I’m not sure what all the hatred about Earth Day is all about. I feel like all I read about today was people joking that they would engage in earth-unfriendly activities out of spite that Earth Day is not a “real holiday.” I’m not sure why that’s necessary. What did the earth ever do to you? If you don’t think it’s a real holiday, then don’t celebrate it. That’s just my opinion.
I decided to “celebrate” Earth Day by vegging out. No, not veg out as in sitting around (I actually did a lot today), but by being a temporary vegetarian today. Not that I’m a big meat-eater by any means, but I’ve lately been thinking more about the meat I eat. I’ve read a lot about the benefits (both for you and the environment) of vegetarianism, grass-fed beef, and other organic and free range meats. I’m just finishing up Michael Pollan’s book The Omnivore’s Dilemma which is a great narrative of where our food comes from. It’s a great read and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about food and where it comes from. I don’t desire to become a total vegetarian but I am trying to cut out some meat from my diet, and reserving meat consumption for when I actually will enjoy it (like cooking it myself for my husband and me).
Since I don’t work Wednesdays, I had lots of free time to cook since grad school is slowing down a little bit (less than a month until graduation). For brunch I made lemon-blueberry pancakes, and for dinner, quinoa-stuffed peppers. Quinoa is a grain that is gluten-free and high in protein and other nutrients, which makes it a great substitute for meat. (Note: I had trouble finding quinoa – turns out, it’s next to the couscous at my grocery store).
I really enjoyed the pancakes – the lemon zest added an fresh flavor and they were so light and fluffy, due to the beaten egg whites. The warm blueberries exploded in your mouth – they were like nature’s syrup! The stuffed peppers were pretty good, although slightly disappointing because they weren’t as good as the first time I had them prepared by my good friend Sara Beth. See below for the recipes.
Lemon-Blueberry Pancakes Adapted from Bobby Flay, but I was too lazy to do the blueberry syrup and compote. Click here for original recipe. Serves 4.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, separated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch cream of tartar
2 cups fresh blueberries
Butter
Maple syrup
Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, oil, buttermilk, lemon zest and vanilla extract.
Fold the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix together until flour is just incorporated.
In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the batter just until incorporated. Let set for 15 minutes and gently fold in the blueberries.
Heat a nonstick pan or cast iron griddle over medium heat. Brush with the butter and heat until the butter just begins to sizzle. Scoop scant 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan or onto the griddle and cook until bubbles appear on the top surface and the bottom is golden brown, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Flip over and cook until the bottom is lightly golden brown, about 45 seconds. Remove to a baking sheet and keep warm in a low oven. Serve with maple syrup.
Sorry for the poor quality - this was taken with the iPhone.
Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1/2 tablespoon olive oil, plus a few drops for baking pan
1/2 shallot, diced
1/4 pound small mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1/4 pound baby spinach
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
4 bell peppers (any color), tops removed and reserved, seeds and cores discarded
Cook the quinoa according to package directions. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in large skillet over medium heat. Cook the shallot, mushrooms, carrots, and chopped red pepper until softened. Add the spinach and garlic and cook until spinach is wilted. Add cooked quinoa and toss gently to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Divide quinoa mixture evenly between bell peppers, gently packing it down and making sure to fully fill each pepper. Top each with its reserved top and arrange peppers, so that they’re sitting upright, in a greased deep baking pan. Cover the pan, bake for 45 to 50 minutes, then check for tenderness. Peppers are done when there is just a slight give to the flesh. Transfer to plates and serve. Serves 4.
I found this recipe on the Smitten Kitchen and just had to try it. Chocolate and caramel: what’s not to love? I have made a recipe similar to this in the past (with a cookie crust), which I will have to write about some other time. I omitted the optional nut topping from the original recipe; I thought that it might be good topped with toasted coconut (think: Girl Scout Samoa cookies).
The original recipe calls for saltine or matzo crackers, but while standing in line at the deli at Kowalski’s, I found some water crackers (Minnesota Flats brand) that looked like they’d be perfect.
About 40 saltine crackers or one package of water crackers
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into a few large pieces
1 cup packed light brown sugar
A big pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup toasted coconut (optional – see below)
1 cup toasted chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts or a nut of your choice (optional)
Extra sea salt for sprinkling (optional)
Line a 11×17 rimmed baking sheet with foil, then top with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread out the crackers into a single layer onto the prepared pan. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar. When the mixture comes to a boil, stir and cook for 3 minutes. Take the mixture off the heat, then add a pinch of sea salt and the vanilla (I used the vanilla my grandma brought me back from Mexico – thanks, Grandma!). Pour the caramel quickly onto the crackers, then spread evenly onto crackers with a spatula. Bake the crackers for 15 minutes (caramel will bubble) and make sure to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. If it starts to brown too quickly, turn the heat down. Once you remove the crackers from the oven, immediately cover with chocolate chips. Let sit for 5 minutes so the chocolate can melt, then spread the chocolate evenly over the caramel. Top with nuts or toasted coconut. Let sit until hardened (or put in refrigerator to speed up the process). Once hardened, break into pieces and enjoy! The crack will keep for a few days.
Toasted Coconut
Spread coconut onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, toss, then bake 5 more minutes, until golden brown and toasty.
Everyone likes pizza, right? My favorite thing about pizza is that there are so many options! I decided to mix things up this time and make the pizza sauce from scratch. For the crust, I used Rhodes frozen pizza dough and once thawed, cut in half to make two individual-sized pizzas.
Pizza Sauce (adapted from the Martha Stewart Cookbook: The Original Classics)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 14oz can plum tomatoes
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Crush the tomatoes (I used my clean hands) and add to the olive oil. Add the oregano and salt. Cook at medium-low heat for 40-50 minutes until thick, stirring occasionally. Break up any tomato chunks if necessary.
Topping the pizza
Margherita Pizza (for me)
Roll out the dough (pierce with fork several times – I learned this today from my pizza connoisseur husband. It prevents the dough from rising too much during baking). Spread 1/4 cup of sauce on the dough, then top with thinly-sliced fresh mozzarella, basil, and minced garlic. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown (about 15 minutes). Drizzle olive oil on pizza
Supreme Pizza (for John)
Spread 1/4 cup of sauce on the dough, then top with chopped green pepper and onion. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese, then with pepperoni. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown (about 15 minutes).
