Moosewood Chocolate Cake: Layered Stylie

This is essentially the recipe from the wonderful Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY--purveyors of delicious vegetarian fare and excellent cookbooks, the spot where I dined as a teenager and burned the memory of a delectable mint brownie sundae forever into my taste memory--but I doubled it, layered it, and strawberry preserved it, then baked it at a lower temp for flatter, more layerable results. Check it, with pics, below. All recipe credit to the Moose.

Chocolate-Strawberry Layer Cake
3 c. unbleached white flour
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
2 c. sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. cold water
4 t. pure vanilla extract
4 T. cider vinegar (measure it into a cup for easier quick pouring)

Lazy Gal's Filling:
1 10 oz jar European strawberry preserves (or any other high quality fruit preserves--no jelly!)

Glaze:
11.5 oz bag Ghiradelli semi-sweet chocolate (or whatever brand you prefer...)
1 c. hot water
1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 9 inch pan (two if you have them, otherwise the whole process takes twice as long, which is what I did) and lightly flour. Springform pans work nicely. Mix all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl until well combined. Measure in all wet ingredients EXCEPT for vinegar, and mix until smooth. Add vinegar and stir quickly--it will react with the baking soda and get a little effervescent. Fun! Mix until there are no more light colored swirls in the batter. Pour half of the batter into the pan. If you have another pan, pour the other half in that one. Bake for 25-30 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick in the middle.

Let cakes cool at room temp for 10 minutes or so, and if you have the time, wrap each layer in saran wrap and stick them in the fridge or freezer to cool for an hour or two so they are easier to work with (thanks, Smitten Kitchen!).

Then, take one cooled cake and place it gently on a nice big plate. Spread the ENTIRE jar of preserves all over the top. Yum. This makes it really moist and tasty. Carefully place the next layer on top. Let those sit a while while you make the glaze.

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, microwave it for about 90 seconds, then stir in hot water and vanilla until you get a smooth consistency. Spoon this over the cake. It will get everywhere, but that's OK :) You'll also have a LOT leftover. Save it and reheat just before serving to spoon on top of the cake and the vanilla ice cream you know you want to eat it with. Put the finished cake in the fridge for a least 30 minutes before serving, and if you want to get fancy, throw some confectioner's sugar on top.

Oh yeah, not only is it SO DAMN TASTY, it's also vegan! However, the meat-and-dairy folks I served it to were bout it bout it--this cake is just universally fabulous. Enjoy!

Banana Kale Smoothie

Summer started off with the best, toxin-free intentions, but lo, there has been pan-fried noodles and too many Chips Ahoy cookies and even (gasp!) some Popeye's apple pie (which, according to the internet, is technically vegan. But still).

I'm back in school and ready to welcome students next Monday, so I need to re-establish healthy eating routines to preserve my sanity and energy. This kick-butt and simple to prepare green smoothie got me on the right track this summer and I have faith in its restorative powers for the next 180 school days to come...

Banana Kale Smoothie
1 frozen banana
2-3 oranges, either juiced or just peeled and seeded
1 large piece kale, chopped
apple juice, agave nectar, or honey to taste (I use 1 Tbsp. or so)

1. Chop kale and place in blender with one orange, either chopped or juiced. Process until kale is totally pureed. Chunks will ruin the fresh taste of this smoothie and make it bitter and gross.
2. Add remaining orange and the banana, broken into small pieces. Process until smooth and enjoy!

Did you know how AMAZING kale is?

Cucumber Pesto Roll

More killer vegan food to make your mouth water after breaking a fast, or any old damn time. These are super easy and incredibly delicious when you use fresh, ripe ingredients. I will be incorporating dairy, baked goods, and seafood into my diet in the next few weeks, but this jammy summer treat makes a strong case for the vegan lifestylie! This recipe is very much based on one I found on several sites around the internet, but without gross pimientos and with the addition of seasoned tomatoes.

Cucumber Pesto Roll
1 large, symmetrical cucumber
1 tomato (I used creole)
1 avocado
1 oz fresh basil (large handful of leaves)
1/4 cup of pine nuts (or more to taste)
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp olive oil (or more to taste)
1 clove garlic (or more to taste)
ground black pepper
ground sea salt

1. Wash, then peel the cucumber in alternating strips so it is "striped" with peel. Cut it in half lengthwise and use a small spoon to seed the cuke and make a long trench in each cucumber half.
2. Dice the tomato VERY finely. Season with salt and pepper and small squeeze of lemon. Mix well, then spread a light layer into the trough of each cucumber half.
3. Process the avocado, basil, pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. The mixture should be very thick. Spread a heaping spoonful of the pesto over the tomatoes in each cucumber half. Use a butter knife to level the pesto with the walls of the cucumber.
4. Carefully put the halves back together and wrap very tightly in plastic wrap. Place roll in the refrigerator and chill for at least two hours.
5. Uwrap roll, separate halves, and cut into bite-size pieces. Arrange on a plate--maybe make it fancy and put the pieces onto a bright green lettuce leaf. Enjoy!

Lovely Lentil & Sweet Potato Soup

This is a wonderfully easy, fragrant, and nutritious variation on the classic lentil soup. Seeing as how I hadn't eaten solid food in almost 12 days when I made this soup, I was really excited to eat something hot, simple, and flavorful--and this delivered big time. After completing a 10 day Master Cleanse followed by a post-cleanse day of fresh squeezed OJ and grapefruit, then post-cleanse day 2 of OJ and 1/4 of a veggie sandwich for lunch, I assembled a variety of organic veggies and spices and got cooking. All measurements are approximate and improvised, natch.

Lovely Lentil & Sweet Potato Soup
1 medium sweet potato
2 cloves garlic
4 stalks celery
10-15 baby carrots
1 can diced tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion
1 c. red lentils
salt and pepper to taste
approx 1 c. Magic Green Infusion (see recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub sweet potato with hands or veggie brush, then rub with a light coating of olive oil. Cut off the tops of the garlic cloves and rub with oil as well. Bake potato and garlic on foil-covered sheet for about 45 minutes. I suggest a nap while you wait :)
2. Let potato and garlic cool. Dice all veggies. Make Magic Green Infusion.
3. Put small bit of olive oil in a large soup pot and add medium heat. Add onion and celery, stirring occasionally for about five minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes and (peeled) roasted garlic cloves, and cover with about six cups of spring water. Let simmer for about 15 minutes.
5. Remove sweet potato chunks with a slotted spoon, and puree with a bit of the broth.
6. Return sweet potato puree to the pot, add Magic Green Infusion and lentils and let simmer (NEVER BOIL!) for about 40 minutes.
7. YUM!


Magic Green Infusion
approx 2 cups flat parsley
10-20 whole cloves garlic
approx 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
approx 4 Tbsp. olive oil
ground black pepper to taste
ground sea salt to taste
dried italian seasoning blend to taste (thyme, rosemary, basil, etc.)
1 cup water or broth

Blend all ingredients until smooth and bright green. Stir in to any soup while cooking--it adds a ton of flavor, nutrition and color.

food love--a little rice cooker!!

I recently picked up a 6 cup finished capacity Rice cooker from Rival. Its cute and little and red. You can take the cooking bowl out and store leftovers. It was only 12.99. It's definitely love, and its really nice to keep the rice off the crowded stove when you are cooking. So far I've made:
Rice a roni whoe grain rice...perfect!!!!!

Casbah Saffroned Jasmine rice too!!


The acid test....can it cook brown rice without burning it, while the cook goes on a walk.....answer...yes.


The secret...put in more water than called for, and rinse the rice first so you don''t get grainy steam all over your kitchen.


I bought it at Target, after reading very affectionate and well deserved reviews on line. Everyone should have one!!!!

Top Model Tilapia...

...which is to say, I had so much fun messing around with these recipes that I forgot to watch America's Next Top Model. Probably for the best. What follows are recipes for a tasty tilapia dish and two veggies sides, all super easy, pretty healthy, and yum. This evening of simple and improvised eating was brought to you by love, sweet love. Yes, the kind of love where a girl goes weeks and months without cooking three of her favoritest, healthiest foods, all because her darling boyfriend despises them, leaving her bereft, and craving them all, right now, at once!

Happily, new roomie was down to try the goods. We chomped, and I chased the whole shebang with a Heine and some chocolate ice cream :)

The Menu
Tilapia in a Confetti Cream Sauce
Maple Mustard Sweet Potatoes
Broccoli Soup with Cheddar

Tilapia in a Confetti Cream Sauce
1/4 white onion
2 cloves garlic
kernels from one ear of fresh corn, boiled
1/2 red pepper
1/4 c. fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. half and half
2 Tbsp. corn meal
ground black pepper
ground sea salt
ground red pepper flakes
1 lb. tilapia

1. Process everything except the fish until you get a thick, greenish, and generally unappetizing looking goo. I'm curious to try this and keep the consistency more like a salsa or salad, but creamy and a little vomitous is how it went (and worked!) on the first go.
2. Place tilapia fillets in a baking dish (I used glass. Thanks, dishwasher!). Cover with the veggie cream sauce and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Maple Mustard Sweet Potatoes
1 large sweet potato
2 Tbsp. creole mustard
2 Tbsp. grade B maple syrup
1 Tbsp. olive oil
ground sea salt
ground black pepper

1. Wash potato thoroughly, then give the skin a good rub down with some olive oil. Cut in half, then in quarters, then into thin, french-fryish slices.
2. Place slices in a narrow baking dish and add remaining ingredients. Mix well until potatoes are coated.
3. Bake at 350 for at least an hour. At 35 minutes, remember to pop in the tilapia.

Broccoli Soup with Cheddar
1 16oz container Imagine Organic Broccoli soup
fresh broccoli
Cheddar cheese, grated

1. This barely qualifies as a recipe, but hey, why not? Make it about 5 minutes before the other two dishes are finished.
2. Heat soup in a pot, add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Steam up the broccoli. I do this in a white-trashy sort of way involving a moist paper towel and a microwave, but you're probably a little classier. Put a few big pieces of the steamed broccoli into a pair of small bowls (I used ramekins).
4. Pour the heated soup over the fresh broccoli and top with Cheddar.

Final note: Don't be afraid to overspice these babies. Tilapia, sweet potato and broccoli are mild and gentle, and a little heat is required to bring them onto the dance floor.

(Leftover Chicken) Curried Chicken Salad

Okay, so maybe sometimes I actually *buy* a pre-cooked rotessire chicken in order to make this supposedly "leftover chicken" salad. But, whatevs. The point is that it's awesome:

Curried Chicken Salad

2-3 cups pre-cooked chicken breast, chopped
3-4 celery stalks, diced
1 cup halved red seedless grapes
mayonnaise to consistency (some like it dry, some like it sloppy)
Creole mustard to taste (Dijon works just fine)
small dollop naturally flavored vanilla yogurt (to cut down on the mayo, if desired)
Curry powder to taste - I use at least a teaspoon
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper

Mix all ingredients together until well-blended. Add spices and mayo/mustard/yogurt as to get to your desired consistency/taste. This is fabulous served very cold with sliced cucumbers and lettuce on a tortilla or wrap.