese and make yourself a sandwich. It’ll make your life marginally better.

Any other food testing requests? Leave them in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

Side note: To keep our grilled cheese truly dairy-free I used Earth Balance buttery spread. As far as margarines and butter substitutes go, it’s pretty good. A little salty, but browns nicely and is also good on slightly warmed seeded bran muffins.