Curried rice and red lentils with Brussels sprouts

Fall is definitively here. The wind is already cold and gusts on morning and afternoons, and you only want to stay at home with you cup of hot tea (or coffee, or herbal tea. I would like to be so healthy, but I can’t). I fancy again hot porridge on mornings, and for me it’s the sign that cold days are already there. And of course, sweet potatoes and chestnuts. I have been living on sweet potatoes lately, but today I ate chestnuts for the first time this autumn. I bought them at school. Yeah, at school: 11 year students (which here is called 4th of ESO, and it’s the last compulsory year) are selling roasted chestnuts in the school café to recollect money for their end of year trip. I think that the authentic fall tastes like chestnuts and sweet potatoes, doesn’t it? It’s common to see people who sells them in the street , especially just before “Castanyada”, a traditional Catalonian celebration which takes place during the All Saints’ Day (although every time more and more people is replacing it with Halloween) and where people eat roasted chestnuts, panellets (small marzipan cakes) and sweet wine. We even saw Trick ‘r Treat,— Michael Dougherty horror film—in English class! 

I have posted recipes with pumpkin and sweet potatoes so far (chestnuts and panellets are in my “to do list”, but  I have sun a little bit other wonderful vegetables like….Brussels sprouts, for example. I don’t know why there are so much Brussels sprouts haters.  I can understand spinach haters or even chard haters—although I love this veggies as well—….but what is wrong with Brussels sprouts? I love eating mine plain, just steamed and with a drizzle of olive oil on top (like a lot of veggies), but sometimes I fancy something different. Brussels sprouts is not the kind of veggie you usually put in your slow and long cooking dishes, but I decided to try. The result was today’s recipe.

Curried rice and red lentils with Brussels sprouts I haven’t used too much curry in this recipe, so if you like your curried dishes spicy consider adding a little bit more. The coconut milk makes it even milder, and cooking it on a low heat and whole softens the Brussels sprouts without making them fall apart. Feel free to try it with other kind of rice (white rice, Arborio, basmanti rice…), but be careful with the cooking time. From: original recipe Serves: 3-4 1 tsp curry powder 1/2 tsp garam masala 1 onion, chopped 5 tbsp tomato paste 1/2 cup brown rice, half cooked 2 pears in quarters 1 cup Brussels sprouts 1 cup water 2 cups shredded cabbage 1 cup red lentils 1 cup stock 125 ml coconut milk more water if needed salt oil Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a saucepan. Add 1 tsp of curry powder, 1/2 tsp of garam masala and cook for a couple of minutes on a low heat (don't burn it!)Add the chopped onion, about 5 tbsp of tomato paste and the half-cooked 1/2 cup of rice. Cook for 5 minutes more. Add one cup of water or stock, salt (if you are using water), and cover for 10 minutes. Stir the shredded cabbage, one cup of red lentils, 125 ml of coconut milk and another cup of stock. Cook on a low heat until the rice is well cooked and the lentils are falling apart. It must be a moist dish, so add more stock or water if needed.

Vietnamese Dessert Pudding with White Beans and Sticky Rice in Coconut Milk

It seems like I’m not the only one who has got a food blogger’s block, judging by the last post of The Sophisticated Gourmet (who despite having a food blogger’s block, has cooked some New York-style bagels that look more than appetizing). I suppose it has something to do with my lack of time (and creativity). School is absorbing all my time and energy like a sponge! So it’s logical: if I don’t cook anything blog-worthy, how can I write a good post?

Today’s recipe is  Che Dau Trang and, and it iss my contribution to the october’s Tried&Tasted, the blog event created by Zlamushka. This month the featured blog is Wandering Chopsticks (what a lovely name!), and the hostess is Trupti of Trupti’s Food Corner.  Wandering Chopsticks is a food blog specialized in Vietnamese dishes, although there is plenty of non-Asian dishes too. Among the dozens (or maybe hundreds? The recipe index is vast!) of recipes, I decided to try this, the Vietnamese Dessert Pudding with White Beans and Sticky Rice in Coconut Milk, or Che Dau Trang (Ok. I think I will follow calling it just rice& beans dessert pudding)

Vietnamese Dessert Pudding with White Beans and Sticky Rice in Coconut Milk I won’t copy the recipe here again: you can get it here. Actually, I cooked this many weeks ago….and now I regret it. Why? Because I bought coconut milk for the first time in my life a week ago. And I don’t know why I haven’t done it before because I loved it! Taking advantage of my visit to Barcelona, I stopped by the Asian supermarket and bought a couple of cartons of coconut milk. I have drunk my morning coffee (I think I am becoming a caffeine addict) with coconut milk since then. It adds a delicate and slightly creamy touch that I love. Why I am talking about that now? Because my coconut milk pudding…was without coconut milk. Yeah, I cooked it with soy milk, and I would not recommend you doing the same. It tastes great anyway (I ate the full pot in two days), but it will curdle. So if you have coconut milk, use it. I have also used brown rice instead of glutinous rice. I don’t know if glutinous brown rice exists, but I have only seen white glutinous rice. Because I try to avoid anything refined, I opted for the brown variety. I reduced the amount of sugar. The original recipe called for ½ cup, but I added only 2 tbsp, and it was enough for me. The verdict: I sincerely liked the dish, even with soy milk and with non-glutinous rice. I suppose you can eat it like a dessert, but I think it would be a wonderful breakfast. Actually, this was the way I ate it. It is an easy and tasty way to combine grains and beans in the same dish (and get complete protein) without resorting to the typical rice and lentils combo.

I love this photo :) It was taken during the party we did in the beach to say goodbye to Summer and Summer holidays. I have not posted it until today because although we began school a month ago, the weather has been abnormally hot during all September and part of October, so nobody had the feeling that it was fall….until a couple of days ago. I was freezing yestarday while waitng for the bust! So, see you next year, summer :) Me with two of my friends (I'm the one in the middle)

 

Crème of buckwheat & useful links for bloggers and designers

A buckwheat fan? A buckwheat hater who regret his aversion to it and want to get on the right track? (you will discover below why buckwheat is so good for you) Someone interested in design or sources of tips for bloggers? Then, go on reading!

 During the last days, I discovered that almost everything can be thrown in the blender and transformed in your dinner (or lunch, or breakfast) in just 5 minutes. Well, maybe not 5 in some cases….have you ever tried to remove all the seeds of a bunch of grapes? Or of almost half of a watermelon? . Some of the combinations tasted OK, some tasted not as OK, I directly throw to the rubbish bin one of them, and a few of them were just luscious, though I should not say it because it’s my own creation. But on second thoughts, would you try them if I say that they are inedible?

Do you like buckwheat? I love it. I mean, I adore it. I could survive only on buckwheat. Ok, ok. Maybe not only on buckwheat, but almost. Give me some soy milk and olive oil and then I really won’t need anything else. After getting my dental braces, it came as a complete shock to me. No buckwheat? Impossible! Only almost a week after it I got the brilliant idea (because it is brilliant, you can’t deny that) to put it all in the blender, oil and milk included. And voilà….when I tasted it, I thought I was in the heaven. Or more exactly, it was like a piece of heaven in a bowl. It had an incredibly rich texture, with that nutty and deep flavor that buckwheat has, but light, puffy and creamy. Like if it has whipped cream in it (but it didn’t!).

I adore design almost as much as buckwheat (and that means really a lot). How many of you like design? I would like to know it, because I am thinking about including some design tips in the blog too. I know that I am not a wizard with it, but I get by (I think that I did a good job with the current design, for instance). But the most important is that love it. Yeah, as much as food (but maybe not as much as buckwheat). I could include at least some links to websites that really can give you good advises, because I am afraid that the most skilful of you could even teach me (I have seen incredible designs out there). What do you think about? Any HTML/PHP/CSS/Dreamweaver/Photoshop fan out there? To start with, here is some links that can be useful to any blogger or designer [see links below]

And talking about the blog content, what would you like to see in the blog? What kind of recipes? More baked goods? Healthy recipes? Gluten free recipes? Maybe more traditional Russian or Spanish dishes? In relation to the design (and maybe blogging) tips I mentioned, what kind of information would be useful for you? I would like to be able to help with food styling and photography, but I still have to learn. Nevertheless, I always can concentrate for you the advices of the masters.  I really appreciate your feedback!

I am leaving to Moscow today, at 7PM, but I won’t arrive at Sheremetevo (one of the Moscow’s airport, that is in detriment of the newer Domodeedovo. Can you believe that no trains arrive to Sheremetevo?) until….5AM! Oh, sleepless nights, how I hate you. I will take my beloved camera with me as hand luggage, so if I am lucky enough (and I don’t fall asleep while I am waiting for my next plane), I will try to do some photos in the Rome airport, where I have to change. I hope I will be able to post some photos during my travel, but if not, see you after on 26th August.

Crème of buckwheat Serves 1 Time of preparation: about 10 minutes (plus the 25 min of the buckwheat cooking) From: own recipe I only can say that if you have never tried buckwheat…what are you waiting for??? You would be surprised to know how healthy it is.  Although I have been eating buckwheat all my life (it’s a very common food in Russia), I have always thought that it is a grain. But it’s not! Actually, is “a fruit seed that is related to rhubarb and sorrel making it a suitable substitute for grains for people who are sensitive to wheat or other grains that contain protein glutens”, according to Whole food. Did you know that one cup of cooked buckwheat covers between 20 and 35% of your daily needs of manganese, tryptophan, magnesium and dietary fiber? Did I tell that all that has got only 154 kcal? A couple of cookies have got more than that! And if you have already tried buckwheat and know about all its goodness, I recommend you try in that way. It will surprise you, I assure you. -1 cup cooked buckwheat * -3/4 cups soymilk (or any other non-dairy milk) -1/4 cup water -a pinch of salt -1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil (or your favorite oil. I think that sesame oil will taste great because of its nuttiness) Mix the soymilk, water and salt in a saucepan and boil for 5 minutes if using soy milk, and one minute or two if using any other non-dairy milk. Why? Soy milk can be sometimes difficult to digest, and boiling it helps to prevent difficult digestions. Add the cooked buckwheat and boil another two or three minutes. Let it cool a little bit, and pour it in the blender (or use an immersion blender if it’s the case). Pouring boiling liquids in it can be dangerous, both for you and your blender. Blend it until it has got a creamy texture. If it’s too think, add more water. Add the oil and adjust salt. Serve with extra oil drizzled on top, and if you have some buckwheat left some kernels. *To cook buckwheat, to it according the packaging. If there are not instructions, wash it two or three times, changing the water each time. Cover it with cold water (four or five centimeters above the buckwheat). Add salt. Boil covered for 20-25 minutes. Don’t stir. If there is not enough water, add a little bit more. It’s OK if there is some left even if the buckwheat is done, because I recommend covering it with a cloth (or many) to keep the heat and leave it to stand (at least 10’) It will absorb the water and finish cooking without burning the sauce pan.

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Useful links

For bloggers:

Food blog alliance – Thank to Kalyn for telling me about that site! According to their own description, “here experienced food bloggers share their expertise with the community, by offering tips, tutorials and observations about food blogging. Sort of like a problogger.net but for food bloggers”. There are articles written by so well known bloggers as the authors of The Perfect Pantry, Smitten Kitchen, Simply Recipes or David Lebovitz (you guessed, by Devid Lebovitz. I adore the way he writes! Don’t you?). Some examples of what you can find there is “11 tips to improve your blog writing”  and “guest bloggers: to have or not to have (and how to do it)”  

Problogger – Well, I could not forget about that, right? “This site is dedicated to helping other bloggers learn the skills of blogging, share their own experiences and promote the blogging medium.” Some examples: How to Get In Tune with Your Readers Needs [and Produce Compelling Content] or “How I’m Increasing Reader Engagement on my Blog”;

Expandable Post Summaries on Blogger on Cute Writing - An expandable post summary is what I use on my blog: only a fraction of the post is visualized on the home page. You keep your home page clean and organized, and visitors can select themselves what they want to read, instead of scrolling and scrolling.

Links collections:

Script & Style – “Links to help you grow as a designer and developer”. Lots of great tutorials and articles collected together. Inspiration:The design Inspiration – “The freshest and best quality design inspiration for you daily”

Design flavr – “Daily design and visual art inspiration”ToolsA button Generator – One of the best (and easiest) button generators I have ever seen. Recommended.

Button maker by Adam Kalsey – This generates a tiny buy cute button. Very customizable.

BgPatterns – This tiled backgrounds designer allows you to create them in minutes.

Design (general)

>Bittbox - freebies, tutorials, vectors, Photoshop brushes, textures. Created by Jay Hilgert.

A list Apart - “For people who make websites“ “A List Apart Magazine explores the design, development, and meaning of web content, with a special focus on web standards and best practices”

Web designer depot – “Webdesigner Depot is an exciting new platform designed to explore different web and graphic design techniques, great examples and best practices.”

Web designer ledger – “The Web Design Ledger is a publication written by web designers for web designers. The primary purpose of this site is to act as a platform for sharing web design related knowledge and resources. Topics range from design inspiration to tips and tutorials and everything in between.”

This is only an example of my bookmarked design/blogger related websites. I am subscribed to more than twenty!

Let's go for tapas!

I must confess something: I have never gone to bars for tapas. Yes, I have been living for almost ten years in Spain; yes, some of my favorite ingredients are typically Spanish (like the olive oil, and I enjoy oilves and beans as well), but I have not had my "tapas" experience yet. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I live near Barcelona. Another thing I must confess: although "Chronicles of a Russian vegan girl living in Barcelona" is written in the header of the blog, I don't live in Barcelona city, but in a town 45 minutes from it. But nobody knows where is Cunit (do you?), so I wrote Barcelona and I didn't bat an eyelid. Did I cheat? Maybe, but just a little bit. Well, as I was telling, I live in Barcelona, where there is not as traditional as in other places of Spain to eat tapas. One of the main rules when you go to eat tapas, is that you don't go to just one bar, but to many. But nowadays people have so little time that a quick tapa is common too.

Why I am talking about tapas? First of all, because I have wrote about Russian food and even Polish food, but never Spanish food (and I am living in Spain!). And when it's about Spanish food, tapas are as ineludible as paella, bean stews or Iberian ham (unfortunately, many traditional Spanish dishes are not vegetarian friendly, but can be adapted easily. Nevertheless, the vast majority of Spanish wont't agree to substitute Iberian ham on their sandwich with seitan or tofu). A lot of recipes can be classified as "tapas", from gazpacho to "pinchos" (little snacks on cocktail sticks), not forgetting Spanish omelette, croquettes or just canapés. The important thing is that they are served in small portion, so you can taste many different tapas.

And the other reason why I am writing this post is because I decided to participate in another blog event (can one become addict to blog events?): The june edition of "Waiter, there is something in my....", which theme this time is tapas. This time the event is hosted by Spitton Extra. The event started in January 2007, and is hosted in rotation by Spitton Extra, Passionate cook and Cook sister.

I thought about going creative, and create some very imaginative and unusual tapa (maybe veganazing some non-vegetarian tapa. What about chickpeas "spanish" tortilla?), but finally I decided to do the easiest but one of the most autenthic tapas: bread with tomato. It's as easy as it sounds, but more delicious than you can imagine. If you go to Spain, you will have difficulties to find some Spanish who puts butter on its sandwich. In fact, "buttery" sandwiches where a bigger headache for my classmates when we went to England on a school exchange than the language (at that moment, I was not vegan yet, so I had no problem because butter is widely used in Russian cuisine). Instead of butter Spanish use olive oil, and now that I am vegan is one of the things I like the most about Spanish cuisine. But I don't want to entretain you more, so here you have the recipe. Enjoy! =)

I also chose that tapa because is typically Catalonian. They call it "pà amb tomaquet", and it's the base of all the sandwiches (not only in Catalonia). But you don't need to make a sandwich because it's so tasty that it is usually eaten alone. It's very important to choose high quality ingredients: the best bread is the called "pan de pagès", a rustic bread, which is slightly toasted. An extra virgin olive oil, dense and fragant is also crucial. But I wanted to go further and I topped my "pan con tomate" (in Spanish) or "pà amb tomaquet" (in Catalonian) with baked red bell pepper. The best would have been the "piquillo pepper", a smaller red bell peppers which come from Navarra, but any would work.

Bread with tomato and baked red bell pepper Serves: 2 - 2 slice of rustic bread - 1 tomato, halved - 1 clove of garlic, halved - a few slices of baked red bell pepper - extra virgin olive oil -salt 1. Toast each slice of bread and rub them with the garlic. 2. Rub them as well with a halve of the tomato: it must be "juicy". Splash with the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. 3. Put a slice or two of baked red bell pepper on top and enjoy =)

Pan con tomate y pimientos asados Hace 2 porciones - 2 rebanadas de pan rústico -1 tomate, partido por la mitad -1 diente de ajo, partido por la mitad -unas cuantas tiras de pimiento rojo asado -aceite virgen extra -sal 1. Tuesta cada rebanada y frótalas con el ajo. 2. Frótalas también con el tomate: tiene que ser jugoso. Rocía con un buen chorro de aceite de olive y añade la sal. 3. Pon una tira o dos de pimiento rojo encima y disfruta.

Oven Baked Rice with zucchini and a little introduction to ayurveda

One of the reason why I love cooking so much is because you can travel around the world without moving home (of course, I would like to visit physically all that places, but at this moment my budget is not big enough, so I have to put up with travelling through the kitchen u_u). An example could be the oven baked rice with zucchinni I did yesterday. One of the most importants parts of the food photography process are the plates and the way you set them (one tip: food looks better in tiny plates). I wanted to try something new, because I already photographed food in all the little plates and bowls I have, and I didn't want to repite again. My idea was to put the rice in a little bowl and to turn it down on a bigger plate. But I didn't calculate well the distance. The result? The rice timbale leaned and I had the Tower of Pisa on my plate! But I loved so much how my mistake looked, that I decided to leave it.

I got the Photoshop CS3 a few days ago, and I wanted to play a little bit... I love brushes! What do you think about? Do you like graphic design? Do you use Photoshop or you have any other favorite software? (I have been using Paint Shop Pro for ages, and I still love it)

And that Oven Baked Rice with zucchini is my recipe today. This time, the recipe is mine. I love rice, specially basmanti rice (I buy the mine organic) and zucchini
s are in season. So why don't put them thogether in the oven and submit the ricipe to the Monthly Mingle # 33? Monthly Minlgle is a food blog event created by What's for lunch, honey?, and this month is hosted by Edible Garden. The theme of Monthy Mingle change in every edition, and this time is called "ravishing rice": dishes feautring rice or rice-related ingredients. You still have time until 15th to participate!

An introduction to ayurveda: Have you ever heard about ayurveda? I am not an expert in ayurveda, but I am interested in it. For the people who don't know it, ayurveda is a traditional medicine from India. It involves lifestyle, habits and diet, but diet is what sounds familiar to the majority (although massage with essencial oils, for instance, are very used too). According to ayurveda, there are thre doshas: vata, kappa and pitta. We all have vata, kappa and pitta, but one of them must be the predominant (sometimes two predominant doshar). Ayurveda doesn't aim to level all of them. It's objective is to restore our natural balance. For instance, I am vata-pita with kappa as secondary. Kappa doesn't have to be at the same level as pitta or vata, because it's not my constitution (prakriti). If I travell too much, don't rest enough and drink coffee my vata wil be too high (higher than it must be) and I won't feel well (insomnia, nerviosism and depression are simtoms of vata disbalance). To restore my level of vata, I must follow a proper diet and some lifestyle norms (for instance, routine, eating and going to sleep at the same time helps vata).

Food helps to reduce or increase one type of dosha or other. Rice is one of the best foods for vata, as well as nutritious, moist and hot dishes. Spices play an important role too. **And this is the part related to today's recipe: I used a mix of spices suitable for vata. You can find them in some shops, but I could not find any and I decided to do it myself. This is the mix I used: 3 parts of fennel (or anis) an 1 part of: turmeric, cumin, dried gigner, black pepper, cardammon, salt, sugar, fenugreek. This are spices recommender for vata persons. If you are interested in it, in the Internet there is a lot of informa.tion. Some useful links to begin: Diet according to dosha, Choosing Food for an ayurvedic diet, Ayurveda recipes, Ayurveda Holistic on-line.

Do you already know what is your dosha? In the Internet there are many questionaires wich helps you to find it. Tell me about your experiences with alternative medicine (when I say alternative medicince, I also mean yoga and other asian disciplines)

Oven Baked Rice with zucchini Serves 3-4 This is a very simple and easy recipe, perfect for everyday cooking. If you don't wan't to add spices, is even easier: you can use any rice leftovers, or add the to the zucchini. Baking it all together in the oven will blend and develop the flavors. Ingredients: -2 medium zucchinnis, shredded -1 cup cooked rice (I used brown organic basmanti) -1/2 onion, chopped -2 Tablespoons of olive oil -Salt -Stock or water -Mix of spices of your choice - I used vata spices, but you can use any (**see notes about spices above) 1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and add the spices. Fry them on a low heat during a cuple of minutes.Add the rice, the salt (begin with 1/2 teaspoon if using water and less if using stock), cook for a minute and cover with stock or water. Boil until the rice is almost done. 2. Heat the second tablespoon of olive oil and add the onions. Cook until they began to caramelize and add the shredded zucchini. Cook for 5-7 minutes, no more. 3. Put the almost done rice and the zucchini in a oven proof casserole and mix them. If there is no stock, add more. Bake covered for 30-40 minutes on a very low heat. I served it over a cauliflower-beets mash. Beans, lentils or tofu would be great sides too.

Spanish version:

Arroz al horno con calabacín Hace 3-4 porciones Ingredientes: - 2 calabacines medianos, rallados -1 taza de arroz cocido (yo usé arroz basmanti intergral ecológico) -1/2 cebolla, picada -2 cucharadas de aceite de oliva -caldo o agua -sal< -mezcla de especias - Yo usé especias adecuadas para vata, pero puedes usar cualquiera (**ver notas sobre especias arriba) 1. Calienta una cucharada de aceite de oliva en una sartén y añade las especias. Fríelas a fuego muy bajo durante unos cuantos minutos. Añade el arros, la sal (empieza con 1/2 cucharadita si usas agua y menos si usas caldo), cocina durante un minute y cubre con caldo o agua. Hierve hasta que el arroz esté casi hecho. 2. Calienta la segunda cucharada de aceite de oliva y añade la cebolla. Cocina hasta que empiecen a caramelizarse y añade el calabacín rallado. Cucece durante 5-7minutos, no más. 3. Pon el arroz casi completamente cocido y el calabacín en un recipiente resistente al horno y mézclalos. Si no queda caldo, añade más. Hornea cubierto durante 30-40 minutos a fuego muy bajo. Yo lo serví con un puré de coliflor con remolacha. Judías, lentjeas o tofu también serían un buen acompañante.

Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild Rice Timbales recipe (Spanish version inluded)

I love tofu. Is one of the most versatile foods I have ever tried. You can eat it sweet, in a pudding, smoothie or banana ice cream (try it! I have just eaten two portions for dessert) or savory, in a stir fry, baked, fried in breadcrumbs or without them, marinated....or in a timbale, like I did. Usually I try not to make life difficult for myself and when I buy tofu (which is not always possible because in Cunit, the boring town where I live, there is no tofu, and I have to go to Barcelona to buy it in an Asian supermarket , or in a health food shop. Definitely I prefer the first option, despite the fact that the health food shop tofu is organic and the Asian supermarket is not, but the organic tofu costs twice as much as the Asian one) I just marinate it, or pan-fry.

But this time I felt like cooking something more laborious. Then I saw the announcement of the May edition of Tried and Tasted, this month hosted by Holy Cow and with Fat Free Vegan Kitchen as the featured blog, I immediately knew that I had to try some of the Susan's recipes that include tofu. Fat Free Vegan Kitchen is one of my favorites vegan blogs, and in fact was one of the first I discovered and that helped me to develop my passion for cooking. Looking through her recipe index, I found one that sounded very good: Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild Rice Timbales.

If you want to take part in the blog event, you still have until this Sunday 31 May. The original idea is of Zlamushka's Spicy Kitchen, and you can participate even if you don't have a blog. Visit the Holy Cow's post about the event to get more information (Although the Zlamushka's logo is great, it was too dark for my design, so I decided to create my own one. Do you like it? Using Paint Shop Pro is so funny! ^^. Ah! And if you like it, feel free to use it. I suppose neither Zlamushka nor Vaishali won't mind...)



The other day I thought about posting my recipes both in Spanish and English. Lea, from La Tartine Gourmande, another fantastic cooking blog (is not vegan, but have got many vegetarian recipes) post her recipes in French and English. I decided to try it, so I translated the Susan's recipe. What do you think about? If you are interested (maybe there is someone who is learning Spanish), I could follow posting the recipes in both languages. I wait for your comments!


Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild Rice Timbales (see the original recipe in English from Fat Free vegan Kitchen)

***My opinion and comments about the recipe***

First of all, I must say I liked very much the result. I didn't expect the dish to become firm enough (usually, when I try to cook that kind of baked dishes they never turn out whole, and as nice as they looked in the original photo), but it did: it turned out perfect. The cornstarch and the tofu were enough to hold all the structure, and the result was a nice, satisfaying tofu-lentil-rice loaf. Yes, I told loaf, because I didn't have the little rameking the recipe called for, so I used a bread mould. And it turned out well anyway! The mine was cryspy on the outside, and moister in the middle, firm enough to cut it with a knife. It can seem a silly thing, but if there is one thing I miss about eating meat is not the flavor (it makes me sick just thinking about it), but the fact of cutting a firm slice of something. I had to change the recipe slightly, because I didn't have wild rice, so I used brown rice instead. I know that Suasan told that the wild rice was important to give it flavor, but I think it tasted great anyway. On the other hand, I would reduce the amount of garlic (2 cloves would be enough). I didn't cook a gravy for it, and used instead the a few tablespoons of the pumpkin-sweet potato soup I ate as a side....and ketchup. I suppose you think I spoiled the dish....but it really tasted delicious! xD
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Timbales de setas, lentejas y arroz salvaje
Estos timbales también constituyen un delicioso aperitivo untados sobre galletas saladas.

1 cebolla grande, finamente cortada

2 rebanadas grandes de pan (pueden ser sin gluten)
2 tazas de setas (unas 10 grandes)
1/2 taza de tofu sedoso (preferentemente light, firme o extra firme Mori-Un)

3 ajos, cuarteados
1 cucharada de jerez
2 cucharadas de agua
1 taza de lentejas cocidas
1 cucharada de pasta de tomate
1/4 cucharada de romero fresco picado
1/2 cucharada de tomillo seco
1/2 cucharada de salvia
3 cucharadas de maicena (harina fina de maíz) o arruruz
1 cucharadita de sal
1 taza de arroz salvaje cocido
Salt y pimienta negra recién molida
Setas fileteadas para decorar (opcional)

Hacer por adelantado: 1 taza de lentejas cocidas (de aprox. 1/2 taza de lentejas secas) y 1 taza de arroz salvado (1/2 taza antes de cocinar)

1. Precalienta el horno a 350ºF. Rocía 6 moldes para horno con aceite de canola o espray para cocinar y ten preparado un molde grande resistente al horno que los pueda contener (9x13-inch tendría que servir). Se puede poner una rodaja de seta en el fondo de cada molde si se desea.

2. Saltea la cebolla en una sartén anti-adherente hasta que empiece a caramelizarse. Reserva.

3. Pon el pan en un robot de cocina y pulsa hasta que se transforme en migas. Añade las setas, el tofu, el ajo, el jerez y el agua y mezclar hasta que prácticamente no queden grumos. Añade las lentejas y mezclar otra vez. Añade  la pasta de tomate, las hierbas, la maicena y la sal y procesar hasta que esté bien mezclado. Añade la cebolla y pulsa hasta  incluirlos pero sin triturarlos completamente (querrás que mantengan algo de estructura)

4.Echa el contenido del robot de cocina en un bol y añade el arroz cocido. Sazona con sal y pimienta negra molida al gusto.

5. Divide la mezcla entre los moldes aceitados y alisa la superficie con una cuchara. Coloca los moldes en una gran fuente para horno y añade agua a la fuente, teniendo cuidado en no salpicar con ella los moldes.

6. Hornea, sin cubrir, hasta que la superficie esté dorada y crujiente y el interior parezca moderadamente firme al presionar con los dedos - unos 45 - 50 minutos. Retira del horno y deja enfriarlo durante 10 minutos. Pasa un cuchillo alrededor de los bordes y da la vuelta a los moldes sobre platos individuales. Sirve  con tu salsa de setas favorita (o mira la receta de Susan)

Nota: si planeas servirlos más tarde, mantén los timbales en los moldes, cubiertos, y recaliéntalos en su baño de agua durante unos 10 minutos. O caliéntalos en microondas durante una minuto cada uno antes de servir.

Hace 6 raciones. Por ración: 131 calorías; 1g Grasa (5%calorias de las grasas); 7 g proteínas; 24g carbohidratos; trazas de colesterol; 442 mg sodio; 4g fibra.

Russian Sauerkraut salad with raw hummus

 
I apologize for abandoning the blog for more than one week, but as I already have told in my previous post, my exams have started, and most of you know what does it means: very few hours of sleep and coffee to don’t fall asleep. In fact, I have been almost living in the library during the last week. Sometimes I even took the dinner in a tupperware with me, to go straight to the library, without going to home.


Today I did the most feared exam by all the students…mathematics: derivatives and commercial arithmetic (simple and compound interest rates, amortization schedules, effective interest rate….). Not only because the subject by itself is difficult, but also because nobody likes the teacher.  Luckyly, our economics teacher has been understanding with us, and we had too hours more to study.

I took advantage of one of those lessons to go to the canteen for a coffee because I was falling asleep. I was excited because on the menu it was written that you could order your coffee with soy milk instead of regular milk, but when I asked they told me they didn’t have. Although it’s on the menu, I am sure I was the first person who asked for soy milk. And now an anecdote: coming back to my classroom, I was so absent-minded (the caffeine didn’t do its effect yet) that I didn’t realize I passed through my corridor…and I entered in another class where a teacher was giving lesson! I was so embarrassed! I closed the door quickly, but I suppose I looked quite stupid with a cup of coffee in my hand, and a expression of surprise on my face.


My teacher have already given me back my Russia project, checked and corrected. Although I have some mistakes, I was sure I would have more because it was a long project. If someone is curious, I could post some parts of it. It’s called “Changes: Russia 50 years ago and now. A comparison of my parent’s and today’s Russia. A reflection about how a country did change in half a century”

Although I have my end-of-year exams, I have been reading anyway these days (I can’t help it…I like too much reading) The last book I read, was “Fourteen cities including Brooklyn”, by Quim Monzó. He is a quite famous journalist and writer, at least here, in Catalonia. He has got many books, mainly of short stories, but also newspaper articles. This is the case of “Fourteen cities including Brooklyn”. He writes about different events in that articles, from the falling of the communist in the Czech Republic Hungary, to the terrorist attack of the 11th September. The funniest part it’s an ironical description of the behavior of tourists in Barcelona. It’s worth reading.




Russian Sauerkraut salad with raw hummus

Hummus on bread or veggies is great, but sometimes is great to experiment. Another way to eat it is in salads, and that is what I did. I used Sauerkraut because I had a huge bottle of it in the fridge, but If you can’t find it and you can’t manage doing homemade Sauerkraut (mine was homemade), you can try substitute it with shredded cabbage. Anyway, homemade Sauerkraut is not difficult: you just have to shred the cabbage, a few carrots, and add the right amount of salt, sugar and spices to taste. Although real Sauerkraut must be leaved to stand for a quite long time (many weeks), we never wait so much: a week is enough for the cabbage to ferment. Russian Sauerkraut is called “kvashanaya kapusta” (fermented cabbage), and it’s one the most typical Russian dishes. Usually is served with plain boiled potatoes or meat (although, of course, this is not my case). It is sold in every market (mainly by old ladies). It’s especially delicious with sunflower unrefined oil, which I have never seen in Spain. Its aroma is much more intense and fragrant, and the taste can’t be compared with the refined one. Just delicious.

You can substitute the buckwheat for any other grain, and the sprouted chickpeas are option (in the case you have already transformed all you sprouted chickpeas in hummus) I added them just because I like to find something crunchy.


-1 cup Sauerkraut
-3 radishes
-1 carrot
-1/2 cup buckwheat
-raw hummus (at taste)<
-pine nuts (or any other nuts)
-sprouted chickpeas *optional
-olive oil
-salt

1. Cook the buckwheat. It must be boiled for about 30 minutes. After adding the water, don’t stir the grain: the water must evaporate alone. Check it from time to time to be sure there is enough water to don’t burn it.

2. Shred the carrot and slice the radishes.

3. Mix the cooked and cooled buckwheat, carrots, radishes, pine nuts, Sauerkraut, salt and olive oil. Put the hummus on the top and serve.

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