So what's all the fuss about umami flavor and what is it? Well, if you want to cook vegetarian (or vegan) dishes, you need to know. Umami flavor Umami is a Japanese word translated as "a pleasant savory taste". Simply put, umami is the meaty savory flavor a lot of vegetarians miss as times. Think of it as a flavor bomb. Technically, umami flavor is the glutamate content of a food that connects to the umami taste receptors. If you're interested in diving more deeply into the ...
Crispy Roasted Leeks
I'm always on the hunt for easy condiments I can make at home that add a burst of umami flavor to vegetarian dishes. Umami is that all-important flavor that adds the same deep savory, salty oomph to dishes that bacon contributes for the meat eaters at the table. Over the past three years of being mostly vegetarian, I've collected a few favorites - balsamic roasted tomatoes being at the top of the list. But these crispy roasted leeks may give them a run for their money. I saw a recipe for them ...
How to Dry Your Own Herbs From the Garden
How to dry your own herbs from the garden. I know. This isn't really a recipe, except that it's making such a difference to my food lately, I can't NOT post about it. I planted just 3 oregano plants about a year ago and the abundance billowing out from of them now is of epic proportion. If I don't take some scissors to them once a week, I think they'd grow to my knees. Initially, I confess, I threw away what I wasn't using. Which I know is Just. Wrong. So I started to dry my own herbs. I ...
Basil, Chive, and Mustard Butters
Easy compound butters using fresh herbs from the garden to make dishes a little more special. Compound butters are a great little condiment to keep in the freezer, all wrapped in wax paper and tucked into ziplock baggies. They'll keep that way for a long time. Just slice off what you need and re-wrap and seal it. You can store them in the refrigerator too, but they won't have nearly as long a shelf life. But don't forget to label the type of butter and the date it was made. Once I have them ...
Quinoa Crispies (with Truffle Salt)
Cooked quinoa then baked until crispy. Great for salads or for a healthy snack. This isn't much of a recipe as recipes go. But it's a great little condiment to keep around to add to salads, pasta, almost anything really - even yogurt. You've heard of Rice Crispies, I imagine. These are Quinoa Crispies. I just roast cooked quinoa seeds until crispy and pour them into a jar. Feel free to lightly salt, or add truffle salt for a decadent tasting snack. Eaten alone, they almost taste like tiny, ...
Roasted Strawberries
Slow roasted strawberries to spread on crackers with cheese, on toast with butter, or spill over your morning yogurt. I posted a dessert last Friday incorporating roasted strawberries, and I'm finding lots of ways to use these little guys. So I thought I'd do a post just on roasting them, since they've quickly become a new pantry item for me. I keep them stored in a zip-lock container in the refrigerator, and as of last count, they've lasted over 2 weeks without losing any of their punch. ...
Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes (Only 5 Minutes Prep!)
Balsamic roasted tomatoes are easy to make and so full of meaty umami flavor for vegetarian and vegan dishes. All you need are tomatoes, salt, pepper, olive oil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Oh, and 5 minutes to prep them before sliding these beauties into the oven for a slow roast. If you want to amp up the umami flavor of vegetarian dishes, look no further than these Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes. One of the frequent complaints aimed at vegetarian dishes is that they're bland. And this ...
Herb-y Leek Confit
Soft, melt in your mouth leeks to add to your scrambled eggs, casseroles, or mashed potatoes. The champagne is gone. All the holiday decorations boxed up and stored away with wrapping paper decorated with gold and green holly leaves, and Santa stickers. It's January, the first month without a holiday to look forward to since the hot summer days of August. We're still here in the mountains by Lake Tahoe and are still enjoying all the snow that fell over Christmas. But since there's been no ...
Pumpkin Seed Meal
Add ground pumpkin seeds for gluten-free, healthy shot to dishes. Sprinkle over salads, vegetables, or switch in for breadcrumbs. My pantry is still going through a serious makeover as boxes full of ingredients I can’t pronounce are being tossed. Processed foods are being exchanged for whole foods; or in some cases, just less processed ones -- Rome wasn’t built in a day, after all, and neither is creating how I want to eat for the rest of my life. Just like building Rome, or so I imagine, I ...
Browned Butter Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs for your pantry that have been sautèed in browned butter. These are the most amazing breadcrumbs you might ever make. And so easy too. They boast a heavier flavor than the Gremolata version of my breadcrumbs, but can be used similarly but paired with dishes that stands up well to butter. A great example is how I used them over this Broccoli Rabe dish. A Few Cooking Notes: When browning the butter, don't use a dark-colored skillet, as you won't be able to accurately judge the color ...
Chipotle Spice Rub…Roasted Sweet Potatoes
All-purpose rub that balances sweet, smoky and spicy for vegetables and meat. For those who might be new to my blog, I'm doing a series of Gifts From the Kitchen as we all ramp up for the holidays. These are gifts you can use for a gift exchange with family or friends, or bring to a dinner party for an easy and useful hostess gift. Truthfully, all these gifts are great ANY time of year, not just just for the holidays - for example this spice rub is a great gift during the summer BBQ season! ...
Spiced Pepitas
Pumpkin seeds sautéed in warm, smoky spices. I keep pepitas around the kitchen all year round and use them to top off salads, pastas, stews, and a wide variety of vegetable dishes. Or, just acappella, for a snack without any accompaniment at all. Pepitas is the Spanish culinary term for pumpkin seeds. Also commonly used in Mexican cuisine, pepitas date back at least to the time of the Aztecs, as pumpkins originated in the New World and were brought to Europe with the Spanish explorers ...
