Bar food: Allyn's veggie burger

Yes, another eating out post. It's been a rough week, so I was craving some beer and fries. Allyn's Cafe serves sandwiches, "Next-Mex", a variety of meats, and salads. They also have an extensive wine and beer list and even have a wine shop for taking bottles home.

In some future visit, I'll want to try their tofu fajita wrap, and in the past I've gotten the portobello sandwich and been pleased. This visit, however, was all about the veggie burger. We both enjoy a good veggie patty, and Allyn's is good. I do appreciate a token veggie burger on a bar menu, but it's better when it's not the same frozen patty I can get at the grocery store. After my first attempt at homemade patties in my pre-blogging days, I have an even greater appreciation for the homemade patty!

Black beans, carrots, seasoned breading, onions, spices, grilled in a patty form
with choice of fixings, chips or fries.

This is a really tasty burger. The black beans are whole and the seasoned breading seems to have a cornmeal base, so it's almost like a big hushpuppy that's not fried. I know my photo looks cheese-heavy, but it's no Cincinnati portion of cheese -- just a single slice of provolone melted over top. I tried to take a photo of the burger partway through eating it, but it didn't turn out.

Comfort food: Tacos!

This recipe for replacement taco filler includes fake meat. I use Morningstar Crumbles.

I have two reasons for writing about fake meat. First, my eating partner really digs it. He calls himself a flavor man, or a sauce man, and will tolerate a variety of carriers for his flavor. I hardly ever ventured beyond an occasional Gardenburger before eating with him. Second, even though I haven't eaten meat in nearly 10 years, I don't consider this diet to be a restrictive. I'll eat whatever I want to eat. It just happens to be the case that when I want something with meat, I change my mind before it comes time to chow down. That doesn't mean that I am happy just leaving out the meat with no replacement.

So today's tip is how I replace ground meat in tacos.


Believe it or not, I still had to experiment and perfect this recipe, and I think I have it down to something we both like.

Cook 1 large onion, chopped, and sliced mushrooms (white or baby bellas) in a small amount of oil. Spinkle store-bought low-sodium taco seasoning over the vegetables; usually the mushrooms have put out enough water that I don't have to add additional water. I use a whole packet for 2 bags of crubmles or a half a packet for one bag of crumbles. Using low-sodium is key; it was always too salty when we used the regular kind.

Once the mix is incorporated, I put the crumbles on top and put a lid on it. They thaw and cook, and I usually just heat them through and then leave covered on the stove for the flavors to soak up. If needed, I'll heat again before serving.

Voila! Replacement taco meat. Great with all the fixings.

What do I eat when I don't cook?

I have debated whether to post about eating out, and I've decided that it might be fun to share some of my favorite restaurant dishes as they come across my lips. Generally when I cook, I'm using or adapting a recipe from a cookbook, a website, or a cooking show, if I'm not taking the "semi-homemade" route. There are, however, a few times when I've taken a restaurant recipe and tried to recreate it at home. One in particular I'm thinking of is the T.B.M. Melt from Cosi, which I love but can't get locally. There are many other times when the combination of ingredients or the tools or skill involved prohibit me from trying the dish at home.

This morning I went to brunch at Melt, a restaurant that has a focus on vegan food, although they offer a variety of non-vegan food as well (both meat and dairy). The first time we went there was for dinner, but we've been back for sandwiches as well as brunch. This morning I made the mistake of leaving home without checking their hours, only to find that they open at 11 a.m. We walked around Northside Cincinnati for about 15 minutes and then were the second people in the door when Melt opened. After we ordered we witnessed a non-stop line of hungry brunchers.

I got the Rosemary Redskin Mess, which includes redskin potatoes topped with thinly sliced, well-cooked green bell peppers and onions, mushrooms, fresh spinach, tofu scramble, roma tomatoes, and vegan cheez. They are now offering this with eggs and real cheese, although I went for the tofu. This also comes with your choice of side -- I got fruit, and it was delicious: melon, grapes, and pineapple.


My husband got the veggie bacon and egg biscuit and it was delicious as well; I tried a few bites and the biscuit was simply incredible. The fake bacon was good too; much better than what I've been able to buy in the grocery stores. Although I've not been much for fake meat, I'm not one to dismiss it either. After all, it seems to be what keeps us happy!

New recipe: Bean and Ricotta Casserole

The weather has been cool enough this week that I've been willing to turn on the oven and attempt a casserole. This one was pretty good, even if it wasn't pretty. Anything with ricotta in it always catches my eye.

Actually, I eyeballed the measurements and was a little confused by this recipe. I got it from a large veggie cookbook my mom gave me way back, The Passionate Vegetarian. I left off the breadcrumbs on top. I think there was one ingredient which was never used. I also found it funny that it called for nutmeg "to taste" to be mixed with ricotta and raw egg. I'm not going to taste that! The closest I can come is whether I want a little or a lot, but I have no idea!

It may be because I just finished reading Julia Child's My Life in France, or even just that I'm trying to actually follow a recipe rather than just toss some food together, that I have this new scrutiny. I know I would fail if she were to judge my write-ups by her standards. I also have a real appreciation for TV and demonstration cooks because so far the best recipes I've tried have come from watching or adapting TV chefs.

Three Bean and Ricotta Casserole

1 cup rice, cooked. I follow this recipe for great rice.
3 cups cooked beans. I used the dry Ham Beens mix, soaked them overnight, and cooked them 4 hours in the Crock Pot. Yes, this includes more than three beans, both in quantity and variety.
1 tub ricotta, mix with:
1 egg
salt, pepper, and nutmeg
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
Frozen green peas
Oil for skillet

This recipe is a layering of 4 distinct prepared mixes. The photo is the casserole with the first scoop taken out to show the layers. My casserole dish was too small -- I had to leave out some peas and it spilled over a little when the ricotta and egg expanded. I mention below, too, that I'd use less rice next time. You can see I made a mess scooping out, too. Oops!


1. Press the cooked rice into the bottom of a casserole dish.

2. Spread the cooked beans over the rice.

3. Mix the ricotta with the egg, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, "to taste". Spread this over the beans.

4. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the onions, garlic, and mushrooms. Rinse the frozen peas in hot water to thaw, then pat dry. Add to the mix in the skillet and spread across the ricotta.

5. Cover tightly and bake at 350F for 40 minutes.

I'm glad I gave this recipe a try and I may try it again. Personally I don't think the rice was necessary, at least in the quantity I included, and the casserole as a whole was much better when I mixed it together on my plate, but I can see that it would need to be baked in layers. I really liked the peas, mushrooms, onions, and garlic. Maybe I could make that to go with mashed potatoes sometime. Yum!

A different kind of experimentation: Green Cooking

The other night I made a typical dish for us and something I do pretty frequently: pasta and veggies. The experimental part of this was something I heard on the radio over the weekend and was almost afraid to try because I was sure it would not work. Well, I was wrong.

I heard Kate Heyhoe on The Splendid Table discussing cooking green, basically discussing how you can reduce the amount of energy you use when you cook. Well, she suggested a way of cooking pasta that reduces the amount of time your burner is on by half or more and I wanted to give it a try. I was almost convinced that the pasta would turn out gummy, mushy, or all stuck together even if it was cooked. Surprisingly, that was not the case.

Bring the water to boil and add pasta and salt as usual. Then boil uncovered for two minutes, the cover and turn off the burner. Let rest in the hot water for the remainder of the cooking time according to package directions. Drain and serve as usual.

I can't believe it worked!


We ate this with a mix of veggies and a little sauce from a jar. I cook whatever I want in one pan and it usually works out pretty well. I used onion, mushrooms, zucchini, red bell pepper, and broccoli. Once everything is cleaned and cut, I just cook it for about 5 minutes with a little olive oil and margarine mixed together and salt lightly. As long as I get the mushrooms and onion on the bottom of the pan, they cook through and I like the other veggies to be firm. Yum!

Cooking for a group

Once a month, I help to serve dinner at the Ronald McDonald House. It's always a challenge for me to prepare a large quantity of food that the families staying in the house will appreciate without resorting to serving things that I would not buy, cook, or eat. Not only must I worry about the appeal of the dish, but I seem to have trouble with proportions in doubling or tripling recipes as well as having the equipment to carry out the feat of cooking.

Tonight, the meal is "breakfast for dinner" and I'm making a frittata recipe that I have for dinner myself sometimes. These simple ingredients come together quite nicely and this is my favorite frittata recipe of any that I've tried.

This is, in a way, another kind of cheaters food. I say that mostly because I use frozen spinach.

Spinach Frittata:
12 eggs
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
Mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
Cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt
Shredded Swiss cheese

When all the ingredients are prepared, saute the mushrooms for a few minutes for them to be tender. I then place them in a greased dish. Place the tomato halves on top. Sometimes I also like to use red bell pepper in place of the tomatoes. I don't cook the bell pepper or the tomato.

Place all the eggs in a large bowl and break the yolks, mixing gently. Then add the spinach, using a fork to incorporate it with the eggs. Add the Swiss and some salt to taste -- maybe a teaspoon.

Pour the egg mixture over the mushrooms, which by now should have cooled so as not to cook the eggs on contact. Mix gently over the mushrooms and tomatoes and bake at 400F for about 30 minutes or until set. I originally wasn't sure of the timing for such a large batch, and it took longer than I expected but I made it out of the house in time.

Typically I'll adjust the recipe and use 6 or 8 eggs and eyeball the veggies. The frittata is just as good when it's reheated later.

Experimentation Sunday

I try to use a day off of work, or even any weekend day, to try a new recipe or try something a little bit more involved than the easy suppers I toss together after work.

This weekend I pulled out a cookbook my aunt gave me, The Ethnic Vegetarian, and decided to try an African-inspired supper. I made Senegalese tofu, North African orange salad, and Moroccan zucchini pancakes. I'm not sure if I didn't follow the recipes precisely or what the problem was, but the tofu was tasty even if it didn't turn out as it should have. The zucchini pancakes, on the other hand, were a flop I will not describe here. It's possible that I would have done better to shred or grate the zucchini rather than putting them in the food processor as the recipe instructed. I also used the 3 eggs the recipe called for and the pancakes (okay, mush) tasted eggy - ick!

On with the recipes worth reporting on! First, I made the dressing for the orange salad so that I could refrigerate it:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup olive or salad oil

Serve over salad greens (I used Romaine), red onion slices, and orange wedges.

Next, I made the marinade for the tofu. I don't think I've ever put such strange ingredients together.

Senegalese Tofu

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup peanut butter (the recipe calls for chunky, but I used what I had = smooth)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 serrano chile pepper (the recipe says minced, but I left it in large chunks to flavor the marinade and then removed them)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 springs fresh thyme, finely chopped (again, I used dried herbs here)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound firm silken tofu, cut into 1/2-inch slices

Mix all the ingredients together and pour over tofu slices. My marinade was very chunky and didn't cover the tofu; furthermore, stirring the mix broke the tofu into pieces. So I simply placed a spoonful of the marinade over each slice. This says to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. I happened to leave it out longer, in hopes that the marinade would spread. I removed the serrano before broiling the tofu.

Broil the tofu for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Well, the peanut butter was already brown, so I just timed it and the turned it over, broiled on the other side for 3 minutes, and that was that. The tofu was flavorful, if still soft, and we both agreed the recipe is one to try again with a few modifications. My husband suggested including nuts, which actually would have been present if I used the chunky peanut butter, and I would chop the onion into much smaller pieces.

And this, my friends, is what you get from Experimentation Sunday.