The Smiling Onion

Vegetarian and Gluten-free Cooking

Subscribe

Superfood Bowl for the Super Bowl

By 1 Comment

Unbeknownst to me (until this morning), Super Bowl Sunday is in just two days. As a 100 percent non-sports person,  I always feel a tiny bit of dread when this particular event rolls around. Try as I might, I cannot get excited about football, even when the rules are explained to me for the 20th time. (I have severe short-term memory issues with regards to the rules of any sport.)  But, since I appreciate any and all holidays…er…excuses to eat and drink, I still like to acknowledge it in some way: usually a food-related one. (By the way, can you even call the Super Bowl a holiday?? This is how little I know about sports.)

Super Bowl recipes are all over social media right now, but pretzels and wings aren’t really my thing. Instead, I decided to create a Super Bowl of my own…or rather a Superfood Bowl, since it’s packed with delicious and nutritious ingredients like beets, millet, and garbanzo beans. It’s also topped with an amazing Creamy Basil-Hemp Sauce  that you can use on just about anything — including those more traditional Super Bowl standards like pretzels and potato chips.  (By the way, hemp seeds are utterly ridiculous — in a good way —when it comes to nutrient-packed foods. Can you say perfect balance of Omega 3s and 6s? 10 grams of protein in 3 tablespoons? I’m telling you…they are LOADED with good stuff!)

The bowl is super easy and can be customized to your liking: just choose the ingredients you feel like eating! Not a fan of millet? Use rice or quinoa. Beets aren’t your thing? Try purple cabbage. As long as you have a nice variety of colors and textures, your bowl is sure to be SUPER! (Provided you top it with my basil-hemp sauce, of course :p)

[Read more…]

Baked Tempeh Strips

By Leave a Comment

Let me start off by saying that I have never been a tempeh lover. In fact, I’ve pretty much always been a tempeh hater. Give me tofu any day, but tempeh…yuck! No matter how many different ways it was served to me, I  always found it to have a  very strong, pungent (and sometimes bitter) flavor which was offputting, to say the least.

That is, until I discovered the secret to great tempeh: cut it THINLY, cover it with a really flavorful marinade, and roast the hell out of it! It’s simple, easy, and very quick to prepare. You don’t need to let it sit in the marinade, because the flavor bakes into it during the roasting process. You don’t need to simmer it first (a technique we were taught in cooking school that was supposed to get rid of the bitterness – it didn’t). And you don’t need to bread it, or deep fry it, or sing to it, or curse it, or bless it – you just need to cut it thinly, people! There is nothing more revolting (in my humble opinion) than big, thick, scalloped chunks of tempeh. So why is it so often served that way?

I don’t know the answer to that question, but I do encourage any tempeh skeptics out there to try this method of preparation, if you haven’t yet. These strips are savory, salty, and satisfying. They are great on their own as a high-protein snack, or fantastic on a salad, sandwich, or lettuce wrap. I like to keep them in a ziplock bag in the fridge and munch on them whenever I feel the need for something protein-packed and delicious.

[Read more…]

Blueberry-Blue Corn Pancakes

By Leave a Comment

Waking up Saturday to the insane blizzard outside, I had one thing on my mind: pancakes. Snow days just scream for them! Unfortunately, my trusty cast iron pan (the absolute BEST type of pan to make pancakes in, IMO) had been out of commission for quite some time. It had started to flake, and was in desperate need of reseasoning, a task I of course put on the “To Do This Weekend” list almost every single weekend for a good year but never actually did.

The howling wind and relentless snow outside, however, gave me a new sense of purpose – THIS was the day. After all, pancakes awaited!  I am always a bit obsessive about any task I don’t yet have down to a science (reseasoning cast iron included) so after an hour of internet research that yielded a LOT of contradictory information about oven temp, oil type, face up or face down in the oven, time, etc., I finally just decided – for my own sanity – to follow The Kitchn’s instructions. Unfortunately, I ended up with a sticky cast iron pan – there were tar-like patches (probably from oil drippings) all over its surface! Luckily, after another 30 minutes of research, I found this extremely entertaining (and highly effective) Youtube video, which I more or less followed – minus the beer and cigarettes portion (you’ll understand if you ever happen to have a sticky cast iron issue and decide to watch the video).

Anyway, I hope that was helpful for anyone “in a similar situation,” as Arlo Guthrie would say. The long and short of it is … I finally ended up with a beautiful, non-flaky, non-sticky cast iron pan and a wonderful batch of blueberry-blue corn pancakes! They were perfect for a snowy morning (well…early afternoon at that point) and a lovely way to celebrate the resurgence of my cast iron pan.

[Read more…]

Spaetzle (With Caraway-Dill Cabbage and Onions!)

By Leave a Comment

Twelve long years ago, I met spaetzle for the first time. We were in the Czech Republic, and it was summer. I was 16 – spaetzle was….well…considerably older, but age didn’t matter to us. During our first encounter that summer in the Czech Republic, I fell madly in love.

I remember it like it was yesterday: I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt; spaetzle was cloaked in a sweet sauce of butter and poppy seeds. Neither of us heard the clink of fork on plate as we met for the first time. I remember the moment as tender, with a slight bite (just the right amount.) I remember the rush as my teeth sank into pillowy goodness. And I remember the butter.

That summer was amazing, and we both swore we would not be strangers to each other when it came to an end. But touching down on American soil once more, I was distracted. Years of pizza, tacos, and take-out Thai came and went, my beloved spaetzle momentarily forgotten. During one of those years, I swore off floury food all together: no gluten, no spaetzle! It looked like our love affair might be over for good.

But I’m happy to report that, twelve years after we first met, I’ve rekindled my relationship with spaetzle. Our first meeting on American soil was remarkably similar to our first meeting in the Czech Republic: my new spaetzle is just as tender, just as pillowy, and just as buttery as the one I remember from twelve years ago. But with one major difference: no gluten. Which made our encounter all the more exciting.

If you’ve never heard of spaetzle and just made it through that whole love story without googling it or giving up – you are super awesome!  In case that did happen, let me brief you: spaetzle is a traditional German dish that is somewhere between a dumpling and a noodle. It is normally oddly shaped and can be served in both sweet and savory preparations, with all manner of delicious things.

[Read more…]

Warming Spiced Lentil Soup

By 1 Comment

There is something so incredibly nourishing about a nice, warm, hearty bowl of soup. And the aroma that fills the kitchen while it’s gently simmering on the stove is second to none. In fact, this particular soup smelled so good that I was reminded of the children’s story The Tale of Despereaux, which is set in a kingdom that holds soup in such high esteem that they have a holiday devoted to it every year! (That is, until a visiting rat is so entranced by the aroma of the Queen’s soup that he accidentally falls into her bowl, causing her to die of shock, which in turn causes soup to be outlawed in the kingdom!) Horrible, right? And what’s with rats being foodies in children’s stories, btw? (I recently rewatched Ratatouille.)

Anyway, I’m not going to ruin the book for you, but suffice it to say that the kingdom had it right: soup is so good that we really should have a holiday devoted to it. And if it were ever outlawed, I would totally join in on the illegal soup making that happens in The Tale of Despereaux. (Yes, there is illegal soup making … because soup is just that good!)

[Read more…]

Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing (Soy-Free and Nut-Free!)

By Leave a Comment

I’ve always been a caesar salad coveter. At restaurants, potlucks, cafeterias … I’ve often caught myself ogling that pile of romaine with the luscious, creamy dressing and fantasizing about bite after bite of delicious, crispy, creamy, sinful goodness.  I was devastated the first time I learned that, while there was no visible meat to speak of, the dressing harbored what I considered to be a dark secret: anchovies.

Mind you, I was well aware of most foods that had hidden meat – beef stock in French onion soup, chicken stock in so many classic veggie soups, lard in Mexican beans – and I was never that enraged by any of it. The hidden meat was enough to keep me far away, but that was fine with me; there was no coveting – no looking longingly at a neighboring table’s order and imagining what it would be like to eat it.

With caesar salad, however, I’ve embarrassed myself more than once. There is something about it that is just so tantalizing. So when vegan caesar dressings started popping up in some vegetarian restaurants, I was super excited. Until I went rice-free, that is. Because guess what all vegan caesar salad dressings (that I’ve ever seen) have in common? Miso! And guess what miso is made from? Soy and rice.

So I decided to create a vegan caesar-style dressing that is soy-free, nut-free, and grain-free. It uses sunflower seeds as a base, and is caesared-up with roasted seaweed sheets (the ones that come in the little seaweed snack packages) and umeboshi vinegar. It is very easy to make, requires zero planning (you don’t have to soak the seeds or anything), and has a creamy, salty, savory, tangy flavor that should work for all your caesar salad needs. I’ve tried it massaged into kale, on romaine, and as a dip for carrot sticks. While you won’t taste anchovies, you will get that creamy texture and savory flavor that (in my opinion) is the defining feature of a caesar dressing.

[Read more…]

Savory Fall Smoothie

By Leave a Comment

If you live in the Northeast like I do, you are experiencing a very strange December. I mean, it’s been in the 60s this entire week! People seem to be handling the uncharacteristically warm weather in different ways: some are freaking out, some are ecstatic, and some are taking it as a sign that a delicious pumpkin-based smoothie recipe I had thought was doomed to sit around until next fall is actually still very much seasonally-appropriate. (Okay, maybe just me for that last one!) But yes, I have a wonderful smoothie for you to savor during these last few (days? weeks? who knows at this point?) of warm weather, and I highly recommend that you make it before the snow hits!

This smoothie has a savory quality that I really enjoy. The frozen banana definitely gives it some sweetness – but there is also a complexity of flavor that differentiates it from your everyday smoothie. Pungent turmeric and ginger combine with creamy pumpkin puree, coconut milk, and fall spices; I chose to highlight these notes with a bit of celtic sea salt  (more than you would typically put in a sweeter smoothie) and the result was delicious.

[Read more…]

Carrot Latkes with Green Apple Sour Cream

By 1 Comment

It’s latke time! Whether you’ve just lit candles for the second night of Chanukah, or all you know about Chanukah is the Adam Sandler song (one of my all-time LEAST favorite songs, by the way), you gotta make some latkes. Or at least, find somewhere to go eat them. Because Jewish or not, who doesn’t like crispy fried potatoes with sour cream and apple sauce?

That said, too much of a good thing definitely applies . And if you do happen to celebrate Chanukah, you know what I’m talking about. The first time you eat latkes on Chanukah, it’s totally awesome. But by the time the obligatory latkes hit your plate at the third Chanukah gathering you’ve been to, you may start to get a little…well…rebellious. My solution? Ditch the starchy, heavy potato and bust out your carrots! Need some more reasons to try carrot latkes? I’ve got ’em!

[Read more…]

Hot and Sour Noodle Soup

By Leave a Comment

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and with it, my capacity to eat heavily, heartily, and indulgently. Luckily, that ability lasted just long enough to use up all the delicious Thanksgiving leftovers. But Friday’s pie for breakfast and let’s-eat-every-hour-because-we-can mentality has left me craving something nourishing, cleansing, and light. Something to banish the sluggishness that comes from two straight days of overindulgence.

This hot and sour noodle soup is the perfect antidote to the Thanksgiving hangover. I’ve never been one for wavering between indulgence and deprivation (I think that’s pretty silly) so this soup is in no way deprivation food. It’s deeply flavorful, and provides everything your palate could want – saltiness, sourness, sweetness, crunch – it’s all there.

And it’s there with a nourishing quality that is most welcome right now.

[Read more…]

Buttery Brussels (Vegan)

By Leave a Comment

I’m not sure what it is about Thanksgiving season that has me creating vegan twists on the classics left and right – but here’s another vegan recipe for your Thanksgiving table. Or any table, for that matter. I don’t know about you, but brussels are one of my all-time favorite vegetables year-round and this is one of my favorite ways to prepare them!

Before I describe this recipe, let me just rant about brussels for a second. Has anyone noticed that they’ve gone from being everyone’s least favorite vegetable to something frequently found (and ordered) at chic bars and small-plates places? What happened? I think the answer has to do with the fact that brussels can be just about the absolute worst tasting thing in the world or they can be the best bite you’ve ever had, depending on how they’re prepared. And they are finally being prepared properly more often than improperly! Sure, you still get your occasional mushy, sulphuric, boiled-to-death old-school brussels, and sometimes you’ll get the super undercooked and tummy-ache fueling version, but more often than not, you get something much more akin to truffle fries, if truffle fries were made out of cabbage.

I have a bunch of favorite ways to prepare brussels – from boiling them until tender and then adding copious amounts of olive oil and parmesan, to roasting them in chili glazes. But my absolute favorite is the boil and sauté method. The brussels get nice and tender (which makes them easier to digest and brings out the sweeter side of their flavor profile), and then they are quickly pan-fried/sautéed in oil or butter and delicious spices for a fabulous crispy exterior and a supremely addictive flavor.

[Read more…]