Thursday, October 22, 2009

baked cheese grits

part 2 of the fab southern meal i made the other night and didn't take pictures of :(
we had this with crab cakes, but eric made those at work so i don't have the recipe.

baked cheese grits

The grits mixture will almost fill the entire baking dish and will puff up when baking, but don't worry — it won't overflow. Also, switching sides, these grits can take the place of mashed potatoes anytime.
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Active Time: 15 min
Total Time: 1 3/4 hr
ingredients
1/2 onion chopped
6 cups water
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 cups yellow grits* (not quick or instant; 12 oz)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3/4 lb Cheddar, coarsely grated (2 cups)
3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1.5 cups corn
preparation

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

saute onion in some butter in saute pan until tender and golden.

Bring water and 3/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a 4-quart heavy pot.

Add grits in a slow stream, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring frequently to avoid sticking, until very thick, about 30 minutes. (Use a long-handled spoon to avoid bubbling and popping hot grits.)

Add butter, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, pepper, garlic, sauteed onion, corn and cheese, stirring until butter and cheese are melted. Lightly beat eggs and milk in a small bowl, then stir into grits until combined.

Pour into an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish (2 inches deep) and bake until set and lightly browned, about 1 hour. Serve immediately.

chess pie

if you haven't had this you must try! its not for the faint of heart. its very sweet and rich but oh so delicious, way way better than its ingredients and unlike anything else. this is my great aunt mae's recipe. i've seen a ton online but they all have very different proportions of these ingredients. this is in my opinion, the very very best.

aunt mae’s chess pie

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 stick melted butter
2 tbsp cornmeal
5 tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
salt
9 inch unbaked pie shell (homemade or store bought)

mix together eggs, sugar, vanilla and melted butter. In a separate bowl whisk together cornmeal, buttermilk, and salt. Mix wet ingredients into dry until well combined.
Pour mixture into unbaked shell.
bake at 450 for 10 minutes then 350 for one more hour. Watch center, it should be barely jiggly when you take it out and top should be very brown.

Monday, October 12, 2009

vegan super meal

my good friend leah and her husband tim ran a marathon this weekend! 26 miles deserved a super special vegan surprise meal delivered right to their fridge. i didn't take any pictures but here are the recipes.

Lentil Loaf:

  • 3/4 cup lentils (about 5 ounces)
  • 3 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth (I use veggie demi glace from whole foods)
  • 1 cup uncooked short-grain brown rice, rinsed well
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
  • 3 cloves chopped garlic
  • 1/2 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 celery rib, sliced
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh oregeno
  • 2 tablespoons vegan earth balance butter, divided
  • 10 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves (about 4 cups)
  • 2 cups cubed vegan mozarella, divided (about 8 ounces total)
  • ½ cup crushed roasted cashews
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tomato, sliced
  • 2 cups Vegan tomato sauce

Directions

Place the lentils in a large saucepan of cold water. Bring the water just to a boil over high heat. Carefully drain the boiling water and rinse the lentils. Meanwhile, in a heavy large saucepan over medium heat, bring the broth to a boil. Add the rice and return the liquid to a boil. Decrease the heat to low, cover the rice, and gently simmer without stirring for 10 minutes. Stir in the lentils, onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Cover and continue cooking without stirring until the rice and lentils are tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes longer. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the corn, oregano and thyme over the rice and lentils and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Cover and let stand for 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread 1 tablespoon of the vegan over a 10 by 4 1/2 by 3-inch loaf pan. In a heavy, large skillet, cook the spinach over medium heat until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Drain and squeeze the excess liquid from the spinach. Transfer the spinach to a work surface and coarsely chop.

In a large bowl, gently mix the lentil mixture, spinach, 11/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese, cashews, basil, salt, pepper, 1 cup of the tomato sauce. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in a row over the lentil mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Dot the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegan butter.

Bake uncovered until the loaf is heated through and the topping is melted and starting to brown, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Slice the loaf into 2-inch slices, arrange on plates, and serve with the remaining tomato sauce.

Best vegan brownies

so good i know they are not going to believe me they are vegan!

Preheat oven to 350

¾ cup vegan butter

12 ounces bag dark chocolate vegan chips

2 cups turbinado sugar

1 cup coconut milk (use the thick cream off the top off two cans, disgard the watery stuff)

2 tsp vanilla

1 ½ cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ tsp salt

Topping

3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

3/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped

1/4 cup turbinado sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup vegan chocolate chips

2 tablespoons vegan butter

For topping

Mix all ingredients together well and set aside.

For brownies

Melt butter and chocolate chips together at 50% power in microwave until smooth. Set aside to cool. Mix sugar and coconut milk together in a separate bowl. Then in a third bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.

Mix together chocolate butter mixture and sugar mixture until smooth. Then fold in flour mixture. Add batter to greased 8x8 pan. Then cover with topping and bake until topping is golden about 30-35 minutes.



Vegan coconut milk ice cream

1/2 cup sugar
1 (13.5- ounce) can cream of coconut (i usually find it at mexican markets)
1 (13.5- ounce) can regular coconut milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

heat all ingredients in a pot until sugar is dissolved and mixture is smooth. (cream of coconut is usually separated in the can so you just want it all fully incorporated.)
then immediately chill in an ice bath until room temp whisking every few minutes. eventually chill in fridge until cold or overnight.

then mix in ice cream maker following manufacturers directions.