Roasted Corn & Grilled Peaches

I don't have regular access to an outdoor grill. My life is so hard. However, I do have an oven and a grill pan so I can still make tasty summer produce  treats like roasted corn on the cob and grilled peaches. Observe!

Roasted corn on the cob:

Preheat your oven to 350 and then put your ears of corn (husks still on) on the middle rack. Roast for 40 minutes. Leaving the husks on acts like natures tin foil! As an added bonus, roasting makes it super easy to get all of the corn silk off before serving. Add a little salt, pepper and butter and eat.

Grilled peaches:

Heat your grill pan or grill to medium high. Slice peach or peaches into quarters and brush lightly with canola oil or butter. Sprinkle peaches with cinnamon and then grill about 5 minutes per side. I served mine with blueberry Greek yogurt and it was pretty, pretty, pretty good.

Veggiewich

I made the best veggie sandwich for lunch the other day and again for dinner tonight. I want to eat one everyday forever. I used those weird sandwich thins for bread because I wanted something between a bagel and regular bread, but a pita would work too. And then you wouldn't have to have bought something called "sandwich thins" which kind of makes me feel like the bread people punk'd me. Anyway, I roasted a couple red pepper slices while I was getting my other fixings together and it is totally worth it. Just brush a couple of pepper sections with olive oil and broil 'em in your toaster oven. Spread mustard on one side of your bread and hummus on the other so they become a delicious glue that holds the other ingredients in place. Pile on cucumber slices, pickles, sliced tomato, and cheddar cheese. Slice your sandwich in half and admire it's artistry. Eat like Mr. Fox having french toast, or chew at a normal, relaxed, human pace. Your choice.

Seitan tacos and artistic purgatory

Just like it is easier to order take out than make your own dinner, I’ve found it’s much easier to NOT do creative things than to do them. Making things, whether it’s a meal or a painting, takes time and effort. I often will put off something creative in favor of something far more laborious and unrewarding just so I don’t have to stare at a blank piece of paper. You know, because who wants to draw when you can clean your bathroom or watch Bunheads? Do I realize that sounds completely insane? Yes, yes I do. That’s the worst part-I know that avoiding creativity makes me a crazy person, but I still feel the need to relearn that lesson at least once a month. That’s a lot of unnecessary existential flotsam floating around in a brain. I am convinced that there is a way to be both a productive, creative artist and a responsible, functioning adult. I’d like to be consistently making work, entertain a satisfying social and romantic life, exercise my body and my brain regularly and excel in my career. Whether or not this is possible remains to be seen. In the meantime, I make dinner. And you know what makes dinner better? Taco Tuesdays with seitan and homemade tortillas.

Homemade tortillas (adapted from Dinner: A Love Story)

You’ll need: 

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for flouring your work surface)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used canola ‘cuz that’s what I had on hand)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water

Mix together the flour and salt. Add the oil and mix lightly. Add the warm water and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms dough. Cut into equal pieces of 6-8 balls. Brush with a little vegetable oil and cover with a dish towel and let rest for 15 minutes. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball on a floured surface. You can also stretch out the tortillas by hand. Whatever is easier. Preheat an ungreased griddle or cast iron pan. Add tortilla and cook until it begins to puff with a few browning spots on the bottom. Flip and press down to release the air pockets. Cook for about 1 minute. I made these with all-purpose flour the first time and they were delicious and soft. I made them with whole-wheat flour a second time and they were much stiffer and-sigh-less tasty.

For the fixins: 

Spinach
Salsa 

Guacamole
Goat cheese 

Seitan

If I have planned ahead, I use 1 loaf of homemade white seitan from Terry Hope Romero’sViva Vegan!, or if I haven’t I use about 2/3 of a box of prepackaged Westsoy seitan strips. 

If you’re using homemade seitan, slice your loaf into strips and cover with a mix of 1 tbsp bbq sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tbsp lime juice. Let the seitan marinade while you make the tortillas. If you’re using premade, just empty some into the pan when you’re ready to roll. Heat the seitan in a skillet over medium high, stirring occasionally until slightly browned (about 5-6 minutes). Fill each tortilla with seitan, guac, cheese, spinach, salsa and anything else your little heart desires. YUM.

Pandas and plum sake

I just got back from Japan! As a lifelong Sanrio devotee I was beyond excited to go on this trip. I drank tropical drinks on picturesque beaches, saw whale sharks and manta rays, poured over stationary and adorable home goods and freaked out over characters and design. I also got food poisoning from Pizza Hut and killed my trusty camera by subjecting it to Okinawa’s typhoon season weather. Oops. I loved Japan and would gladly endure 12 hours of gastrointestinal hell again if it meant I could be back there right now. Now that I’m home I want to explore some Japanese cooking and make more art inspired by what I saw on the trip. So far that’s meant buying some sake and a panda tokkuri and making what is basically a white wine spritzer. Baby steps, my friends.

Sake ‘n seltzer

1-2 shots of dry sake (chilled)

Seltzer ( I used Polar Ginger Lemonade seltzer)

Lime wedges

Fill a collins glass ¾ full with ice, pour in the sake and then top off with seltzer

Stir and garnish with a lime wedge or two

Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Tofu Tacos

It’s Cinco de Mayo! And the Kentucky Derby! All in one day! Why is this important you ask? Because now at long last you can combine your two true loves: Mexican food and bourbon. Try these sweet potato tacos for a healthier (and tastier) alternative to the usual cheese with a side of cheese dish you get at your local tex mex place. The recipe is based on Kim Barnouin’s Black Bean and Yam Tacos from Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook, which is a pretty fantastic book even though the title sometimes makes me want to roll my eyes over and over like a sarcastic animated gif. No offense, Kim. I cooked a batch of brown texmati rice to serve with my tacos, but if you don’t feel like adding rice you don’t have to. If you sense that pairing tacos with a mint julep is a terrible idea, you’re not wrong and should drink a paloma instead.

You’ll need:

Makes 4-6 servings:

1 ½ tbsp olive oil

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

¼ block of firm tofu, pressed and cut into small cubes

¼-1/2 large red pepper, diced

about 6 baby portobello mushrooms, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ C onion, diced

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp oregano

soft taco sized tortillas

spinach, siracha and feta cheese for garnish

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups cooked brown texmati rice (optional)

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high. Add the sweet potato and tofu and sauté until the potatoes are almost soft about 9-10 minutes. Add the red pepper, garlic, spices and mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Take the pan off the heat and warm a couple of tortillas in a frying pan for a minute or two (or nuke them in the microwave for about 30 seconds on a damp paper towel). Build your taco like so: rice, spinach, potato and bean mix, and a sprinkle of feta cheese topped with siracha. Ole.

Paloma Cocktail (makes 1 serving)

2 ounces tequila

1/2 ounce lime juice

pinch of salt

grapefruit soda (or half Sprite half grapefruit juice)

Lime wedge

In a collins glass, mix the tequila, lime juice, and salt in a tall glass. Add ice, top off with the soda, and stir. If you're fancy, use the grapefruit soda from the international aisle at the grocery store. If you're thrifty just use Squirt or Sprite or 7up and some grapefruit juice. Garnish with a lime wedge.

Hello, Polenta

The premade polenta at my local grocery store is tucked away in a weird tower of baskets by the deli. It seems as though they’ve been put there as an afterthought, which is too bad since polenta can be made into a zillion tasty treats. I tried out this recipe from Martha Stewart Everyday Food the other night and although the overall result was beyond salty, I think with a couple of minor changes this could be really delicious. I subbed out real sausage for the fake soy sausage (the Gimme Lean variety) which could have been the super salty culprit, but who knows. Next time I’ll tweak the recipe by swapping in some carrots and zucchini for half of the sausage to balance it out more. The most time consuming part of this was the prep work, other than that it’s easy to throw together and you get to buy two food items that come in tubes, which is fun in a severely limited sort of way.

Makes 4 servings:

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil (I just used some fat free cooking spray)
1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
1 lb sweet italian sausage, casing removed (I used Gimme Lean veg sausage-again I’d recommend reducing this to half a pound)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3/4 C marinated artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped (I just used regular canned artichokes)
Coarse salt and ground pepper (I’d leave out the salt and just use pepper, plus oregano and basil)
1 tube (18 oz) prepared polenta, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/3 C chicken stock (I used veggie stock instead)
1/4 C fresh parsley coarsely chopped (I left out the parsley)

I also would suggest adding:

6 baby bella mushrooms, diced

1 quarter of a red pepper, diced

1 small zucchini, quartered

3/4 C carrots, cut into rounds

Preheat your oven to 400. In a large skillet, heat oil or spray over medium high. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook until it starts to smell yummy, 30 seconds. Remove skillet from heat and stir in artichokes, mushrooms, peppers, carrots and zucchini; season with pepper, oregano and basil. In a 2-qrt baking dish, layer polenta rounds and spoonfuls of sausage mixture in a domino-like formation. Pour stock over top and bake until bubbling and polenta is pale golden, 20-25 minutes.

Springtime Summer Rolls

Do you like buying tasty and fresh produce at your local farmer’s market? Of course you do. Do you like opening your refrigerator at the end of the week and seeing half of your delicious veggies staring back at you with sad, wilted eyes? No you do not. Take a break from boring salads and save your food from a neglectful death by making these easy summer rolls.

You’ll need:

Rice paper wrappers from the international aisle or your local Asian market

Dipping sauce (you can make your own or you can use store bought hoisin or plum sauce)

Pick your roll fillings:

Carrot and cucumber slices (cut into matchsticks)

Zucchini, cut into strips and sprinkled with salt and pepper

Avocado slices

Shredded lettuce

Fresh basil leaves

Fresh cilantro

Fresh mint

Cooked vermicelli rice noodles

Pan fried tofu

Fresh mango slices

Cooked shrimp

Cooked chicken

Peanut sauce

2 tbsp peanut butter (creamy or chunky both work)

2 tbsp warm water

1 tsp soy sauce

Lime juice to taste

Siracha to taste

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl

My favorite combo is carrots, cucumbers, basil, avocado, mango, vermicelli and tofu.

Be careful not to put too much of your fillings in your wrapper-the more stuff in your roll, the more difficult it is to roll it up neatly.

Slice and prep your fillings and soak the rice wrappers in warm water for about 5 minutes. Lay a wrapper on a plate or work surface and place your ingredients on the bottom third of the wrapper, leaving enough room on the sides that you’ll be able to fold them over (see illustration). Fold the sides in first and then fold the bottom up over your ingredients and roll the whole thing up! Dip in your sauce of choice and enjoy. Rolls kept in tupperware in the fridge will stay fresh for up to two days.

Chicken-less Chicken Soup

I recently started taking public transportation on a daily basis again which means I recently got a cold. Woo! I was craving chicken noodle soup, but am not a fan of the saltiness and questionable looking meat that comes in most canned varieties. A quick surveying of my pantry made me realize I could make my own version-weird chicken shapes not included!

You’ll need:

1 ½-2 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Chicken base (adjust according to how chicken-y you want your soup to taste)

3 large cloves garlic, minced

¾  tbsp fresh ginger, minced

1-1 ½ cups bowtie pasta (depending on your ideal broth to pasta ratio)

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup frozen broccoli

½ cup frozen corn

½ cup chopped red pepper

Fresh baby spinach

In a medium saucepan, cook your pasta until it’s slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 8 minutes). Drain and set aside. In a large pot, combine the bouillon with 5 cups water and simmer for a minute or two. Add the garlic, ginger and carrots and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the frozen broccoli and corn and cook for another 4 minutes. Throw in the red pepper and the pasta and let simmer for a minute while you get yourself a nice big noodle bowl. Serve yourself and stir in a handful of fresh baby spinach. You can also mix in a little siracha for extra spicy congestion busting power.

The best chocolate chip cookies in the entire universe

If I could only eat one thing for dessert for the rest of my life, I’d choose Mark Bittman’s perfectly chewy and crispy chocolate chip cookies. I use semisweet chocolate chips instead of chopped chocolate and usually halve the recipe so I am not tempted to gobble fistfuls of cookies everyday. Because that would be terrible. And also amazing.

Makes: 3 to 4 dozen

1 /2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 /4 cup granulated sugar

3 /4 cup brown sugar (I like to use dark brown sugar-it makes the cookies flatter)

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 /2 teaspoon baking soda

1 /2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups chopped good-quality semisweet chocolate (good quality semisweet chocolate chips are fine)

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer; add the eggs one at a time and beat until well blended.

2. Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the dough, beat together, then add the vanilla and stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Drop tablespoon-size mounds of dough about 3 inches apart in rows and columns on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool for about 2 minutes on the sheets before transferring to a rack with a spatula to cool completely. The cookies will stay fresh in tupperware or a ziplock bag for a couple of days (they also freeze well).

Adapted from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything which you should go out and buy right now

Easy Home Fries

Are you tired of spending all of your money on brunch? When did a couple scrambled eggs, toast and home fries turn into a double digit outing? Let’s face it, the only thing that stands between you and whipping up your own diner worthy breakfast is homemade home fries. Don’t sweat it! Make this recipe (and a poor man’s Bloody Mary if you’re so inclined) in half the time it would normally take you to drag yourself to your favorite breakfast spot.

Easy Home Fries (Serves 2)

5 or 6 small yukon gold or white round potatoes

1/8 cup onions, sliced

1 clove garlic, diced

salt

pepper

crushed red pepper

2-3 tbs of butter, margarine or earth balance

slice the potatoes into ¼ inch rounds

melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat

add the potatoes and cook covered for 10 minutes

uncover and add the garlic, onions and seasoning

cook the potatoes for another 5-10 minutes to desired doneness

serve with scrambled eggs, toast and real or fake bacon

Poor Man’s Bloody Mary (Serves 1)

 V8 Hot & Spicy

Vodka

Hot sauce (optional)

Fill a pint glass with ice

Add a shot and a half of vodka

Finish with the V8

Add a tsp of hot sauce if you want

Stir and enjoy

Falafel Sandwiches

I love sandwiches! I tried this falafel recipe last night and it was delicious. Why should I bother making falafel you say? Because it’s cheaper than take out and it makes a bunch of food. I made 8 patties instead of the suggested 4 and cooked them for about 4 minutes per side. Freeze the patties and any extra sauce you don’t eat and you can have falafel anytime, morning, noon or night. Literally anytime.

You’ll need:

1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup chopped onion

5 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 15-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 large egg

Olive oil

4 warm pita breads, top third cut off

Sliced tomatoes

Crisp lettuce leaves

Whisk yogurt, 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup onion, 1 garlic clove, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in medium bowl to blend; season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Blend garbanzo beans, 3 tablespoons flour, cumin, remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, 4 garlic cloves and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in processor until almost smooth. Add egg and remaining 3/4 cup onion and blend, using on/off turns, until onion is finely chopped. Transfer mixture to bowl; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Shape mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties. Turn patties in remaining 1/2 cup flour to coat on both sides.

Pour enough oil into heavy large skillet to coat bottom; heat over medium-high heat. Add patties and cook until crisp and golden, about 8 minutes per side. Open pita breads; slide 1 patty, sliced tomato and lettuce into each. Spoon in some yogurt mixture.

Buffalo Tofu Sandwiches

There’s a new sheriff in town. And it’s a sandwich. Giddy-up! I made these with sweet potato fries the other night-which worked out great since you can roast the tofu and the fries at the same time! Boom. Said tofu roasting is from Bryant Terry’s Vegan Soul Kitchen, but you knew that already.

Serves Two

For the sandwiches and fries:

Olive oil

Cooking spray (olive or canola, your choice)

1 large sweet potato

1 block of firm tofu, pressed

salt, pepper and paprika

2 whole wheat buns

feta or blue cheese

pickles

greens

For the buffalo sauce:

1 tbsp butter, margarine or earth balance

1/8 cup hot sauce

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or use those silicone mats if you have them. Cut the tofu block in half and then cut each half into ¼ inch slices so you have 6 l’il tofu rectangles. You can cut the tofu anyway you want actually, I just like to do thinner rectangles for sandwiches. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat each side of your tofu with olive oil and season each side with salt and pepper. Put them on one of the cookie sheets. Next, peel your sweet potato, cut it in half and then cut each half into fries, aiming for ½ or ¼ inch wide sticks. Put the fries in a big bowl, spray them with cooking spray and season them to your liking with sea salt, pepper and paprika. Toss them to coat, spray them a second time and then toss again. Place them in a single layer on the second cookie sheet, being careful not to overcrowd them. Put the fries and the tofu in the oven and set your timer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, flip both the tofu slices and the fries, then put them back in the oven. Set your time for another 15 minutes. The fries will be ready before the tofu, so take them out after about 5 minutes. Melt the butter in a frying pan and then add the hot sauce, stirring to combine. When the tofu’s done, coat the pieces in sauce and then assemble your sandwiches with the fries on the side.

Black beans & brownies

I had a huge dilemma the other day. I really wanted a brownie sundae and had the ice cream, but no brownies. I really had to weigh my options and think the situation through. Should I buy a box mix, preferably a cheapy one and use that? Or should I make them from scratch? Or should I go back to school and get my masters, move to a less expensive city, fix up an arts and crafts style bungalow and get a dog? In the end I decided to give this brownie recipe from one of my issues of Martha Stewart Everyday Food a try. Black beans keep the brownies super moist and slightly less bad for you. If instead of making brownies, I had gotten certified for teaching, I would give them an A+.

You’ll need:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup black beans, rinsed, drained, and mashed with a fork until smooth

(on the site it suggests pureeing the beans in a food processor, but I found it was tough to do with such a small amount)

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (1/3 cup)

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs, plus 1 large egg white

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter or grease a 9-inch square baking pan (I used an 8-inch} and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter, bean puree, and chocolates and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Use an oven mitt or dishrag to take the bowl out of the oven when you’re checking it-the bowl will be hot! Whisk in sugar, eggs and egg white, and vanilla until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir into chocolate mixture until just combined. Pour batter into pan; smooth top. Bake until top is cracked and a toothpick inserted in center has moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes (center will seem undercooked but will set further as it cools). I baked mine for about 28 or 29 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Using parchment, lift brownie from pan and cut into squares.

Cheap snacks, free museums!

Ah Boston. It’s pretty great living here, right? You don’t need a car to survive and there’s always something to do. It doesn’t come without a price though, and that price is pricey. It’s expensive to live here, people, that’s what I’m trying to say. Here are some of my favorite things to do and places to eat that will make you and what money you actually have happy.






Happy Hour at Redbones
Every weekday from 4-6pm appetizers are half price. If you like hanging out at the downstairs bar better, don’t go until 5. My favorite apps are the nachos, the corn fritters and buffalo shrimp. Sadly, the giant sized cocktails that matched the giant sized portions at Redbones seem to be a thing of the past, so I’d recommend sticking to their beer list for drinks.
55 Chester St in Somerville  

Free Thursdays at the ICA
I’ve certainly seen some interesting work at the ICA, but I think my favorite part of visiting is the building itself. And every Thursday from 5-9pm you can go for free. If you want to double your thriftiness you could pick up a delicious $5 sandwich from the Clover truck at Summer and Atlantic outside of South Station and eat it on the steps of the museum. Nice!
100 Northern Ave in Boston

Clover
Clover Speaking of which, Clover is delicious and cheap. In addition to their fleet of food trucks throughout Boston and Cambridge, they have two brick and mortar locations-one in Harvard Sq and one outside of Inman. It’s true that the Harvard Sq restaurant has kind of a weird atmosphere-sort of like eating in a cafeteria crossed with a stock room crossed with a hospital, but after a couple of bites of your chickpea fritter, you won’t really care.

Cheap Date Night at Myers and Chang
Myers and Chang is one of my favorite places to eat in Boston. The staff is friendly and laid back, the food is amazingly flavorful, the drinks are potent and tasty and they have cheap date night! Every Monday and Tuesday, two people can eat well for $40. Everything I’ve ever had here has been delicious. Try the pork belly buns, the dan dan noodles, any of the vegetables, the mussels and the tiger’s tears.
1145 Washington Street in Boston

Pizza and PBR at the Newtowne Grille
The sign outside of the Newtowne in Porter Sq advertises a large cheese pizza and a pitcher of Bud for $13.95, but that’s just silly. What you really want is a pitcher of PBR and a large cheese pizza, which only runs you $11.95. Most importantly, THE PIZZA IS GOOD. I mean like, surprisingly good. The deal is any large cheese pizza is $4 when you get a pitcher. Even if you’re feeling fancy and get Allagash, you’re still able to do a tasty meal for less than $20.
1945 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge

Free Wednesday Nights at the MFA
Every Wednesday after 4pm admission to the MFA is by voluntary donation. On their website, the suggested donation is $22, which I like to translate into $1. You know, per person I’m going with. I’m not a total jerk. I love the Art of the Americas wing and I love going to the Squealing Pig for a drink afterwards. The prosciutto, fig jam and gorgonzola toastie is pretty great and I like their non mayo-y potato salad. Note that trivia night starts at 8pm, which to me says "get out before 8" but to you might say "stay and play trivia."
465 Huntington Ave in Boston

Beer Punch at Cambridge Common
A thirst quenching blend of lemonade, Sam Summer, and vodka, the Beer Punch at CambridgeCommon is both tasty and a bargain. Two people can get about 4 drinks a piece and spend around $25. You will be happy because you won’t have blown ALL of your money on booze. You will also be happy because you will be drunk. Unless of course you’re an angry or weepy drunk in which case a giant kool-aid shaped pitcher of devil juice is probably not the best choice for you anyway. My bad.
1667 Mass Ave in Cambridge

Free Sunday Mornings at the Harvard Museum of Natural History
If you’ve got a Massachusetts drivers license you can visit the Natural History museum for free every Sunday from 9am ‘til noon. Wednesday afternoons from 3-5pm are also free from September through May. Certain rooms can feel pretty claustrophobic here and I’ve freaked myself out by turning a dark corner and bumping into a case filled with terrifying taxidermied monkeys on more than one occasion. And yet, I keep going back. Museum highlights include: the rocks and minerals hall, live poison dart frogs, the New England Forests room, and the Harvard Mastodon.
26 Oxford St in Cambridge

 

Tofu and broccoli

I love tofu and I love broccoli. I also think peanut butter is pretty great. This recipe for Soy-Mirin Tofu Over Rice with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce from VeganYumYum combines these things and more! I didn’t have any mirin and also substituted toasted seasame oil for the peanut oil, but it was still delicious. Plus, I got to draw broccoli wearing a bow tie. Yes!

VeganYumYum is a treasure trove of delicious recipes. There’s a book too!

Ah poverty chili. You saved me one day when I really, really thought I didn't have anything to make for dinner. This is a recipe that a fourth grader you’d trust with a knife could make, but that doesn't make it any less tasty.

You’ll need:

8 oz of veggie stock (I make mine using Vegetarian Better Than Bouillon)

1 15 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz can of white beans, drained and rinsed

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained but not rinsed

1 small zucchini sliced and quartered into 1” pieces

1 clove of garlic, diced

1/8 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp chili pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder

about a tbs olive oil

Plain Greek yogurt

Lime wedges

About 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Heat the veggie stock in a dutch oven or large pot.

Add the beans, diced tomatoes, and spices and simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.

Add the diced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the zucchini (and any other diced veggies you want) to the pan and sauté for a couple of minutes.

Stir the veggies into the chili, garnish with cheese, yogurt, a lime wedge and serve. 

If you have cornbread or tortilla chips for dipping, you'll be even happier.

Hellluuuuuu

This is not a blog about frying pans. I know, I know, you feel lied to. I vow to regain your trust by sharing adorable drawings of brussel sprouts, collecting easy and delicious recipes, and reviewing places to spend your hard earned cash on snacks and or booze. For everyone who totally hearts food but would never call themselves a foodie, I feel your pain. Er. Love.