The Kitchen Witch

Some time ago, I read Chris Stewart’s Driving Over Lemons: An Optimist in Spain. Now, while I loved the whole book – not least of all the wonderfully evocative title (can’t you just smell it?) – it’s Stewart’s descriptions of food that have really stuck with me. So, from time to time, I pull down the book (kept above the stove with my cookbooks) and dive into preparing a pan of these peasant potatoes.

Note that Stewart does not use exact amounts – neither do I, and neither should you. Instead, take what follows as a summarised version of Stewart’s recipe (and hop on over here to see the original). Works as a side dish, a meal, or a hangover cure…

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 2-3 onions, roughly peeled and chopped
• 1 head of garlic broken into cloves, unpeeled
• Potatoes (for 2 people, I usually use 3-4), peeled, soaked (to remove excess starch), and roughly chopped into thick chips
• Handful of medium chillies, whole, or a couple of capsicum or large cuban peppers sliced into thick strips
• salt and pepper

Method

1. Fill the pan – cast iron is excellent for this – with enough olive oil to come to about an inch, and heat.
2. When oil is hot, throw in onions and let sizzle for a couple of minutes, then add potatoes and garlic. If using whole chillies, add them now.
3. If using capsicum/Cuban peppers, add when potatoes are about 3/4 done.
4. If desired, drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
5. Serve with fresh crusty bread and olives.

Variations

• Try adding a little flat leaf parsley or coriander at the end, and serving with feta.
• Like a milder onion flavour? Try adding red onions instead.
• Want a bit more garlic? Look for ramps at the farmer’s market and add toward the end, with the pepper/capsicum.

Related articles

• Smart Fuel: Olives (marksdailyapple.com)

Tags: capsicum, Chili pepper, cuban pepper, garlic, Olive oil, onion, parsley, pepper, Potato, Potatoes, ramps

Image by u m a m i via Flickr

I <3 potato salad, especially for lunch. It’s one of my favourite things. But it can be a pain to make for just one person – peeling the potatoes, cutting, boiling, waiting for them to cool…

Then, earlier this week, I found a lone tin of potatoes lurking in the back of the pantry. Just one tin, crying out to be used. Now, I’m not much of a food snob, though I don’t buy many canned goods as a rule: the witch pantry, at present, has one tin of soup and two tins of pumpkin bought in Thanksgiving solidarity last year. (But I am a staid supporter of frozen vegetables &c.). But then I said to myself, “Kitchen Witch, potatoes are potatoes. And these are ready-made potatoes, desperate to be tossed into a gooey mess of mayonnaise.”

And thus “Quick Vegan Potato Salad” was born.

Ingredients

• 1 tin of potatoes
• 2-3 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
• juice of 1 lemon
• mint, to taste
• red onion, diced, to taste
• salt
• pepper

Method

1. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks and pop them into your serving bowl.
2. Shred the mint, add to bowl, then add the onion.
3. Add the lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then toss to combine.
4. Add the vegan mayonnaise, stir through, and you’re done!

Variations

• Add a spoonful of capers – though if you do, reduce the added salt.
• Instead of onion and mint, try using diced capsicum and grated carrot.
• Add a teaspoon of curry powder, or a little mustard for extra flavour.

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• Spinach and Pecan Salad recipe – 159 calories (dietrecipesblog.com)
• Potato Salad with Curried Mayo recipe – 194 calories (dietrecipesblog.com)
• Potato Salad (voodoomedicineman.blogspot.com)

Tags: lemon, mint, onion, pepper, Potatoes, Red onion, salt, vegan mayonnaise

I recently stumbled on the website 101 cookbooks, a cooking blog about, well, Heidi’s adventures cooking through her 101 cookbooks. While browsing around, I found this marvellous recipe for Unfussy Apple Cake, a “relatively healthy apple cake recipe”.

After giving it the once over – and considering what I had in the kitchen – I realised that, with a few adaptations, Heidi’s recipe might make the best vegan apple cake ever. Note that most of the sweetness comes from the apples, i.e. if you prefer a sweeter taste, you may have to up the sugar content.

And so, without further ado, I give you Vegan Unfussy Apple Cake.

Ingredients

• 2 cups apples, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (although the original uses crisp apples, I used some nearing the end of their life macintoshes, giving the cake an extra kick of sweetness)
• 2 apples sliced into fine rings (for the topping, optional – if using, slice apples right before baking)
• 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tbsp aluminium-free baking powder (as Heidi points out in the comments to her post, this is very important!)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (it doesn’t really matter what kind, as long as it’s fine-grained)
• 1 whole banana, mashed
• 1 cup soy milk (I used Silk plain)
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup vegan spread (I’m a huge fan of Earth Balance Buttery Spread in any incarnation)
• 3 tbsp sugar (for the topping, optional)
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup (for the topping, optional)
• cinnamon, to taste (for the topping, optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400F, setting a baking rack in the middle, then grease a large baking dish. I’m not going to specify sizes as I don’t think it matters too much as long as you pay attention the cake while cooking (timing notes below).

2. Put the chopped apples in a bowl, cover with water, and add the juice of the lemon.

3. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Melt the vegan spread – 30 seconds in the microwave should do the trick. Whisk together with the soy milk and tbsp of lemon juice (this makes up for the buttermilk used in the original recipe). Add the mashed banana and stir through. I don’t mind the banana being a bit lumpy but, if it bothers you, feel free to give the mixture a bit of a whirl in the blender.

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir ’til just combined. Drain the apples and fold in.

5. If you haven’t already done so, slice the remaining two apples into thin rings.

6. Spoon the batter into the waiting pan, making sure to fill the nooks and crannies. Arrange the apple rings on top; swirl over a little honey or maple syrup, sprinkle over the cinnamon and sugar, and pop in the oven.

7. Baking – if you’re using a very deep dish, bake for between 45 and 60 minutes, though start checking around the 40 minute mark. If you’re using a more shallow pan, or making muffins, bake for 20-25 minutes, and start checking around 18. Heidi says she likes her version a little underbaked – that works well with the vegan cake too, so I consider it done when the visible bits of cake are golden, and a knife comes out only very slightly wet with crumbs.

Notes

• White sugar can be used instead of brown – just add a little maple syrup or honey to the liquid stage to give the cake a little more depth. Just remember, if making this for vegan friends, that strict vegans consider white sugar (and some commerical brown sugars) acceptable due to the bleaching process.
• If you want to make this cake a little lighter, trying using vegan egg replacer instead of the banana.

Variations

• add a few walnuts or pecans to the topping or the batter (or both!)
• stir in a handful of dried cranberries to offset the sweetness of the apples, then serve toasted with a little earth balance for a breakfast treat

Related

• Recipe: Vegan Chocolate Cherry Coconut Cookies (chicagoist.com)
• Carrot Bran Muffins recipe – 161 calories (dietrecipesblog.com)
• Healthy Recipe: Whole Wheat-Cinnamon Pancakes (fitsugar.com)

Tags: apples, baking, Baking powder, brown sugar, butter substitute, cinnamon, earth balance, Flour, honey, lemon, lemon juice, maple syrup, soy milk, Sugar, vegan spread, whole wheat flour

It’s cold in Cambridge at the moment (though it is above zero Celsius this week, so I can’t complain too

Asparagus, by Esteban Cavrico

much) – which means it’s perfect risotto weather. Sure, you can make risotto in the summer but really, who wants to stand over the stove stirring for half an hour when it’s hot enough to melt butter without the gas?

Since asparagus can be hard to get in winter (or just prohibitively expensive), it’s okay to use frozen. If you do go the frozen route, don’t prep the greenery by the package instructions (you’ll boil it to death). Instead, just tip the aspargus into a bowl and blanch it like you would fresh – i.e. give it a quick hot water bath, then a cold shower, and set aside.

It’s okay to use cream in this recipe, but I’ve opted for milk to give a lighter creamy flavour; this also makes the dish a lighter appetizer.

Ingredients

• 1 onion (yellow or red – red is more mellow, and gives a lovely colour)
• 1 fat clove of garlic
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1 tbsp butter (this can be left out)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup of vodka
• 3-4 cups of stock (we used Imagine no-chicken broth, but any stock works)
• 1/2 cup of milk, warmed (soy milk also works)
• 1 cup asparagus, cut into 2-3 inch pieces (or more, to taste)
• shaved parmesan, to taste
• salt, to taste (stock often has a lot of sodium, so bear that in mind when salting the risotto)
• cracked pepper, to taste

Method

1. Heat the olive oil and butter over a low flame.
2. In a separate pot, set the stock over a low heat – it’s important to keep it warm.
3. Dice the onion and garlic.
4. Add a small piece of onion to the oil; when it starts to sizzle, add the onion and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until translucent. Stir occasionally – don’t let the garlic turn brown.
5. Add the rice, and cook for a further 2 or so minutes. Stir about, and make sure the rice is well coated.
6. Slowly, add the half cup of vodka, stirring to help the rice absorb it. Cook until the vodka is mostly absorbed, about a minute.
7. Add stock until the rice is just covered. Stir.
8. Now the waiting begins – at this point, a risotto becomes mostly about watching, stirring, and adding stock. So, let the risotto simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the stock is absorbed. Then add more, and repeat the process ’til the rice is cooked.
9. Add the asparagus, milk, salt, and pepper and stir through.
10. Serve immediately, with shaved parmesan on the side.

Notes

• The parmesan can overwhelm the freshness of the risotto – if you’re worried about this (or you just don’t like parmesan), add a small pat of butter instead.

Variations

• Skip the milk, and try adding fresh lemon juice and a little extra pepper for a more spring-like feel.

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• Seaweed Risotto (101cookbooks.com)
• Asparagus Garlic Mashed Potatoes (aldenteblog.com)

Tags: arborio, arborio rice, asparagus, butter, cracked pepper, garlic, lemon juice, milk, oilve oil, onion, parmesan, pepper, rice, salt, soy milk, stock, vodka

There’s a new, lovely little cafe here in Cambridge, Crema Cafe. Located in Harvard Square, iIt’s the sort of place I looked for when we first moved here—warm and inviting, freshly ground, freshly made coffee, wide selection of teas and real food. But kitchen witch, isn’t there food in a cafe?
Yes, Virginia, there is. But until recent years, most sit-down-and-chat-for a while-cafe food in Cambridge (and Massachusetts in general) has been a mixture of pastries and sweets, with the occasional bag of potato chips thrown in.
But this is where Crema shines – a large deal of the food, unlike that at a Starbucks or a Peets or an *insert coffee chain here*, is made to order, on the spot.
This is a recreation of the first (of many) sandwiches the warlock and I shared at Crema.

A little note on the bread -  plain sandwich bread will do, though something a little crusty ‘round the edges and soft in the middle, like a baguette or ciabatta – definitely takes the sandwich up a notch.

Ingredients

• Roasted sweet potato, sliced
• Goat cheese or goat cheese spread (use a small amount of vegan mayonnaise if you prefer to be dairy-free)
• Half a green apple, sliced
• Bread
• Pepper, to taste (optional)

Method
1. Spread both pieces of the bread with just enough goat cheese to make them adherent.
2. Layer the sweet potato on one piece of bread, then top with the remaining cheese, then top with the apple. Sprinkle over pepper, if using.
3. Close sandwich and eat with both hands, enjoying the crunch of apple against the yielding softness of sweet potato and creamy cheese.

Variations:

Looking for something unusual for your next party? Consider making smaller versions of these sandwiches. Using a cookie cutter, cut bread, sweet potato, and apple into desired shapes, then pile sandwich together as usual.

Links:

• Crema Cafe (coming soon)
• Sweet Potato and Avocado Sandwich at Veg Cooking
• Sweet Potato Sandwich and Poppy Seed Spread from Self.com

Tags: bread, cheese spread, feta, goat cheese, green apple, Harvard Square, pepper, Potato chip, Sandwiches, Sweet potato, vegan mayonnaise

Photo by Bethany L King

I like to call this a “confusion” because forgetfulness, confusion, and fear of a barista is how I came by the recipe.

I first read about a mixture of warmed olives in the food section of The Boston Globe. The recipe sounded lovely but, as the paper was at a Starbucks and I was seated near a watchful barista, I didn’t get to keep the recipe. But curiosity on a hungry stomach is a powerful thing; a little confused experimenting led me to this recipe. The measurements aren’t really measurements so much as proportions, so don’t worry if you have a few too many black olives, or, in fact, no black ones at all. The only necessity – olives with pits. They’re fresher, tastier, and who doesn’t enjoy sucking the fruit away from the stone?

Ingredients

• Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Rosemary, torn into small sprigs
• Rosemary needles
• Green olives, with pits
• Kalamata olives, with pits
• Lemon, cut into quarters, optional.

Method

1. Heat a little olive oil over a low flame.
2. Add the olives, turning to coat
3. Add the rosemary, and a little honey. Turn to coat.
4. When the olives are warmed through, about five minutes, they’re done.
5. Drizzle with a little lemon juice (if using), then serve with fresh bread and lemon wedges alongside.

Variations
This recipe is more about the sensation of warm, lightly oil-coated olives on the tongue than it is about exact ingredients. I’ve made it with chilli  instead of the pepper, and without the rosemary at all. I’ve made it with no pepper, but sprigs of thyme and rosemary. I’ve made it with lightly fried, thinly sliced garlic and a squeeze of lemon. They all work, and I recommend you experiment – confusedly so, of course – as often as time allows.

Links:

• Mulfetta Olive Salad at New Orleans Cuisine
• Black Olive Dip at CD Kitchen
• Olive Salad at Muffoletta.com

Tags: chilli, cracked pepper, garlic, green olives, kalamata olives, lemon, olives, pepper, rosemary, thyme

Photo by ndrwfgg

Last Halloween, the warlock and I carved our first pumpkin (a spooky cat, of course). When I mentioned that we were carving our pumpkin, a friend of mine told me to wash the seeds, soak them in salt water, then roast them in the oven…well, let’s just say we ate everything in a day and an half.

Seriously, though, pumpkin seeds should be eaten in moderation. They’re full of fiber and protein, but also full of fat – I.e. Some are good, but probably not a whole pumpkin’s worth.

If you’re desperate for pumpkiny goodness, the soaking step can be skipped (though I think it makes them a little crunchier). I use only a couple of teaspoons of salt, but some people prefer to saturate the water with salt. I leave the final amounts up to you.

And finally: cleaning the seeds. Once you’ve scooped them out of the pumpkin and used a fine-meshed colander to wash off most of the pulp, it can be a pain to pick out the seeds. Easy fix: tip them into a bowl, fill the bowl with water, then skim them off the top with a slotted spoon.

Ingredients

• Pumpkin seeds
• Salted water (2 or so tbsp to a large bowl)
• Store bought curry powder or paprika or chilli powder

Method
1. After cleaning (see above), soak seeds overnight, up to 48 hours.
2. Preheat overn to 400 F/200 C
3. Line a pan with alfoil, then spread seeds in a single layer and sprinkle over spice of you choice.
4. Bake for about 30 minutes, checking (and turning, if necessary) at ten minute intervals. Seeds are done when slightly browned (they really don’t brown very much) and dry to the touch.

Variations
No curry powder? Not a big fan of chilli? No big deal. These can really be done with any spice, though I think savoury works better than sweet.

Out in the tubes:

• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds at Pumpkin Patches and More
• Toasted Pumpkin Seeds from Simply Recipes
• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds at Vegetarian Foodie

Tags: chilli powder, curry powder, Halloween, paprika, Pepita, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, Roasting, salt, Seed, spice, Water

Photo by Octopus Hat

Sometimes, you need a little comfort. Sometimes, you just want to shuck your coat, flip on the oven, and curl up in front of the tv, or climb into bed early and read. And these “Home Made” – the special kind of home made that’s really just dressing up ready made with a little kitchen witchery – Nachos are the perfect accompaniment.

Kitchen witchery, you say? Cauldrons and bubbling? No, not really. The hardest – and most time consuming-thing is really making the chips, i.e. tearing up a few tortillas and popping them in the oven.

Ingredients

• 1 tin of pinto beans, washed and drained
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• Garlic oil
• 1 package of soft tortillas
• 1 package of fresh store-bought salsa
• 1 package of cheese (this works with soy or rice cheese for vegans, too, though be sure to check the packet – some alternative source cheeses contain milk-derived casein)
• Green onions, diced, optional

Method
Line a tray with alfoil, then preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C. A grill will also work.
1. Heat the oil over a low flame, then add the cumin seeds.
2. When the cumin gets a little fragrant, add the beans and a teaspoon of warm water. Let sit for a minute or two, then mash gently with a spoon. As the beans heat, they’ll become more tender, and the mashing will get easier.
3. While the beans warm up, tear the tortillas into strips or wedges, then scatter over the tray. Top with a third of the cheese. When the tortillas are lightly browned – about 5 minutes – remove.
4. Mash the beans some more, then remove from the stove.
5. Layer the chips, beans, and salsa in a pan, then bake ‘til the cheese is hot and bubbly, about ten minutes.
6. Sprinkle the green onions on top, and serve.

On the interwebs:

• Vegetarian Nachos at Dug Vegetarian
• Vegetarian Nachos at Taste.com.au
• Vegan Nacho Cheese (salsa con queso) at Veg Family

Tags: beans, cheese, cumin, garlic, garlic oil, green onions, pinto beans, salsa, soft tortillas

Photo by Sweet Mustache

Another family recipe, green beans (the long, thin haricot vert type) with cumin is the kitchen warlock’s favourite meal. He likes it so much, in fact, that he’s had me teach him a number of times, and even deigns to cook it unasked (the kitchen warlock’s repertoire, though expansive, is rarely used past “bake pizza for 20-25 minutes”).

Ingredients

• 1 package green beans, fresh or frozen
• 1 small onion, thickly diced
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Coriander (cilantro) leaves, to taste
• Lemon juice, to taste

Method
1. Tip and tail the beans, then slice into thirds. Although it’s not actually necessary to slice them up, it’s a lot easier to eat the beans in smaller pieces.
2. Heat the oil over high heat, adding the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, turn the heat down to medium, and add the cumin, then stir for a moment.
3. Add the beans; cook ‘til they’re as soft or as crunchy you like (the kitchen warlock is all about the crunchy). Soft beans usually take between ten and fifteen minutes while crunchier beans take between five and ten.
4. Remove pan from heat, add lemon juice and coriander leaves if using, then serve.

Links:

• Green Beans ‘n’ More
• Green Bean Vegan Casserole at FatFreeVegan.com

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• Vibrant Tasty Green Beans

Tags: cilantro, coriander, cumin seeds, Green Bean, green beans, lemon juice, Mustard seed, mustard seeds, Olive oil, onion, Salad

White Beans, by Moria

I’ve talked about my missing tuna before. Before I turned vegetarian, I ate it a lot, in a million different ways. This classic Tuscan dish, to be had after a long day (or even a short one) was always something to be savoured.

Unlike the “tuna” salad, the substitute used here has to be the firm tofu, as we’re already using beans. Of course, if you really like beans, you could add the chickpeas anyway, though I think the cannellinis stand up very well on their own.

Ingredients

• 1 tin cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• Half a red onion, sliced into half moons
• Half a package firm tofu
• Olive oil, to taste
• Lemon juice, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste

Method

1. Spread cannellini beans out in a large casserole dish or flat-bottomed bowl.
2. Using a sharp knife or cheese slicer (you know the kind, big and silver with a flat head and a thin blade in the centre for slicing parmesan and the like), flake the tofu into thinnish pieces. Nothing has to be exact and, if you don’t get flakes, don’t panic – this is more about creating the look of the thing. Crumbled or sliced the tofu will, of course, taste just as well as flaked tofu.
3. Scatter the tofu and red onions over the beans.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, then add in the salt and pepper. Toss lightly to coat, then serve.

Links

Tuscan Tuna and Cannellini Bean salad at Coffee & Queso
Tuna Fish and Cannellini Beans Salad, by The Pool! at Under the Tuscan Gun

Tags: cannellini beans, Cooking, fake tuna, Home, lemon, lemon juice, Moria, Olive oil, onion, pepper, Red onion, Salad, salt, tofu