Cat People (1942) - Black Panther Soup

Black Panther Soup - a companion recipe for Cat People (1942), directed by Jacques Tourneur.

Irena Dubrovna is obsessed with a black panther in Cat People, convinced she is descended from witches who have the power to transform into the sleek cats. (Check the movie review from Outpost Zeta here. You know you love old horror films.)

Here, we have reworked black bean soup, adding beets to give it a sinister depth of color and flavor perfect for Halloween season, without overwhelming the flavor.

Ingredients

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1/2 small-ish yellow onion, chopped

2 ribs celery, split down center & diced

1 small beet, diced

1 large clove garlic, minced fine

3 cups vegetable broth

1/3 cup "forbidden" rice

1/3 cup black quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 can (14 oz.) black beans, drained & rinsed

Scant 1 teaspoon cumin

For garnish:

Lime wedges

Fresh cilantro or parsley

Jalapeno(s), sliced the long way and seeds removed

Directions

In a medium-to-large pan, heat oil over medium and sauté the onion, celery, garlic, and beets until onions are translucent. (The edges of the onions will turn blood red... it's rather macabre and beautiful.) Add vegetable broth, and rice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 5 minutes. Add the rinsed quinoa, black beans, and cumin. Bring just to a boil, stir, lower the heat and cover. Simmer 30 minutes.

Remove soup from heat.  Set aside half the soup and let it cool enough to be processed in a blender until smooth. Return to the pot, blend well, and bring up to serving temperature. To serve, top each bowl with a squeeze of lime, add jalapenos for cat eyes, and garnish with the fresh herbs.

13 Ghosts (1960) - Spice Krispie Ouija Treats

"Spice Krispie" Ouija Treats - a companion recipe for 13 Ghosts (1960), directed by William Castle.

October is our favorite month at RQT and we're celebrating by collaborating with B-movie review site Outpost Zeta. They kill 'em, we grill 'em! Errrr, that is to say, OZ reviews a different film each day in October, and we offer a companion recipe that ties in somehow with the movie.

Kicking it off is William Castle's 1960 film 13 Ghosts. In one scene, the main characters attempt to communicate with the spirits of the domicile by means of a Ouija board. (Read the review here.)

We hope you aren't pumpkin-spiced out already. Personally, I never consume pumpkin spice anything until it's officially fall, which was just a few days back--and even then, I go easy so I can enjoy it all autumn long without getting tired of it.

Rice Krispie treats are easy enough to make, but not everybody has access to a store that carries gelatin-free marshmallows. You can buy them at Trader Joe's inexpensively, and most "health food" stores like Whole Foods and Natural Grocers carry them, though they're a bit more pricey. But you don't really need marshmallows to make these treats. Light corn syrup and white sugar aren't that healthy for you, but neither are marshmallows. Live a little, it's the first day of Halloween--errr, October!

Ingredients:

1 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice

1 tablespoon margarine

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup pumpkin puree

6 cups crispy rice cereal

Black frosting/gel for writing (such as Wilton Decorating Gel, Dec-A-Cake Gel, or others)

Suggested Equipment:

Measuring cups & spoons

Medium saucepan

Whisk

Heat-resistant scraper spatula

Large mixing bowl

Parchment paper (optional) or nonstick spray

Cookie sheet

Directions:

In saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally. When bubbles start to rise, whisk in the salt and pumpkin spice. When the mixture begins to boil, whisk continuously for three minutes, then remove from heat. Add the margarine/butter, vanilla, and pumpkin puree and whisk until completely smooth.

Allow mixture to cool for 10 minutes while you measure the crispy rice into the mixing bowl, and line the cookie sheet with parchment paper (or spray it). After the mixture has cooled 10 minutes, use the scraper to add the mixture to the bowl of rice cereal, stirring thoroughly to coat.

Press into prepared cookie sheet evenly. (Hint: set another piece of parchment paper on top, then use a rolling pin or a can of nonstick spray as a rolling pin to roll mixture away from the center into the corners of the pan.) Allow to cool completely before decorating.

31 Days of Halloween - Outpost Zeta & Really Quite Spooky

The month of Halloween (or as some people call it, October) is almost here, and with it comes movie site Outpost Zeta​'s 5th annual 31 Days of Halloween, with a mini-review every day! We'll be providing companion recipes for some of the movies. You can visit Outpost Zeta at http://www.outpost-zeta.com. It all starts tomorrow!

No-Squeal Sausage Patties

These patties are pork-free. (Come on, piglets are super cute.) Your triglycerides, and your barn yard friends, will thank you. Although the recipe looks like it calls for a lot of ingredients, consider that most of the list is seasoning, so there are really just a few ingredients.

You will need a large microwaveable bowl, a food processor, and a non-stick skillet.

Yield: 12-16 patties (depending on size)

Ingredients:

2 c vegetable broth or reconstituted vegetable bouillon (plus another 1/4 if needed)
2 TBS soy sauce
Seasoning of your preference. Might I suggest the following:

• 2 TBS poultry seasoning
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried bay leaves (crumbled)
• 1 tsp dried garlic, or more to taste
• 1 tsp onion powder, or more to taste
• 1 tsp salt, or more to taste
• 1 tsp ground pepper, or more to taste
• 1 tsp anise seed
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 1 TBS Liquid Smoke, yum yum

2 c textured vegetable protein (TVP), sometimes referred to as textured soy protein (or TSP).
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 TBS vital wheat gluten (or flax-seed meal)

Additional vegetable oil, or nonstick spray, for frying

Directions:

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the vegetable broth, soy sauce, and seasonings, and bring just to a boil.

Add the TVP and the oil, and give it a good stir. Let sit 5-10 minutes to allow the TVP to soak up all the liquid and to allow it to cool, stirring once to ensure everything gets moist.

Put the mixture into the food processor. Sprinkle with the vital wheat gluten OR the flax seed meal. Process until the mixture starts to get sticky. (If it's looking crumbly, you may need to add a bit more broth, but be careful not to add too much--you don't want the mixture to come out like batter.)

Form into patties, ensuring the edges are "tight" rather than cracked, because although they're not incredibly fragile, they can break off in the skillet if you're rough. Fry in the skillet, flipping once, until both sides are browned. 

I personally prefer them quite browned, and I use a lid to "mostly cover" them while frying.

Variations:

I like to make these "Italian style" sometimes, using all Italian seasoning and revving up the garlic.

These make awesome "meatballs" for an appetizer or to serve with pasta, but you want to make them smallish (walnut-sized) like cocktail "meatballs" rather than entree-sized (golf ball-sized), otherwise they can seem doughy on the inside. Serve with a side of marinara, or barbecue sauce, or sweet & sour, or teriyaki, or whatever your little heart desires. (I don't recommend cooking them in the sauce, because the extra moisture will make them fall apart.)

Urban Food Forest

Seattle is growing a food forest where people are encouraged to come and forage as they wish. What an interesting concept, and a great way to connect people to their food.

• Do you think it will work for Seattle? 
• Will people become overzealous and take more than they need - perhaps to freeze or preserve it, or even simply to resell it at a profit?
• Would something like this work in your neighborhood, town, or city? Why or why not?

Spent Grain BBQ Burgers

Just found this link via the homebrewing community at reddit, and can't wait to try it: spent grain burgers. 


What are spent grains, you ask? The stuff left over from brewing beer! 


The full URL: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/themash/spent-grain-burgers/ 

I [love] t o F U ...

I heart tofu hearts.

Food bloggers really love Valentine's Day - all the sumptuous desserts. Valentine's Day is the first big food occasion since Thanksgiving / Hanukkah / Christmas / New Year's Eve, so after a bit of a break, bloggers are ready to go. Flirty appetizers! Sensual flavors and textures! Sumptuous desserts!

Valentine's Day isn't really my holiday. No, I'm a Halloween girl, myself.

So today, friends, I simply pass along cuteness from our friends at Tofu X-press: http://bit.ly/zrEI6r. These hearts are adorable, plus you get to use those cookie cutters your mom/aunt/grandma gave you that you don't use as often as you should. 

This isn't a recipe as much as an idea, but you can tailor it to your heart's desire own liking. If you don't have a tofu press, just slice the tofu as thin as you'd like, and then press the tofu between towels before continuing. But you should really get a tofu press. Why don't you have one yet?

I made these with a small heart-shaped cutter (Pampered Chef, "Creative Cutters Set" item 1095), which gave me 28 hearts total out of a "standard" water-packed tofu block. 

First I pressed my tofu, then I sliced it horizontally to make two large slabs. I cut out the hearts with the little "cookie cutter", and then I cut each heart in half again horizontally, making two hearts from each. (Why do it this way, you ask? Too hard to evenly cut the original block of tofu into four thin slabs). Some of them I marinated in a lime-soy mixture and then tossed with a chili rub, and some of them I marinated in a ginger-garlic-soy mixture and then topped with sweet Thai chili sauce. And some of them, I didn't top at all. I put them on a well-oiled cookie sheet, and baked them in the oven at 300F for an hour. Adorable!

I'll do these again and again for different holidays and with different flavor combinations, with different shapes. They were sturdy, easy, and made good finger food.

Artisana's Raw Coconut Butter

Artisana Raw 100% Coconut Butter

I happened to be chatting with the manager at my local Hy-Vee Health Market while browsing through the peanut butter, and she called my attention to Artisana's Raw Coconut Butter. At first, I misunderstood it to be coconut oil. It was pricey at $12 per jar, but the she said it was a special order for another customer, who had reported that it's like peanut butter - only made of coconut flesh. Well, I love coconut, and I love nut butters, so I had to try it.


As you can see, it appears crumbly coming out of the jar. Imagine a dry, unsweetened peanut butter: rather than being buttery, it feels more starchy, yet strangely velvety in the mouth due to the coconut oils. (However, 2 TBS comes in at only 2 net carbs, if one is counting such things, because of the fiber content.)


It's intriguing. 


I went to the Artisana website to look for recipes, and though I have some ideas for what I might do with it, I can't stop eating it right out of the jar, a teaspoon at a time. It seems decadent to eat it that way. Something about the texture and mouthfeel just fascinate me. It's not overly sweet, and it's not overly coconutty.


I'll continue to splurge on this--it's really quite tasty. I'm hoping I can make the jar last the rest of the month, but I may end up using it as a dessert ingredient, or incorporating it into a Thai or Indian sauce. 

Here's an awesome link, on how to store various produce for freshness, in a greener way (i.e., less plastic). 


Thanks to WashingtonGreenGrocer.com !

Woebber's Sweet & Spicy Mustard

Woebber's Sweet & Spicy Mustard. We love it so much, we sometimes eat it with a spoon.

Its ideal companion is Yves The Good Dog, the best-tasting veggie dog we've been able to find, so far.

Pair it all with a bit of sauerkraut, and you're in convenience-food heaven.

Butternut Quinoa Bulgur Toss

I had a squash from my mom’s garden, and some grains from the bulk aisle needing to be used in something. The result was gorgeous! What a beautiful and hearty dish for fall or winter.

Butternut Quinoa Bulgur Toss

To be honest, this is a busier recipe than others I've posted thus far - but it's worth it. I had a roasting pan, a sauce pot, and a skillet all engaged (in addition to my cutting board and knives), so you may want read through the recipe first and understand the timing. 

A note on the grains: you could just use one type of grain (double the amount) but it really added a lot of texture to use the two different types of grains. In fact, you could use any type of grain in this recipe, really. If you've got some leftover rice, feel free to toss it in, at the end, or substitute it for some or all of the quinoa or bulgur.

Ingredients:

• Olive oil (sorry, I didn’t measure an amount before I started)
• 1 medium butternut squash, cubed (1/2 to 3/4” cubes). Note: if the squash is very fresh, you can leave the skin on. Mine had been sitting on my counter for several weeks, so I peeled it first by cutting it into rounds with a heavy knife, and then using a paring knife to cut the rind off the rounds. Cinchy.
• Optional: 2 tsp veggie bouillon or 2 TBS soy sauce
• 1/3 c (dry) quinoa; OR 2/3 c cooked
• 1/3 c (dry) bulgur wheat; OR 2/3 c cooked
• 1/4 c dried cranberries, golden raisins, or other dried fruit of your choice
• 1/2 small onion (yellow, white, or red), chopped
• 4 oz (1/2 small carton) fresh mushrooms (white or baby portabella), chopped
• 1/4 c walnut pieces
• 1 TBS fresh chopped sage
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Prep the vegetables while preheating the oven to 450 F.

If using dry grains: rinse the quinoa in a sieve under running water to remove the bitter saponin. Heat 1 1/2 c water in a small pan to a boil (add optional bouillon or soy sauce). Add the quinoa and return to boiling, reduce the heat to simmer, and put a lid on it. Set a kitchen timer for 7 minutes. If using pre-cooked grains, skip this part, but put the dried fruits in a small bowl and cover with a bit of of boiling water to allow them to soften; set aside.

Toss the squash cubes with olive oil, spread in a heavy roasting pan, and put it in the oven. The time will depend on how old the squash is; younger ones will need less time.

When the timer for the quinoa goes off, add the bulgur and give it a good stir. Bring it to a boil; and then reduce it to a simmer again and put the lid back on it. Set the timer for 10 minutes.

Check the squash. When the cubes are somewhere between soft and firm, remove the pan from the oven and set aside (as the squash will continue to cook for a few minutes after removing the pan from the oven).

When the timer goes off for the grains again, check them and give a good fluff. If they’re not completely done, that’s OK. Remove from heat, add the dried fruit, put the lid back on it, and set aside.

In a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil, sauté the onions and mushrooms for two minutes; add the walnuts. Continue to sauté, stirring so the walnuts don’t burn. When the onions are translucent, fluff the grains/fruit; if there is any liquid that hasn't been absorbed, just drain it off carefully. Add everything into the large skillet. Give it all a good toss together; add a bit more olive oil if you’d like, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve!

Serving suggestion: I made some tiny Gimme Lean! sausage style "meatballs" and browned them off in a nonstick skillet. No extra ingredients needed, perfect complement!

Mustard Slaw

The last post was for a hot cabbage dish. Since I had half a head of cabbage left over... why not a cold slaw? Creamy style isn't my favorite, but I do love mustard. This dish would make a nice salad on a holiday table, and the mustard vinaigrette is a nice accompaniment to savory main dishes.

Mustard Slaw

Toss together:

1 head cabbage, shredded or chopped fine

1/2 bunch kale, washed and chopped fine

1 medium yellow onion, sliced into thin shoestrings

(optional: finely diced celery, julienned jicama, radishes, or even shredded beets)

• Whisk together:
• 1/2 c. vinegar (cider vinegar, white, or rice wine vinegar)
• 1 TBS sweetener of your choice (maple would be good)
• 2 TBS prepared mustard (sweet-spicy, Dijon, or your other favorite)
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1/2 c. strong vegetable broth or reconstituted bouillon
• Dash cayenne pepper

Combine and serve. Pack it all down and let it marinate overnight for the best flavor development.

"Crack Slaw" & Cranberry Sauce

Boyfriend's mom sent him this link for a low-carb entree, called "Crack Slaw," supposedly named because it's that addictive. Being the cabbage lover I am, I had to try it. It's a hot dish rather than a cold salad-type slaw.


I made it with reconstituted textured soy protein instead of the hamburger. (Use equal volumes of dried TSP and boiling water, with a good dash of soy sauce.) As you can see, I added a bit of kale to the cabbage; also, I used fresh ginger instead of paste. 

"Crack Slaw" & Cranberry Sauce

The seasonings really made the dish! Don't skimp, especially if you're using unseasoned soy protein instead of the burger. It was a great weeknight meal, and easy to put together. And yes, I had to go back for seconds.


If you have any leftovers - but I doubt you will -  you could wrap it in lettuce leaves or softened cabbage leaves, or toss it with leftover rice, or stuff it into peppers or small squashes or eggplant.


The cranberry sauce was as simple as can be. Simmer the following together in a pot with a lid, stirring and mashing occasionally:

• 1 cup water
• 1 package fresh cranberries, rinsed
• 1 TBS grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 a grapefruit OR orange OR lemon, zested
• Dry sweetener of your choice, to taste. I used 1/2 cup Splenda.

Serve it hot, like a sauce, or cold, like a jelly. Eat it by itself, or on pancakes/waffles, or in a sandwich.

Do You Do Tofu?

You don't really need a recipe for a tofu scramble. You can use either water-packed or silken tofu. The trick is to start the tofu first, and let it cook for five to ten minutes (or longer) before adding vegetables. This one trick improved my scrambles vastly! It's not that the tofu needs time to "cook" as much as it needs time to lose moisture and firm up - especially if you use silken tofu. That's the trick to getting a good scramble texture. Then, I add my veggies and seasonings and let it continue to cook until the veggies are tender-crisp.


Tofu scrambles are one of the most basic veg*n dishes, but I'm surprised how many vegetarians confess they have never made their own.


Aside from tofu, here's what I added to this scramble:

• broccoli, cut into fine florets
• yellow onion
• white mushroom
• carrot shreds
• nutritional yeast - about 2-3 TBS. This is my one "must have" ingredient, because it adds so much flavor! I add it at the end, just a minute or so prior to serving.
• a good dash of soy sauce (actually, it was Bragg's Liquid Aminos) just before taking it off the heat
• seasoned salt, granulated garlic, and a very small dash of dried dill weed

Here's a great how-to video, and where I learned the importance of letting the tofu cook for some time in the pan first. (I use much less oil than she does, by the way.)

Fried Green Tomatoes & Tofu

I still have green tomatoes on the vine. This morning, I wanted to jazz up my tofu scramble, so I sliced a few smallish green tomatoes, and did this. The amounts you use aren't important, as long as you don't go crazy and over-season it:


Fried Green Tomatoes


Green tomatoes, sliced about 1/2" thick
Baking mix (I used Hodgson Mill)
Seasoning blend (I used Spike Hot & Spicy)
Nutritional yeast
Sea salt & pepper


Mix all the dry ingredients in a shallow dish. Spray a skillet with a liberal amount of nonstick spray and let it heat over medium-high. Dredge the tomatoes in the dry mixture, coating them well, and place in the heated skillet. Spray the tops with spray, also. Flip when the bottoms are browning... you understand the rest.


The tofu scramble was just a package of Mori-Nu tofu, onions, a few of the ripened red tomatoes, a dash of soy sauce, and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast. The key is to really let the tofu cook for quite a long time in the skillet on medium to medium-high heat, before adding the other ingredients.

This was such a simple breakfast, but so satisfying! 

Peas in a Pod

Makin' Bacon

You don't need to buy the pre-packaged kind of veggie bacon. Really. It's easy to make your own. 

I'm at the the end of the garden season, and I have a few eggplants left. There are many lovely things to do with eggplants, but I'd never considered that they could be turned into - yes, truly - bacon. When I saw this recipe from The Post Punk Kitchen, I thought, "No way. That will be soggy and gross. But it wasn't - it was crispy and chewy and just right.  And if you don't count the non-stick spray, there are really only three ingredients. I just made half the recipe - one eggplant's worth - and immediately regretted that I'd only made half. I ate the entire pan's worth of "bacon."


(You could make it look more "bacony" by using the long, Japanese-style eggplants and slicing the strips the long thin way, if you wanted.)


You can use a similar marinate to make tofu bacon. I didn't get fancy when I sliced it, but if you prefer the long, thin strips, you can certainly do that. I used my Tofu Xpress and the water-packed style of tofu for this recipe; I don't recommend the soft/silken style that you buy in the aseptic boxes. I made it almost exactly the same way as the eggplant recipe above, but I baked the tofu about twice as long to evaporate more water out of the tofu, and I added a little nutritional yeast and a bit of real maple syrup to the soy-smoke marinate.

1 package of water-packed tofu, drained well, sliced into 1/8" strips, and patted dry
1/4 c. soy sauce or tamari
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp maple syrup (optional)
1 TBS nutritional yeast (optional)


Heat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spray it with nonstick. Lay the tofu pieces on the pan and bake for 10 minutes. Flip and bake another 5-10 minutes. While they're baking, mix the other ingredients in a shallow dish. 


When the tofu comes out, dip each piece in the sauce, and return to the baking sheet. Bake another 5 minutes, then remove them and dip them again.  Repeat this process until the "bacon" is as chewy as you'd like. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a long time. Use them for BLT's, dice them for "bacon bits", whatever!

Curried Carrot Soup

Curried Carrot Soup (Yeah, it's vegan!)

Curried Carrot Soup

2 TBS olive oil
1 medium red or yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 TBS curry powder
1 TBS chili powder
1 TBS cumin
2 c. shredded carrots
1 apple, diced
1/4 c. lentils (red preferred, but any will do)
2 c. vegetable broth or reconstituted bouillon
2 c. unsweetened almond milk (or sweetened, if you like... your preference)
sea salt & pepper to taste


Heat olive oil in a medium stock pot. Add onion, garlic, and spices, heating over medium and stirring occasionally until onion is translucent. Add all other ingredients and simmer for 30-40 minutes until lentils are tender. Remove from heat and let it sit to cool. If you're in a hurry, fill a sink with cold water and a tray of ice, and plunge the pan for a bit. Process in a blender, or carefully use an immersion blender, processing until smooth.


Serve with crusty bread, and say "OMG, this is so simple and good!"

Seafood!

I live in Nebraska, where people like steak and are somewhat leery of anything that could vaguely be construed as "hippie food." 

Roasted Seaweed Snack

I was recently snacking at my desk, and commented, "Oh, these are really good, you might like them. Want to taste?"


My coworker naturally asked me what "it" was. I said, "Well, I know you like seafood. This is actually a seaweed chip. Try a little corner?" Cautiously, she tried it.

When an omnivore coworker says, "Hey, that's kind of good!" you should go get some, especially when you can eat HALF A PACKAGE for 30 f***ing calories. It scores high in flavor and mouth feel. It starts cripsy but ends chewy--and that, my friends, makes a fun snack.


http://www.traderjoes.com/pdf/onthecounter-seaweed.pdf

Trader Joe's Creamy Polenta...

 ...with spinach and carrots...

Cover with wrap, nuke, and serve? Gotta try that.


When I opened the package, I wasn't prepared to see little muffin-looking things amid crumbles of frozen spinach. I thought there must be a mistake - that didn't even remotely resemble the photo on the package. Not even close. But I took about a third of the package (three servings per package) and put it in a glass bowl, covered it with wrap, and microwaved it. The microwave instructions suggested 5-6 minutes, but I checked it after 3 minutes, and was glad I did... what emerged had miraculously transformed from muffin-looking things into... well, something resembling cheesy polenta.


I had to let it cool a bit before tasting. Not bad... creamy and subtle, not over-seasoned. Would it be wrong to suggest adding curry or garam masala? Nomnomnom.

• Easiness factor: 9/10. (You do have to cover it with wrap.)
• Taste factor: 6/10. Nothing wrong with it at all. It was just fine.
• Cost factor: $2.99 ($1 per serving)
• Would I buy it again? Sure... though polenta isn't difficult to make anyway. But it's great when I'm feeling Really Quite Lazy!